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"The Bottle Painter"Written By: Kaeru Shisho Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, male/male pairings, language Pairings: 1x2 Summary: Heero Yuy’s life as a winery artist takes an abrupt turn when he meets a lowly delivery boy. A/N: My deepest thanks go to the kindness of WaterLily
for painstaking editing and Snowdragon for encouraging me. "The Bottle Painter " Chapter 2 The delivery boy had left me feeling frustrated. Surely my social skills hadn't deteriorated so far that I couldn't even make a friend at work? He'd taken off and I hadn't even learned his name. I'd failed to do even that much. There was work sitting, waiting for me. The paint was dry, so I could call on Mr. Barton to review the design. Might as well face that possible failure as well. As it turned out, my boss loved the art and called the printer to find an appropriate typeface for his new GYPSY label. "Last year's Zinfandel is ready for bottling and it's particularly spicy with a deep berry. It will fit the gypsy theme exactly. Thank you, Heero, for the art." I returned the test bottles to the studio, and warmth spread through my chest, which I recognized as pride. I had my work cut out for me. Before my light failed me, I had to make progress on the work. I couldn't mix colors-that was for the morning with certain illumination-but I could do the line art for the head and hair. Silver or gold highlights would be saved to the end. Just do the basics, I reminded myself, and settled into a rhythm. I must have been terribly focused, because I didn't hear anyone knock, or come in. "Those are cool. Oh, sorry, 'bout that. Didn't mean to scare you." It was him, whoever he was. I rested the ruined bottle on the table and picked up a rag and mineral spirits. "But you did anyway. Here, make yourself useful and clean off where I slipped." "Sure. I like to be useful." We worked in silence a few minutes; or, he did and I studied him doing it. His face was far too pretty to be a man's. Maybe he was younger than I'd thought initially. "How old are you?" I asked. I felt rusty at conversation, remembering too late that it would have been more polite-"proper," as Wufei would have snapped-for me to have asked why he'd stopped by first. "You are weird, you know that? You don't care what my name is, but you want to know if I'm of legal consenting age? I musta been nuts to come back here expecting some real, oh. I don't know, warmth? Caring? Maybe if I was cold and green-" "A frog?" I was mystified and completely off base again. "A Goddamned wine bottle! Jesus, you are denser than rock." Again, he was shooting in the direction of the door. He had the table to get around first giving me time to block his path. "I'm sorry." There I said it this time, because I was. I didn't want to chase him away. He growled at me. The vineyard kept terriers to deter rats from the vines. They had bright eyes and sharp teeth and growled. I thought he was adorable like a puppy, and very nearly kept that thought to myself. "You're cute, like a feisty little terrier." "What did you say?" he asked in a very un-cute tone of voice. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm about around you. I'm just coming off a bad experience and I'm bad at this-" "You're right about that." "Can we start over?" "Mebbe." "Okay, then. Hello." "Yeah, hi." He shook my hand. Now we both had painted palms. "My name is Heero Yuy and this is my art studio where I paint the limited edition bottles. What's your name?" "Duo Maxwell. Nice place here. Like the paintings on the ones on the window sill. Swirly." "Thank you." The conversation was going smoothly this time. I felt good about this meeting. "It's you." "Say what?" "Well, how I imagined you would look with your hair down and turned away. You inspired me." "Oh yeah?" He looked nervous and uncomfortable. His eyes were darting toward the door again. What had I said wrong this time? "I had this dream," which I had the good sense not to tell him about, "and I woke up with this vision of loose hair and flowers." I thought I heard him mutter, "I gotta bad feeling-" "Oh, it was a nice composition!" I rushed to assure him I didn't have tasteless dreams. "Listen, ah, Heero. You invited me to look, I've looked, now I gotta few things lined up to do, people expecting me for the, ah, card game and you know they gotta have the right number of players so I'd better go-- now." I stopped him the best way I knew. I grabbed him and kissed him. He broke away and hauled off and punched me in the face. Then he ran out the door. I chased after him and, after a brief scuffle, trapped him in a side corridor. "Lemme go! I didn't do nothing you didn't deserve." He was quick, slippery and, I suspected, cunning and not above winning with dirty tricks, but I was stronger. "Shut up for a second. Would you stop running away and give me a chance?" "A chance to what? Get raped? I'd rather get myself fired, thank you very much. I'm the really, really low man on the totem pole here, painter dude. No one's gonna believe my word against yours, so before I add to that shiner, just getcher hands off. I won't tell if you won't." "Rape? What do you mean? That's a terrible thing... are you accusing me of that?! I wasn't going to do anything to you." "No? You kissed me. That was something." "A small something. I wanted you to stay. I thought you'd like it. I've been told I'm good at it." He calmed enough that I let up on my grip, which seemed to give him courage to square his shoulders. My cheek throbbed and I could feel the skin pulled tight over a rising bump. "You've got a high assessment of yourself in that department then. You were okay. Just passable." "Again with the insults!" "I call it like I see it. The hairy bottles were pretty. I said so. The kiss was so-so. Too hard. It was all about you bullying me and not about passion." "You didn't give me a chance. You have to kiss back for it to work right." I touched the bump on my cheek bone. "And you hit me! I didn't hurt you at all." He stood there arms crossing his chest staring at me. Hopefully, he was thinking over what I'd said and not plotting his next moves leading to my demise. "Fair enough. Let's give it a try. And see if you can avoid bruising my lips on my teeth, okay?" "You want to kiss me? I want to make certain I understand you." "Yeah. Consider it a test of your abilities." We were the same exact height, which was nice. Trowa had been taller and Wufei shorter. Since we were standing, we fit perfectly. His arms circled my neck allowing mine to wrap around his waist. When one hand slipped along his rounded ass, he shook his head. We weren't going there today. The corridor was dark and cool, one that led to the wine cask storage room. It smelled faintly of vinegar, and now the sharp tang of Duo's sweat, more intoxicating than wine. His eyes remained opened and his dry lips barely brushed against mine. I was afraid to move lest I kiss him too hard. Was he especially fragile? His tongue wasn't. It muscled past my lips, daring my teeth to block its way, and then set to exploring my gums, palate, and finally tussle with mine for dexterity. All this while rubbing his supple body along mine, stirring up trouble, because we were both terribly aroused. I was diagramming the quickest route to my bedroom, when he broke the kiss and pulled away. He wiped his smiling mouth on his sleeve. "Better that time. You put some heat into that one. Feel it?" "Yes." That came out so hoarsely he laughed at me. "So, you're interested in more?" "Yes, of course!" Now! "Then you can date me first. Dinner or a picnic, your choice. Doesn't have to entail a huge outlay of money, Heero. Don't look at me that way." What way? "I like walks," he went on. "I'm not big on country thrills, like muddy hikes or icy swims, but I can see we're rather limited for things to do out here in the sticks. I'm a quality guy and I'd like to get to know you." "Okay. Mission accepted." Knowing the conditions, his rules, made pursuing him far easier. "Mission? Yuy, are one screwy dude." His lips pecked my cheek, the hurting one, and he chuckled, "Kisses make it better," and then with a wave, left. Kisses did make it better. My mood improved after that. I had a boyfriend and his name was Duo, a short, uncomplicated name. Too bad he wasn't just as uncomplicated. For a former self-described "street rat", he was demanding, but not fussy. He expected me to court him as if he was a precious asset to society, treat him with respect, but not spend money on him. He treated me the same way and didn't waver on how far he was willing to go-meaning he didn't put out. He limited sex to kissing and mutual fondling, fully clothed. My courtship of him took us to the limits of the Barton property. I walked more than I ever had before. I showed him all over the winery and every acre of the vineyard when the weather permitted and after the hectic harvest. And when I wasn't furiously putting the finishing touches on my many bottles. I had not forgotten the importance of doing an excellent job and produce award-winning products. I had the self-possession to concentrate on my work and still afford time for romance. It helped that I could think of him while I painted; painting him on bottle after bottle. And when we were together, I loved how he listened to what I had to say and remembered important details. I'd thought I was the only one who cared for such things. I felt I'd become an important part of his life. God knows how I'd come to depend on him for my own life support. "This the field of your dreams?" he asked me once on one of our outdoor treks. "The what?" I hadn't followed his conversation to this point. The rise to the hilltop, covered in dry, brown grass, whispering in the dry, chill wind, had never entered into any dream of mine. "No." "Oh, well, there aren't any flowers now, but in summer-S'okay, just thinkin' 'bout what you'd told me about your hairy bottle inspiration." My dream of him rolling in a field of flowers, hair free. "Not here." "Oh, well, let's crack open that picnic basket you had packed." He gave me a crooked smiled, adding, "Before we freeze our balls off out here." I led him off the hill, out of the wind, and spread a blanket. While we munched on chicken sandwiches, I explained my dream again. "It wasn't here, or any place I've been. It was more about you than anything." That must have pleased him, because he blushed and started digging in the basket for a napkin. "I'd like to do something different." I wanted to do this before the upcoming wine and bottle art contest. His sharp look stopped my lips. "Not yet, Yuy." "I-I wasn't meaning... that." I wanted sex, but I really hadn't been about to ask for it. "Oh. Okay. Whatcha have in mind then?" "A dinner out. In town. A good restaurant I know. I'll take care of everything. Please say yes?" "Yes." His reward was a mind blowing kiss. I'd gotten good at delivering those, and he'd actually told me so. Besides the overall pleasure of making out with him, it warmed us up before it was time to head back. At the end of the week, I had convinced Howard to drive us into the nearest town for a special dinner date. I was disappointed when Duo acted put out. "What's wrong? You'd seemed okay before. I thought you'd appreciate going into town." "I do but," he gave a lengthy sigh, "I kinda forgot I only have my work clothes. Nothing fancy." This troubled him? "You can wear mine. We're the same size. Come with me. Something will fit." He put up a little fight, but gave in when I told him he'd have to explain to Howard why his plans would be messed up. "This all yours?" It was the first time he'd agreed to see my room. He'd always come up with some excuse along the lines of "too tempting." "It's only a room with a bed, a chair and a dresser. Oh, and a window. Bath is down the hall and shared." "Nice, though." "I think so. Choose slacks from these and any shirt and jacket. I'm wearing this." "Nice." "You'll look just as nice and not feel like you stand out." But I was afraid he'd be conspicuous under any circumstances. He was very, very good looking. And that hair. "What time again?" "Three hours. If you'd like, you can change in here. I promise to behave." "I'll bet, heh, heh. Okay. I'll be back in a couple hours to dress." And he returned, just like he promised, hair slightly damp so I knew he'd bathed in the meantime. "You gonna watch me?" "Yes." He rolled his eyes. "At least you're honest. Won't be much of a show." His upper body was nicely muscled from his labors. I told him so and made him blush and curse me alternatively under his breath. He turned his back and slipped into a pair of black slacks and turned back to button the wine red shirt. "Okay?" "Gorgeous." That made him laugh, but I could tell he was pleased and excited. I was too. I tied his tie and in that way taught him so he could tie mine for me. We wore matching navy blazers. My shirt was blue pinstriped, but it was enough to keep us from looking like 'twinsies', as he called matching outfits. "Would you wear your hair down?" I asked. "Only in private. Everyone stares. It's no fun." "I guess not; besides, I don't want other men staring at you more than they will." He laughed and made me laugh too. "I want to hold your hand," I told him. "You're my boyfriend and it feels good to be connected." "You just wanna show off." He was in a jovial mood. "That too." We rode in the back of Howard's truck, in spite of our finery. He had a buddy in the passenger seat when we met at the appointed spot by the winery's delivery entrance. This worked out fine, because it meant Duo and I could sit close together and not be bothered by nosy questions. The ride took us past the vineyard gates to the main road, which wound through the bucolic pastureland. Cattle dotted one hill. I looked the other way as the sun went down and I was in awe as Duo glowed in russet hues. He was chattering on about how he never saw the sun set or rise in the city "'cause of the tall buildings." I couldn't imagine that. Even the college town I'd lived in was small. We passed the turnoff which would take us there and I pointed it out. "Art school? Cool. I never did get past the eighth grade. But I'd like to someday!" He seemed upbeat to try anything that night. "Mr. Barton sends all the kids to school. If he knew you were interested, I'm sure he'd find something appropriate for you, too." "Oh, yeah? Well, we'll see how things go. Maybe in fall... I dunno." When our road joined with another, bigger road streaming with vehicles, drowning out our voices, we put our conversation on hold. We just watched as Howard swept us to town in a flood of festive night-on-the-town traffic. We hopped off the truck a few blocks from the restaurant and walked close together. I think he was as nervous as I was, because he smiled a lot and stepped along quickly. Or, maybe he was excited? We jostled past old and young couples and knots of stray kids all going someplace special. There was a movie theater, dozens of places to eat, and clubs to hear music or dance-none of which I'd ever visited. I'd made reservations at a terribly fancy restaurant called Terra. I'd been there once before with Trowa and his father and a cadre of others to celebrate a good harvest. I knew what to expect so I reached out and squeezed Duo's hand to let him know everything would be fine. And it was, until I stepped in sight of the building. A new worry knotted my already nervous stomach: what if Trowa was there, or Wufei? I hadn't thought of that before. Would it be so terrible? Yes. "What's wrong?" Duo asked. "I'm asking 'cause you're glued in place and it's kinda chilly by the door." "I'd rather not eat here. Would you mind so much if we went someplace else?" "It depends." His eyes had followed mine to the door and the window glowing amber. "Why?" Oh, God, he'd think I was ashamed of him. I had to correct that potential misunderstanding immediately. "I didn't think it over."
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