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"Breathless"Written By: Waterliliylf Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. All rights
remain with Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. No profit being
made here. Rating: R Warnings: sap, angst, fluff Pairings: 3x4, 13x2 Summary: Quatre finds himself introduced to an
annoying young man, one he can't seem to get out of his head. "Breathless" Chapter 17: In which Heero embarks on an art appreciation course…. By eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning, Duo was sorry he hadn't just stayed in bed, which was pretty much how he'd spent the last twenty four hours anyway. They'd hung around the hotel for a few hours on Monday morning, ordered breakfast in bed, and gone for a short walk before heading back home. Back to their own bed, naturally, after they'd taken Laragh for a run on the beach. It would have been nice to do more of the same; Tuesdays were always pretty dead at the gallery, and Lu could have handled things, except that Treize had already made arrangements to view some paintings at an executor's sale, and there wasn't much point staying in bed without him. Well, maybe to get some actual sleep for once. Still, Treize should be back after lunch, and it shouldn't be too hard to entice him home early. The fact that Duo had given himself a black eye in the midst of a stunningly romantic gesture was making Treize even more acquiescent than usual to anything that his lover suggested. After smiling at the first customer of the day, who'd suddenly remembered an urgent appointment elsewhere, Duo had accepted that his face just wasn't acceptable for public consumption and hidden himself away in the office, leaving Lu to deal with the few morning customers. He'd just finished reassuring her that no, his face didn't hurt and no, he didn't need to see a doctor, when Quat popped in, presumably to find out how Treize had liked his ring and gush about Trowa. He took one look at Duo's face – admittedly hideous, with its mottled bruises and his left eye all puffed up – and almost burst into tears. 'Oh, Duo! You poor thing! Does it hurt?' 'Only when people reach out and poke me!' Duo snapped. It was bad enough to have Treize mooning over him, he didn't need Quatre getting it on the act. 'I'm so sorry. Oh, it looks awful!' 'Yeah, I know. What happened to you last night? You were supposed to call me.' 'Was I?' Quatre asked airily. His face had assumed his best 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' look, which meant that there was something up. 'Yes. About your big break up with Chang.' 'Oh. That.' The blond's tone whooshed from airy to breezy. 'It was fine.' 'Fine how?' Duo persisted. 'Fine; like he just accepted it and walked away out of your life forever?' Quatre shook his head. 'He was wonderful, Duo. He said that of course it was my decision and he really hoped we could still be friends.' 'Friends!' Duo snorted. 'That's a good one. You're not friends; come on, you've only met him a couple of times. He's just trying to weasel his way into your pants. I hope you told him where to get off.' 'Not exactly.' Quatre fiddled with an imaginary loose thread on his shirt. 'We had dinner together. Don't look at me like that! Trowa was busy last night, and neither Wufei nor I had eaten, so it made sense.' 'You're nuts,' Duo said flatly, and then Lu poked her head around the office door. 'Duo? I've got a Mr. Heero Yuy here to see you. Are you busy or have you got a few minutes?' 'OK. Can you get him to come in here?' The habitual glare on Heero's face got even more pronounced when he walked through the doorway. Crossing the room in a couple of long strides, he took Duo's chin in one hand and tilted his face to the light. 'What the hell happened to you?' Duo jerked free; asshole. Only Treize got to touch him like that. 'Long story, involving a rowing boat, an oar that got stuck in some mud, and me being a clumsy idiot. No biggie.' 'I see.' Heero shot him one of those unreadable glances. 'Are you…. clumsy on a regular basis?' 'What?' God, the guy was nuts. One of those IT geniuses who hadn't a freaking clue how to interact in the real world. Duo retreated behind the desk and sat down. 'No. I'm not, actually. This is my friend Quatre Winner. Quat, this is Heero. The one who's engaged to your sister's friend.' 'Oh, you're Heero!' Quatre bounced forward to shake hands, in his most gushy mood. 'It's so wonderful to meet you finally. Congratulations. My sister Amelie saw Relena at the weekend and I hear she's utterly thrilled about the painting you got her.' Heero, without being asked, sat down, looking ever-so-slightly bemused by Quatre. Most people did, on first acquaintance. 'What are you doing back in Sanque? I thought you'd gone back to Japan.' 'I did. I had to attend a meeting in Kyoto. I flew back this morning.' Duo shook his head. 'Shit. Aren't you jetlagged or something? Why're you back here so soon?' 'I'm setting up my first European subsidiary in Sanque. There's a lot of work involved.' 'Oh, yeah. I know about that.' He'd done a little research on Mr. Heero Yuy. 'I meant, what are you doing in the gallery? Did your fiancée not like the painting?' 'She did, yes. I wanted to ask your advice on something.' 'OK.' Duo sat back in his chair – Treize's chair – and crossed his legs. 'Shoot.' 'I've been told it's a tradition in this country for a girl to have a portrait painted after she becomes engaged.' 'Is it?' Duo shrugged. 'I never heard about that.' Treize would probably want one done, if it was a tradition though. Or maybe it was just for girls. 'I think it's a lovely custom!' Quatre enthused. 'My sisters all had it done before their marriages.' Heero nodded. 'It's rather archaic, I believe. Relena's grandfather mentioned it to me. I'd like to have a painting done as a surprise, and give it to her at our engagement party, but I don't know any artists.' 'Oh, that's so romantic,' Quatre breathed. Duo rolled his eyes at the ceiling. God, hopefully Trowa would knock some of that mushiness out of him. I did try doing some research on the internet, but I don't know anything about this sort of thing and I thought perhaps you could advise me?' 'Me, right. Instead of your friend who actually works as an art historian?' When he's not moonlighting for the cops… Heero didn't exactly blush or anything, but he did look a little self-conscious. 'He specialises in oriental art. He doesn't know much about modern painters.' 'Well, of course, you must have Zechs Merquise,' Quatre, curse his meddlesome, well-meaning little heart, chipped in at once. 'Have you heard of him, Heero? He's probably one of the top artists in Sanque and he's painted a couple of my sisters. And I happen to know Relena loves his work.' 'I've never heard of him.' Those blue eyes swivelled around in Duo's direction. 'Do you have any of his paintings here?' 'Not right now. He has a couple of works in the National Portrait Gallery; you could check them out. Or no, you can't today. It's closed on Tuesdays. You can check it out tomorrow.' 'I won't be here. I have a meeting in London this evening.' 'I can show you some of his stuff on line if you want,' Duo offered. 'He's very good.' 'I'd prefer to see an actual painting.' 'I know! Why don't you show him your portrait?' Bloody Quatre was glowing like he'd just discovered world peace. Shit. He could never resist sticking that cute little nose into things; the guy was probably convinced the sun wouldn't be able to rise in the morning without his help. 'Or you could take him home and show him yours?' Duo shot back. 'Oh, no! That's not all the sort of thing Heero would want. I'm sure he wants something romantic and lyrical and your portrait would be ideal. You could take Heero out to Romfeller now, couldn't you?' 'No, he just said he's rushing off to London,' Duo muttered, glaring at his officious friend. He didn't even like Yuy; no way was he taking him home to see a painting that was highly personal for him and Treize. God, and Quatre was supposed to be a bloody empath! 'My flight isn't until this evening.' 'Perfect!' Quatre smiled radiantly at them both. 'It's about a thirty minute drive, Heero. You'll have plenty of time.' 'I can't leave the gallery,' Duo protested, a last ditch attempt to get out of this insanity. 'Oh, nonsense. Lucrezia's here and it's not as if you can serve customers looking that.' Quatre trilled with laughter. 'Heero, it was lovely to meet you. I'm sure you'll adore the painting.' Once the blond whirlwind had shimmered his way out, Heero gave him a direct look. 'It's all right. If the idea of inviting me into your home makes you uncomfortable, I quite understand. After all, you hardly know me. I'm sure I can find another artist.' Duo looked down at his watch, playing for time. The idea of this strange guy coming into their house did make him uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to admit it. Zechs would just adore him; he'd have orgasms over Heero's stunning bone structure alone. It wasn't like Zechsy was exactly strapped for cash, but he probably wouldn't turn down this sort of commission. The Peacecrafts were practically royalty, and Heero would presumably pay pretty much anything. Plus Quat wouldn't leave this alone; he'd want to know whether Heero had liked the picture and it was easier in the long run just to go along with it all. 'It's OK. I'm supposed to be meeting Treize for lunch, but I should have time to drive you out there if we leave now.' 'My driver's waiting outside if you'd rather come with us,' Heero offered. 'That black limo that looks like a hearse? No, thanks. You can follow me and I'll see you at the house. If you lose me, it's the last house on the coast road. You can't miss it; look for big gates with roses on them.' Duo lost the black car after two minutes, more or less accidentally. Hell. He didn't want this guy coming home with him; he really didn't want him seeing the portrait. He was going to sit Quatre down and have a little talk with him about boundaries. And boyfriends, come to think of it. Not that Quat was the sort to cheat or anything, but he was ridiculously innocent about lots of things. Trowa always said that Romfeller ideally needed a cloud of bats circling around it to complete the Gothic effect. Trowa hated the place; in fairness, he'd have hated wherever it was that Treize lived. Duo loved it though; had loved it from the very first minute Treize had driven them around the last curve in the driveway and he'd got his first sight of this ancient, imposing mansion. Home. And he knew it was stupid, but he'd felt from the start that the house liked him too, and approved of him being with Treize. Stupid. Laragh was lying by the front door, stretched out in a patch of sunlight, but leaped to her feet when she saw the little blue car. By the time Duo had parked beside their housekeeper Joanna's bubble-gum-pink Mini, and fended off the excesses of canine adoration, Joanna herself had come down the front steps. 'Duo! Are you feeling all right? Should you have driven home by yourself? I could have come and collected you. Mr. Treize will be furious that you drove home alone if you're not feeling well.' Duo rolled his eyes. Jo had been Treize's nanny, back in the day, and still tried to mother people at the drop of a hat. 'I'm fine. I have a black eye and a little bit of bruising. I'm not an invalid! I'm only back for an hour or so; one of the gallery customers wants to see Zechs' painting. Here he is, now. Do you think we could get some coffee in a few minutes? Maybe on the terrace since it's such a nice day?' Duo shivered slightly as the big black car swung into the driveway; he hated those cars. Reminders of death. He'd never drive a car like that. Maybe black meant something different in Japan. 'What an amazing house. How old is it?' Yuy stood back, studying it. 'The main building goes back to the 16th century, but there's a watch tower behind that's dated to the 1100s. We've got records in the library going back for centuries. Anyway, come on in.' After the bright sunlight outside, the wood-panelled hall was dark, echoing to their footballs and the pad of Laragh's paws. Duo couldn't help grinning at Heero's expression as he glanced around, taking in the suits of armour at the foot of the staircase, and the few pieces of furniture that were solid enough to be dog-proof. 'It's not usually this …. austere . Laragh sleeps down here, when she can't sneak into our bedroom, so we're trying to dog-proof it. We've had to take up all the rugs and tapestries, and put away anything that's remotely breakable.' He gestured to Heero. 'It's just in here, Mr. Yuy.' 'Please. Heero is fine.' 'Right.' Oh, they were supposed to be on first name terms all of a sudden, were they? No, thanks. Duo resolved to stick with the more formal address, and keep a professional distance. Then they were inside the library and there were no more words. It was one of the coolest rooms in the universe, in Duo's opinion. Shelved and panelled in Sanque Red Oak, the bookcases soared to the ceiling, with a couple of portable ladders and even a gallery running around three sides of the room. There was a fireplace big enough to roast whole oxen, if you ever wanted to do such a thing, and the Khushrenada roses were carved into every possible surface. The painting hung in the centre of one wall; Treize had removed an ancient tapestry to make room. It was always kind of interesting to see how people reacted. Quatre, who thought they had the most romantic, fairy-tale relationship ever, adored it. Trowa had taken one look at the thing, and walked straight out of the house. They'd had their worst fight ever the next day. Back then, Duo had felt like nothing so much as a meaty, juicy bone being fought over by two alpha wolves, but that had been particularly bad. They hadn't spoken for weeks afterward. If you just glanced at the painting, you saw a slim young man standing on a rose-swathed balcony. The balcony outside the bedroom that, back then, had still been Treize's, rather than theirs. The roses around him were pink; the variety developed by Treize's great-grandmother and called Honour. It was a beautifully executed oil painting in glowing jewel colours. In his right hand, Duo was holding a red rosebud. If you looked very closely, you could see his knuckles were clenched around the stem, but you couldn't tell whether the little splashes of crimson falling from his hand were petals, or drops of blood. It was all symbolism, really; flowers and thorns. He didn't always like the picture; there'd been a few times, when he and Treize were fighting over something, or Treize was trying to be even more controlling or protective than usual, that he totally got why Tro hated it. He didn't look like he belonged. In the painting of this ancient house, with its pale-honey-coloured walls that had stood for centuries, Duo Maxwell didn't remotely belong. He was wearing a khaki military surplus jacket that he'd picked up in a thrift shop, that was probably still at the back of a drawer somewhere, and a ratty old T-shirt underneath. He was leaning over the balcony, like he was trying to see something in the distance, or to escape. In a couple of his darkest moods, he'd seen the roses almost as restraints, creeping closer to bind him in place. For such lovely flowers, roses got an awfully bad press in all the fairy tales. Zechs was too fucking smart. All those tiny details that an outsider would never notice. What Duo was wearing; a kick in the teeth to Treize's past. The military past that he'd tried so hard to forget and that had partly driven him to be in the gallery that night in the first place. Those beautiful, opulent, sunlit roses making a halo around Duo's body and the black, gaping doorway behind it to the bedroom. Duo had never noticed it before, but his left hand was out of sight; the hand that now bore Treize's ring. With Zechs, it could well have been deliberate. After all, it did save him having to paint it in now. Heero shifted a little beside him; damn, he'd almost forgotten the guy was there. 'Is that really how you feel?' Damn. He got it. Another one who too smart for his own good. 'We'd only been together for a couple of months when it was painted,' Duo said shortly. They hadn't commissioned it or anything. Zechs had been out of the country for the first month they'd been living together. He'd come to dinner the first night he'd been back in Sanque and delivered the painting a few weeks later. They'd been together for a couple of months that had been terrifying and amazing and sheer bliss and utterly fucking vertiginous, as he and Treize had started to build a life together. Treize had been petrified that Duo was going to bolt at any minute, and Duo had been convinced that Treize would toss him out with the faded roses from one of his antique crystal vases the moment he found out that Duo wasn't the flawless treasure he apparently believed him to be. It hadn't happened. Oh, Treize knew he wasn't perfect any more, but it didn't, miraculously, seem to matter, and Duo had run off a couple of times, but he'd always come back. Two years on, they were still together. Despite everything; despite a painting that had made Treize fucking cry the first time he'd seen it and then ask the exact same question that Heero Yuy had. They'd left the painting propped against the wall in the drawing room that first night, and they'd stayed up talking. Treize, Treize, had unbelievably needed reassurance. At some point that night, they'd stopped dancing around each other. Duo had admitted that yes, Treize was too damn dominant and smothering and possessive sometimes, and Treize had told him just how it felt for him when they had an argument, or he even made a comment that Duo didn't like, and Duo straightaway took off. Straight back to Trowa, naturally. Later, just before dawn, after they were worn out with talking and sex and Duo's throat was raw from crying, because it was the first time he'd told Treize so much stuff about his past, Treize had pulled off the rug he'd thrown over the painting, because he hadn't wanted to look at it any more, and together they'd picked out the positive things. Quatre had told him once, late at night when they'd stayed up to watch a movie and drank a fair bit of wine, that he'd only ever been able to see the good parts. Duo was standing in sunlight. Granted, he was wearing an expression of Mona Lisa inscrutability, but one corner of his mouth was just a little bit curved. He'd seen himself in the mirror like that, after particularly amazing sex, or after Treize had been more than usually sappy. And he was looking at the rose in his hand like he held something terribly precious. You didn't need to have a degree in Art or literature to figure out what the single red rose – Treize's favourite colour - was meant to represent, and he was holding on to it so tightly that it had made him bleed. So much symbolism it made your head ache. He wondered, sometimes, what a painting of Treize, painted back then, would have looked like. Zechs had painted some in Africa, Treize had said once; just pencil sketches, but they'd been lost or destroyed. The other Merquise; the one he'd actually commissioned and that hung over their bed was so much simpler. Just Duo on their bed, strewn with roses, and wearing only his hair and a smile. There was no way Yuy – anyone – was getting to see that. Heero cleared his throat a couple of times. 'What about now?' 'What about now what?' Duo worked his way back to Heero's last comment and glared at him. 'I don't actually think that's any of your business.' Laragh, catching the tone of his voice, whined softly. 'It's OK, sweetie. Well, you've seen it now. Would you like to have some coffee or do you have to get back? I can give you Zechs' contact details if you're interested.' Heero took one last look at the painting, and followed Duo outside, into the sun. 'It's really for Relena. Perhaps I should find out whether or not she admires this style of painting.' 'Whatever you like. But since you see paintings primarily as investments, I should tell you that he's very popular, and the price is only likely to rise.' He watched Heero think about it. 'Ah. I said that, didn't I? The first time we met? I'm sorry; I know nothing about art. You had one painting that I liked very much. The one with the poppies.' 'Yeah, I thought you liked that. It's still in the gallery if you're interested. We considered keeping it ourselves, but we….decided not to.' Way too many reminders there for Treize. A very young man who'd died on the battlefield. 'Here's one of Zechs' cards.' Duo delved in his wallet and handed him over. 'Just so you know, his paintings aren't always that…personal.' Duo ruffled Laragh's ears, surreptitiously looking at Heero. 'It's just that he knows us.' Well, he hadn't known Duo back then; only Treize. He'd known him in every sense, which had been a bit of an issue at the start. It wasn't all that easy coming to grips with being in a relationship, discovering sex and love and trust, when your lover's ex was still on the scene, still very much a close friend. It hadn't helped that Zechs was hot and sophisticated and so very much a part of Treize's world. 'I think,' Heero said slowly, 'that I would rather not have such an intimate portrait. I can see he's a very skilled artist but this…I don't think I would like to be revealed so obviously. Perhaps he could just paint Relena? From what I've read, I don't think it's essential for the groom to be in the portrait.' Duo shrugged. 'It's up to you. If you're interested, I can arrange for you to meet him. He might be booked up anyway, so you won't have the option.' 'I'll think about it.' Heero took a sip of coffee. 'It's lovely out here. It's the first time I've been outside the city.' 'Yeah? You should get Miss Peacecraft to take you around a bit. The scenery's stunning all around here; we've got the sea and the mountains.' 'Perhaps.' Heero selected a shortbread biscuit, breaking a corner off for Laragh. 'Is she allowed have sweets?' 'Not really; she tends to throw them straight back up.' Duo grimaced. 'She used to live on the streets; she still has problems with her digestion. You can give her a little bit if you like.' Laragh gulped down the microscopic crumb, tail thumping against Heero's legs, and then leaped to her feet, barking, at the sound of a car's engine, and took off around the corner of the house. 'She's a good guard dog.' 'Nah, she's hopeless, actually. If she hears strange noises at night, she tries to hide under the bed. She's only excited 'cause she knows it's Treize. He's got an old car; the engine sounds pretty distinctive.' 'Hello,' Treize was smiling when he walked out to meet them, Laragh frisking around his legs. 'I didn't think you'd be home, love.' 'Just a quick visit,' Duo grinned up at him, squeezing his hand briefly as Treize took the chair beside him. 'This is Heero Yuy; he wants Zechs to paint his fiancée and I was showing him our painting. Heero, this is Treize Khushrenada.' Treize's brows lifted slightly as he leaned over to shake Heero's hand. Mr. Yuy's. When had he become Heero anyway? Then Treize was doing his charming thing, congratulating Heero on the engagement, and saying how he'd known Relena when they were children. Yadda yadda yadda. 'Did you like the painting, Heero?' 'It was very interesting.' Heero stood up abruptly. 'Duo, thank you for taking me out here. I'm sorry if I've inconvenienced you at all.' He nodded to Treize. 'Please, don't get up. I can find my own way out.' 'See?' Duo waited for him to walk inside the house before scooting over to Treize's lap. 'Told you he was freaking weird.' 'Not very sociable certainly,' Treize agreed. 'Although he seemed to be happy enough talking to you. If you don't like him, darling, why on earth did you bring him back here?' Duo groaned eloquently. 'God, don't ask. Quat was in the gallery when he came in and it all sort of snowballed. You know what Quat's like when he gets an idea in his head. It's like arguing with a force of nature or something! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the auction for hours.' 'The Manet was a forgery.' Treize tilted Duo's face up and kissed him. 'I really couldn't be bothered waiting around for the Victorian watercolours. I thought I'd just call in and check on Laragh on my way home, since it's the first day she's been all morning without either of us.' Duo wound both arms around his partner's neck, smiling up at him. 'You're such a softie sometimes.' 'Are you so sure about that?' Treize placed a hand on each of Duo's hips, and tugged him forward. 'Uh, maybe not,' Duo said breathlessly, squirming against that wonderful, delicious hardness. No, not soft at all. 'Maybe we could just stay here and have lunch and oh God, do that again....' 'This?' 'Yeah.' Duo closed his eyes; one sensation at a time was more than enough to handle, and Treize's hands were moving down and down. 'Um, Treize we should go inside, don't you think? What if Jo comes out?' 'I think she's a little more discerning than that.' Treize lifted him slightly, just enough to slide off trousers and briefs. 'Now. That's better. Do you think Lu would object to taking a later lunch break than usual? If we happen to be unavoidably detained for a couple of hours?' 'Well, you are the boss,' Duo murmured, sliding both hands up Treize's chest, teasing the shirt buttons undone on the way. 'I guess she can take it up with you if she has any complaints.' 'As you say.' Treize arched back as one of Duo's hands
found a nipple and tugged gently. 'Now, Mr. Maxwell, I believe I have
one or two things I want to take up with you…'
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