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"Love Thy Neighbor"Written By: ExecutiveShrimp Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs
to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not
profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, angst, fluff, citrus Pairings: 2x1 Summary: Duo's life gets turned upside down when
the house next to his is sold. The new neighbor exposes Duo to a lot
of new feelings but Duo's strict, religious upbringing makes him resist
them. He stubbornly denies that what he is feeling could be love. "Love Thy Neighbor" Chapter Eleven In spite of them being reduced to a tangled mess of uncoordinated limbs, blindly and desperately groping, they managed to make their way upstairs. In hindsight Duo wasn't sure why they had bothered to specifically seek out the bed, but he supposed sleeping with another man would be adventurous enough without doing it on the floor as beasts, on the couch as teenagers or sacrilegiously up against a bookcase. He fell backward onto the bed, Heero landed on top of him. The younger man chuckled breathily before resuming their deep, passionate kiss. He maneuvered himself onto all fours. To have their bodies no longer be touching was a relief to Duo, not because he didn't enjoy it, but instead because he enjoyed it too much. After all, as he had sheepishly confessed to the group of guests at the dinner party, it had been seven years since his last sexual encounter. In all likelihood it was going to end embarrassingly quickly no matter what they did to avoid it, but Duo hoped he could save some smidgen of dignity. A sheen of sweat covered his body. His clothes clung to his skin uncomfortably, the heat was nearly unbearable. As if Heero could read his mind the younger man sat up, straddling Duo's hips, and started to unbutton his shirt, he looked down at him with a smile. He heaved a sigh of relief when his shirt was opened up and pushed to the sides, but incredible heat flooded him once more - if anything even more relentlessly - when Heero bent forward again and started kissing and licking his chest. He wanted to move, he wanted to touch, he wanted to please - it seemed only fair given the pleasure he was receiving - but all he could do was lay there stupendously, his arms limp, lying beside him on the bed like dead weights. The front of his pants were tight and the constriction was painful. He watched with big, curious eyes as Heero briefly paused his ministrations to rid himself of his own shirt. The young man's body was astounding in its apparent perfection, he was so slim with defined muscles moving elegantly underneath smooth skin. The renovator's fingertips were understandably calloused as they returned to caress the older man's torso while somewhere to the left he heard the rustle of Heero's shirt falling to floor after he had flung it across the room. "What should I do?" He wondered, pathetically inexperienced. "Don't worry about it. Let me take care of it." "No... I want... I want to..." He frowned at his own loss of words. "I want you," He decided on. The smile on Heero's face was bright and earnest. He sat back, his bottom resting on Duo's sensitized grown. The author moaned at the contact and stared when Heero's slim fingers grabbed his right wrist and raised his arm off the mattress. He placed Duo's big hand on his golden chest and covered it with his own. Duo could feel the heart underneath beating wildly, much like his own. It surprised him, since the younger man seemed so in control, so cool. "Just touch me," He whispered sensually, releasing the hand. "How?" His fingers twitched with uncertainty. "However you like." While worrying his lower lip between his teeth pensively he started rubbing circles with his thumb, reveling in the softness of the skin, then moved his hand slightly to the right, rubbing his sweaty palm over the pert nipple. He looked into deep blue eyes for approval but all he could see was a haze of lust and longing, which he supposed was mirrored in his own gaze. He reached up with his other hand and let all ten of his curious fingers ghost over the expansion of silken skin, noticing the reflexive contractions of the muscles in his abdomen. His hands settled on the slim hips, gripping them tightly and holding them in place as he instinctively ground his own hips against him. The moan the simple friction drew from Heero's mouth was intoxicating and added to the urgency Duo was already experiencing. The young man had an unparalleled effect on him, an effect he could hardly understand, much less accept, but one thing he knew for certain was that he was powerless to resist it. He sat upright and eagerly initiated another kiss. His hands moved to Heero's ass and a frown formed on his face at the odd shape he encountered in Heero's back pocket. His lips went slack as it started to dawn on him. With a sheepish smile Heero reached into his pocket and produced a small bottle of lip and a strip of three condoms. The reality of what was going to happen hit like a freight train but he tried to keep himself composed. "We're going to need all three?" Heero chuckled. "No, I just grabbed whatever before heading out the back door." He placed the items on the sheets next to them. "But it might be good to have at least one extra handy," He voiced carefully and sympathetically. His face flushed red, recognizing that Heero was referring to a likely premature orgasm. He opened his mouth for a sharp intake of breath when Heero leaned in to kiss his face and nip at his ear. "It's okay if you come early," He whispered, "I don't want you to resist it. I want you to enjoy this." After swallowing loudly Duo proclaimed: "I want you to enjoy it too." "I will." "But if I come too soon..." He groaned in embarrassment. The low, friendly chuckle that vibrated in his ear sent shivers down his spine. "Then we will take things slow and you will come again, together with me." He didn't doubt that he was capable of a quick post-orgasm recovery considering the company he was in. He watched dumbly as Heero worked to strip them both out of their clothes, standing up to step out of his pants. Seeing the handsome Japanese man completely undressed and in an obvious state of arousal caused his breath to hitch in the back of his throat. "You're beautiful," He uttered. "Yeah?" "Oh God, yes." They both stilled at 'the G-word'. The expression in Heero's eyes was one of worry, worry that the other man would change his mind and want to back out. But Duo didn't want to stop, he wanted this - that had been the core problem all along. As far as he was concerned they were well beyond the point of no return. He crawled backwards awkwardly, further onto to the bed and beckoned for his neighbor to come join him. Visibly relieved Heero climbed back onto the bed and lay himself down next to the taller man, draping one golden leg over a pale thigh. He kissed him passionately, smiling against his mouth at the distracted response he was getting as he palmed the firm arousal standing up in Duo's lap. After being subjected to more foreplay and teasing than he thought he could handle it came as somewhat of a relief when Heero's warm hand vanished and the lithe body maneuvered into a different position. Heero's intentions were unclear to Duo, he watched, enthralled, as the other lay down on his side, perpendicular to his own tense, outstretched form. He took a deep breath that shuddered upon release when one of the condoms was rolled down his length. Part of him wished they could take advantage of the lack of pregnancy risk and touch skin to skin, but he knew Heero would never be unsafe again after his scare a few years ago and that was a good thing. The latex was cold and the texture odd, but a warm, attentive mouth soon made him forget about that. He cried out watching most of his manhood disappear beyond Heero's lips at the first downward stroke. He definitely wasn't going to last long. He focused on the way Heero's soft hair fell around his face, the ends of the strands tickling his lower abdomen and inner thigh as he moved his head up and down. His tanned hand was planted on Duo's tight abdomen, the thumb absentmindedly rubbing soothing circles. Duo didn't even have the chance to warn him, his orgasm ripped through him unexpectedly. The hand moved down from his abdomen to his hip bone, pressing down to still the uncontrolled bucking of his hips. He kept him deep inside his throat, only slightly bobbing up and down, his tongue still providing pressure as the condom was filled up. "Oh, fuck!" Duo covered his face with his hands. His face, neck and chest felt hot and were surely flushed a bright red. Heero moaned around him one last time before sitting up and carefully taking the condom off him. He tied a knot into the latex and got off the bed to dispose of it in the trashcan in the adjoining bathroom. Duo took in deep calming breaths. It was a relief to momentarily be left alone so he could compose himself. He listened to the water running in the sink as the younger man was likely washing the taste of latex and lubricant out of his mouth. When returned he lay down next to Duo again and lightly kissed his lips. "Did that feel good?" He asked breathily. The other let out a single, bitter chuckle. "Too good. Wasn't it obvious?" He replied wryly. "I told you not to worry about it," He whispered, meaning to reassure him. "Yeah. Yeah. Thank you." He gazed down at Heero's half-hard member that he could feel against his outer thigh. "What about you?" "I'll come when you are ready to come again with me." They kissed leisurely while their hands took time exploring the other's body without seeking any direct gratification. Eventually their caresses became more demanding. Inhibitions flew out the window and their tongues engaged in a struggle for dominance while their hands groped and fondled. With his previous climax not having been very long ago Duo felt less rushed and more confidant that he wouldn't make a total fool of himself. Still, he knew they shouldn't push their luck and overstimulate. Heero, apparently remarkably in tune with him, stopped the pleasurable pumping of his fist over the entire length of his companion's renewed arousal, and he sat up, straddling Duo, sitting on his thighs. He peeled open another packet and expertly applied the condom. The cap of the bottle of lubrication popped when he thumbed it open. The clear liquid dripped into his open palm, which he proceeded to rub up and down Duo's manhood, transferring the slick substance. He poured more into his awaiting palm and moved his fingers to ensure they were generously coated. Heero put the bottle aside and reached his hand behind his back. He never broke eye-contact with his soon-to-be lover. The older man couldn't see what he was doing, but it didn't take a genius to know. His face felt as hot as the rest of his body, he found the eye-contact - while knowing what Heero was doing to himself - incredible intimate and erotic. After deeming himself ready his neighbor asked: "Are you ready?" He swallowed, then nodded rather furiously. Heero smiled with evident relief and anticipation and scooted forward so he was sitting over Duo's groin. He reached back again and Duo gasped when he felt the long, slick fingers grab his erection and guide the head as he lowered himself. His heart was thundering like he had never experienced before. Duo heard himself groan like a wild beast when the tight heat of Heero's body enveloped him. A sense of 'finally' washed over him. Nothing on earth should feel that good. How was a man supposed to love God above all when something like that felt so good? It didn't feel wrong, it felt right. It felt like something he had been waiting for all his life. "Feel good?" Heero grunted, sitting still in Duo's lap. "Yeah... Ohhh, yeah." He chuckled sheepishly at himself. "You?" "It feels amazing." They moaned in unison when Heero started moving his hips. Duo had kept his hands to himself, too afraid and too unsure to touch, but he thought to wonder: "Should I jerk you off?" He blushed at the vulgar question he had posed. "Not yet, or I'll be the one who comes prematurely." Heero alternated between a pace of fast and slow every couple of thrusts, pulling Duo back from the edge every time he threatened to tumble into the deep, as well as keeping his own pleasure in check. Duo couldn't deny that the experience was pleasurable in a greater sense than merely the physical. He felt a closeness to the younger man that he had never felt during previous sexual encounters with women, not even when he was supposed to be making love to his ex-wife. He felt so at ease with Heero, so understood. The act evaporated his worries into meaningless steam and he wouldn't be plagued by them until they slipped back into his consciousness like droplets of condensation. He discovered that with Heero, unlike with his other lovers, he didn't have to pretend. Past experiences had never been genuine, had never been heartfelt. He was always pretending to love someone he didn't, or be interested and pleased by a body that, unfortunately, left him mostly unaffected. It was frightening to realize that being intimate with another man was the closest he had ever come to being true to himself. A thought like that led to a single path, a single conclusion. The conclusion he had been actively denying his entire life. Luckily those ugly thoughts disappeared into the mist. All he could focus on was the movement of Heero's hips and the fine hairs he felt on the younger man's legs as he absentmindedly caressed his hands up and down both thighs straddling him. "I think..." He grunted, "I'm starting to get close." Heero's only response was wrapping his fingers around his own arousal, bringing himself close to the edge in preparation of taking the leap in unison with his lover. Watching the tanned hand pump up and down added to the enjoyment. "I'm definitely close now!" Duo announced shortly. Again the younger man didn't provide him with a verbal response, he simply nodded and then, suddenly, he cried out sharply and threw his head back. His entire body tensed and clamped down on Duo. His milky white semen he thought to catch in his hand. The sight of Heero reaching his climax - never mind the added sensual pressure of his muscles tightening further around Duo's manhood - sent him hurdling over the edge. He moved his hands up to grip at Heero's hipbones and hold him tightly in place, arching his own back off the bed. He had his mouth open in a silent moan, his vocal cord failing to produce any sounds other than the pathetic whimper that followed when he slumped back down onto the mattress. He averted his eyes to the ceiling, guilt already seeping in. He blinked away the tears in his eyes when Heero leaned in for a chaste kiss on the lips. They weren't tears of sadness and that worried him. The younger man got up and cleaned them both up, after which he joined Duo in the bed again. The Japanese man rested his head on Duo's chest. Once their breathing had calmed a silence stretched between them. Heero's bangs were damp with sweat, Duo could feel them laying across his chest. A warm, even breath spread over his skin, it felt hot, like flames of a wildfire. A hand that lay on his abdomen had its fingers idly move back and forth, until eventually Duo took notice they had stilled. He listened, practically holding his breath. The breathing of the younger man had slowed significantly, his body had slumped against his side, completely relaxed. He had falling asleep, sated and content. The older one bit his lip. His chest felt heavy, he had trouble breathing. Although he knew the actual weight of Heero's head had nothing to do with it, he was still confident he would feel better if the man wasn't cuddling him the way he was. It was one thing to give into unbridled, carnal desire, it was another to spend the night in each other's arms. He was tasked with the responsibility to make sure they wouldn't gravitate too much towards each other, he had to keep reminding them both this was just a temporary weakness - on both their behalves. Purposefully loud he asked: "Are you asleep?" With a slight jolt his neighbor awakened, taking in a deep breath through his nose. He only pushed his naked body more firmly against Duo's side, adjusting his head on the older man's chest. The fingers of his right hand, splayed on the torso, starting moving back and forth again in a gentle, absentminded caress. Although he had effectively woken the other up, he was still in the same predicament. So he tried: "What time is it?" Heero must have recognized it as a bullshit question, considering the fact Duo could easily see his alarm clock on his bedside table, whereas Heero's back was turned to the clock. For a moment he didn't say anything and Duo feared he would just go back to sleep, but then he wondered: "Do you want me to leave?" In spite of the fact that the young man tried to keep his voice neutral, Duo could tell he desperately wanted him to say that he wanted Heero to stay the night. But he couldn't say that, it was unfair to the both of them to pretend that what they had was more than what they agreed it should be. His simple, although he imagined devastating answer was: "Yes." The body next to his remained unmoving for several heartbeats, but then, with tired muscles, Heero sat upright and scooted towards the edge of the bed. Silently he got half-dressed, gathering the rest of his belongings in his arms. As he headed for the bedroom door Duo couldn't help but feverishly remind him: "Through the back door." He added "please" as an afterthought, realizing what an asshole he was being, but too God-fearing to say what he really wanted to say: that he was already missing Heero's warmth pressed up against him. What good would such a confession do? The young man froze at the hasty request, but only for a second. Without looking back even once he slipped out the door and moments later Duo could hear the backdoor opening and closing. He had been willing to put himself through the doubt and the guilt in return for the brief pleasure, but he hadn't been willing to hurt Heero. As it seemed, there was no avoiding that if they continued along their current path. Heero was an adult and should be left to decide for himself, but clearly the young man wasn't thinking rationally and in the interest of his self-protection. Duo couldn't help but feel the other had developed feelings for him - although he couldn't understand what could possibly be the root of his emotional attraction, he couldn't even understand why someone as excessively beautiful as Heero would be physically attracted to a run-of-the-mill, older man, like himself. Those feelings could only prove to be dangerous, they violated the agreed-upon distance. They used condoms, but in the broader sense they didn't exactly have 'safe sex'. What they were doing was potentially very hurtful. But what was he supposed to do about it? He was hardly capable of calling it quits. He had been powerless to stop any of it, ever since the new neighbor arrived in his beat-up red truck. In the depth of the night he wished Heero would make the difficult but right decision for the both of them, but he wouldn't do that. He was being led astray by complicated emotions as much as Duo was. As it stood they were two shooting stars on a collision course and once they would collide the rest of their lives would forever be impacted by their fleeting but violent meeting. There would be no going back for either of them. Heero could move away and Duo could hole himself up in his own home as he always had, but it wouldn't be as it had been before, he wouldn't be able to pretend. He wouldn't be able to go back to his old life the way he had intended, the evidence of Heero having been there and changing things could not be erased, nor ignored. His fingerprints were everywhere; on the glass of wine, on the leather bound back of the old Bible, on his skin, maybe even on his heart. Like a thief in the night. When he would leave, he would leave Duo robbed and stabbed, but forever confused about what was stolen and what was wounded. He figured he would be up all night tossing and turning in his bed. But when he closed his burning eyes for a quick rest and opened them again, it was light outside. With a grunt he twisted his neck to observe the time on his alarm clock. It was already afternoon. In the otherwise quiet neighborhood he could hear the dull banging of a hammer, Heero was already hard at work, like nothing had happened. But surely the neighbor was as aware as Duo was that something had definitely happened and bigger things were ahead. He was still naked, but the room was warm. He climbed out of bed for a long, pondering shower and then headed downstairs for a breakfast - or lunch, technically - of stale take-out Chinese from two days ago. Another unhealthy decision. He ate over the sink, looking out the window, catching glimpses of Heero walking in and out of the house through the kitchen door, carrying wooden paneling with him. A shiver went through him watching the young man work. Every time he blinked he saw a quick, barely perceptible flash of the way Heero had looked the night before; sweat on his forehead, his hair moving, his mouth open, pink tongue occasionally wetting his lips. He could still hear his raspy moans and his high-pitched cries. He could still... feel him. Even though he had jerked off in the shower, he got hard again. It seemed that now that his body knew what Heero felt like, his tongue knew what Heero tasted like, his ears knew what Heero sounded like, he yearned for more. Yes, there was that word again; yearning. He kept wanting more, even when he clearly shouldn't. Part of him wanted to crash into Heero at the speed of sound, having both of them shatter into a million pieces to the point where one could not discern what had been Heero from what had been Duo, but instead the parts of them becoming pieces of the same puzzle. The realization startled him. He moved away from the window, back to his trusted, comfortable, safe chair. He pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them. He grabbed a random book, resting most of the weight on his bare feet as he leafed through the pages. He wasn't really reading, he lacked the focus, but certain words jumped out at him, anchoring his thoughts. Words like 'doubt', 'mistake' and 'weakness'. He couldn't shake them from his mind. The pages kept turning, slipping from his thumb and falling over to the other side. As the story reached its end, with only four pages left until he was only holding the hard back cover, an entirely different word leaped from the paper and stuck to his conscience: 'Love'. Duo put away the book and rubbed his hands over his arms, trying to ease away the goosebumps that had suddenly formed. He didn't know what to think anymore, or what to believe. He wanted to be with Heero. He wanted to talk to Heero, he wanted to hold Heero, he wanted to kiss Heero and he wanted to have sex with Heero again. Those were desires that he knew could possibly be a symptom of love, but love was not supposed to feel the way he felt at that moment. Love was only ever the way it was supposed to be when it was a love approved of by God, that was what his mother had taught him. And his father had always hammered in: When something feels wrong, because God has condemned it, then it is wrong. That used to be such a clear guideline by which to live his life, but things weren't so clear-cut when the thing you know to be wrong... actually starts feeling right. What was Duo supposed to do about that? He knew he was disrespecting the memory of his family and disobeying the wishes of his Lord, but in certain moments - more and more frequently - there was a defined discrepancy between what he knew and what he felt. The previous night, when Heero was with him and commanding voices from the past faded to undiscernible white noise, it had felt good, it had felt right. It felt like something that was always supposed to happen, was finally happening. It felt like a destiny reaching fulfillment. Although guilt had crept in since, thanks to his God-fearing conscience castigating his actions, he could not deny that in the moment it had not felt wrong. So what was one of faith to do when something felt right in spite of it being condemned by God? Duo could find no simple answers. He was sure that if his father was still alive he would have some one-dimensional advice to resolve the issue, completely disregarding personal feelings. But for whatever reason Duo found he was not as steadfast as his father had been where religion was concerned. Nothing had ever made his father doubt the righteousness of their faith and for a long time there was no doubt in Duo's mind either. Heero had succeeded in making Duo doubt. That in itself alluded to the possibility that there was something more, something special and something that could not be ignored about his attraction to the younger man. 'Love'? A guilt-ridden, Godless love? If a genuine love between two men - Godless or not, guilt-ridden or not - is possible, what did that mean? Before he even realized it, the day had come to an end. The sun dipped lower and lower until it peeked under the wrap-around porch and cast warm orange shapes on the hardwood floors. While he had been caught up in his own thoughts, he had completely neglected Heero the entire day. Considering what had transpired that previous night and how insensitive he had been in the aftermath of their union, not speaking to his neighbor and lover was decidedly not the gentlemanly thing to do. With his thoughts more organized albeit no less confusing, he finally ventured outside, nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Walking up to the front porch of the neighboring house where Heero was shuttling excess pieces of wood from his front door to the back of his old, red truck, Duo felt like a teenager walking through the corridors of the school building, approaching a high school crush. It reminded him of Anthony and how pleasantly nervous he always felt when he was around his childhood friend and object of his youthful and naïve attraction, but surprisingly, it didn't make him feel sad. It didn't make him miss Anthony, nor project the despair of that situation onto the present. In fact, it reassured him. If his feelings for Heero could be sincere and natural, in spite of what his religion claimed, than the same was possible for the feelings he had harbored for Anthony. For it to potentially not have been misguided lust, relieved him, considering that their budding relationship changed Duo's life and cost Anthony his. Heero must have noticed his approach as he crossed the lawn towards the porch, but he didn't acknowledge him, probably bitter about being sent off in the dead of night and then being ignored all day. On top of that he was probably worried about what Duo was about to tell him, given their history of going back and forth. With gloved hands he gathered up more of the splintered, leftover wood and carried it to his truck, walking right by Duo without a word. The older man stood on the lawn, not far from the abused 'STOP PROP 8' sign that the young man still refused to take down. He noticed the wood was thrown into the back of the truck a little more powerfully and angrily than the previous handful. Heero's temperament was part of his youth and likely part of what drew Duo to him. Sheepishly, he started: "Hey." Heero finally looked at him, stomping past him for the last few pieces of surplus wood. "I shouldn't have waited until now to come see you," The older man admitted. The renovator threw the pieces into the back of the truck from a few feet away. "So why did you?" He bit. "I had some thinking to do." Heero came to stand in front of him, his hands on his hips, clearly preparing to be rejected once more and bitter and angry in the face of it. "And?" "And I'm here now, aren't I?" Duo tried to reassure him with a smile. He maintained his glare for a few more heartbeats before his expression softened with evident relief and he eventually mirrored the smile shyly. "Yeah..." He took a step forward but caught Duo's warning look. They were in the front yard, the whole neighborhood could see them and the American was sure at least one of them would be watching closely. Relena had distrusted Heero on principle from the start and had started to become equally suspicious of Duo since he stood up for the new neighbor at the meeting of the Neighborhood Association. The Japanese man sighed and then focused on the task of taking off his gloves. He tucked them into the back of his jeans. "Did you eat?" It was already getting late but he hadn't gotten around to dinner yet. "No." "There's Thai food on the way, it'll be more than enough for both of us. If you want." Duo smiled again, warmly. "I'd love to join you." "Okay." The young man's mood was instantly lifted. "Come on inside. Would you like a beer?" He turned around and started towards the front door. Duo followed him, with red, hot cheeks he couldn't stop his gaze from traveling down Heero's lithe body and focusing on his shapely behind that looked as amazing in the ratty jeans as it did in everything else he had ever seen the other wear. It was kind of marvelous and novel to him that a body could provide another with such pleasure and completion, he had never experienced that before. It felt like a wonderful gift. He shamefully had to admit he was looking forward to the next time he would be unwrapping that incredible present. They had reached the steps of the porch and were about to head inside, where - once the door was closed - Duo could finally give into his oddly specific desire to touch the warm, glowing skin on the back of Heero's neck, but then a car pulled into the driveway and they both turned around to look. Duo had expected to see a delivery van of a Thai food restaurant, but instead a white sedan was parked behind the red truck. The door swung open and the driver got out of his vehicle. He paused on the driveway, looking right through Duo as he stared at the Japanese man. Warily Duo eyed the tall, dark and handsome man. Wavy, shoulder length hair framed a golden, square face. His deep set, onyx eyes were... smoldering. He walked up to them and stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Heero with amazement and unbridled glee. Duo frowned at the exotic Adonis who completely ignored his very existence. "Heero," The mysterious man breathed in a pleasant, tenor voice. His gaze moved up and down repeatedly, openly feasting on the sight of Heero. "You look great." He let out a single chuckle at the gross understatement that Duo recognized it to be. Tall-dark-and-handsome rightfully amended: "You look beautiful." He nodded at the torn up jeans and thin, white cotton shirt with stains of colored paint. "It's a good look on you." Duo looked back at Heero and noticed the younger man's absolutely stunned expression; he was shell-shocked. Rudely, Duo inserted himself. Addressing Heero in hopes of jolting him out of his trance he demanded: "Who is this?" He didn't resort to vulgar terms but he was sure they both understood that 'who the fuck is this?' was implied. "I'm sorry..." Heero started clumsily after a long silence. "Duo, this is Marc, an old friend of mine I told you about. Marc, this is Duo, my... neighbor." Marc? The friend he had been told about? He remembered the conversation clearly, it still gave him chills. Heero, in a quiet voice, telling him how much he loved his old friend - Marc -, who refused to love him back. The old friend - Marc... - that ended up having drunken sex with his anyway, giving him false hope. The old friend - Marc! - who beat him up and Heero had let him, because it was the only way he knew how to get over his love for him. 'He hit me again, so hard that I fell to the floor. That's when he started kicking me and I let him, I did nothing to stop him, I didn't even try to shield myself. I needed him to hurt me so I could resent him for it.' The old friend innocently turned to the American and reached out his hand for a proper introduction. "Marciano Damaasio," He said with a dripping, Italian accent. With his friendly smile he didn't resemble the monster Duo had envisioned. Marc. Suddenly - surprising Heero and Marc as much as he did himself - he coiled his arm and launched his balled fist towards the tanned face. His knuckles connected with Marc's jaw with a dull but satisfying thud. Marc's head twisted away as his face absorbed the blow. Only because the man had been so utterly caught off guard and unprepared did the punch affect him as much as it did. The man was taller and more muscular than he was, yet he stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance. He cupped his offended jaw in his large hand and spat some blood onto the grass. "Jesus, Duo!" Heero pushed past his neighbor and lay a soothing hand on Marc's shoulder while he inspected his abused features with clear concern. Marc straightened up and laughed darkly. "Now I see what you meant when you said 'an old friend of mine I told you about'. You told him about our falling out." Duo was disgusted by the euphemism. "Falling out?" He challenged. "You mean when you beat the crap out of your friend who is half your size?" "Quite the night in shining armor, this neighbor of yours." "I'm not just his neighbor, I'm-" Duo stopped himself. "I'm his friend!" Marc couldn't be trusted with the truth about his involvement with Heero, no matter how much he wanted to rub in his face that Heero was his. Marc wouldn't be fooled, his dark eyes gleamed as he caught the near slip-up and drew the correct conclusions. "His friend," He repeated sarcastically and snorted. He spat again. More blood. Concerned about his well-being in spite of what the man had done to him in the past, both emotionally and physically, Heero guided Marc onto the porch and to the front door where he turned around to face Duo and said apologetically: "It's better if you just go home. I'll see you tomorrow." Duo watched the door fall shut and stood nailed to the ground. Evidently, letting Marc beat him up all those years ago hadn't had the desired effect; Heero still had feelings for his old friend, it was plain to see in his protectiveness and sudden dismissal of Duo. What was Marc doing there after all that time? Obviously Heero hadn't been expecting him. The American couldn't help but feel Marc had come to realize something about himself that Heero had tried to get him to see all those years ago - which didn't turn out very well - namely that he was gay, something that would not change no matter how much he tried to deny it and, more importantly, that he was in love with Heero. Now he had come for him. With Heero still not over him and willing to forgive him for what he had done to him, Duo suddenly felt lost and powerless. Was he going to lose Heero this jerk? He shook his head. What would it even matter? He reminded himself. Their relationship was of a temporary nature anyway and he had said to himself many times - even that very day - that it would be better if it would end before it could ever evolve into anything more than it presently was. He should be relieved that it was over and that he didn't have to subject himself to the conflicting thoughts and feelings that had been plaguing him ever since Heero moved into the neighboring house. But the strange thing was, he wasn't relieved, far from it. He was jealous, even angry at Heero for introducing him as just 'his neighbor', even as he was aware the young man might have only done so out of consideration for him and his intention to keep their relationship a secret. With lead in his shoes and an equally heavy heart he turned around and walked back to his house. He caught Relena standing in the doorway of her house across the street, phone in hand. She had likely been ready to call the police if the singular punch had evolved into a full-blown fight. He bowed his head, hoping she hadn't seen him looking her way, and he disappeared into his house, just as the delivery van of the Thai restaurant arrived. Behind the locked door he imagined them enjoying dinner together, talking and laughing. He imagined long, intense stares and he shivered when he saw Marc's knuckles brush the warm, golden skin of his Heero's neck, the way he himself had yearned to do.
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