"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 fourteen

They had sex a lot. It appeared they had somehow wordlessly come to the agreement that every room in the old house had to be christened. Some rooms more often than others. The upstairs bathroom with its clean, white tiles that felt cool against their skin was a favorite ever since they first tested the shower. Heero had let Duo take him from behind as he braced himself against the wall and let the fresh water wash away every bead of sweat that formed due of their impassioned movements.

Duo came to the easy conclusion that he was happy - and happier still whenever he had the young man's naked body pressed against his tightly. The conclusion wasn't without consequence, but he didn't like thinking about the consequences, because he knew it would only weigh him down. He decided to focus on the now. Having sex with him. Talking with him. Having dinner with him. Working on the house with him. Going to the progressive church meetings with him.

It was a life - a life he enjoyed - and it felt real, whether or not it was built on illusions, secrets and temporary compromises.

Heero's mouth tasted of caramel and chocolate after he had just snacked on a sweet treat. The young man teased him with open-mouthed kisses and made him shiver when he ran his rough hands up Duo's chest, slipping under his shirt, peeling the fabric that had stuck to his skin with sweat away, letting cool air rush up only to heat him up to an unbearable degree.

"You're insatiable," Duo noted with a smirk, placing his hands on Heero's hips loosely.

"I'm still young," He teased back. He flicked his tongue against Duo's Adam's apple.

"Well, I'm getting too old for this," For the sake of the joke he disregarded his obvious erection.

Heero wasn't fooled. He pressed their groins together. "You were the one who insisted on that fourth go-round yesterday."

"Yes, and I realize now that it could have killed me." He couldn't resist lightly trailing his hands up Heero's sides. "I have to be more careful."

The Japanese man detached himself from his neighbor and stepped back until he found the wall and leaned back against it. "Then I guess I'm on my own." With a wicked grin he rid himself of his shirt and he undid his belt and the fly of his cargo-pants. The weight of the hammer hanging in the loop of his pants pulled them down to the floor with a thud that echoed in the empty space. Heero was about to tempt him further by starting to touch himself, but there was no further need to convince Duo.

The sight of him, naked, with his golden skin glistening with sweat, his abdomen tightening with his every breath and his cock curving up, was irresistible and Duo rushed up to him to connect their mouths again. His apology was muffled when he caught Heero's wince as the rough fabric of his jeans grazed the other's sensitive manhood too roughly.

"Just get rid of it," Heero breathed against his mouth.

With hasty, jerky movements he undid his jeans and pushed them down. He leaned against his lover and reached between them to align their dicks, sandwiching the twin erections between their stomachs. He let out a throaty moan, interrupting their kiss. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of you."

"Good." Heero captured his lips again and with his hands gripping Duo's ass he urged the tall man to rock his hips against his.

"Did we leave the pack of condoms in the bathroom?"

Heero let out a hearty laugh.

Duo pulled back to frown at him. "What?"

"I just realized we haven't had sex in an actual bed since the very first time."

That was true and mostly because they had only ever had sex in Heero's house since then and the cot downstairs, where he slept, was not sturdy enough to support the weight of the two of them, especially not in the throes of passion. Duo paused, wondering what Heero meant to imply. "Did you want to?"

He chuckled. "It would be nice if, at some point, we came full circle and made our way into a proper bed again."

Duo realized he would probably like that too. The reason they favored the bathroom was because the tiles were clean and smooth, everywhere else in the house was dusty and unfinished. He still cringed remembering the big splinters he suffered in his ass cheeks when he had laid prone on the floor of the master bedroom before they had had the chance to properly sand and polish the hardwood floor, and Heero had straddled his lap, riding him with fervor, wearing nothing but his oversized work-boots. It seemed to be worth it at the time, it wasn't soon after. Heero regularly ended up scraped and bruised as well.

"Would you like to go right now?" He asked.

Heero shook his head and pulled him close. "And maneuver through the hedge sporting this kind of wood? No thank you."

The words lacked any resentment, but Duo still felt guilty at being reminded of the shameful sneaking around he subjected Heero to. But his concerns were quickly forgotten when Heero started grinding his hips and used the palm of his hand to stimulate the red, swollen head of their arousals.

"Let's just do it like this for now. I don't feel like wasting time getting condoms." He mewled and keened when Duo started to move in rhythm with him.

Eventually, Duo wrapped his big hand around both their erections, as much as he could, and pumped up and down. It was enough to get them both to reach their climax, together. He felt the warmth of their come on his stomach and on his hand. He blew out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He made sure Heero's stance was stable before he stepped back and he reached down to pick up the towel they used before to wipe the sweat off their brow as they worked. He used it to clean them both, feeling Heero's eyes on him the entire time. With a smirk he knelt down in front of Heero and hoisted his pants back up. He fastened the buttons and the belt buckle and placed a kiss on Heero's exposed abdomen before standing up again and pulling Heero's shirt down. He smoothed away the wrinkles, or pretended to, anyway, he just wanted to keep touching him and teasing him. When he looked at Heero he noticed the sparkle in his deep, blue eyes; a knowing sparkle. But neither of them said anything.

They continued with their designated chores. Duo wasn't really sure what he was doing, if he was even really helping with anything. He just sanded whatever surface Heero pointed at and he hammered something down whenever Heero handed him a nail. The young renovator might only be amusing him, but he figured they had reached a point where they were both aware and accepting of the fact that Duo was only there to be with him, as much as he could. He wasn't really invested in the transformation of the house and honestly the religious man didn't even care if Heero had to undo all the 'work' he had done every day when he went home at night. Wielding a hammer with his dry, dusty hands just felt so remarkably therapeutic, but only because he knew Heero was watching him. Watching the muscles of his back flex under his shirt and the muscles in his arms bulge and tense. Even though Heero was young - much younger than him - and he should feel especially old in comparison, Duo didn't feel old. He felt desirable. And the fact that he was actually getting quite an intense work-out every day, doing much heavy lifting, also helped with his self-esteem. He noticed that, as of late, he was able to appreciate his own reflection, even when he was in a state of undress.

Heero wanted him. The most beautiful, most exquisite person he had ever laid eyes on wanted him. That had to account for something.

"Did you still want to play host tonight?" Heero asked after a while.

"Yeah. Definitely." He was a little out of breath. They had been carrying some heavy supplies upstairs and he had been a little over-confident, trying to show off. "I think we should make a rule; no more than four days of take-out in a row. A body needs a properly, home-cooked meal once in a while."

The other laughed and pointed out: "This would have been the sixth day."

His brows knitted together. "Are you sure?"

Heero counted on his fingers. "Thai. Burgers. Pizza. Pizza again. And supermarket sushi yesterday." He made a face. "I still can't believe we didn't get sick, that was disgusting."

"Then why did you keep eating it?"

"I gotta represent," Heero pounded his fist against his chest.

He chuckled. "Fine. Whatever. New rule: No more than five days of take-out in a row."

"Alright. So, what are you making me?"

"Sushi," He replied slyly.

"Funny."

"You'll see soon enough. I should probably get out of here, wash up and get started." He said, but regardless he helped carry up the last of the supplies. "See you in... an hour?"

Heero came up the stairs with a forgotten tin of paint. He set it down at the top of the stairs. "Sure."

Duo nodded. He wiped his hands on his shirt and walked by his lover. He paused momentarily and placed a quick, careless peck on Heero's mouth before heading down the steps. He had caught Heero's perplexed expression, but didn't comment on it. "See you later."

"... See you..." Was the belated reply.

He headed out the front door. There was no point sneaking out the back. The entire neighborhood knew he was helping Heero with the renovation and most of them probably still believed he was doing it only to speed the process along so Heero could leave as soon as possible. They didn't seem to care much, anyway. The only person who had him worried was Relena. She still seemed to be keeping a close eye on him and he was certain it was no coincidence she appeared in her front yard with gardening sheers the moment he trotted off Heero's front porch. He held up a hand in a half-hearted wave when he unintentionally made eye-contact with her. He hoped the greeting would be enough, but his stomach started feeling heavy when she beckoned him to come over. He took a deep breath and crossed the street. It would be easier to cooperate with her, she would only get more nosy otherwise.

"Hello Relena. You seem to be taking special care of the rose bushes this year," He noted. The plants were always her favorite excuse to be lingering out in her front yard.

"Maintaining a garden of flowers like this is hard work, Duo," She quipped petulantly.

He simply nodded.

"You seem to be spending more and more time at his house."

He noted she refused to say Heero's name as of late and he couldn't help but recognize that she pronounced the simple pronoun in a way to make it sound like an insult. "Renovating a house is hard work too."

"But not your responsibility."

He shrugged. "I'm not so sure. With the house looking better every day, the appearance of the neighborhood as a whole is improving."

"Right and the neighborhood is your main concern in this matter," She snorted.

"What are you trying to say, Relena?"

"I'm saying that we hardly see you anymore. The only times we see you is when you walk to and fro his house. You still haven't replied to our dinner invitation, you've missed every meeting of the Neighborhood Association, you haven't even met with your cripple friend the past few weeks."

Duo put his hands on his hip, getting irritated.

"I see what he is doing, Duo. He is manipulating you. That is how they do things."

"They?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"The gays," She explained in a hushed, resentful tone.

"Relena, Heero doesn't have any kind of 'gay-agenda'..."

"Oh, really?" She nodded at the STOP-PROP-8 sign in his front lawn.

Duo looked back at it and shrugged. "He is just showing his support. We don't even talk about that sort of stuff." They really didn't and Duo had a feeling it was because Heero was carefully avoiding such subjects. For the time being, that suited him just fine. They both knew their fragile relationship might not be able to stand a heated political discussion, they had enough issues to have heated discussions about - almost too many. He looked at her and stated boldly: "He's my friend."

"How can you possibly be friends with someone like that?" She sneered.

"It's simple, really. He's nice and smart and... funny..." He looked off into the distance wistfully before snapping back. "He's an easy guy to like."

"And what about us? Are we friends?"

He chewed the inside of his cheek and then shot back bluntly: "I don't know. Are we?"

She glared at him. "If I was your friend, I would warn you that your neighbors are saying things about you. About the two of you."

He sighed. "My neighbors? Or just you?"

"You have to admit that your behavior is suspect."

"Nothing is going on. We're just friends," He pressed.

"I'm not saying there is anything going on. I'm saying it looks that way. And sometimes that is bad enough. Do you even know what will happen to our neighborhood if they think their kind is welcome here?"

"You're referring to 'the gays' again?"

"Of course I am. Don't play dumb Duo. There are two houses for sale at the end of the street, we don't want more people like him moving in. If you care at all about the appearance of our neighborhood, you have to agree."

"What are you worried about here? That Heero is going to send a message to hive and the Drag Queen will send the worker gays to invade the neighborhood?" He chuckled bitterly.

"It's so like you to make light of something like this."

He groaned and backed away. "Tend to your roses, Relena." He started walking to his house.

"I'm not above calling pest control, Duo!"

He waved his hand dismissively at her empty threat but his heart was beating in his throat. He wondered if she had started spreading rumors about the two of them and he feared how close the gossip might be to the actual reality of his relationship with Heero.

He decided not to worry about that tonight, however and - if he could manage - he wouldn't give it another lick of thought. He wanted to focus on Heero; that was the only thing that brought him joy. He showered and got dressed in an old button-up shirt that he hadn't worn in a while. He had always found the deep burgundy color too flashy on his pale skin, but he was surprised to find he actually liked the way it looked on him now, combined with grey slacks. Perhaps he was overdressed, for the simple dinner that it was, but he knew Heero would enjoy it.

He set to work in the kitchen; he had settled on mushroom risotto. The Italian kitchen was his favorite; he enjoyed the process of preparing the meals and he liked eating them.

When he was almost done the kitchen door opened and he couldn't fight the smile as he watched Heero come into his house. In his presence the colors of the room were brighter and the aromas of dinner more delicious. The young man was wearing tight black jeans and the midnight blue button-shirt Duo had seen him wear before. It was no secret that it was one of his favorites, second only to Heero's bare chest.

"It smells great."

"You look absolutely edible," Duo blurted. When Heero was close to him he leaned in, ducking his head to bury his nose in the crook of the young man's neck.

Heero chuckled. "You look quite appetizing yourself." He shook his head at their silly banter and then offered to finish setting the table.

"If you wouldn't mind. Thanks."

"Sure." Heero fetched the plates and the wine glasses - he knew where everything was by now.

Duo paid little attention to the meal on the stove and instead was content to watch Heero's precise and deliberate movements. He was so elegant. He moved like a man who knew his body very well. Most of the time, Duo still felt like the gangly teen he once was - many, many years ago - stumbling and fumbling. He simply smiled when Heero caught him staring and gave him and odd look. After a few minutes he served dinner and poured wine.

Once Heero was done complimenting his cooking skills he inquired about his chat with Relena, on the street.

Duo chuckled and shook his head. "You fit right in with the rest of the neighborhood, you snoop and spy just like the rest of them."

"Them?" Heero mocked. "I seem to remember you ogling me quite intently from behind the drapes the first few weeks I was here."

"Fine, you spy like the rest of us," He emphasized the last word and added with a wink: "And I haven't stopped 'ogling' you."

The young man smiled, but he wouldn't be distracted. "You are deflecting," He observed accurately. "I take it she wanted to talk to you about me."

"Just the same old. Don't worry about."

"I won't if you won't," Heero said, his tone serious.

Duo looked up at him and nodded solemnly. "I won't. I promise."

They ate and the conversation veered back to their usual, comfortable topic; the renovation of the house. Heero spoke passionately about how he envisioned the interior. He explained that although he never decorated the houses that he restored - leaving that up to the buyers - he always made sure he had a picture in his mind as he worked, to have a goal to strive for and for each house to have its own identity, for when he would look back on it later. They joked back and forth about how the new owner could totally mess it up and started fantasizing about horrendously patterned wallpaper and mismatched furniture.

Duo asked him: "What about my house? Did I do okay?" He pointedly looked around. He remembered Marc telling him that Heero was copying the all-American, contemporary style in the house, whether or not he realized it.

"I'm hardly an expert, Duo."

"Seriously, I'm curious. What do you think?"

Heero looked around, as if he didn't already know exactly what it looked like. "I like it," He replied simply.

"But why?"

He shrugged and looked down at his plate, but he sheepishly admitted: "Because it's very... you. The dark, hard woods. The soft, light furniture. The clutter of books and the notepads that never seem to get written on. I don't know, it just fits."

"I guess." He paused and took a sip of his wine. "How would you decorate your own home? The house you really decide to live in?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

He frowned. "Really?"

"I guess I never thought I would ever have to make a house my home. I always figured - or naively hoped, rather, that I would just..." He made a vague gesture. "Happen upon it."

"You mean that you would move into someone else's home?"

"Yeah." He reached for his wine.

"You saw yourself living with Marc."

He smiled bitterly and took a drink from his glass before he replied: "Yeah. Back then, his place was my dream home. I would have happily moved in and I wouldn't have changed a thing. His apartment was as much Marc as this house is Duo. I like being in the home of the person I love. When I step into it, I feel like they wrap a part of themselves around me and make me part of their world." He looked off to the side, embarrassed. "I've only ever felt at home in someone else's house. Marc's. Zechs'. Even Trowa's, before Quatre moved in with him. When it was just his house, it felt like him, but now that he is with Quatre, the whole house feels like them, and I don't belong in it anymore."

"And now you feel like you belong here? In my house?"

"Oh God," He covered his face and chuckled nervously. "I sound mental. Don't worry, I won't ask for a drawer or put my toothbrush on the sink."

"I'm not worried," The American assured him, smiling gently. "I like that you feel like you belong here. I like it when you're here. I mean... I've always loved this house, but the last few years it has felt like solitary confinement. Now that you are here, I love it again."

Heero lowered his hands into his lap and looked a little perplexed at the heartfelt confession.

"But, you know, keep your toothbrush at home," He joked.

Heero laughed.

After a few moments of comfortable, contemplative silence they cleared the table together. Duo couldn't deny the domestic bliss. Even a mundane chore was both titillating and soothing with Heero around. He loved the way he rolled up his sleeves, the delicate way with which he handled the china and the wine glasses and the way he would brush his shoulder by him as they worked in silence.

He noticed how he smelled. Heero normally smelled like sweat, sawdust and paint thinner - and somehow Duo had grown fond of that mixture of scents. Now he smelled like soap, shampoo and a cheap but pleasant cologne that had already started to fade. He had never taken note of someone's scent before, never mind how intoxicating it could be. He noticed a lot of things about Heero that he never paid any particular attention to where anyone else was concerned. Like how perfectly straight his nose was from the side. It was an odd thing to focus on, but he marveled at it every time Heero turned sideways in embarrassment or thought. And when he did Duo also noticed that the young man had had his left ear pierced at some point, but he had never seen him wear an earring. When Heero smiled, he would watch the pearly white of his teeth be revealed and took note of the fact that his right canine was turned a little, making it seem sharper, almost like a fang. It was the only thing about his face that wasn't symmetrical, it made his smile quirky and interesting. Duo had even mapped out every mark on Heero's body. The scar under his chin and on his abdomen from when they had to surgically remove his inflamed appendix. He had three moles, in perfect alignment, equally spaced, in the crease of his groin.

He knew Heero's body better than he knew his own. He had every inch of it memorized and he understood better what felt good to him. Sometimes he was still surprised at a mole on his own skin, or the sounds Heero could draw out him by placing his mouth here and there. But he knew exactly what Heero looked like and how he enjoyed being touched. He knew why. Heero was the first person he ever really looked at and really listened to. Everyone else, even WuFei, was a blurred and indiscriminate shape in his life compared to the young neighbor. Heero was the single point of clarity in his world and the only tangible thing. For over a decade, he had felt like the world was moving around him - speeding up and up and up - while he had grinded to a halt and stood still amidst life happening all around him, but not to him, not with him. The new neighbor could have rushed by him just as easily, with complete disregard to this immobilized statue of a man, like any other neighbor. But he hadn't walked by. He had paused and he had looked at him. He really saw him, the way he was now able to really see Heero. The man had managed to move him, when he thought he had been solidified irreversibly.

"You're staring," Heero pointed out with a small laugh, leaning back against the counter.

"I'm looking. I'm appreciating," He corrected.

Heero shook his head. "Looking you do with your eyes. Appreciating you do with your hands."

Duo recognized the beckoning look and the seductive tone. He stepped forward, closer to him. He thought for a moment and then brought his hands up to delicately cup Heero's face. He lightly moved his thumbs across his cheeks. His hands trailed down. Down the long neck. He felt the pulse there. He stroked across his shoulders and then let his hands follow the line of his arms. He took Heero's hands and placed them on his taller shoulders.

Heero took a deep breath and held it.

His hands jumped to his sides, moving up and down a number of times before finally picking up the hem of the shirt and lifting it up, if only slightly. He touched the pads of his fingers to the exposed inch of stomach. He looked up into Heero's eyes and bit his lower lip at the sight of the clouded, passionate blue orbs.

Heero loved him. He loved him. It was a young and naïve kind of love but real and deep nonetheless.

Duo felt like he didn't deserve it; such a tender and precious gift. People had loved him in the past. Anthony had loved him. Hilde had loved him. Even Amber might have loved him. He hadn't been able to give any of them what they needed from him. Heero was no different. Heero needed to hear him say that he loved him back and Duo wished he could, but the words died within him and only a sigh went past his lips. But he wanted Heero to know how much he really appreciated him and cared for him, so he managed to admit in a whisper: "You make me happy."

His lover smiled.

He knew it wasn't what he had been holding his breath for to hear, but it was all he could offer him at the moment and - at the moment - it seemed to be good enough.

With his arms encircling Duo's neck he pulled him closer and into a kiss.

It started innocently enough, but perhaps Duo had teased him too much with his touches. He was getting rather good at that. Heero clawed at his broad back and pushed his hips against his.

"Wait," Duo mumbled against his wanton mouth. "I have dessert. Your favorite."

"Yes you do," Heero breathed with a grin and snaked one arm between them, cupping his hand over Duo's erection, which was obvious under the soft, supple fabric of his grey slacks, it angled up to his left hipbone.

The American gasped, but he interrupted their kiss and shook his head. "I meant: chocolate fudge brownie ice-cream."

Heero blinked up at him. "How did you know that is my favorite?"

"I've seen the empty cartons in your trashcan on three different occasions and one time still on the counter," He teased.

"You see that sort of stuff?"

"I see you."

Heero groaned. He trailed his fingers along the outline of Duo's erection more purposefully. "Chocolate fudge brownie can wait." He reconnected their mouths demandingly.

Duo couldn't say he was disappointed by the turn of events. He grabbed Heero's ass and had him jump up and wrap his legs around his hips. He didn't want to do it standing up again. He had every intention of carrying the younger man upstairs, but he quickly discovered that although Heero was short and lithe, he wasn't really a lightweight; he was still a fully grown and toned man. Duo feared it would be too dangerous to attempt to carry him up the stairs, so he took him to the living room instead, to the big white couch. He placed Heero on the cushions and lowered himself down on top of him, settling between his legs.

"Not the bedroom? Again?" The Japanese man wondered with a laugh. He was already unbuttoning Duo's burgundy shirt.

"You're too heavy..."

"I'm too heavy? Or you're too old?" He whispered in his ear.

Duo thrust his pelvis against his forcefully. "Not too old for this."

Heero arched his back, lifting off the couch. He wasn't going to make any more jokes, Duo could tell.

He sat back and unfastened his lover's jeans and tugged them down his long legs. Heero's arousal sprang free and curved over his lower abdomen, towards his bellybutton. He got rid of the shoes and then tossed the jeans clear across the living room.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this on a white couch," Heero noted absentmindedly. His voice was thick with need. "It could get messy."

"I don't care." The American leaned forward and placed a kiss on the head of his penis, smirking as it moved in response and Heero bucked his hips. "You don't really care either."

"It's your couch," He breathed, looking down his body at Duo's face hovering above his groin.

Duo sucked on his manhood briefly. He wasn't very good at it, even though the sounds Heero was making were favorable. All he could really get himself to do was take the very tip into his mouth and lick it and kiss it, which paled in comparison to what Heero could do to him with his mouth. But he wanted to keep trying, so he could grow comfortable with it. He wanted to give Heero that kind of pleasure.

The young man was never demanding, always cooperative and accommodating. Instead of asking him to do more, he gave a helping hand, literally. With one hand he pushed his shirt up to his collar bone and teased a hard nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The other hand he reached down and used to cup his balls and sometimes he wrapped his fingers tightly around the shaft.

Duo released him from his mouth with a wet sound and crawled back up his body. "I'm sorry I'm not better at it."

"You're good at something else. Something much more important." He brought his legs up and folded them around the American's torso, exposing himself more to illustrate his point.

"Yeah?" Duo kissed along his clavicle and up his neck.

"Ohh, yeah."

"Did you bring condoms?"

"They're in my jeans."

Duo stilled and groaned. "Fuck." He cocked his head to the side and glared at the heap of black denim at the other end of the room, most of it had crumpled to the floor, but one leg was draped across the cushion of his reading chair. Grumbling he had Heero release him and he got to his feet and approached the pants. Luckily he always kept his curtains drawn, or else he would have to deal with that first. He searched the pockets impatiently and mumbled something when he found them in the last pocket he checked. Just his luck.

When he turned back, he was no longer in such a rush. He paused to enjoy the sight of Heero, sprawled on his couch. He had unbuttoned his shirt but hadn't bothered to sit up to take it off. His legs were spread invitingly. He was pumping his fist up and down his length in anticipation. He was watching him with a fiery gaze.

On his way back to the couch he stripped the clothes off his body and let out a sigh of relief when he lay back down on top of Heero, melting their heated skin together. They kissed lengthily before Heero begged him to come inside him and he couldn't refuse. He made haste applying the condom, only to take his time pushing into him. The passage was so tight, but Heero preferred it without using fingers first to stretch him.

The young neighbor's mouth was open in a soundless moan. His eyes slid shut.

Duo was pleased that he was getting better at controlling his urge and his endurance was improving. He started slowly, he enjoyed studying the myriad of expressions on his lover's face. "You like that, baby? You like my cock deep inside you? Can you feel it throb?" Heero liked dirty-talk like that, he had discovered. He had never confessed as much, but it was obvious. The toned body clenched around him, tightly and deliciously and he bit his lower lip. He nodded helplessly.

"You feel so good," Duo whispered before lowering his mouth on Heero's. He kissed him distractedly, increasing the pace of his movements. By the time he was moving into him in long, powerful thrusts, he decided to switch it up a little. He sat back up on his knees and maneuvered Heero's legs, resting his calves over his shoulders.

They were both loud. Moaning and grunting and letting out the occasional cry.

Heero flung one arm up and hooked it over the armrest where he rested his head on, with his free hand he started to touch himself, indicating that he was getting close already.

"Tell me I'm young," Duo demanded with a wicked grin. The movements of his hips were steadfast.

Without argument Heero exclaimed: "You're young! You're young! Oh! You're young!" He threw his head back and milky white fluid spilt onto his tensed up stomach.

Duo only needed a few more thrusts into his willing body to reach his climax. He groaned loudly and rolled his hips idly as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. He placed a satisfied, wet kiss on Heero's shin.

Heero threw his gaze up at the ceiling and let out a breathy laugh. "It's wasn't just me, right? That was amazing, right?"

"You're amazing," Duo said genuinely. He pulled out, took off the condom, tied the end of it and placed it on top of the empty wrapper that he had discarded on the floor next to the couch.

Heero pulled him down for a sloppy kiss. He groaned when Duo's braid slid over his shoulder and fell onto his sensitized chest. He wrapped the band of hair around his wrist possessively.

The American laughed softly against his lips. After a few gentle kisses Heero's grip on his hair weakened and he got up, explaining: "I'll go get you something to clean you up with."

The other looked down his body with the hint of an embarrassed blush.

The taller one left for the kitchen and cleaned himself first in front of the sink before fetching a fresh towel and moistening it with lukewarm water. On a whim he grabbed the pint of ice-cream and two spoons before heading back to the living room.

Heero pushed himself up on his elbows. "Now we're talking," He said and nodded at the carton of his favorite ice-cream.

"Be patient, young grasshopper." He set it aside on the coffee table and kneeled next to the couch. He took care cleaning Heero's hands first and then gently rubbing the evidence of his passion off his abdomen and chest. He folded the towel over and used the clean side to wipe the inside of Heero's thighs as well. Neither of them said anything. Duo could feel Heero's eyes watching him, but he didn't dare to make eye contact. The moment was intimate enough as it was. But he couldn't help the smile on his lips and the red hue on his cheekbones.

When he was done he handed his lover his black jeans and they both got partly dressed. Duo sat down next to him on the couch and Heero scooted closer and draped one leg over his lap. The young man kissed his shoulder, neck and ear lovingly.

"It was that good, huh?" He asked jokingly.

"It was." With a smirk Heero added: "The promise of ice-cream also helps."

Duo nodded and leaned forward to get the pint and the spoons.

They shared the treat quietly, only occasionally exchanging mischievous looks.

When they had eaten their fill Duo put it away and leaned back with a sigh, throwing his arm around Heero's shoulders. It felt easy and comfortable.

"So what are you reading right now?" Heero asked after a while.

"I'm really into science fiction lately." Duo loved talking to books about Heero. The young man wasn't much of a reader, as he admitted himself, and that was a quality that normally would have put Duo off, but he enjoyed telling Heero the stories - the abridged version, of course. He was a good listener and seemed genuinely interested in the tales, even as Duo sometimes lost track and struggled to relay the plot. "I just finished 'Hyperion' and now I've started on the Dune series."

"Dune? Wasn't that also made into a movie?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. The first two books in the series are supposed to be great reads though."

Duo talked about Hyperion and what he had read so far of the Dune books. He tried to put into words why he enjoyed science fiction all of sudden, failing miserably. He always had his phases when it came to reading and he wasn't sure if his tastes at any particular time really meant anything, other than that he might have read every good novel of one genre and was simply forced to move on to the next.

"What about your own writing? Would you like to write a science fiction novel one day?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think that's my thing."

"What is your thing? What are you working on now?"

He sighed and admitted miserably: "Nothing. I've said all I had to say with my one book. Or at least, what I thought I had to say. I was pretty sure of things back then, so I knew what to write. Since then, I've only ever been confused. How can you write when you're confused? I wouldn't know what to say and it would change direction all the time."

"You haven't written a single thing in all those years?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'm a one-trick-pony."

Heero looked up at him and spoke encouragingly: "I'm sure that's not true. In spite of the controversial topic of your book, I loved reading it, as I told you. You have a way with words. I know I don't know much about books, or writing, so you might not value a thing I say, but I think you have more in you. And it will come out as soon as you let it."

He looked at him poignantly. "I do value what you say."

Heero smiled.

"It's just been so long. Maybe the story-telling skill is a transient one and it just... ends." He chuckled at a silly memory and asked Heero: "Did you see the picture of me on the back of the book?"

"Of course I did. I stared at it plenty of times."

Duo blushed at his confession and pressed on: "So you know what I looked like back then."

"Younger?" Heero teased.

"That too. And my hair..."

"It was short," Heero supplied. "Really short."

Duo nodded. "I shaved my head the day I signed the deal with the publishing company. It was a dare. WuFei dared me. Something about new beginnings... fresh starts... I don't even remember exactly, that's how long ago it was. But I'm pretty sure we were both quite drunk at the time. So anyway, a few months later, when the book got published, my hair was really short." He pulled his braid over his shoulder, the end rested in his lap. "I haven't cut my hair since I shaved it all off that day." He let his fingers trail the entire length of it.

"Why?"

"Well. About two years later, WuFei published a book," He started to explain.

"I didn't know that."

"It wasn't very popular, but it was good. I told him that he should shave his head as well, to commemorate it, just like I had. He agreed, but on one condition. He wanted us to make a pact, that we would only cut our hair whenever we managed to complete a book. It didn't need to be published, it just had to be completed. You see, I was having trouble getting back on the horse and I made some remarks about my hair getting too long and bothersome and WuFei, being my editor and a general pain-in-the-ass thought it would motivate me. I was cocky enough to think I would be able to churn something out at least every couple of years and I just really wanted to shave his head," He laughed, "So we shook on it and everything. Turns out that WuFei is the only one between the two of us able to write steadily and I haven't finished anything - I haven't even really started anything."

"Why didn't you just cut your hair after a while, I'm sure WuFei wouldn't have held it against you."

Duo nodded. "Mostly pride, in the beginning. It had little to do with honor and I know WuFei wouldn't have made a big deal about it, even though he has stuck with it to this day as well. I wanted that moment, that moment of chopping it all off. I imagined it would feel as victorious as when I shaved my head for my very first book. After a while though, as I started to realize it wasn't going to happen, the long hair became my penance. The growing weight of it on my back reminded me of my failure, every day, and that was my punishment." He touched the soft hairs.

"I'm sorry. I thought you just kept it long because it looks good."

Duo chuckled. "You think so?"

Although conflicted about it now, he confessed: "Yes, I do. I think it's beautiful. But I don't think you should punish yourself."

He nodded. "I've thought about cutting it off many times. But it's like... Stockholm syndrome, or something. Even though it hurts me, I can't part with it. It's been such a constant thing. I guess it's a lot like the red yarn analogy in my book. It's difficult, but it's something that I know. It hurts me, but it doesn't surprise me, it doesn't catch me off guard. I'm prepared for it and I know how to live with it. If I cut it off now, for the wrong reasons, it would just be another failure."

The young man stared at him.

"I don't think I'm making much sense..." He berated himself.

"No, you are. I get it. It's just... sad."

He changed the subject by asking: "What about your hair? There must be a story behind it."

Heero snorted and absentmindedly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, but it fell back in front of his face just as easily. "Yeah, there's a story. The first part is called Laziness and the sequel is titled Vanity." He explained: "I didn't feel like making time to go to the hairdresser, so I let it grow out. And then everyone started saying how 'cool' my hair was," He shrugged, "So I kept it like this."

"I wouldn't use the word 'cool' - I am too old for that after all - but I do really like it. It looks good." He reached up and ran a hand through the wild yet soft mop of hair. "But I imagine any hairstyle would look good on you."

"I have yearbook photo's that would argue differently," Heero retorted dryly. He rested his head on Duo's shoulder again and they both fell quiet.

Duo could hardly believe he had told Heero the secret about his hair. Only WuFei had been privy to the truth - and only because he was an integral part of the story - and he imagined Sally had heard her share. He had never taken the time, nor mustered up the courage, to actually tell anyone the story. It was such a stupid reason, after all. It was embarrassing. But Heero didn't make him feel embarrassed. He felt understood and accepted. Once again, Heero made it easy for him to forget how young he was.

They shared in a comfortable silence for a long time. Duo could hear Heero's breaths evening out and coming out in soft sighs. He was falling asleep.

He wished he could let Heero spend the night, but it didn't feel right. It was a step he wasn't ready for and only because there were only a few more steps to take before the relationship was as serious and real as it possibly could be and that was a level they should not reach, given the circumstances. It would be better for them to stay on their current plateau. It was a comfortable place to him, a meeting point somewhere in the middle; halfway between what they both wanted and needed.

He brought his arm back around and started buttoning up Heero's shirt that fell loosely down from his shoulders. The movement caused the neighbor to wake up. His eyes opened, underneath the dark lashes his cobalt blue orbs looked dazed and confused. "I'm sorry. Did I fall asleep?"

"It's okay," Duo said in a hushed tone. "But it's probably time for you to go home."

Heero sat back and took over buttoning up the shirt, not bothering with more than three buttons. He gave Duo a quick peck goodnight and left the house through the back door without any ado. He didn't need to say anything, Duo knew the sneaking around still upset him, but they hadn't had an argument about it in a couple of weeks and he hoped they could maintain that kind of quiet acceptance, however begrudging.

He heaved a deep sigh and went upstairs for a quick shower and then went to bed.

Although the relationship had been improving, Duo was having more and more trouble sleeping at night. A nervous feeling in the depths of his stomach kept him awake for many hours every night. It was the same as that pesky feeling people get when they feel like they've forgotten something. He felt like there was something he had to do, but he didn't know what it was. It had him tossing and turning, until he would eventually fall into a dreamless sleep.

He slept in that morning, out of pure necessity. Heero would forgive him for not showing up bright and early for one day. He would just have to find a convincing way to assure the young neighbor that his tardiness had nothing to do with the fact that Trowa was coming over for the weekend. Of course the presence of the tall carpenter played a role in Duo's sleepless uneasiness, but he couldn't admit to that. Understandably, Heero's friends were important to him and Duo knew that he had a lot to make up for with regards to Trowa, who wasn't the least bit impressed with him so far and unabashedly displeased with the budding relationship between the two neighbors.

He poured himself a hot cup of coffee at eleven in the morning and spied an unfamiliar vehicle in the driveway. Last time Trowa had driven out in his van, but for whatever reason he had rented a car this time.

With his hand cupped around the warm ceramic he stood at the bay window overlooking the front yard. He spotted Carlton across the street, washing his sedan. Relena was tending to her roses. Those damn roses.

Where had the woman gotten the idea that she had the right to judge everybody so harshly and yet assume she could escape everyone's judgment unscathed? Her own husband was cheating on her and she had been unfaithful in the past as well - if he were to believe the scandalous rumors for once - yet she dared to say that a man and a woman deserved the privilege of marriage and two men or two women together did not. With his feelings for Heero growing, Duo had learned that a gay couple could love each other just as wholly as a straight couple could. It wasn't right for her to stand on her pedestal and claim otherwise, especially not when that pedestal was an illusion; a lie.

The scary part was that people knew she was not as righteous as she proclaimed to be and still everyone viewed her with more respect than they did the likes of Heero. If she managed to turn the neighborhood against Duo, she could get the Neighborhood Association to force them both out of their homes.

Then where would he go?

He shook his head, he didn't want to lose himself to that kind of a negative mindset. Not when he had to face Trowa for the next two days and persuade the man that he didn't need to protect Heero from him; something he wasn't even quite sure of himself.

Reluctantly, he got dressed and headed out the front door. He boldly made eye-contact with Relena as he walked over to the next-door house.

The front door was open, as it usually was. He stepped inside and called out Heero's name.

"In the kitchen!"

He mustered up the necessary courage for the confrontation with the overprotective and possessive friend and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. He froze in the archway.

"Hello Duo, nice to see you again."

Duo glared. "Hello. Marc."

"Marciano," The dark-haired man corrected. He was standing entirely too close to Heero, Duo noted. He continued smugly: "Only my friends call me Marc." Duo knew he would keep calling him Marc, only because it seemed to annoy him whenever he did.

"Guys," Heero intervened with a warning tone. "Don't start."

"What is he doing here?"

Marc smirked and patted the papers that were scattered on the table. "I came to show Heero something." He looked back at the shorter man who leaned over the table, studying pictures and scrutinizing text. "What are you thinking?"

"It's amazing," Heero admitted, with a baffled shake of his head. "It's a dream, really."

Duo stepped closer. "What are we looking at?"

Heero grabbed one of the pictures and held it up for Duo to see. The American could see the excited sparkle in his blue eyes and although he should be happy to see the young man thrilled like that, all he felt was worry. The picture was of a large, quaint building; three stories tall, pastel-colored paneling - albeit horribly faded, white shutters, a wrap-around-porch and twin oak trees reaching their branches towards it. It was an abandoned and dilapidated mess but Duo could tell Heero was impressed; he was seeing the beauty that no one else could see, which was his gift, as he had once explained. He tried to be enthusiastic, for his sake and inquired: "What is it?"

"It's a hotel in San Francisco," Heero said, "It was decommissioned in the sixties and the owners have let it gone to waste."

"Through friends I know the guy who inherited the place," Marc chimed in, "I can get Heero a great deal on the property."

Duo felt some of the color drain from his face.

Heero let out a deep breath and stared at the picture. He rubbed the back of his neck in contemplation. "I've never tackled a project this huge before."

"But it's such an amazing opportunity. Who knows if you'll ever get a chance like this again?" Marc purred. "And you know I would be happy to help you out. It's only a forty-minute drive from my place to the hotel. I'd love for you to teach me the things you've learned over the years."

Duo was starting to feel positively sick. He had to admit, it was a clever ploy and it seemed like Heero was falling for it and he could do nothing to argue against this investment, not without stepping on Heero's dreams.

The young man looked at the American again. "Isn't it amazing?"

Duo could tell that he was asking for his approval, but as much as he wished to meddle, to keep the young man as far away from Marc as possible, he didn't have the right to sway him in any way. All he could do was offer a smile.

Heero bit his lip and looked back at the picture. "I have to think about it."

"Of course. It's a big project, you shouldn't take it on lightly. A restoration like this could last more than a year."

"Probably close to two years, actually."

Duo felt his stomach turn. Two years of being only forty minutes away from that sleazy asshole...

"Just don't wait too long. You don't want something like this to slip through your fingers because you didn't act quick enough."

"I'll let you know within a week. I just have to make some calls... and stuff." Heero looked back at Duo again and once more all Duo could manage was a smile.

"Anybody home?" Someone bellowed in the hallway.

Duo stiffened.

"Trowa, we're in the kitchen!"

Trowa's heavy work boots made loud footfalls on the hardwood floor. He stepped into the kitchen and dropped a hefty bag with tools to the floor. "What the fuck is he doing here?" He nodded at Marc.

"Trowa, please," Heero tried.

"No, seriously, are you kidding me?" He walked up to the Mediterranean man, glaring down at him - Trowa was taller than all of them. "You don't have the right to be here."

"I do have the right. This is Heero's house and he invited me inside."

"Trowa," The Japanese man interjected, "It's fine. Marc and I talked it out."

He snorted. "Talked it out?" His gaze shifted between Marc and Duo, distrusting them both. "Why do you surround yourself with people like this? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" He demanded.

"Trowa!" Heero glared at him and the carpenter fell quiet. "Can we have a word? In private?"

The man nodded and followed Heero into the sitting room at the front of the house, which currently served at Heero's bedroom. The door slammed shut.

"This is going to be a fun weekend," Marc remarked.

"You're staying the entire weekend?"

"I plan on it. I'm not going to leave you two alone with him and let you poison him against me."

"You are the poisonous one," Duo shot back.

"No, I'm the one who can make Heero's dreams come true." With a self-satisfied smirk he started neatly gathering up the pictures and papers and stuffing them into a folder. "And of all the guys in this house, I'm the only one who can say that. Trowa loves Heero, but not in the way Heero would want him to, that part of him belongs to Quatre. And you..." He looked him up and down with disdain, "you have your issues, which will prevent you from giving Heero what he needs." He shook his head with a chuckle. "Let's face it, the three of us have all had a go at him, we've all fucked him, but I'm the only one able to offer him the kind of relationship he has been longing for his entire life. He'll figure that out soon enough."

"Don't make me punch you again."

Marc laughed.

When Heero and Trowa returned to the kitchen it was the start of a most uncomfortable weekend. The Japanese man did his best to appease the three of them but as he realized his friendly tactics weren't working he decided to ignore their competitiveness and quietly smoldering hate, pretending not to notice their vainglorious displays and biting banter. He probably hoped they would abandon their peacocking if he didn't pay it any attention, but he was sorely mistaken.

At times Duo felt like he was risking grave injury carrying heavy materials all the way up to the attic, but he couldn't help but take even more weight on his shoulders the next time, whenever the younger, arguably stronger Marc showed him up by making himself more useful.

"Watch out old man. You will be useless to Heero if your throw out your back," Marc quipped as he made his way down the stairs to get more wood from the back of the truck.

"You're both useless," Trowa muttered.

Duo was too out of breath to say anything. When he reached the attic he carefully lowered the wood for the floors. Alone with Heero at least he dared a brief kiss , hoping Heero wouldn't care about his flushed face and the smell of sweat that clung to him.

"Duo, what are you doing? We've talked about this."

Playing dumb he replied: "What? I'm just here to help." He knew very well Heero was referring to his jealousy with regards to Marc and Trowa.

Heero rolled his eyes at him.

The fighting continued when they had to work together. They couldn't agree on anything. Duo knew he was being silly, but he had to argue for the sake of arguing. Giving in would seem like defeat; like weakness.

A little past six Heero's interrupted their latest, heated discussion, inquiring what they wanted for dinner. They had been working without taking a break all afternoon.

Marc jumped up. "You shouldn't have to worry about that! I'll go get dinner. What are you in the mood for?"

Not wanting to look thoughtless in comparison, Duo straightened up and pointed out: "I could make us dinner. You love my cooking, right Heero?"

Trowa was already fishing his phone out of his pocket. "I'll just have pizza delivered."

"Oh my God, shut up!" Heero exclaimed, shocking the three of them with his anger. "Jesus! Just whip them out already and I'll go get the measuring tape!"

The three of them exchanged absurd looks and then Marc spoke up: "Actually, Heero, you already know which one of us is the biggest. You've slept with all three of us."

The young man stared at him. He was slack-jawed for a moment at the insensitive remark, but his expression soon hardened. "Right now, all three of you are equally small to me." He held up his hand with the thumb and forefinger only about an inch apart. He heaved a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to get dinner. Please don't kill each other."

"I'm parked behind you," Marc reminded him.

"Fine, we'll take your car and the two of us will go get dinner. I probably shouldn't leave all three of your alone together anyway." He looked sternly at Trowa and Duo. "Can you two play nice?"

"Yes," Trowa grumbled.

Duo watched Marc and Heero leave, feeling embarrassed about his behavior. He had already known Heero made him feel young, but he hadn't realized before how the beautiful man could turn him into someone so childish; jealous and petty. He jumped and turned around when Trowa threw his hammer to the floor in anger. He watched him pace back and forth a couple of times, like a tiger walking off pent-up frustration. "I'm sorry about the way I acted today," The long-haired man offered.

He look at him and growled. "It's not you."

"Marc?"

"Actually, I'm more mad at Heero."

Duo watched and waited for him to elaborate.

"I can't believe he is letting that scumbag back into his life." He kicked the hammer on the floor for good measure, sending it sliding across the newly laid floorboards and it hit the wall.

Duo nodded. "Heero told me what happened. What Marc did to him."

"Well, you may have heard the story, but you weren't there." He stilled and looked at him poignantly. "I saw him after. I saw what Marc did to him. If you had seen it too, you wouldn't judge me for being overprotective of him." He put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. "Heero is a short guy, compared to us, at least. But I never him as small. Not until I saw him that day. Thick, split lip. One eye swollen shut. His stomach, back and legs were black, blue, yellow, purple... And still, when I looked at him I could tell that no matter how bad things looked on the outside, he was hurting even more inside."

Duo swallowed. He felt sick.

"He told me that he had to let Marc kick and beat the shit out of him so he could stop caring about him. But I think it's pretty clear it didn't work."

"Heero doesn't love Marc anymore," Duo supplied, although not entirely convinced of his own words.

"No. He loves you now, doesn't he?"

Duo swallowed as he was on the receiving end of a cold stare.

"Another 'happy ending' waiting to happen."

In his defense, he argued: "You've done a number on him too, you know!"

"Yes, I did! That's what makes this even worse! Me, Zechs, Marc and now you! How much more of this do you think he can take?"

"I don't plan on hurting him!"

He narrowed his eyes at the braided American. "None of us planned on it."

"So, what? You want me to stop seeing him?"

"No." He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "It's too late to go back." With a quieter voice he continued: "I want you to try to make this different for him this time. Just try. Quatre told me about your book."

He cringed, he had forgotten that the blonde was planning to read it.

"And based on what we know about you it's pretty clear it's not the satire it seems to be. You actually believe that shit."

Duo looked at him sharply, he wasn't comfortable with his religion being dismissed as 'shit', not even as he started to see flaws in it himself.

"Just try to open yourself up to him. The way he is still able to open his heart for others."

The American nodded. "I am trying."

"Good."

They shared an uncomfortable silence and then Trowa broke the tension between them by asking: "So how are we going to get rid of that asswipe?"

Duo stifled a laugh. "Are we teaming up now?"

"I have no choice. I have to pick the lesser evil to get rid of the real devil."

He smiled. An uneasy alliance was better than what they had before and he could use the help to keep Marc at a distance. "The hotel-thing was really clever."

"Yeah." He looked off thoughtfully. "Maybe you should just tell him you don't like him hanging out with Marc? He might listen to you."

"Not really. He knows how I feel. He says he feels responsible for Marc, because it was him who forced the guy out of the closet. I also don't think he realizes what Marc is trying to pull."

"He can be dense like that," Trowa mused.

Duo smiled to himself. "He sees beauty in things that other people have condemned."

"What?"

"That's what he told me about his drive to renovate these dumps. He sees the positives when everyone else can only see the negatives. I guess his mind works the same way with regards to people."

An endeared smile tugged at the corners of Trowa's mouth. "Yeah, that seems about right."

"I guess we just have to wait for Marc to screw up. If he is really such an asshole, it will be inevitable."

Trowa nodded in agreement and the two of them headed downstairs. A few minutes later Heero and Marc returned with Chinese food. They all took a seat at the large table on the back porch and quietly dug into their food.

Duo eyed Marc warily. The black-haired man had made haste to a secure a seat next to Heero at the table. Of course Duo understood Heero's appeal more than most people could, he was drawn in by Heero's magnetism himself, but he couldn't decipher why Marc was so invested in winning him back all of a sudden. A good-looking guy like him could have anybody he wanted, Duo expected, why would he make things unnecessarily hard on himself by going after Heero? Maybe Duo was blinded and prejudiced due to his own affections for the Japanese man, but Marc didn't really appear to love Heero; he regarded him with lust and prowess only.

It was a game to him, Duo realized, and perhaps that was all there was to it. He had contemplated if maybe Marc was the better person for Heero to be with, despite past incidents, but now he was convinced otherwise. Once the game was won, Marc would grow bored and he would move on to claim the next prize.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized Marc had asked him a question, he certainly was looking at him expectantly. His brows furrows, he didn't know what had been asked.

The Italian man chuckled. "I was wondering how old you were, exactly."

"Marc," Heero growled.

"It's fine," Duo assured him. He looked at Marc coolly. "I'm thirty-seven."

"Wow." Marc whistled. "I have to admit, you look good for your age. But how long do you think that will last?" He looked at Heero. "Sooner or later the twelve-year age-gap is going to take its toll."

The Japanese man formed his mouth into a thin line.

Trowa and Duo shared a look.

"Think about it. When you will be in your late forties, he will be sixty."

"Yes, Marc, I can do the math myself," Heero shot back dryly.

"I mean, right now it's a difference between young and middle-aged, but by then it will be the difference between middle-aged and... old." He made a face. "Don't you guys think about stuff like that? Duo, surely you think about it."

"Duo and I are taking this one day at a time," Heero intervened.

Marc pressed on: "Right, I guess that makes sense. You guys aren't really in it for the long haul. I mean, how could you? His religious beliefs will always stand in the way."

"That's enough," Trowa bit and Duo was surprised he was standing up for him.

"Oh, Heero and I step out for twenty minutes to get dinner and you guys become best friends?"

Trowa looked up from his meal with a dangerous glare. "As long as Duo doesn't beat Heero to a pulp I have less of a qualm with him than with you."

Marc shot up from his seat. "You can't keep throwing that in my face! It was ages ago!"

Trowa rose from his seat as well. "Two years! It was two years ago!"

"I'm a different man now!"

"I don't see it," Trowa snarled.

Heero silently bit his lip.

Hoping to be able to calm things down, Duo urged them to sit down and continue their meal. But the two just kept shouting insults at each other. So loudly that it was drawing the attention of the other next-door neighbor, Bryce, who peered over the thick hedge cautiously. Duo knew that if they were going to rage on like this, Bryce would call the police. He wasn't sure if he should make more of an effort to stop the impending physical fight. It could be exactly the thing Heero needed to see to convince him that Marc was no good for him.

"What makes you so much better than me?" The Italian challenged. "You are the one who was fucking around with Heero while you were supposed to be in a committed relationship!"

"Don't you fucking dare bring Quatre into this, you piece of scum!"

Finally, it seemed Heero had decided he had to mitigate the testosterone-fuelled tension. He got up from his seat and lightly touched Marc's arm in an attempt to get his attention.

Blinded by rage, Marc pulled away from the touch, raising his hand in the air.

At the sight of the hand above his head, as if the man was about to strike him, Heero flinched, bringing his arm up in defense.

The hot-headed Italian realized his mistake and his entire body seemed to deflate as he hurried to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't going to hit you. I swear, Heero, I wasn't going to hit you."

"I know," He said, but he cringed and stepped away when Marc reached for him. He chuckled bitterly. "I'm fine. I'm fine." With his head ducked between his shoulders he headed into the house.

Marc was about to follow him. "Heero-"

"Please leave me alone!" He called and the three of them heard the door of his bedroom slam shut.

Trowa sat back down. "Well done," He chastised.

Marc turned to face him sharply. "I wasn't going to hit him but I may still beat your ass."

Trowa smirked darkly. "Please do. I'm sure that will convince Heero that you are a changed, non-violent man."

"I'm going to go talk to him."

"Don't." Duo stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "He told you he wants to be alone right now."

"If Heero knew what was good for him, he wouldn't be letting you fuck him."

Duo clenched his fists at his sides. "Go home, Marc."

"You don't get to tell me what to do." He twisted his hands into Duo's shirt and threw him aside. He was so forceful the American fell backwards, hitting his head on the floor of the porch, momentarily dazing him. Marc stormed inside.

"Oh, shit!" Trowa hurried around the table and helped Duo up before chasing after him, figuring he might need his support to subdue Marc.

Heero had emerged from the bedroom at the commotion and watched Marc stomp towards him.

Duo's heart was racing with concern. Trowa yelled at his friend to get back inside and close the door, but Heero didn't listen.

"Heero, we seriously need to talk, in private!" Marc barked, but as he closed the distance between them, Heero held his ground and although the Italian towered over him, Heero coiled his arm and then threw his fist at the man's face without warning.

Duo could have sworn he heard the impact, a dull thud as knuckles connected with a cheekbone. It stopped him in his tracks, Trowa too.

Marc staggered back, his hand sought purchase on the wall for support. With his other hand he touched his offended face. "What the fuck?"

"Get out." Heero ordered. His voice was cold.

"Heero, we need to talk about this."

"No. I can't trust you. I thought I could, but..." He looked away, clenching his jaw.

"Heero..."

"He told you to leave," Trowa reminded him.

"I can do this myself, Trowa, thank you," Heero informed him. He reached for the front door and held it open.

"Heero, I wasn't going to hit you. I will never hit you again." He pointed at his own face and tried to joke: "Although this hurts like a motherfucker."

"It doesn't matter. You did hit me. I let you hit me, so I could stop loving you. I didn't think it worked, but it looks like it did. I don't want you in my life anymore, Marc. I don't wish you ill, I just don't want you near me and my friends," He nodded at Duo and Trowa.

"And in the end they'll never be more to you than friends. They can't give you what you want," He reminded him. "I can."

"No Marc, you can't." Heero's tone was bitter but firm. "Two years ago you could, but not anymore."

"I don't understand this. First you try to push me into a relationship and now you want to push me away?"

"You pushed me away first."

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. He looked back at the two other men, observing the interaction. "What are you looking at?" He bit.

Neither of them responded.

He stared at Heero for a moment and realized he wasn't going to be able to persuade him. The game was over and he had failed to obtain victory. "Fine." He stepped towards the front door, passing by Heero closely. "Good luck. With everything." He looked over his shoulder at Duo pointedly.

The young man didn't say anything, he closed the door as soon as Marc stepped out.

Trowa snickered. "That was awesome. I'm proud of you, Heero."

Heero's expression was conflicted.

Duo looked at the carpenter meaningfully. "Trowa, do you mind?"

He understood the hint and left with the excuse that he was going to clear the table.

Duo approached his neighbor quietly. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "What about you? I saw Trowa help you up. Did Marc hit you?"

"No. He just pushed me and I lost my balance." He rubbed the back of his head, which still hurt. His ass and his ego hurt too. "It seems you pack quite a punch. I had no idea."

"I told you. I let him beat me that one time. I could have defended myself. I decided not to. Everyone always thinks I'm weak." He grimaced.

"I'm glad you defended yourself this time." He added genuinely: "I don't think you're weak. I think you are one of the strongest people I know. You've been hurt so many times and you still dare to let people in. People oftentimes mistake kindness for weakness."

"I shouldn't have hit him."

"He deserved it."

"No, I mean..." He looked up sheepishly. "My hand hurts. He has a thick skull."

Duo let out a hearty laugh. He gave him a quick kiss and then reached for his hand to inspect it. "Maybe we should put some ice on it, just in case."

Heero nodded and allowed Duo to lead him back to the kitchen. He hopped onto the kitchen counter and the American retrieved a bag of frozen peas from the fridge that Heero kept for work-related injuries - like hitting your own thumb with a hammer, which had happened to Duo more times than he cared to admit over the past few months. He held the reddened hand tenderly and placed the cold, plastic bag on top. "Better?"

"Not until you kiss it better," He whispered in response.

Duo moved closer, standing between Heero's parted thighs. He placed his other hand on the back of the young man's neck and titled his head slightly so he could kiss him. They shared a passionate, open-mouthed kiss until Trowa came back into the kitchen and cleared him throat. Duo groaned and leaned his head against Heero's shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

"I should probably head home," He breathed against his shirt.

"Yeah. Go take a shower. You stink," Heero mocked.

Duo laughed and detached himself from his neighbor. "You too."

"Trowa, do you mind if I hit the shower first?"

The tall man shrugged. "Not at all. It's your house."

He jumped off the counter and said goodbye to Duo before heading upstairs.

"So..." Trowa started.

"So." Duo grabbed his vest which he had taken off and discarded on a kitchen chair earlier in the day, getting ready to leave.

"Getting rid of Marc turned out to be easier than I thought."

"I suppose so," He mused, although he had a feeling Marc would pop up again someday, maybe years later, once more claiming to be a reformed man. "Does that mean our alliance is over? Are you going to focus your energy on getting me out of the picture now?"

"You are mistaken if you still think I want the relationship between the two of you to fail. I want the opposite, but I think it's naive to expect that to be possible." Trowa gathered the leftover food and cartons in a plastic bag and tied it up before throwing into the bin, which he then effortlessly lifted up and carried outside to dump the contents into the trashcan.

Duo followed him, believing that was expected of him. But Trowa didn't say anything, so, instead, Duo dared to ask: "Why Quatre and not Heero?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you choose Quatre instead of Heero?"

"I love Quatre," He replied simply, "In a way in which I don't love Heero. It's not really up to us who we love. If it had been my decision, I would have decided not to fall in love with Quatre when Heero introduced us. At the time, I would have chosen Heero. We certainly seemed compatible enough. But there were never any sparks. I had sparks with Quatre. You can't control that." He looked at him meaningfully. "You should know that."

"I'm not sure yet if I love him, in the way you speak of."

Trowa snorted but said nothing.

"If there are sparks with Quatre and not with Heero, why did you continue to sleep with him?"

"If you're worried about Heero and I continuing our arrangement, I assure you, you shouldn't be. It's over."

He shook his head. "But why would you chose no-sparks when you have something with whom you do have sparks?"

He shrugged. "Quatre and I decided early on that we were going to have an open relationship. You see, for couples like us, being in an exclusive relationship is our equivalent to marriage. We are committed to each other and we openly love each other, the final rung of the ladder is being exclusive, the way marriage is the peak for most other couples. Deciding to be exclusive would have the same weight to it for us as proposing."

"I don't understand. Same-sex marriage is legal now, isn't it?"

"For as long as it will last..."

"You don't think it will?"

"Honestly? No. The laws will go back and forth a couple of times, I expect. But even if we did manage to stop Proposition 8, it will still be a long time until same-sex marriage is widely acknowledged and respected in the same way as a traditional marriage. If it's only a piece of paper, I don't need it. I would only want it if it actually meant what it is supposed to mean. If my parents would actually be able to congratulate me and all that. Until that happens, we have our decision to be exclusive or not. I wasn't ready for that yet, so I slept with Heero, because it was easy and nice and Quatre had his lovers on the side."

Duo smiled. "You're speaking in past tense."

The tall man stilled momentarily. "You're right." He seemed surprised.

"It seems like exclusivity is sneaking up on you."

He smirked and didn't say anything for a moment, quietly mulling it over. Then he asked: "What about you? What would be the height of a relationship for you?"

"I'm afraid that, as a traditionalist, I would always consider marriage as the ultimate bond between people. But I'm not sure if I will have that with Heero. Or anyone, for that matter." He looked off to the side.

"So what? You're going to let Heero go and grow old alone?"

"In case you've forgotten, I've already grown old." The joke was out of place and fell flat. He answered honestly, with a heavy heart: "Probably. I realize now that I am not capable of having a relationship with a woman that would deserve to be called a real marriage. But at the same time I also feel like I can't have a real marriage with a man, with Heero. I have all these feelings for him, feelings with a lot of potential, but it's hard to shake the idea that a marriage can only be real between a man and a woman, the way God intended it. If it's not the way God intended it, I imagine it to be void. The way you think it is meaningless if people, like your parents, don't acknowledge it." He groaned. "Am I making any sense?"

"Yes. For the first time, I feel like I might understand where you're coming from."

He smiled at the carpenter in gratitude. It was odd that he was being so candid with the man, who was still practically a stranger, but he wanted him to understand. He needed him to understand that it was not his intention to hurt Heero, or to deny him anything, but that he simply might not have a say in the matter. "Controlling your beliefs isn't much easier than controlling who you fall in love with."

"I'm actually not so sure about that, but I get it." His emerald eyes shone thoughtfully. "You can't let him go because of what you feel and yet you can't let him in because of what you know - or rather, what you think you know," He summed up neatly.

"It's quite the conundrum."

"That it is." He quipped but he smiled knowingly. "But it might get easier if you stop letting other people tell you what you should believe and figure it out for yourself." He picked up the bin and headed inside, halfheartedly saying his goodbye.

Duo released a deep sigh and went home. After a refreshing shower, he had another restless night ahead of him.

The next day was a Sunday and for the first time he went to the church sermon alone. He convinced Heero to stay home. Trowa was only in town for a single weekend and they had to get as much work done as possible. Heero agreed, but only because he clearly knew that wasn't really his reason and he didn't want to press. The young man was aware that, as much as he wanted to be of help, the religious man had to do some things by himself.

He sat in one of the pews all the way in the back and didn't really listen to the priest's words - although the man always managed to put an uplifting spin on his choice topics.

Duo questioned the meaning and the purpose of going to church. More and more he had started to realize as of late that the church and his belief were actually two separate entities. Different churches preached different interpretations of the religion, but he felt like none of their words could be trusted. Perhaps the answer to his conflict was not to find a different church, but instead cut out the middle-man and seek to gain his own understanding of the religion, rather than outsourcing that responsibility. After all, he didn't feel like he could dismiss his past, poisonous teachings on the basis that it was the interpretation of a handful of prejudiced individuals, without also questioning the validity of Djimon Essien's sermon's. Sure, his words were a soothing balm that were tempting to believe, but he shouldn't chose 'his truth' only because it was an easier truth. It was still 'his truth', Djimon Essien's truth, not Duo's truth. The challenge was to discover his own truth, form his own beliefs, like Trowa had suggested, but that was especially difficult when everything was muddled.

As he sat in the uncomfortable pew and the meeting came to an end, it dawned on him that religion was not the red yarn that he held onto in the dark tunnels. Religion was the light at the end of the tunnel, or it ought to be anyway. It couldn't be given to you, like a ball of yarn, no one could grasp it and bring it to you, you had to find it for yourself and gaze upon it for yourself.

The epiphany was as dazing as it was daunting.

After the service had ended and most of the church-goers had left the auditorium, Djimon approached Duo, who was still lost in his own thoughts. The man took a seat next to him.

"I'm surprised to you see you here without your neighbor."

The way the priest said the word 'neighbor', his lips curved into a knowing smile as he did, Duo could tell the man was no fool and had figured out there was something going on between the two of them.

"Is everything alright between the two of you?"

"He's just busy," Duo offered in reply. "Maybe next week he will be here without me. But I don't know. He likes your sermons, but I suspect he really only tags along for my benefit."

Djimon frowned. "I don't understand."

Duo apologized for his rambling and explained: "I've decided not to come back here."

"Oh." His response was mild. "Are you going back to your previous church?"

"Actually, I think it will be best for me to steer clear of churches for a while. There are some things I need to figure out for myself. If I don't do the legwork myself, I'll always wonder if the answers are truly mine, or merely suggestions whispered in my ear. I admire what you preach, but in the end it is just your interpretation of something so complex... I can't follow that blindly. I have to find my own path." He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Exactly what you said in your first sermon, I realize."

He nodded and smiled. "We all have to find our own path. I respect that. I hope you will find your answers, Duo."

They both stood up and shook hands and Duo thanked him.

"Might I offer you one final piece of advice? To do with as you see fit?"

Duo stared at him and momentarily contemplated the offer before eventually shrugging. "Sure."

"I expect your plan of attack is to go back to the source material and to reread the Bible. I would just like to remind you that the Bible itself is merely an interpretation of our religion. As much as it pains most to acknowledge, the Holy book is a book like any other in the sense that it was written by people. Although I believe in its righteous intentions and in its ability to shepherd the lost, it does make the mistake of putting in black-on-white something that I doubt should be universal. Religion is too big, too complex and too personal. It's okay for religion to mean something different to every individual. In fact, I think it's supposed to. So I would warn you not to cling to its ancient words."

He paused to give Duo a moment to process and then he added: "I teach a class at the local high school and I start every year with two simple facts. First, religion is older than the Bible. And second, religion is younger than the Bible. With that, I mean to say that religion precedes the Bible. The Bible is not the foundation of religion, faith is the foundation, so if you want to go back to the start, go back to your faith, to what faith means to you. And to say religion is also younger than the Bible is not a contradiction. The Bible has gone through some changes over time, but it remains mostly the same, it is solidified. It grows old. Religion continues to evolve and change from person to person. It is reborn over and over, within each new soul. This evolution means improvement and enlightenment, but only if we acknowledge the first fact; that the Bible is not the foundation. Faith can stand on its own. It can be disentangled from old teachings and still be as true as it ever was."

The long-haired American was rendered silent for a moment as the man's words rang true. He had intended to scrutinize the Biblical texts based on the misbelief that it was the undeniable foundation of everything, but he realized that would have been a misguided approach and it wouldn't have gotten him anywhere. "Thank you, Father."

They shook hands and Djimon bid Duo good luck before waving him off.

Spurred on by the priest's encouragement, Duo was almost giddy with excitement and motivation. He was driven to rediscover his faith in a way that would allow him to put his everything into his relationship with Heero. He wanted to give the young man what he wanted, because he deserved it and he didn't want him to suffer any more heartache.

As he had solemnly promised Trowa; he had to try.

---

Once again I want to reiterate that I mean absolutely no offense with any reference to religion, church or the Bible in this story. The characters' views do not necessarily represent my own.

Chapter 15

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