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"No Good Story Ever Started with a Salad"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: Angst, hurt, comfort, AU Pairings: 2x1 Summary: He shouldn't fall in love with the silly straight boy.
"No Good Story Ever Started with a Salad" Chapter 2 That Sunday at the gym, they worked out together and Duo set up his camera to record some of the exercises. Heero didn't like how others at the gym were looking at them, but being around Duo made him more confidant. Duo was so unbothered by everything and it kind of rubbed off on Heero, making him care less about what other people thought of them. Heero was sitting low on the angled leg press machine, with Duo standing over him. His legs were trembling from the earlier exertions, but he wasn't done yet and Duo wasn't going to let him end quickly. The man encouraged him to do the final set of fifteen reps, all the while waxing poetically about it being the last exercise for the day, and how good the stretching would feel afterward. Heero gritted his teeth and let out a growl as he pushed the weight up one last time, before he was finally allowed to relax. He remained in the seat, panting hard, and Duo leaned down to pat his chest, complimenting him on his efforts. They finished with some stretches and then headed for the locker rooms. Duo, who went to the gym nearly every day, knew most of the other regulars and was, oftentimes, stopped by other men for a quick chat. Sometimes people would comment on his Youtube channel; most would say that they liked his videos. Heero didn't pay any of it much attention. As Duo talked with a guy who - remarkably - had shoulders twice as wide as his, with nothing but a towel around his tiny waist, Heero unlocked his locker with the magnetized key on his wristband and fetched his shower supplies, towel and change of clothes. The showers made Heero nervous. There were separate stalls, but the panels between the stalls were low enough to peer over; the taller guys could look right into someone else's stall without effort. Even though he doubted anyone was looking at anyone, least of all him - since he didn't exactly have an admirable physique - it reminded him of high school nonetheless. And he hated high school. He picked a stall in the back, so he'd at least have only one neighbor to worry about and no walk-by's. Heero also always made sure Duo would never get to pick a stall directly next to his. Knowing how unabashed Duo was, the towering American would probably have a look over the wall, just for laughs. The overweight man in the stall next to him paid him no attention as he soaped up his big body. Heero undressed, threw his clothes over the door and turned on the shower, biting back a yelp at the sudden stream of cold water as it took a second for the water to heat up. Duo's bellowing laugh reverberated through the tiled space as he finished up his conversation, and the two men parted ways with a classic "bro-handshake", complete with fist-bump. Heero looked away before he was caught staring. He had never found sweaty men to be attractive. He thought sweat was nasty and smelled bad. But Duo looked so good in his red shorts and the black tank top stained dark with sweat at the front, back and under his arms. Heero even enjoyed the scent of him. He smelled so manly and primal. Heero could practically taste the pheromones on his tongues and it made him thirsty. He showered quickly, dried off with his towel, and put on his jeans and striped shirt. He hurried past Duo's stall without looking at him, even as Duo asked him to wait for him. Duo always took a little longer, having the long rope of hair to take care of. Heero seated himself on the bench in front of his locker and made sure to dry his feet well before putting on his socks and stepping into his shoes. He killed time scrolling through the newsfeed on his phone, and fought the urge to look up at the men circling him in various states of undress. He mostly ignored their locker-room-talk, only occasionally catching the tail end of inappropriate remarks about "bitches". He wondered if he was the only gay guy there. The odds were likely; there was a very popular "gay gym" down the block, where he supposed others preferred to go. A man sat down on the bench next to him, facing the other way. He was talking to his friend and absentmindedly apologized as his shoulder bumped into Heero's. The Japanese man glanced to the side, at the bare, tanned shoulder that shrugged at something his friend said. The man was still wet from his shower, wearing only a towel. His muscles weren't as defined as Duo's, but he looked fit and good. His dark hair was long on top, but shaved at the sides and he ran a hand through it. "Anything exciting?" Heero flinched and snapped his head to look up at Duo who had come to stand by him. "Uhh... What?" Duo smiled and nodded down at the phone in Heero's hand. "Did anything exciting happen in the world on leg-day?" "Oh." Heero stupidly pocketed his phone. "No. Not really." "That's good, I guess." Heero put his hands between his legs and squeezed his thighs together; it was the only way to stop himself from fidgeting. He stole glances up at his friend. Duo was only wearing his jeans. His hair was still damp, tied in a low ponytail and Heero knew he would postpone putting on his shirt for as long as possible, even though it would get wet because of the hair, no matter what. Heero watched the way the strong muscles worked under the creamy, freckled skin of Duo's broad back. His shoulders looked sculpted out of marble. Heero rubbed his knees together and made plans to land a built one-night-stand next weekend, to satisfy his curiosity of what it would be like to be fucked by a man so much bigger and stronger than him. He was looking forward to the prospect of getting thrown around and manhandled - being completely overwhelmed and overpowered and having to submit. He snapped himself out of it before his body responded to his fantasies in an embarrassing manner. Duo seated himself to put on his socks and shoes. "We're still on for our Thursday workout, right?" "Hmhm. What about next weekend?" Duo frowned in confusion. "I thought you wanted to move the weekend workout to Monday." "I do. I meant: just-... something fun." "Working out isn't your idea of fun?" Duo mock-gasped, but then replied seriously: "Can't. I have previous engagements. Other social responsibilities. Sorry." Heero hoped he hid his disappointment well enough. He had gotten used to spending a lot of time with Duo on his weekends, and he knew they wouldn't be seeing much of each other during the week either because of work tying them both up. "Oh, but I'm going to a friend's barbeque on Saturday. You're welcome to join." Heero made a face. He didn't like Duo's friends very much. They weren't all as bad as Bryon, but they were the typical "dudes": chasing the frat-boy experience without the hassle of going to college. They drank a lot of beer, watched sports and tossed a football around, while talking about "chicks" and cars. Catching Heero's less-than-enthusiastic expression, Duo nudged him with his shoulder. "C'mon! It'll be fun. Beer. Grilled meats. What's not to like?" People, Heero's mind supplied, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Duo wouldn't understand; he gave new meaning to the term "a people person". Duo was like an excitable dog in the sense that he liked any and all human attention. "Think about it," Duo urged. "I'd really like it if you came with me." "Fine, I'll think about it," Heero conceded but he already knew he was going to go, in spite of his well-founded reservations. "Let me know Wednesday. Think you can have the 'Food for Thought' episode done by then too? I'm sorry, I know you're busy this week." Heero shook his head. "I can have it done by Wednesday, no problem." He'd have to work on the video late in the evenings, but he didn't mind. He would have probably ended up watching old videos by Duo anyway, to feel less lonely. Lately, he liked putting up the older "Food for Thought" videos while he was having breakfast or dinner; it made him feel like Duo was sitting across from him at the table, rambling on like he always did. It made him feel less lonely, without ever having been aware that he had been lonely to begin with. They had coffee afterwards, like they always did, and Heero liked how Duo kept complimenting him on his work at the gym. It made him blush. Duo gave compliments so freely, but never insincerely; the man had a way of making Heero feel good about himself, even though he also had ways to inadvertently make Heero feel bad, like when Duo once commented during a workout that had Heero grunting: "Yeah, making you work like a real man". But Heero hoped Duo was starting to become more sensitive to the fact that remarks like that were kind of offensive, especially after their little fight last Friday. After spending the entirety of the afternoon together, they parted ways. They didn't see each other again until Wednesday at eight PM, when they agreed to meet at the gym. It was then that Heero told Duo that he would take him up on his invitation to come to the barbeque, as long as it really was okay for Duo to invite someone to someone else's get-together. Duo joked that Heero could be his "plus one". The American seemed very excited that Heero had agreed to come. At the end of the evening workout, Duo fist-bumped him by way of saying goodbye and thanked him for the edited video, holding up the surfboard USB drive. Duo would pick him up at four on Saturday, so Heero wouldn't be able to back out of going. On Friday night, Heero went to his favorite bar, where he never had any trouble scoring a partner in the past. The bartenders were always friendly and the crowd was relaxed, unlike the kind of stuck-up people that frequented the more popular clubs. "Hey there, beauty," the blond bartender greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while." Heero smiled at him. They had never formally introduced themselves, but the bartender always remembered his face and chatted him up whenever Heero came by during his shifts. "I've made a new friend. It's like having a pet: takes a lot more time and work than you think." The bartender chuckled. "And is this friend exclusive?" Heero shook his head as he realized the bartender had mistaken the word "friend" as a euphemism for sexual partner - or even boyfriend. "It's a straight friend." "You're braver than I'll ever be." "It's not too bad," Heero said with a shrug. "So far so good." "Alright, if you're into that sort of thing, bro." Heero chuckled, because Duo did say "bro" a lot, and "man" and "dude". "What can I get you?" As Heero replied the bartender spoke in unison with him: "Gin and tonic. More gin than tonic." The bartended smiled. "I don't know why I still ask. Creature of habit." "I know what I like and I like what I know," he replied glibly. A minute later, he was served his drink and the friendly bartender turned his attention to other patrons, leaving Heero by himself. He looked around the crowd while sipping his liquid courage through the thin, blue straw. He wished he had the guts to just walk over to anybody he fancied and strike up conversation with them, but he didn't dare to; he was too afraid of rejection and looking like a fool for ever thinking anyone could like him. His usual strategy was to wait by the bar until someone approached him. But tonight, he was looking for a specific type of man and he wasn't sure how to go about reeling one in without having to brave going "out there". When he noticed a tall man with broad, muscled shoulders - much like Duo - playing pool in the corner, Heero was immediately interested. He was handsome, but not too intimidating, with a square jaw and friendly, downturned eyes. His short, curly hair looked soft. The men he was playing with appeared to be long-time friends. They were casual together and none of them really seemed like they were even at the bar to get laid, but just to have fun. It took a second drink, but Heero kept sending looks his way, hoping he would notice. Finally, they made eye-contact for the first time and Heero blushed like a timid school girl, and he couldn't stop himself from shyly averting his gaze. When he dared another glance a few seconds later, the other guy was still looking. He smiled his way, but then resumed his game of pool. Disappointed, Heero turned to face the bar. He felt stupid for thinking a guy like that could possibly be interested; that man was totally out of his league. Hanging out with Duo was giving him delusional ideas. He didn't even understand why Duo bothered to befriend him; they were so mismatched and everyone around them could see it: his group of friends, the people at the gym, the customers at the gun shop. While nursing his third drink, he snuck a few more glances over his shoulder at the pool table, but Mister Tall-Glass-of-Water never noticed him looking. He did make awkward eye contact with two of his friends though. Another man slipped into the empty seat on his other side and asked: "What are you drinking?" Heero turned to face him with a quizzical expression. It took him a moment to be sure he was actually talking to him. He cast a glance down at his nearly empty glass of clear liquid. "Gin and tonic." "More gin than tonic," the bartender interjected as he happened to walk past them on his way to tap a beer. The man to his left smiled. "Friends with the barkeep?" "No, I just come here more often than I should." Heero studied the man's face. He was nice looking, although a little older than he would usually go for. It wasn't that he didn't find older man attractive, but he knew himself to have quite a baby-face with his big eyes, small nose and chin; people usually mistook him to be several years younger than he was - that always made him distrust older men's interest in him. The man was staring into his eyes with a hopeful twinkle, until his gaze tilted up and the light in his eyes dimmed. "Hey," a deep, gravelly voice said, "Wanna get out of here?" Heero twisted around in his seat and his eyes widened at Mister Tall-Glass-of-Water towering over him. Then he felt his big, warm hand on his shoulder and his stomach did a flip. "Come on, let's go," he urged, without being demanding. Heero could only nod and raised himself out of the barstool. Standing on the floor, he was even shorter in comparison to the man. Rude as it was, he completely forgot about the older man who had come to the bar to flirt with him, and took hold of the big hand that was offered to him and let him guide him out of the bar. Walking in front, he shot a look over his shoulder, flashing a white grin. "Your place or mine?" "Mine," Heero answered reactively. "Your car or mine?" Was the next question. "I have had too much to drink." He had taken a cab anyway. "Mine it is." Heero was led to a black Jeep and the passenger side door was held open for him so he could get into the car. The other got behind the wheel and followed his instructions to his apartment building. Heero felt giddy and nervous. He had no idea why the man had "chosen" him after not seeming particularly interested. As if he read his mind, the man said: "After I caught you looking, I was hoping you'd come talk to me. When you didn't, I figured you weren't interested after all." Heero quietly listened, not having anything of meaning to say. "But then my friends told me you looked my way a couple more times." "I'm shy," he stated dumbly and his face flushed red; he knew he should have just kept his mouth shut. The man chuckled and it was a pleasant, rumbling sound, like thunder in the summer before much-needed rain. "Hi, Shy. I'm Keenan." He smiled at the joking introduction. "My name is Heero." "Heero," Keenan tested the name on his tongue and practiced once more on the rolling R. "That's a good name." He pointed at the building up ahead. "That it?" "Hmhm." Keenan pulled the Jeep up into a parking spot out front and when they crossed the street to head for the entry, Keenan's hand found Heero's and he latched their fingers together. Once they were in the privacy of the apartment, he was all over Heero, just what the Japanese man had craved. His big, coarse hand cupped his face and angled his head as he pillaged his mouth in a demanding, imprecise kiss. Soon, his hands travelled lower and he grabbed Heero's ass and lifted him up against him, directing Heero's legs around his waist. "Bedroom?" "Hallway. First right," Heero breathed against the kissable lips. Keenan carried him into the bedroom and tossed him onto the bed before crawling on top of him, covering Heero's body with his own. He nudged Heero's thighs apart with his knees and settled between them to rock their pelvises together. His kiss was hard and toothy, but it only added to Heero's secret fantasy of being with a primal man like Duo. Heero dug his fingers into Keenan's short, curly hair, but pretended that the tresses were long and sleek. Keenan helped him strip out of his clothes and then Heero returned the favor. The man lined up their erections and stroked them together, making Heero mewl and whine like an animal in heat. "Fuck me," he muttered desperately. "Yeah?" Heero nodded. He did the necessary preparations in the bathroom before he went out to the bar. He didn't like having anal sex "unclean"; he didn't want to have to worry about having an accident and getting the sheets - or his partner - dirty. Acting on instinct, Keenan opened the drawer of the nightstand to the left of the bed and found a strip of condoms and a clear bottle of lube - as well as Heero's assortment of toys, but he didn't bat an eye. He applied a condom on himself, and then poured a liberal amount of lube directly onto his arousal and into Heero's cleft. He dipped a slick finger into the opening only to spread the lube, not to stretch him. Then his strong hands grabbed the slim waist and he flipped the Japanese man over onto his stomach and had him angle his hips up. Heero cried out and clutched handfuls of sheets as Keenan thrust into him in one swift motion. Keenan's big hands appeared on either side of him, supporting the weight of his massive upper body while his lower body rocked into Heero without a moment's pause to let him adjust to the invasion. It hurt, but it was precisely the way Heero had imagined sex with Duo would be like, because the straight man wouldn't know any better. It became easier and easier to lose himself to the fantasy, now that he couldn't see Keenan anymore - he could only feel his thick cock inside of him and his broad body hovering over him, and hear his grunts and deep moans. "You like that, shy boy?" "Ahhh!" Heero helplessly buried his face into the mattress, silencing his whimpering and muffling his wails. When Keenan sped up further, to the point where he was jackhammering into his partner, Heero knew that he had to get himself to the edge before it would be over. His orgasms were always much more intense if he could clamp his intimate muscles around a thick rod - which was why he enjoyed his sex toys, but nothing ever beat the real thing. He wormed one hand between himself and the mattress, and pumped his neglected arousal so he could come in time with the other. His muscles spasmed around the invading erection and he became even more sensitive to the thickness, the friction and stimulation of his prostate. He ground out expletives and bit into a fold of the sheets as he was overcome by his climax. Before long, his partner followed him over the edge with one last, mighty thrust. The sweaty body collapsed on top of him and Heero felt his hot breath against the right side of his face. They both panted heavily. Eventually, Keenan rolled off of him and asked him where he could dump the condom. "Trash bin. Bathroom. Across the hall," Heero breathed. His eyelids were too heavy to open, but he felt Keenan get up from the bed and heard his footfalls as he navigated to the bathroom to dispose of the used condom. He heard the water running in the sink and Heero made a face at himself as he realized he was lying in his own wet spot. He rolled over and cracked his eyes open to stare at the ceiling. Keenan returned and started putting his clothes back on without a word. Heero sat up on the bed and watched him step into his jeans. He was grateful that the man knew he had to leave; it was always awkward when he'd have to kick a partner out. "So," Keenan started as he put on his shirt, "who's Duo?" Heero's heart skipped a beat and he regarded the other with shocked eyes. Keenan chuckled lightly. "I'm guessing it's someone's name, right? Duo? You kept calling it." He drew his knees up to his chest, suddenly feeling very vulnerable, seated naked on the bed. "Uhh..." "Don't worry about it. It's cool." Keenan flashed him a smile. "Maybe you should make him the lucky guy next time." Heero didn't know what to say. He resented himself for letting his stupid crush get the better of him like that. He hadn't even realized he was calling out Duo's name; the fantasy was apparently more intense than he had been aware of. "I get it. You're shy." "He's straight," Heero clarified and he frowned at his bitter tone. "That sucks." "... Yeah," he agreed. He yelped when Keenan grabbed his ankles and pulled him to the edge of the bed where the man suddenly locked their mouths together for a final kiss. After the kiss, Keenan pointedly look down at the smear of come on Heero's stomach and smirked. "Well, I'm glad you had fun anyway. I had fun too. Thanks." "You're welcome." He scrunched his face up at the dumb response. Keenan waved his hand goodbye and walked out of the bedroom. A few seconds later, Heero heard the front door close. He got up from the bed and winced at the growing soreness in his lower body. He ripped the soiled sheets off the bed and carried the bundle to the hamper in the bathroom. He took a long, hot shower to thoroughly clean himself and relax under the warm spray. When his legs started to feel like Jello - he could barely keep himself upright - he turned off the water, halfhearted dried himself off. He then grabbed clean sheets from the linen closet before curling up in bed, wrapping himself up in the sheets. He couldn't be bothered to properly tuck them under the mattress. When Heero woke up, it was already noon and he felt like crap. He wasn't much of a drinker, so those three gin and tonics had wreaked havoc on his body. Keenan had done some damage as well: along with his dry throat and throbbing headache, his ass was painfully sore. He buried his face in his palms as he remembered, with shame, Keenan pointing out to him that he had cried out Duo's name. Duo, the straight friend who freaked out at the realization Heero liked stuff up his ass. What a hopeless, foolish crush, he berated himself. He got up to make himself coffee and a simple breakfast that he could stomach, after drinking plenty of water with his double Advil. As he stood in the kitchen, leaning the small of his back against the counter - not wanting to sit down on his abused ass - he noticed something was scribbled on the notepad stuck to the refrigerator door where he kept track of what groceries he needed. He stepped closer and blinked at it, cradling the steaming mug of coffee in his hands. The string of digits he deciphered as a cellphone number and underneath was written: I'll be your Duo ;) The thought alone made his stomach turn with humiliation. He ripped the sheet of paper off the notepad, crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash. With a groan, he remembered the barbeque he was supposed to attend with his straight friend; he ran the options of excuses to back out through his head, but he knew Duo would fall for none of them. He had no choice but to suffer the social gathering, even though he felt less up to it than ever. In preparation, he took a long bath to ease the soreness in his lower half and deal with the headache. Knowing it was hot outside, he dressed in ripped jeans and a simple T-shirt, hoping the outfit would keep him cool but also help him blend in with the crowd that he predicted to be exclusively straight. He had no idea why Duo invited him to come along; his friends would just give the tall man shit about his bringing him along - supposedly all in good fun. Duo was a little late to come pick him up and apologized profusely for making him wait, but Heero didn't mind. He had been perfectly content sitting on his couch, staring into thin air. Outside it wasn't only hot, it was humid too and Heero wished he had been confident enough to wear shorts, like Duo. But unlike Duo, he didn't have calves like a Greek god; instead, he still had stick-thin ankles, in spite of the leg workouts they had been doing together. Duo drove them to the park by the lake, a popular hanging spot on warm summer days for many. Picnic blankets dotted the lawn - spots by the trees were coveted for the shade - and in the open space that was left, people were tossing Frisbees and footballs back and forth. Heero followed Duo to the lakeside where a group of men and women in their early and late twenties were gathered by a picnic table and smoking barbeque. When one of the men noticed Duo's approach, he raised his beer to the sky and exclaimed: "There he is! Late as always!" Heero stood by and awkwardly stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans as Duo exchanged "bro-hugs" with a number of them. Some of the faces were familiar - he even knew the names of two of them. Luckily, Bryon wasn't there. "Hey everyone, this is my friend, Heero." Duo motioned for Heero to come closer. "Ah! You brought your girlfriend!" Everyone laughed. Heero forced on a smile. Heero politely shook hands with each and every one of them and struggled to remember all of their names. As he had expected, he was the only gay individual. All the men had brought their girlfriends: pretty women dressed in short summer dresses or Daisy Dukes, looking like Bambi-on-ice trying to balance on the grass in high heels. Only one of them was wearing flip-flops and for that reason, he instantly liked her most. Her name was Hilde and it soon became apparent she was an ex of Duo's, but they had split on good terms. Without being asked if he wanted any, Heero was handed an ice-cold can of beer from a cooler. He didn't like the bitter taste of beer very much, but he supposed some alcohol would help, so he sipped from the can as much as he could stand. The group split into two. The girls occupied the picnic table and cut up fruits and prepared a salad, while the men crowded the barbeque and watched, with some kind of morbid fascination, as one of them flipped the burgers and ribs. Heero soon wished he could join the girls' company instead, but based on his gender, he felt obligated to stand by and listen to the men talk and laugh and drool over the grilling meat. They ate with their hands off plastic plates and the men drank many more beers. Duo and Heero were the only ones not chugging down beer after beer: Heero because he didn't like the taste, and Duo switched to water after two cans because he was aware of how fattening it was. The girls opened up a bottle of chardonnay and Heero stared longingly as Hilde poured the other women drinks in plastic cups. He swirled his can of beer, sloshing the last of it at the bottom. "So, Heero," the grill-master started with a sloppy grin, "you're gay, right?" All Heero did was nod. "You'd be like- uh... Like a 'twink', right?" He blinked at the question and shot a look at Duo for help. Duo had been smiling until he noticed Heero's expression. "Come on guys, that's not cool." "Why not? It's not an offensive question, right?" "What the fuck is a 'twink'?" One of the others wondered with a deep frown. The cook laughed heartedly and said: "You'd be a twink, Tommy." Heero appraised the skinny, pale-face Tom. He would be a twink, he concluded. "Is that good?" Tom asked, some concern dawning on his face. The cook shrugged. "I don't know, ask our resident gay." He nodded at Heero. "Stop that, man," Duo interjected. "That's not cool." "Come on! 'Gay' is not an insult." Addressing Heero, he asked: "What kind of gay would I be?" The others laughed and one of them fired off: "Wanna tell us something, Graham?" "Oh, shut up." Graham raised up the hem of his shirt to show off his toned stomach and thick happy trail leading down from his belly-button. His chest was hairy too. "I'm kinda hairy, does that mean I'm a bear?" Recognizing that he wasn't going to let up, Heero figured he'd might as well get it over with, so he said: "You'd be an otter." Graham made a displeased face and dropped his shirt. "That doesn't sound very sexy." "What would I be?" Duo inquired with a tilt of his head, looking at Heero expectantly. "A jock." The American rolled his eyes at himself. "That's boring." "What's your type?" Tom-the-Twink asked. "Jocks and wolves," Heero mumbled. "Ah, jocks!" Graham elbowed Duo in his side. "You stand a chance." "Now, see," Duo whined, ignoring Graham's remark, "Wolf sounds cool! Why couldn't I be a wolf?" "If you stop shaving you'd be a wolf," Heero supplied. The exchange was so odd, he didn't know how to deal with it. "Hm. Maybe I will." He flashed a cheeky smirk. "Man, can you imagine having sex with another guy?" Graham said with the corners of his mouth downturned in disgust. Heero bowed his head and took another sip from his beer, quietly wishing for the conversation to be over. "I dunno," Duo said with a shrug. "I think I'd rather have sex with a guy than a virgin," he remarked, harkening back to a topic they were discussing earlier. His friends bellowed with laughter and made obnoxious catcalls at Duo's admittedly strange admission. "What?" He laughed, completely unbothered by their mockery. "Call me crazy but I prefer to be with someone who at least knows what they're doing, not some virgin chick who just lies there and is scared of her own sexuality." "But virgin pussy, man," one of the others chimed in, his tone almost reverent in spite of his crude words, "it's so tight." "I bet his ass is tighter," Duo argued casually, thumbing at Heero, earning himself more mockery. The Japanese man's face went a burgundy red. He didn't know what to make of Duo's comments. He knew he shouldn't read too much into it, but it stirred something in his belly anyway. "Besides, don't they say that gay guys give the best head?" He continued offhandedly. Done with being an oddity amongst the group of men, Heero wordlessly slipped away and joined the women at the table instead, under the pretense of getting another serving of pineapple. Hilde smiled at him and when he put down his beer can she grabbed it and shook it, noting it was practically empty. "Would you like another drink?" "Uh-" "Wine?" She offered and already reached for a second bottle from the cooler. "Sure." She handed the bottle to him. "Open it for me? I nearly broke a nail on the last one." He nodded and with some effort he managed to wring the cork out of the top with a pop and the women clapped excitedly and all held up their glasses. He poured them drinks, finishing the bottle, so he was tasked to open a third so he could pour himself a drink as well. "Our hero," Hilde joked and then raised her glass in a toast. Thankfully, the ladies paid little attention to him as they continued their conversation - sharing experiences with sleazy co-workers and employers. He stood by and listened to their stories, happy to be invisible but without feeling unwelcome, or like he was intruding. Sometimes he heard the men laugh and it made his back stiffen; he hoped they weren't still talking about him. It was starting to get later in the evening and Heero had been ready and wanting to go home for about an hour, but Duo was having fun and he didn't want to be a burden. He was considering leaving the party by himself and arranging a cab or an Uber, but just as he was about to excuse himself, Duo appeared at his side. "Hey, you wanna go home?" Heero gave him a grateful smile and a nod. They said their goodbyes and thanks and walked away from the group. The park was still quite busy, even as the sun was setting over the lake. "They were starting to get really drunk," Duo said. "Drunk people aren't fun to be around if you're not drunk yourself." "Hn." Heero focused on walking on the uneven surface of the grassy park, having had a little bit too much Chardonnay. While trying to step over a wayward branch, he lost his balance and he would have toppled over if Duo's hands hadn't been so quick to steady him. He shot up a sheepish look. The American chuckled. "Seems like you've had a bit to drink yourself." "I like Chardonnay," he stated. "Okay. Good to know." He smirked at him, patted his back, and motioned for him to keep up. "I'm sorry things got so awkward with the guys. I didn't really know what to do about it. I hope you know they weren't trying to insult you. They're cool guys." "Sure." "They were just curious, that's all. It's kind of interesting. I think so too." Heero frowned at that. "Why is it interesting?" "I dunno. Because it's taboo, I guess?" "Isn't this the twenty-first century?" Duo smiled. "I get that. It's stupid, I know. But we're all just a bunch of small town boys who don't know any better." They reached Duo's car and he opened the door for Heero, just like Keenan had done the night before. Drunk and emboldened by all the mixed messages, Heero let his hand rest on Duo's for support as he climbed into the sedan. Duo didn't shy away from his touch. "All aboard?" He asked, then he shut the door and walked around the vehicle to get behind the wheel. "What did you do last night?" Duo wondered as he pulled the car out of the parking lot; they had about a twenty-minute drive ahead of them. "Went to a bar." "Yeah?" Duo smirked. "Get lucky?" "Lucky enough." He laughed. "What does that mean? Like you only got a hand-job, or something?" "No, I had sex," Heero said, uncharacteristically candid, "but not with the guy I really wanted." He blushed at his own admission and focused his gaze out the window. "That's too bad," Duo surmised, but he never suspected that he was the guy Heero really wanted. "Was it at least good?" His tone became lewd for the sake of getting Heero to chuckle. "Yeah. It was good." He was still sore from it though. "Did you fuck him or did he fuck you?" Heero snapped his head to look at Duo with wide eyes and slack jaws. Duo always asked questions that Heero felt he shouldn't and it still shocked him when he did. Duo let out a laugh at his incredulous expression. "What? That's a fair question, right? Just because I know you like a dildo up there doesn't mean you're always the bottom. Am I right or am I right?" He winked at him and then wondered: "Wait, is that the right term? Bottom?" "It's the right term. And I am a bottom," he admitted with a red face. "I thought you were a twink?" "I guess I am. But I'm also a bottom." "Alright," Duo nodded and looked like he was trying to solve a math equation. It was kind of endearing how he was really trying to understand the gay culture, even if he was inelegant about getting his information. "So, does that mean you're always the girl?" Heero frowned at his ignorant phrasing. "I'm never the girl. No one is ever the girl." Duo nodded, understanding his mistake. "But you're always the one on the receiving end?" "Often enough for the other times to be negligible. So yeah, 'always', I suppose." "Why?" Duo blurted. "I mean - no offense, but - isn't sticking your dick in something hot and tight always gonna be the best option?" He glanced sideways with a grin but kept his focus on the road. "I just like it," Heero bit defensively. "I'm not going to humiliate myself by trying to explain that to a straight guy." Duo momentarily raised his hands off the steering wheel in a sign of surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I just don't get it, is all. So, the guy from last night," he continued, unfazed, "was he a jock or a wolfie?" "Jock." Duo smirked. "Would you have sex with me?" Heero's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" "Nonono!" He rushed to say and he waved his hand dismissively. "I mean like theoretically!" He laughed heartedly at the misunderstanding. "I wasn't propositioning you. Just curious to know if gays would find me hot." "I can't answer for every 'gay'." "No, okay, but would you? Do you think I'm hot?" Heero squirmed in his seat, unsure what it all meant, but certain it didn't mean anything along the lines of what he was hoping for. "Of course," he tried to sound casual. "Awesome. What about Graham, is he hot?" "Duo!" "C'mon! I wanna know! At least tell me I'm hotter than George. Fuckin' George." Duo was hotter than all of his friends, as far as Heero was concerned, but he asked anyway: "Which one is he?" "The guy with the red baseball cap." Heero made a face as the image of the sweaty, overweight, overly hairy man came to mind. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the group of fit men. He was nice, but he was definitely not hot. "Fuck you." Duo laughed. "What? Some people are into that!" "It's a niche market." "He'd be like a bear, right?" "Yeah." "All those terms are kinda funny. Isn't it offensive though? I mean, I can only imagine the shit-storm if we start labelling chicks like animals." "There are foxes, pussies and beavers, though," Heero pointed out. Another rumbling laughter escaped Duo. "You're right. Although I don't think people use the term 'fox' anymore. Ew, my dad used to say that about my mom..." He put on a deeper voice and mocked: "Your mother was a real fox, son." He shuddered. "Some guys don't like it - the labels - but it is useful at times. Like when you're searching for porn." Duo nodded, as if everything made sense to him all of a sudden. Heero was dropped off at his apartment building and he was grateful for the awkward evening to be over. He waved Duo off - he would see him at the gym on Monday - and then headed upstairs. He stripped down to his underwear and T-shirt and turned on the TV for background noise while he cleared away some of the mess he had made during the week. He was too restless to sit down, let alone go to bed anyway. He couldn't stop thinking about Duo and his weird fascination with his sex life. He entertained the thought of Duo being interested in trying out some things, but the idea was ridiculous. Aside from his hair - which, admittedly, threw off Heero's gaydar for a bit when they first met - Duo as the epitome of a straight man. Heero brushed off his curiosity as part of his childlike wonder at everything. He shouldn't get any ideas just because the man was comfortable around him, even comfortable with talking about gay sex. When the living room was more presentable again, he worked on Duo's latest video for a minute before he realized he should dial down his daily dosage of Duo Maxwell; it was starting to become an obsession that was fucking with his mind. He closed the laptop, shut off the TV and went to bed...only to dream about the braided man. Their time together at the gym was really starting to pay off. A few more weeks later, Heero felt fitter than he ever had and, looking in the mirror, he was convinced he filled out his jeans more nicely. His arms were more toned too, not as skinny anymore. and he was glad the hard work had paid off; he liked arm-day the least, although he was always in so much pain the next day that he could barely pull a shirt over his head or wash his hair. Motivated by the evolution of his body, he joined Duo at the gym three times a week. After a falling-out between Duo and Bryon - that Duo didn't want to talk about - he and Heero were closer than ever. Duo was a clingy, needy personality type, but not in a way that Heero found annoying, since his company was enjoyable. Duo was at Heero's apartment almost every evening and they would watch movies. When they spent time at Duo's place, they usually played video games and both got very competitive. Heero was still crushing hard on the other man, but he was managing it. As far as he was aware of, he hadn't accidentally cried out his name again during sex with a stranger, so he considered that personal progress. Editing Duo's videos had become such an integral part of his weekly routine, that he could perform the task on autopilot. The amount of time he had to spend on the videos was cut in half once Duo decided he wanted a less busy, less cluttered, and less jumpy style of editing to evolve his channel. Duo's personality - especially on camera - was bright and bouncy enough to keep up the energy of the video without jump-cuts and split-screens. His workday, the part of his life Heero used to love most, became a necessary evil. He had grown to resent the silence and the solitude. He didn't understand what had changed. Maybe he had changed. Maybe Duo had changed him... Heero pulled up into the parking lot in front of the gun store. It was a few minutes before closing. He had made plans with Duo to grab a quick bite to eat at a vegan restaurant, and then head to the gym for their cardio session; they had started training to build Heero's endurance up to last for a ten-kilometer run. To keep up, he started going out for runs on his own in the morning as well, but he preferred running on the treadmill, with Duo at his side; it wasn't boring that way. He considered waiting in his car. He was already in his gym clothes - skin tight shorts that he felt were most comfortable to run in, and a long-sleeved, black shirt - so he was self-aware outside of the relative safety of the gym, where he at least looked like he belonged. But to sit alone in his car for the next ten minutes didn't seem like any fun either, so after weighing the pros and cons, he climbed out of the car and crossed the lot to the store. He didn't have to worry about running into Bryon anymore. After their argument, Duo had even gone so far as to fire him. Heero didn't know what went wrong - the two of them were close, and had been since they were teens - but he was glad Bryon was out of Duo's life; he was a bully and a slacker. Heero pushed the door open and stepped inside. There was no one in the store other than Duo, who was spraying the display counter with glass cleaner in preparation of closing up the shop. The tall man shot a look over his shoulder and his chagrin expression melted into a smile. He straightened up, ignoring his task. "Hey. You're early." "Sorry. Do you mind?" "Not at all." "Can I help?" "Sure. Grab that cloth and dry off the counter after I've sprayed and wiped it." He nodded at a towel already at the ready at the other corner of the counter. Together they worked to clean the glass surface and Duo thanked him for his help. It was three minutes before closing when the bell above the door rang and two last-minute customers stepped in. Heero gasped and spun around on his heels, turning his back to the door and facing Duo instead. Panic was evident in his eyes. At Duo's questioning gaze, he mouthed: "My ex." He had several ex-boyfriends, but the man that had walked in the store was "the ex-boyfriend": the one he had been with the longest, and the one who broke his heart the worst. He had told Duo the story before, so he trusted he knew exactly which ex he meant. Duo put on a smile and greeted the two men and politely pointed out that the store was about to close. "Oh, I'm sorry. We're just looking for a bipod." His voice was as deep and as smooth as Heero remembered. "One aisle over, halfway, bottom shelf," Duo instructed. "Thanks." Heero wanted to flee to the back, but Duo grabbed his shoulders and directed him to stand next to him. Now that he was facing the store, he couldn't keep his eyes off Elton, whom he could see towering above the low shelving of the aisles. He was still handsome, in his trademark, unkempt kind of style. His messy, dirty blond hair was pulled back in a half-up do. His clothes were mismatched and disheveled, which didn't make him look bad, just carefree. His skin was sun-kissed, with a red discoloration on his cheekbones and the tip of his nose, from working outside all day and still forgetting to wear sunscreen, it seemed. The man that accompanied him stood a little too closely to him to be a mere friend, practically leaning his chin on Elton's shoulder. He was handsome and tall too, and very young, with a skater-boy appearance. Suddenly the gray eyes shifted and Heero's mouth went dry as he stared right into them. "Heero?" His tone was one of disbelief, but his eyes started to sparkle and a smile formed on his lips. "Hey, Ellie." Heero hadn't meant to use the nickname, but it slipped out of him. For three years that's what Heero called his older boyfriend, so Elton would always be to "Ellie" to him - even after all the cheating. Elton rounded the aisle and approached him. He looked him up and down once he came to stand in front of him and with a twisting stomach, Heero remembered what he was wearing. He wished a hole would appear in the ground that he could fall into, to hide from the gray gaze. "Wow, you look great," Elton complimented and he did another once-over. "What are you doing in a gun store? You hate guns." That wasn't exactly something Heero wanted Duo to know about. Even though Duo wasn't passionate about firearms - the way Ellie was - it was his work and his father's business. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around his shoulders: Duo's arm. The tall American pulled Heero close to him and he said: "Heero came to pick me up." "Oh, you two know each other?" Heero opened his mouth to introduce Duo, but Duo beat him to it and declared: "Yeah. I'm Duo, Heero's boyfriend." If Duo hadn't still been holding Heero, he was sure he would have dropped face-first to the floor. Elton looked shocked and appraised the muscular man from top to bottom. It was apparent that he was impressed and maybe even a little jealous. He was at a loss for words. Skater-boy walked up to them and introduced himself as Danny. Elton was quick to add the younger man was his boyfriend and he wrapped a possessive arm around his waist and planted a kiss on his cheek, but skater-boy looked uncomfortable with being put on display. "Did you find the bipod you were looking for?" Duo professionally inquired. "Uhhh... No- I mean, yeah, but... I have to think about it." "That's fine. The store opens again tomorrow at nine." Elton nodded. He was still stunned and Heero was not surprised. When Heero had finally ended the relationship - after having caught Ellie cheating again - the blond-haired man, in a drunken stupor, had warned Heero that he was never going to get anyone better than him; the idea of a man like Duo being Heero's new boyfriend certainly proved him wrong. If only it were not a lie, Heero thought to himself, but he straightened his shoulders and made the best of the fake situation. He enjoyed reducing Elton to a bumbling fool. "Let's go," Skater-boy whined and he tugged at the other's arm, "you promised me Mexican." "Yeah, we're going," he mumbled. "It was nice seeing you, Heero." He cast his gaze up at Duo - being tall himself, Elton wasn't used to having to look up to anyone and Heero could tell it irked him. "I'll uh- I'll think about that bipod." "Sure thing." Duo's smile was beaming. Heero became distracted by Duo's hand on his arm when he felt the thumb rubbing in circles. He didn't know if Duo did it to comfort him, or if it was part of the act, but it felt nice whatever the case. "Bye..." Elton said dumbly and he let his younger boyfriend drag him out of the store, but he kept looking back at Heero over his shoulder in a way that he never looked at the Japanese man before: with desperate yearning. Elton always wanted most what he couldn't have. Heero's heart skipped a beat as - while his gaze was still locked with Ellie's - he felt lips press against his. The kiss was chaste and meaningless, but Heero felt heady in the aftermath. As soon as Elton was out of sight, Duo dropped his arm and took a step to the side to create an appropriate distance between the two of them again. The tall man started to laugh. "Holy shit, did you see his face?" He slapped Heero's shoulder and it awoke him from his trance. Heero forced out a chuckle. "What a fucking dipshit. You can be sure he will be regretting a lot of things tonight when he can't stop thinking about you." Duo cackled heartedly and rounded the counter to finish closing up the store. "Yeah?" He still hadn't gathered his wits after the unexpected kiss. His heart ached knowing it was only a joke to Duo. "Heero, you look amazing and you have an amazing 'boyfriend'," he joked, gesturing at himself. "Hell yeah, he's gonna be jealous. He let you get away and for what? For barely legal, zitty boy-toys like Danny?" He snorted. "Why did you kiss me?" Heero dumbly asked. "To give him something to think about. He's gonna be thinking about me fucking you tonight," Duo said with a devilish grin, "and it's gonna eat him alive." "Oh." Heero suspected his own night was going to end up being quite similar then. "That was fun. Didn't you say one of your other exes works at Target? Wanna go to Target?" He laughed when Heero playfully punched him. They headed out for dinner and afterward they went to the gym as planned, but as normal as everything seemed, Heero couldn't get the kiss out of his head. He wished he hadn't been so shocked and that it had lasted longer, because with the way it happened - so quick and while he was so out of it - he couldn't even remember what Duo's lips had felt like against his. All he knew was that Duo had kissed him and that he wanted more, but he was left with nothing but the imperfect memory of a lie. Heero went home that night feeling angry and regretful. He couldn't even enjoy the fact that Elton had been completely stumped because it had all been pretense. Elton was right: Heero would never find someone better. He found Duo, but it didn't mean anything. Maybe he should have looked the other way and continued to ignore Ellie's cheating - they would still be together. They were happy, most of the time, and the sex was good too. The only thing they ever fought about was when Heero called him out on salacious texts on his phone to a co-worker, or came home to find his boyfriend passed-out, smelling of alcohol and the cologne of another man. Maybe Heero had been wrong to think he deserved better; to think he deserved someone's devotion. If the following years of dating and trolling bars had taught him anything, it was that monogamy was increasingly unpopular and no longer the default setting anyway; instead, it was always left open for discussion. Gay couples who tried it were considered naïve. It was commonly believed that the only way to prevent cheating, and save the relationship, was to allow "extramarital" adventures. He booted up his laptop; between the saved documents for work and Duo's video's, a folder was hidden away labelled "E". Heero had been unable to get rid of all photos of them; he had kept a couple, but he hadn't looked at them in a long time, since it was too painful anyway. He stared at the pictures, and it was jarring how different he looked in all of them. Ellie hadn't changed one bit over the past four years and maybe that was because he was older, while Heero was only twenty years old when they first started dating. He looked so skinny in the pictures, even though they were taken after his two years of therapy, and recovering from being dangerously underweight at the end of high school and start of college. He looked like a bony kid, not like an adult. Ellie called him "Twiggy" and Heero hated that, but Ellie loved him regardless and Heero could do nothing but love him for that in return. When the relationship ended, his weight dipped back down, because nothing tasted good anymore; eventually, though, he managed to gain pounds back. With a sigh, he closed the laptop and stared down at himself. His stomach was flat and taut, his thighs were toned, the muscles in his arms were starting to become more defined. He looked good, but it didn't matter, because no one was looking. Elton only looked because he was jealous. Keenan only looked because he knew he was easy. Duo only looked to correct his form during a squat. To be continued...
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