Part 4
There was a knock at the door, angry and impatient. Well, if you wake someone up really early, you can't expect...
I glanced at the alarm clock. It's 10 AM. Funny, why would I sleep so late...
A moan from next to me. A pillow buries the braided head and a muffled 'go away' was heard. I smile. Yeah, that's the reason.
I got up, snatching one of the sheets and wrapped it around myself and went to go answer the door. Duo knows from experience that I will come and answer the door wearing whatever's at hand, even if it's next to nothing. Of course, that was a lot of fun. But that's another story...
I paste on my best glare and secure the sheet and pull open the door.
Oh shit. Kuso! Shimatta! Fuuuuuuuck...
"Heero! I've been looking for you everywhere! You haven't called me in ages! What have you been doing? WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING ANY CLOTHING?!" yelled the one person I had no desire ever to see again.
"Well... Relena..." I started and she cut me off.
"And who is *this* person?!" she snapped, jerking her thumb at the other young woman standing at the door. She had short, dark hair, a contrast to Relena's long, light hair.
The woman glared at Relena. "Listen lady, I'm looking for Duo, I don't need-"
"That's my name, don't wear it out," said my sleepy, fuzzy koi, also wearing a sheet. His beautiful violet eyes popped open suddenly. "Oh, hi Hilde. Long time no see, huh?"
"Duo. Hello. Why are you next to naked?" Hilde asked crisply.
"'Cause I just got up," Duo replied, shrugging and tightening his grip on the sheet. "What are you doing here?"
"Because you moved out of your apartment without telling me and this was the address that was left for any mail."
"How did you find out about that?" Duo asked, getting a little mad.
"That's not important," said Hilde dismissively. "What is important is-"
"Hilde, I already told you that I wasn't interested," said Duo, voice tightly controlled. I had never seen him angry before. His eyes were narrowed and I swear the hair in his braid was standing on end like a cat's bristled tail. I even heard hissing... wait, that's not Duo.
I looked down to see Duo-neko looking much like Duo-koi. Between Hilde's legs was a fluffy white cat with little blue eyes. Relena's cat, the dark, short haired Pixie was eying Hee-kitty with much contempt.
I wondered what cats were doing here, but then Duo said, "Listen Hilde, I'm in a wonderful, fufilling relationship with Heero. I have no interest in you or any other woman. I love Heero." Hilde's eyes widened and Relena glared at me.
"Is this true Heero?" she said in a low, dangerous voice.
"Yes it is," I said. "I love Duo and I do not love you. Please leave." I reached out with one hand and shut the door, pushing them out and locking it. Relena and Hilde squawked in anger and finally walked away. I heard Relena offer Hilde a ride in her limo.
I leaned on the door and sighed. "Thank Kami *that's* over with," I said with feeling.
I looked over at Duo who was shaking with anger. This must have been the start of one of the famous Maxwell episodes he'd warned me about.
"How dare she?!" he hissed, violet eyes darkening to a dark navy blue. "How dare she come and try to ruin my life with her stupid little obsession!" He aimed a punch at a wall which I blocked. He turned on me and tried to beat my chest and arms but I kept him restrained until he stopped ranting and then he started shaking. I held him close, sinking to the soft, carpeted floor. I stroked his back as he started crying. When he was finished, he gave a watery chuckle.
"Thanks Heero, I needed that," he said, sniffing. I offered him a portion of my sheet to blow his nose and he did so.
"Aren't you mad at that blond chick for showing up?" he asked after a moment.
"Yes, but I get very quiet and cold when I get mad. And I don't have time for that, because you need me," I said softly, pressing a kiss on his cheek.
"I do need you, so badly," whispered Duo and in a flash, my sheet was gone. Duo pressed me to the floor, planting kisses all over my bare body, making me shiver happily. He switched to licking long, wet strokes along my chest. He pressed close, kissing my mouth, still tasting like the Fruit of Paradise.
My hands worked to remove the material dividing us and soon we lay heart to heart, flesh to flesh, inkei to...yeah. Duo moved against me, brushing into me that made me harden fast. Already his hands were under me, preparing me with his fingers as he fought to control the kiss, caressing my tongue and inner cheeks.
He needed to feel in control, so I just responded as my body had learned in the few short days we'd been together.
Duo spread my legs apart and poised, pausing, waiting for something. My eyes, closed previously, now opened to see his flushed face and glittering eyes. I leaned up and kissed him and he kissed back and started pushing in, now with agonizing slowness in contrast to his heated speed earlier. I bucked up, hoping that he would increase his speed but he did not, and seemed intent on torturing me. He thrust in and out, five full seconds between 'in' and 'out'.
"Duo..." I warned, my voice coming out as a low moan. Duo smiled and went just slightly faster and further in. I groaned as sensation flooded over me.
This seemed to please Duo and he rapidly increased, hitting the place inside of me that made my pleasure centres sing with joy. Now I noticed his hands caressing my length, tracing patterns that brought me to full swell.
I came with a low moan, which brought Duo around to lay inert across me, a silly smile on his face.
"Aishiteru Duo," I whispered as I felt fatigue take me.
"Love you Heero," he whispered back.
~~~~~Hee-kitty sneezed, a kitty laugh.
/Told you,/ he said, looking over at the fluffy white she-cat.
/I see indeed,/ she said, watching the humans sleep after copulating.
/When did this start?/ asked Pixie, peering over the couch and then sitting back down. Duo-neko hissed in amusement at the look on her kitty face.
/A few moons ago. They met in a park, like Heero and I did,/ he said, trotting over to his neko-koi and purred happily.
/So, you too?/ the white cat said sadly.
/That's right Princess,/ said Duo-neko, rubbing his face into Hee-kitty's side.
/Oh well, I don't mind that much anyway,/ Pixie said. She gave a sly, sidelong look to Princess and tackled her, making her fall off the couch.
/Mroooowr!/ exclaimed Princess. She then licked Pixie's nose. Pixie licked her back and they began tussling.
Duo-neko and Hee-kitty needed no futher urging and they to began... copulating.
After a while, they finished and all four looked *very* happy.
/If it were only that easy for Relena-human and Hilde-human,/ said Princess, cuddling Pixie.
/Set them up,/ said Hee-kitty succiently.
/How?/ asked Pixie, snuggling Princess right back.
/It's easy,/ said Duo-neko. /We did it like this.../~~~~
My eyes opened, the noon sun streaming in through the blinds. The sun hit Duo's hair just right, making it glow.
He looks like an angel, I thought, sighing happily. I knew what I had to do, all I needed was to go do it. I knew that Duo was working tomorrow, but I wasn't. When he left, I'd go. I felt a shiver of nervousness, wondering if it was a good idea. But one look at the precious gift from Kami and I knew it was the only thing *to* do.
But for now, we were staying right here...
Duo was dressed and checking over his equipment, muttering curses at it. I smiled and gave him a little kiss to sweeten his temper. He smiled at me and went back to working on his camera. Whatever was wrong was fixed in a second.
"You're my lucky charm," said Duo, sealing his camera in his bag and put the strap over his shoulder. "I need to keep you nice and close so I'm always lucky," he teased, squeezing me.
"You will always get lucky," I said, giving his nose a kiss. Duo chuckled and gave my butt a squeeze. He winked at me and left. I waited a full fifteen minutes before I grabbed my coat and keys. To calm myself, I sat down and looked at the picture Duo gave me, calming my racing heart.
I could almost see my mother standing on the bridge, looking like I last remembered her, in a white kimono with little blue flowers all over it and a matching blue obi with white flowers. Her long hair was pinned up neatly into a lovely hairstyle.
She stood with my father, wearing a man's grey kimono.
~My son,~ she whispered, her voice a caress. ~I love you and I'm so glad to see you happy. Do not hesitate to make that young man a permanent fixture in your life, you deserve to be with him.~
~I approve of Duo Maxwell,~ said my father, stern expression etched on his face. Mother nudged him and he smiled, slowly. ~Best of luck.~
I blinked and they were gone from the painting. I shook my head, expecting to hear something loose rattling around. Nothing.
With renewed confidence, I stood and went out the door, followed by happy laughter.
I returned home and Duo was already there, pacing around and around. Duo-neko trotted up and caressed my legs, myowing in concern.
"Duo, Duo I'm right here," I said. Duo ran up to me and hugged me close. I dropped my bag on the floor and began stroking his back, to stop the shaking.
"Duo, what happened?" I asked after a moment. Duo looked up at me with big, child-like eyes.
"Hilde came to work and told everyone about us," he said. My heart grew cold with fear.
"And?" I asked, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
"They renewed my contract for the next five years," he said, smiling. "I couldn't believe it, I thought for sure that I was going to get fired or yelled at or worse, but the girls all gave me a big hug and congratulated me.
"And then, all the *guys* came over and congratulated me. They want to meet you Heero. Some of the girls remember you coming over once and they were so jealous and said it wasn't fair that all the cute ones were gay.
"And then the studio owner came over to me, shook my hand and presented me with my new contract, with my last name blank and my marital status blank. Can you believe it?" He grinned at me and squeezed me tight. "And Hilde was so pissed, she took off."
He looked over my shoulder at the bag on the floor.
"What's that?" he asked.
"A surprise, you can't see that yet," I said, holding him back.
"Oi, not fair!" he exclaimed and tried to wriggle free. I held him and he gave me a wicked little glare. He aimed for a tickle spot, one he discovered earlier. But he has more than me and soon we were on the floor, wearing nothing and panting, tired.
"We need a fireplace in here," I said, lazily tracing random patterns over Duo's stomach.
"Heero, this is an apartment in New York, you *can't* have a fireplace," Duo protested.
"I still want one," I said, floating in a lemony yellow haze.
"What for?" he asked. I shot him a mischievious look.
"To make love in front of, of course." I pounced on him and kissed him long and sweet.
"It's a crazy idea, but why not?" Duo said finally. And kissed me back.
I was at work, because I got called in for an emergency meeting. I walked into the conference room and saw that the room was full. All the associates were here, including Relena in her pink suit, smirking.
'Uh oh uh oh uh oh...' repeated over and over in my head and I forced myself to nod to my boss and apologize for being late.
"No need Yuy. Please remain standing." I did, my stomach twisting in knots. "Now, it has come to my attention that you have developped a relationship outside the office. Who is it?"
"I don't believe it's any of your business," I said slowly.
"I believe it is, if it affects the integrity of this corporation. Who is it?"
"Duo Maxwell..." I said softly, staring straight ahead.
"And that is...?"
"A young man who works for a photography company."
"A...young...man...?"
'Here it comes...' "Yes."
Nothing. I looked over at my boss and saw him slowly shaking his head. After a moment, he said, "Yuy, do you have any idea how much money I just lost?" Relena's expression changed from triumphant to puzzled.
"Excuse me?" I said in confusion. He started laughing. This did not help my confusion, nor Relena's.
"I just lost twenty bucks," he said. He pulled out a green box from a cabinet and placed it on the table. He opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper.
"Stevenson, Catalonia, Johnson, Trevelan, Llewellan, Truman, Stuart, Green, Peters, Williams, Kitchener and Adams all bet you were involved with someone. Stevenson, Catalonia, Peters, Kitchener and Adams all bet that you were involved with another guy. Catalonia bet on an unusual profession, including photographer. Ms. Catalonia, you now have four hundred and sixteen dollars in cash, you lucky thing."
I gaped at Dorothy who quickly counted up the money and placed it all in her wallet.
"Pleasure doing business with you gentlemen," she said. She stood and shook my hand and gave me a hug. "Invite me to the wedding, I'll get you something naughty," she whispered in my ear. She pulled back and gave me an evil grin.
The others, except for Relena, crowded around me to ask me about Duo. I answered the best I could and gave my boss and incredulous look.
"You bet on my love life?" I asked, not really believing it.
"We were bored," he said. "Congratulations."
I relayed this little tale to Duo, who laughed. "I don't suppose you got a cut did you?" he asked, satiated after we tested out our new artificial fireplace. It was perfect, like Duo.
"Duo!" I protested. "It wasn't funny. I felt like I was before the Inquisitor General! And no, I didn't. But Dorothy promised to get us something naughty if we invited her to the wedding."
"Wedding?" Duo asked, sitting straight up, loose chestnut waves cascading down his bare white back. "Did you say we were getting married?"
I felt cold. "No."
"Oh, good. I'd appreciate it if you told me first," he said, settling down on the carpet again.
I stared at the artificial flames, wondering what it all meant.
"Hey good news. I got mail from Quatre," said Duo. I looked up from making breakfast as Duo came into the apartment, wearing his cheesecloth-like tee shirt and tight silk black boxers that hugged all the right places.
Must not get distracted. Must not get distracted...
"You got the mail like that?" I asked.
"Yeah, would you believe no one noticed? Amazing." He sorted through the other mail for me, tossing it on the table into piles.
"Bill. Bill. 'Nother bill. Junk. Ad. And an invite to Quatre and Trowa's New Years Eve party tomorrow night."
"Do you want to go?" I asked, staring intently at the omelette I was making.
"Sure, if you want to."
"I do... I mean sure," I stuttered, feeling more nervous than I had since our first morning together.
I felt Duo give me a look but he sat down and I brought him his omelette.
"Umm... you found your way to my heart via my stomach you know," he said around his mouthful of egg and ham.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," I said absently. Suddenly, his mouth was on mine, filling it completely.
"Duo..." I managed.
"No talking with your mouth full," he said, pressing me into the cupboards.
"Mmmmmm...."
We arrived at Quatre and Trowa's home around eight PM. It was large with brown and beige dominating the design, with splashes of colour on the walls. It reminded me of the pictures I'd seen of deserts. The lighting was fairly low and there were candles everywhere.
Quatre greeted us and showed us where to put our coats. Many people were already here, mingling and talking. I was nervous because I didn't know if people would accept us, they were Quatre and Trowa's friends, not ours. We shouldn't have worried.
The first people we were introduced to were two men named Treize and Zechs. They were quite obviously a couple, because they didn't take their hands off of each other the entire time.
Another couple was Une and Sally who were all smiles and encouragement. We even saw the unflappable Wufei dancing with a young woman who also looked Chinese. He apologized for interrupting our dinner and the girl whacked him for 'killing the mood' as she called it. She was silenced by a long and lusty kiss I would not have expected from such a stiff person.
I spotted a blond head and started to call out. She turned and Dorothy winked at me and continued dancing with her partner, a tall woman with short hair cut in a similar style to Trowa's. I think Dorothy cheated on that bet, but I'll never tell...
"Is this everyone?" I heard Duo ask Quatre.
"No," Quatre said. "We're expecting one more couple, they're new, like you two." He then went into what I guessed was the kitchen.
"I haven't seen Trowa," I said to Duo. Low moaning noises came from where Quatre had gone. I now knew where he was. Duo grinned.
We talked and mingled, exchanging stories. At four minutes to midnight, the final song of the year started playing. The first strains of the song filled the air as couples pulled tight to each other.
The door opened and in came Relena and Hilde, wearing white and black respectively.
"I'm sorry we're late," said Relena, a little hoarsely. Hilde put an arm around her waist and snuggled her.
"I'm not," she said with a wink to Quatre. Quatre smiled gently. Relena and Hilde joined the dancing couples and they swayed together, exchanging little kisses and caresses.
"Well what do you know," said Duo, warm in my arms. "Like the song says 'There can be miracles...'" He smiled and laid his head on my shoulder. His hand brushed my pocket. "What's this?" he asked softly.
The song was winding to an end, it was the right time. I let Duo remove the box from my pocket and open it. His eyes widened and I took the precious object out and went down on one knee.
"Three, two, one..." was counted down for the New Year.
"Duo Maxwell, I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. Aishiteru Duo, will you marry me?"
"One question, what's 'aishiteru' mean?"
"I love you." The clock finished chiming as Duo looked at me and I looked at him.
"You will when you beli-(cut)[1]" "Yes!" said Duo as the song ended and there was complete silence. Then, applause from everyone, even Hilde and Relena. There was another sound under that, something that sounded strangely like purring...
~~~~All the cats in the room purred together as loud as they could upon hearing Duo's answer. The siamese cats Shenlong and Nataku were batting at each other's tails while Princess and Pixie were in a heap near the door. Duo-neko and Hee-kitty were grooming each other while Epyon and Talgeese were chasing each other around the room. White Taurus and Battle Goddess were stalking each other playfully while Dual and Poe pawed at the tassles of a footstool.
A golden cat with blue eyes stood imperiously on a chair with a cinnamon cat with long hair over one green eye stood by him.
/Mission accomplished,/ proclaimed Cat-ra proudly and the cats yowled
The cinnamon cat nuzzled Cat-ra until he was on his side. /We did well love,/ he said.
/Purrrrrr Tro-kitty, you rock my world..../~~~~
The End
1: One footnote, wow... This is a joke between myself and my friends. Ides downloaded the Disney version of 'There Can Be Miracles' and it's a 4 minute and twenty second song. She has four minutes and fifteen seconds of it, so it cuts off right where it did in the story. And when it does, we all say "cut". I don't own that song...
Wow, it's finished. I don't do that too often, it must be your influence ^-^
I'm off to work on other things. Bye! And thank you for your encouragement.
PS: For other works of this genre, on GW Addiction, Lasha Lee wrote 'Meow' and it's sequals Myow: Memories and 'When Worlds Collide', more kitty romance. I swear this wasn't copied!