Walking the Tightrope + Chapter 2 (cont)

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Heero finished typing up his report of the situation and stretched. It hadn't been very hard, but tedious, and annoying. Just a bunch of things to compile together. The only interesting part had been the creation of a program making a secure road for the report to be distributed to its receiver.

Sighing and carefully rolling his head form side to side to ease the tension, he took for the first time in hours the measure of the silence in the little house. Not even the noises of the town behind. They were lost so far in the woods that to hear something from the town, it would have to be something along the magnitude of a nuclear bomb exploding. It was good usually, because it meant that they had total privacy, but just now, it was bad, because he was not used to silence and solitude anymore.

'Damn,' he thought, looking at the clock, 'I've worked too fast, they won't be here for at least another hour, maybe two or three if they're having fun...'

Having fun, together. It was not hard to imagine. Wufei was reserved too, but less so than him... And contrary to him, Duo hadn't had to push and pull for months before getting him to have some fun. Well... Not that he knew about.

He nearly decided to go and find them, but then he thought that he would come off as the intrusive boyfriend, nosey, unwilling to let them have time alone, and that was something he didn't want.

He got up and stretched carefully, wondering if doing some exercise would be good for him. Instead, he went to the window, pushing back the flimsy curtain, and pensively considered the path leading to the woods by which they had left.

He remembered the times, at the beginning of their association, when Duo had tried to get him to go out, to do something other than mission preparations. He had had to work on him for so long before Heero finally relented, and accepted to accompany him outside just because it would make him lose less time than hearing Duo trying to convince him that he should come. He hadn't had any fun that first time, nor the second, nor the third. But it had taken less time to make him appreciate the things they did, the movies they saw, the places they went to, than it had taken just to make him accept to get out. And it nearly took no time at all between the moment he admitted that yes, he was having fun, and the time he was the one to suggest they go out.

But then, it took a few months for him to realize that he was feeling strangely about Duo. That he thought about him too much, that he was too worried, that he tried too hard to protect him, for it to be merely friendship, something he had already had a hard time accepting. He had read and read, and surfed the net, to try to find clues. Were friends supposed to be that attached to each other? Were friends, male friends, supposed to like being in close proximity with each other so much?

As for putting a name on the feeling...

Not before that mission that nearly turned bad; that mission when Duo came back days late, and limping, and he rushed out to make sure that Duo was alright, relieved that he was even alive, and then, he felt true fear, because Duo was here, and whatever physical wounds he had could heal, but Heero didn't know how to heal the crack in his eyes. He had seemed broken inside, and that was the only thing Heero had never learned how to mend in all of his first-aid training.

He remembered, for the first time, being the one to hound his partner and ask and ask again what had happened, what he was feeling, why he was feeling, asked him to explain it to him, and finally, Duo had only relented because Heero had made him admit that he would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed.

There had been street rats hiding in that base, probably trying to steal some stuff, exactly like he had done during his childhood, and he hadn't been able to prevent the explosion, hadn't been able to prevent from killing them all, those orphans, just like he had been, just trying to survive and get back at OZ.

Heero didn't even remember clearly what had happened, after Duo breaking down in tears and clutching at him and them sitting back on the bed, didn't remember clearly when it had changed from him comforting Duo to... him... 'comforting' Duo...

Ah, well. It hadn't been as if Duo had protested. Quite the contrary. Once the surprise passed, he had kissed and hugged back with a stunning passion, totally flabbergasting Heero who had been sure he was going to get his ass kicked. And... well.

And the morning after, Duo had still seemed a little sad over it, but not as devastated as he had been. Heero had resolved to use that method lots and lots of times in case of future sadness of his friend... and had realized finally that this sort of things wasn't done between friends, but between lovers. It had been an epiphany.

The Japanese pilot let the curtain fall back in place, and with a sigh went to drag a fluffy chair over by the window. He sad down heavily, and, pensive, his eyes wandering outside, continued to daydream about him, his lover, and his lover's best friend... and soon to be his boyfriend's other lover, he supposed.

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They sat in the last row, glancing nervously at another couple a few rows ahead that was exchanging loud, slurpy kind of kisses, and the movie had not even begun. Duo laughed, but it was shaky at best. The boy already had one hand on his girl's thigh, and they weren't even trying to hide. The lights were still on, damn it.

"Why don't we do that too?" whispered Duo at Wufei, jokingly, still glancing at the couple that were making a show of themselves.

Wufei glared at him. "Yes, of course, Duo. Let's make out on the grand place too, while we're at it."

"They seem to be having fun," answered Duo with a wink.

Were this a normal outing like they had done sometimes, between friends, Wufei would have shot back a vicious retort and they would have begun to diss them, then would have gotten into a friendly argument. It was not a normal outing. Wufei remembered, and flushed hot red.

"... Wu?" asked Duo, surprised and feeling a little awkward. "Was it something I said...?"

"Ah... it's nothing,", answered the black-eyed boy, coughing nervously.

They shyly looked away, darting glances here and there, but never truly looking at each other, suddenly feeling very strange. Duo wondered what had happened.

"Yanno, it's not because we're on a date like them that we have to act as vulgarly as that," he remarked, thinking all along that it was really one of the most tactless, foot-in-mouth things he had ever said.

Wufei spluttered, taken by surprise.

"Yeah, I guess," he agreed, coughing again.

He glanced at Duo. The boy was studying his feet, or more precisely the way his shoelaces went from one hole to the other.

"Hey, Duo," mumbled Wufei, nudging him.

"Hmm?"

"...what's the matter?"

"I'm cool," answered the boy, puzzled.

"No, I mean... between us. Don't tell me you don't feel it too..."

Duo sighed. There was no use trying to ignore it.

"I don't know... It's like I feel so silly, because you're my boyfriend now, so I gotta act different than when you'n'me were just friends, yanno. You don't react the same, and I'm being extra careful, too. It's as if we don't know each other all over again, and I'm trying to impress my date or something... Which is silly, because you know me already."

Wufei nodded, understanding what Duo was talking about. It was as if they had just begun their relationship all over again, erasing the previous patterns they had established. Which was stupid. They didn't have to erase it all to begin anew, just to add some new ones. They had loved each other before admitting it, it only added yet another level to their relationship, it didn't take the place of the rest.

"It's true. We're the same people we were before. I guess it's just the added dimension to our relationship... But it's not because we're together that we have to stop being friends too... I promise I'll try not to feel self-conscious like that again, ok?"

Duo nodded. It made perfect sense for him.

"Ok... We jus' gotta act like friends, but friends who can kiss too...?" he said, sounding a little unsure.

Wufei blushed, but smiled warmly at the same time. He felt Duo's hand slide on the armrest and brush against his, and caught it, casually interlacing their fingers.

"Fine by me. So, let's talk about the two people currently disgracing themselves in front of our chaste eyes..."

+

"Well, the movie was... Good." coughed Duo.

"Yes, very good," agreed Wufei.

They glanced at each other, and smirked/grinned.

"Tell me the truth, Duo, you don't remember half of it."

"Errr..." coughed the boy. "And what if I don't?!" he challenged, mock-glaring.

"We came here especially to see the movie you were ranting about..." The Chinese boy remarked.

"Yeah, well, I don't regret anything. I'd rather make out with you than watch a stupid movie anyway, so there."

Wufei felt himself blush at his boyfriend's brashness and decided to answer back fast so that Duo didn't realize and joke about his prudishness.

"We could have made out anywhere, no need to go there and pay for that..."

"Ah!! But it wouldn't have been half as fun! You don't understand anything about dating traditions anyway."

"Yes, well, next time let's chose a bad movie, so you don't regret having missed it, ok?"

Duo snickered.

"Good idea for a date, but when you really want to see the movie... And I don't want to come back alone, it's not fun... I know!! We'll come back with Heero later, he wanted to see it too. A not-a-date type of, err... bonding session?"

Wufei snorted.

"If we do that, maybe I'll be able to see the half I missed, provided you share your time equally between him and me..."

"Are you telling me that I am unable to resist the appeals of a muscled male body pressed against me in the dark?"

"Yes," Wufei answered dryly. Duo mock-frowned and sighed dejectedly.

"Damn. And here I was hoping I had you fooled..."

"Not a second, my dear, not a second..." snorted Wufei, patting his shoulder.

"Can you blame me, though?" drawled the braided boy, pressing himself tight against Wufei and sliding his hands around his hips, making the other boy freeze, taken by surprise.

Wufei was still staring at him, bewildered, his heart beating fast, when the devilish fiend suddenly caught a handful of his butt and squeezed before running away, laughing his ass off for the face the Chinese boy had made.

"MAXWELL!! WILL YOU STOP PAWING ME, YOU PERVERTED FIEND!?!!"

+

They roamed the mall and the little streets of the town for two hours before deciding to come back home. Well, Wufei decided he'd had enough of his butt being on the receiving hand of Duo's slaps, caresses, pinches and squeezes. People were giving them weird looks on the streets and it annoyed him.

"Are you yanking my chain because you saw that it was annoying, or are you really just that horny? Isn't Yuy giving you any?" the black-haired boy finally blurted out after having caught Duo's fingers trying to insinuate themselves in his waistband. He felt bad for a second at what could be considered badmouthing Duo's lover, but Duo didn't take it badly, and began to laugh out loud, attracting stares but not giving a damn.

"Not since I came back to find you together in bed, love, but that's not the point."

"What IS the point, then?" asked Wufei dutifully, sighing.

"What is to say that I don't want to give YOU some?"

Chang felt his face burn, and rather than answering, he began to walk to the bus stop, fast.

Surprised, Duo didn't follow right away. Damn. Had he offended him? He could never know on which subject his Chinese boyfriend was going to be touchy, even if he was much less oversensitive than he had been at the beginning of the war. He ran after him, catching his sleeve, and tugged a little.

"Wufei..."

The raven-haired boy turned his head to face his boyfriend, surprised by his tone. He sounded unsure, nearly shy.

"What?"

"Did I... Did I offend you? I didn't mean to, honest, I just... Are you angry with me?"

The Chinese boy blinked, realizing a little late that his departure had been quite abrupt and that he hadn't given Duo any incentive to believe that he didn't take the joke badly.

"No, why would I... I wasn't angry, Duo, just surprised."

"Sure? Then why did you leave so... oh."

Wufei had caught Duo's wrist and had pressed the back of his hand to the front of his trousers. Blushing, looking elsewhere to see if there was someone observing them, he let Duo's hand fall away.

For once, Duo was speechless. Not leaving him the time to recover from his shock, Wufei grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bus stop. There were too many people there, hopefully it would deter the boy from asking questions Wufei would like to have time and quiet to answer.

They waited in silence for the bus, not holding hands, not even looking at each other, but so close that they could feel the warmth of the other against their side. It was funny the way passers-by glanced at them, trying to stay inconspicuous, and Duo had played with that all day long, but now, thinking hard as he was, he didn't react to it in his usual way, which was to exuberantly kiss and pet his boyfriend to make them blush and look away, or stare and then be surprised by his knowing winks.

The bus came and they climbed inside, Wufei leading the way to the end of the vehicle, Duo not even discretely ogling his butt like always, too surprised to take advantage of the view.

Wufei sat down in the farthest corner of the vehicle, but Duo didn't take the place at his side, instead he grabbed the bar and leaned over him, hiding them from the other passengers' view.

"Wufei?"

"Yes?" asked the boy, finally looking up to meet his eyes. There were emotions swirling in their depths, but shifting too fast for Duo to understand them.

"Why did you... You know?"

"... It's silly I guess. I just... I was not permitting myself to think about you that way, never, because... well, you know. Sometimes I did anyway, but as soon as I was realizing it, it was a reflex, I tried to think about something else. It's so ingrained now, I just continued with that habit without even thinking twice."

"Not thinking about me.. that way?"

"Yes. Well, I did begin to think about you like that, but... It was vague at best, that's all. And you teasing me like that!" he managed to stress without talking any louder. "It was bad enough, but what you said..."

Duo coughed to hide his laughter. "Too precise for you, babe?"

"Don't call me that!" hissed the Chinese boy, darting looks around to see if someone was paying attention too closely to their discussion. "I'd rather we waited for our stop before talking about that, please." There was a cute little flush on his cheeks at the mention of... 'that'. The braided boy decided that, just for the blush, he was going to let him off the hook for now.

"Ok, I guess. Now that I know you're not pissed at me, I can wait," Duo added while falling into the seat at the black-eyed boy's side.

The rest of the ride took place normally as for a ride with Duo, that is, the boy chatting on and on about everything he saw out the window, and making inane comments on the other passengers. Finally, they came to their stop, and hopped off the bus. They waited for it to have disappeared behind a curve of the road before sliding into the brush and onto the discreet little path leading to their house.

"So," asked Duo after a few minutes of walking in the woods. "Why did you react so violently to my suggesting things to you?"

Wufei sighed and thought that it had been stupid to hope that he wouldn't remember about asking.

"I just... I told you, I never thought precisely about... becoming your lover. Vague images, daydreams, but I never really tried to see it precisely, because I just knew I would never have it anyway, you know, so why torture myself with trying to imagine being your lover?"

Duo squeezed his hand and Wufei smiled at him, a little, barely there smile.

"...And then, I became your boyfriend, and... It was already so much. Suddenly, I had the right to kiss you and hold your hand and not have to hide my feelings any longer, and silly stuff like that, and it was already so much, I just didn't have the time to really reflect on that point of our relationship."

'Sweet', thought Duo, swearing to himself not to ever say it. 'Wufei thinks about the physical part of our relationship as a nonessential side effect... A good side effect I hope, but still.'

"Is it too soon for you to talk about it, Wu? I can understand that..."

"No, it's ok to talk about it, just..."

"Not to do it?"

Wufei blushed again. "I don't like the idea of setting a date, a timeframe. Can't we just get used to being boyfriends and become lovers naturally, when the right moment comes?"

The braided boy laughed a little and kissed his cheek noisily, just because he was so cute, and Chang Wufei being cute was really something priceless.

"Yes, sir!" he answered jokingly. "But... I had been throwing innuendoes all day long, why did this one touch you that deep?" he asked more seriously.

The Chinese boy closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He was becoming annoyed at the hotness in his cheeks. Why couldn't that damn embarrassing blush just disappear!

"... too precise for you?"

"Yeah... Kind of. It was just the mental image..."

"Of me taking you?" asked the other boy, bluntly.

"Duo!!!"

"Why does it bother you so much more than the rest?" asked Duo, pressing.

"I... I just... Don't get angry, ok?"

Wow. Must be something serious. "Ok."

"It's just that... I am not a virgin, Duo, you know that I was married, but..."

"But?"

"But she was a girl!"

"And?"

"And even if she had a worse temper and a stronger will than me, in the end it couldn't be any other way than me taking her! So... I just..."

"You never thought about the contrary being possible with me, is that it?" asked Duo, neutral.

"No, never..." sighed Wufei, dejectedly.

"Do you have a problem with me taking you, Wufei?" asked Duo, still carefully neutral.

"I... I... I guess not..." stammered the black-haired teenager, red up to his hairline. "It's just that..."

"The rare times you imagined being with me, I was the one ... playing the 'girl part'?"

"Yes," sighed the boy. "I realize, you know, that you're not a girl, I know you're male and as virile as me. I don't want to offend you... Damn, you're even more of a macho than Yuy sometimes, and that's saying something," he added with a little smile. "It's just that... I didn't think. At all."

Duo stared at him for a few minutes.

"You know Wufei, making love with a man is not the same as making love with a woman, not at all. Maybe you won't like."

"Won't like making love with you? Are you insane?"

"Dunno... I mean, I thought you were straight for so long, and usually I can spot a gay or a bi some fifty meters away... I know you love me, Wufei, I don't doubt you feelings. Maybe you love me, the... soul in me? ... but me being a male is going to give you problems... ?"

Wufei chuckled. "Duo. I am not straight. I am not gay either, nor am I really bi, by the way. I love strength in people, moral and physical. And you're one of the strongest people I know, in both aspects. Don't be worried, physical desire won't be a problem. It was just that I stupidly reported on you the only schema of... coupling that I knew. I look forward to learning another one," he added in a whisper, leaning toward Duo and brushing his lips against his neck.

Duo shivered, and closed his eyes, leaning against him.

"Careful with that sort of pillow talk, Wu-love, I'm gonna decide that the moment has come," he joked, sliding an arm around his waist to press their fronts together.

They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, then, still with his eyes wide open, Duo leaned forward and brushed his lips against Wufei's. Once, then twice. Wufei groaned, his eyelids sliding half-closed, and his tongue slipped out to lick briefly at Duo's lower lip.

Their mouths meshed together, warm, moist, their tongues met, danced, deepening the kiss as far as they could go. It went on and on, a never-ending moment of intimacy, of pleasure. They were still looking into each other's eyes, losing themselves.

They separated, not at once, but slowly, going back to peck again and again at the other's lips, unwilling to cut it short. Duo's hands were lost in Wufei's hair, unbinding it slowly to plunge his fingers into the black mane, making the other boy sigh and press tighter against him.

"Damn. I know why you have long hair now, Duo," joked the Chinese boy.

"Hm-mm?"

"It's to encourage people to pet you," he smiled.

Duo was still drooling over the magnificent way his boyfriend's face changed with that tender expression, when the raven-haired boy suddenly slid his hands downward and over his butt cheeks, caressing, making him bite back a surprised moan, before pinching it, disengaging and dashing off laughing.

"WUFEIII!!! COME BACK HERE AND FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED, DAMNIT!!!!"

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?!" asked the Chinese boy gleefully, running from the braided pilot as fast as he could.

****

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