Disclaimer: The characters belong to Sotsu, Sunrise, Bandai Entertainment, I neither claim them nor certainly make any money off them!
Pairing: 6x2
Rating: Lemony in places
Time Setting: Post-series, three years later (minus events in Ground Zero, Blind Target, Endless Waltz as when I started this, I hadn't seen or read about these yet)
Summary: A chance meeting leads to the recovery of a wounded heart.
"You know," Zechs murmured a moment later as Duo applied the washcloth to his stomach, "there are other ways to clean that up..."
Duo paused in mid-swipe to stare at him. "Oh."
"It's okay, next time," Zechs reassured him. He sat up and enclosed Duo in his arms when the boy finished with his task. "Come, lie with me," he whispered, nibbling on an earlobe.
"Mmmm," Duo sighed as Zechs lay down and pulled him back into his arms. "My favorite place to be in the whole Earthsphere."
"Mine, too," Zechs sighed, nuzzling Duo's face and neck. "It's a good thing you like being here, too."
"Huh? Why's that?" Duo asked, tilting his head back from the attentions. "God, your mouth feels so good on me."
"Funny you should say that," Zechs chuckled. "What I meant was that I'm not in the least ready to stop making love to you."
Duo's eyes widened; Zechs laughed and rolled over onto his back. "Think about that," he added, then proceeded to get up off the bed altogether. "I'll be back in a moment."
"Man!" Duo exclaimed, lying back as his lover disappeared into the bathroom. Then he closed his eyes and hugged his arms to himself, reliving the last half hour or so. [Zechs fucked me... oh, shit, that felt so good! I can almost still feel him there... inside me... moving...] To his wonder his cock began to stir yet again at the arousing memory. [Shit, he's so hot! God, how the hell did I end up with the likes of Zechs Merquise?] He winced at the thought; Duo did not want to think about the wide divergence between their backgrounds... the street rat and the privileged prince. [But we're both orphans... we both fought in that damnable war... and we've both got a weakness for cute, little kids...]
Duo crossed his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. [Then that's it - concentrate on the things we do have in common. I'll work hard to improve myself and I'll start community college soon - shouldn't be hard - I'm a smart guy...] He had to smirk to himself. [Smart enough to grab onto this really wonderful and totally stud-gorgeous guy for dear life...]
Sounds of water running ceased, then a few moments later Zechs returned. "All clean," the tall blond commented, walking back over to the bed. "Well, at least the important parts," he added with a smirk.
"Stop..." Duo said softly, rolling to lay on his belly facing Zechs, head propped up on his hands.
The white eyebrows raised, but Zechs stopped in mid-stride, hands on his hips as he rested his weight back on one foot.
"Damn, do you have any idea what you look like?" Duo sighed dreamily, looking up and down the tall, muscular body.
Zechs tossed his hair out of his eyes casually, then teased Duo further by running a hand down his lean body from throat to hip. "Someone who probably should have gotten a clue a long time ago?" he murmured, the corner of his mouth curving.
Duo laughed abruptly, then replied, "No, actually, besides looking like a fucking' hot wet dream, you look like a man who has finally stopped listening to those damn voices."
Zechs's eyes widened at the frank description. "Er, thanks..." Then he sighed.
"I think I've forgiven myself." Slowly he resumed his approach. "I know that external influences were having their way with my psyche. I know that events happened that were out of my control, and I don't know that I could have changed what happened. This doesn't excuse my behavior, of course. All I can do now is make the Earthsphere a better place as best I can now and to... to... give myself permission to go on living." He bowed his head, remorseful. "With your help, I think I'm doing that."
"You need to know how deeply you're loved," Duo murmured, looking up at the gorgeous blond. "I believe you were temporarily insane back there. You're well again."
"Insane..." The word cut deep, but Zechs supposed it was perfectly descriptive of the monster he'd been for a short time. "Yes, I see." He shook his head violently, making his hair flutter around his head like feathers. "I'm not like that anymore. I'm sane now."
"Yes!" Duo exclaimed, relieved. He'd been worried Zechs would flip out if he'd mentioned that he thought he'd been insane in the war. And later he'd talk to him about continuing with the therapist... just because it would be good to keep talking to a professional about his experiences. [Later...]
Zechs was looking at him peculiarly. "Duo..." A hand came up to filter into his hair, making it all the more artlessly mussed.
"Mmmm?" [So beautiful... but why is he looking at me like I'm lunch?] Duo thought, then realized his lover had recovered his... appetite. [Eeeep!]
"You make me feel so good, Duo," Zechs murmured in his deep, velvet voice as he put one knee up on the bed, looking down at his lover. "I think I want more of you... now..."
"Oh, shit," Duo exclaimed happily. He wriggled his hips, putting his arms above his head to present a wanton display for his big lover. "Come and get me!"
Zechs was already erect, and Duo was getting there fast, he noted. Without a word he climbed onto the bed. But to the younger man's shock, Zechs did not lie beside him but positioned himself over Duo's body... reversed. It was obviously to be a replay of the hot, mutual oral pleasuring they'd shared in the shuttle. "Oh, God, Zechs..." Duo gasped as Zechs knelt over him backwards and pulled him down further on the bed by the hips so he had enough room for his long legs.
At the sight of his beautiful man's perfect, golden ass looming above his face, the muscular legs parted enough to let Zechs's endowments hang so lusciously within reach, Duo got very hard. "Oh, kill me now, I'm already halfway to heaven!" he crowed, reaching his hands around Zechs's waist to his back, pulling him closer. Just as he captured the long, hard, dangling erection in his mouth, Zechs on the other end engulfed him to the root.
No time was wasted as both men started in sucking each other, taking only seconds to match rhythms so they could move their hips in tandem, fucking each other's mouth. Duo almost lost it when Zechs slipped his fingers beneath his ass and up to his entrance, then inserted a finger to the hilt. [SHIT!] he thought, excited, then wondered if he could do the same.
Even as he sucked avidly on Zechs's hard length and rocked his hips up to meet his lover's mouth, Duo slipped a finger in along Zechs's crack to press against the man's entrance. [Is he going to hate this?] he thought, wondering like hell what the other was thinking. [My man's such a top... which is exactly where I love him... but might he let me... eh, gotta try once...] Carefully Duo inserted his index finger into the puckered ring.
There was a grunt from below as he pressed inside Zechs, but no cessation of sucking, rocking, or even the fucking fingers in his own ass. Duo nearly melted with relief, then grinned wickedly around the cock in his mouth as he mirrored the action of Zechs's finger. [Whooo, I'm fucking his ass and his mouth!] Duo crowed in his mind. [Wonder if I can find his sweet spot...]
Then Zechs thrust his finger deeper into Duo and hit his prostate abruptly. Duo nearly bucked the man off him, and it was all he could do to hold onto his end of his lover. Moaning in his throat, he reached deeper into Zechs to reciprocate, and was pleasantly rewarded when he got a groan and a shudder from him. Suddenly things seemed to turn incandescent as they fucked each other in a frenzy, rushing together toward completion.
Nova. Zechs and Duo exploded simultaneously, shooting deep into each other's throats. While fingers slipped out, it was to grip each other tighter as the last dribbles were sucked out. Duo released Zechs first, gasping and breathing hard, nearly shaking from the power of his release. Zechs, to his wonder, didn't seem quite ready to stop, and Duo nearly screamed as his lover massaged his balls and his perineum, causing continual waves of pleasure to pound through his body uncontrollably.
Finally Zechs, too, released his cock, and climbed off Duo in order to turn around to lie with him. He pulled him tight within his arms; Duo could feel them both still faintly trembling. "Shit, Zechs, sex with you is so fucking hot... I could screw all night..." he panted.
Then he realized. [Zechs isn't talking...] "Heart?" he inquired, stroking the thoroughly mussed platinum hair.
He got a groan, then Zechs spoke, to his relief. "I would fuck you all night and into tomorrow if I wasn't so tired..." he sighed heavily. Then Zechs lifted his head to look into Duo's eyes. "Mmmm, I love you, Duo," he murmured.
Duo smiled broadly, relaxing. "I love you, too, Zechs." Then he closed his eyes as Zechs fell upon his mouth again, kissing him for all he was worth.
After a long minute they ended the kiss, then snuggled down into the bed together, pulling covers up over them both. In moments they were deep asleep.
Duo wriggled his nose as he slowly awoke, feeling a little itch, then realized it was tickled by the ray of sunshine spilling over his face. [Hmmm, nice to be warm,] he thought, grinning as he stretched languidly, arms over his head. Then a minute ache alerted him. He sat up, reaching behind him to feel his bottom, then remembered. [Oh, yeah, Zechs fucked me last night!] An even wider grin spread over his face. [Speaking of whom, where is he?]
He remembered a similar morning after sex with Zechs, the morning after they'd first met. [Oh, God, that was awful,] he remembered, hugging his knees up to his chest. [The man was in so much pain, so afraid to love. I hope I never see him like that again...]
Stretching again, Duo got out of the big bed and padded over to the bathroom. No Zechs. He took care of morning necessaries, then picked up the discarded nightshirt, putting it on so he wasn't parading nude all over the house. Not that Zechs might not like that. [I have no idea,] Duo realized. [I don't know anything about what living with him might be like. Hmmm...]
Coming out into the living room, Duo realized he hadn't explored very much, and in fact hadn't even noticed a staircase before. Zechs wasn't in the kitchen, though there was a fresh pot of coffee brewed. Duo found a mug and poured himself some coffee, then went to climb the stairs.
[Funny, master bedroom and guest bedroom downstairs, so what the hell's up here?] he thought as he came out onto a landing. There were what appeared to be two more rooms with closed doors, a bathroom, and at the end of the hall, there was a screen door over an open door to... the outside? [Oh, cool, a roof deck,] he thought, opening the screen door.
Duo stopped, stunned. Before he realized it, a hand was taking the mug out of his hand to put it somewhere safe, then he was enveloped in Zechs's embrace, the long arms pulling him into the man's chest, blocking out the sight behind him. "Good morning, and welcome to my private Peacegarden," Zechs purred in his ear.
For it was exactly that. The roof deck was fenced all around, and was luxuriantly planted with small, new trees, shrubs, and flowers, much like the courtyards of the orphanages. It was beautiful... and Duo felt a sweet twinge of love to find his beautiful man here.
"I'd already decided to make C-241 my permanent base a couple months ago," Zechs murmured in Duo's ear, then turned him around in his arms to view the garden. "Like it?"
"It's wonderful," Duo murmured. Then he noted off to Zechs's left that there was a barren space where nothing had been planted yet. "Saving that for something?" he inquired casually.
Zechs looked surprised for a moment, then turned with him to look at the open area. "Actually this is just as much as I'd gotten done. I haven't had as much time for gardening as I'd hoped. I've found... that working with plants has had as much of a soothing effect on my... emotions..." He ducked his head, glancing away. "...as the children. Plant species such as these have been bred for the colonies and are quite... forgiving."
Duo rubbed his hand on the man's arm. "I'd like to take over that empty area, if you don't mind," he murmured. [I'm going to work myself into his life any way I can... and besides, any little plot of land I've ever been able to call my own has always been filled with the metallic detritus of innumerable mobile suits or other machines.] "And what are the other rooms up here used for?"
The lips of the man parted in further surprise; Duo wanted to shock him by jumping into his arms and sticking his own tongue into that tantalizing space, but he settled for giving Zechs his patented sly wink. Zechs replied, "Ah... I'd love it if you developed your own garden, too... is that what you wanted it for? Um... one of the rooms is a private gym, and the other is empty."
Duo looked at him sidelong as if he was about to explode in laughter, then was pushing past the man to examine his new roof space. "Of course I'm going to garden up here, too. Heh, I won't be tempted to drag old metal parts all the way up here, so I can actually plant some stuff... vegetables?" He turned and looked hopefully at Zechs.
One white eyebrow went skyward. "You don't eat vegetables," Zechs pointed out wryly.
"Who said I was going to eat them?" Duo made a face, then laughed. The sound washed over Zechs's heart, easing the minute tension within him. "Hey, maybe this will get me to eat them, you know, because I grew them myself? And otherwise I'll feed them to you." Duo turned back to him and patted the man's flat abdomen. "Gotta maintain that trim ass and washboard stomach, you know," he said chuckling.
"Demon," Zechs sighed, then gave Duo a swat on the behind. "You're going to eat vegetables, too, if you're going to have enough stamina to match me."
Duo gaped at Zechs for a moment. "You're teasing me?" [He seems so well when he does that... oh, I hope so...]
Zechs smirked. "Guess so. You only growing vegetables?"
The saucy wink was back. "Hope you like sunflowers," Duo retorted good-naturedly. "I always wanted to grow big, bad-ass sunflowers, then eat the seeds, spitting the hulls all over the place."
When the ice-blue eyes widened, Duo smirked. "I'll only spit them up here," he corrected, then sagged into Zechs's body until the man's arms came around him. "Can I have that other room, too?"
"Of course," Zechs replied, then pulled Duo closer, bending to nuzzle his ear. "I'm thrilled you want to share space in the house, Duo," he whispered, kissing his temple. "I do need you in my life, and that means all aspects of my life, not just in my bed."
Duo pressed his face into Zechs's neck, abruptly clinging to the taller man. "I... I was hoping you meant that. I didn't think it would just be like I was working for the Foundation... sleeping with you... I hoped it wasn't..."
Zechs felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart as he felt the other's worry. "Never, angel. Remember how very much I need you..."
[What for?] Duo thought then kicked himself mentally. [Yeah, yeah, it's my job to keep the hobgoblins away... keep him from thinking about the past. But he's learning to do that for himself now... Eh, just because I intend to stick myself into his life doesn't necessarily mean he wants little ol' pesky me...]
"Duo?" Zechs separated from him and tipped the younger man's chin up to look earnestly into his face. "What is it?"
Duo looked up into the beautiful crystalline eyes, so pretty like blue topazes, the satin tendrils of platinum making his fingers itch to touch. "Eh, it's nothing," he replied with a nonchalant shrug, pulling his gaze and himself away. Retrieving his coffee mug, he moved past Zechs to examine the garden. "Wow, I see you got these all rigged up for automatic watering," he commented, making a quick circuit. "That's a neat idea...."
"Duo..." Zechs stood very still, his face averted, hands folded into fists at his side. [Doesn't he know how deeply in love I've fallen?] he thought, feeling the tension return to the pit of his stomach. [How do I show him beyond what I already have?] But he didn't have any answers, and when Duo didn't turn back to him right away, Zechs bowed his head and turned, leaving the roof deck.
Duo had been lost for a moment in contemplating a rose bush. "Mmmm?" he said a moment later, then turned. Zechs was gone.
Closing one hand into a fist, Duo struggled to remain calm. [Okay, it's not like I knew this was going to be easy... damn...] Looking around the deck, he spied some bags of soil, a couple empty plant boxes, and some garden tools. "Well, time to get a start on those sunflowers, eh?" he told himself, rolling up the sleeves of the nightshirt to get started preparing the boxes for planting.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Zechs leaned on the counter, his thoughts whirling. [What did I do that for? I didn't even give him a kiss this morning. To show Duo I love him, I have to do more than throw olive branches his way like the room and garden space...] Straightening, he looked around the kitchen, getting an idea.
Fifteen minutes later, Duo was looking woefully at his empty coffee mug. "Damn, well, I could use a break anyway..." He glanced over to survey his work. Four planters stood ready for planting.
When the door behind him creaked, Duo turned to behold Zechs entering with a large tray bearing breakfast on a platter and a carafe of coffee. "How did you know I was famished?" Duo asked, delighted. "Oh, damn, and do I need more coffee..." He reached for the carafe, but Zechs was gliding smoothly away to sit the tray on a little table, then sat on a large wicker loveseat, drawing one leg up beside him, the dark blue satin robe falling open slightly.
[Or does *he* intend to be breakfast?] Duo wondered, his mouth also falling open.
"Come, share breakfast with me, angel," Zechs murmured, beckoning with a hand. "And bring your mug here, too."
Enchanted with the display, Duo wiped his hands on his nightshirt and came over. "I should go clean up first... I'm all dirty from the planters."
"Nonsense, you won't be needing your hands," Zechs replied quietly, then pulled Duo down to sit between his legs with his back to Zechs's chest. After a moment of adjustment, Zechs took the mug out of Duo's hand and folded his arms around him. "I want to apologize, love. I didn't even offer you a kiss this morning. Can I make it up to you now?"
Duo took the mug back. "Eh, it's okay. You don't have to make a fuss over me." He looked the platter over with interest -scrambled eggs, toast points, bacon that was only slightly burnt. Then he noticed. "Um, you forgot plates and another fork."
Zechs tightened his arms around him to prevent an escape, hijacking the mug again. "I love to fuss over you, and I didn't forget anything. But first things first..." Shifting so he was sitting a little sideways to Duo, he leaned in to claim his lover's mouth.
[Oh, maybe I do want this,] Duo thought, melting. [Yeah, this is what my morning was missing all right...]
Finally lips separated. "Mmmmm... Duo, love, grab the carafe. We need more coffee. You don't mind sharing the mug, do you?"
One fork... one mug... Suddenly Duo got it. Zechs was going to feed him breakfast! [Oh, shit, that's so cool!] "N...no," he got out, feeling warm all of a sudden. He poured coffee while Zechs held the mug, then replaced the carafe on the tray. Then Zechs was carefully holding the mug for him to drink out of. Trying not to giggle, Duo sipped at the fresh, hot coffee. "Damn, that's good," he murmured, humbled that his Zechs thought him worth this attention.
"Fork," Zechs ordered, then took a sip of coffee himself. He set the mug down on the edge of the table. When Duo handed over the single fork, Zechs gestured toward the platter of food. "Think you can hold onto that? Put it on your lap?"
[Sure, as long as my erection doesn't toss it all onto the ground,] Duo thought, again fighting off giggles. He reached and collected the platter, then parted his legs to balance it. "Okay, this is getting interesting, now what?"
"Wait to be fed," Zechs directed with a smirk. He collected some eggs onto the fork and brought it up to Duo's mouth. "Okay, open."
Duo returned the smirk, then opened his mouth. Zechs popped in the offering. Duo picked up a piece of bacon. When he could speak, he chuckled, "The bacon is very, ah, crisp."
"But it isn't burnt," Zechs replied, kissing his cheek. "It's just well-done."
They fed each other bits of bacon, forkfuls of eggs just on the near side of dry, and bites of toast. "It's all very good, Heart," Duo murmured, happily sagging against his lover's shoulder. "I love you. Thanks for making me breakfast."
"You're welcome," Zechs replied, holding the mug of coffee for him again. "It was the least I could do. I didn't even kiss you good morning when you came up here. And I need to tell you - I'm very pleased you want to share the garden. It will be fun to work on it together."
"Oh..." Duo smiled broadly and accepted more eggs. He realized he felt very warm inside, all wanted and cherished, and not just because of the sensuous breakfast. [We're going to be all right,] he thought, happy and very much in love.