Pairings: 2x1
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters aren't mine
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Angst, rough sex, language
Spoilers: None
Summary: Duo and Heero go to Juno Beach, Florida, to work on their relationship.

Together
by Presser

Heero Yuy leaned against the rough stucco exterior of the cottage, one bare foot in the sand, the other knee-high against the wall. He watched the gulls pick at the grass. When one bent down, the other pecked at his companion's tail feathers, causing a flurry of wings. The birds ran into the air, leaving Heero with their keening, lonely call. He pushed long, golden fingers through dark tangles that splashed over his ears and down the back of his neck, then shoved away from the wall. He stretched and yawned, twisting at the waist as he did. He looked over his shoulder at the door to the cottage, then turned toward the palm trees that lined Ocean Drive. Heero could hear the traffic buzzing down US Highway 1 not a mile away: the sound of people with destinations. He studied the oil stains on the concrete slab of the carport, then sank both hands in the pockets of his worn khaki shorts. He turned to the beach, staring at darkening waves.

Where are you, Duo? Are you coming back this time?

It began with the simplest of things. It always did. A glass left on the scruffy blond coffee table became a snide remark. Sharp words opened familiar wounds, and suddenly his lover was marching out the door, a "Fuck you, Yuy" slung over his shoulder, followed by the sound of Duo's battered Ford Mustang complaining as it was wrenched onto Ocean Drive.

Heero was left standing in the main room of the cottage, staring at the kitchen sink, at the brown stains around the bottom of the cold water tap. Rust, Heero thought. Like us. He looked down to see his hand clutching the offending glass.

The day we met, he shot me.

In the seven years since, the two had been comrades, partners, friends. The war had held them together at first, survival their priority. Afterwards they fell into Une's Preventers, too uneasy with the peace that Relena Peacecraft held together with prayer and gum to consider any other life. Heero had moved in with Duo because it was more efficient than two rents and two sets of pots.

When did we become more? Heero couldn't say. He only knew that one day Duo was more, more than a friend, more than a companion. The first night on the beach, the first kiss, cuddling on the couch in front of classic movies, sleeping together -- these moments twined us together into "we," Heero thought. A "we" Heero wasn't able to do without now.

And when did we become less? When did the kisses cool, the touches come less frequently? When did the romance get scheduled for Friday night? Heero couldn't say that, either.

They had come to Juno Beach to work on their relationship; had intended to concentrate on their strengths together; to try to put the weaknesses each brought to "we" aside.

Heero had shaken his head when he realized he had been staring at the glass in his hand. He had put it in the dishwasher and walked out the door to find two seagulls playing in the wind.

Heero stared at the waves until he could barely make out the whitecaps in the dark. When the lights of the Mustang cast shadows against the sand, he held his position, legs pressed together, hands still in pockets. He heard the car door slam. He realized he had been squinting in an attempt to see the ocean. He relaxed his eyes.

"You gonna stare at the water all night?"

Heero turned his head, but didn't speak.

"Fine, then. See you in the morning." Heero heard sandals kicking at sand, and turned around.

"Duo." The young man stopped, his face to the door.

"What, Yuy?"

Duo waited a dozen heartbeats, then turned quickly, his braid flicking in the air.

"Still can't talk to me, can you? Even --" Duo snorted in disgust, turning his head away.

"Even what?"

Duo turned flashing eyes back to lock with Heero's.

"Even after all the time we've spent together, that's 'even what'."

"Duo, I --"

"'Duo, I --" Duo parroted Heero's words with a sneer on his lips. "What?"

Silence. Heero suddenly felt his heart drumming against his ribs.

"Dammit, Heero!" Duo crossed the distance between them quickly, and grabbed Heero by the arms. "Talk to me, dammit!"

Heero pushed against Duo's chest forcibly, breaking the hold on his arms. He stumbled backward, legs giving way, sitting hard on the sand. Duo stood over him. When he saw that Heero wasn't hurt, he turned his head, spat on the sand, then turned and walked into the cottage.

Heero picked himself up, brushed the sand from his shorts and legs, and followed.

Duo was on the couch, legs stretched out, feet crossed, arms tight across his chest. His tee shirt came halfway down his chest, exposing tanned abs above his red swim trunks. He glared as Heero entered the room. Heero let the rickety screen door bang shut behind him as he flicked on the light, then crossed to the end of the couch to stand at Duo's feet. He searched Duo's face.

"What are we doing here, Duo?"

"What's that supposed to mean? We're here to 'work on our relationship,' remember?"

"That's not what I mean. What's going on here, tonight?"

"What's going on is you being a freak about neatness! What's going on is you nagging me nonstop!"

Heero hesitated before speaking. "Duo, I don't mean to --"

"Duo, I don't mean to --" Duo's imitation was stinging.

"Damnit, Duo!" Heero's voice rose. "Will you shut up long enough for me to say something?" Time passed in the chill between them.

"So go ahead."

Heero sat on the arm of the couch.

"Listen, I know I'm compulsive about cleaning. But I don't think that --"

Duo sat up sharply. "Don't you dare try to justify yourself to me! The problem is much bigger than a glass left on the table." Duo's jaw flexed, his eyes flared in anger.

Heero's eyes narrowed, and he breathed heavily as he glared at Duo. He came to a decision and stood. "Fine, then!" Heero turned and marched out of the cottage.

Heero heard the screen door rattle shut behind him as he propelled himself away from Duo, his feet jabbing the sand. "Damnit," he muttered as he moved through clumps of grass and hillocks of sand onto the beach. Light from the newly risen moon glinted off the water. Heero brought his arms against his bare chest in the chill wind. He walked several steps toward the water, stopping just before the edge of the wet sand. He muttered softly. "Why, for god's sake? Why do we have to fight?" Heero looked up at the moon, then down at the sand.

Heero felt a presence behind him. A hand reached out, touched his shoulder. Heero kept his head down.

"Heero." Duo's voice was soft, tinged with regret.

"What?" Heero was withdrawn.

"Look at me, Heero."

"Why? What good will it do?"

"Please, look at me, Heero. I -- I'm sorry." Duo waited, then pulled his hand away.

Heero took a deep breath, let it out in a huff. He spun around in the sand.

"What do you want from me?"

"I --"

"You want me to change? Be just like you? Is that it? You want me to stop being me?" Heero's eyes flashed bright in the moonlight. "Well, I'm not you, Duo. I'm me, and if that's not good enough for you, then --"

Duo silenced the rush of words with a forceful kiss. He pulled Heero hard against him with thin, muscular arms. Heero blinked, then brought his arms up, breaking Duo's hold on him. He pulled away from the kiss but kept his hands on Duo's chest, leaning back to stare into Duo's eyes. Seconds passed, then he took Duo's head in his hands and kissed back.

As waves splashed against the sand, Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's torso. He leaned back as Heero kissed him, first running his hands up and down his lover's strong back, then grabbing Heero's shoulders. He broke the kiss and then took charge of their lovemaking his tongue plundering Heero's mouth, finding, then warring with his tongue. He pulled it into his own mouth, dragging his teeth roughly against it. Releasing it, Duo took Heero's bottom lip between his teeth, sucking, nipping. He slid his hands down Heero's neck to his chest, finding both nipples and tweaking them hard.

Heero broke the kiss with a gasp. Duo smiled with eyes half closed and bent to Heero's shoulder, just below the neck. He teased and tortured the sensitive skin there, eliciting low moans from Heero. Duo slid his hands down Heero's back and into his shorts, grabbing his ass and massaging it. Heero threw his head back to give Duo better access to his neck. Duo laved his tongue at the spot he had been sucking, then dragged it across Heero's Adam's apple and down to the spot below it.

Heero's knees gave out, and he slumped to the sand, Duo catching him under the arms and lowering his lover gently. He kneeled and took Heero's lips again. He pulled, pushed, teased, sucked, unable to get enough. Duo pulled away and then brought his hands up and into Heero's hair, pulling Heero's head back, then dragging his hands down Heero's heated flesh to his hips. He pulled open the snap on Heero's shorts and yanked the zipper down. The deep blue bikini briefs that Heero wore did little to conceal his erection. A darker spot near the waist marked the wet tip of Heero's cock.

Heero's hands went to Duo's. He took hold of his lover's wrists and pulled them back. He leaned away from Duo, breaking the kiss.

"Please, Duo, not here." Heero's voice was a hoarse whisper.

Duo growled. "What do you mean?"

"Not in the sand. Please."

Duo shook his hands free and stood. He grabbed Heero by the wrist and pulled him up, then pulled him through the beach grass to the cottage. As he was led, Heero clutched at his shorts, holding them up. He felt his cock pulsing against his hand.

Once inside, Duo took Heero to the couch and pushed him down. Heero sat roughly, his arms stretched out against the back of the couch, his knees spread wide. Duo put one foot against the coffee table and pushed hard, knocking it over and out of his way. He knelt before Heero and grabbed the legs of his shorts, pulling at them. Heero raised his hips to make it easier for Duo. The shorts came down to Heero's knees. Duo hooked the index fingers of both hands into Heero's blue bikini briefs and tugged them down, leaving them mid-thigh. He took Heero's balls in one hand and squeezed gently.

Heero gasped.

"Like that, do you?"

"Pl-please, Duo --"

"Shut up, Heero. We'll do this my way."

Duo rolled Heero's balls in one hand. With the other he took Heero's cock at the base and raised it off of Heero's belly. Heero wasn't large, but Duo didn't care. His lover was talented. Duo licked at the tip of the cock, cleaning the precum there, teasing. Heero shuddered as Duo squeezed his balls again. Duo played with the head of Heero's cock, dipping it into his mouth, then out again in short, quick strokes.

Duo took the hard shaft in his hand and pumped it roughly, quickly. When he saw Heero's testicles begin to draw up, he spoke.

"Oh, no, you don't. I want you needy for quite a while longer." He pulled Heero's balls down, stretching the soft sac with the fingers of one hand. With the other he took the base of the cock and squeezed gently. Precum beaded at the tip. Duo pushed up with his thumb on the thick channel leading from Heero's balls to the cock's head, milking all he could from the shaft.

When his hand reached the top, Duo gathered all the fluid there with his fingers. He left Heero panting and whimpering on the couch as he stood and forced his red swim trunks down with his other hand, then smeared Heero's precum on his own hard dick.

"Lay down," he growled. Heero brought his legs up and his head down, closing his eyes. Duo knelt on the couch and raised Heero's legs in the air. He smeared the precum still on his fingers on Heero's anus, then prepared to shove into the man.

"Wait. This isn't gonna work." Heero opened his eyes to see Duo standing. "Get off the couch. Lay on the floor." When Heero didn't move right away, Duo grabbed a foot and pulled. Heero's ass slid off the couch but didn't hit the floor because his hand did, supporting him. He awkwardly left the couch in a controlled tumble, his shorts below his knees, his briefs above them. Duo bent and pulled both to his feet, then over them. Heero lay naked before his lover, cock straining at the air, a sheen over his muscled body. His abs rose and fell with the harsh breaths he took. Heero closed his eyes, frustration and anticipation mixing on his face.

Duo knelt and took Heero's ankles, one in each hand, and pulled them over his shoulders. He gathered saliva in the bottom of his mouth, then licked his hand, wetting it thoroughly. He once again stroked himself, groaning low in his throat as he did. He smeared Heero's anus again, then pushed forward, his cock nudging Heero's asshole.

He stopped.

Heero opened his eyes halfway. Through a fog of lust he saw Duo smile slowly.

"Beg."

"Wha - what?"

"I want to hear you beg. Beg me to fuck you." Duo nudged his lover's asshole with his cock, pressing just a little against the ring of muscle.

"Duo, please..."

"You want it?"

"Ye-ss..."

"Then ask for it."

Heero's voice was low, a growl in the back of his throat. "Please, Duo, please! Fuck me! I need you, I need to be fucked." His words came louder, until he was yelling. "God, Duo, please! Fuck me! Fuck me hard! I - I want you. I need you. God! Fuck me!"

"Of course."

Duo leaned back and thrust into Heero with one long, hard motion, not stopping until he was fully seated in his lover. Heero cried out in pain. Duo waited but a moment before he withdrew, causing Heero to whimper.

"No, please, Du --"

Heero's words were cut off by another long stroke, the tip of Duo's cock moving from the inside of his asshole through his hot channel. Duo pulled back, all but the head of his cock outside Heero, and pushed in again, this time pulling Heero up a bit while he leaned down and in. He struck Heero's prostrate. The golden-skinned man cried out in pleasure.

"God, Duo! Duo!"

Duo began to work, slowly pumping, moving excruciatingly slowly. He would hit Heero's prostate, then deliberately miss two or three times in a row, to keep Heero guessing, frustrated, needy.

Finally unable to bear the pleasure he was giving himself, Duo began to speed up. He hit Heero hard with each stroke now, pushing his back against the thin throw rug in front of the couch. Heero slid backwards a bit with each stroke.

Duo's balls slapped Heero's ass. Faster, faster, Duo pumped hard into his lover, grunting and groaning as he did. Heero's breath came ragged, his chest heaving.

"Duo, Duo!"

"Fuck, oh Fuck!"

"God, Duo!"

Breath came hot as flesh slapped flesh. Sperm began to stir in Duo's prostate. His balls tightened.

Heero grabbed his cock and began to pump it.

"Harder, Duo! Fuck me!"

Heero's hand was a blur as it stroked his cock. He was burning with lust. He had been pushed against the couch, his head trapped between the fabric and his shoulder. His breath came in short, quick pants.

With one last thrust Duo slammed into Heero and screamed. "Heero!" He came hard, his semen spurting against Heero's prostate. Heero clamped down on Duo's cock, and came all over his stomach.

As their breathing slowed, the moonlight shot through the flimsy Venetian blinds at the window, painting jailer's stripes across golden thighs and creamy pale ones. The end of Duo's braid lay in the crook of his elbow, most of it hanging down like rope near his hip. He collapsed onto Heero. They lay together, sweaty, sticky, smelling of each other, of sex.

Heero opened his eyes to find Duo staring at the wall. He had slipped down to rest his head on Heero's belly. Heero drew a deep breath. Duo turned his neck to look at him. Silence passed between them. Finally Duo spoke.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Alright."

"Are we --"

"Yeah."

"Get off me, Duo." They both sat up. Duo sat cross-legged. Heero leaned against the couch and drew his knees up, his arms coming around them. He put one cheek against his knees and turned his head away from Duo to look at the overturned coffee table. The screen door creaked in the night wind.

"Heero, I --"

"Don't say it." Heero kept his eyes on the table.

"I just --"

Heero snapped his head up and glared at Duo. "Damnit, Duo, don't apologize."

Duo's mouth dropped open. His voice was a rough whisper. "Why?"

"Maybe --" Heero lowered his gaze to the floor. His voice was sad. "Maybe if you don't, we won't repeat this."

Silence lengthened.

When he spoke, Duo's voice was barely heard in the tiny room. "I see."

"Do you?" Heero looked up to find Duo's eyes shining at him. "What do you see, Duo?"

Duo took a breath. "I see two bull-headed men who aren't willing to change. I see both of them wanting to change the other." He looked away. "And I see one who -- who --"

"Who what?"

Duo sighed. "I see one who desperately wants this to work. Needs this to work." He looked at Heero. "I need this to work." Heero watched Duo as he struggled with his feelings. "I need you, Heero. As damned stubborn and infuriating as you are, I need you. I don't want to live without you."

Each man looked into the other's eyes for a long time before Heero spoke. "I -- I need you, too, Duo."

"So what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, Duo. I don't expect this to be our last fight. But as long as we know there's something stronger than our differences..."

"We'll be together." Duo held his hand out to Heero, who took it.

"Yeah. We'll be together."