Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier, ne? Written for pleasure not profit.
Warnings: Yaoi, sap, angst, fluff, perverseness, humor attempts, Lemon, Heero POV.
Pairing: eventual 2x1
Rating: NC 17
Summary: Heero and Duo have worked as partners for Preventer for several years, completing many successful missions. What happens on this latest mission though will change them both forever.
Thanks to my two wonderful betas, Artemis and Yami Tai for putting up with me.
Notes: Written for Sharon's Moment's of Rapture 2005/2006 fic comp.
Dec 2005 ShenLong

Mission Impossible
by ShenLong

Hitting the print button, I sit back in my chair and rotate my head, trying to ease some of the stiffness from my neck. I could feel a headache tugging at the fringes of my mind and mentally glared at it. I didn't have time for headaches. The printer beeped, announcing the completion of the task and I sighed as I got up and walked over to retrieve the report, it had been a long day and I was tired. I scanned the pages and gave a small smile of satisfaction at a job well done. The report, along with the collected evidence, would see the criminals from our latest assignment put behind bars for quite a number of years.

It was ten minutes to five. Good. It was enough time to lodge the report with the prosecuting section and then sign out for the day. I took a look at my partner's desk and shook my head. Duo, it seemed, had disappeared. Idly, I wondered if he'd finished his report. Dismissing it from my mind, I was about to head out of the small office when my phone rang.

"Yuy," I said, punching the receive button.

The sound of Commander Une's voice came down the line, her tone clipped. That could only mean one thing; Une wasn't happy about something.

"Hai, Commander. We will be right up." I disconnected the call and dropped the report to my desk. It would have to wait for a few more minutes while I went in search of my colleague.

I found him in the lunch room, mug of coffee in one hand, braid over his shoulder as he talked animatedly to Gail from records. Noticing my arrival he paused. "Hey, Heero. Knock off time already?"

"Une wants to see us in her office right away," I replied, ignoring his question.

"Okay. Be right with you, buddy."

I waited patiently while he drained his mug, rinsed it and bid Gail farewell. "Any idea what's going down?"

I shook my head. "No. She didn't say."

Duo grunted.

I wasn't overly happy myself. We had completed our last mission just two days ago and with only Thursday and Friday remaining of the week, I was seriously looking forward to some relaxation this weekend.

"Got any plans for Saturday, Heero?"

The question drew me from my thoughts and I turned to Duo. "No, why?"

"Wanna catch a movie and maybe shoot some pool afterwards?"

The proposition was tempting. "Sure, why not?"

"Great."

"What's on?"

"Dunno. Come over about one and we can check the movie guide."

I nodded and stepped into the elevator. Duo and I often hung out together on the weekends, shooting a few games of pool, taking in a movie or just sharing a few drinks. He was an interesting companion and had taken it upon himself to 'humanize' me after the wars. I didn't think I needed humanizing, I knew how the world, colonies and people worked; or so I thought. But Duo showed me another side to life -- one with laughter, warmth and friendship. As I began to discover this new side to life and the peace we'd fought so hard to achieve, I also discovered that Duo had been right; there was something left to live for.

"Ah, here we are. Eighth floor, strategy offices, planning center, ladies underwear and home of the industrious head of Preventer. Going down..." Duo's voice cut through the air as the elevator 'dinged' its arrival.

That was Duo, always the joker. I resisted the urge to throttle him with his braid.

As we stepped out of the elevator and proceeded along the corridor to Une's office, Duo once again contemplated what our Commander could want. "I hope it isn't another mission, I really could do with some down time after that last one."

"Hn," I grunted by way of reply. "I'm getting a bit fed up of mud, rain and flying bullets myself."

Duo passed a hand over his forehead and made to swoon. "I don't believe it; Heero Yuy, agent extrodinaire, the only man within the Earth Sphere United Nation to have a season ticket to 'Suicide Incorporated' is complaining about having to go on a mission."

"Baka!" I hit him upside the head.

"Ow! Sheesh, a little lighter on the strength next time, buddy if you don't mind. I'm rather fond of keeping my eyeballs in my head."

I gave him one of my better glares. I shouldn't have wasted my time. He was impervious to them anyway.

I opened the door and stepped into the small reception area, the large, double doors to Une's office loomed on the other side of the secretary's desk. I sensed Duo shudder behind me and a small wave of sympathy ran through my own body. To get to Une you had to go through her secretary, no mean feat in itself. Martha, the secretary, had strategically positioned her desk facing the entry door and with Une's office directly behind, you couldn't avoid the confrontation. Normally Duo would have charmed the pants off the secretary, he had every other female in the Preventer building wrapped around his little finger, so why not Martha?

I can still remember the day that Une employed her new secretary. No one had seen her and the only information we had was that she was efficient and as cold as the Arctic. Even my skills at digging up information through my computer had failed to yield anything on the woman. Either she was very good at hiding her personal files, had a squeaky clean reputation, or simply didn't exist. Needless to say, Duo had immediately made it his goal to win the woman over and departed from our shared office with a cheeky grin and unlimited sex appeal on the day Martha joined the Preventer payroll. I was therefore surprised when he returned not fifteen minutes later, tail firmly between his legs and licking his wounds.

It took me a while to get the story out of him; and then it was only by sheer bribery. It was the best dozen beers I'd ever bought. Turns out the woman was about fifty five not out, [1] with graying hair which she kept pulled back into a severe bun. Thin, black rimmed glasses sat perched on the end of her nose, and she had a pair of eyes that rivaled the mythological Medusa for rendering a person to stone. Duo had done a double take when arriving at Une's office. Not one to be deterred easily, he'd applied the Maxwell charm.

Only this time it didn't work.

The woman had simply given Duo a withering glance and asked what his reason for being there was. When she found out he didn't have an appointment she was quick to put two and two together; combine that with a sharp tongue that told Duo she wasn't about to be influenced by a mere 'boy' (I'm certain there was a whole lot more in that conversation but Duo clammed up when questioned on it and I wasn't about to push it given the fragile state of his ego at the time.) and the 'Duo Casanova' of Preventer had promptly done what he did best -- run and hid.

It wasn't just Duo though who came in for the steely glares and cold treatment, it was everyone at Preventer. I never thought I would see the day when Wufei would bow to an 'onna'. I think Sally Po was the only person, besides Une herself, that Martha didn't intimidate. Although, come to think of it, no one intimidates Sally. I guess it has something to do with her doctor status and the fact that she's the one who does all our medical checks, shots and patch ups. Most of us have learnt over time that it does not pay to piss off the medic.

But I digress.

Here we were, two ex-Gundam pilots, top Preventer agents (young, muscular and strong), having survived torture both physical and mental that would have broken men twice our age and size in mere minutes, cowering like two naughty schoolboys facing the principal. I scowled as I felt Duo poke me from behind, causing me to stumble forward. Martha's eyes had fixed us both when we stepped inside and had narrowed even further.

" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me. I hope you are anyway, Heero." [2]

I turned my head slightly and caught Duo's muttering as he moved forward and closer to my side.

"Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. At least I can use them to beat the shit outta anyone that attacks me."

I was seriously beginning to wonder about my partner's sanity as his little ramble continued. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; only I don't want to be the sacrificial virgin..."

Now I was certain he'd lost his marbles. I turned to glare at him and received a lopsided grin in return; along with his last few pearls of wisdom. "Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over. I just wish the oil would fry the enemy and my feet would runneth me out of here."

I elbowed him sharply to shut him up as we finally reached Martha's desk. The last thing I needed was for the secretary to hear him.

"Something you want, boys?"

Martha's sharp tone brought us both back to our current situation. Seeing as how Duo's vocabulary skills had deserted him, not surprising after that little monologue, it was left to me to state the purpose for our visit to the lion's den. Where the hell was Trowa when you needed him?

"Commander Une requested our attendance for a mission briefing," I managed to get out past a dry throat and tongue that wanted to stick to the roof of my mouth. Thank heavens my voice remained calm with only a slight rise in pitch.

"Does she now?" Martha fixed us with a steely eye and punched a button on the intercom unit. "Commander Une, I have two agents out here who claim you sent for them. I have nothing in the book to verify that."

"That's okay, Martha, you can send them in. I did page Agents Yuy and Maxwell."

"As you wish." Martha disconnected the intercom. "You may go in."

Carefully inching past her desk, I made my way to those double doors, feeling the woman's eyes boring into my back and Duo pressed close behind me. I swear if he was any closer he'd be inside my uniform with me. I opened the doors and slipped inside, the relief washing over and through me as I shut them again behind us.

"Ah, Yuy and Maxwell."

I felt the tension beginning to build again.

"Commander," Duo's cheerful voice rang out. Looked like he'd found his vocal chords again.

"Please, sit for a moment."

We did as requested, Duo giving me a questioning look which I returned with a shrug of my shoulders. I had no idea how long this was going to take and why we should be asked to sit for the briefing.

"I know you have both just completed a mission and a successful one at that. Congratulations again."

"Arigato," I murmured.

"I really don't want to do this seeing as how you've just finished one mission, but I don't have much of a choice. Although this shouldn't be too hard."

Now my curiosity was aroused. Normally, Duo and I got the tough missions, the ones that demanded we use the skills we'd fine tuned during the wars. But then again, Une's version of a hard mission and ours were usually totally different.

"As you are aware, Relena has been through many meetings, talks and conferences recently. She has decided to take a couple of days off for some relaxation."

"Good for her," muttered Duo. "Wish I could do the same." Une's sharp hearing caught the words and she turned to face Duo. "I'm glad you feel the same way, Agent Maxwell as both yourself and Agent Yuy will be accompanying Relena as her security detail."

"Huh?"

I guess my face must have had the same blank expression as Duo's 'huh?' did.

"Relena hasn't divulged much in the way of details to me, just enough to satisfy the basic requirements set down by Preventer for any delegate it's required to protect." Une passed over two manila envelopes. "All the details we have are in there, including shuttle details and accommodation vouchers. All I can brief you on is that Relena will be going overseas, leaving tonight and returning on Monday afternoon."

I stared at the envelope. All the plans for the lazy weekend, movie, pool, take out for tea gone south with the ducks. A weekend away would be nice. A weekend away with Relena as her security detail was going to be another kettle of fish. There wouldn't be much time for relaxation given the woman's well known status. I could think of nothing worse than trailing around after the girl as she busied herself sightseeing and doing all the touristy things.

"Any questions?"

Duo cleared his throat. "Ah, where exactly are we going?"

"San Francisco."

"Right. Um, where are we staying?"

"The Clariton hotel."

"When do we leave?" I heard myself ask, wondering if I could get Wufei to feed my cat while I was gone again.

"I believe the shuttle is scheduled for departure at 23.30 hours."

I looked at the clock. It was five thirty.

"Any other questions?"

I shook my head, Duo imitating my action.

"Then I suggest you both get moving. Enjoy the trip and look after Relena." Une turned her focus back to the paperwork on her desk indicating we were dismissed.

I stood and with Duo following me, prepared for the sprint across the reception area and back to the corridor and freedom. We were lucky though. Martha wasn't sitting behind her desk; in fact she wasn't in the reception area at all.

"Looks like even the iron maiden has a home to go to, although I think a fortress is probably more her style," growled Duo as we walked across the thick carpet to the door.

I declined to answer. The envelope in my hand burned against my palm. I really didn't want to be spending the weekend playing bodyguard to Relena. As much as I admired the woman, and had even become friends with her, I'd much rather be spending my time at home. Many people had speculated on our relationship but there was no truth in the rumors that seemed to rise whenever I was assigned to protect her.

She had gotten over her crush on me; I never had one on her to start with, and we were now simply good friends. The tabloids continued to speculate on our relationship and I had learned long ago that no matter how much I protested and denied the allegations about us the press would report what they wanted. Now I just said nothing.

The truth of the matter was, Relena didn't do anything for me. Yes, she was a fine woman with ideals and a silver tongue, but I couldn't think of her in a romantic way. I wasn't sure what I desired in a companion, I hadn't really given it much thought. My life was too busy with my job. Besides, all the missions I was required to carry out, life threatening and otherwise, were not conducive to having a relationship.

It wouldn't be fair to have a girlfriend and expect her to understand the risks of my job, the possibility that I may not make it home one day. Hell, it wasn't even fair on my cat! No, it was far better to remain single and avoid all that crap.

"Wanna come back to my place first? I'll grab my stuff and then we can go to your place and finalize this mission before heading to the shuttle port." Duo's words brought me back to the present and I was surprised to find we were back in our office.

"Sure," I replied. "I'll drop this report off on the way out. Meet you in the parking lot in five?"

"Be waiting for ya, buddy."

I watched as Duo left, braid swinging behind him, and then picked up my report. I stuffed the manila envelope in my briefcase, shut off the lights and departed the office.

So much for a weekend of relaxation.

[1] This is a bit of Aussie humor. It's something we tend to say in reference to a person's age. In this case 55 not out meaning the woman could be anywhere from 55 upwards and still going. It comes from the game of cricket when a batsman at the end of a match is referred to as having x number of runs -- not out, meaning the number he could have made is anyone's guess.

[2] Psalm 23 -- second stanza. My apologies to anyone who may be offended by my butchering of this part of the Psalm. It was not intended to offend.

Chapter 2

It didn't take Duo long to throw together his gear for our latest mission. Duffle in hand, he emerged from his bedroom ten minutes after entering, changed out of his uniform into a pair of black jeans that rode low on his hips, a dark blue button down shirt, leather jacket slung over one arm and ready to go. We paused at his neighbor's apartment, Duo giving the elderly woman his spare key so she could water his plants and keep an eye on the place while he was gone. Then we were once more on the road, this time heading for my apartment.

Entering my apartment, Duo made a beeline for my kitchen and helped himself to a beer from the 'fridge and brought one back for me. With the mission not starting until we arrived at the shuttle port, Duo figured we had time to knock back one beer each . I'd booted up my lap top and while it was loading, fetched the manila envelope from inside my briefcase and opened it. Duo sprawled out on my couch and I took a seat next to him, spilling the contents of the envelope onto the coffee table. Duo rifled through the papers, picking one up.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." he began with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. Would he never be serious and simply read what was written? Obviously not as he continued on.

"Is to play bodyguard to one Relena Peacecraft, to protect her and keep her safe from harm. Hey, Heero?"

"Hai?" I replied as I fished through the paperwork.

"Define harm, as in how it relates to her Highness."

"Are you sure you weren't blond before?" I replied in a scathing tone. I really didn't need his jokes. It was bad enough that our weekend plans had changed.

Taking the hint, Duo dropped the joking. "I wish there was a little more information here. All it says is the name of the hotel and that we are to be present and accompany Relena, discreetly of course, for the duration of her weekend away."

Knowing exactly what Duo meant, I looked to my desk, and the lap top humming away. I went and typed in a few commands, waiting for the results to appear. I felt Duo move up behind me and peer over my shoulder.

"Ah, the Clariton Hotel," he murmured as the information came up on the screen.

We spent the next half hour scanning the hotel's web site to determine the layout for possible threat points and emergency escape routes. I tried the online booking form and found, to my surprise, that the hotel was completely booked out for the weekend. My unease was growing by the minute.

"Fuck!" Duo stated as he also observed the fully booked status.

"Ditto to that. We're going to have to be extra vigilant given the hotel's status."

"Why couldn't she just take a holiday here, camping or something simple and easy? Why does she have to go to San Francisco?" Duo grumbled.

"Because she's a woman?" I offered as I scanned around the Internet but couldn't find out anything more on this particular hotel or a reason for Relena wanting to visit San Francisco.

"Figures," Duo sighed.

I tried in vain to find out more details and would have managed to hack my way into the hotel's list of guests if time hadn't been against me.

"I hate to interrupt your fun there, partner, but I think we need to be making a move."

Duo's voice cut into my thoughts and I looked at the clock on the computer. "Shit!"

"There's a toilet for that," came the chuckled response.

Ignoring the comedian, I shut down the lap top and deposited it into its carry bag. I shot through to the bedroom, yanked my duffle from inside the closet and proceeded to toss in a few clothes. The sane part of my brain told me I needed to pack clothes suitable for the mission, however, not my usual uniform or Preventer body suit worn on field missions. Just what the hell did one wear in San Francisco anyway? Duo must have sensed my dilemma as his head poked around the doorway.

"Need some help?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "What should I pack?"

"Underwear and socks would be a start."

"I know that," I growled back at him.

In a flash, Duo was in my closet and passing out clothes. "Here, these slacks, this shirt, ummm..."

Within ten minutes he had me organized with what he termed suitable attire. I didn't bother to argue.

"You going to change?"

His voice cut into my thoughts again and I looked down at my green Preventer Jacket, khaki shirt and pants. "Might be an idea," I replied.

"You change, I'll go call Wuffers and organize your cat for you."

I nodded my thanks and looked at what remained in my closet for something suitable to wear.

We arrived at the shuttle port with a good hour and a half before departure, mainly due to Duo's driving skills. He liked to call them skills, I likened it more to grand prix racing. I swear he missed his calling in that department. So, here we were, car parked in the long term parking area facing a good long walk to the terminal.

"Why the fuck do they have the car parks so far away from the terminal?" grumbled Duo, echoing my thoughts.

"Probably to deter you from taking a lot of luggage?" I offered as I shouldered my duffle and picked up the lap top case.

Duo ignored me, but continued to grumble about the unfairness of it all as we walked towards the terminal. Once inside it was a simple case of finding the check-in counter and passing our luggage through. At least we had one consolation, Relena traveled first class which meant we would, and that held its own perks. Once our luggage was taken care of we were escorted through to the customs section, had our passports stamped and then shown through to the first class lounge to await the shuttle departure. Relena hadn't arrived yet, as a safety measure. She was allowed very little sitting around time, to minimize becoming a target for some idiot who fancied himself as the one to take out the former queen of the Earth and colonies.

I walked over to the window and gazed down at the tarmac. I could see the shuttle, cargo doors open as various items were loaded inside. I also spotted the discreet presence of Preventer agents as they went over the transport with a fine-toothed comb. I sensed Duo's presence behind me moments before he spoke.

"She's here." I turned and looked around. Relena was just entering the lounge, accompanied by a couple of her security detail that I recognized. She smiled when she saw Duo and myself and then turned to speak with the larger of the two men that accompanied her. I began to walk towards her, Duo at my side.

"Relena," I said in greeting and offered my hand.

"Heero. Good to see you again. You too, Duo," she replied as she shook my hand.

Duo took her hand, raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Princess," he murmured.

"Oh, Duo," she giggled. "No need to stand on ceremony here, we're all friends so quit with the princess stuff. I'm on vacation."

Duo gave her a charming smile. I just shook my head.

"I'm sorry you two had to give up your weekend to accompany me. I was planning on going by myself, but..." she gave a small sigh of resignation. "The powers that be wouldn't allow it."

"No biggie," replied Duo. "At least we will get some sort of vacation as well. Could be worse."

"I don't know about that," muttered Relena with a mysterious air. "Depends which side of the fence you're on and how you interpret worse."

I caught the cryptic words and quirked an eyebrow in question. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to ask what she meant as the public address system crackled into life and announced the boarding of our shuttle. I exchanged a few quick words with Relena's security before taking over the detail and heading towards the boarding gate with Relena between Duo and myself. We handed over our boarding passes and were escorted to our seats. Relena took the window seat, myself beside her. Duo sat just across the aisle. I patted my shoulder holster, more out of habit than anything else. It was a comfort to feel the hard press of metal against my palm.

As I sat down and buckled my seat belt I noted Duo also checking his firearm and various other weapons concealed on his person. I couldn't help the smile as I recalled our trip through the metal detectors and x-ray apparatus. We had shown the security our Preventer badges which allowed us clearance to carry weapons on board before we passed through the metal detector. The damn thing had gone off as expected but the guards didn't worry seeing as how we'd already provided our clearance. They did, however, have to put us through the x-ray machine, simply to determine that we carried what we'd stated. It was state of the art -- you simply walked into it and it showed anything and everything metal on your person.

When Duo stepped inside, I was standing with the guards and had to stifle the snicker as his 'picture' was displayed. Aside from the shoulder holster, Duo's body was a pattern of metal. A second gun could be seen inside his boot, a scattering of knives showed up in various places over his slender frame.

"Shit!" The guard exclaimed. "Who does this guy think he is? Rambo?"

"No. Just prepared," I said in Duo's defense.

I glanced around at the other passengers, making mental notes on each one. I also cataloged the possible threat risk and safe places within the shuttle should we need them. A poke from Relena drew me from my observations and I looked at her.

"Most people just check out where the toilets are," she snickered.

I blushed slightly. I didn't realize I'd been so obvious in my perusal. I'd need to be a bit more discreet in future.

The pilot's voice came over the address system, welcoming us aboard and explaining the route we would be taking as well as pointing out a few other minor details. The stewards took over next, going through the safety drill, one I knew like the back of my hand and still found amusing.

"In case of an emergency landing, please fold your arms, rest your head on them and brace them against the seat in front of you. If you can't reach the seat in front then bend forwards, rest your head on your knees and hold tightly to your legs."

"In other words, put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye," Duo muttered from across the aisle. I snickered and turned to see my partner gazing back at me with a grin.

His sense of humor helped to ease a little of my fears. I wasn't afraid of flying, hell no! I'd been a Gundam Pilot, goddammit! No, what made me nervous was someone else at the controls. I was so used to having either myself or Duo pilot that it wasn't easy to put my trust in a complete stranger to get me safely to my destination. I knew Duo felt the same.

The shuttle taxied out and moments later we were pushed back in our seats as the forward thrust took us up and into the atmosphere. The flight was scheduled to take eight hours, arriving in San Francisco at eleven am, local time. Once we were airborne and the shuttle leveled out at its cruising height, the stewards came around with the usual offerings of food and drinks. I accepted the food, not having had the time to eat after leaving headquarters, but declined the alcoholic beverages. I was, after all, on duty so I settled for a green tea. Relena seemed comfortable enough, eating most of her food and enjoying a glass of Riesling with it. Duo also declined the alcohol, asking for a coffee to accompany his meal. Once the food containers were removed, the captain dimmed the lights on the shuttle and most people, including Relena, opted to try and grab a few hours sleep. I took a look at Duo and noticed the tiredness in his eyes.

"I'll take first watch," I offered.

"Thanks," he murmured and proceeded to recline his seat back, tuck the small pillow under his head and drift off to sleep.

A few minutes later, I could hear him snoring. Unfortunately, so could a few of the other passengers. It wasn't a good idea to spring wakefulness onto a sleeping Shinigami. That resulted in blood being spilled, and I was damn sure I needed all of mine. There was also the fact that shuttles didn't fly too well with a bullet hole in their fuselage. So, trying to be as careful as I could, I reached across and nudged him, calling his name at the same time.

"Duo? Duo? Hey, buddy. Close your mouth, you're snoring."

He grunted, snuffled a couple of times and then settled again.

Peace returned for all of five minutes.

Relena giggled beside me and I shot her a glare. I don't think she realized the seriousness of the situation. Or maybe she did. Judging by the disgruntled noises coming from the other passengers I needed to do something about Duo's snoring. Otherwise, he would find himself in the cargo hold for the rest of the trip. Relena passed me a pillow.

"Here, put that over his face, it should drown out a little of the noise," she said with a smirk.

I gave her another of my patented glares. "He'll suffocate," I snapped quietly.

"At least he won't be snoring anymore," Relena quipped with a grin.

Just what I needed on this trip, two comedians. I chose to ignore her as another thought hit my tired brain. I eased out of my chair and crouched beside Duo's form. The snoring was getting louder, so I needed to do this quick, before he reached freight train volume.

"Zero Two, silent mode. Non friendlies around; copy?"

Even in his sleep he couldn't deny his former training and the words had the effect I'd hoped for. He grunted and murmured, "Copy." The snoring ceased.

I sat back in my seat, a smirk on my face as I looked at Relena's shock.

"How did you do that?" Her eyes darted from the now quiet Duo, to me, and back again.

"Ah. Trade secret," I replied and then shifted in my seat to get comfortable. "You should rest," I told her, unable to hide the smugness from my voice.

Though obviously not satisfied with my answer, Relena decided not to push the issue. She settled into her seat, pulling the small blanket over her shoulder and resting her head on the pillow. Moments later, she too was asleep.

The flight passed pleasantly enough. I woke Duo after a couple of hours and he took over the watch so I could snatch some sleep. We were used to grabbing a few hours here and there, although we both preferred an uninterrupted sleeping pattern, sometimes it just wasn't possible. Duo woke me half an hour before landing time. I'd missed breakfast but it didn't bother me, I'd grab something later. Relena was awake and in need of the bathroom, my bladder informed me it also needed to relieve itself so I followed her to the toilets.

The shuttle captain announced our pending descent into San Francisco and there was the usual flurry of activity by the stewards as they secured the cabin for landing. Seat belts were buckled, tray tables returned to their positions and all seats put back into their upright positions. I could feel the mild tremors passing through the craft as we gradually descended, breaking through the clouds and closing in on the city. Beside me, Relena craned her neck to see out of the window at the approaching landscape. Within minutes we were on the ground and taxiing towards the terminal. Once the shuttle was stationary, the captain gave the all clear and it was the normal scramble to retrieve items from the overhead lockers and beat everyone else to the exit.

We decided to wait and let the rest of the first class passengers leave ahead of us. Once the way was clear, we proceeded along the aisle and out into the terminal. Immigration was next, then we had to wait for our luggage at the carousel. My eyes widened when I saw what Relena had brought. While Duo and I had opted for our duffles, Relena had two suitcases -- and neither was light.

I'd already told Duo I would carry Relena's suitcases while he took both our duffles; I was beginning to regret the decision. The snicker he gave me told me he knew he'd gotten the better end of the deal. I made myself a silent promise that Duo would be the one to carry Relena's suitcases on the return journey. That thought cheered me up a little, knowing Relena's penchant for shopping, those bags would be even heavier.

We breezed through customs, partially due to our Preventer status and partially due to Relena's presence. I swear that woman could have been carrying all sorts of illegal contraband and the authorities would still let her though. I put it down to her innocent smile. Now cleared to leave the shuttle port, our next stop was transport to the hotel.

The information I'd dug up on the Internet told me that the Clariton was only about five minutes away from the shuttle port. Normally, I would have walked, but given the fact that Relena was our purpose for being here, as well as her baggage was getting heavier by the minute, I didn't fancy demonstrating my enhanced stamina. Knowing my luck I'd fall flat on my face.

Relena was muttering something about shuttle buses that ran from the hotel and headed in that direction. Duo though, was one step ahead of her and next minute had her highness by the elbow and discreetly directing her towards a car rental booth. Seems he'd anticipated our transport problem and while I'd been sleeping, he'd made a call to the rental company and booked a vehicle.

It didn't take long for Duo to fill out the paperwork and obtain the keys. With a grin that promised something I wasn't sure I was going to like, he led us out of the shuttle port and into the rental car park. When my eyes alighted on the vehicle, I knew I'd been right. I didn't like it.

Let me rephrase that. I liked the car; it was the thought of Duo behind the wheel I didn't like. Not that Duo was a bad driver, no, he was usually quite good. Somehow though, when he got behind the wheel of a flashy car it was as if he took on yet another personality. Like I said before, he missed his calling as a grand prix driver.

The car was a jet black, top of the range, Mercedes Benz.

Putting the luggage in the trunk, I tried not to drool over the paint work. Relena wasn't as affected, since she'd spent most of her life being carted around in a pink limo. At least with her maturity she'd gotten rid of the pink for a new, silver colored model. Even Pargan seemed to gain a new lease on life with the change of décor.

I could tell I wasn't going to be lucky enough to score the keys, the fact confirmed when Duo slipped behind the wheel. Relena slid into the front seat and I was left with no choice but to get in the rear. I buckled up, relieved when I saw Relena doing the same. I wondered if I should say a couple of prayers, even if I wasn't religious, but didn't get a chance to think anymore on that as Duo shot out of the parking space and headed for the car park exit. When he left the car park and filtered into the other traffic, I knew no amount of praying to any god that might care to listen would do any good. What I really needed was a change of underwear.

We sped down the road, making the appropriate turns, mostly on four wheels and it wasn't long before we could see the rising brickwork of the Clariton Hotel. Making the turn into the sweeping drive that led us to the front doors of the hotel I stared around, consciously cataloging everything. Duo brought the car to a halt and the bell hop came over with his little trolley for our luggage. I climbed out, noting that Relena, like myself, was resisting the urge to kiss the ground.

Duo was busy looking around, so I helped the bell hop with the bags. Poor guy nearly fell over when he lifted one of Relena's cases and then wisely left the second one to me. Once all the luggage was on the trolley, the bell hop began to push it towards the sliding, glass doors that led into the foyer. I was about to follow with Relena when Duo nudged me.

I scowled at him. It didn't have any effect. "What?" I asked, annoyed.

"Look."

I turned my gaze to look where Duo was pointing. There stood the main sign advertising the Clariton Hotel. I scratched my head in puzzlement as I read the two foot high letters.

"The Clariton Hotel Welcomes Yaoi-Con AC 200."

"Relena?" I asked, turning my sight towards the woman who was now trying to become invisible.

"I'll explain once we get inside," she replied rapidly and then took off at a very brisk walk into the hotel foyer.

"What the hell is a Yaoi-Con?" asked Duo beside me as we moved to catch up to our 'mission'.

"I have no idea," I growled. "But you can bet I'm going to find out."

Chapter 3

We caught up to Relena at the reception desk, but I didn't get a chance to question her. The receptionist was waiting for us so we had to go through the rituals of filling out forms and offering up the credit card. When I inquired about computer ports I was given a sheet of paper with the hotel's charges for the service. Peering over my shoulder, Duo gave a low whistle as he read the charges.

"Looks like you're gonna be using a few of those skills of yours," he said in a quiet voice that only I could hear.

I gave a grunt in reply. Duo was almost as good as me when it came to computers. He could create programs, foul up security systems and plant lethal viruses without a second thought. He wasn't as good on the hacking front though. I knew that between the two of us we would be able to log onto the hotel's service, use it as much as we liked and not pay a cent. Sometimes it's good to be me.

"The bell hop will show you to your rooms," I heard the receptionist say as she handed over the electronic key cards to the rooms. Duo took the two for our room and passed me one, Relena took her own. I took the spare to Relena's room and avoided looking at either Relena or Duo, I already knew what they were probably thinking, but I had no intentions of using the key card to Relena's room unless it was necessary. We followed the bell hop to the elevator and rode it to the fifth floor. Stepping out, we turned to the left and walked along the corridor, stopping outside rooms 563 and 564. A swipe of the electronic card and the door opened to 563, Relena stepped inside.

I left Duo to investigate our room and followed Relena inside to check out her room. It was nice with all the usual features: television, 'phone, queen bed, air conditioning. But there was one important feature missing.

"This room won't do," I said.

"Pardon?" Relena turned to look at me, along with the bell hop who obviously thought I'd lost part of my mind.

"That room won't do," Duo said as he joined us. Seeing the looks on the bell hop's and Relena's faces he went on the defensive. "What?"

"You sure you two aren't telepathic or psychic?" Relena folded her arms across her chest.

"I've been called psychotic on occasion but never psychic," Duo snickered.

The bell hop leaned against his trolley; he was beginning to enjoy himself. Obviously, he didn't get much in the way of entertainment in his job.

Relena shook her head. "There is nothing wrong with the room."

"Yes, there is." Duo raised an eyebrow and I nodded, letting him know I agreed.

"There is no connecting door," I stated flatly.

The bell hop slipped a piece of chewing gum into his mouth and chewed away. Things were getting interesting for him and he wasn't about to miss any of it.

"No connecting door? I don't need a connecting door, unless you're thinking of sneaking in here during the night for a little on the side, in which case you're going to be sorely disappointed."

"Breathe, Heero, breathe."

Duo's words came through the haze as he thumped me on the back. I sucked in a deep lung full of oxygen, much to my body's relief.

"No!" I managed to get out, although it sounded a little strangled. Fortunately, Duo came to my rescue and explained as I continued to try and stabilize my oxygen levels.

"Connecting doors will ensure we can get to you within seconds should you need us. Without the door, Heero or I will have to go out into the hall then come through the main door and thus waste precious time, time that could mean the difference between success or failure."

I was glad that Duo hadn't gone into too much detail with the bell hop still there. You never knew who was the enemy, although I didn't think the bell hop posed much of a threat. He appeared to be more intent on getting the juicier details, no doubt to share with his mates later. But I'd been trained to observe everything and even I wasn't about to start underestimating anyone or anything.

Relena rolled her eyes. "I don't think for one minute that I am going to be the one in need of any help, but I do see your point. Maybe connecting doors would be an advantage." Relena turned away. "I think you two are the ones that are going to need protection though, not me."

Her last words were so quiet that I barely heard them. Obviously, I wasn't meant to, but I did, and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell she meant with her cryptic clues. I had an uneasy feeling in my gut that everything was tied in together, and once I discovered what a Yaoi con was, all would become clear.

"I'll go back down to reception and get us different rooms okay?" Duo asked. "It would be easier than blasting a hole between these two, not that I'm adverse to a little blowing things up."

I gave him a look, one he ignored, and insisted we all go back down to the reception area.

Once more we were in the elevator, this time riding it up to the second floor. The receptionist had been a little disgruntled at first, calmly explaining that the hotel was fully booked and she couldn't possibly change our rooms for us. I was beginning to get more frustrated, unable to reveal the real reason for wanting connecting doors as it would endanger Relena unnecessarily. I'd just about had enough of the woman's obvious misinterpretation for wanting connecting doors. My trigger finger itched, waiting for her to say one word that would insinuate I planned on sneaking into Relena's room for anything other than to check her safety. Thankfully, Duo once again came to my rescue. He plastered a broad grin to his face and applied the Maxwell charm.

I let him go for it, opting to stand back and watch the woman deteriorate into a simpering pile of hormones under his assault.

Five minutes later, we had new key cards.

"Piece of cake," he stated smugly as he waved the new key cards under my nose.

With a long suffering sigh, I followed behind the bell hop, Relena and Duo to the elevators again.

The second floor was the same layout as the fifth. We exited the elevator and turned left. This time we stopped at rooms 211 and 212. The key cards were taken and swiped, Duo going into our room while I followed Relena into hers. The room was the same as the previous one with the addition of the connecting door.

"Everything okay with this one, sir?"

I turned to the bell hop. "This should be fine." I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow in question as Duo entered.

"These rooms are perfect," Duo said as he grabbed our duffles from the trolley and slipped the bell hop a fiver before disappearing back out the door.

Part of my mind wondered why he'd left so abruptly, but I didn't dwell on it.

The bell hop eyed the two remaining suitcases and with a grunt, bent to lift them off the trolley.

I let him struggle by himself, my dignity was a little bruised at the moment and I wasn't feeling charitable. I did pass him five dollars though, I figured he'd earned the extra tip given the workout the suitcases had given him. Once the bell hop had left, I proceeded to go over the room, sweeping it for bugs of any shape, size, form or description.

"Find anything?" Relena asked as she began to unpack her suitcases.

"All clear," I replied as I pulled my head out from the closet.

"Good. I've unlocked the connecting door on my side. Now, I'd appreciate a little time to myself to unpack." Relena waved a pair of frilly knickers at me. "Unless you want to stay and help?"

"Ah, no. I'll go unpack myself and check out our room. I'll call back for you shortly." I turned and fled.

Entering room 212, I closed the door behind me and froze. My eyes widened as I gazed around. No wonder Duo had swiped the duffles and taken off. Besides the usual furniture -- two queen beds, television, chairs and such, there was also a range of exercise equipment. Duo waved to me from the 'walking' machine.

"What the?"

"Don't ask me, Heero. I only asked the receptionist for adjoining rooms with the connecting door. I didn't say anything about a private gym, although you gotta admit, could be fun."

I ran a hand through my hair as I watched my partner on the treadmill and shook my head. I didn't particularly fancy another trip down to reception. "Got weights?"

"Yup."

That was good enough for me. "Fine. We'll keep the room but you sleep in the bed closest to the equipment."

"Eh?"

"I don't feel like falling over any of it in the middle of the night."

"Ah." A wicked grin lit up his face. "If I hurt myself would you kiss it better for me?"

I spun around so fast I was surprised I didn't give myself whiplash.

"Just joking."

"I have to unpack and check on Relena. I want some answers." I chose to ignore his antics and opened my duffle, pulling out my clothes and putting them away. A soft grunt from the side a minute later, told me Duo was doing the same. I set my surveillance equipment to one side. I'd set that up in Relena's room shortly.

"I'm done." Duo was lounging on his bed.

"Unlock the connecting door and see if Relena is nearly finished. I think we need to get some answers from her and do a quick recon on the hotel."

"Will do, Cap'n Yuy."

Could this mission get any worse? I asked myself. If only I'd known just how much worse it could get I think I would have jumped on the first shuttle back home and begged Une to send me on a suicide mission. At least I managed to survive those.

"Okay, Relena. Spill." I fixed the woman with a glare. "If Duo and I are to protect you we need to know what we are dealing with, what your plans are and no bullshitting." We had finished our unpacking and now sat in a corner booth of the hotel's coffee shop.

Relena averted her gaze, staring at her latte as she dumped a sachet of sugar in it and watched it sink to the bottom. Duo reached for a sugar sachet and sprinkled the contents over the top of his cappuccino, picking up his teaspoon and proceeding to scoop the foam off the top and eat it.

I took a sip from my double shot espresso and waited. After a couple of minutes, Relena began to speak.

"First of all, I want to get something straight here. I didn't ask for you two to be my security detail. Actually, I didn't want security at all, but the powers that be insisted so you can blame them."

Duo's eyebrow twitched.

"All I wanted was to have a weekend away, by myself, doing something I want to do."

The woman was clearly having problems with explaining herself. Why? I didn't know, but I was determined to find out.

"Surely you would realize that popping off by yourself for a couple of days isn't a smart thing to do, Relena. You're a high profile person, your face is well known all over the Earth and Colonies and believe it or not, there are people out there who would like nothing more than to see you removed." It was cold and cruel to speak like this, but I had to get it into Relena's head. The woman really should know better. "Walking around the city, playing tourist by yourself is simply inviting someone to take a shot at you."

"Who said I was going sightseeing?"

"Isn't that what you're here for?"

"No."

Duo scratched the back of his neck before adding his two cents to our conversation. "Let me get this straight. You're taking a couple of days off from your diplomatic duties, you travel to a well known tourist destination, but claim you're not here to go sightseeing; correct?"

Relena nodded.

"Then if you're not planning on seeing the sights, what the hell are you planning on doing? I can't see you sitting in this hotel all weekend!" Duo's look of frustration and confusion matched my own.

"Ah, well..."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the big sign out front, would it?" I asked. "You know, the one that says Welcome to Yaoi Con AC 200?"

"Ummm..."

"Relena, what exactly is a Yaoi Con?" I carefully studied Relena's face as she fought with her mind, obviously trying to come up with the words she needed to explain. I had a sudden feeling that I wasn't going to like her explanation very much. A glance at Duo found his face impassive.

Reaching for her spoon, Relena stirred her coffee and kept her eyes averted as she came to a decision and spoke. "Yaoi Con. How best to put this? Oh, stuff it. You two have heard of Anime, right?"

Duo nodded. I had to think for a moment before also nodding in the affirmative.

"This convention is a gathering of Anime fans..."

"Cool," Duo interrupted. "There's a lot of good anime shows out there."

"Mostly female fans..."

"Really?" Duo's face took on a look of enthusiasm.

"To be more specific, female fans that watch, read and write Yaoi Anime. Yaoi means boy-boy relationships."

"Ah, I think I follow," Duo said.

"Well I don't," I stated.

"You've heard of hentai? Well, this is the male equivalent. Put simply, Heero, Yaoi is males loving males, homosexuals, gays, bishounen boinking other bishounen, that's what Yaoi is." Relena's eyes hadn't moved from her coffee during the time she'd been speaking, now though, she raised them just a touch to calculate our reactions.

Duo's enthusiasm had waned a little with Relena's blunt words, but I could clearly see the wheels turning inside his head as he processed the information. I must have had an expression on my own face akin to horror, wide eyed and slack jawed as the full impact of what Relena had just said began to sink in. Not that I was adverse to male relationships, personally I didn't give a damn if a couple were same sex or opposite. I wasn't one to pass judgment, especially considering I really hadn't had much personal experience in the field.

"Now you see why I don't think it will be me that needs protecting and why I didn't want a security detail."

"Shit!" I turned to face Relena. "How long have you been into this sort of thing?" I was finding it hard to put Relena, innocent ambassador for peace, and gay cartoon characters into the same picture.

"Oh, about three years."

"Three years?!" Seemed I didn't know Relena as well as I'd thought I did.

"Give or take a few months."

"Well fuck me," Duo stated.

"No thanks, but I think there's going to be a lot of girls here at the Con that, to put it mildly, will be taking a strong interest in you two."

Now that was something new. I turned my gaze to Duo and found him staring back, wide eyed at me as the implications began to register. "And why exactly would these women want to show an interest in Duo and myself? We are only here to protect you."

"Think about it, Heero," Duo said. "A hotel full of females who enjoy the thought of two male anime characters in a relationship together."

"So?" I couldn't help it if I didn't fully understand. I dealt with facts, needed to have things put into black and white, not all the unerring shades of gray.

"You know what a bishounen is, right?"

"Yes. I have watched some anime, I'm not stupid." If I was totally honest here the only anime I'd really watched was a little on the cable network when suffering from nightmares and not able to return to sleep, but the word bishounen was familiar to me. "Bishounen is the term given to male anime characters that are drawn to appear pretty."

"We still need to work on your personal skills, Heero," Duo muttered. "Okay, you know what a bishounen is, now take it a step further."

"How?" I knew he wasn't trying to confuse me on purpose, but I didn't know the next step in his line of thinking.

"I'll lay it on the line for you, Heero." Duo said, obviously starting to get a little frustrated with my lack of understanding. "Yaoi, two males together. I wouldn't exactly say we are in the class of these bishounen the women go nuts over, but I wouldn't say we are bad looking either. Actually with your dark hair, blue eyes and smoldering expression I'd say you're exactly what some of these females would classify as a 'pretty boy'. Given that and the fact we are working together then I'd say it's a safe bet that these women are going to be putting two and two together and coming up with us."

"Us?" My brain was still stuck on what Duo had said about my looks. An unfamiliar warmth stole over me. Duo had said I was good looking.

"They are going to think that we are partners in every sense of the word, and I don't mean in the way that we just work together." Duo clarified. "They are going to think we are a couple, boyfriend and boyfriend, lovers, you know the deal? Sharing a bed and bodies, doing the horizontal tango?"

Well, fuck me six ways to Sunday, I thought as my brain finally caught up. "I get it, Duo," I growled. "Please remember there are ladies present and refrain from being so crude."

Relena snorted. "You think I'm going to be embarrassed or upset? Shit, Heero. Get your head out of your ass and take note here. I've been enjoying Yaoi for some time, very explicit Yaoi, too. If you think Duo is being crude then are you in for a shock."

It would appear I needed to do a lot of research on this Yaoi business to completely understand.

"Actually, I think this could be a bit of fun," Duo remarked.

I looked up sharply and noticed the familiar glint in his eyes. It was one I'd come to know over the years that spelled mischief -- usually involving me and a lot of red faces.

"Fun?" I questioned. "Duo, need I remind you that we are here on a mission? The mission is to protect Relena and keep her safe."

"Yeah, I know that, Heero. Lighten up a little though."

"Lighten up?! Relena could be in serious danger. Just because there are mostly going to be women here for this convention doesn't mean that one of them isn't a killer, hired to take out Relena." I know I sounded pissy, but I figured I had every right to be.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. This is my vacation, I wanted to come to this convention and share in the wonderful world of Yaoi, bishounen and all things gay anime brings. I honestly do not believe for one moment that I am going to be in any danger. I wish I could say the same for you two though."

"I am quite capable of looking after myself," I huffed.

"I know you are, Heero," Relena soothed. "But we're talking about homosexual-loving women here. One look at you two and they are going to mob you, want you to pose in obscene ways and want to know all the intimate details of yours and Duo's sex life."

I felt the spray of coffee hit my chest seconds before the sound of Duo choking caught my ears. "Sex life?" Duo squeaked out. "We don't have a sex life! Well, not together that is."

I quickly got up and thumped him on the back.

"They don't know that and despite any protests you guys put up they won't believe you. If you two are at a Yaoi con then that can only mean you're gay and a couple."

Suddenly, I had a feeling I stood more chance of surviving a full on confrontation with a complete battalion of OZ mobile dolls, Taurus' and Leos, minus my Gundam, than I would of surviving a weekend of rabid, yaoi fan girls. "There seems to be only one solution to this mess," I stated as I sat down again.

"No way!" Relena said. "I know what you're thinking, Heero and I am not going back or anywhere else for that matter. I have been looking forward to this convention for ages. I am not leaving!" Relena stubbornly stuck out her chin and folded her arms across her chest.

"But..."

"No! Like I said before, I didn't ask for you two to come. Hell, I didn't want anyone, but Une assigned you to protect me and I'm staying, so I suggest you find a way to deal with it, or piss off."

"Relena!" I was shocked to hear such language coming from her mouth. A glance at Duo and it would appear he wasn't shocked.

"No. I am staying. Duo?" Relena turned to my partner and raised an eyebrow.

I could see him weighing up the facts. Then blowing his bangs out of his eyes, he fixed me with a stare and defied me to challenge him. "I'll stay."

"Good," Relena said. Then she looked to me. "Heero?"

What choice did I have? I couldn't leave Relena here by herself, Une would skin me alive. I couldn't leave Duo here by himself either. Oh, he was more than capable of protecting Relena, but if what Relena said about these crazed women was true, Duo would be eaten alive. I felt a twinge inside me, something completely foreign when I thought about Duo being left to fend for himself amid all those females. "I suppose I'd better stay then." I tried to tell myself I was staying simply to make sure Relena was fine, when I knew I was just as concerned for my partner.

"I'm glad that's settled. I'd like another coffee." Relena leaned back in her chair and motioned for the waitress. She ordered her coffee and excused herself to go the bathroom.

"I think I'm going to go back to our room and do a little more research on this. The more I know the better prepared we will be. You okay to keep an eye on Relena, Duo?"

"Sure. You go see what you can find out and I'll quiz the princess here a little more and then come back up."

"Okay. I'll set up surveillance as well." I stood up to leave, but Duo placed his hand on my arm stopping me. I looked down into his eyes.

"Heero, for what it's worth I'm just as stunned by all this as you are. But I want you to know that it doesn't bother me if they think we are a couple. In fact, it will probably help in protecting Relena if they think we are. Besides, if I have to play the role, I'd rather it be you cast as my partner."

I blinked a couple of times and then nodded. "Thanks, I think." I left to go set up the equipment and scan the Internet for more information on this entire Yaoi business. Deep in the recesses of my mind my brain was processing Duo's words. I wouldn't have wanted any other partner for this either.

Chapter 4

Returning to the hotel room, I swiped the key card and entered. My surveillance equipment remained on the bed where I'd left it and I quickly picked it up, passing through the connecting door into Relena's room. It would be better if I got this set up now, before Relena returned. It didn't take long to place the equipment in various, strategic places and once it was done I felt a little more comfortable. Now I would be able to monitor Relena's room and be alerted to any threat to her instantly.

Returning to mine and Duo's room, I booted up the laptop and set the surveillance program running. Everything checked out and I smirked, rather pleased with myself. Next I hooked up to the hotel's network and took a look at their system, noting their server name and other relevant details. Within two minutes I had hacked into their database and was logged onto their system. As I brought up my browsing program I began my search to uncover the full meaning behind yaoi.

My eyes went wide as my brain went into overdrive absorbing all that I found. Even knowing what Relena had told me about the meaning of yaoi could not fully prepare me to face it in black and white. With the number of websites out there, obviously it was very popular. I was stunned.

Remembering that Relena had mentioned something about fan fiction, I typed in 'Anime-Yaoi-Fan fiction' and waited while the page loaded up with the search results.

"Fuck!"

I ran my fingers through my bangs and scanned the first page of results -- over six hundred thousand pages remained.

This would take a while.

I wasn't aware of how much time had passed until I heard the beep of my surveillance program alerting me that someone was entering Relena's room. I minimized the window I was currently perusing and checked the surveillance screen. I relaxed when I saw it was just Relena and Duo. Their mouths were moving and it was a little hard to lip read given the size of the screen I was working with so I toggled the volume button and caught the last few words; something about a shower, nap and dinner.

The tiny cameras picked up Duo's movement towards the closed connecting door and I could see that my partner was about to step inside the room.

"Hey, Heero. Having much luck?"

I gave him a look that clearly said 'don't doubt my skills' and returned to my laptop screen. I felt his presence behind me and a moment later was surprised to feel his chin resting on my shoulder. A low hiss caressed my ear.

"I see you've set up the surveillance equipment."

I focused back onto the small window that showed Relena's room. "Of course."

I hit a couple of buttons on the laptop and instantly there were four windows on screen, three showing different takes on the main room and the fourth the bathroom.

Relena showed up from three different angles on the tiny windows, rummaging through her drawers and selecting items of clothing. With the garments decided upon, she went towards the bathroom and deposited her clothing on the vanity. She stepped back out and fetched a small bag, returning and closing the door.

The two of us continued to watch, oblivious to the fact that this was technically an invasion of privacy. Relena rummaged in her bag and fetched out several small jars and bottles, standing them on the vanity top.

"Skin creams," Duo stated.

"Since when are you an expert on what women use?"

"Ah."

Out the corner of my eye I could see Duo begin to turn a healthy shade of red. I sensed an opportunity to get in a little teasing. "Duo? How come you know they are women's skin creams?"

"Ummm. Well... I use them, okay? It's no big deal."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

With defeat in his eyes, Duo turned slightly to face me. "You know what it's like living on the colonies, the climate is completely controlled. When I came dirt side my skin began to dry out and I was getting these rashes. I wasn't sure what to do about it and then when I was assigned to play bodyguard to a visiting colony representative, she noticed and recommended I try a cleanser and moisturizer. I did and my skin cleared up. Now I use them regularly." He shrugged his shoulders, his body language daring me to make something of it.

I decided to let it go, but stole a glance at Duo's cheek which wasn't all that far from my own and had to admit his skin did look soft and clear with a healthy glow. I wondered idly if it would feel as soft to the touch as it looked. I stiffened slightly, wondering where the hell that thought had come from and promptly changed my line of thinking back to Relena and the laptop screen.

Relena was brushing her teeth, rinsing and spitting out the toothpaste. She began to pin up her hair and then removed her watch and necklace.

"Errr... Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Don't you think we should turn this off now?"

"If we are to protect Relena then surveillance is necessary."

"I don't think she's going to come to much harm in the bathroom taking a shower, unless the hair dryer is hot wired to jump into the stall with her or the towels develop a penchant for strangling or smothering."

"It's for safety."

"You might want to watch her highness strip down to nothing and shower, but personally I can do without that image, thank you very much."

Duo shuddered and moved away from me and I felt the slight coldness as his body heat left. My eyes returned to the screen where Relena was still pinning up her hair and then proceeding to remove her clothes. Oh shit. Maybe Duo did have a point, setting up a camera in Relena's bathroom may not have been a good idea after all. I was about to minimize the bathroom screen when I heard an almighty shriek and the screen showing the bathroom went blank.

"Uh oh," remarked Duo and dived for his bed.

"HEERO!!"

I swallowed. I knew that tone. It wasn't the 'Heero... come and kill me' tone, nor was it the 'Heero... save me' tone. It was the 'Heero... I'm going to rip you apart' tone. Somehow I didn't think her highness appreciated the lengths I'd gone to in order to protect her. Barely a millisecond later, Relena burst through the connecting door, her face red with anger, eyes flashing and something clutched tightly in her hand.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" she demanded, thrusting the tiny camera in my face.

I looked from the camera to Relena and back to the camera again. I could see Duo out the corner of my eye wearing a look that said something along the lines of 'Let's see you get out of this one, buddy'.

"It's a camera, part of my surveillance equipment. I set it up to be able to protect you." "I know what it is, I want to know what the hell it's doing in my bathroom!"

"Surveillance," I repeated.

"There is no need to have a camera in my bathroom. If I didn't know you any better I'd say you just wanted to ogle me."

"I DO NOT!"

"Oh?" Relena cocked her head to the side, a sly smile appearing. "Not into the female form?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled.

"Here, take your camera and set it up in your own bathroom."

"Why would I want to do that? You're the one that needs to be kept safe."

"Figure it out yourself. But I'm telling you now, Heero, that camera stays out of my bathroom. I refuse to have you spying on me when I'm showering or attending to business." Relena dropped the camera in my lap and left.

I picked up the camera and studied it for a moment before turning to Duo. "Why would she suggest I set it up in our bathroom?"

"Ah, umm... "

Now that was strange. I didn't usually see Duo lost for words. Then it began to dawn on me exactly what Relena had just said and I felt the heat rising to my cheeks. "Forget it," I mumbled and dropped the camera to the desk top before resuming my perusal of the Internet. I could see Duo's reflection in the lap top screen and I couldn't help but notice his eyes sweep over me with a touch of something I didn't fully understand. I gave it no further thought and clicked on another link.

The next five minutes were spent in silence before Duo's curiosity got the better of him and he pulled over a chair to sit next to me. "Find out much?"

"Quite a bit. Did you talk with Relena?"

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck before continuing. "It seems this whole Yaoi thing is a lot bigger than I'd thought. I'd heard of it, but never investigated it much. To be honest when I first came across it I thought it was just a few women out there who had nothing better to do with their time than to imagine gay relationships between anime characters when there weren't any. From what Relena has told me it's quite a big thing."

"I've come to the same conclusion," I muttered and indicated the screen.

"Well fuck me," Duo hissed as he saw the number of results for my search.

"Relena mentioned something about fan fiction. Did she say anything more about that?"

"Yeah, she did. She's right into a couple of animes and apparently she also writes about this stuff."

"Didn't happen to say what animes, did she?"

"Actually, yes."

"And?"

"Full Metal Alchemist and Yami no Matsuei."

"I don't suppose you managed to find out what name she uses when she writes this stuff? Obviously she's not going to use her own name."

Duo fidgeted for a second. "Flutterby."

"Eh?"

"Flutterby. That's her pen name. You're not going to...?"

I smirked. "Yes." I typed in a new search.

"Relena's gonna kill you."

"That would make a change," I retorted.

"But isn't that invasion of privacy or something?"

"Not if she has them posted to a web site. Anyone can take a look." I scrolled down the results page and selected a likely site. A couple of clicks later and I found what I wanted.

"Okay!" Duo moved a little closer.

It would appear my partner's enthusiasm had returned. I glanced down the author page. "Shit, just how many fics has she written?"

"She told me she writes to alleviate the stress; looks like she has a lot of stress."

I had to agree.

"Click on that one, Heero." Duo's finger pointed to the screen.

I duly clicked and the page transferred, the fic displaying on the screen.

Cracking his knuckles, Duo scooted closer. "Right. Let's see just what our princess gets up to in her spare time."

"Duo, I don't think..."

"Backing out on me now, buddy? Heero, you're the one that said we needed to find out as much as we can about this whole Yaoi con thing and if what Relena has said so far is any indication, I think it's a pretty safe bet that most of these rabid fan girls either read or write the stuff. To me this is the perfect place to start for recon."

It would be hypocritical of me to disagree.

"Fine." I gave in and began to read. Beside me, Duo rested his chin in his hand and also began to read.

// Muraki withdrew causing a soft moan to fall from Tsuzuki's lips. Immediately Tsuzuki rolled over and snuggled deep into his lover's arms. They lay together in the afterglow, simply enjoying the moment of closeness that having great sex could bring. Eventually, Muraki began to pull away, the dried flakes of semen itching at his skin.

"I think we need a shower."

"Together?" Tsuzuki asked, hope in his voice. Although his ass burned from their rough coupling, he was eager for more.

"Of course." Muraki felt his desire for the other man beginning to stir again.

"Good." Tsuzuki scrambled from the bed and made a beeline for the shower. He paused in the doorway and fondled his half hard cock, turning to give his lover a coy look. "You coming?"

"I soon will be."

Tsuzuki gave a deep laugh which became a scream of pleasure as his lover pounced. //

"Well, that was..." Duo's face held a slight flush as he spoke.

"I agree."

"Not the sort of thing I'd expect from her highness."

"No."

"She seemed to be pretty accurate with her descriptions." Duo mused.

"Pardon?"

"Ah."

"How would you know, Duo?" I turned to face him and caught the frightened look in his eyes. Interesting.

"Before I answer that, let me ask you a question, Heero." He licked his lips nervously. "Are you opposed to same sex relationships?"

I chewed over that for a moment before replying. "No. I don't think so."

"You don't think so? What sort of an answer is that?"

"I don't really know. Look," I thought it would be best if I just came out and admitted my ignorance completely. "I can't really comment. I haven't had much experience in the world of relationships."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Thanks a lot."

Duo sighed. "I didn't mean it that way."

I decided to cut him a little slack. "I know. I haven't really given a lot of thought to relationships in general. Given the type of job we do it doesn't seem fair to become involved with someone when you can't promise them you will be there tomorrow. That's why I've never really dated, besides, most of my time is taken up with work, missions and paperwork."

"Amen to that."

"You haven't answered my question yet," I prompted.

"I guess I should come clean." Duo chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, obviously struggling with himself internally. Finally he spoke. "Heero, I'm bisexual."

Okaaaay.

"You do know what that means, don't you? It means I like both..."

"I know what it means, Duo," I growled.

He cringed, raising his hands in defense. "I'm sorry if my sexuality offends you, but I am what I am."

Did it offend me? No. Shock me? Yes. And suddenly, I realized how my reaction must have come across. Shit, I could be so damn insensitive at times! The poor guy had just confessed something extremely personal and I'd given him the impression I was totally repulsed.

This was something I needed time to digest, analyze and come to terms with.

"Earth to Heero. You still with me here, Heero? Or do I need to find another room to stay in?"

I turned to look at my partner; no, Duo was more than that. He was my friend. So what if he liked men, it didn't change his personality, never affected his functioning as an agent. Why should his confession make any difference to our friendship? He was still the same person I'd come to rely upon, share a beer with. What he got up to in his own time was his business.

"Duo, it's okay. It doesn't bother me in the slightest and no, you're not staying in another room. You're staying right here with me. We're still partners, and I hope, friends."

Duo visibly relaxed and let go a deep breath he'd obviously been holding. "Thanks, Heero. That means a lot to me."

I smiled, a rare thing indeed, or so I'd been told.

"Um, Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind keeping this to yourself? I don't exactly go around advertising the fact."

I could see just how worried he was, his eyes gave him away. Feeling a sudden sense of protectiveness steal over me, I raised my hand and cupped his cheek. "I promise never to breathe a word about it."

"Thanks," he said softly and leaned into my touch for a moment before pulling away. "I'm going to take a shower. Relena wants to go for dinner around six and it's five now."

I watched him grab some clean clothes and disappear into the bathroom before turning back to the lap top once more. I stared at my hand, realizing that it tingled from the brief touch. And yes, his skin was as soft as it looked.

We met up with Relena and headed for the hotel's restaurant for dinner. None of us felt like leaving the hotel to find somewhere cheaper to eat and I figured that under the circumstances, Preventers could pay the bill.

During the course of the meal the three of us discussed the up coming convention a little more. Actually it was more along the lines of Duo and myself asking questions while Relena did her best to answer them. My questions were pretty straight forward.

"What sort of things can we expect to find going on at this convention?"

"There will be many things, Heero. I'm not exactly sure of the timetable, we won't find that out until tomorrow at registration."

"How many people are coming?"

"I really don't know, but it is popular so I think it would be a safe bet to guess there will be about five hundred all up."

I choked on a piece of fish I was trying to swallow. Duo thumped me on the back. "Thanks."

"Five hundred, hey? That's a lot of fan girls," Duo mused as he returned to eating his filet mignon.

"They won't all be fan girls, Duo. There are quite a few males who attend these conventions as well. Some of them are -- well let's say very nice."

"Really?" Duo asked.

I was so glad I didn't have another piece of food in my mouth at that point, I had the distinct feeling that Duo would have worn it. The interest Duo had shown in Relena's last statement told me he was certainly feeling a lot more comfortable all of a sudden.

"Don't forget the mission objective, Duo," I managed to hiss out as I kicked him under the table. While I knew Duo was an excellent agent I didn't like the idea that he might be checking out the males in attendance and possibly losing focus of protecting Relena.

Duo gave me a pained look and reached under the table to rub his shin. "Don't worry about me, Heero. I'll behave and keep focused on the mission."

"If you two are so intent on keeping me safe, I still think the best way to go about it and not attract undue attention to yourselves would be for you to act as if you're a couple," Relena said as she finished off the last of her chicken.

"I agree with Relena," Duo said. "We will be able to move around freely and yet stay close enough to protect should we need to." Then Duo turned to me. "What do you think, Heero? You okay with that or do you have a better idea?"

I had given it some thought since they had mentioned it earlier over coffee and it did seem to be the best approach. As the pair said, we wouldn't attract attention that way, well, not the sort of attention we wished to avoid. "I agree."

Relena smiled. "Good. Now, can we order dessert?"

Returning to our rooms after dinner we decided to call it a night and go to bed early. Relena wished us a good night and waited until I'd done a thorough sweep of her room before stepping inside and locking the door. Duo had gone ahead to our room. Once done with my sweep I followed in his footsteps, entering our room and locking the door behind me. I turned around, intending to give one last check of the surveillance equipment before retiring when Duo brought me up short. He was on the treadmill again, walking at a brisk pace. He'd removed his shirt and a light sheen of sweat was beginning to form.

"Are you really sure about this 'pretending to be boyfriends' bit, Heero? I'll understand completely if you want to change your mind."

"Why would I want to change my mind?"

He licked his lips, a habit I'd noticed he did whenever he was nervous.

"I just thought, given that you now know my deep, dark secret you might feel uncomfortable around me, especially in this sort of role."

I snorted. "Duo, I don't give a damn about your sexuality, that's your business. I know you will conduct yourself in a professional manner befitting a Preventers agent. Besides, I said it before and I'll say it again, there's no one else I would trust to watch my back and if I have to do this then you're the person I would have chosen to do this with me."

"Thanks, man."

I sat down at the desk, bringing up my browser window and resumed my investigations on Yaoi. I could see Duo's reflection in the screen and soon found myself watching him as he worked out on the treadmill. He was compact, lithe and wiry. He held a hidden strength inside that body, a strength many wouldn't have guessed at. His muscles rippled under the creamy skin and I found myself fascinated watching the sweat bead and then run over his chest.

What would his skin taste like?

Fuck! Where the hell did that thought come from?

Shocked at my mind's wandering, especially the direction it had wandered into, I abruptly drew my training around me and refocused on the laptop. I was straight, as straight as an arrow, wasn't I? I didn't know that even arrows could bend.

Chapter 5

The next morning we ventured down to the restaurant for breakfast. It was pretty full and my eyes swept over the assorted crowd within. None appeared to be a threat but I didn't relax my guard. Beside me I could feel Duo just as tense, but Relena seemed to be right at home. We were shown to a table and given menus. The harassed looking waitress appeared and took our order; Duo decided on the smoked salmon and bagel breakfast while Relena opted for toast. I decided to try the oatmeal.

I continued to sweep the room with my eyes, looking for potential assassins. I noticed Duo also kept his eyes in motion, only he seemed to be taking in the many varied people in the room in a slightly different manner. I wasn't sure if he was looking for the same thing I was.

Breakfast arrived and we ate in relative silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I broke the silence when we reached the coffee stage. "What do you have planned for today, Relena?"

She placed her coffee cup back on the table before replying. "I thought we could take a ride into town and pick up some groceries or something along the snack line."

"Ah."

"What time does this con thing start?" Duo asked as he poured himself another cup and added a liberal amount of cream to it.

"Registration begins this afternoon between three and nine. I'd suggest we get in fairly early otherwise we won't be able to attend the opening ceremony. I've pre registered, but you two will need to fill out the forms and register. I hope you have ID with you."

I gave a snort. "Of course we do."

"Good, because you will need to show it."

"How come? I mean, it's obvious we are registering because we intend to attend the convention." Duo stirred a spoonful of sugar into his coffee.

"Given the nature of the convention and the rules of the State, you must be over eighteen to attend, therefore everyone has to provide proof of age."

I had to admit if nothing else the people who organized this convention were certainly on the ball as far as the legalities went.

"Good to see the organizers are conscientious then," Duo muttered.

"Oh yes. They have to be, Duo. Once you have registered you will be given a name tag and a wrist band. You must keep your wrist band on at all times during the convention. That way the organizers will permit you to enter the different events being held. No band, no entry."

"Makes sense." I drained my cup and sat back. "Why the snacks and grocery shopping?"

"You know how it is, you get peckish and the restaurant is closed or they don't do snacks and the room service menu is way overpriced."

"Amen to that," Duo snickered beside me.

"Fine. Grocery shopping and a look around the town it is. We need to prepare though. I suggest we go back to our rooms and meet in ten minutes in your room, Relena." I gave her a look that clearly said we would accompany her and do what she wanted as long as she cooperated with our mission and didn't endanger herself.

Giving a resigned sigh, Relena agreed and we left the restaurant. I paid for the meal on the Preventers credit card I'd been given to use on missions and didn't let myself dwell on what Une's reaction would be to the exorbitant charges. Considering the circumstances I felt it was justified.

Outside the hotel I called for a cab, much to Relena's dismay. She'd been hoping to take the shuttle bus to the shuttle port and catch the subway into the city. I soon put paid to those plans, insisting we take a taxi as it would be much safer. Duo had suggested we take the car, but after his driving efforts the previous day I wasn't up to playing side kick for Evil Knievel. Duo might have a death wish but I didn't; I'd gotten over that a long time ago. Dying hurt, I had first hand experience at it and really didn't relish a second try. After knowing the alternative to the cab, Relena agreed with me and we soon bundled into the back seat of a taxi.

The drive into town passed quickly and the cab dropped us off in a side street just by Japan Town. Feeling the comforting press of my gun against my side where it sat in its shoulder holster, I followed Relena and Duo into one of the many malls.

Two hours later, I was beginning to regret my decision to let Relena go shopping. My feet ached and my eyes hurt. My brain wasn't doing much better either. Now I knew why men rarely accompanied their wives when they went shopping. Relena had been in no less than five supermarkets and we still didn't have much to show for it. I was, by now, much more conversant in comparing prices and ingredients of various food items. Top brand names versus lesser known alternatives, weight compared with price charged, sugar and fat content -- all became painfully aware to me as Relena studied the various packaging of the items she wanted.

What ever happened to just going in and getting what you wanted off the shelf, then paying for it?

When we exited the sixth supermarket I made my discomfort known. Relena agreed we needed a break so we found a Japanese restaurant and sat down to enjoy lunch. Once lunch was finished, Relena assured me that this next supermarket would be the last. It would need to be if we were to get back to the hotel in time for registration. I couldn't help but notice that Duo seemed to enjoy the shopping trip and had added a couple of bags of his own to the assorted items Relena had purchased. I didn't question him, I knew I would get to see what he'd bought later, and sample it if I was lucky. I hadn't purchased anything myself, I'd been too busy scanning for threats.

Back at the hotel, we piled out of the cab and grabbed the bags from the trunk. Duo paid the driver and then picked up the bags, carrying them inside the hotel foyer. I followed behind Relena and did a double take as I entered. The foyer was swarming with people. Looked like the rest of the convention attendees had arrived.

Duo gave a low whistle. "Well, shit!"

I echoed his sentiments. Looking at the milling crowd I began to have my doubts that this was a good idea. How the fuck were we supposed to keep Relena safe with this throng around? Not only were there a lot of people, but the majority of them were dressed weird as well. So many costumes, and most of them capable of concealing weapons of some sort.

As my eyes roved the foyer, the back of my neck began to prickle. There were so many unknowns here, including the young man in a samurai costume who was fast approaching. I reached for my gun, placing my hand on the cold metal, ready to withdraw it from its holster, but then Duo stepped to my side. He placed a hand on my forearm, pressing my arm down.

"Easy, cowboy."

I blinked, but eased my hand from the gun, the scowl on my face saying what I felt. "What the fuck?"

The warrior before me gave a smile and sheathed his 'sword'. A bow was granted, one I didn't return.

Duo's body pressed closer to mine, whether to shield me or the warrior I wasn't sure. His arm suddenly draped across my shoulder and he gave a grin. "Sorry, Kenshin. He's taken."

The warrior bowed a second time. "Some guys have all the luck," he muttered and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Kenshin?" I asked as I turned to face Duo.

"Yeah. From the anime Rurouni Kenshin."

"Ah." It appeared that I wasn't as familiar with all the anime out there as I'd thought.

"I hate to interrupt, but could we go back to our rooms now and get this stuff stashed? Registration started fifteen minutes ago and I'd like to get my tags and goodie bag."

Relena gazed at us with an amused smile on her face. My cheeks began to flush as I realized that Duo still had his arm around my shoulders. "Ah, I think we should," I mumbled and began to shift my body.

Duo turned with me, his arm still across my shoulders as we walked towards the elevators. I could feel my cheeks getting pink as the people around us gave knowing smiles, grins and even the odd whistle or cat call. Funny thing, Duo's arm felt reassuring -- nice even.

"My feet are killing me," Duo muttered as he shifted his weight for the umpteenth time.

Mine weren't much better. We seemed to have been standing in this line for hours. My watch told me it was only an hour and a half.

"My back aches. I think I'm getting corns on my toes and my arches are dropping." Duo's voice took on a slightly whining tone.

"It's not much further now," I replied by way of comfort. "See?" I nodded in the direction of the doorway we were waiting to pass through to register. I counted heads. "Ten people and then it's us."

"I'll be a cripple before I get there."

"I'll massage your feet later," I growled. "Shut up with the whining, anyone would think you were a girl."

"I do not whine."

"Could have fooled me. What would you call it?"

"Making observational statements."

I grunted and shook my head.

"Would you really do that?"

"Huh?"

"Massage my feet."

"If it will shut you up."

He gave me a smile and promptly ceased his whining. Just what the hell was I getting myself into here? I didn't have too much time to ponder the thought of Duo and his feet, the line began to move and the three of us were now at the door and my attention was taken up once again by scanning the room for potential threats.

Ten minutes more and we were standing before a desk. Behind the desk sat several people in assorted costumes. Most of the anime they represented I didn't recognize and after perusing them, I felt I really didn't want to know either. A friendly looking woman dressed in a black T-shirt, skirt, cowboy boots and cowboy hat approached us.

"Pre-registered?" she asked as she stopped in front of us.

"I am, but these two hunks aren't," Relena said before either Duo or I could open our mouths.

Her eyes gave us the once over and she licked her lips. A shiver of apprehension went down my spine as I watched her gaze linger appreciatively on Duo. Without even thinking, my hand snaked out and snatched Duo's possessively.

With a knowing smile, she averted her eyes and turned back to Relena to converse with her for a moment. I felt a squeeze to my hand and looked up into Duo's twinkling violet eyes.

"Thanks, buddy. I thought she was gonna eat me with her eyes." Duo shuddered.

I smiled. "All part of the service." I was about to say more when Relena interrupted and dragged us along the line.

Within five minutes, ID had been produced, cash handed over, I was wearing a bright orange wrist band, had a name tag pinned to my shirt and was clutching a bag of 'goodies'.

The speed at which we had been processed stunned even me and I was now back outside the registration room wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Relena?" Duo spoke.

"Yes?" Relena replied a little absently, she was busy going through her goodie bag.

"How come we only paid half price to register?"

I spun around, Duo's words jolted my memory and I recalled the woman behind the desk had only accepted half payment each for Duo and myself. Come to think of it, she also had a very funny look on her face.

"Ah." Relena seemed at a loss for words.

Immediately I was on alert. Relena's evasiveness stirred something inside me and I knew it wasn't going to be good. I didn't have a chance to say anything as Duo continued with his questioning.

"Relena, the woman behind the desk said something about being part of a Bishounen auction? Would that have anything to do with the reduced payment?"

"Umm. Actually, yes."

"Relena," I growled. "I think you need to do some explaining."

She leaned against the wall and looked from Duo to me before finding the carpet rather fascinating. "The organizers said they would only charge you half price if you would enter the Bishounen auction. I told them you would."

Okay. "Auction; A public sale in which property or items of merchandise are sold to the highest bidder," I reeled off from memory. "I can handle bidding." I looked at Duo who had turned an interesting shade of pink. "What?"

"Heero, this is a Bishounen auction," Duo stated.

"Yes, I heard."

"You remember what a Bishounen is?"

I snorted. "Of course I do!"

"Heero. Put that exceptional mind of yours to work and think about it."

"Eh?"

"It means they are going to be auctioning off Bishounen and the attendees, are to bid for them. You know, live pretty boys," Duo said, cocking his head.

Duo's words sank in slowly. "You mean we are going to be bidding for living men?"

"We won't be bidding. Relena entered you and me in the auction. We are the merchandise."

"What?!"

"More like, what the fuck!"

I spun around to find Relena who was slinking off down the hall. As soon as she saw my face she took off at a run. "Relena! You have some explaining to do!" Without waiting to see if Duo was following I took off after the woman.

Sitting in the hotel foyer twenty minutes later, I was still scowling. Relena looked a little upset and Duo couldn't keep the amused look off his face. I had collared Relena and demanded a full explanation, reluctantly, she'd given one. I was still seething over that and it would take a long time before I could forgive her. The thought of being up there on a stage with drooling fan girls all around bidding to have me for themselves for the night didn't sit well. Relena had promised me she wouldn't let me go cheap. That wasn't what concerned me though. I was here to protect her and I couldn't do that if I was auctioned off to some other female.

I'd argued that point and she'd eventually agreed I was right, but, there was one problem. I couldn't withdraw from the auction. I made Relena swear she would bid successfully on me. The alternative was to leave this hotel now and head back home.

Relena didn't want to leave and miss out on all her fun so she accepted my terms. I told her I would give her the Preventers credit card to use as well should she need the funds. She'd looked at me rather funny and asked just how much did I think I would go for and not to flatter myself.

Duo had howled with laughter. I didn't find it the least bit amusing.

"Lighten up a little, Heero," Duo said. "Relax a bit. You never know, you might start to enjoy yourself."

I turned my scowl to Duo. "Fuck off," I snapped. "It isn't you who's going up for auction."

"Errr. Correction, Heero. Relena put us both in, remember?"

The thought of Duo up there on stage with a bunch of women all lusting after him made my blood run cold. But, why should I care? I didn't have an answer to that one and filed it away for later analysis. I didn't get a chance to reply to him though as Relena sat forwards and taking a highlighter pen from her bag, spread out a sheet of paper on the small table.

"Here you go, guys. This is the event schedule for the weekend."

Both of us leaned forward and took in the information before us. There were several columns on the page listing session names, room numbers and times. Relena began to highlight several.

I fished in my own bag and drew out the same piece of paper. Duo got up from his chair and perched himself on the arm of my chair. He leaned in close, resting his side against my own to peer down at the paper.

"Looks like they have a lot planned," he said as he read down the chart.

I had to agree.

"Relena, what are you highlighting?" Duo asked.

"All the events I want to attend," she replied absently.

I scanned the page in front of me. 'Yaoi in Cannon and Fannon.' 'Alternate Pairings.' 'History of Slash in the West.' 'Bishounen Bingo.' 'Fan Market.' These were just some of the words that glared back at me from the page. Beside me, Duo gave a low whistle.

"They sure have a lot of diverse things planned," Duo muttered.

I didn't bother to reply, I was too busy trying to wrap my mind around half the things on the page. I would either be questioning Relena into the wee hours or spending some more research time on the laptop.

"What have you planned, princess?"

I raised my eyes from my own schedule to see Relena passing over hers to Duo for him to read. He took the page and held it so we could both see. My eyes scanned over and I felt the frown increase. Relena had highlighted quite a few items.

Opening ceremony, Fan market, dealer's room, cosplay, bishounen auction, girls want to know, writing smut, use of foods in yaoi, bondage and submission, kink and fetish, closing ceremony. All of these were highlighted and stared back at me. I swallowed, feeling a trickle of sweat run down my back.

"You're planning on attending all of these?" I managed to ask.

"Yes." Relena gave me a look that clearly said she wasn't missing any of them so I'd better get used to it.

I gave a sigh of resignation. "Fine." At least I would have Duo with me so I wouldn't be suffering alone. I turned to gaze at my partner and saw his eyes still skimming over the page. His skin held a pink tinge to it and he shifted slightly.

"These panels are going to be interesting," he said softly.

"Hn." I didn't think they would be all that hard to sit through.

"Bondage and submission, hmmm. Kink and fetish. Writing smut." Duo shifted on the arm of the chair.

I was still watching him as he read over the list, when Duo moved a little his hips came into closer range and automatically my eyes lowered. I felt my heart almost stop and my eyes widened. There was a distinct bulge appearing in the front of Duo's pants. Not the normal, 'free hanging' bulge either. This was more of the 'I'm getting a bit excited' bulge. Either that or Duo was hiding something really impressive in those jeans.

I managed to tear my eyes away, feeling warmth spread in my own loins. Was Duo getting turned on by reading about this stuff? Exactly what did happen at these panels? I didn't know whether to be scared shitless or curious.

No doubt I would find out soon enough.

Chapter 6

"Much more of this line stuff and I'm gonna go nuts."

I turned to face Duo who was complaining loudly about having to stand in yet another line. We were waiting to go into the room allocated for the opening ceremony. I was just as tired, my own feet and legs aching from standing for so long.

"Why is it that I can be on my feet for over eight hours, moving around and my legs feel fine? But standing in a line for only an hour and my feet and legs are killing me, not to mention my back."

"It has something to do with motion and physics," I replied, unwilling to get into a full on discussion with him.

"Would you care for a mint?"

I turned around slowly to see where the voice had come from. Before me stood, what I presumed to be a female, wearing a purple coat. Her hair was gold and black, spiked upwards and she wore what looked like pyramid on a chain around her neck. A candy tin was waved under my face and the question repeated.

"Would you like a mint? They're only mild." The person offered again, taking one out for herself and popping it in her mouth.

Duo's hand snaked past me as did Relena's, each taking a mint and voicing their thanks. I raised my own hand and reached for one. Picking it up I paused, my eyes widening in shock.

Relena giggled. "It won't bite, Heero."

"Just suck it, Hee-chan," Duo added with a smirk as he proceeded to suck his own mint.

I raised the mint to my mouth and stared at it again. It was in the shape of a penis.

"Kinda fun and fitting, don't you think?" The girl said with a wink.

I opted to stay quiet and suck on the mint, leaving Duo and Relena to chat with the girl. The line started to move again and I found Duo beside me.

"Not a bad tasting cock to have in your mouth," Duo said quietly so only I could hear.

I turned my head slowly, pushed the mint to the front of my mouth and opened up just enough for Duo to see what I was about to do. The head of the penis mint rested against my lower teeth, the shaft of it against my tongue. I pushed it forwards just a little more and then bit down, severing the mint in two.

"Ouch!" Duo shuddered and moved a subtle hand over his groin.

I smirked.

Relena grabbed us both by the hands and dragged us to seats just slightly off center and about half way back. Around us people were scrambling madly for good seats, ones relatively close to the stage. Finally the stampede slowed and people found somewhere to sit or stand. The doors were closed and a cheer went up as the emcee took the stage.

I was too busy staying alert and focusing on the crowd around us for potential threats to be concerned with the opening ceremony. Despite Relena's confidence that no one would be trying to harm her at the convention, my training was something I couldn't just turn off. While Duo appeared to be paying attention to what was happening on the stage, I knew he was just as observant of his surroundings as I was. He had that knack of being able to blend in while I seemed to stick out like a sore thumb.

I envied him that.

I knew I had changed from how I'd been during the wars, but my soldier instincts hadn't dulled at all. Duo may have managed to smooth out a few of my sharp angles, but the soldier in me remained the same.

I finally managed to relax a little and catch some of the words that were spoken during the ceremony. The thanking of the sponsors and organizers along with the introduction of the special guests was followed by a video clip that had been put together by the organizers. The video comprised of clips taken from previous conventions, strung together and set to music to highlight the past and promote the future.

Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of it.

Once the opening ceremony was concluded and the applause died down, we were ushered out of the room and back into the hall way. I glanced at my watch, it was eight thirty. Relena stifled a yawn and turned to face us.

"I think I'll skip the Bishounen Bingo and head to bed early," she began. "I want to be up and awake early in the morning to get to the fan market and dealers room before all the good stuff goes."

"Fan market?" I inquired.

"It's where all the fans can congregate and sell stuff they don't want any longer or sell stuff they make. It's a lot of fun browsing around the stalls."

Great. Just what I needed, another morning shopping with Relena.

"What sort of stuff do they have in the dealers room?" Duo asked as we began to walk back to the hotel lobby.

Relena's eyes twinkled. "All sorts of merchandise. You'll find items ranging from clothing to posters, manga and doujinshi to models, videos and DVDs. There's quite an extensive collection on display and if you're looking for something specific and they haven't got it, chances are they can get it for you."

"Might be worth checking out," Duo replied with a smile and then pushed the button to the elevator.

Wonderful. Now I had to contend with two shopaholics.

Duo checked Relena's room while I went over the laptop's surveillance. Nothing had been detected in our absence so I relaxed a little. Duo joined me once he'd bid the princess good night and promptly collapsed on his bed. I decided to do a little weight training before taking a shower and calling it a night.

I moved over to the apparatus and selected some weights, setting up the bar and making the necessary adjustments. Before I attempted any lifting though, I did a few warm up exercises. Once my muscles had loosened up I lay down on the bench press and prepared to lift.

"You want a hand?" I heard Duo ask.

I raised my head a fraction. "If you don't mind that would be good."

"No problem, happy to be spotter for you." I grunted and settled into position. I could see Duo's shadow as he also settled into position and then I focused on the bar, weights and exercise at hand. After lifting several times, I decided to increase the weight. Duo assisted in guiding the bar back to the rest poles and then fetched more lead. I was starting to sweat so I removed my shirt and wiped it over my back and chest, then lay down again to continue lifting.

It didn't register until I was almost finished that Duo had been unusually quiet throughout the exercise session. Normally he would be chatting away about different things, encouraging me to lift higher or increase the weights. This time though, he was silent.

Continuing to lift the bar, I managed to take a look out the corner of my eye to try and see why he was so quiet. He had a funny look on his face and his eyes seemed to be very distant. They were also half lidded giving him an expression I didn't understand. As I began to take my eyes off him they drifted over his body causing me to lose concentration and I nearly dropped the bar.

"Shit! You okay? What happened?" Duo grabbed the bar and raised it back up to the stand.

"I-I-I got a cramp in my arm," I closed my eyes so Duo wouldn't be able to read the lie in them.

"You nearly had more than a cramp, buddy. You could have crushed your chest." Duo continued to chastise me as I lay on the bench. "Why didn't you say something? Surely you felt it coming on."

I sat up, still avoiding his eyes. "I didn't feel it, okay? It just happened." I couldn't tell him the real reason for my sudden loss of strength; I wasn't sure I understood it myself. "I'm going to take a shower." I didn't give him the chance to say anything more, I got up and marched off to the bathroom, grabbing a pair of boxers on the way.

With the shower on full blast, I let the water course over my body, washing away the sweat and trying to figure out why the glimpse of Duo's body had turned my arms to jelly. I'd seen him many times, hell; I worked out with him regularly. We'd shared a room together on numerous occasions before and I'd always been fine with it. So why the change? Duo's body was lean and wiry, the way his shirt clung to him showed his strength off and I'd never had a problem with that before.

His jeans were tight fitting, but then Duo always wore tight jeans. No, it wasn't anything along those lines that had caused me to almost drop the bar. I had to be honest here, I'd lied to Duo but I couldn't lie to myself. When my eyes had drifted over his body it had been the rather large bulge in the front of those tight jeans that had caused me to lose concentration.

I frowned and shook my head, scattering water everywhere. Duo was obviously aroused, but why? I couldn't think of anything remotely arousing about spotting for another person doing weights. Besides, he'd spotted for me before and nothing like this had ever happened. I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, I began to dry off. Maybe it was due to the goings on at this convention, or maybe it was just simple libido. I knew enough about that, I had discovered for myself that the human body had needs and wants besides the basic food, water, sleep and waste disposal.

I could feel a headache tugging at the fringes of my mind so I tried to shove the thoughts away. It would be perfectly natural for Duo to get aroused from time to time. It stood to reason that a young male would need release for sexual tension. I'd jerked off enough times to realize that the tension didn't go away, you needed to take care of it. Yes, that's what it had to be.

Feeling a little better now I'd logically explained Duo's excitement, I slipped my boxers on and hung up the towel. Stepping back out into the room, I found Duo at my laptop. He looked up as I approached.

"You sure you're okay, Heero?"

"I'm fine. Just a little over stress to the muscles I think. I haven't done weights in a while so I shouldn't have pushed it."

Duo looked as if he would like to take the conversation further, clearly my explanation didn't convince him, but he dropped it. "You don't mind if I do a little more scouting around the Internet, do you?"

"Be my guest." I stuffed my dirty clothes into my duffle and turned down the bed. I grabbed the goodie bag from registration and climbed into the bed. I thought I'd have a look through the bag's contents before going to sleep. Ten minutes later, reading so much about yaoi had my cheeks feeling hot and I wondered if I would ever sleep again. I'd certainly learned more about yaoi and the reason for the convention in the program guide than I had from researching on the Internet. I decided that now would probably be a good time to put the stuff away and try get some rest, preferably before Duo could see how red my cheeks were and start to ask questions.

"Good night," I called out as I burrowed into the mattress after turning the side lamp off.

"Night. I'll only be a few more minutes then I'll switch this back over to surveillance mode only."

"Thanks." I turned over and shot a quick glance at my partner. Duo's back was towards me, his attention caught by whatever it was on the screen. Idly he played with the end of his braid. As I drifted off to sleep I wondered what he would look like with his hair down.

The next morning saw us refreshed from a good night's sleep and enjoying breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I hadn't given any further thought to what had happened last night and Duo hadn't said anymore about it either. He was talking animatedly with Relena about the fan market and dealers room while I watched and listened, my eyes darting around the room from time to time and keeping a close eye on the other people there. I had to admit that whilst some of the costumes people dressed in appeared to be outlandish, I couldn't deny the time and effort that had obviously gone into making them.

"Come on, Heero. The market opens in five minutes and I want to get in before all the good stuff goes."

I returned my attention to Relena who was standing, obviously waiting for me. I stood up and followed Relena and Duo out of the restaurant and along another hall.

"Fan market is down here and should be opening any minute. You'll need to show your ID badge and wrist band to get in," Relena informed us.

We walked along the hall and came to a large group of people, all similarly waiting for the market to open.

"Hey cutie," one woman said.

I spun around to see a woman dressed in a blue and white track suit holding a tennis racquet and making funny looking eyes at me.

"You're a sweetie. Mmmm... I bet you'd be delicious. Just look at those muscles."

She reached a finger out to trace down my biceps but came up short. I blinked to see Duo standing right beside me, so close he was almost joined to me. His hand grasped the woman's by the wrist, effectively stopping her hand from coming any closer. I felt his other arm wrap around my waist.

"He's already taken," Duo growled.

The woman gave a lustful smile. "Shame. Although I bet you two look great together in bed."

Behind me I heard Relena snort; or was it choke? Either way I was too much in shock myself to really notice.

"That's something you're not going to find out," Duo said with an evil grin of his own. "Neither one of us will kiss and tell." Duo added a wink to his words and the woman blushed.

Further interaction was interrupted then as the doors to the fan market opened and people began to surge forwards. Duo kept his arm around my waist as he grabbed Relena's hand, keeping the three of us together and not swept away by the crowd. Moments later we were inside the fan market, Relena tugging Duo along who in turn pulled me with him.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to the fan market at first, I was too busy trying to keep an eye out for potential threats and wondering why Duo still had his arm around my waist. Not that I really minded, we were supposed to be acting like boyfriends and I supposed this was part of the act. It was only when we reached the third stall that I started to take notice of the items available for purchase. Duo's arm left my waist as he picked up an action figure and studied it. I missed the contact and subconsciously moved a little closer to him, peering over his shoulder to see what held his interest.

"Super Saiyajin Goku," Duo explained as he showed me the figurine of a man dressed in an orange outfit with yellow hair and a look of concentration on his face. "Ohhh... Super Saiyajin Vegeta too!"

This figurine had similar yellow hair but wore a blue outfit and had a scowl on its face to rival one of mine. Personally, I couldn't see the attraction to the figurines, but Duo was pretty excited. Before I knew it, the two figurines were in a plastic bag and clutched in Duo's hand. He turned his lively eyes to me.

"I've been hunting everywhere for these figurines, they're out of production and quite hard to come by."

"I'm happy for you," I replied. He looked a little hurt at my obvious lack of enthusiasm and I felt a strange twist inside my chest. "What the hell is Relena buying now?" I tried to change the topic, confused at my reaction to Duo's look of hurt. It worked as my partner's attention was diverted to Relena and the deal she was negotiating with a vendor over a couple of dolls.

"Plushies!" Duo all but yelled in my ear.

"Plushies?"

"Yeah. Soft, doll like toys of anime characters. Ohh, she's got Roy and Edward." Duo fairly bounced as he grabbed my hand and hauled me over to Relena.

"Who are Roy and Edward?" I growled.

"Full Metal Alchemist," Duo replied in a tone that said 'everybody knows that!'

I had told him that I had watched some anime, I just hadn't said how much. It was now painfully obvious to me that what I had seen was only the tiniest tip of the anime ice berg.

"You got Roy and Edward!" Duo crowed to an obviously happy Relena.

She beamed back at him. "I've wanted a plushie pair of these for ages."

Personally, I couldn't see the attraction to these floppy dolls. Given the choice between Relena's purchase and Duo's I'd have to say I preferred Duo's, at least they were more solid. I stood in the background while the pair of them discussed their purchases, my eyes constantly on the move for threats. After a few minutes discussion, Relena decided she'd had enough of the fan market and wanted to visit the dealers room.

As they began to move off I quickly grabbed Duo's hand. He turned for a second and then relaxed, smiling as he gave my hand a squeeze. I gave a small smile in return. I didn't want to get lost in the crush of female bodies; at least I guessed they were female, with the costumes on it was a little hard to tell at times. Holding Duo's hand I felt warm and comfortable. I wasn't completely sure why, but I wasn't about to question it.

The dealers room was noisier than the fan market. People milled about everywhere, stopping to peruse various items displayed on stalls and then moving on again. I found myself once more being dragged along behind my partner and the person I was protecting. I lost count of how many stalls we passed, Relena and Duo seemed to know exactly where they wanted to go.

"Manga!" Relena said happily and stopped at a stall that had a large collection of the books. Immediately she began to look through them.

Duo moved to the other side where several open ended boxes stood and began to rifle through them. Relena joined him a moment later, the pair conversing from time to time with each other. I began to feel a little left out. My lack of anime knowledge appeared to isolate me, and while I knew it wasn't intentional, I couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Sensing no immediate danger to any of us, I let my curiosity get the better of me and moved closer. My height allowed me to peer over Relena's shoulder and see what had her so enraptured.

I nearly had a heart attack.

"Relena! Put that back now!" I demanded.

Relena whirled around to face me. "No!"

"Relena," I warned.

"No, Heero. I like doujinshi."

"That's not doujinshi, that's obscene!" I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Actually, I thought it was Naruto topping Sasuke," Duo offered with a grin.

Surely if I got any hotter I would self combust.

"It is Naruto topping Sasuke," Relena replied to Duo, completely ignoring me. "I think I'll buy this one."

"You can't!" I wasn't easily shocked as a rule but this...

"I can and I will," Relena snapped. "In fact there's a couple more I wouldn't mind buying too. Ohhh, Roy and Edward, I have to have that one to complete my collection." Relena pounced on another of the doujinshi.

"You mean you have more of these -- these disgusting things?" I stated in a voice slightly higher than normal. It seemed that shock didn't go too well with my vocal chords.

"They're not disgusting, Heero. Those Playboy type magazines that you read are by far more crude and disgusting than doujinshi. The artwork is breathtaking, the stories intriguing and they don't show the full on nudity that your 'girly' magazines do."

"I don't read Playboy!" It sounded like my voice had returned to normal.

"Really?" Relena cocked an eyebrow at me and gave a wicked smile. "What do you read, Heero? Hmmm? Maybe you're into something like 'Hee-Man'? Or maybe 'Just us Boys'?"

With those words, I did a pretty good impression of a stranded fish. It would appear my voice had deserted me for good this time.

"Do not tell me what I can and cannot buy, Heero. I'm not a girl any more, I'm over the age of eighteen, I'm a woman now and I'll damn well do as I please!" Putting her nose in the air, Relena turned away from me and resumed her searching through the doujinshi.

I turned to Duo, only to find him looking innocently away. I glared. He turned slowly and met my glare. His expression went from innocent to sheepish and he stepped a little closer.

"Why don't you go take a walk around by yourself for a bit, Heero? I'll keep an eye on Relena. I think you need to get away from her for a little while."

I gave a soft sigh. Duo was right. I was wound up, tense and it was showing in the way I was treating Relena. Duo was more than capable of protecting her so I decided to take him up on the offer. "Okay."

"See that stall over there?" Duo pointed to a stall that had a variety of T-shirts on display. "I'll meet you over there with Relena in say, half an hour?"

"Fine." I turned and left them, intending to head for the coffee shop and a bit of peace and quiet. As I made my way through the crowds I found my curiosity getting the better of me. Just what exactly was it about this doujinshi that had Relena so captivated? I glanced around. Duo and Relena had been swallowed up in the crowd. I spotted another stall to my left and made a beeline for it. With a self conscious glance around me, I reached out and with trembling fingers, picked up a doujinshi. I began to flip through it.

The art work was, as Relena had said, quite breathtaking. I picked up another and then another. I became intrigued as I read more. I reached for yet another doujinshi, completely missing the 'adult only' warning and proceeded to read. Three pages in and I could feel my cheeks reddening. Five pages in and I swear the blush was traveling the length of my body. Nervously, I stole a look at the people around me. No one was taking any notice of me, which was just as well, they were all similarly occupied. I returned to my perusal, flipping over the page and then turning it sideways for a better look.

The pair in the picture were obviously having sex and I wondered if such a position was even physically possible. I turned the page again and was confronted with the two characters obviously in the throes of orgasm. Would Duo's face look like that? I almost dropped the doujinshi.

Where the hell had that thought come from?

I swallowed nervously, took another quick look around me and opened the page again. This time I didn't see the characters on the page, but saw Duo's face and body. Shit! I quickly put the doujinshi back and stepped away from the stall. I made my way outside the dealers room and kept going to the hotel lobby and then outside into the gardens. The air was fresh and warm, helping to clear my head a little.

I found a bench to sit on and cradled my head in my hands. It was time to stop pushing thoughts away, time to look at all those things and find answers for them. Why did I picture Duo on the page of a doujinshi? Why had I felt an ache in my chest when his eyes looked hurt at my lack of enthusiasm? Why did having Duo's hand in mine, his arm around my shoulders or waist feel comforting and reassuring? We had been friends for so long that I was completely relaxed and secure in his presence. He was like a brother to me, a close friend and someone I enjoyed spending time with. I shouldn't be getting turned on, but that seemed to be exactly what was happening.

This was all so confusing.

Chapter 7

I sat for a while longer, thoughts tumbling through my head as I tried to make sense of them all.

Duo.

The one link in the chain of thoughts was Duo. I rubbed my temples. I needed to try and sort these thoughts out, look at them logically and try to determine exactly why I was thinking these things. I already knew why I felt comfortable in Duo's presence, he was my best friend. We had been through so much together, shared pain and triumph, despair and elation. I trusted him implicitly, he'd never let me down in all the missions and assignments we'd shared over the years.

Right, that was the comfort issue explained. It also made sense to tag the reassured issue with that one as well.

Next issue: Why had I felt that ache in my chest when he'd looked hurt at my words? I knew Duo enjoyed collecting various items, some of those items I found to be totally unexplainable and had commented to that effect in the past. He'd often argued with me in defense of his 'squirreling' habits, and I'd argued back, rather sarcastically at times I might add, but never had I felt an ache like this at his reaction to my words. I didn't like to think I'd hurt him, intentionally or not.

I shook my head. I wasn't getting anywhere on that issue. All I'd managed to come up with was I'd hurt him and that made me hurt. This pain I felt knowing I'd hurt Duo was an emotion that I wasn't familiar with, despite Duo's attempts to counter the effects of J's training all those years ago.

Shoving that issue aside for the moment I confronted the last and most disturbing of them. Why had I pictured Duo's face and body in the doujinshi?

I frowned. This was a real shock to me, and yet if I was totally honest with myself it gave me a warm feeling to imagine Duo in that doujinshi. Sighing loudly, I resisted the urge to tug on my hair in exasperation. Why was I having these thoughts? I'd always managed to find explanations for things that had happened to me in the past, every issue had a logical answer. So why the hell couldn't I find this answer?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but failing. I had to find the answer, it would eat away at me until I did and with my mind preoccupied in this way I wouldn't be able to give my full attention to the mission. Now that was a scary thought. I'd always given everything I had for missions and this time would be no exception.

I glanced at my watch. Shit! More time had elapsed than I'd thought and I will have to move fast to meet back up with Relena and Duo at the agreed time. I grunted as I stood up. Already this distraction was interfering with my mission of protecting Relena. I turned and headed back into the hotel to find my partner and the reason for being here -- Relena.

I found them in the place Duo had said they would be. Both were carrying plastic bags, Duo's looked heavier and I couldn't help my curiosity. Had he made some purchases of his own?

"Ah, Heero."

Relena's greeting tore me from my thoughts of what Duo could have bought and I turned to face her.

"I'm going to pop back up to my room and put this stuff away. We can grab some lunch in the restaurant or break out some of the snacks we bought while we're up in the rooms. There's a couple of panels I want to attend after lunch."

"Snacks sound fine to me," I replied.

"Good. Let's go then." Relena led the way out of the dealers room and back to the elevators.

We had a quick snack of sodas, health food bars and fruit before making our way back down to the floor of the hotel where the panels were being held in different rooms. People were milling around everywhere and it was becoming harder to stay right beside Relena. In the end, I grabbed her hand and Duo's so that none of us would be separated. While grabbing Relena's hand made sense to stop us from being separated, It felt natural to have Duo's hand in mine and I savored the feeling of his roughened palm against mine.

Soon we were seated in a smaller room along with a lot of other people, and the guest speaker arrived. The discussion got underway, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Relena seemed to be happy and focused on what was being said. I also noticed Duo concentrating, a small smile playing over his mouth, and that led me back to my thoughts from earlier.

Why was Duo suddenly having such a profound effect on me? I'd spent a lot of time with him, hanging out, sharing a drink or dinner and movies, yet he'd never been so constant in my thoughts. I didn't have a lot of time to ponder though as the panel drew to a close and we were once again outside in a hall way.

"That was interesting," Duo said as we made our way through the crowds. He took my hand in his, and Relena's in his other hand, and led us back to the larger foyer area where we weren't in such close proximity to everyone.

"I've got a few more ideas and things to work on now after that little lecture," Relena commented.

"I didn't realize there was so much involved in writing smut," Duo chuckled.

"There is if you want to do it properly. There's a difference between writing a good smutty piece and straight out porn."

"I'll agree with that," Duo returned.

I could feel the color rising to my cheeks again. I'm not a prude, but I don't exactly go around discussing things of such intimate standing in public. And it's hard to connect Relena the politician with this gay porn writer before me now.

We found a place to stand that was slightly away from the rest of the group, and Relena took her hand back to fish in her pocket and pull out her con guide. Duo continued to hold my hand and I saw no reason to break the contact, so I didn't. It felt reassuring in a way.

"What's next, princess?" Duo asked, seemingly at ease with us holding hands.

"There's one more panel I'd like to go to before going back to the room to get ready for the auction."

I shivered. I'd temporarily forgotten about the auction.

"It's a discussion on Bondage and submission play."

I felt Duo tense slightly beside me and glanced out the corner of my eye at my partner. He'd gone a little pale and there was a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks. Why would the words 'bondage and submission' cause this reaction to my partner? A thought hit me hard.

During the war, all of us had been captured by OZ at some stage and forced to endure torture to get us to 'talk'. I knew Duo had suffered at the hands of those sadistic bastards on a few occasions so it was logical that bondage would drag up unpleasant memories for him. I squeezed his hand in an attempt to reassure him that I wouldn't let anything happen to him.

His head tilted and he looked at me quizzically, returning the squeeze.

"If you don't want to go to the discussion, I'll go with Relena by myself," I told him quietly.

"Uh. It's okay, Heero. I'll go."

"Are you sure? If it's going to bring back unpleasant memories I understand and I won't think any less of you if you want to skip out on it." I did my best to try and let him know I was giving him a way out without him having to appear as if he couldn't cope. His cheeks tinged a little more, something I found confusing.

"Really, it's fine, Heero."

I didn't get a chance to press the issue, Relena grabbed us both and headed off to the next panel. Before I knew it, we were sitting in another room, Relena on my left and Duo on my right, still holding my hand. The person giving the talk arrived and we all sat back to listen.

As the person became more enthusiastic in their lecture we were graced with actual examples of what they were talking about. I found myself introduced to all sorts of different items that could be used in the play of bondage. Cock rings, paddles and floggers, handcuffs, ropes, collars, clamps, plugs and vibrators, all were shown with loving attention. Was it me or was the temperature in the room beginning to rise?

Despite my urge to sink down in my seat with embarrassment, especially as there were only a couple of other males in the room, my curiosity was getting the better of me. I listened to how the different 'toys' were used and the effects they had. An unfamiliar warmth began to spread through my lower abdomen and much to my horror I found my lower regions tingling. Duo's hand, still tightly closed in mine, began to feel clammy and he was shifting in his seat. Without being obvious, I snuck glances at him.

Duo's skin was flushed and his breathing slightly elevated. The discussion had to be bringing back unpleasant memories for him and I silently cursed myself for not insisting that he didn't attend this panel. The lecturer began to drone on about the use of vibrators in the anal passage, but I tuned him out and focused on Duo. My partner had squirmed a little in his seat, his features looking a little uncomfortable. My concern began to rise a notch when I spotted his other hand, the one that wasn't holding mine, drift up to rest in his lap.

Still watching from the corner of my eye it was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and the shock from my face. Duo's hand moved slightly in his lap, granting me a clear view of his crotch, a crotch that had a distinctive bulge. The hand drifted back and gave an almost unseen squeeze to the erection inside those tight jeans. A soft moan escaped Duo's lips with an exhalation of air.

Anyone else would have missed it. Trained as I was, I picked it up and immediately my brain began to analyze the situation. Could I have been wrong? That Duo wasn't suffering from terrifying memories sparked by this talk of torture, but was, in fact, getting turned on?

The erection in his pants certainly said he was enjoying something. Now I was even more confused. I'd experienced tingling and excitement in my own nether regions as the lecturer had explained the use of some of the toys. Was it possible that Duo was feeling the same?

I needed to confirm my theory, so I leaned a little closer to my partner and lowered my voice to a whisper that only he would hear. "Are you all right?"

Duo jumped as if burned and gave me a guilty look. "I'm fine," he whispered back.

"If all of this is bringing back bad memories, you can leave."

He gave a sort of choked swallow. "I'm okay. No need to leave."

Duo didn't lie. If he said he was okay then I had to accept that. I let my mind return to its attempts at making sense out of everything that was going on around me, with me and also with Duo. The talk about bondage and submission continued. I kept half an ear on that, one eye on my partner, one eye on Relena and the rest of my attention on problem solving.

By the time the lecture ended, I was a lot more informed on bondage, but even more confused regarding my own reactions. I was also pretty sure that Duo wasn't going to be walking out of the room for a couple of minutes.

Relena turned to us, her eyes sparkling. "Now that was what I call a very informative discussion."

I declined to answer, nodding my head instead.

"What did you think, Duo?" Relena asked.

Beside me, Duo shifted again and pulled his hand free from mine. He managed to scoot forwards in his chair, hiding the evidence in his jeans from prying eyes, mine included. "Very interesting. I didn't know that they had all that sort of stuff, or how some of it can be used. What did you think, Heero?"

"Better to be well informed," I said. "At least should you come to use any of it you will have a thorough understanding of exactly how to utilize the items to their full potential and avoid any possible mishaps. Wide eyes gazed back at me. "What?"

"I didn't know you were into the bondage thing, Heero," Duo teased.

"I'm not, but you can never have enough information. And you seemed to be listening intently."

Duo turned a little pink. "Ah, well. Umm, like you said, Heero. It always pays to keep informed."

"Come on, you two. I need a shower and some rest to gather my energy before the auction and the ball starts. I recommend you two do the same," Relena said as she stood up. "Coming?"

As I stood, I could have sworn I heard Duo mutter something that sounded like "I wouldn't mind," but I couldn't be sure, so I dismissed it and followed Relena from the room. Discreetly watching Duo get up, I noticed his jeans were still a little strained. I made a mental note to ask him later about these unusual reactions I'd felt, and it appeared he'd felt, too.

Stepping out of the shower and drying off, I wondered what to expect this evening at the auction. I slipped the towel back onto the rack and pulled my briefs over my legs and thighs. When I walked back into the shared room, I had to blink.

"How do I look?" Duo asked as he 'posed' for me to appreciate his form.

My eyes raked over his clothed body, starting at his bare feet, traveling the length of his long, slender legs, pausing briefly at those hips before continuing up past the narrow waist, muscular chest, and alighting on his heart shaped face. He was wearing a pair of faded denim, cut off jean shorts, frayed a little around the edges at his thighs and riding low on his hips. His top was cropped red mesh, leaving a good deal of midriff skin revealed to the eye. His hair was out of its customary braid, secured in a pony tail with a black ribbon. I stepped a little closer, my eyes squinting a little. His eyes were lined with kohl, enhancing their expressiveness.

"Well?" he asked, a little impatiently.

My brain suddenly supplied me with the two words I needed to describe Duo's appearance -- completely fuckable.

Unfortunately, they were from one of Relena's fics we'd read and I only just managed to stop myself from saying them out loud. I swallowed and said, "Very nice."

"Nice? What sort of an answer is that?" he growled.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Nice is for girls, Heero. Can't you think of anything else?"

Okay. He asked for it. "Sexy, alluring, sensual, and as the fangirls would say, drool-worthy. Happy? Now, can I please get dressed?" I pushed past him, my cheeks burning as I ferreted around for my clothes.

"You think I look sexy?" I heard him say softly.

I turned my head a little while bending over to pull my slacks on, and caught an unusual look in his eyes. If I didn't know better I'd say that look was predatory. "Yes, sexy," I repeated.

His face broke into a wide grin. "Well, screw me senseless. Heero Yuy has expanded his vocabulary."

I chose to ignore his antics and concentrated on getting dressed. Once I was finished I sat on the bed to put on my shoes and noticed Duo frowning at me. "What?"

"Are you seriously going to the auction dressed like that?"

I glanced down at my dark blue slacks and light blue button down shirt. "What's wrong with it?"

"Heero, Heero, Heero. There's nothing wrong with that outfit if you're going out to dinner or the movies. However, you're not, you're going to a bishounen auction, an auction where you are one of the items to be bid upon. Seeing as how the money raised from this auction is to benefit charities, don't you want to get the highest price for yourself as possible?"

"I can't see that what I wear is going to make any difference."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Sheesh! Let me tell you a little secret, Heero. You need to sell yourself. Make yourself as appealing as possible to all those drooling women out there."

"I don't want to be bought by any drooling women. I have to protect Relena, and so do you, in case you'd forgotten," I really wasn't looking forward to this auction.

"No, I hadn't forgotten," Duo snapped, obviously irritated at me that I would have thought that. "We both don't need to be with her all the time, so long as one of us is then she's more than safe. Besides, I don't think anything is going to happen to her at a convention of this sort."

"Never underestimate the enemy," I growled back.

For some inexplicable reason, the thought of Duo being with one of those fan girls sent a surge of pain through me. I had to admit, he really did look good and I couldn't stop my eyes from appreciating his body. I guess that's why I was being short tempered with him. Then it hit me.

Jealousy.

I was jealous.

Not of the fact that he looked so good in his outfit, but that he would have pretty much every person attending this convention ogling him. The realization stung. I didn't want all those other people looking at Duo, trying to paw him. He was my partner. Mine!

Shit! When in the seven hells had I started to think of Duo as mine?

"Try this."

I looked up to see Duo holding out a pair of jeans and muscle shirt. "What? Why?"

"Heero? Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then put these clothes on instead. Believe me, you will look fantastic and the bids for your bod will go through the roof." He gave me a manic grin and followed it up with a wink.

Sighing softly, I knew it would do no good to argue with him. I'd tried arguments with him in the past and usually lost. I removed my shirt and slacks, replacing them with the muscle shirt and ripped jeans. I also noticed Duo discreetly watching me and judging by his features, he liked what he saw. I knew Duo was bisexual, he'd told me that himself. Could those looks mean he was interested in me? Interested as in 'more than a friend' way? And more to the point, was I interested in him in the 'more than a friend' way?

Duo gave a low whistle. "Man, do you scrub up all right!"

My heart warmed a little and I moved slightly to show off my form. The tight shirt hugged my torso, outlining my musculature and leaving my arms bare. The jeans were tight and rode low on my hips. The tears in the fabric were discreetly placed, showing enough flesh of my legs to entice but still keep the majority hidden.

"Those women are going to be throwing the cash at your feet," Duo said. He ran an approving eye over me, an eye that I fancied lingered a little longer than necessary on certain parts of my anatomy.

"I don't need to be bought by any rabid fan girl," I muttered. "I have to make sure that Relena buys me. If she doesn't then we're screwed as far as the mission goes and I don't think Une would be too happy to know that we neglected our duties for the sake of cash for charity."

"Heero, lighten up. You already know Relena will bid for you, that much is a given after your rather persuasive talk with her yesterday. She won't go back on her word. It will be good though to have some decent cash raised for charity. Play it up a little, loosen those hips of yours and stop frowning. You're quite attractive when you smile."

I couldn't help but feel a little smug when I saw the pink hue to Duo's cheeks as he said those last words. "I'm attractive?"

"Uh, yeah." Duo gave me one of his wide grins. "Hang on a sec, I think I have the one thing that will really set your outfit off." Duo disappeared into the closet and reappeared moments later. "Try this on." He held an object out to me.

"Duo. That's a collar," I said as I looked at the thin, black leather.

"Actually, it's a choker. They used to be all the rage once and they're making a comeback. Try it on and see if it fits."

"I'm not wearing a collar. I'm not a dog." I folded my arms across my chest in clear defiance.

"Please?" Duo wheedled.

"No."

"Just try it on and see what it looks like."

"No."

"Won't you try it on for me? Please, Heero? For me?" Duo sidled up to me and used that soft, persuasive tone he's perfected over the years, the one that usually has the women groveling at his feet. It won't work on me though.

"Okay."

Damn! Was that my voice? Before I knew it, Duo was face to face with me, his hands slipped around my neck, taking the collar with them to secure at the nape. His forehead was almost touching mine and I could smell the heady scent of his cologne. I had to suppress the urge to shiver as his fingers brushed lightly over the back of my neck.

"Looks good," Duo said as he stepped back and studied the collar.

I brought my fingers up and drew them across the leather. Turning, I went to the mirror and took a look at myself. I had to admit, Duo was right. The collar did suit me and added a touch of something dark and mysterious to my outfit.

A knock on the connecting door made us both turn.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," Duo replied and Relena stepped into the room.

"Wow!" she gasped as her eyes widened. "You two are going to cause a major riot at the auction."

Duo smirked and gave me a look that said, "told you so!"

I just scowled.

"Heero?" Relena said.

"Yes?"

"I think you'd better give me the Preventer Credit card after all. I may not have enough on mine to bid for you looking like that."

Chapter 8

Leaving the safety of the hotel room, we headed for the elevator and the auction. As we arrived in the foyer, I was once again made aware of how many people were attending this convention. People were everywhere, some dressed as their favorite characters and others in 'normal' clothes. As we started to make our way through the crowd, I couldn't help but notice the hungry looks that were sent in our direction, not to mention the whistles and various comments.

We approached the room where the auction and following dance were to be held and I saw a few people sending looks of envy in Relena's direction. I silently thanked my inner training that had refused to let Duo have his way with wanting me to go barefoot. I'd put on a pair of boots and slipped a small handgun in the side. I couldn't wear my usual shoulder holster given the outfit I was in, and I wasn't about to go unarmed. I knew Duo would have a knife or two hidden on him somewhere, although where that would be, given what he was wearing, I didn't even want to try and guess.

Passing through another door and finding ourselves surrounded by more women, I immediately pressed closer to Relena. Focused on keeping close to her, the pinch to my rear end took me completely by surprise and I whirled around. Before I could react, Duo had the perpetrator by the wrist.

"No touching my partner," I heard him growl softly, although there was a smile on his face at the same time to soften the admonishment. He released the girl's wrist and then proceeded to wrap his arm around my waist in a protective gesture. "Mine," he stated. "You can look, but not touch."

The girl gave a grin. "You two in the auction?"

"Yup," Duo replied.

"Then if I buy either one of you I can touch all I like," she said with a smirk, and then flounced off before either one of us could formulate a reply.

I turned to Relena and narrowed my eyes. I didn't get the chance to say anything, she beat me to it.

"I promised I would buy you, Heero and I won't go back on that promise."

I felt a sense of relief sweep over me, seconds later it became a sense of panic. Duo was also going up for auction. What if that woman bought him? I felt the chill of fear go down my spine. I didn't want to think of Duo being touched or fawned over by that woman or any other for that matter. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I could do about it right now. The organizers called for those people in the auction to come forwards. Relena took us both by the arms and we had no choice but to follow along as she led us into the small room off the main one.

We didn't spend much time in the room, only enough to be briefed on the auction and what the rules were regarding those that purchased us. I was relieved to hear that certain 'things' were off limits, such as clothing removal and other, more intimate dealings were a definite no, no, also the bidding wasn't just confined to women. We were herded out into the main room and lined up. Now I knew how cattle felt. The crowd of women were going wild. Relena was just a few feet away from me, having persuaded one of the organizers to let her stay close to us.

I was to be auctioned before Duo. Out in the anti chamber we had all dipped into a hat and drawn a number out. I'd drawn three, Duo was five. Besides myself and Duo, there were eight other males in the auction. I didn't pay them a lot of attention, except for a quick look to ensure they weren't a threat of any sort. They were all dressed in various outfits, similar to what Duo and I wore. While they were all handsome in their own way, I didn't think any of them compared to Duo. Again, I began to wonder. When I looked at Duo I felt something warm in my chest, along with an ache. When I looked at the others I felt nothing. Does this mean I am attracted to my partner? And I am also bisexual?

I'd been with a couple of women, fooled around a little and yet I'd never experienced the kind of warmth that I now feel being close to Duo. Having only ever been with the female sex I really had no knowledge or understanding of how a male with male relationship would work. Were the feelings the same for a same sex partnership as an opposite sex partnership?

I was giving myself another headache.

Duo suddenly nudged me in the ribs. "You're next, Heero. Don't frown, don't glare, try to smile and loosen up a little. You don't want to scare everyone off."

So lost in my mind's wanderings, I'd failed to notice that the second guy was currently being auctioned. He was duly 'sold' for the sum of six hundred dollars and then it was my turn.

I'd like to say I felt calm, but that would be a lie. My heart was racing, my soldier instincts were screaming at me and my eyes wouldn't stop looking for danger. I spotted Relena right at the front as the emcee began their spiel, encouraging people to bid. I tried not to frown, glare or scowl, instead keeping my face emotionless. I sought Duo's face as a means of anchorage. He rolled his eyes at me and then stuck his fingers in the corner of his mouth, pulling his lips up into a weird smile. I gathered he wanted me to smile.

I didn't.

My ears pricked up, listening to the auctioneer as my eyes swept over the crowd to see who was bidding. Relena was, of course, and a large woman to my left, the one I recognized as having pinched me earlier and now seemed equally determined to have me. I shuddered and tried to give Relena a silent message; 'Save me!'

"Five hundred and fifty," the auctioneer said and then looked to Relena. "Do I have six hundred?"

Relena caught my look and gave an evil smirk. For a moment I thought she wasn't going to increase the bid. Then she nodded her head.

"Six hundred. I have six hundred bid. Do I hear six fifty?"

The large woman raised her hand.

"Six fifty, I have six hundred and fifty dollars against you, ma'am. Make it seven?"

Relena nodded again.

The auctioneer seemed pleased. I tried to glare at the opposing bidder.

"I have seven hundred bid. Make it seven fifty?"

The other woman shook her head.

"Seven hundred, I have seven hundred bid. Any advance on seven hundred? Going once." The auctioneer looked around. "Going twice... Going three times -- Sold for seven hundred dollars."

As I stepped down form the stage I released the breath I hadn't been aware I'd been holding. I felt hot and clammy, sweat ran down my back, and my skin must have been a little on the pale side since Relena grabbed my hand and asked me if I was okay. I replied in the affirmative and then waited patiently by her side as she attended to the paperwork for my purchase with one of the con assistants.

Once the paperwork was dealt with, we moved back to the stage area where the fourth man was in the last stages of auction. The bids were currently on six hundred and eighty dollars, rising in twenty dollar amounts. When I thought about it, I was quite pleased that I'd fetched seven hundred. The fourth bishounen was sold for seven hundred and twenty dollars and then it was Duo's turn.

He sauntered onto the stage, wide grin on his face, hair swishing about his frame as he put on a little 'show' for the audience. Needless to say, the women all went wild. He cocked his head to the side and ran a teasing finger down his chest and over his abdomen, toying at the top of his shorts.

The crowd went crazy.

I prepared to jump on the stage to protect him from the rabid mob.

"He sure knows how to work the crowd," Relena chuckled.

With my tongue refusing to work, I didn't reply. The moves that Duo was making had left me stunned. I couldn't deny he had a raw appeal. And it appeared that all the fan girls liked the display as well.

The emcee brought the crowd back under control and began the auction. The bids were flying thick and fast; one hundred, two, three, five, seven, eight fifty...

I watched in amazement as the women practically beat each other up to get a bid in. I couldn't believe the hysteria. The bidding settled between three women, each as determined as the other to score Duo for themselves. While they weren't bad looking, I didn't think they were Duo's type either. Since when had I become an authority on what Duo's type was? I had to admit, I didn't really know what Duo's taste in women was, but I did know it wasn't any of these three.

"Relena?" I turned quickly to the woman beside me who was watching the bidding with keen interest.

"Yes?"

"Do you still have the Preventer credit card?"

"Yes. Did you want it?"

I nodded.

Relena began to fish inside her purse and handed me the card. "There you go. I didn't need it after all."

"Thank you." I turned back to face the stage and the emcee who was also playing auctioneer. The bidding had settled between two of the women.

"One thousand two hundred, do I hear one thousand two fifty? Yes? Thank you madam. I have one thousand two hundred and fifty. Any advance on one thousand two hundred and fifty?"

"Two thousand!" I called out.

The room went deathly silent for a moment as every one turned to see who had put in such a large bid, including Duo. Beside me, Relena gave me a dig in the ribs.

"Heero!" she whispered. "What the hell are you doing?"

Shit! That had been my voice.

The emcee regained his composure rather quickly and a beaming smile lit up his face. "Two thousand dollars I'm bid. Any advance on two thousand?" He looked around the room, hopeful, but both the women who had been bidding shook their heads and shot me a hateful glare. "At two thousand dollars, going once. Going twice..." The emcee looked at me, a smile still on his face. "He must be one hell of a bishie for another bishie to bid for him. Something you're not telling us?"

Ever wish the floor would open up and swallow you? I did right then. I felt the heat start at my toes and pass quickly up my body until I thought my cheeks would catch fire.

"Sold for two thousand dollars to the cute guy over here." The thud of the hammer brought me out of my embarrassed state and I shifted my gaze, looking anywhere but at Duo or Relena.

"Come on, we'd better grab Duo and go pay for him," Relena said.

I followed along behind wondering if I would still have a job after this mission once Commander Une found out I'd blown two thousand dollars of Preventer money on buying my partner.

Having paid for Duo, Relena marched us all out of the auction and into the nearest coffee shop. She sat us down and ordered coffee then fixed me with her gaze. "Heero, answer me one question. What the hell did you think you were doing back there?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't really have a proper answer for her, but I tried to give her one, one she would accept. "Duo is needed to protect you. He couldn't do that if he was purchased by one of those other women." It was pretty much the truth, I'd opted not to add the fact that I couldn't stand the thought of Duo being with anyone else but me. I caught Duo's gaze from the corner of my eye. He had a thoughtful look on his face and I could tell he didn't believe me. Fortunately, Relena did.

"Fine. At least charity will get a big boost to their funding thanks to you." Relena returned to sipping at her coffee and I was off the hook. Or so I thought.

I felt the weight of Duo's eyes upon me and avoided looking at him. I already knew what I would find. His expression would be asking the real reason for my purchase of him and I wasn't ready to face up to that confession yet. I was still trying to figure it out myself.

Coffees finished, Relena got up and announced it was time to be heading back to the ball room for the dance that would be starting soon. As I stood, Duo moved close to me. While Relena paid for the coffees he turned towards me and grazed the back of his knuckles along my cheek. His eyes were soft and full of something I didn't recognize. His mouth opened and he whispered quietly, "Thanks, Heero. In all honesty I'm glad it was you that bought me."

With those words said, he dropped his hand and walked over to the counter and Relena. I raised my hand to my cheek. The skin still tingled where his knuckles had touched, the smell of his cologne was deep in my nostrils and the soft words lodged in my heart. Could the attraction I thought I was feeling for Duo be mutual? I didn't dare allow myself to hope, I wasn't completely sure myself if what I was feeling equated into attraction.

I followed the other two out of the coffee shop and back to the ballroom.

The auction had just finished and the organizers were busy setting up the ballroom for the dance. We waited outside the double doors in the foyer area along with many others who were also waiting for the dance. The crowd was growing by the minute, people dressed in various attire and the noise of chatter was almost deafening at times.

I did my usual trick of perusing the crowd, searching for any possible threat to Relena, Duo also scanned the crowds. I subtly watched him as his eyes roved the people there. His gaze paused for a moment and a soft smile played on his face, his eyes danced with merriment and I thought I heard a low chuckle escape his lips. Curious as to the source of his mirth, I followed the line of his sight and my own eyes widened.

Across the room there was a group of people all dressed as their favorite anime characters. They were teasing and goading at each other, daring one particular couple to try something. I watched, intrigued as their play continued. I recognized the two characters currently being teased as Yuki and Shuichi from the anime Gravitation. Yuki had his arm around the waist of Shuichi and was nuzzling at the boy's neck. Judging by the way the rest of the group was carrying on it seemed as if they were encouraging the pair to do more.

The nuzzling soon turned into embracing and then what looked like groping. My eyes blinked rapidly as Shuichi was spun around and bent over, Yuki grabbing his hips and appearing to hump the other person. I quickly averted my eyes, the flush of embarrassment spreading over my cheeks and stared right into Duo's amused violet. I felt the blush deepen as I realized I'd been caught watching.

"Cute couple aren't they?" Duo grinned at me, obviously enjoying my discomfort.

I couldn't formulate a reply at that point in time, I was still too stunned at the display.

"Don't be embarrassed, Heero. This sort of thing is bound to go on at a convention such as this." To add emphasis, Duo waved his hand around.

I stared around me. Duo was right. Everywhere you looked there was at least one couple holding hands, embracing or generally playing it up for the crowd that egged them on for more. No one appeared to be upset or embarrassed about what was happening. I began to relax a little and observe. Was this how couples of the same sex showed their attraction to each other? I looked to my left, a couple there were holding hands and talking to another pair. To my right I spotted another couple with their arms comfortably around each other's waists. Another person was gently rubbing the back of their partner, while over to the far right, another couple shared tender caresses to the skin of face and arms.

It would appear that touch was the biggest way to show affection and attraction to someone. Slowly it began to infiltrate my mind that what these people were demonstrating around me was what I wanted to share with Duo. The little light bulb inside my head suddenly went off with a blinding flash. All these thoughts, all these feelings I'd been mulling over these past hours were what I'd thought them to be -- Attraction.

I could no longer deny it. I was attracted to my partner and wanted to share these things with him. The warm feelings in my chest, the pain I'd felt with Duo's hurt look, the other pain I'd felt at the thought of him being with someone else all added up to one thing. I wanted Duo and I wanted him as more than a friend.

Okay. Now I had the answers to my questions. Problem was those answers raised a whole new set of questions. Did Duo feel the same? Could Duo possibly want me in the same way I wanted him? He was bisexual and that obviously meant he liked men, but would he like me?

Crap! The image of Duo's body in the doujinshi returned. It was obvious to me now that I wanted Duo in all the ways of a relationship. My heart began to race and my groin tingled as I pondered that thought. If everything going on around me was any indication of same sex relationships and acting upon them, then I thought it was a pretty safe bet that I did, in fact, desire Duo as a sexual partner as well.

That brought me back once more to the question of Duo and his feelings for me. Could there be any possibility that he would consider a relationship with me? The soft words he'd spoken earlier, the touch of his knuckles against my skin, the way he'd placed a possessive arm around my waist and said 'mine', all seemed to point in that direction. But how to be sure?

Why the hell hadn't J included relationships in my training?

The doors to the ballroom were opened then and the crowd surged forward. I grabbed Duo's hand and he smiled at me, I smiled back and took Relena's hand as well. We entered the ballroom and found ourselves a table to sit at. The large dance floor had been cleared of the chairs from earlier, said chairs having been placed around tables that were scattered all around the outside of the room. On the small stage a DJ had taken up residence and a bar had been opened on one side of the room. Duo went off to the bar and came back with drinks for us all, Relena enjoying a white wine while Duo and I both had orange juice.

We sat and gazed around, I was checking for threats, Relena seemed amused by all the various costumes, while Duo appeared to be watching a couple of fan girls with the two bishounen they had bought. I felt my jaw drop a little as I observed the two men, one sitting in the other's lap and hands wandering freely over bodies. "I thought the organizers said no touching?"

"I think the organizers meant that the purchaser was to be restrained in their touching of the merchandise," Duo said with a wink. "Nothing in the rule book that says the bishies can't get it on with each other, providing they keep it discreet. Although something tells me this mob wouldn't object if two bishies lost all control and went at it like rabbits."

"They wouldn't?" I managed to say in a slightly choked voice.

"They'd probably all cheer them on and offer advice," Relena chuckled from my other side.

"Really?" I guess my eyes must have been as wide as saucers by now.

"Don't worry, Heero. It won't happen," Relena laughed. "Oh my, if you could see your face."

I gave the woman a glare. I didn't like to be teased.

"What's a matter, Heero? Afraid you might learn something?" Duo snickered from my left and then he leaned in close to whisper to me. "Or are you afraid it might turn you on?"

I'm pretty sure I was doing a rather good imitation of a stranded fish by this stage, but luckily for me my mind can scramble and retaliate quite admirably. "Why? You worried that if it turns me on I might start to look for someone to jump?"

Now there was a sight to behold. Duo Maxwell, lost for words.

"Touché," he replied eventually and then went back to watching the bishies in action.

I gave a satisfied smirk and switched my own attention back to the people around us. From time to time, I couldn't help but sneak a look at my partner and noticed he was casting subtle glances in my direction as well. His eyes were hiding something, but his expression was one of curiosity. Again I fancied that maybe there was a chance he was just a little interested in me.

The dance got underway, the emcee welcoming us all to the ballroom and then handing over to the DJ. The music began to play, a strong, heavy beat pulsed out of the speakers making normal conversation impossible. We sat and watched the various people dance, the styles amusing me to no end. Some people could really dance, others simply swayed to the music; and then there were those that seemed to literally throw themselves all over the floor as if in their death throes.

Duo's foot tapped in time to the rhythm as we watched a couple of fan girls dancing with their bishies and putting on a little 'show' for everyone. Eventually Duo's clubbing instinct got the better of him and he asked Relena if she would like to dance. She accepted and the pair made their way to the floor where they began to dance.

My eyes were riveted. And not on Relena.

Duo danced with a natural grace and rhythm, somehow managing to blend with the music. His movements were like liquid silk, flowing and sensual. His hips moved and gyrated to the beat, his arms and upper body following the lead of his pelvis and legs. It was like watching poetry in motion. There was only one thing wrong with the scene.

He wasn't dancing with me.

I chewed my bottom lip, wondering if I dared to raise enough courage and ask Duo to dance with me. Would he accept? Or would I be subjected to the humility of being rejected? There was only one way to find out.

Ask him.

After sharing a few dances, Relena and Duo came back to the table and sat down. I'd managed to catch the attention of one of the waitresses and had our drinks replenished while they'd been dancing and Duo downed his orange juice in two swallows. Relena continued to sip at her wine, switching to water from time to time to quench her thirst.

I decided to give Duo about fifteen minutes to recover from his exertions before asking him to dance. When the time was up I tried desperately to call up my courage that seemed to have deserted me. The DJ changed tracks, putting on a song with a slow, sultry beat and I decided it was now or never. I took a deep breath and composed myself.

"Duo? Would you care to dance with me?"

Violet eyes turned in my direction, as did a pair of shocked blue, but I ignored Relena's gaze, focusing only on Duo.

Those eyes held a look of shock, confusion and then pleasure. Duo's face broke into a warm smile.

"I'd love to dance with you, Heero."

Giving a soft sigh of relief, I quickly wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and stood up, taking Duo's hand and leading us both out onto the dance floor. Relena should be safe for a few minutes I reasoned. Nothing or no one had tried anything yet and I didn't think they would. As Duo had said, it was highly unlikely someone would try to get to Relena at a Yaoi convention.

Underneath the colored lights, Duo took on an ethereal appearance, his hair swung around his lithe body as he started to move in sync with the music. For a moment I was dumbstruck, overwhelmed by his sheer beauty before my brain kick started and I thought I'd better start to move myself instead of standing there looking like a love struck teenager.

I found the beat and began to sway, letting my natural sense of rhythm take over. I didn't think I danced too badly, although nothing as sensuous as Duo. The song finished and another came on, this one was slightly faster and Duo surprised me by starting to dance dirty.

He gyrated his hips, thrusting them provocatively in my direction. His hands weren't still either. They danced along his torso, touching himself as his body swayed to the beat. I did my best to keep up with him and then as my eyes met with his, he gave me a positively wicked smirk and danced right up to me. His hands found their way to my hips as he pulled me flush against him. Hips thrust against my own and then Duo shimmied down my torso and back up again. His look turned feral as he danced behind me and pulled my back flush against his chest.

With his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, Duo moved us both to the beat, then he began to grind against my ass as his hands wandered the full length of my chest and abdomen. He rested his chin momentarily on my shoulder and whispered. "Enjoying yourself?" The words were accompanied by a lazy lick to my ear and I moaned.

Duo's hands wandered up my chest and brushed lightly over one of my nipples, eliciting another moan from my throat. I felt on fire, heat pooling in my groin and I knew without a doubt that I was getting turned on. I could only hope that the evidence of my arousal couldn't be seen under the colored lights. My breath was coming in rapid pants, my heart was racing and I could feel the sweat running freely down my back.

Duo shifted again, his hand brushing lightly over the front of my jeans. Shit! Now he would know for sure that I was getting aroused. His chin came back to my shoulder and there was another lick to my ear before soft words were spoken.

"I think you are enjoying yourself, Heero."

Without another word, Duo shifted again and began to rub against my backside. I could clearly feel the evidence of his own arousal as he ground against me. God help me, I wanted it. I wanted him.

The music began to wind down and along with it, Duo's seductive dance. He faced me once more, a triumphant smirk on his face as we came to a shuddering halt. The music ceased before another, softer track began to play. That was when I became aware of the dance floor and the lack of occupants.

Cheers began to ring out around us, people had moved aside to watch and I'd been totally oblivious to it all. I could feel the blush rising as the crowd closed in slightly. Relena was not far from my side and cheering just as enthusiastically as the rest of the people. Then their cheers changed into a chant.

"Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him, kiss him..." they chanted, then clapping joined in until the noise drowned out the music.

Duo cocked his head and grinned at me. "They want us to kiss."

I cocked my head in return and raised an eyebrow. "Then let us not disappoint them."

I saw the fleeting look of shock pass through Duo's eyes and then it was gone, replaced with a hunger I'd never seen before. Slowly, Duo closed the distance between us, his hands came up to rest upon my hips as his eyes looked from my mouth to my eyes and back again.

I brought my arms up and wrapped them around Duo's shoulders, gently pulling him closer. I licked my lips in anticipation and tilted my head to the side.

The crowd continued their chant as we drew closer and closer.

Then, Duo's lips were on mine and he was kissing me.

Chapter 9

Duo's lips were soft, sensual and moved with practiced ease. The cheering and chanting faded away into the background as my mind focused completely on Duo and his mouth. Gently he moved against my lips, his tongue running softly over my bottom lip and I opened my mouth a little in invitation. His tongue swept inside and began to explore, roaming over teeth, along the inside of my cheeks and tangling with my own tongue. He coaxed my tongue into his mouth, inviting me to explore his own inner recesses.

I did.

Tentatively, I ran my tongue over his teeth and gums, exploring the soft palate and then back to duel with his tongue. He pushed his tongue back into my mouth and before I knew it I was as hard as a rock and moaning softly into his mouth.

I'd experienced kissing before, and even thought myself not bad at it. But Duo... Shit could he kiss! The feeling of Duo's lips against mine was something I could never forget. He tasted of orange juice, sweat and danger. I became an instant addict.

Oxygen became a vital necessity, and reluctantly Duo broke the kiss. As we surfaced, I became aware of the cheering and whistles going on around us, but they didn't register completely. I was still lost in that kiss, my senses on red alert and my nerves fried. I was aware of Duo gazing deeply into my eyes, a soft smile playing over his lips as he took in my bedazzled state. His tongue darted out, just the tip of it to run over his own lips and I heard him murmur quietly.

"Delicious."

That one word was my complete undoing. I knew then I needed more. One kiss would never be enough. Somehow I had to convince Duo that I desired and wanted him.

Still captivated by his eyes and the swirl of emotion going through them, I wasn't completely aware of my surroundings. Fortunately, my soldier instincts were still on alert. I caught the movement from the corner of my eye and reacted purely on instinct.

I broke from Duo's embrace, leaving him shocked and confused as I threw myself at Relena. We crashed to the floor as I felt the sting of a dart lodge in my left shoulder blade. With Relena safely beneath me, I looked over my right shoulder and saw that Duo had sprung into action. He tackled the assailant to the ground, pinning him with finesse.

Around us the convention goers seemed unsure if this was real or acted. The crowd had gone a little quieter, most trying to make sense out of what was happening.

I heaved myself off Relena, and tried to reach with my hand to pull the dart from my shoulder, but couldn't.

"Heero? What's happening?" Relena asked. "Are you okay? Why the hell did you knock me down?"

"Assassination attempt... dart... shoulder." My mind started to swim. I didn't know what was in the dart, but it was beginning to effect me -- and fast.

Relena caught on quick. She can be a smart woman sometimes, thankfully now was one of those times. She shoved me to the side and quickly spotted the dart in my shoulder. Grabbing it, she pulled it out and then pulled me into her arms.

My vision was beginning to blur and consciousness trying to fade, but I hung on, needing to know that Duo had everything under control before I let this drug take me. My partner appeared beside us and I took a look at his worried face.

"Heero?" he said softly and ran his fingers along my cheek.

"Situation?" I asked weakly. It was getting harder to fight off the drug.

"Secure. Perpetrator 'cuffed, acting alone, back up on its way. Your status?"

I could hear the concern in his voice and somehow that comforted me. "About to pass out."

"He took a dart to the shoulder that I'm sure was meant for me," Relena said. "I've pulled it out but I don't know what was in it." Relena's voice sounded worried and distant.

I managed to reach out and clasp Duo's hand. Forcing my eyes to look into his, I dragged up the last of my strength. "Keep her safe."

"Heero! Don't you dare give up on me!"

Duo's words hit my ears as the fringes of my mind began to turn black. I couldn't reply, I had no strength left. All my limbs seemed paralyzed and then mercifully, darkness claimed me.

Images flitted through my mind, Duo shooting pool, Duo in his shorts smiling, Duo dancing with me, Duo kissing me. I could hear voices, but they sounded far away and there was a dull ache in the back of my head. Slowly, I began to feel my senses coming back on line and the images that had kept me company began to fade.

My hearing cleared and I struggled to open my eyes. My eyelids felt heavy, but I managed to blink them open, only to close them again as bright light flooded my vision and made my headache worsen.

"I think he's coming round," I heard someone say.

"Heero? Heero? Can you hear me, buddy?"

It was Duo. I tried to open my eyes again, blinking rapidly at the light. He must have realized that the light was hurting my eyes. The next time I opened them the light level was much lower.

"Thanks," I rasped out. My throat felt as dry as Quatre's desert and my tongue like the sand that filled it.

"Here."Through slitted eyes I saw a straw and then felt it against my mouth. I parted my lips and sucked eagerly on the straw. Cool water flowed into my mouth and I swallowed greedily. The cold liquid flowed through my mouth and down my throat, easing the dryness. Although I wanted more of the water I knew it probably wasn't a good thing to drink too much of it right now and reluctantly I let the straw slip from my lips. "Thank you." The words flowed a little easier now that my throat didn't feel like sandpaper.

"How are you feeling, Heero?"

I turned my head to see Relena standing there, a worried look on her face. I tried to smile to reassure her, but it must have come out as a grimace as her worried look intensified. "I'm okay," I ground out.

"You gave us one heck of a scare," she continued. "I'm so relieved you're awake."

"How long?" I asked.

"Six hours," Duo replied as he gently took my hand in his.

If Relena noticed, she didn't say anything. I didn't either, it felt -- comforting.

"The drug?" I asked. I knew I had a strong resistance to drugs. J had made sure of that during my training. However, given the length of time since the wars, it had been years since I'd had any further strengthening of my body's systems to resist drugs. Consequently my resilience had lowered considerably.

"Some type of tranquilizer combined with a muscle paralyzer. Labs are still analyzing it."

I nodded and shifted slightly. "Could you...?"

"You need help to sit up?" Duo asked with a smile.

"Please," I replied. "My arms don't seem to want to work properly yet." I was still feeling a little groggy, effects of the tranquilizer no doubt, and my arms and legs felt like lumps of lead. I guessed I still had some of that drug in my system, too.

Relena stepped closer to the side of the bed and reached for a lever. As she pushed on it so the upper part of the bed began to rise. Duo lifted my shoulders, fluffed the pillows and then pulled me up the bed slightly before laying me back against the pillows. It felt better to be sitting up.

"What happened?" I asked. "I can't remember much." Was it my imagination or did Duo's face look a little disappointed at my words? Whatever it was the look lasted but a second before his usual persona was back in place and he sat upon the bed at my side and began to fill me in on what had occurred.

"The dart was meant for Relena," Duo began. "There was only one perpetrator, acting alone. He is in custody and has been interrogated."

I gave a low chuckle. I could imagine the interrogation the person had gone through with Duo at the helm.

"It wasn't so much an attempt on Relena's life as a kidnapping. The person thought that the convention dance would be the perfect place to grab Relena and hold her for ransom. Their plan was to dart her and when she passed out they would carry her off on the pretense of her having drunk too much and take her back to her room to sleep it off. Instead she was to be spirited away and held for ransom. The dart contained a strong tranquilizer as well as another drug to paralyze the muscles."

"Thanks to you, it didn't happen," Relena said softly as she moved closer to my bed. "I'm sorry, Heero."

"For what?" I asked.

"I honestly didn't think that there would be an attempt of any sort against me at a Yaoi convention," she replied, her eyes downcast.

I laughed, and both Relena and Duo stared at me as if I'd lost my marbles. I decided to let them in on the joke. "You know, at first I thought it was another fan fiction writer who was jealous of your writing."

Duo snorted.

Relena looked stunned and then quickly replied. "I've heard of writers being stalked by fans, I've heard of writers getting hate mail, flames and the like from jealous writers; but I've never heard of another writer or fan being physically attacked by someone over fan fiction."

"There's a first time for everything," Duo smirked.

"How did you know I wrote fan fiction anyway, Heero?" Relena's eyes narrowed and she homed in on me.

Shit! I remembered, she'd told Duo, but not me. "Uh, I think I need to lie down again, I'm not feeling too good," I moaned and attempted to look ill.

Relena gave me a look that clearly said she didn't believe me, but there wasn't much she could do.

Duo caught on pretty quick and began to lower the bed a little. As he did so he leaned in close and whispered. "Don't give up your day job, Heero."

I really didn't need him to tell me I was seriously lacking in the acting department. I decided to change the subject. "Any idea when I can get out of this hospital and go back to the hotel?" I could sense there was more that Duo hadn't told me, but I wanted to get out of this place, hospitals gave me the willies.

"I think they want to keep you in for observation," Relena said.

"They've kept me long enough," I growled. "What time is it anyway?"

Duo glanced at his watch. "A little after four."

It was then that I noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes and the tiredness etched into the lines of his face. He must have been up all night. Come to think of it, Relena didn't look all that crash hot either. "I want to go back to the hotel," I demanded. "It's safer there than here."

Giving a weary sigh, Duo ran his fingers through his disheveled bangs. "I'll go get the doc and see what he says. Personally I'd rather be back at the hotel as well." He got up and left the room, searching for the doctor.

"If they don't let me go I'll sign myself out," I snapped and folded my arms across my chest. The drug must be leaving my system fairly quickly now as I've regained a fair amount of control over my limbs. I still felt tired though and knew I would need to sleep some more before the tranquilizer was completely expelled. Back at the hotel my security system was in place and I would feel a whole lot safer there than here.

Duo returned a few minutes later. "Doc's on his way now," he said and slumped into a chair.

The white coated form of a doctor entered a moment later, accompanied by a pretty looking nurse. The nurse began to take my vitals while the doc grabbed my chart and went over it. "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine," I replied.

"Any dizziness, nausea, vomiting?"

"I feel a little tired, but my limbs are all working fine." I added a scowl for good measure.

"Blood pressure is normal, heart and breathing rate normal and his temperature is back to normal," the nurse said as she finished off her observations.

"Good." The doc scribbled a few things on the chart and then fixed me with his eye. "Your body has had a major shock to its nervous system. Not just the tranquilizer, but the paralysis as well. You need to rest and take things easy for twenty four hours, no strenuous activity at all. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded. I was ready to agree to anything if it meant I could get out of here.

"Fine. I will release you on that understanding. I will need someone here to sign and be responsible for you over that time period."

"I'll sign, doc," Duo said with a look in my direction to see if that was acceptable. I nodded and he smiled.

"Right. I'll get you to come back to the nurses' station in a moment, sign the necessary forms and I'll give you the discharge information." The doctor turned to me. "Rest, and I mean it. We still don't have a full breakdown on the drugs that entered your system so there could still be side effects we are not aware of. Should you experience anything at all out of the ordinary you are to come straight back here. Got that?"

"Yes, doc."

"Good. Mr Maxwell, if you will kindly follow me." The doctor exited with Duo behind leaving the nurse with Relena and myself.

"Um, can I have my clothes please?" I asked. I didn't think leaving the hospital in the papery gown would be a good idea, besides, the draft was a little chilly.

"I'll fetch them for you," the nurse said and disappeared to do just that, returning a minute later. "Here you are, Mr Yuy."

"Thank you."

The nurse left and Duo entered, a sheaf of papers in his hand.

"Geeze, and I thought Preventers paperwork was bad, this isn't just in triplicate, I think it's in octacate!" he muttered as he looked at the papers he held.

I shook my head and began to lever myself from the bed to get dressed.

"I'll wait outside," Relena said as she noticed my movements, her face taking on a pink tinge.

That's when I realized I'd been moving to the side of the bed she had been standing at. Shit, I hoped I hadn't flashed the poor woman.

With Relena's departure, I reached for my clothes as I struggled to stand. My legs didn't want to cooperate and I felt myself beginning to fall. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and held me up. "I've got you, buddy," Duo murmured as he righted me once more.

"Thanks. I guess I'm not as over it as I thought."

"Need a hand?"

"If you don't mind." I managed to quell the butterflies in my stomach as Duo reached for my briefs. Crouching down, he held the briefs for me and with one hand on his shoulder for support, I managed to lift a foot and step into one leg of them, the process repeated with the other foot and then Duo was pulling my briefs up underneath the gown, keeping my modesty in tact while he blushed a little. Gown removed, he quickly helped me with the jeans and shirt, socks and boots last of all.

"Ready?"

I nodded and with great effort began to walk towards the door. As Duo opened the door he cast a worried glance in my direction, wanting to assist me but knowing my pride. The matter was taken out of our hands though as the nurse appeared with a wheelchair.

"It's hospital policy that all patients discharged may only leave the hospital in a wheelchair. It's for your own safety and well being as well as the hospital's."

I didn't bother to argue and sat uncomplaining in the chair. I noted Duo's relieved look as the nurse wheeled me to freedom.

By the time we made it back to the hotel I was feeling a little stronger and able to walk through the foyer and ride the elevator to our floor. Once we made it down the hall to our respective rooms, Duo insisted on checking Relena's room, scouring it thoroughly before letting the woman enter. Our room was similarly checked and then Duo assisted me inside and to my bed where I sat down, grateful to be off my feet. After checking that I was going to be all right, Relena thanked me again and then passed through the connecting door to her own room to get some sleep. It was now six in the morning and all thoughts of the convention and the previously planned activities for the day shot to pieces. We agreed to get some sleep and then meet in the afternoon to decide what to do from there.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I was still feeling groggy and wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep. Duo came over to me after checking the laptop and security. "How are you really doing, Heero?" he asked.

"Tired. Duo?" He looked at me. "The debriefing. What didn't you say?"

He gave a soft smile. "It was one person acting on their own as I said. However, he does belong to a small, organized crime group. I passed the information on to headquarters. Commander Une has dispatched agents to the locations the perpetrator gave us. They should have the group rounded up and in custody within twelve hours. If they didn't get their ransom demands, they were planning on sending bits of Relena back until their demand was met."

I shivered at that thought.

"You need to rest, Heero. Want me to undress you?"

My head spun around so sharply I swear I could hear the vertebrae crack.

"Errr... That didn't quite come out the right way." Duo blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "What I meant was..."

"Duo, it's okay. I know what you meant and yes, if you don't mind, assistance would be appreciated." I tried to give him a reassuring smile as I rested a hand on his arm.

Without further words he removed my boots and socks before slipping the jeans from my hips and shirt over my head. I stood up and allowed him to fold the blanket and sheet back, and then sank into the cool cotton sheets as my legs threatened to give out on me. Duo drew the covers over me and paused, staring at my face for a second. It was then that I could clearly see the concern and worry in his eyes before he quickly turned away and went to his own bed.

I decided to go for broke.

"Duo?"

He turned and looked at me. "Yes?"

"This is probably going to sound ridiculous and I quite understand if you say no, but..." I glanced at him and saw him frowning at my hesitant words. "I really don't feel comfortable sleeping by myself. I know you're just in the bed over there, but with my status compromised, I would feel a lot safer if you would sleep with me, watch my back so to speak."

"Ah. Like we did sometimes in the war?"

"Y-yes."

He smiled and moved back to my bed, stripping down to his boxers and sliding in behind me. I appreciated him not saying anything more, I was feeling vulnerable and confused enough as it was. His presence though was reassuring and I found myself drifting off. I wasn't fully asleep, sort of in that place where sleep is on the fringes but you're still slightly awake. I felt Duo shift behind me and then snuggle a little closer. I gathered he was propped up a bit as his breath washed over my cheek. I kept my breathing regular and deep, letting him think I was asleep. I was curious as to his intentions.

Moments passed, and then gentle fingers brushed the bangs from my forehead and he spoke in a whisper. "Oh, Heero. I was scared I'd lost you. I don't know what I would do if that happened." His lips grazed across my cheek as his fingers continued to thread gently through my hair. "I wish I had the courage to tell you how I feel, but I don't. At least I'll have the memory of this weekend and the kiss we shared." Another soft brush of his lips against my cheek and then he settled behind me. I remained where I was, wakefulness now my companion as my mind churned with Duo's soft words.

My suspicions had been correct then, Duo did care for me and with that whispered confession it seemed he cared for me more than just a friend. After that kiss at the dance all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle had fallen into place and I knew then without a doubt I was attracted to Duo. His kiss had been sensuous, sweet and promised more if I wished to explore the enigma that was Duo.

Move over Doctor Livingston, Heero Yuy, new age explorer was about to hit town.

Having Duo spooned up behind me suddenly made me aware of all sorts of feelings and emotions stirring inside. Only problem was, I didn't have a clue how to act on them. Feeling too tired to really do much more thinking right then, I let my exhaustion take over and slip into a deep sleep, safe in the knowledge that Duo was right there with me, covering my back.

Chapter 10

I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but I did know it had been one of the most restful sleeps I'd had in a long time. As my mind returned to the conscious plane I became aware of feeling warm. There was an arm wrapped around my waist and soft breathing across my shoulders.

There was also something hard pressing against the back of my thigh.

My brain kicked in sharply, all the memories of the past twenty four hours flooding through -- the dart, Relena, hospital and the tranquilizer. Obviously, the tranquilizer explained why it took me a little longer than usual to become alert.

Duo.

It was Duo who was spooned up behind me. Duo's arm rested over my waist. Duo's breath washed over my skin. Duo's...

I swallowed.

There were no two ways about it. That hardness pressing against the back of my thigh had to be Duo's erection. Damn! I lay as still as possible, not sure what to do. Duo shifted slightly in his sleep, pressing closer to me, his erection rubbing against the back of my thigh and brushing the base of my cheeks. I managed to stifle a groan and then realized I had another problem.

I was getting hard myself.

The feeling of Duo draped over and around me was nice. I hadn't expected the arousal though and that threw me for a moment. I silently ran a string of curses through my mind. Feeling Duo's hardness pressed against me not only sent heat pooling in my groin, but a raw, animalistic feeling lodged in my gut. My hips pushed back a little, rewarded by a forward push of Duo's and the jolt of need and desire flared stronger.

While Duo felt really good pressed firmly against my hips, I knew that once he woke up our position wasn't going to sit too well with him. I needed to try and wriggle away from him a bit. I didn't want him thinking he'd tried anything while asleep and I didn't want him feeling embarrassed either. I needed to let him know that I wanted him -- wanted this. Whatever 'this' turned out to be.

Carefully, I started to inch away from him, slow movements towards the side of the bed. I should have realized it was futile. Duo's eyes snapped open and I froze.

It took a couple of moments for the situation to completely sink in and when it did, what I'd feared began to happen. Duo pulled back, his cheeks turning red as he scooted away from me.

"H-H-Heero. Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Oh god." He drew the covers over his head in an attempt to hide from me.

If I hadn't been so concerned about Duo's reaction I would have found the whole situation comical. But Duo didn't need my laughter, he needed my understanding. How the heck was I going to let him know that I wasn't disgusted by his reactions to being close to me? And the more difficult question; how to let him know I welcomed the attention? I frowned, caught up in a swirl of emotions I wasn't sure I could figure out within the next couple of seconds. I had to do something, and now.

"Duo?" I questioned softly as I turned over and inched towards him.

"Not here," came the muffled reply.

I smiled to myself. I could hear the embarrassment in his voice. "Duo, come out from under there."

"No one by the name of Duo under here."

With a sigh, I grabbed the hem of the sheet and pulled it back, revealing a red faced and obviously agitated Duo.

"Ah, Heero. Fancy meeting you here," Duo quipped.

"Duo..."

"Heero, I'm sorry. Look, I didn't know I would end up plastered all over you..."

"Duo."

"I was asleep, my limbs just did their own thing..."

He was babbling now, obviously worried about my reaction to his cuddling of me, not to mention the wood he'd been sporting and rubbing against me. "Duo!" I tried again, a little louder this time.

"Look, I can explain about the other... errr... you know... It's a guy..."

Seeing as how Duo wasn't going to listen to me any time soon, I did the only thing I could think of to shut him up.

I kissed him.

At first his lips seemed to resist, unmoving against mine, but then they relaxed and became pliant, starting to kiss back. When I pulled away from the kiss, his eyes were wide with shock and he just stared at me.

"Did you just kiss me, Heero?"

I nodded. "I had to shut you up somehow. I know it wasn't as good as the one you gave me at the dance, but..."

"You remember the dance?"

"Yes."

"But, you said you couldn't remember anything."

"I said I couldn't remember much, meaning I couldn't remember anything after the dart hit me."

"Oh." Duo looked thoughtful for a moment and then questioned me again. "What do you remember then?"

It was my turn to think long and hard. This was my chance, the opening I'd been waiting for. But how to put all I wanted to say into the right words?

"I remember asking you to dance with me and you accepted. The fan girls, they were all standing around us chanting." I felt my jaw beginning to tighten as the words I wanted to say seemed to elude me. "They wanted us to kiss... You-you kissed me." Why was this so damn hard? I began to get frustrated with myself, annoyed that I couldn't say what was on my mind.

"Heero?"

"Duo? Why did you dance that way with me?" I blurted out. I had to know the truth. If he'd been teasing me it would tear me apart inside. Duo didn't lie, and the soft confession of earlier -- when he'd thought I was asleep -- It all added up to one thing. But I needed to hear some sort of confirmation from Duo's lips before I could cross the line from friend to whatever it was I sought.

I refocused my attention on Duo who seemed to have gone a few darker shades of red. He fidgeted also appearing to have trouble finding the right words. It amused me as he was always articulate and could converse for ages on any topic.

"Dance in what way?" Duo said.

I could tell he was hedging, looking for a way out without having to lie. I wasn't about to give him a way out though. I had to know. "When the music changed and became faster, you, well you started to dance -- differently."

"Ah. Umm."

"Were you stringing me along? Or were you playing it up for the crowd?"

"I-I wasn't stringing you along, Heero. Please believe that. I suppose in one way I was doing it for the crowd, trying to give them something of what they wanted, but then." Duo trailed off and I waited patiently for him to continue. "Then it changed. I wanted to dance with you that way, see what your reaction would be. If I remember correctly, you seemed to be enjoying it."

The ball was back in my court and I knew it. Duo was waiting for my reaction to his words and I couldn't lie to him. To hell with trying to find the right words, I'd just say what was on my mind, take my own advice from years ago and follow my emotions. I could only hope I'd figured the emotions out the right way.

"I did enjoy the dancing, Duo." I lowered my eyes, the next words I wanted to say I didn't think I could look at his face as I said them. I didn't want to see rejection or disgust so it was easier not to look. "Duo, these past couple of days, the mission, the convention, it's all given me a new way to look at life. I've been shocked at some of the things I've seen and heard, but there have also been moments when I've felt complete. I really did enjoy dancing with you, I've enjoyed playing the part of your partner while we've been here, I've learnt a lot more than I think I wanted to; and yet I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff." I wasn't sure if I was making any sense, all my thoughts were scrambled.

"Heero?"

I slowly raised my eyes and was met with a soft smile. Duo reached out and cupped my cheek, rubbing his thumb in a soothing motion against my cheekbone. I exhaled softly and leaned into the caress.

"Why did you buy me at the auction?" Duo asked, his voice low.

I jolted a little. "I told you. We have a mission and I needed you with me to protect Relena. Just as well I did buy you considering what happened." I was feeling raw, nervous about Duo's question.

"I know that's what you said to Relena, but I don't buy it for a second."

I narrowed my eyes and started to glare.

"Okay, I partially buy it then. Now, tell me the real reason."

My eyes widened a little. "I didn't think you would appreciate being bought by one of those women who were bidding for you. They didn't seem to be your type."

Duo cocked his head to the side. "Since when did you become an expert on what my type is?"

"I, umm." Shit, damn and all those other curse words.

"What is my type, Heero?" Duo raised himself slowly, leaning closer to me until I could feel the wash of his breath against my skin.

"Ah."

"Or maybe I should be asking you what your type is?" Duo's voice had lowered to a husky purr.

Aw crap. I could feel my cheeks flushing, a warmth spreading through my veins. "My type?" I managed to get out around a dry throat.

"Yes, Heero. Your type." Duo's voice now contained a sultry tone, his lips were centimeters from mine.

If this wasn't a blatant come on then two plus two equaled five. Without thinking of the consequences I decided I'd had enough. I was tired of the pretending, tired of the dancing around. Duo's soft words from earlier came back to haunt me and I threw all caution to the winds. There could be worse things than death by Duo.

"I think you're my type, Duo." I said the words softly and left them hanging in the air, waiting, body like a coiled spring should the need to self preserve become necessary. I slowly raised my sight until I was staring into Duo's eyes. Blue flecked with violet greeted me, the pupils dilating and shrinking while many varied emotions swirled through the depths. I tried to catalog them, but they moved too fast.

Then Duo moved.

I didn't have a chance. He was quick, closing in on me, his lips seeking mine and then I was completely lost in the kiss he bestowed. His mouth moved sensuously over mine, his tongue asking entrance which I eagerly granted. Somehow my arms wound around his upper body, his arms encircled my neck, one hand drifting to thread through my hair and then hold me in place. Not that I was going anywhere.

It was similar and yet different to the kiss we had shared on the dance floor. This one was slightly desperate, as if seeking reassurance. I did my best to kiss back with equal fervor, trying to let Duo know what I couldn't put into words. Our lips broke apart and Duo rested his forehead against mine, gazing into my eyes with what I could only describe as satisfaction.

"Are you serious, Heero?"

His words jarred me from my kiss induced haze, and I had to think about them for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Heero. You know I'm bisexual..."

I nodded.

"But do you know what your sexuality is?"

I frowned. "I don't understand," I replied.

"From what you've told me of yourself and what I've seen when we've hung out or while working together, you've never really had a relationship with anyone, male or female." Duo pulled away slightly, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows as he searched for the words he needed to explain. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, is this what you want? Are you sure you're interested in men, in me? Or is this some mere passing fascination, a need to find out more about male relationships?"

Now that gave me something to think about.

"I'll be honest, Heero. I'm not looking for a one night stand or simple fling. Sure I flirt a lot, I have a reputation to uphold." He gave a cheeky grin to soften the words. "But what I want may not be what you want."

"I don't really know," I began slowly. "True, I've never really had a relationship before, with a male or female, the job we do is the main factor in that. I'd never given much thought to an interest in men until this weekend. What I've seen and learnt over the past couple of days has opened my eyes to a lot of things. Yes, I'm intrigued by a male, male relationship, but..." This was the part I found confusing and somehow I had to tell Duo and hope he could give me the answer.

"Duo, this is probably going to sound strange as well as confusing, but please, hear me out before you say anything."

"Okay." Duo scuttled back a little and leaned against the headboard of the bed. He let a hand drift down and rest over the back of mine, his thumb stroking softly. It wasn't a sexual touch, more of a reassurance. I smiled my thanks.

"When I think about two men together, seen from those doujinshi what goes on I have a pretty good idea how a same sex relationship would work. I've seen many different costumes, watched other males at this convention interact with each other and while I have to say it's sweet, it doesn't do anything for me, however." I paused for a moment to gauge Duo's reaction thus far. He was frowning and I knew I wasn't making a whole lot of sense -- yet.

"However, when I watch you, hold your hand, have your arm around my waist, it feels different. I like the way it makes me feel. I've spent many hours chewing this over in my head, trying to understand and find answers for why I should be feeling all warm and fuzzy when I'm close to you. When you danced dirty with me, touched me, all I could think about was how good, how right it felt, how I wanted more. When those girls were bidding for you at the auction all I could see was them touching you and I wanted to kill them. The kiss you gave me... I've never experienced anything like it. But you know what's the most confusing of all?"

Duo shook his head in the negative response.

"I only feel this way with you. None of the women I've met have made my heart beat faster, none of the guys I've seen here at this convention have sent tingles down my spine. But you have. I've even pictured you in one of those doujinshi. Duo? I don't understand exactly what it is I'm experiencing here, all I know is I want to be with you, you are what makes me happy." I looked at my partner, trying to will him to understand the confusion I was going through and hopefully give me some answers. "Tell me something, Duo? I've noticed little things about you when we're together. I might be wrong, but you seem to be attracted to me. Am I right?"

Duo was silent, his eyes lowered to the bed sheets so I couldn't read what was going through them. As the silence stretched I began to fear I'd offended him, interpreted everything the wrong way and a small knot of fear began to build in my gut.

Finally, he raised his head and fixed me with a look that burnt directly to my heart. He raised a hand and cupped my cheek, his mouth softening as a small smile played over his lips. "Heero," he began softly. "I have a confession of my own to make. I never in all my wildest dreams thought you would be interested in men, in me. Never once did you give a hint that you were even aware that sex and attraction existed in your world. Now I know why. I really enjoy your company, I like spending time hanging out with you, shooting pool and watching movies. A small part of me has always been interested in you, I've daydreamed about what it would be like to have a relationship with you. I watched your body language, listened when you talked and gathered my information from there. It all told me you were not interested in a relationship with anyone other than being friends. I was content with that. Just being close to you was enough for me. If I couldn't have your heart then having your friendship was the next best thing."

I could feel my eyes becoming moist with Duo's words, but I didn't interrupt him.

"This mission, the convention. I saw it as an opportunity to try a little flirting, getting closer to you and being able to share a bit of you without any recourse. It was a stupid thing to do."

"Why?" I asked, curious to know.

"Because I knew that once this weekend was over we would go back to our jobs and normal life. I don't know that I can do that, Heero. Not after sharing so much with you. I ache inside and this is why I have to know if what you're saying is the truth. If this is only an infatuation, something that's going to last a couple of days and then be over with, then I think we should call it quits right now."

Emotions swirled inside me, ones I didn't understand. I felt an ache in my chest, a hollow feeling in my gut. "Duo, all I know is that I want you, I want you by my side, I want to share life with you and not in the manner of a friend. Yes I want to be friends, but I want more and I'm sure you do too. Please, Duo. Let's explore this together. I want more than a one night stand, I want more than a couple of days. I want to learn how to love, I want to share everything with you, discover the joys of a relationship. I know I can trust you and from what I know about relationships, that's a big part. We have the friends part so the foundations are there. Can we take this to the next level?"

"Demanding bugger aren't you?" Duo snickered softly. "All these I wants."

"Look me in the eye, Duo Maxwell and tell me you don't want the same things."

Duo's cheeks flushed red, his eyes softened and he leaned towards me. He cupped my face and brought his lips towards mine. "I want you, Heero. God, how I want you."

"Then take me, I'm yours."

He kissed me, strong and yet sensual, demanding and giving, telling me in motion he was all male. I melted under the onslaught, yielding to his demands, opening my mouth to his tongue and offering myself completely to his wishes. Blood pounded in my ears, nerves came alive as warmth spread throughout my body. His arms came around me and held me close, mine reciprocated. His lips left mine but continued to kiss, only this time they traversed the lines of my neck, jaw and ear.

Shivers tore through me, pleasure sang through my nervous system and I was completely lost to it all. Time faded into the background as Duo gently lay me back down on the bed. His mouth continued to kiss and nip at my neck, my eyes drifted shut and I let myself feel.

The evidence of Duo's excitement pressed and rubbed against my thigh as Duo moved beside me. I could feel the heat pooling in my own groin, my cock beginning to harden, and I welcomed it.

As Duo's mouth continued in its explorations, I moved my hands over Duo's back, rubbing the skin gently and feeling the muscles shiver under my fingertips.

"More, Duo," I breathed out and squirmed as he bit down on my earlobe.

Suddenly, Duo stopped and pulled away from me. I looked at him in confusion. His eyes were lidded with lust, his lips swollen from kissing me, a soft blush patterned his skin, and his boxers were tented, all clear signs of his need and desire. So why had he stopped?

"Duo?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"You..."

"Me?" I questioned.

"The doc, he said you had to take things easy for the next twenty four hours."

Damn! The doctor's instructions came back to me. Yes, he'd said I had to rest and take things easy until the drugs had left my system and I'd agreed. I didn't know at the time I was going to have a gorgeous creature in my bed willing to ravish me. If I had then there was no way I would have agreed. A thought struck me.

"Duo?"

"Yes?"

"I know the doc said to take it easy for a while and I'm happy to do that, but," I fixed him with a look, "leaving me like this isn't going to encourage me to rest." I indicated my groin where an interesting bulge was appearing.

"Ah."

"From what I've read in some of Relena's stories, I'm sure I can sit back and relax, enjoy what's happening while you do all the work." I raised an eyebrow.

Duo's face lit up into a wicked grin. "I like your line of thinking, Heero. Lay back, relax and enjoy. This will be my pleasure."

I didn't get the chance to reply, my lips were occupied with better things.

Chapter 11

The kiss Duo gave me was warm, soft and invigorating. His tongue sought entry to my mouth and I willingly allowed the invasion. I'd never thought the inside of the mouth could be so sensitive. Duo had kissed me at the dance, slipped his tongue inside my mouth, but with the number of people present I hadn't fully appreciated the capabilities of that muscle. It slid around my teeth and gums, stroked along the soft palate and rubbed gently against my own tongue. It was sensual and sent shivers of anticipation along my spine.

Breaking the kiss, Duo licked along my bottom lip. "Delicious," he said softly and I vaguely recall him saying the same thing when he'd kissed me at the dance.

"Relax and enjoy, Heero," he breathed against the skin of my neck and ear. "I want to explore you, all of you. Do you have any objections?"

"Please," was all I managed to get out. I wasn't sure exactly what I was asking for, all I knew was I wanted him to continue.

He gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and lowered his lips to my neck. Duo's mouth burnt a trail over the flesh of my neck and collar bone. His kisses were soft, his tongue bathed my skin and I discovered that the sense of touch was indeed just as important as sight and sound. My skin felt on fire, the heat from his kisses consuming me. Gradually he kissed lower, fleeting touches over my chest and then he found my nipple.

I arched into the touch, a husky moan escaping my throat to be met by a soft chuckle from Duo. He licked around my nipple, teasing the nub with his tongue before taking it into his mouth and sucking lightly. I groaned and writhed beneath him, the sensations traveling south and lodging firmly between my legs. Who would have guessed my nipples would be so sensitive? Certainly not me, but Duo seemed to know, and he used his knowledge to his advantage.

Having teased my left nipple, Duo moved over to tend the right one with just as much devotion. His tongue flicked across, followed by gentle sucking. Teeth nipped softly, just enough to torment and cause me to cry out with the pleasure. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Duo's fingers began to pluck and toy with the nipple his mouth wasn't playing with. The double assault left me panting, moaning with need and a definite reaction in my nether regions.

Having driven me to distraction with his attentions to my chest, Duo continued to blaze a trail over my sternum and towards my abs. The muscles tightened, shifting under my skin as a gentle tongue and lips paid homage to them. Duo's tongue dipped into my navel and involuntarily I squirmed, body pulling back in protest.

"You're ticklish," Duo snickered.

"Am not," I huffed. I didn't need to give him any further ammunition to use against me.

His tongue delved into my navel again, once more I squirmed and wriggled away.

"Are too," he stated smugly.

I didn't bother to argue any further.

His lips moved further down, nipping and kissing across my belly to a hip before journeying back across to the other hip. I was fully aroused by now, the ache between my legs intensifying with every kiss, every sweep of his talented tongue. My eyes slipped shut as my hips began to thrust up, encouraging his ministrations. It would appear my body knew what to do, even if I was new to this entire male/male thing.

Duo's mouth was replaced by his fingers, the digits tracing lightly over my flesh, fleeting touches that were teasing in their passage over my sensitive skin. Running lightly over my belly, those fingers dipped lower and brushed along the edge of my briefs, tangling lightly in the wiry hair that thickened as it disappeared underneath the cloth. I moaned in anticipation, rolling my hips as I sought to draw Duo's fingers to where I craved the touch the most. The bed moved a little and those fingers disappeared for a moment. Confused, I opened my eyes, unaware of exactly when I'd closed them.

Duo's smiling face greeted me. He'd shifted his position and was now kneeling beside my hip. His eyes were tracing invisible lines over my body and I flushed.

"You're stunning, Heero," he said softly.

The flush intensified.

His fingers reached out and this time they hooked underneath the elastic of my briefs. I raised my eyes to meet his.

"May I?" he asked as he gave a soft tug to my underwear.

I nodded and then lowered my gaze.

His fingers took a firm hold and gently removed my briefs. Automatically my hips raised to assist him and then lowered again to allow my feet to lift and the briefs to be completely removed. My cock slapped against my belly as it was freed, hard and aching for any touch it could get. I'd never been body shy, actually I'd never really given a whole lot of thought to my body. But now, with Duo's intense gaze wandering over my flesh I suddenly felt the urge to hide.

Would he like what he saw? Was my body toned enough? Was I big enough? I blushed at that thought. I'd never really considered the size of my penis and where it would fit in the general 'size' scale. I could only hope that what life had endowed me with would be pleasing to Duo. Nervously, I peered out from underneath the sanctuary of my bangs, searching his face for any clue as to his thoughts.

His face was a blank though. I couldn't read any emotion there and I began to panic. "Duo?" I asked, my voice wavering a little.

"Perfect."

The softly spoken word caused my breath to hitch and my heart to race. My cock twitched as his eyes roamed hungrily over my body. Becoming a little bolder, I reached out and tugged at his boxers. I wanted to see him.

Duo's skin flushed and he jerked slightly, as my fingers brushed his skin. He turned his violet gaze to meet mine and smiled.

"I want to see you, want to touch you," I breathed.

The smile widened as Duo shifted and removed his boxers. He returned to his position of kneeling next to me, his body on display for my eyes to feast upon.

And feast I did.

He was all muscle, slender and toned. He wasn't as compact as me, being taller his muscle mass was more spread out, but no less intoxicating. Irrevocably my eyes were drawn lower. Over the planes of his chest, twin, dusky pink nipples, peaked with excitement. His skin was lightly tanned over the arms, torso and legs, but the tan gave way to creamy skin around his groin.

A dark trail of hair began at his navel, thickening as it traveled lower and blossoming into a rich patch of dark chestnut at the apex of his thighs. My eyes were riveted to a nest of hair where his cock jutted proudly, slightly longer, but a touch thinner than mine. His sac swung below, the slightly wrinkled skin with a dusting of fine hair inviting the eye to peruse at leisure.

A soft exhalation of breath reminded me that Duo was watching me. I jerked my eyes back up from their enjoyment, a blush tinging my cheeks.

"Do I meet with your approval?" he asked in an amused tone.

"Gorgeous," I replied, my voice husky with desire. He was. Even the pictures of the bishounen in those doujinshi paled when compared to the beauty of Duo Maxwell in all his glory.

He flushed with pleasure and then lowered his body to lie beside mine. His hand began to wander over my chest again. My hand raised and then settled upon his skin.

Slowly, I allowed my fingers to wander across his chest, exploring the ridges of muscle, feeling the different textures of his skin against my finger tips. I found a nipple and mimicked Duo's actions from earlier. I toyed with the nub, flicking and pinching it gently. Duo's body arched and soft moans escaped his lips.

My heart swelled with his quiet moans. To know I was the one causing these reactions in him only strengthened the knowledge that this was something I truly wanted. I became bolder, running my fingers over his belly, tracing down to a hip bone and then returning. The shift of his muscles under the skin, reacting to my touch turned me on and I gradually let my fingers dance lower until they were running through his pubic hair.

Duo's hips arched, pushing up and trying to draw my touch to where he wanted it the most. I snickered and avoided touching his need for the moment. I wasn't done with my teasing. My eyes followed the movements of my hand, delighting in the way his cock twitched as I brushed through the wiry hair. I'd never studied another male before, simply assuming that we were all the same. Now I had the chance and I was surprised to see subtle differences.

I'd noted before that Duo's cock was slightly longer and thinner than mine. That would make sense given his slender, lithe build. I noted his foreskin was also longer and that his sac hung a little lower than mine. It also appeared to be bigger too. Unable to resist any longer, I had to touch, had to find out if he felt as good in my hand as I thought he would.

Tentatively I reached out, fingers grazing lightly over the shaft then wrapping carefully around the length to tease his foreskin back. The head of his cock appeared, a drop of pre-cum seeping from the small slit. He was warm against my palm, the skin soft and elastic and yet hard as steel beneath. I traced my finger tips lightly over the head of his arousal, feeling the subtle differences in the skin texture to the shaft. His cock bobbed and tried to follow the movement of my inquisitive fingers.

I chuckled lightly at the wanton display of his need.

My fingers shifted lower, running lightly along the length of his shaft and to the sac beneath. The skin was silky soft, downy hair brushed against my skin as I traversed the scrotum. Inside I could feel Duo's balls shift, the sac hardening a little with his desire. Gently, I cupped his balls in my hand, rolling them lightly, noting the weight and plumpness. Soft moans of pleasure were exhaled from Duo's mouth and I took it as a sign that he was enjoying my touches.

I continued in my gentle explorations. Bringing my hand back to the shaft and encircling it, I began to stroke the length with light pressure as I tugged slowly at his shaft. His hips moved, thrusting into my touch and I knew without a doubt he was enjoying himself.

I gasped lightly as a warm finger traced against my cock, my hand faltered in its stroking and then a moan escaped my lips as Duo's hand completely wrapped around my erection and began to pump. I'd jerked off a few times, but it had never felt this good. Duo's hand seemed to know precisely how much pressure to apply, how fast to stroke. I became putty in his hands, unable to continue to pleasure him with the feelings of lust he evoked in me with his touches. My hand fell away and I slipped my eyes closed, simply opting to feel.

"You like that, Heero?" His words were soft, husky with need. I groaned in reply and thrust my hips up. I heard his soft chuckle and then subtle movement. I didn't bother to open my eyes, I was too lost in sensation.

"Then I think you will really enjoy this."

Duo's hand was still on the base of my cock, but the head was suddenly enveloped in a warm, wet heat.

"Ahhh..." My eyes popped open and I raised my head slightly to see what the hell was causing these new sensations. My gaze met with passion filled violet, Duo's lips encircling the head of my cock and drawing me into his mouth. I groaned, my eyes closing again as my head flopped back to the pillow.

He began to work me with his mouth, tongue sliding along the shaft, circling around and diving into the small slit to tease. Beneath the onslaught, I writhed and moaned my pleasure, hands fisting the sheets. A burning sensation began to build in my gut, liquid fire tore through my blood, sparking my desire and sending me soaring upwards. I could feel my orgasm just out of reach and clawed desperately towards it.

Then Duo stopped.

I lay, panting, moaning and frustrated upon the sheets. I opened my eyes and glared at him. "Why did you stop?!"

He gave me a cheeky grin that soon turned into a soft, seductive smile. With feline grace, he crawled up my body, pressing his groin against mine as he looked down at me. He moved his hips in a circle, rubbing our erections together and causing me to gasp in pleasure. His fingers traced over my lips and then he took them in a soft kiss.

I could taste myself in his mouth, slightly bitter and I wasn't too sure about the flavor. He kissed me for a moment, little kisses, mere pecks to my lips as his groin continued to grind into mine. Then he pulled up a little and gazed down at me.

I could see the fire in his eyes, the lust, passion and desire that burnt brightly. I was humbled that he should feel this way about me. He paused in his grinding, his face taking on a slightly more serious look and I swallowed.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"How far do you want this to go?"

Good question.

"I, I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "I don't have much of an idea when it comes to same sex relationships." I felt like a complete idiot now, admitting my ignorance. I'd got some clues from the researching on yaoi and reading a couple of Relena's stories, but when faced with the possibilities of a full on relationship, I was floundering. I knew the things in the stories were not all true, but how much was based on reality and how much on fantasy was anyone's guess.

"You have some idea though?" Duo asked as he kissed my neck, sensing my unease and trying to make this as easy as possible for me.

"A little."

"Not all you read is true, Heero."

"I gathered that much." I shifted slightly, causing my erection to rub deliciously against Duo's and I moaned. "Can you? That is -- would you explain a little more to me? I'm not completely sure and I'd like a little more information." I blushed.

Duo smiled down at me and brushed the bangs from my eyes. He kissed the tip of my nose. "Of course I can explain it to you, Heero."

Punctuating his words with gentle kisses, Duo explained the things we could do together and I appreciated his honesty. My erection didn't dwindle despite my touch of embarrassment from his frank explanations. If anything, I felt myself growing harder. Duo gave me a few moments to think over what he'd said before asking his question again.

"How far do you want this to go, Heero?"

His eyes were soft, showing me that he cared enough to let me be in control. Regardless of what I decided, I knew he wouldn't care any less for me. I swallowed and made my decision.

"I want it all, Duo. I want to feel you inside me. Make love to me."

I could have sworn I saw moisture entangled in his eyelashes, but I didn't get a chance to think about it as his lips descended on mine and my brain took a holiday. His kiss was long and deep, full of lust, passion and desire. I could also sense something else there, but I was hesitant to label it love. Love was something I had very little experience with and didn't think I was qualified to interpret, not at this stage anyway.

Breaking the kiss, Duo began to lever himself up from me. I raised an eyebrow in silent question, grabbing his arm to prevent him from leaving. The confusion must have shown in my eyes as he paused for a second and then turned to address me.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, Heero. If I am to make love to you we need something to make things a lot easier. I refuse to hurt you, I want you to enjoy this." He added a smile to his words which helped to ease my uncertainty.

I'm sure the blush covered my entire body. I released him and he disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a bottle.

"Oil," he explained and set the small bottle down on the night stand before climbing back onto the bed. He stroked his fingers along my side and pressed a kiss to my neck. "I need to prepare you, Heero."

I felt the flush on my skin deepen with those soft words. I knew from my research that a man needed to be prepared if sex was to take place, but what would it feel like? Would it hurt? Duo must have read my thoughts as he began to explain while still kissing me.

"It shouldn't hurt, Heero. It will probably feel uncomfortable at first, but I promise to take it very slowly and be gentle with you. I need you to tell me what you're feeling though, if it does hurt or you're not happy with how things are progressing. This will only work if you're honest with me."

"I trust you," I replied and wrapped my arms around his body, drawing him close to me and taking his lips in a warm kiss to let him know I meant what I said.

As the kiss broke, Duo moved away from me and grabbed the bottle of oil. I watched as he coated his fingers with it and then set it back down within easy reach. He shifted back to me and gently teased at my inner thighs. My legs fell open of their own accord, delighting in the soft touches. My thighs were eased apart further and then Duo gently eased my legs up, bending at the knee until I was completely open to him.

I closed my eyes as his fingers traced along my shaft, over my sac and then rubbed at the patch of skin behind my balls. I moaned and shuddered, the touch was electric, sparking my desire to greater heights. His finger moved again, tracing small lines further back until it was stroking along the cleft of my ass. He began to circle my entrance and I groaned, loudly. I didn't know I had so many nerve endings there!

"Okay so far?" Duo's husky tone pierced my fogged mind.

"Ahhh... Feels good," I replied.

He continued to stroke and tease at my entrance, stimulating the rich nerve supply until I was moaning and writhing beneath him. The pressure of his finger changed, as did its purpose. I felt it pushing against my hole and reminded myself to relax. Gently, Duo's finger penetrated me, the slickness of the oil allowing the finger to slide in easily. Once inside he gave me time to adjust to the new sensation before starting to push his finger in and out.

It didn't hurt, although there was a feeling of minor discomfort at first which soon vanished as his finger loosened me up. I began to rock my hips, the touch of his finger against my inner passage surprisingly arousing. I felt his finger leave and cracked open an eye. I didn't protest as I watched him add more oil to his fingers and then return to the preparation of my body. This time the discomfort returned as he slid two fingers inside. Like before, the uncomfortable feeling went away fairly quickly and I was again rocking onto his fingers.

Duo was true to his word and didn't hurt me. By the time he had three fingers inside me I felt desperate for something more. Obviously my insides were a lot more sensitive that I'd thought possible, a fact Duo's fingers delighted in showing me.

"Still with me, Heero?"

I moaned in reply. "Need you, " I managed to breathe out.

His soft laughter filled my ears. "Patience, Heero. I want to make sure you're completely ready for me."

"I'm ready," I growled. I felt ready enough, my body humming with pleasure and need.

"Fuck!" Duo cursed. Before I had a chance to ask what was wrong, Duo continued, "I don't have a condom."

I snickered and then stopped as his eyes turned in my direction. "It's okay, Duo. I haven't got a condom either, but I'm clean and I trust that you are too."

He smiled and caressed my cheek. "I'm clean too, but I thought you might feel a little more comfortable if we used protection."

"Thanks for thinking about my welfare, Duo. I appreciate that. But it's not as if I'm going to fall pregnant."

"I should hope not!" Duo's amused violets twinkled down at me. "If you did I'd be more than shocked."

I laughed. It was the tension breaker we'd both needed. Duo shifted again, removing his fingers and reaching for the oil.

"As long as you're sure, Heero," he said softly and began to coat his cock with the oil.

I shivered as I watched, and my own cock pulsed, body anticipating. I felt my ass flex, the thought of Duo's cock entering me touched with a little bit of fear. Would I be able to take him inside?

Moving between my legs, Duo carefully lifted my hips and placed a pillow underneath them and then spread me wide. "You sure about this, Heero?" he asked, giving me one last chance to back out.

I spread my legs wider in invitation. "All talk and no action," I teased. "Yes, I want this. Yes, I'm ready; now, make love to me, Duo."

He grasped the base of his penis and moved closer to me. The tip rubbed along my cleft before settling to tease at my entrance. Then, Duo's hips began to push forward. I felt the pressure building as his cock's head pressed against my anus, the muscles, despite the preparation, unwilling to allow anything to intrude into the tender passage. I calmed myself, willing my body to accept the offering. There was a slight burning sensation as the muscles relented and then Duo's cock slid in.

He was careful, sliding in slowly, retreating a little, then pushing forth again as he penetrated me making his entrance as easy as possible. Once he was fully seated inside me, he paused and took his weight on his elbows, sinking a little between my legs. His concerned eyes gazed down at me and he raised one hand from the bed to cup my cheek.

"Are you all right? I'm not hurting you?"

"I'm okay," I replied. "Feels a little uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt." It was true, I did feel rather full, like I needed to go to the bathroom, but there wasn't any pain. Even the burning sensation was beginning to leave as my body adjusted.

"When you're ready, I'll move."

I grunted softly and flexed my inner muscles in curiosity. I could feel Duo's length inside, hot and pulsing against my walls. It felt, different and yet good at the same time.

"Do you have to do that?" Duo moaned.

"Do what?" I asked and squeezed my passage again.

"That. God, Heero. You have no idea what that does to me."

I squeezed again, several times.

"Keep that up and it will be over before it's started," Duo growled.

"Then move," I goaded. "You're supposed be the stud here, show me how good you are."

"I'll give you stud," Duo retorted and began to withdraw.

The feeling of Duo as he slid from inside my body was unreal. I couldn't find the words to describe it. When he pushed back in again I felt completely lost to the pleasure. His cock pushed against my inner sheath, pressing against nerves I never knew existed, but was made fully aware of now.

Duo groaned and grunted as he slowly but surely built up a rhythm. His hips moved in a steady cadence, while his cock stroked my inner walls, firing the need within me. I let my legs fall open further, encouraging him to slide deeper inside. As he thrust, my cock became trapped between our bellies, the friction of his movement teasing and tormenting my shaft.

I knew the doctor had said I should rest, but I didn't think of making love as being on the top of the list for things to avoid when resting. If anything it was recreation. Wasn't it? Personally, I didn't care. The doctor be dammed! It had taken me way too long to wake up to the feelings I was having and now that I'd admitted them, confronted them, I was stuffed if I was going to quit now!

Between my legs, Duo shifted a little, pulling his knees up underneath him a touch so as to get a better grip on the bed and thrust deeper inside my willing body. His head fell to my shoulder, his arms wrapped around me and drew me close, hips picking up in their speed.

Suddenly I felt my head spin, bright flashes assaulted my vision and I felt as if my entire body had been doused in liquid pleasure. I gasped and moaned -- loudly. My hips bucked up and my cock throbbed. Above me, Duo chuckled.

"Wh-wha-what was that?" I managed to stutter out at last, body still thrumming.

"I think I just found your prostate, Heero."

Well shit! "Never felt like that when the doc's gave me an internal before," I gasped.

"A doc's idea of a prostate exam and my idea are totally different," Duo snickered. "Believe it or not, the prostate is very sensitive and if touched the right way can give you ultimate pleasure."

"I believe it," I moaned. "Do that again."

Duo obliged, twisting his hips and thrusting again and again until he managed to brush over my prostate once more.

"I think I could become an addict," I groaned as the fireworks hit again.

"You'd look funny going to rehab for prostate addiction," Duo chuckled.

I didn't bother to reply, my mind was elsewhere, somewhere around Saturn I think.

I lost myself completely to the sensations my body was experiencing, the slide of Duo's cock within me, the feeling of him pushing against my channel, the occasional connection with my prostate. It all added up to unadulterated bliss and I was happily drowning. The fire was building steadily in my gut and I began to push back, raising my hips and meeting Duo's thrusts. He must have known I wouldn't be able to take much more and worked a hand between our heaving bodies to curl around my cock. He began to stroke me in time with his thrusts.

The double assault was too much for me to handle. Having my cock stroked and my channel massaged I knew the end was close. The burning in my abdomen, the heat flashing through my upper thighs and balls all told me the end was nigh.

Desperate to reach the climax I could feel hovering just out of range, I twisted a little and that was enough to have Duo's cock hit my prostate one last time. That was all it took. I felt the fire uncoil, shoot through my groin and explode from my tip. Fluid spilled from my cock to coat Duo's hand and drip to my belly in a sticky puddle. I was aware of my channel spasming around Duo's length that continued to thrust in and out of me and it enhanced the pleasure I was currently floating in.

I became aware of Duo grunting and then stiffen, his back arched and a low cry escaped his throat. I felt his cock swell inside me and then fill me with hot liquid. He thrust a couple more times and then collapsed on top of me, sated.

We lay entwined, Duo's softening cock still inside me as we enjoyed our orgasms to the full. I didn't know about Duo's but mine was simply mind blowing. I felt completely relaxed, sated and -- happy.

Gradually, sanity returned and Duo lifted himself up to his elbows, his soft cock slipped from inside me and I mourned the loss. I felt a trickle of seed leave my backside and it only served to make me feel even happier. His violet eyes gazed down at me, something unidentifiable shining in their depths. His hand came up and brushed the bangs away from my forehead and he reached to kiss me.

"Did you enjoy that, Heero?"

For a moment I was at a loss for words. Finding my voice again I spoke softly. "That was amazing. Far better than anything I've read, either in Relena's stories or in the research. I never knew it could be so pleasurable." I felt my cheeks burn a little. I wasn't used to giving tongue to my emotions.

"I'm glad," Duo whispered.

"Did you?"

"God, yes, Heero. More than I can explain!" Duo said quietly as he pressed tiny kisses to my jaw. "Thank you, Heero."

"Thank you, Duo." We lay there for a little while longer, content to simply hold each other and bask in the warmth of the after glow. I could feel myself dozing off again when there was a soft knock on the inter-connecting door.

"Shit! Relena!" I yelped, almost knocking Duo to the floor as I sprang from the bed.

"Are you guys awake?" came Relena's voice from the other side of the door.

"Ah, yes. Don't come in though, getting dressed," I called back, fingers crossed. Behind me Duo was using the pillow to muffle his snickers. He was still naked, sprawled out over my bed, the sheets askew and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what had been going on. "We will be out soon," I added.

"Okay. I'll wait until you come for me," Relena said.

"I think you already came for me," Duo snickered.

I gave him a glare. "Won't be too long, Relena," I called out and then turned back to the bed and my chuckling lover.

He rolled over and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Please, don't beat me master. I promise to be good," he said. "In fact, I'll be better than good," he added, his voice a distinct purr.

I pounced on top of him and then stole a kiss. "We'd better get a move on. Relena will suspect something if we don't show up soon. Une will also want us to contact her."

"We need a shower," Duo said as his nose wrinkled at the body fluids we both sported.

"It will have to be quick."

"If we shower together not only will we save water, but time too." Duo gave me a wink.

I met his cheeky grin with one of my own. "I'll race you." Before he had a chance to respond I was off the bed and in the bathroom.

Chapter 12

It didn't take us long to shower, which was surprising considering the number of times we both dropped the soap. Returning to the main room, I rummaged around for clothing aware of Duo watching me. I turned around to meet his thoughtful gaze and quirked an eyebrow. There was obviously something on his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked as I dressed.

He frowned, stood up and fetched his own clothing. I could see he wasn't ignoring me, simply trying to find the words he needed to tell me his thoughts.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"I suppose this is going to sound silly or something, but, well.."

"Duo, just come out and say it."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "How do you want us to act now?"

I paused in my dressing to ponder the question. "How do you mean?"

"Well, during this convention we've been acting the role of boyfriends simply for ease and convenience for protecting Relena. Now that we are, ummm, involved in a relationship, do you, shall we, I guess I want to know if you're still okay with that or would you prefer not to?"

I mused over his words before replying. "You want to know if I'm comfortable with the thought of people knowing we're actually a couple in the real sense and not just role playing. Am I correct?"

"Ah. Yes."

"How do you feel about people knowing we're together?"

Duo's brow furrowed as he seemed to toss my question around in his head. "To be honest, it doesn't worry me what people think. I like you, Heero. I've always had a soft spot for you and wished for the chance to share a relationship with you. Now that I have that chance I feel like I want the whole solar system to know. I don't want to hide it, but I want to know that you're comfortable with that too."

I gave him a smile, a genuine from the heart smile. "I don't give a damn what people think either, Duo. It's our lives, our feelings and emotions that count, not theirs. I'm quite comfortable with people knowing you're my boyfriend; in fact, I'm damn proud to be yours, so why hide it?"

I knew I'd said the right thing when his face lit up into a broad grin. He barreled into me, hugging me close and kissing me wildly.

"I'm damn proud to call you my boyfriend too, Heero. I want to show you off, let the world know that you're mine."

We stood together in the middle of the hotel room simply holding each other. Duo's arms were warm and strong around me. It felt -- nice. Actually, it felt better than nice, it felt perfect. Knowing there was someone there for me, someone who cared about me stirred feelings deep in my chest and I knew I wanted to hold onto them forever.

"Are you two ready yet? I'm starving." Relena's voice through the door sent us both scurrying to finish getting dressed.

We sat in the hotel restaurant, stomachs fed and sipping on coffee as we contemplated what to do with what remained of the day. It was three in the afternoon and the convention was beginning to wind down. The panels Relena had wanted to attend had been while we slept. I don't think Relena minded all that much though, she'd had a pretty nasty scare and was happy that all of us had come out of it okay.

I had to report in to Une, but decided it could wait until later. She wouldn't be expecting a report for a little while, knowing I'd been injured so I didn't worry too much about it.

"There's only the closing ceremony left to attend," Relena said as she glanced over her timetable.

"I'm sorry if I ruined the convention for you, Relena," I began and then stopped as she fixed me with her blue eyes.

"Don't you dare apologize for doing your job, Heero. I don't care if I've missed things, I'm still here, still alive thanks to you and Duo."

"She's right," Duo said softly. "There will be other conventions, other chances to attend panels and such. There's only one Relena, and fortunately, thanks to you, she's still here." Duo reached out and cupped my cheek, rubbing his thumb across my cheek bone in a soothing caress. I leaned into the touch.

Relena's eyes widened a little as she observed our small display of affection. I could see the mental wheels turning in her head, but her sense of decorum prevented her from prying. I knew she wouldn't give up though.

"What about we have one last trip around the dealers' room before putting in our report to Une and getting ready for the closing ceremony?" Duo's voice broke into the silence as he dropped his hand from my cheek and entwined our fingers under the table.

"Ah, yes. We could do that," replied Relena.

The questions were building in her face, the curiosity burning in her eyes. I glanced at Duo and he gave me a smirk. He'd also noticed Relena's interest. We weren't trying to hide our relationship from her, in fact, we were continuing to play our roles, only with a little real passion.

"Let's go then," Duo said as he drained the last of his coffee.

We all stood and exited the restaurant. Duo slung his arm around my shoulders and I let mine wrap around his waist, hugging him close to me. I couldn't help the smug grin as I watched Relena's eyes constantly darting from Duo to me and to where she was going. I wondered how long it would take before she finally cracked and just came out with her question? Until that happened though I was quite happy to play my part and torment her imagination.

There wasn't a whole lot left inside the dealers' room. A lot of the stalls had sold out of various items and some were starting to pack away what remained of their wares. We browsed along for a few moments and finally stopped at a stall that still had a large quantity of doujinshi on display. Relena picked up a copy of one and began to flip through it. Duo also rummaged through the pile while I continued to sweep the room for possible threats. Even though the convention was winding down and we'd had the one attempt on Relena, it didn't mean there couldn't be another attempt and I wasn't about to relax in my duties.

We didn't appear to have anything to worry about so I trusted that my instincts would continue to remain aware while I browsed the stalls with Duo and Relena. I peered over Duo's shoulder to see what had him interested and felt myself blush slightly. I couldn't help the reaction. Even though I'd not long ago experienced the joys of making love with someone I felt deeply for, seeing the images of people making love in the doujinshi still embarrassed me.

Duo soon changed that though.

He turned the page a little, his brow furrowing as he studied the picture before him. I noticed Relena start to turn in Duo's direction, her curiosity aroused as to what had Duo captivated.

"Heero?" Duo said as his eyes flicked from the picture to me, "Think you could get into that sort of position?"

My mouth opened and closed and must have given a good impression of a deer caught in the headlights. I looked into Duo's violet eyes and saw the mischief glinting in their depths. I didn't miss the subtle flitting of his gaze to Relena and back either; then the penny dropped and I gave a soft smirk. I took the doujinshi from him and made like I was studying the picture carefully.

"I don't think I'd be quite flexible enough. You have better maneuverability than I do, I'm sure you would be able to manage it," I replied and handed the doujinshi back.

Duo's eyes lit up at my blatant playfulness and he grinned. "We can always give it a try later. I'll buy the doujinshi so we can use it for reference."

"Good idea." I ran a hand down his spine and gave his backside a squeeze. Glancing out the corner of my eye I could see Relena almost choking.

"Something wrong, princess?" Duo asked in a casual tone as he handed over his money to the vendor and tucked the doujinshi in his back pocket before taking a firm hold of my hand.

"W-W-what? W-when? H-H-how?"

Well that had to be a first. I'd never seen Relena stuttering before.

Abruptly, her eyes narrowed and she grabbed a hold of my arm. "Coffee shop. Truth. Now!" Turning around, but still holding my arm, Relena dragged us both out of the dealers' room and into the hotel coffee shop. She pulled us between the tables to one at the rear, safely enough away from others that eavesdropping wouldn't be a concern, and sat us all down. The waitress appeared and Relena ordered and paid for all of us.

"Cappuccino, long black and a double shot espresso for me, thanks." Once the waitress had gone to fill the order, Relena looked from Duo to me and back to Duo. She opted to remain silent until the coffees arrived and then she only spoke after drinking all of hers in one go.

"Right." She fixed us both with her clear, blue eyes. "Clearly there is something going on between you two, and I want to know what it is."

"Why would you think that?" Duo asked in all innocence.

I could see he was going to make Relena work for every word.

"You two, you're acting -- different."

"I thought the plan was to act like a couple so as to be able to protect you better, Relena and not arouse any suspicion," I said quietly.

"I know that, but..."

"That's all we're doing. Acting like a couple. It didn't seem to bother you yesterday," Duo said softly, a smile tugging at his lips.

"It's not that."

"Then what is it, Relena?" I asked as I stirred my cappuccino and scooped up a large amount of froth onto it.

Duo's hand wrapped around my wrist. He guided my hand and the spoon away from my mouth and to his, and proceeded to suck the froth off the spoon and then thoroughly clean the spoon with his tongue.

I couldn't help it. I gave a soft moan.

"That!" Relena said.

"Huh?"

"Aggghhh! I know you two have been pretending to be a couple while at this conference, but..."

"But?" Duo asked, the mischief still in his eyes. "We're still just playing the part."

"You're still acting that way, yes, only you seem to be really getting into the roles. If I didn't know any better I'd say you two are more than acting, that you are a couple."

I gazed at Duo, his violet eyes twinkling back at me. Slowly, he closed the distance between us and kissed me. It was a slow, sensual kiss that set my heart racing and my blood burning with need. As we broke apart, he pecked my bottom lip once and smiled.

"You are a couple! I knew it!" Relena was almost shouting now in her excitement. "That's so cute!" She sat back in her chair and looked at us both expectantly. "When did this happen? How long have you been together? Why didn't you tell me?"

I sighed and gave a small smile. Trust Relena to want all the details. "We only just got together," I replied honestly.

Relena raised an eyebrow.

"What Heero says is true, Relena." Thankfully, Duo took over the conversation, knowing how difficult it was for me to find the right words to say at times. "I've had feelings for Heero for a while now, but Heero didn't know about them."

I decided to interrupt and lay bare my own soul. "This weekend, this convention gave me food for thought. Acting as a couple to protect you awoke something deep inside me, something I wasn't even aware existed. It's hard to explain, but pretending that Duo was my partner, other than in the mission sense to protect you, made me realize what was missing in my life. When we were at the auction and all those other women were bidding for Duo, I felt an overwhelming emotion that I now know was jealousy. I didn't want anyone else to be with him; he was mine and I didn't want to share."

"Really?" Duo's surprised eyes looked at me and then softened.

"Yeah, really." I raised my hand and brushed his cheek with my fingers.

"Sweet," Relena said.

"That's when I discovered I wanted to be with him," I said, continuing. "I wasn't sure how to handle these new emotions, or if what I was feeling would be reciprocated so I decided to play it by ear and enjoy what I could get while acting as a couple. It wasn't until after the attempt on you and our return from the hospital that I finally found the courage to admit to Duo what I was feeling. Luckily for me, he felt the same way." My voice had lowered to a husky whisper with those last few words and my eyes fixated solely on Duo.

I could see the emotions swirling in his eyes, the gentle play of a smile over his lips as he leaned in to kiss me again.

"Have you two gotten it on together yet?"

"What?!" We both turned to face the smirking woman.

"Oh, come on. You know what I mean. You two done the horizontal tango? Who was uke? Or did you take it in turns?"

"Relena!" I choked. I could see Duo's cheeks burning red and could only surmise from the heat I felt in my own that they were the same color.

"Research, Heero," Relena smirked. "Now I can write my fics with absolute realism and authenticity. What sort of lube did you use? Does Duo's hair get in the way? Which one of you has the biggest --"

"That's enough!" I glared at Relena who simply smirked back at me. Beside me I could feel the laughter shaking Duo's form as he fought to keep it in.

"What we do in the bedroom is our business and not yours. I am not about to divulge anything, not now, not ever," I huffed.

"Awww," Relena pouted. "Not even the tiniest hint? It is in the name of research for good fiction writing."

I was about to give vent to my mounting annoyance when I caught the twinkle in her eye. Instantly the anger bled out and I sighed. "I refuse to say anything at all."

Realizing I'd caught on to her teasing, Relena gave up and smiled. She reached across the table and put her hands over mine and Duo's. Her eyes were sincere as she spoke. "All jokes aside, I'm happy for you both. I think it's wonderful that you have found in each other what you need and I hope you stay together forever. You both have my blessing for a long and happy relationship."

"Thanks, Relena," Duo said and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Thank you, Relena," I said softly and leaned over to give her a peck to the cheek.

Relena blushed slightly and then gave a wicked grin. "I still want details though," she snickered and then got up to exit the coffee shop before either one of us could formulate a reply.

I typed the last words of my report and turned to Duo who was busy sorting through his clothes and packing them away into his duffel in preparation for the shuttle flight back tomorrow. "You want to check this over and add anything?" I asked.

Duo looked up and then sauntered over. Leaning over my shoulder, he scanned the report I'd written up on the attempt to kidnap Relena. "You left out the kissing bit," he said with a sly smirk.

I felt myself coloring a little. "I didn't think it was necessary to explain exactly what we were doing prior to the dart being fired."

"Heero Yuy, lying?"

"I'm not lying."

"Oh?"

"I'm merely omitting the finer details of what was happening immediately prior to the dart being released and my connection with it."

"In other words, you're lying."

"I prefer to think of it as withholding a minor detail. It isn't relevant to the case and therefore does not warrant being mentioned," I huffed.

Duo spun the chair and me in it around. He straddled my lap and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "I still say it's lying," he whispered and then kissed me soundly. Breaking away, he rested his forehead against mine and whispered. "But your secret's safe with me."

"Are you two going to get... Oh, sorry," Relena said as she entered our room.

"Don't you believe in knocking, Relena?" I grumbled unhappily that she had simply walked into the room by way of the connecting door.

"I did, but you obviously didn't hear me."

"Then you should have knocked again and waited until one of us heard you and gave you the all clear," I stated. "We could have been busy." No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I realized what I'd said. Duo buried his face in the crook of my neck and snickered madly.

"One can always live in hope," Relena quipped and gave me a beaming smile.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" I sighed.

"Nope." Relena walked over and sat on my bed "The closing ceremony starts in half an hour."

"We will be ready," I replied as I hit the save button on the laptop. "I have to call Une and report in before we go though."

"So do it already," she said. "Duo? I've got a few snacks still left in my room if you want to come and help me finish them off while Heero talks to Une."

"Great!"

Duo hopped off my lap and gave me a quick kiss. "I'll be right next door."

I shook my head as they disappeared. I'd give Relena five minutes of plying Duo with various food stuffs before she started trying to extract information from him regarding our private affairs. Good luck to her. Duo had survived worse torture at the hands of OZ and knowing him he would lead Relena on a wild goose chase. I grinned at that thought and picked up my cell phone.

The call to Une didn't take long. I assured her that I was completely recovered with no ill effects from the drugs that had been in the dart. From the analyst's report, the drug should have held the recipient under its influence for a minimum of forty eight hours. For once I blessed J and the extensive drug training he'd done on me. Usually it was a drawback, my resistance prevented the normal dosage of drugs from being effective, but in this case, it had been an asset.

Une had dispatched agents to the locations given by the suspect Duo had arrested and interrogated. It hadn't taken them long to have all the remainder of the gang in custody. Our suspect had been transported to Preventers Headquarters and questioned again, his story remaining the same as the statement he had given Duo. When the other members of the gang had been questioned, they broke pretty quickly, their stories matching the one from our suspect.

"The preliminary hearing will be in two weeks. We expect the charges to be read and a court date appointed at that time. I will need a brief report from you and Agent Maxwell to present at the preliminary hearing. A more detailed report will be required for the court trial once the date is set."

"I've already done up a basic report," I replied. "Agent Maxwell will have a brief report for you as well once we return."

"Good. Your shuttle leaves tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes."

"You won't be landing until the afternoon on Monday so take the remainder of Monday off, I will see you both in the office on Tuesday morning; with your reports."

"Yes, Commander."

"Oh, Yuy?"

"Yes?"

"Well done."

Before I had a chance to respond, Une had disconnected the call. With a smile, I slipped the cell phone back into my pocket and went in search of my boyfriend.

"Boyfriend," I said softly.

I liked the way that word rolled off my tongue.

Epilogue

Almost five months have passed since Duo and I attended the Yaoi convention as Relena's security. Duo and I are still together, still sharing our lives with each other and if you're expecting me to say it's been all roses and cotton candy, you're wrong.

Our relationship has grown, blossomed even, and I care more deeply for my long haired boyfriend now than I ever thought I could care for anyone. He's sweet, charming, protective, thoughtful and giving. He's also a chatterbox, leaves the cap off the toothpaste, sheds hair everywhere and feeds the cat from the table.

Despite those flaws, I love him deeply.

Yes, love.

I didn't think I would ever experience the emotion of love. Hell, I didn't think I could feel anything after all of J's training. Somehow though, Duo's quiet persistence, constant influence and sheer determination wormed under my skin and into my system. From there it gradually broke through the many layers of my psyche, chipping away at the barriers that had been erected without my knowledge or consent.

These past months have been both a trial and jubilation for us both. Relationships are not as easy as one would think.

It started on the shuttle flight home...

We had boarded the flight and settled into our allotted seats. Once the shuttle was in flight, Relena dropped off to sleep, something I wouldn't have minded doing myself. But that was out of the question. Relena was still under our protection and I needed to be aware of anything and everything going on around me in case there was another attempt on her life. Until she was safely back with her own security detail I couldn't afford to relax.

Duo gave me a soft nudge and smiled as he took my hand in his and squeezed. We were sitting in a block of three seats, Relena by the window, myself in the middle and Duo by the aisle.

"You okay, Heero?"

"I'm fine, Duo. Just thinking."

"Care to share?"

I thought for a moment and then spoke with a little hesitancy. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" Duo gave me a puzzled look.

"About us. I've never had a relationship before, Duo, so I'm not sure what to do." I paused for a moment scrambling my thoughts and trying to put them into some sort of order that would make sense. "I'm not familiar with how a relationship works, what's expected of me."

Duo gave a soft laugh. "Heero, there's no set rules to a relationship. It takes work and commitment from both sides if it is to be successful. It also takes honesty and communication."

I frowned. Communication had never been a strong point of mine. "Well, what sort of things can I expect?"

Duo shook his head slightly. "A relationship usually means spending time together, sharing things we both like to do, going out on dates, learning about each other emotionally and physically."

"What about work?"

"Huh?"

"I know Preventers has rules and policies in place regarding involved couples working together on assignments and other things. Is our dating going to affect that? I don't want another partner, Duo. I can't work with anyone else but you, I don't trust anyone to cover my back. If Preventers won't allow couples to partner on assignments then what are we going to do?"

"Good point," muttered Duo. "That's something we're gonna have to discuss a little more, I'd suggest we look into the Preventers policies a little deeper, maybe we can find a solution."

If there was a solution, I knew between the two of us we'd find it.

Duo changed the topic. "Got plans for this Friday night?"

"No."

"I'd like to take you out to the movies and dinner, if you'd like to go?"

I smiled at the eager look on his face. Raising our entwined hands, I kissed the back of his. "I'd love to."

"Great! It's a date then."

"Yeah," I replied softly. "Our first proper date."

When we returned from our trip and back to work, we discovered a whole new set of problems. With all that had happened there was no possibility of slipping back into the usual routine. Things had changed, Duo and I had changed. And like I said, that brought with it a new set of problems.

On the shuttle flight back we had discussed a little of what we should do, who we felt needed to know about our new relationship and who didn't. We decided the best course was to be up front with Une about our new relationship and our hopes of continuing to work together.

"Congratulations, gentlemen on another successful assignment," Une said. "The case will go to a preliminary hearing next week and then a date will be set for the trial."

"Good," I replied and then fell silent. I nudged Duo with my foot under the desk. He scowled at me, I ignored the scowl and gave him a meaningful look. Being that Duo was generally considered to have the best communication skills, Quatre aside, we had decided that he should be the one to inform Une of our fledgling relationship.

Seeing the unspoken words pass between us, Une raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"

Duo rubbed his nose. "Ah, yes."

"Well? What is it? I do have a lot of work to get through here."

"I'm not too sure how to put this, Commander."

"Try just telling me." Une's tone was sarcastic.

"Okay. Commander, while we were on assignment, Agent Yuy and myself, we, well, how can I put this?"

Seeing Une's patience beginning to wear thin by the way her eyebrow was starting to twitch, Duo finally got the words out.

"Agent Yuy and I, we discovered something about ourselves. We like each other -- a lot."

"That's nothing new, Agent Maxwell, I already know you're best friends."

"No. I mean, yes. Look, we are best friends, but now we're something more..."

"We're a couple," I stated in an effort to help my partner out.

I'll give the Commander her due, she didn't faint when we told her, nor did she turn psychopathic. She went quiet, something that I found even more unnerving. Duo fidgeted in his seat. When she finally came to terms with her shock, she smiled warmly at us both.

Now that scared the pants off me.

"Congratulations to you both," she said, shaking our hands. "Although it does pose a bit of a problem regarding your status as partners here in Preventers."

We both appreciated the reasons for the Preventers policies on relationships at work. But when it came down to the wire there was no one I trusted more than Duo to be my partner.

We were professionals, knew the risks involved and were prepared to take those risks. Neither one of us wanted to take a desk job, we enjoyed the field work, although a slight change in the level of danger in our assignments would be appreciated.

"We would like to continue to work together in the field," I said. "However, given Preventers policy we have agreed that while remaining active field agents, we would prefer to be assigned to cases that are not so dangerous. For the more involved cases, we would be happy to take on the role of consultants and coordinate the assignment. I have looked into the policies regarding agents and their partners and there is nothing to say we cannot work together in this capacity, only on the really tough and dangerous assignments."

Une pondered that for a moment and then nodded. "I don't want to lose two of my best agents and under the regulations I cannot allow you to partner on dangerous cases as you are already aware. It would appear you have found a solution to the problem that means I retain your skills, obey the regulations and not endanger either of you unnecessarily."

"Then it's agreed?" I asked.

"Agreed," replied Une.

Duo gave a big grin and went to hug Une. Seeing the look on her face he abruptly changed his course and hugged me instead.

"Thank you."

We returned to our duties, and Relena went back to her never ending meetings, conferences and talks with the various dignitaries and political groups.

Duo suggested we take our relationship slowly and I agreed. There were so many questions, feelings and emotions to explore and I wanted to be able to fully understand them. I was quite comfortable with Duo, knowing he would explain anything I cared to ask with his infinite patience.

We began to date. The previous times we had spent together catching a movie, dinner or shooting pool took on a whole new meaning for me. Sure we still did them, but now there was more to it. Now when we went out for dinner we went to slightly more romantic places, not the local cafe, pizza parlor or burger joint, but not the sappy, sickening sweet music type places either. No, we frequented restaurants that had a peaceful air about them, decent food and some measure of privacy.

There was one restaurant that fast became our favorite and I clearly remember the first time we went there...

It was Friday night and Duo was picking me up for dinner in ten minutes. I rifled through my meager wardrobe again, searching for something to wear. We were trying a new restaurant that Duo had found called 'The Manse' that required smart, but casual wear. Finally, I decided on a pale blue, button down shirt and navy blue slacks.

We were met by a smiling Maitre d' who took us to our table. The restaurant was comfortable with an old, historic feeling to it, tables suitably spaced far enough apart to give the patrons a sense of privacy, something I appreciated. There were candles on the tables and soft music playing in the background.

We perused our menus and once I'd decided on what I was going to eat I took a look at the front of the menu where it explained a little of the history of the restaurant. It had once been the residence of the Father of the local church. The church had long ago been knocked down, but the manse remained. It was turned into a restaurant twenty years ago and the building itself protected under the historical preservation laws. Given Duo's background and life at the Maxwell Church on L2, it seemed fitting that this would appeal to him.

We placed our order with the waitress and sat back to enjoy each other's company. I smiled at a story Duo was telling me when a sudden desire to hold Duo's hand came over me. I reached across the table and placed my hand over his. He looked at me, curious for a moment and then gave me a huge grin. It wasn't often I showed much in the way of affection in public, fear of ridicule and snide comments being the main reason for my hesitancy.

"You okay with this?" I asked.

"Perfectly," came his reply.

The waitress returned with our entrees and I reluctantly released Duo's hand, knowing the waitress had no doubt seen us and waiting for the usual snipe. It didn't come. She placed our entrees in front of us and gave us a genuine smile.

That relaxed me even further and warmed me to the restaurant and staff.

Having eaten our main meal and ordered desserts and coffee, Duo entwined our fingers and gazed into my eyes. The desserts arrived and we began to eat. I'd just started on my chocolate mousse when I caught Duo gazing at me. "What?"

"You have cream on the side of your mouth."

"Oh." I went to wipe it off with my napkin.

"Let me." Duo's voice was husky as he leaned across the small table towards me.

I felt myself gravitating towards him and then we were almost touching. His tongue came out and licked along the side of my mouth, then flicked across my bottom lip. I moaned, my eyes asking for something more. Darting a quick glance from my eyes to my mouth and back again, Duo closed the gap between us and kissed me.

I melted into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his lips against mine. A discreet cough broke the kiss and I felt myself redden as I looked at the waitress standing there with cups of coffee in her hands.

"Sorry to interrupt, but here are your coffees," she said with a smile and then placed the coffees on the table.

"Ah, thanks," muttered Duo. He was also red faced, embarrassed at being caught and waiting for the usual look of disdain. The waitress surprised us though.

Bending a little so only Duo and myself would hear, she spoke quietly. "If you two wish to come to the Manse again and would like a little more privacy, request a table in our Burgundy room. It's smaller and more intimate."

"Uh, okay, thanks," Duo replied.

"You're welcome. Oh, you missed the bit of cream on his cheek," she said before giving us a wink and leaving us alone.

"I think I'd like to come here again," snickered Duo.

I shook my head and smiled. The Manse was certainly going to be on the top of the restaurant list.

Movies also became more frequent. There I discovered the joys of sharing popcorn and snogging in the back row. A little friendly groping was welcome too until we nearly got caught in a rather heated make out session. We toned it down after that.

Then there were the soft touches, the holding of hands or having my arm around Duo's waist and his about my shoulders. I'd never been one to show much in the way of physical affection, not because I didn't want to, but because I'd never had anyone to show affection for.

But it wasn't all sugary sweet. We've had our arguments and will continue to have them. Two people cannot get along if they completely give in to the other all the time. I discovered rapidly that to make a relationship work there has to be give and take on both sides. But more importantly, there has to be communication.

I've never been one to speak much. I don't think it's necessary to say anything if I don't have anything important to say. Duo is slowly training me out of that though. He's pointed out that we need to let each other know what we want, how we are feeling, if the other does something we don't like. It's hard, when all I want to do is make him happy. At first I thought that agreeing to do anything he wanted would make him happy, but that was not the case as I found out one day.

I'd been working late trying to get some assignment plans outlined and finished. Duo had already left, inviting me over for dinner when I'd finished.

I was feeling tired, grouchy and my eyes hurt from all the gazing at the computer screen. I had a headache as well which didn't help matters much. Duo had gone to a lot of trouble making sushi for dinner and proudly displayed his efforts on the table five minutes after I arrived. My lack of enthusiasm must have shown.

I wasn't particularly fond of sushi.

I sat down and tiredly began to eat, forcing myself to take bites, chew and swallow. I reminded myself that Duo had gone to a lot of trouble to make dinner for me.

"Don't you like it?"

I looked up. "It's fine."

"Doesn't look like you're enjoying it."

"I said, it's fine."

"Then why have you got a scowl on your face and look like you're eating poison?"

"Maybe because I don't like sushi," I snapped, my voice raising a little.

"You don't?"

"No!"

"I thought every Japanese person liked sushi. You're Japanese, so you should like sushi."

"Yes, I'm part Japanese, but you thought wrong about the sushi."

"How the hell am I supposed to know you don't like sushi?"

"Has it ever occurred to you to just ask?!"

He stared at me and I could see the flare of anger in his violet eyes. It sparked my own. I was tired, fed up and hungry -- and I didn't want to eat sushi.

"I think we both need some time to cool off."

I watched as he grabbed his jacket and keys, then slipped out of the apartment. Sitting in the silence broken only by the ticking of the clock I cradled my head in my hands. The anger had bled out of me and I realized just how petty the argument had been. That's when I began to understand the need for communication and not doing things just because I felt I had to. I got up and cleared the dishes, putting the remaining sushi in Duo's 'fridge.

That's when I began to laugh.

The irony caught up with me. We'd had an argument and Duo had walked out to give us some space, it should have been me that left. This was Duo's apartment.

He returned an hour later and I immediately wrapped my arms around him, apologizing for my heated words. He apologized too and we sat down on the couch to talk things over. The talking led to kissing and pretty soon hands began to wander. It didn't take long for clothing to become history and words changed to moans as he entered me.

He was hard and fast, just how I wanted it, needed it to be. He didn't hurt me, Duo was still gentle in his lovemaking, but it cemented our faith in each other.

Now I understand better and don't always give in just to please him. We do make a point of never separating on a bad note. On the odd occasion when we have gotten to the shouting stage one of us will turn and walk away, putting distance between us and giving the pair of us much needed time to cool off. Then we regroup and talk about the problem.

The make up sex is always great!

I still live in my apartment and Duo has his. We decided to wait a while before making the decision to share accommodations. He stays over some weekends and I stay over his place on others. We enjoy being together, sharing the domestic tasks, but it's nice to have that retreat should we need it.

Will we stay together? Take that final step and become permanent partners? I honestly don't have an answer for that. I have no idea where the future will take us, I don't know what lies ahead, but as long as I have Duo beside me I'm willing to find out.

Time is ticking, I'd better shift my ass. Duo will be here to pick me up in a few minutes and I haven't finished packing yet. There's an Anime Convention this weekend -- one that has a section devoted completely to Yaoi. Relena is coming with us. She hasn't had the chance to get away much since the con back in San Francisco and she's a lot of fun to be with at these things. I muse over that while I finish my packing. I've learnt a lot from Relena, she's quite talkative and a willing source of information, if you care to ask.

When I happened to spot this convention advertised, I informed Duo and asked what he thought about inviting Relena along. He immediately agreed. I think he just likes teasing the woman and dropping juicy hints about our love life.

She falls for it every time.

I pick up the last item to be packed and a smile tugs at my mouth. I fold it carefully before putting it with the rest of my clothes and then zip up the bag.

I hope he's remembered to pack his outfit for the cosplay.

I can't wait to see Relena's face when she sees us in our costumes.

It was Duo's idea. I guess he wants to thank Relena. After all, if it hadn't been for her, Duo and I would never have gotten together. I think dressing up as Roy and Edward from Full Metal Alchemist is a small price to pay for all she's done for us.