Disclaimer: Don't own the Gundam Boys (neither do I own the song that inspired the chapters and title of the fic, just to be clear) and ain't getting money for this. Enough said.
Category: Romance, AU
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, Duo POV, limes /lemons
Spoilers: None
Notes: Duo is a business man living a dull life... until he meets a mysterious man that turns his life upside down. Unexpected situations, overturns and hot meetings ... how far is Duo willing to go?

Toxic
by Misao-chan

"Baby can't you see
I'm calling
A guy like you
Should wear a warning
It's dangerous
I'm falling..."

I looked at the reflex image of my own face on the computer screen ahead of me without being able to repress a long and deep sigh that escaped my lips.

Not that the image isn't easy on the eyes or something like that. Using all grace that my modesty allows me, I can say that I'm fairly attractive, having a sort of exotic beauty, so to speak. Yes, it is a pleasure to look at myself. Narcissus would be envious!

Anyway, despite the aforementioned fact that the image in front of me wasn't unpleasant in an esthetic point of view, at the same time, it could be classified as...depressing.

There were no tears, nor a lost, sad look or anything like that. Actually, only two people in the entire world would be capable of identifying this small spark of melancholy in my eyes that indicates a certain state of spirit. The first one is myself. The other, is none but my best friend and business partner, Quatre Winner.

How Quatre and I became partners is a long history.

It all started in university. I was studying computers engineering at the time, and was probably one of the youngest taking the course. I ended up becoming a typically perfect student. It was easy enough to spot me on classes but not so much on parties. Not that I wasn't invited to those, just to make it clear. I'm not anti-social by any means, quite the contrary.

Some of my classmates said that the way in which I managed to know everyone, get invited to all the parties -- taking into account that I rarely went to any of those -- and still get some of the highest grades in the entire school bordered on mysterious.

There was no mystery. I knew everyone simply because I have a naturally magnetic personality. I love to socialize and, usually, others are drawn to this kind of attitude. The party invitations, I must admit, were probably due to my looks, which as mentioned before, aren't bad at all. Thank you, mom and dad for the good genes. The grades, well, those were direct result of my intense work inside and outside classrooms.

Dealing with university life like that, I finished the course in a relatively fun and satisfactory manner. Satisfactory because I managed to learn everything that the teachers and the university environment could provide for the career I wanted to accomplish, and fun because the same environment provided me with...other types of knowledge.

Like most people, I tried lots of things during my university years. No, I wasn't fond of smoking, I never used heavy drugs and drank only occasionally. I never really understood why people would risk their bodies to try and achieve that kind of pleasure.

I'd rather use my body in healthier manners to achieve my own, favorite types of pleasure. It was in that field that my experiments took place. I've been with women, and I've been with men, and during one extremely crazy night, with both. I never really regretted anything that I've done but at the same time, towards the end I could barely remember the last time when feelings were involved in the whole process.

Even now, it feels like it's been years since I've last felt something beyond friendship and something that I like to call 'cohabit affection' for someone.

But I'm digressing, aren't I?

Well, right after I finished my studies I got myself a job in a electronic consulting company. It was there that I had the pleasure of meeting Quatre.

We were both trainees at the same department: I was on the products development team, and he on the administrative team and we hit it off instantly and became fast friends. In that particular case, I have to admit, my charm and social abilities had nothing to do with how we developed a friendship. Quatre is one of those people that somehow seen to...glow. He has this aura that envelops you in instant happiness and contentment, only by being near you. It's quite magical, in my opinion.

Somehow, Quatre seemed to find in me the friend that he had been searching for a long time, and I felt the same. So, after almost a year of working together in the same department and sharing ideas about the company and our own plans for the future, we decided to put our courage, knowledge (and money) together, to open our own software company.

That was four years ago and today, I look through the window of a big office in one the most luxurious buildings in town, right where the headquarters of "Winner-Maxwell Corp." is located. I know the name is not creative or anything -- Quatre vetoed my idea of calling it "Shinigami Corp." -- but it works. Actually, it works so well, that we hold a comfortable position in the top 10 best software companies of the state.

That brings me back to one question that I've had in mind for some time now.

I'm one of the presidents of the company and before I got to this position I've always had the impression that presidents were very serious men in suits that would get in their offices every morning, ask their pretty secretaries to hold their calls and proceed to put their feet over theirs tables while they watched the days go by, smoking a hundred dollars worth cigars or something.

I wear a suit. I have a secretary and Hilde certainly is fairly attractive. I don't smoke so we can skip that part. Ok, so why couldn't I remember a single time when I had put my feet over my table?

During all my life, I've never done such a thing.

Despite the fact that the company was growing rapidly and steadily, instead of having less work to do, everyday my table would get more and more crowded. The sheer quantity of paper over it didn't really leave much space for my feet.

Of course, the whole situation was entirely my fault. I could ditch work for a couple of weeks if I really wanted to, but I'm too worried to do such a thing. I'd rather take charge of the projects and solve all the problems instead of letting other, probably equally qualified people, do the job. It must be some kind of primitive survival instinct or something...

Anyway, said situation reached a critic point. One that put me in the middle of a summer Friday afternoon inside my office, looking at my reflex image on the computer screen, contemplating when the exact moment where I had lost all my energy to smile and have fun had happened.

My lifestyle was getting really stressing. Fortunately, I could still count on Quatre to notice my -- practically nonexistent -- mood swings, and somehow I knew that it wouldn't take long for him to come up with a miraculous plan to put some spark of life inside my carcass.

My sixth sense was probably sharper than usual, because not fifteen minutes passed after I thought that, and my partner walked casually into my office, practically singing, and waving bright colored pieces of paper under my nose.

'Hey Quatre', I said, receiving a small smile. 'Don't tell me I've been working so much I didn't notice that the circus arrived in town?'

'Nope!', he answered, sitting in the chair in front of me and immediately putting both feet over the table in an almost imperceptible space I haven't noticed was there before. That made the fact that I'm the only president in the world who had never done such a thing, quite official.

Completely oblivious to my sad realization, he went on. 'This was a gift, a courtesy from one of our clients. They are tickets to the VIP area of "S.P.Y", the new club in town. And check this out', he said, hitting the tickets on the table as to emphasize that they were really there, 'there are two of them. One for me and one for you.'

I wasn't terribly excited. A club? If I didn't even had energy enough to drag my ass to the other side of the table and rip the tickets off of Quatre's hand to take a better look at them, how would I possibly have energy enough left to dance?

'You know, Quatre...' I started, but was interrupted by a raised hand and a brilliant smile from my friend. 'Not "you know Quatre". I don't want to hear it. You are going with me and that's final.' He finished by getting up and smacking the pieces of paper against my chest in a sign of triumph.

'I will be at your place at eleven. Be ready. And put on some decent looking clothes, ok?'. That said, he left the room, smile placed firmly as a rock on his lips, leaving me behind still seated and with the impression that I had just fallen into a very well planned trap. I sensed it was going to be a long night.

I tried to convince myself that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe with a little help of destiny I could even meet someone interesting, a possible candidate to fill a certain void.

'Yeah, right!', I said out loud in a sarcastic tone. 'Because life is just like that!'.

Before I had time and creativity enough to come up with a rare disease capable of knocking me to bed with a high fever in less than six hours, Quatre was at my door, honking insistently from his BMW.

I sighed and looked briefly at the mirror: a pair of black pants, a red silk shirt with the first two buttons undone, hair braided low. Not bad.

It was clear to me now that I wouldn't be able to escape the situation. Better to try and make the best of it.

Time tends to act in funny ways whenever you are inside a club. You get in at eleven thirty and when you least expect it, it's already five in the morning and you have to go home and sleep at least three hours before another day starts. That's how it usually goes, right? So...why the hell it was still one in the morning according to my watch?

I felt as if I had been there for days, as if I had danced for hours without stopping. In reality, I had only danced a couple of songs along with Quatre, who ended up finding an interesting stranger, with whom he kept dancing after I insisted on it, assuring him that yes, I was going to be fine without him by my side to baby-sit my ass.

Since then, I've only been sitting on the same spot at the bar watching the crowd, and was now seriously contemplating going back in there to tell Quatre that I was going home. I didn't fell like staying at that place for not even another minute.

Then it happened.

My eyes surveyed the place looking for my partner's blond mop of hair when they stopped, distracted by another pair of eyes, starring from the other side of the dance floor. Those eyes, if the lights of the place weren't making me see things, had a particular shade of blue that I had never seen before and they were fixated on my direction with intensity enough to put holes through my skull.

I looked back and around me. Was that stare fixated on me?

I didn't have time to think too much on the question because in the next moment, the owner of those eyes was walking towards where I was, and looking at me so appreciatively that for a moment it occurred to me to check quickly if I hadn't walked out of my apartment without any clothes on after all.

I took the opportunity to take a better look at the mysterious person. It was a man, and... what a man! He was wearing a pair of black pants that didn't leave much to the imagination and an equally black dress shirt. He had chocolate brown hair, disheveled in the sexiest of manners, and eyes with an astonishing shade of blue, one that -- now, due to his proximity, I could confirm -- I had never seen before.

Whoever said that Greek gods didn't exist these days definitely didn't have a clue about the privileged view I was having at that exact moment.

He got closer to me and smiled. I swear to god, that smile was so incredibly sexy he could have throw me on the cold floor of that club and take me right then and there and he wouldn't hear me complaining.

Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- that didn't happen. Without a single word, his eyes never leaving mine, he took my hand and guided me to the dance floor.

Even if I wanted to stop him -- which I didn't -- I probably wouldn't be able to. I felt as if that person, who I had never seen before in my life, had the power to act over me like a damn magnet. His charm pulled me towards him and I couldn't, and actually didn't really want to, escape.

I let myself be guided back to the dance floor where the music that filled the entire place was louder. Not that I had been listening to anything until that point.

We started dancing, initially apart from each other but it didn't take us long to get closer. As we swayed to the beat, both took the opportunity to discover bits of each other's body, with swiftly hands that slipped from forearms to necks, from waist to thigh, mine settling over his shoulders, his on the small of my back.

Shortly after that, we were dancing so close that a sheet of paper wouldn't be able to fit between our bodies. The legs were intertwined; the movements were almost coordinated, it was clear that both didn't want to lose contact with the other, not even for a moment.

The heat coming from him was so intense that it seemed to fill everything around us and I felt as if I had never, ever, really understood the meaning of the word 'hot' until that very moment.

Then, his hands got into direct contact with my flesh, touching me under my shirt without any warning. That made me realize that not only I didn't know anything about heat until then, I also didn't know anything about how good touching could be. His hands found the slight curve of my waist and the planes of my stomach, sliding softly until it reached my ribs. His touch was firm and sure, and his palm left a warm trail of pure fire on every inch of skin where it touched.

I had lost any and every notion about time and place. For all I knew, I could have died and gone straight to heaven. Or maybe I was in hell, and this is what I would get before my final punishment came. You know, having something beyond good so that it could be ripped off of your very hands later? Well, I would take my punishment happily! That moment alone had made all my possible sins in life oh-so-very-worth-it.

But I was neither in heaven or hell.

I was reminded of that fact when sudden whistles and catcalls of people around us on the dance floor seemed to penetrate my lust fogged brain. Apparently, by the sounds of it, we were throwing quite the show.

I embarrassedly pushed away from my dance partner and in the exact moment in which I lost the contact of his hands with my body, I felt as if I had been immediately transported to Siberia. Probably inside the ocean. Without any clothes on.

I realized then that I wasn't feeling so good. Maybe it was sleepiness, or maybe the drinks. Or maybe, the lack of drinks.

I turned around and walked back to the bar, asking the guy on the other side of the counter for a drink. While waiting, I sat gingerly on a stool and turned around to search for a certain pair of eyes that still highly interested me.

I didn't really have to search long since they were right there by my side, on the next stool, and once again, fixated on my figure.

I was taken by a completely irrational skittishness when I noticed the way he was looking at me. What the hell? I had just let that same man touch me in an extremely intimate fashion in the middle of a dance floor without even listening to his voice and now I was shy? What was the problem with me?

I decided to take full advantage of my indignation towards my own behavior and quit it.

'Do you want to have a drink?', I said, and yes, I do know that the phrase consists in the oldest of pickup lines ever, but as I said before, my mind wasn't exactly focusing on my speech skills, being way more occupied with registering all angles of the man right in front of me.

The barman chose that exact moment to deliver my drink, a thick, blue liquid on a short glass.

'I think I'm going to try some of yours', the mysterious man answered, that same smile from before gracing his lips. That smile was already engraved in my memory and filed away as one of the most beautiful things in the world. Right along with the pyramids, the Eiffel tour, sunset on the Grand Canyon...you know the ones.

While all my senses were still to busy focusing on that incredibly sexy tone of voice, he grabbed my hand and delicately dipped two of my fingers inside my drink.

Normally, that would have made me pissed as hell, but normally, people didn't taste my drink by slowly and deliberately sucking my fingers into their mouths, swiping their tongues even between the other fingers where there were no traces of drink whatsoever.

'Tastes good', he said after taking my fingers out of his mouth with a very satisfied smacking sound. 'You should try it.'

Saying that, he took the glass to his own lips and turned it slightly, deliberately letting some of the liquid drip from the corner of his mouth and go down the side of his neck until it almost reached the top of the shirt. For an instant, those eyes sparkled and he inclined his head back in an open invitation to me.

Not being a man to waste opportunities, I immediately set my lips on the base of his neck and followed the drink trail all the way up, licking even his shin until I got to the corner of his mouth. The low rumble that I felt under my lips was what made me stop, eyes wide in surprise towards my own behavior.

What the hell was I thinking? Here I was, licking a total stranger's neck, someone that I didn't even know the name of!

'I am Heero', he said suddenly, looking at me like he knew exactly the kind of question going through the depths of my mind. Apparently, he really knew.

'I am Duo', I said back eagerly, before he could even ask. Now that we knew each others names, maybe I could find out who he was and -- hopefully -- when I could see him again.

'Not yet, Duo', he said simply, and I wondered if I had said all of that out loud, 'but soon'.

With that said, the so recently found man of my dreams gave me one last look, turned around, and got lost in the sea of bodies where he had came from.

I couldn't follow him. For as much as I wanted to, there wasn't an ounce of strength left in my legs or any other part of my body for that matter. Actually, now that Heero had gone, I could finally realize how absolutely exhausted I felt.

Before I could feel bad about the fact that our time together had been so short, I looked and my watch by pure impulse and I must confess that I got shocked with what I saw. Apparently, I had danced with Heero for at least a couple of hours because it was already four thirty in the morning and I had to work on the next day.

Something in my body, along with the few brain cells still working, wouldn't let me worry about what was to come on the next day though.

I just had to make sure to remember to thank Quatre. Really thank him.

Chapter 2

"There's no escape
I can't wait
I need a hit
Baby give me it
You're dangerous
I'm loving it..."

I woke up with the high pitched and annoying sound that could only belong to my alarm clock and one of the first thoughts that came to mind -- along with some rather colorful swear words -- was that it doesn't matter how much money you've got, you will never be able to buy a alarm clock that doesn't make you want to shoot it every single morning. They don't exist. They are probably urban legends. Like werewolves and baby pigeons.

I yawned loudly, stretching and listening to my joints pop. I felt pain in my muscles, especially on my shoulders, along with the sensation of only having slept for a few hours.

Of course, that wasn't all that surprising considering that I actually had slept only a few hours. Two, to be very precise.

My pajamas wouldn't let me lie, since they consisted of the same clothing I had been using the night before, including the boots that still adorned my feet over the sheets.

I had arrived home in a state where it was all I could do to fall on my bed and sleep like the dead. That was weird. And don't blame me for not immediately remembering everything. No one possesses the ability to do such a thing right after they woke up, not at least until they have a huge cup of coffee clutched in one hand.

I sat on the side of the bed, stretching again and slowly letting the memories from last night return to my still sleep fogged brain.

The first thing that came to mind was a particular memory that hadn't really left me, even while I had been sleeping: it was the memory of when I had first set eyes on Heero. Actually, of when we first exchanged glances.

Analyzing the situation now -- in the light of day and all -- it made me realize that that first look had been enough to hypnotize me somehow. My weakness for those eyes had been so great, that I ended up on the dance floor with him -- and I probably would have ended up wherever he decided to take me -- without even being asked to.

Obviously, nothing good would come out of such line of thought, so I pushed it aside, opening mind space for other facts of the night to resurface in their own time. I decided that I definitely needed a hot shower and a cup of coffee to really start the day and be considered a player in the team of the living.

I showered, taking time to carefully wash out the smell of cigarettes, booze and sweat from my hair: proof that I had spent a night inside a club. I absolutely hated when my hair smelled bad, so I took extra time on the task, shampooing the hair twice just as it said on the bottle. And what do you know, the results were actually better.

I braided the still wet strands efficiently, while waiting for the coffee machine to finish brewing my much needed first cup. Just the smell of the dark liquid was enough to wake up more than half of my brain cells so it wasn't surprising that by the time I got to my office, with tree cups of the substance already rolling through my system, I almost felt like a human being again.

Fortunately for me, Saturday mornings were considerably calm in the office. I could already feel that the day wasn't going to be a very productive one. After only a few hours of sitting in front of my computer starring at the charts on the screen without really seeing what was right there in front of my eyes, I decided to drop out the act and admit to myself once and for all that I was thinking about Heero.

At this particular hour of the day my mind was already at full gear, which in other words meant that absolutely all the memories from last night were now swirling quite happily inside my head, playing like a movie that I seemed to enjoy watching immensely time after time.

Obviously, not everything about the way I had acted was to my liking...not at all. I still felt a strong sense of indignation towards my own behavior because of what I had done. In the end though, it was still like...putting a spoon from your mouth directly into a carton of ice cream: wrong, but oh-so-pleasurable.

Whoever said that 'an empty mind is the devil's playground' forgot to mention that the hands were part of the deal. I say it because, without being completely aware of what I was doing, one of my hands had slipped to the front of my pants, rubbing insistently at the bulge there, fuelled by the memory of the touch I had received from Heero only hours ago.

I would have had a nice episode of an office fetish fulfilled if Quatre hadn't choose that exact moment to enter my office. Without knocking first.

I almost jumped from the surprise, and tried to cover my previous activities in the best way possible by putting my other hand over the table, while the previously otherwise busy hand now tried to discreetly zip my fly.

I smiled with all my teeth. There was no reason to suspect a smiling guy with one of his hands over the table, right?

'Good morning Duo, am I interrupting something?', Quatre asked, smiling back at me while he closed the door behind himself.

'No, you are not interrupting anything', I replied casually, now letting my other hand join its mate over the table. 'So, what's new on this beautiful morning, Quatre my man?', I asked with my best cynical smile, one of those that just screams that you have something to tell, but the other person has to ask about it first.

'I am the one who asks. How did you get back home yesterday?', my friend inquired.

'Took a cab', I said while closing some files at the computer. I wasn't really going to work on the dammable things anytime soon anyway.

'Hmmm...', was the answer I got, and that made me look instantly back to my partner because that wasn't a normal or typical Quatre answer, at all.

Seeing how confused I looked, he explained. 'I was thinking that you had gone home with someone.'

'NO!!!', I said, emphasizing way more than necessary and feeling the heat from the blush that surely was covering my entire face in that moment. I kept looking at Quatre and noticed that he now had a malicious little smile directed at me. I knew that I couldn't really hide anything from him so, with a long sigh, I decided to put the cards on the table. 'What did you see?'

'Me? Well, I didn't see anything...', he said, faking a tone of disinterest, 'Or at least I didn't see anything that the rest of the club didn't see right along with me!'

I sank in my chair. Quite literally. I wondered if the place under the table had space enough for me to hide in there, but quickly discarded the idea, coming to the conclusion that Quatre would probably stick his own head under the table only to have the pleasure of laughing in my face.

'Right, right', I tried for changing the subject, 'you came here just to tell me that?'

'No, not really. Actually, I came here to let you know that the building is going to be fumigated today, so everyone is going to leave earlier', he answered while looking at his wrist watch, 'and also, that today is your turn to decide where we are going at nigh so I hope you have...exciting plans for us.'

Had he tried to insinuate something or was I just imagining things? 'What do you mean by "exciting"?', I asked, just to make sure.

'Oh, nothing', he answered casually while moving to the door of the office, 'just make sure you plan something fun, all right?', and at the sign of my nodding, he opened the door and got out in the hall.

'And Duo', he said, letting only his head be seen at the threshold. 'Yes?', I answered. 'Relieving work stress while you are still AT your work place...not very ethical.'

With that, he disappeared closing the door after him and laughing loudly, while I was left inside my office looking like something that resembled a tomato.

...and some people still claim that they don't understand when dead bodies are found on the trash of some companies.

Now I had a new problem in my hands. What was I going to do with this sudden free time? I was dead set in not wasting a beautiful summer day in front of the television, so I decided to run in the park. Running was a favorite sport of mine and even with a busy schedule I still managed to do it fairly often. Besides, running was a great way to...relief tensions.

I would have to run a hell of a lot.

I went back to my apartment to change clothes and get a water bottle. Fifteen minutes later I was out of the neighborhood wearing a pair of black spandex and a green tank top, comfortable clothing so that I could run during the entire afternoon if I wanted to.

I left the car in the park's parking lot and went directly to the running track, in the direction where I knew there was going to be less people. It was always good to have more space to run according to your own rhythm.

I don't know exactly what part of running is more satisfactory to me. Maybe it's the wind on my face, maybe it's the speed, maybe it's the endorphins or maybe a mix of all of those things. The point is, after half an hour of exercise, I already felt much better, all problems about the company and having had very few hours of sleep completely forgotten.

I stopped only to have some much needed water when I felt my body being suddenly pulled towards the high bushes on one of the sides of the track. The suddenness of the movement surprised me and made me lose balance, falling quite spectacularly on my ass on the grass.

I looked up ready to verbally assault whoever had been idiot enough to pull me like that, and it was then that I saw the unmistakable face of Heero looking down at me.

He was wearing khaki pants, a white tank top and sunglasses. The lonely thought that passed through my mind was something along the lines that sunglasses that made someone look that sexy, should definitely be outlawed.

He took his sunglasses off and looked me up and down.

And I had to correct my previous thoughts because sunglasses, in that particular case, where just an added bonus. Heero was the one who should be outlawed.

I moved quickly on my knees to a nearby tree and leaned my back on it, honestly not trusting my legs to be able to keep me standing in the moment. My eyes never left Heero though, since his image might have been only a dream and I didn't want it to vanish if I dared blink.

'Duo' , he said in a whisper that made the hairs on my neck stand on end, 'what a coincidence to find you here'. He slowly walked to the tree where I was leaning and crouched in front of me.

'Oh really?', I replied. Right, not one of my best retorts, but he was getting closer and closer and the situation was making me slightly nervous to say the least.

'Actually, no', he said, getting on his knees by my side, and before I could ask what the hell did he mean, he put one finger on my chest, right on the part uncovered by the shirt. That finger made its way down slowly as he kept talking. 'I already knew that, sooner or later, we would meet again.'

'Rather sooner, I'd say', I replied, but I didn't have time to laugh at my own poor joke or to ask exactly where that finger thought it was going because Heero's hand found my crotch and took place there, quite decidedly. I breathed a small sound of surprise and that made him laugh lightly.

'Not as soon as I would have liked', he whispered, moving his hand firmly between my thighs and making me have to concentrate every ounce of my being in the act of breathing, something that I hoped dearly would help me keep a rather long moan in.

'You know, Duo', he went on, looking directly into my eyes and not stopping the up and down movements of his hand -- apparently he was unaware of the fact that we were doing that in the middle of a freaking park and in plain sigh of anyone who would pass by that spot -- 'yesterday was a very interesting night'. He stopped for a second, smiled, and let his hand slide a couple of inches down, getting into even more 'dangerous' territory.

And this time I couldn't keep the moan that escaped my lips. How could I? Maybe if it had been just the hand, or just the smile. Both, together, were way more than my brain could handle.

'I hope that we can continue what we started yesterday', he said while still rubbing me through my shorts, faster now.

'Naaahh...aaaa-now?', I replied, resisting the urge to let my head fall back.

His movements stopped for a second and I saw his other, not previously occupied hand, reach for something close that I couldn't identify. Heero looked me up and down again. 'No, not now. Things will happen in their own time so you've better keep your cool', and before I could say anything to that, the object in his hand turned out to be my water bottle.

Thankfully, I wasn't fond of cold water, because the contents of the bottle were poured over my face not a second after.

I immediately batted his hand away making the bottle fly and land some meters from us. This time I managed to gather more than enough indignation to say something. 'What the fuck do you think you are doing?', I yelled.

Heero stood up slowly. 'I was just giving myself a sneak preview of how incredibly sexy you would look when wet'. He then put his sunglasses back on and smiled slightly at my figure, still quite pathetically splayed on the floor and now wet, to boot.

I went as far as opening my mouth to yell something back, and once again, even before my brain could come up with a question, Heero gave me an answer while calmly turning his back on me and walking away. 'Soon'.

I got some wet strands of hair out of my eyes, but the little time it took me to do this was enough to make Heero vanish from sight.

I stayed sitting on the grass for at least another thirty minutes, leaning back against the three again. My reasons for that were at least two. For one, spandex was very revealing and it wouldn't do to run after Heero like that and get arrested for indecent exposure. But that wasn't my only reason.

I wanted to think. Think about how, exactly, I had reached the point where I was right now: reduced to a bundle of raw nerves full of unsolved sexual tension.

I tried to think, tried to remember, tried to get to some sort of conclusion about how, in the short period of a day, I had gone from executive with a fairly tame life to some kind of pervert who accepted sexual favors in the middle of a public park.

Obviously, I couldn't find any answer. But one.

I had to see Heero again.

Chapter 3

"Too High
Can't come down
Losing my head
Spinning round and round
Do you feel me now?..."

Saturday night. Some people say it's the best night of the week. The streets get a different kind of vibe than the one they have during the day. At night, things look mysterious and inviting. Music seems to echo everywhere. Even the smell of the city is different once the sun sets down on the horizon.

For a while, none of those things seemed to have any kind of effect over me. Why then, today of all nights, I could feel all those changes as if I was some kind of...'night virgin'?

Simple. All of it boiled down to the fact that I finally felt like someone who was really going out at night. It had much more to do with a state of mind than an attitude, really.

Somehow, I had immersed myself so completely in my job and obligations that it made me forget about everything else, my own entertainment and fun included.

It had been a long time since I haven't done something for the simple pleasure of doing it, and tonight was a night for this kind of behavior.

I asked Quatre to go back to "S.P.Y.". I tried to convince him that I was only inviting him to go there of all places because today was my turn of coming up with something for us to do and I was out of ideas. He obviously didn't buy it. The annoying smile on his lips told me that he knew all my reasons for why I wanted to go to that specific place. Was I really that obvious?

I almost succumbed to the impulse of canceling the whole thing. Of calling Quatre in the last minute to tell him that I had eaten something rotten. I could also just let him honking on the door to my building like a jackass for hours without even casting him a glance through the window. He had embarrassed me first, after all. Could anyone really blame me for plotting a little revenge?

But I didn't call anything off. First and foremost because Quatre was my friend and -- as fun as it sounded -- I couldn't ruin his night. It wouldn't be fair of me. Secondly, I also had somewhere I had to be.

Right, it wasn't as if I really had been asked on a date, per se...hell, I wasn't sure about a damn thing... but somehow I felt like I was going to see Heero and I couldn't just let the opportunity pass me by.

Quatre, as usual, picked me up just right on time -- but not without making lots of noise with his honk on the door to my building. I don't think my neighbors even cared anymore. I, on the other hand, could easily live without those added shameful moments on my personal record.

I magnanimously found it in me to forgive him not much later because as soon as we got to the club he took two pieces of paper from his pocket. Two tickets to the V.I.P. section, just like the ones we had the previous night.

'Where did those came from? I thought you only had two', I asked, watching as my friend shook the tickets in his hand in front of my face.

'Oh well...I probably counted them wrong the first time since I still had these left in my drawer...', he said with a little smile that made his bluff clear and dared me to dig deeper for the truth. I didn't give him the pleasure though, contenting myself with ripping the tickets out of his hand and getting out of the car right after.

'Hey, come back here!' he yelled after me, and soon we were together at the door of the club. The place looked even more crowded than it had been the previous night and, considering that Saturday is the busiest night of the week in such establishments, that wasn't really surprising.

Quatre didn't wait for me to refuse his invitation to dance and we went our separated ways. He knew my reasons for being here tonight. Best friends have this way of guessing what the other is up to and besides, the giggle I've gotten earlier in the moment I suggested we go to "S.P.Y" told me that I wouldn't be able to fool him even if I wanted to.

To my surprise, my partner seemed to have some plans of his own. Not five minutes after we split he had found himself someone, someone I recognized as being the same guy he had danced with the night before, right after I left him on his own on the dance floor and ended up meeting Heero.

What a wonderful friend I've got! Here I was, getting dangerously involved with a guy that could be described as slick in the least, acting weirdly, and he couldn't care about anything but his own problems... well, all the better. I really wouldn't mind getting rid of some of the sarcastic comments that I was definitely going to get the next day. Who knows? Maybe I would have some comments of my own.

Another great advantage of a fairly old friendship: mutual fun poking!

Forgetting all about my partner, I went through the motions of sweeping the dance floor with my eyes, hoping to find a certain someone. I knew that I would be able to spot him despite the distance that could have been between us. Heero was just the kind of person who stood out in a crowd. At least to me, that is.

I checked everywhere but it took me three tries to finally accept that Heero wasn't anywhere to be seen. I decided that it would be better to stay somewhere where I could be seen.

I was in luck because the exact seat I had occupied in the bar the previous night had just vacated. That was just perfect. Now, if Heero wanted to find me, he wouldn't have any trouble. For a second I realized how much of an idiot I was being for thinking such a thing. During our two previous meetings he had found me apparently without breaking a sweat. It was just as if he somehow knew exactly where I would be, in what time of the day and how.

Could that be true? What kind of person would Heero have to be to know the exact time and place where I would show up?

I let the idea roll in mind for a moment, suddenly coming to the conclusion that I was actually waiting for someone who probably knew where I would be, while I certainly didn't have that same kind of power.

Goosebumps woke in my spine and I suddenly decided that a drink would probably help me.

I looked for the barman and noticed that it wasn't the same guy from the previous night. Definitely not. This one was tall, had piercing blue eyes and long, silvery blonde hair that was tied on an elegant ponytail. He was quite the vision. He looked my way and smiled. Quite the privileged vision, indeed.

'Can I help you?' he said in a deep voice.

'You can serve me the strongest stuff you've got under your counter', I replied with a smile.

Efficiently, he took one shot glass and placed in front of me. Next, he retrieved a small plate with slices of lemon and a salt shaker.

'Tequila?', I asked incredulously. 'I'm sorry buddy but this can't be the strongest stuff you've got over there.'

'Don't say that before trying it out for yourself', he said with his smile perfectly in place while filling the small glass and pushing it in my direction. 'Go on, try it'.

I looked at him dubiously. If this was a challenge, he had just challenged the wrong guy. I took the glass and put some salt on the back of my hand. In the next moment I licked the salt, sucked on the lemon and swallowed the contents of the glass.

...and judging from what I felt I had probably drunk acid.

The liquid left a fiery trace on its wake all the way down my throat -- or what was left of it. Surprisingly though, once the burning sensation was through, I felt somewhat...better.

'What is in this thing?', I asked.

'It's my secret recipe', the barman winked at me, 'but don't you worry. There's nothing poisonous or illegal in it' he concluded, turning around to take care of other clients.

Hopes renewed once again thanks to the tequila shot, I went back to my search only to finish it still without having any sign of Heero. The only thing I saw was Quatre, suddenly walking in my direction and bringing someone along.

'Hey Duo', he said, sounding happy as a sheep running on a green field.

'Hey Quat. Having fun?' I asked, noticing that his dance partner was now by his side. I quickly checked the guy out. Sheep definitely had a thing for wolves.

'Yeah, a lot', my friend replied, looking briefly at his side. His companion hadn't spoken a word so far.

'And you are...?', I tried for breaking the ice.

'I am Trowa', he replied, getting closer to me and extending a hand for me to shake. With the welcome help of the lights of the bar I could check the features of my friend's companion clearly.

Trowa was tall, taller than me and Quatre for sure, and from what I could see despite his clothing -- black jeans, silky dark grey shirt -- he also had quite the body. He had brown hair with bangs that obscured half of his face, in one of the weirdest hairdos I had ever seen, and still, somehow, it fitted him. At least one of his eyes was green. The other one probably had the same color but I couldn't tell for sure since the hair got in the way of such confirmation.

What else could I say? My friend has nice taste for men.

'Trowa, this is my best friend and partner, Duo Maxwell', Quatre introduced me while me and bang-boy exchanged handshakes. 'Nice to met you', he said, to which I nodded in agreement.

'I came to let you know that I'm leaving. It's late and I had a tiring day', my friend said, 'do you want me to drop you home?'

'No, thanks', I replied with a bit of disappointment showing through my voice, 'I'm going to stay for a while.'

Quatre probably sensed that I wasn't in a good mood for jokes and kept to him any comments that he might have.

'All right', he said with a comprehensive tone, 'leave a message on my machine whenever you arrive home just so I know that you got there safely, ok?'

'Of course,' I smiled at him.

Quite unexpectedly, Trowa got closer, just enough for me to see his other eye behind his bangs and confirm that, indeed, both were green. 'Are you sure you don't want to tag along, Duo?' he half whispered, and something in his voice suggested that there was an ounce of malice behind his joking tone, 'it might be fun.'

Quatre blushed to the roots of his hair and I couldn't help but laugh loudly at the sight. Now I would have tons of teasing to do once the weekend was over. This guy, Trowa, he had definitely earned some points with me.

'No , but thanks anyway', I replied good naturedly. I got closer still and whispered in his ear, out of my partners hearing range, 'but you make sure to enjoy it on my behalf, all right?'

It was Trowa's turn to laugh out loud and the sight brought a smile to my lips and even more color to Quatre's cheeks. Oh yeah, I would have A LOT of teasing material after this.

Both said their goodbyes and I let them leave wishing I could see Trowa again soon. That guy would probably give us some nice surprises in the future, I was pretty sure of that.

After my friend left, I swept my eyes over the place once more and again, found nothing. I was more than slightly disappointed. I turned back on my stool, now facing the bar, only to find the barman starring directly at me.

'Another dose?' he said, and I wondered briefly if everyone around here was capable of reading minds.

'Sure', I said, and a second later watched as he placed not one, but two glasses over the counter, and filled both with the same liquid he had served earlier. He offered me a slice of lemon and got one for himself.

The barman gave me a small smile and we toasted with a light clink of glasses, swallowing their contents at the same time. Both men took a breath trying to easy the burning feeling going down our throats and then we looked at each other and laughed. I had sympathized with the man.

'I am Milliardo, but everyone around here calls me Zechs', he offered his hand.

'Nice to meet you, Zechs. I am Duo.' I said, shaking the offered hand.

'Duo?', he asked, sounding surprised for a moment. 'Duo Maxwell?'

'Have we met?', it was my turn of sounding surprised. I honestly did not remember seeing this man before anywhere else.

'No, actually no', he seemed to be looking for something under his counter, 'but I have something for you here.' And before I could ask him what it was that he had for me -- and at least another million questions that were dancing through my mind at the moment -- Zechs gave me a piece of folded paper.

I looked at the paper in my hand as if it was a bomb about to explode. Finally unfolding it, I discovered something written in a firm and elegant handwriting, right in the middle of it.

"Soon"

I had to repress the urge to slice the paper in microscopic pieces and make a little paper rain out of it. I didn't do it out of pure respect for the man in front of me, after all, the fact that I was stupid enough to let myself be manipulated by a guy who probably though it was a hell lot of fun to mess with my mind, was not his fault.

'Thanks', I said. 'No problem', he replied sincerely.

I decided that I was better off ending the night like that, and left the bar, leaving payment for my drinks along with a generous tip over the counter. I walked home, taking the opportunity to cool my head.

That night had been nothing but frustrations.

The rest of the week wasn't much different.

It was the middle of Thursday when I finally stopped to take a breath, deciding that I definitely needed to emerge for a while from under the pile of contracts that I still needed to read and sign. I took that time to think back on the last seven days.

On Monday I had arrived at work still not fully recovered from my Saturday night deception. If that wasn't enough to make my day miserable, one of our most important client's software had presented an error that needed to be fixed with maximum urgency. Because of that, I had stayed in the office until three in the morning.

Tuesday had been similar, with the added fact that the smell of the substance used to fumigate the building days before, made me sneeze and cough all through the day.

Wednesday gifted me with a boarding meeting -- supposed to last a couple of hours -- that ended up going on for nothing less than six hours.

The only bright point of the entire week consisted on the fact that, maybe sensing that it would only make things worse, people weren't trying to help me about my state of -- now constant -- irritation. Not even Quatre had made any comments about the night that had been the start line of my week from hell.

I still wasn't sure if all this sudden discretion was a friendly gesture towards me or simple fear that I could answer with some comments of my own. I need to thank Trowa, I owned him one.

To make things even worse, my mind had decided to prize me with rather erotic dreams every single night. Apparently, my brain's way of dealing with the last day's frustration was through wet dreams, which just left me all the more frustrated.

And today, the fifth day of the week, here I was in my office, thinking that all the things that had been happening to me lately were Heero's fault. Yes, his fault, because he was the one who had filled me with hopes only to crush them one day later.

At the same time, I couldn't be completely mad at him because we never actually said that we were going to see each other that fatidic night... Damn him!!!

I went back to my pile of papers, getting to the conclusion that maybe I had been thinking way too much about the whole thing. That was the only coherent explanation as to why I was seeing Heero in the middle of my office, looking at me with an expression that I suspect was reserved especially for these moments when he would catch me off guard.

Then, the supposedly imaginary image of Heero walked to me and put its hands on my face. And it had hands way too warm to belong to a hallucination.

Oh shit! I wasn't imagining!

I moved my chair back trying to get away from the touch and almost fell during the process. 'What are you doing here?' was all I managed to say.

Heero wore jeans and a white shirt with a leather jacket over it. He slowly took a cream silk scarf from one of the pockets of the jacket and started unfolding it. 'I thought you would be happy to see me...'

'Happy?' I said incredulously. I could almost laugh at how ridiculous the whole situation was. 'When I thought that you wanted to see me, you vanished. I thought we had...I don't know...a sort of agreement...a connection. Whatever. You think it's fun to fuck with my mind, Heero? Well, I'm ending this shit right now. Get out!'

To my surprise, Heero's posture changed immediately. He looked down for a couple of seconds and when he faced me again I could see a glimpse of regret in his blue orbs. The smile was gone.

'I'm sorry, Duo. I didn't mean to make you think I was screwing you around', he said.

Suddenly I felt like an idiot for jumping to conclusions.

'I hope you can forgive me somehow...', he went on, ' and that's why I came here today, to make you a formal invitation.'

'An invitation?'. That was new.

'Yes', he said, moving closer but stopping right by the side of my chair, holding the delicate scarf in one of his hands. 'There's going to be a party tomorrow night, on the Romefeller Manor. It would make me very happy if you could come.' A small envelope dropped on my lap.

Before I had time to open the envelope to check its content, I felt something on my neck. Heero was now right in front of me, placing the scarf around my neck and looking me right in the eyes.

Putting both hands over my shoulders, he said, 'If you decide to go, please, wear this.'

With that and a small, softer version of his previous smile back on his handsome features, he left my office.

I stayed seated in my chair and not moving for a long while, not really knowing what to think. A million thoughts went through my head, none of them being very helpful as to what I should do next.

Instinctively, I took the scarf from my neck and smelled the cologne that lingered lightly on the piece of clothing. It smelled like...if I had to give a name to it, I would probably call it...Heero. Lame, I know, but it had to be called like that, if only because that smell almost made me feel his presence again, all around me.

It was a mix of mint and lavender, with a note of something citric. And despite everything that had happened so far, it was futile to try and fool myself.

I would follow that smell wherever it went. Or asked me to go.

Chapter 4

"With a taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic
I'm slipping under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic?"

It's quite amazing how mere minutes can change seemingly unalterable things. Like time, for example. My week had been a succession of terribly unpleasant hours, and that, naturally, had made the days longer for me even if such a thing didn't apply for everyone else.

A brief encounter in the middle of Thursday had changed that in the most drastically way possible. Literally from one minute to the next, time started flowing faster than it should, and Friday night crept on me before I expected it to.

Truth is, I was nervous. Wearing suits isn't something that I particularly enjoy -- fact that explains why I always clutched to any opportunity for not wearing the dammable things with both hands -- so, wearing a tuxedo was something that obviously made me slightly uncomfortable as well.

Nonetheless, I had to admit that my own image, wearing a black tuxedo with my hair braided low with a black band holding the end of it, was quite pleasant. There was a little detail that made it even better: the cream silk scarf, elegantly placed over my jacket's collar. It was quite amazing how Heero had guessed the effect that such a simple accessory could have on a suit.

It was also a bit scary. This took me back to the real reason for my nervousness: my date with Heero.

Yeah , surely I had seen him before a couple of other times. But in those other encounters the situation had been completely different. He had found me, he had come to me. This time, I was the one coming to him. This would seal the fact that I was really quite interested in him.

I was taking a step towards the unknown, without being able to turn back. And that was the scary part. So scary, that at the same time, it was exciting. I wouldn't be able to turn back and I didn't really have plans to try and do that. I would move forward, wishing and hoping that things would be all right.

I gave the image on the mirror one last once over and grabbing my wallet and keys, walked to the door and to the street where the cab I had called was already expecting for me. I gave the driver the directions, and probably got fairly distracted with the people on the sidewalks because a very short while later, we were right in front Romefeller Manor.

I paid the driver and got off the cab quickly. Before going inside though, I took a good look at what was ahead of me. The Romefeller Manor was just the kind of place that screamed wealth and ostentation. That made me -- once again -- question what exactly I thought I was doing there.

But I had already come this far, so I couldn't simply turn away and go back.

At the reception, I was welcomed by a beautiful young lady that used her hair in two thick braids over her shoulders. She smiled at me and extended her hand. 'Good evening , Sr., and welcome to Romefeller Manor. I'm Sally, can I check your invitation, please?', she said politely.

'Sure, absolutely', I replied, showing her the invitation. She looked at the paper, and her smile got broader. 'This way, Sr.'.

With that, the hostess walked me to the manor's main room where she left me wishing me a pleasant evening and going back in the direction of the entrance.

I observed the huge ball room with some interest. The place was very beautiful and everything -- from the lights to the placing of tables -- showed a great deal of care taken on the organization of such an event. I took my time taking everything in, my eyes checking beyond decoration and people, searching for the real reason as to why I was attending this party.

Not finding what I was looking for, I suddenly remembered that this routine of searching and the very real perspective of not ever finding Heero were quite unpleasant. Yes I had been invited this time, but this didn't change the fact that Heero could still be a huge sadist son of a bitch pulling a prank on me. I ignored that thought the best I could and went to fetch a drink.

I got myself a glass of whiskey and walked to a huge glass window that took the entire extension of one of the manor's walls, with a view to the garden outside. I tasted the drink and sighed when thinking about spending another night like that, drinking and waiting.

As if on cue, I suddenly felt like I wouldn't have to worry about such a thing because somewhere near, Heero was watching me in that very moment. I could practically fell the weight of his stare on me.

Confirmation to that came in the form of his reflected image on the window in front of me. I could see him now, slowly making his way towards me.

Without a word, Heero put one of his hands on my shoulder and his face near my neck. His lips touched my ear softly and his eyes found mine in the glass that now both of us were using as mirror.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a slightly roughened voice. 'I knew you would look absolutely gorgeous with that scarf', he put one hand over the silk piece of cloth and stroked its length before continuing, 'but you actually surpassed my expectations' he finished, closing his eyes and breathing deeply again, his nose finding the base of my neck.

He turned me around gently so that he could look at my eyes instead of their reflex in the mirror, and he already had that smile that was becoming oh-so-familiar.

'Come with me,' he said, and his hand slipped from where it stood on my shoulder, stroked my arm and reached my hand. He held it, guiding me in the direction of a long staircase on one of the sides of the huge ballroom.

I let myself be guided by Heero's warm hand, not really caring if someone on the room was watching us or if what we were doing was wrong. That Manor wasn't Heero's after all...right?

Before I had time to ask any of the dozen questions that went through my mind about what we were doing and where we where going, suddenly, I was inside a room and the beauty of the place quite literally took my breath away.

The room had paintings in every wall and, in some places, there were candelabras holding very tall candles that burned and gave the room a very unique sort of lighting. In one of the corners there was a red velvety sofa chair next to a large wooden chest and in the middle there was a huge bed wrapped in silk white sheets that almost glowed in the light coming from the candles.

'Heero it's...it's gorgeous', I said in awe.

'No, it's not', he said, and when I turned around -- wearing what I considered a healthy dose of confusion in my expression -- Heero simply ignored my look and locked the door behind himself. He walked slowly closer.

Once right in front of me, he put one of his hands on my neck and kissed me.

But that wasn't just a simple kiss, it was more like an...experience. It started slow, with a simple touch of lips on lips and after just a couple of seconds it escalated to a battle of tongues. Heero explored each small piece of my mouth like a hungry man feasting on a buffet. I tried my best to keep up with him -- which wasn't difficult at all -- and kissed back with all I had. I felt as if he had woken a very sensuous side of me, one that I wasn't even aware that existed.

We separated with a small sucking sound and I let out a small sigh of pleasure. I couldn't help noticing that I was already half-hard, which was slightly embarrassing to say the least. That had been just our first kiss and I was already in such a state? How was it possible that this man had such a powerful effect over me?

With my eyes still closed I felt Heero gently slip the scarf off of my neck. That made me open them just in time to see the piece of cloth coming in my direction while his voice whispered low and intimate, 'YOU are the gorgeous one'.

Not a second later, I was blindfolded, and before figuring when we had got so close to the bed, a gentle push made me lie directly over it.

Heero was beside me in a flash, and immediately helped me off of my jacket. Once it was out of his way, he started working on the buttons of my shirt, grazing his hands over my nipples deliberately and dragging moans out of me.

I heard the sound of my clothes being unceremoniously threw over the sofa in the other side of the room, and next I could feel his hair on my neck and his nose against my skin inhaling slowly, gently and surely, and going lower, giving the same treatment to my chest and abdomen.

Upon his mouth reaching the hem of my pants, his hands returned to my body, landing on my shoulders and immediately sliding down, exploring and massaging sensuously all the way until they reached the place, right under the bellybutton, where now Heero's lips were laying little wet kisses upon the over heated skin of my stomach. His hands kept descending, getting to the first button of my pants.

He ignored the button and kept going down until he reached my crotch, place that those hands seemed to know very well, maybe even too well. In a matter of seconds, and some well administrated touches, he had me fully hard under his hands. It was getting quite painful.

'Heero...', I said, and my voice sounded rough even to my own ears, 'if you don't stop that soon, I'm gonna come before we have time to do anything else...aaahhh' , I finished involuntarily arching my body on the bed.

'No you are not', he replied, moving his hand back to the buttons and deftly opening the first. 'You have more control than that...I'm sure of it', he concluded with a smile that, even though I couldn't see his face, I was sure he was wearing. I could sense it in his voice.

I was hoping the hand would keep going on its natural track, opening my zipper next, but what came instead was a delightful surprise: Heero caught the zipper with his teeth, and pulled it carefully down. Again, I still couldn't see the amazing scene playing out right in the middle of my legs but I could feel his hair gently stroking my bellybutton and his forehead touching my stomach hotly.

Moments later, I felt Heero's hands on me again, now pulling my pants and underwear to my ankles. Knowing exactly what was to come, I couldn't accept the possibility of losing that particular sight.

'Heero...', I whispered, my voice refusing to go up a notch and risk ruining the moment. I felt him stopping and imagined that he was looking at my face. 'Please...take the blindfold off.'

'Duo...' he started, but I interrupted before he could go further.

'I want to see, Heero.', I said simply, 'I want to see with my own eyes what you are going to do to me...'

Seconds passed without me knowing what he was going to do, and the waiting -- for as short as it was -- seemed to consume me. Then, finally, I felt him moving over me. He put his hands on my shoulders and gently moved me on the bed, making me seat on the edge of it.

His hands went to the back of my head and a moment later the scarf had been efficiently removed. The first thing I saw as soon as I could open my lids again were Heero's eyes, those were lust filled, the blue darker than I had seen it before.

This time I kissed him, meshing our lips together hard enough to bruise. I devoured his mouth, giving it the same treatment I had received earlier, getting a soft moan as reward for my efforts. Apparently, he wasn't at all opposed to what I was doing.

When we finally broke apart, I kept my eyes closed enjoying the feeling and the warmth of having him this close. That only lasted for a second though, because next thing I knew I felt something that made my whole body shiver.

Before I anticipated what he was about to do, Heero got on his knees in front of me, his hands on my thighs and his mouth on my cock. I died and went to heaven then and there.

Don't take me the wrong way, I had received blowjobs before, but never, EVER, one just as the one I was getting at that moment from Heero. His mouth went up and down on me fast while his hands had abandoned my thighs in favor of exploring any part of the body those managed to reach.

I dared looking down because so far my head had refused obeying any of my commands, choosing instead to roll from side to side in pleasure making me lose any little semblance of control I might have had until that moment.

Heero's head was bobbing on my lap. I noticed that my hands were tangled in his hair, losing themselves in the softness of the strands, without me remembering exactly when I had placed them there.

My hands moved and caressed his ears, the side of his face, any and every part they could find and touch. Once again, a soft moan was all the indication I got and needed to know that I was in the right track.

He picked up speed and I felt his mouth leave me right before I lost the very last of my control and came explosively. My head swan with the force of my orgasm and for a moment I was sure I could see stars. Thousands of them.

Heero's name left my lips like a war cry, long and hoarse.

I felt limp over the bed, not having strength enough to remain seated. In reality, I didn't have strength enough for anything. My breath was coming in short gasps and even that small effort already seemed a lot.

The bed dipped on my side and I turned to look, being instantly met by Heero's face, breathing as hard as myself. I let my eyes travel the extension of his body and couldn't help but notice that Heero was still fully dressed, with the exception of the tuxedo's jacket that had been previously abandoned at some point.

That made me a bit indignant. Even in the sated estate I found myself in I couldn't help but think that here I was, completely naked with this man, and I hadn't yet seen his naked body as well. Not even parts of it.

My eyes kept traveling, noticing suddenly that Heero had quite the bulge tenting his pants. The body really never lies...

That realization was probably what made me gather the last of the strength my body still possessed and, before he could guess my intentions, I put one of my hands inside his pants.

He exhaled a small breath of surprise followed by a moan of pure pleasure, and that was all I needed as fuel to my need to take him to the throes of ecstasy by my hands. He would finally see what he was dealing with.

I let my hand pump and stroke Heero's cock, moving it with precision. I let the sounds he was making guide me and in that moment it seemed like he was finally coming close to losing control completely. And it was one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced.

Still moving my hand, I tore my eyes away from his lap and looked to his face. I felt myself stir from the picture he made: his eyes were closed, mouth slightly open, his cheeks flushed.

I surrendered to the temptation of letting my other hand get in contact with that sexy face and in the moment that our flesh made contact, he opened his eyes, looked directly at me and whispered my name. 'Duo...'

I had never liked the sound of my own name so damn much.

That was the last thought that came to my mind before I lurched forward and captured Heero's lips on mine again, in a kiss much more soft than our previous one but not any less intense.

The combined action seemed to do it for him, because not a minute later, he freed himself from my lips, opened his mouth wider and threw his head back, moaning my name again while I felt him swell in my hand, coating it with the proof that he had reached his own orgasm.

I kissed him again, gently pushing his sweat bangs away from his forehead and eyes.

I let myself enjoy one last glimpse at his handsome face, his breathing still coming in short breaths, and he gave me that slight smile that now I was sure was addictive. It was the last thing I saw before my body gave in to the exhaustion I felt and sleep claimed me.

Chapter 5

"It's getting late
Have to give you up
I took a sip
From my devil's cup
Slowly
It's taking over me..."

I woke up slowly, not knowing exactly where I was, and two things immediately called my attention. One was a smell, the other a sensation.

The smell couldn't be anything other than coffee. Hot, thick and black and freshly brewed, just the kind that can make you get your ass out of bed after less than two hours of sleep.

The sensation on the other hand, wasn't really familiar...but I never said that 'unknown' and 'unpleasant' were the same thing, right?

Something was touching my skin, light as a feather but still very sensual despite its softness. It seemed to know exactly where it had to touch to wake not just me, but other rather sensitive parts of my body as well, with admirable speed.

The touch was slightly cold, very different from skin temperature but still I could swear it was the personification of Heero's touch. Not as firm and decided as his hands, more silky and delicate, but just as skilled as the hands I had had the luck of meeting just hours before.

That thought was the only thing that prevented my surprise at opening my eyes --after getting hit directly by a sunlight ray coming through the big window in the room -- and seeing the face of the man with whom I had spent the night, smiling wickedly only centimeters from my own face.

For a second, I thought I might be still dreaming.

Because it was absolutely impossible that anyone could look so absurdly handsome right in the first hours of the morning, after a night of, let's say, rather intense activity.

'Good morning', said the figure standing over me and the voice didn't left a doubt.

I wasn't dreaming. My mind wouldn't ever be able to conjure that voice. That voice alone was capable of ripping gasps from me or make me hold my breath in anticipation, as it happened in that moment.

Heero himself took care of proving to me that he was real because at seeing my eyes half opened, his smile got decidedly smug and one of his hands moved over my face, bringing with it , between the fingers, a familiar piece of cream fabric.

So that was what had woken me up. The silk scarf.

I smiled at the realization. So far, Heero had proved himself to be a very creative lover, and that single thought made my body shiver lightly with anxiety at what he might be planning to do.

Once again, I had to wonder if this man was capable of reading my thoughts because he was mirroring my expression, his eyes gleaming almost wildly.

So far, the scarf had stroked my arms and legs, stopping on my face and sliding coolly to my neck where it stayed, along with the hand that controlled it, in the moment when I had first woken up.

Now, the silky fabric seemed to have a route in mind. It went up, guided by the agile hands of its master, letting only the extremity of it to touch my overheated skin. The fabric then stroked my neck, went from one shoulder to the other and slowly down to the torso, stopping only to deliver light, circular motions over each nipple.

My body arched craving more of the contact, and I released a long breath I haven't even noticed I was holding. My eyes closed instinctively but the sound of a sigh just as long as mine called my attention to the figure lying down next to me: his head was propped on one hand while the other moved the object hovering over me.

Heero's eyes were also half-closed, and I recognized in them the same gleam that I had seen there on the night before. It was powerful and intoxicating and even though it looked softer now, it was still unmistakable.

He looked at me like he could devour me with a simple gesture and in case that was really possible I knew that I would surrender without even putting up a fight.

Those blue orbs made a slow, deliberated detour, asking for permission, moving from my face to my lap, taking the reactions of my body while the scarf still roamed it seductively.

I followed the trail of his eyes expecting to see the beginnings of an erection that I knew was there and...was slightly surprised with what I saw.

The very little conscience I had left still kept memories of what had happened the night before, and by revisiting those I came to the fast conclusion that there had to be a certain...mess, involving mostly body fluids, on my stomach. Undeniable proof of what had happened.

My look of utter astonishment was probably what caused the small laugh I heard coming from Heero. His hand moved slowly away from my body and took the silky scarf along with it. I almost moved my own hand, in an attempt to make his go back to its previous task.

But Heero, as usual, had been faster than I anticipated and was already up and on the side of the bed, walking casually to the chest on the corner of the room. It was only then that I realized he was still wearing the clothes from the night before -- black tux pants and a crispy white shirt -- and those were rather crumpled up. That was enough proof that last night hadn't been a mere hallucination, right? I still wanted to be very sure of that.

My doubts were answered before I could duel much further on them.

'Yesterday, right after you had your fun with me...' Heero spoke, smiling wickedly in my direction for a brief moment before continuing, 'you passed out'. He suddenly lifted a tray from over the chest of drawers.

'I took the liberty of cleaning...evidences, from your stomach. I hope you don't mind', he finished, walking back to the bed and putting the tray in front of me. He sat on the other side of the tray and looked at me with amusement shining in his blue orbs.

Now that I knew what he had done, I felt suddenly ashamed. It was also then that I noticed that while Heero was fully dressed, I was still completely naked. I pulled the sheets to my waist trying to cover myself at least a bit.

So what if I had spent the night like that? So what if I had let this man put his hands all over me not a minute ago? That didn't change the fact that it was quite embarrassing -- and even a bit unsettling -- to be naked under that intense stare.

Not a second after that, I was surprised by a coffee mug being gently offered to me. I accepted it with a grateful smile and immediately took the mug to my lips, tasting the dark liquid. The coffee was as tasty as I predicted it would be and I could practically feel the cells on my body waking up in caffeine induced joy.

It felt like my mind had suddenly expanded, finally waking up completely to its surroundings. Yes, coffee has magical effects on me.

Apparently though, one mug hadn't been enough because Heero lifted the lid over the tray to reveal its contents putting me suddenly back on my -- now almost familiar every time that I was around him -- state of confusion.

Over the silver tray there were at least seven small recipients. I could identify some of the food inside those merely by looking at them: Butter, cream cheese, honey, whipped cream and at least three different kinds of jam. There were no forks or knifes anywhere to be seen though. Neither bread, nor toast.

'Er...Herro,' I asked a bit uncertain, 'I think you forgot to bring some stuff...'

'I didn't forget anything', he answered, dipping one finger inside one of the pots where there was a thick red substance, and taking it to his mouth to taste it.

I ignored my sudden wish of wanting to be that finger, to point out that he obviously had forgotten some much needed breakfast items. 'Yes, you did. Look,' I said while pointing to the contents of the tray, 'there are lots of things here you can put on toast or bread, but there's no toast nor bread...'

'Who needs toast?', he said, taking his finger out of his mouth with a light smack and I saw that particular gleam coming right back to his eyes. He moved his finger slowly back to the pot it had just been a minute ago, and dipped it in again.

His hand moved in my direction and I involuntarily held my breath, waiting for whatever was going to happen.

His eyes landed on my chest and that was where his finger landed as well, smearing jam all over my skin in what seemed random patterns. I looked down just in time to see that he had put four letters over my chest: now I had the word 'MINE' written on me in bold, red-jam lettering.

He didn't give me time enough to protest about the mess though, because only seconds after my realization, his mouth had already come in contact with my body, his wet hot tongue skillfully licking the 'M'.

He looked up back at me, licking his lips seductively. 'Strawberry', he said, 'my favorite'.

And then he was kissing me with fervor, and the only lonely thought that came to mind was that strawberry could be my favorite flavor just as well, because that was how Heero tasted at the moment.

We separated some time later, breathing raggedly. He licked his lips again in a perfect imitation of the gesture he had made not five minutes ago. 'You taste even better', he breathed, and put his mouth back on my skin, first on one shoulder and moving down to my chest where there was still the jam covered mess he had done.

I moaned softly and didn't even try to fight the sudden urge to throw my head back, giving Heero easier access to my neck.

I looked to the side distractively, suddenly focusing my eyes on an old clock in one of the bedroom walls. I registered, faintly, that it was already eight fifteen in the morning...

Eight fifteen...eight fifteen...EIGHT FIFTEEN???

'Shit!', I exclaimed suddenly, almost throwing everything over the bed on the floor in my haste to get up. I immediately started walking around the room, looking desperately for my clothes.

'What is the matter?', asked Heero in an slightly confused tone, while he also got up from the bed.

'It's eight fifteen!', I replied, as if this information would be enough to explain why I was acting like a total loon.

'And...?', he probed me to elaborate.

'And I have a very important meeting at nine. Meaning I have exact forth five minutes to be in my office , read to face my clients...', I said while putting on the dress shirt I had on the night before.

Heero eyed me critically. 'And you are going dressed like that?'

I looked down at myself noticing that my clothes really looked terrible. I had seen shirts with fewer wrinkles on them after being kept on the very bottom of my drawers. I raised my head read to protest though, since the situation I was in right now was all his fault, after all.

A towel hit me square in the face.

'Take a shower', he said calmly while walking to the big chest in the corner, and then pointed to a door behind me. 'The bathroom is that way. I'm going to look for something decent that you can wear while you do that.'

I decided that it wasn't the appropriated moment to discuss or even to think too much and walked to the door he pointed. All I wanted was to get dressed and ready in time to go to my meeting.

I entered the huge bathroom, put the towel aside and opened one of the shower taps. Water started running immediately and I deftly unbraided my hair while getting under the spray.

I let the water fall all over my body, washing away any residual sleep and leaving me very awake and conscious, only to think about what I had let happen on the previous hours.

By all gods in heaven, what the hell had I become?

In the immensely short spam of less than two weeks I had lost my mind to a man that I had met on a dance club. A man I knew absolutely nothing about.

The most fascinating fact was probably that, deep down, I didn't regret a single thing of what we had done, not yesterday nor today and not even on the other days before that.

If only I managed to get to any conclusion about mine, and maybe even Heero's, behavior, that would make me incredibly happy. I sighed deeply and looked around for the soap, finding it quickly.

The soap hadn't touched my skin yet when it was taken out of my hand, making me turn around suddenly only to discover another person with me, under the shower.

Any possibly surprised sound that I was about to exhale was promptly swallowed by Heero's quick and hungry lips.

Resistance was futile. I simply let myself drown in the sensations that mouth was so fond of waking in me and kissed back just as fervently, my hands immediately going to his neck, my fingers running through the wet strands there.

His kisses were even more addictive than his smile. Those could distract me beyond rational comprehension because it was only after having my lips released that I noticed that I was now pressed against the tiles on the wall, Heero's body flushed against mine from neck to toe.

That close contact was the best thing I've felt in my entire life. I decided then and there that in case I suffered from a sudden heart attack in that very moment -- which wasn't really such an off possibility -- I would die happy and satisfied.

The water wasn't falling over me anymore, its jets concentrating on the body of the sex God pinning me to the bathroom wall. His skin glowed in a completely irresistible manner, and I had to gather all my strength to keep my eyes opened for as long as possible, that way I was hoping I would be able to keep the image of that gorgeous body in my mind's eye forever.

He looked...delicious. I surrendered to my need of finding out for myself how that skin tasted and attacked his neck with my lips.

He tasted slightly salty, with hints of soap and something else that was absolutely his. I could feel it all on my tongue, exploring the junction between his shoulders and neck.

He took a quick breath, as if trying to hold something, a moan maybe. Next thing I knew, he started gyrating his hips slowly against mine. 'I could very well take you right here, in this shower, against this wall...'

'And...why...oohh god...don't you?', I said back, breathing hotly against his neck, grabbing at any parts of his body I could reach and noticing , vaguely, that the shower had been turned off. Deep down I knew that if he really wanted to have me in that moment, there was nothing I could do against the sheer power the man had over me.

'Because...', he whispered, leaning his head on my shoulder and making a small sound of pleasure. Then, he moved away from me making me lose all contact with his skin.

And the shower started working again. With cold, freezing cold, water.

'Aaaaaahhh!', I yelled, feeling the sudden jet of water hit me square in the face. 'What the fuck do you think you are doing?'. I could feel my whole body contracting and shrinking from the low temperature, some parts faster than others.

He was already out of the shower stall, tying a towel loosely around his waist.

'You need to go to work now', he answered calmly, 'and I will have my time with you, Duo'.

He turned his back on me and walked to the door of the bathroom. 'You can count on it.'

I opened the hot water tap immediately. I really didn't need to be furious and freezing my ass at the same time.

Finishing my shower as fast as I could, I walked back to the bedroom ready to bite Heero's head off. I no longer would let him play with me like that. What the hell was he thinking anyway?

Ok, so I wanted the man with every fiber of my body, but that STILL didn't give him the right to play with it. Wasn't playing with my mind enough for him?

He would listen to me and it wouldn't be the nice kind of chat. This time he wouldn't escape.

I was greeted by an empty room, though. A dark grey pair of pants were carefully folded and placed over the bed along with a light blue shirt. Deliberately lying over both was the dammable silk scarf, and over that I could see a small piece of paper.

There was a small note written in the firm handwriting that now I knew definitely belonged to Heero,

"Duo:

I had a wonderful night. I hope we can finish off what we started here soon.

In the door to the manor you will find a driver waiting to take you to your company. I hope the clothes please you. I'm sure you will look nice in blue.

Good luck with the meeting.

I will see you soon.

Heero"

I felt my body warming up with a weird feeling of appreciation that came from the pit of my stomach at the same time that my anger drained out of me like water going under the sink.

He had escaped me again.

Son of a bitch!

Chapter 6

"Too High
Can't come down
It's in the air
And it's all around
Can you fell me now?"

If miracles really happened I could say that I had just witnessed one. Following a rather busy morning and after almost forgetting completely about a very important meeting with one of the biggest and most important clients of my company, I managed not only to arrive in the meeting on time, but also managed to participate effectively of it. That fact alone called for a re-evaluation of my previous statement: I had witnessed two miracles.

Heero didn't lie about the limo waiting for me outside Romefeller manor. Thanks to that, I arrived at my company on time and without giving out much signs of the fact that I haven't left my apartment half an hour earlier for said meeting, as it was to be expected of me. I had to thanks Heero's clothes and coffee respectively for my appearance and my state of almost 100% awareness.

Oh yeah, and I had one or two very nice ideas as to how I could thank him enough...

Trying to push those inappropriate thoughts away for the moment, I walked confidently into the meeting room, ready to give out the best of me. Discarding the painfully detailed visions of me and Heero lying on a bed covered in rose petals that my mind insisted on providing, I took my seat on the long rectangular meeting table with a deep breath.

If I knew beforehand how long I would end up staying in that particular position, maybe I wouldn't have been so eager to get into the room, after all.

All I can say is that meetings that last all through the day -- on a Saturday of all days -- should definitely be outlawed.

When I finally left the meeting room, eight hours after first getting into it, I was under the serious impression of having spent my afternoon in hell.

Quatre and I had just conquered a new client for whom we had fought for during a period of nine months. After a lot of persuasion and extensive negotiations, we had finally managed a contract to develop a new network software system for one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies of the country.

The job was a huge one, and so were the expectative lying upon us. Eight uninterrupted hours of meeting were enough to show us just how tough the project was going to be. The whole team would be needed for the developing of this new software.

Our deadline: five days.

I dammed the generations of whoever had come up with the stupid concept of agility to hell and back.

As soon as the meeting was over and my brain started catching up on the notion that I was going to have tons of work during the following week, I addressed my goodbyes to my new clients and partner and took the first cab to my apartment. I simply didn't want to deal with more situations that involved my ability to speak. I just wanted to go home, eat and sleep.

I arrived in my apartment, and automatically closed the door behind me. I started taking my clothes off and let them become part of the decoration: shoes ended up in completely different corners of the living room, socks became decorative objects over the small coffee table, and my belt was left on the kitchen sink.

I opened the fridge -- probably the closest place where I could possibly find any food -- only to find it almost empty. I looked around in it and found ketchup, beer and an old bottle of syrup.

Not finding food in my own home came as number three on the list of miracles of the day. Buying groceries was something that I did every single weekend -- for lack of time to do it during the week -- but apparently, my last weekends had been filled with other activities. Taking that into consideration, well, I think no one can really blame me for forgetting about groceries, right?

And for as incredible as the notion sounded even to my own ears, I couldn't make myself care. I was exhausted, hungry, with an empty fridge, and was on the brink of spending a whole week on technology hell and there were clothes everywhere in the house but...even despite all that, I still felt somewhat...good.

It was all very weird and I came to the conclusion that it was better not to think about it right then.

With no energy enough left to call a delivery place, I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to sleep without eating first. When I woke up it would be already Sunday and I could very well use the day to supply my home with food.

Going to the supermarket, cleaning the apartment and starting on a plan that I would have to take with me to the company on the next day filled the rest of my weekend.

When Monday arrived and swept me and my entire work team inside a storm of activity, I was well rested and completely prepared to face any kind of problem that the job could possibly bring my way.

The next four days went by on a blur. All I can remember clearly were the documents with the most atrocious kind of calculus in which I worked on for hours on end and Quatre's occasional presence, offering to take me home almost daily.

On Thursday afternoon we were done with the new system and went through all of the revision procedures to check for possible mistakes. It was finally ready. The job had been completed with perfection and a day before the deadline.

Quatre wrote a memo that was forwarded to the whole company telling then that the next day all workers were dismissed as way of compensating them for all their hard work and cooperation on the project. The text also said that there was going to be a party held on "S.P.Y", and that everyone could get in for free.

Upon reading that last part, a smile blossomed on my face and I couldn't help but imagine how many invitations to that club Quatre had really get.

I kept the printed memo over my desk and laid my head in the headrest of my seat. I sighed, looking to the white ceiling of my office.

The last few days had been surprisingly better than I expected them to be.

After spending the last four days working until very late hours and facing a small turmoil of personal doubts and desires at the same time, I couldn't really come up with one single good explanation to why my way of dealing with my current situation had changed.

But it had changed. And changed a lot.

The last few months had been rather complicated. The company had drowned on a sea of endless maintenance jobs and repairs and faced with such an scenery, I had let myself be moved by the tides, erasing the world around me. I had almost forget about the pleasure that I used to feel when doing my job.

In the end, it was that 4-day-straight job that renewed my faith in my own choices.

It had been a long time since I had felt this good about doing what I did for a living. Now I knew, more than ever and without a shadow of a doubt, that I loved my work. And I was extremely good at what I did, too. It downed on me that maybe there was no greater pleasure than being successful as a professional.

And then I remembered Heero and changed my mind.

Closing my eyes and letting the memory of his handsome face come to mind, I felt myself smiling involuntarily.

I realized, with no small amount of surprise, that this had been the first time that week that I had thought of Heero. Sure, that could be easily explained by the fact that it had been four days of lots of concentration and hard work, but that alone didn't justify it.

I remembered that the week before had been hellish -- and 'hellish' in that case, was a light term to describe it -- and even so, the memory of those blues eyes had haunted me during the most inappropriate hours, countless times a day.

I tried to analyze what had probably happened to cause that sudden change in the current pattern of occurrences.

Heero seemed to have the weirdest ability for knowing exactly when and where to appear in front of me. Taking into account that I didn't have the slightest idea as to how he did that, I decided to just accept the possibility that he knew that his presence would only be a distraction to me during the last four days in particular.

Admitting that, would be almost the same as admitting that he had some weird supernatural power and could be right now in my office, feeling that that was what I wanted him to do.

I opened one eye and surveyed the office. No, no Heero here.

Discarding the possibility of having fooled around with a paranormal, I went back to thinking about more plausible possibilities.

The sudden memories of the night I had spent with Heero only five days ago were what brought some ideas to the surface of my mind.

I certainly could be the first one to admit that I wanted him. Still, I couldn't help but feel that something had changed between us during our last meeting.

It was a bit insane, but...I didn't feel that almost painful need to have him around, to touch him. I no longer felt the bitter bite of frustration every time I remembered his evasive notes or attitude.

Don't take me the wrong way, I still wanted him and a lot. More than anything I could think of at the moment, actually. But in a way, that urgency to see him had left me. It was as if I knew that somehow, sooner or later, I would get what I wanted from him and maybe even more.

How was it possible that I knew something like that? Don't ask me. My brain tends to act like an entity completely independent from the body at odd times.

I let this information roll in my mind for a while and found myself unable to avoid a nice feeling of warmth that washed over me when remembering Heero's eyes on mine on that Saturday morning when we woke up together and the almost possessive gleam I saw in his pupils when he declared -- with jam on my chest -- that I belonged to him.

I sighed again. Was I developing deeper feelings for this still-almost-stranger?

I didn't believe in bullshit such as love at first sight, but that wasn't the case. In a way, I felt like Heero's eyes had told me a lot about him...not nearly enough to crush all my doubts, far from that, but maybe enough to wake...something, inside me. Desire, certainly, but something else too...something that ran deeper.

I decided it was best to stop digging, for the time being.

I took a deep breath before getting up from my chair, got my jacket and threw it carelessly over my shoulder. The week was over and now I found myself anxious for what the weekend had in store for me. Anxious, hopeful and confident all at the same time.

I can't really begin to describe how good that particular feeling was.

I walked to Quatre's office to ask him out for some coffee. It was still early and I thought we could talk a little before heading out to "S.P.Y". We haven't had the opportunity to gather during the whole week -- since he was just as busy as myself, if not more -- and sincerely, I missed the company of my best friend.

I put my hand over the handle of the door and opened it without knocking.

Fortunately for me, before doing that I had discarded the idea of getting myself a cup of coffee from the machine on the corridor, otherwise, the floor on Quatre's office would be most definitely stained since there was no way in hell I would have managed to keep something in my hand after the shock I suffered from entering that room.

My partner was sitting on his chair. That was completely normal.

What wasn't normal was his current state. His head was bent forward, his cheeks were flushed and his mouth slightly open. Both hands seemed to hold something with some urgency, over his lap.

Completing the scene there was something that looked suspiciously like an arm, rummaging under his shirt -- shirt that was now not only crinkled but also with its 3 first buttons opened.

If I didn't already know what was going on right in front of my eyes, what happened next probably would have answered my doubts.

A tuff of brown hair appeared from behind the desk and in front of Quatre, and then there was a neck, followed by a shoulder that was clearly connect to the arm -- yerp, now I was pretty sure it was an arm -- still touching my partner's chest.

The figure turned in my direction and I had to concentrate really hard on ignoring the heat rushing to my face at the same time as I did a very good impersonation of a fish out of water -- mouth opening and closing, eyes bulging and all that.

Quatre closed his mouth and blinked a couple of times, as if trying to make sure that I was really there, right in front of him, seeing what I was seeing. Trowa seemed shocked for a ridiculously short time spam and next looked at me with that same self satisfied smirk I had been introduced to in the first, and last, time we had seen each other. The one he used when he asked me to join him and my friend for the night.

I couldn't avoid a smirk of my own when it dawned on me exactly the kind of situation the three of us were in at the moment. Quatre had now taken on the part of fish, opening and closing his mouth without saying anything, maybe thinking about something that would explain what I was seeing. Trowa looked quiet comfortable despite everything and me...I was somewhere between shocked and amused.

I managed to get my wits about me faster than my partner and concluded that I had interrupted the moment for long enough. Cleaning my throat loudly as if to make them notice my presence -- like I hadn't already did that -- I apologized and left the office, letting both of them see my evil smile.

Once alone again out in the hall, I finally gathered enough brain cells to re-evaluate the entire situation and laugh long and hard about it. It had been funny, despite the awkwardness of it all.

While moving to the elevator I heard a deep laugh coming from the office I had just vacated. Trowa certainly had thoughts similar to mine. Now I was even surer of the fact that he and I would get along very well.

Still laughing a bit, I left the company building, and noticing that the night was quite pleasant, I decided to walk to my apartment instead of taking a cab -- which would be rather expected since my partner wasn't in any condition to give me a ride home.

I loosened my tie and left it hanging like that over my white shirt. I walked passing by people and shopping windows, looking around but not really seeing most of it.

I noticed that both women and men directed long and suggestive looks my way, but I didn't bother reciprocating any. In other times, I wouldn't have hesitated to grab an opportunity presenting itself so clearly before my eyes but lately...I didn't really care for that.

One of the looks direct at me grabbed my attention though, making me wonder where I had seen it before. I squinted my eyes trying to see better and it took me only a moment to recognize the attractive, tall and blond figure of Zechs, the barman from "S.P.Y" that I had met on the previous week.

Walking beside him, there was another man. He was equally tall, equally handsome, but this one had darker and shorter hair. Upon noticing that I had recognized him, Zechs smiled and stopped in front of me, offering a hand that I promptly shook.

'Hey there, Duo. What a nice surprise to find you here.'

'Hey Zechs. Well, I can't say the same about you...', I said, gesturing to the corner a few meters ahead from where we were. "S.P.Y" was right ahead of us, so it wasn't really difficult to presume that he was walking to work.

He smiled pleasantly. 'Yeah, it's not really surprising to see me here at this time...', he started, but before he could go on, the man beside him made a small coughing sound, asking for a breach on the conversation going on.

'Ah, of course', Zechs turned in the direction of the strange, looking back at me after that. 'Duo, this is Treize Kushrenada. Treize, this is Duo Maxwell.'

The man sent me a look that screamed 'charming' and I smiled in answer while we shook hands.

'A pleasure', he said, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

'Duo, Treize is one of the owners of "S.P.Y"', Zechs said.

'Really?', I asked surprised, 'one of the owners? Does that mean that there is more than one?', I asked , slightly intrigued by this new piece of information.

'Yes, I'm only one of the partners that own the place. There are other two.' He said it simply, like owning your own dance club wasn't that big a deal. He then looked at one of Zechs hands and gently clasped it in his.

'Duo is a frequent', the blonde explained, accepting the gesture with normalcy and glancing quickly and affectionately in Treize's direction.

'In that case I would be more than pleased to let you come with us to the VIP area, as my personal guest', the other man suggested with a smile.

I thought about telling him that I already had access to his club's VIP area. I thought about accepting, telling him that it would be a pleasure. I thought about telling him that I would be back later. Finally, my mind settled for an even better answer.

'I thank you for the invitation but unfortunately I already have other plans for the night', was the answer that left my lips. In truth, I had no plans for the night -- or at least none that I knew of -- but at the moment, after the sequence of days that I had been through, all I wanted was to go back home. Nowhere else, not even "S.P.Y" , with all the good memories I had from there, could be a better place to be.

Maybe there was one better place to be but I would need the arms of a certain person around me to make that particular wish come true and since I did not have that kind of power...my apartment sounded like the next best choice.

'There's no problem', Treize replied smoothly, 'I will let your name on the guest list, and you can come visit later, if you change your mind.'

'I appreciate it,' I said back with a smile, mirrored by Zechs.

'Well, if you excuse us now,' he moved his arm placing it over the shoulders of the blonde beside him, 'we really have to go. The place isn't going to open all on itself, right?', he finished, and winked at me.

'I suppose not', I answered, shaking hands with both men again as means of goodbyes before going back the way I had been going before.

'You have a good evening, and thanks again for the invitation', I added with a wave when they kept walking to the club, and they waved back.

Upon finally arriving home, I got into my apartment without turning any lights on and immediately pushing the door closed behind me.

Before I could close it completely though, a hand stopped my movements, preventing the door from getting to the threshold.

I can't say that I was really surprised when I opened it again and saw Heero's silhouette, outlined by the light coming from the hall. Somehow, I knew that I would end up seeing him until the end of the evening.

Don't ask me how I knew such a thing. Maybe -- despite my acceptance of the fact that he was no paranormal -- I had been counting with his ability to know about my needs better than myself, after all.

'I missed you', was all he said, and I caught a glimpse of that spark on his blue eyes, even under the poor lighting.

'I'm right here,' I answered sincerely, my eyes never leaving his. 'I was hoping you would show up'.

'Not necessary', he said, smiling softly, and I couldn't help noticing that this smile was completely different from the one I was so used to seeing on that gorgeous face. He took a step into the apartment.

'I would have come today, no matter what.'

Chapter 7

"With a taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic, I'm slipping under
With a taste of a poison paradise,
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic?
And I love what you do,
But you know that you're toxic!
Don't you know that you're toxic?"

Heero was on the door of my apartment. Heero. Door. Apartment. Mine. My door. My apartment. My Heero. I could keep doing this terribly pleasant mental word game forever.

My mind had barely started on some not-so-important questions -- like for example, how Heero knew where I lived and the time I would come back from work -- when it was interrupted by movement...actually, lack of movement.

Heero clearly looked like someone who was about to come into my home, and because of that, I thought that I would find him inside the apartment and my body efficiently pinned to the wall in the blink of an eye. I was quite surprised to realize that he hadn't come in. Actually, he hadn't moved. If we were talking about anyone else here, I could almost swear I had seen a small spark of hesitation on his eyes.

I looked harder, finding through a small crack on his mask the shadow of something that I was sure I haven't seen there before, or at least, not with such intensity.

That tiny spark of feeling woke something inside me, and suddenly, all the urgency -- that I though I had learned to control during that week -- came rushing back to me, crushing me like a wave of anticipation and desire.

I looked to the man in front of me and opened the door the rest of the way, offering a mute invitation for him to come in. He took it, and slowly walked inside my home.

I closed and locked the door, turning back to the living room ready to be attacked by hands and lips, but again, Heero didn't do what I expected him to. He was right in the middle of the room but not moving, and I walked in his direction, stopping in front of him without muttering a word.

We just...stared at each other. We did that for so long that it made me think that if that lasted for much longer, two things could happen: I would melt from the sheer heat that Heero's stare was emanating or I would kiss the hell out of him, long and hard enough for his grandchildren to remember.

As if he could read my mind -- possibility that, if I wasn't mistaken, I had discarded hours earlier -- he moved to stand closer, our bodies almost touching.

I was expecting for an aggressive kiss, something similar to what we had shared during our last encounter, but what I got was something different. Something better.

Heero lifted one hand and reached for mine. His palm traveled up, touching the arm and stopping when it reached the neck, right under my ear. His thumb stroked the side of my face gently and I instinctively inclined my head, searching for more of the warm, soft contact.

He moved closer painfully slow, giving me enough time to take notice of several little details of his gorgeous faces. The nicely shaped eyebrows, that incredible shade of blue of his eyes that I couldn't seen to get enough of, the long lashes that brushed his skin every time he blinked and those pale rose lips.

Those lips met mine with amazing gentleness. His hand made a slow slide to the back of my neck, the fingers intertwining on the lose strands of hair there, and my own hand moved to his neck and mirrored his, without me being aware of it.

The kiss was slow and soft for a while, gaining momentum as the minutes went by, time stretching for us, becoming absurdly longer. I was surprised upon realizing that even the gentleness of our initial contact -- so different from any previous one -- didn't put any kind of lid over the amazing sensation of being in this man's arms. In fact, it seemed to enhance it, feelings overtaking us both.

It escalated -- as it was doomed to -- and so did our touches. I don't know exactly how much time passed until the moment when Heero was finally kissing me with delicious abandon, exploring me in a way that made my insides melt and draining me of my energy until there was not enough to reciprocate quite as thoroughly.

We kissed until he was keeping us both on our feet. My legs had turned to jelly. MY grandchildren would most definitely remember that kiss.

When we finally separated, we were both panting and slightly flushed. I had to put some space between us, noticing that even breathing near him seemed to take a lot of effort from my part. His hands settled on the small of my back while my hands settled over his shoulders, refusing to lose contact entirely.

Some seconds passed until I could get my breath and act together, and for the first time that night I looked at Heero's clothes, taking a moment to really see what he had on. He was wearing a pair of black pants, a dark blue shirt and a long, black jacket over it. The vision of that body under the faint light coming from my living room window almost took the rest of my breath away.

Heero had lowered his head while getting some oxygen of his own and when he looked back at me I realized that his eyes were a reflex of mine. They burned with something that was happening around us and was stronger than us both.

I let one of my hands slide from Heero's shoulder, catching his hand on mine. With slow, sure steps, I walked us both to my room. I guided Heero inside and then took off my shoes, lying in the middle of the bed, never losing eye contact with him.

His eyes followed my every move, waiting for me to settle over the pillows. Heero slowly took off his own shoes and carefully put his jacket over a chair near the bed.

He approached the lamp over the bedside table, and turned it on. That small gesture made me extremely glad. It meant he wanted to see me and would let me see him as well. The light was faint but it illuminated enough for us to see the bed but not the entire room.

He got on the bed, and carefully placed my legs on either side of his body, letting his weight fall slightly over me. He reached for my tie, loosened and released it and then let it fall from his hands to the floor. Next he reached for the first button of my shirt.

Each button was loosened with deliberate care. Upon reaching the last one, Heero bent to the task of taking my arms out of the sleeves, only to abandon the shirt along with the already forgotten tie, on the floor by the side of the bed.

Never letting his skin lose contact with mine, Heero took my hand once again and let his eyes fall shut. Before I could regret losing sight of his beautiful orbs, he put the tip of my index finger against his lips, in a most delicate gesture.

All of my fingers went through the same treatment, being kissed slowly and softly. Arm and shoulder were next, and then fingers, arm and shoulder on the other side of the body. I wanted more than anything to close my eyes and just feel but at the same time I couldn't seen to take my eyes off what Heero was doing to me. Each small expanse of skin his lips touched burned like fire.

Upon reaching my neck, Heero started his way down, dropping wet kisses all over my torso. He licked my collarbone seductively making me finally surrender by arching my body and moaning under his ministrations.

He kept going lower, letting his hair brush the spots where my skin already felt over sensitive after receiving attention from his lips and tongue. He spent a lot of time and attention on my nipples, taking them inside his mouth in a series of small licks and bites. By the time he reached my stomach, letting his tongue dive in my bellybutton, it was getting remarkably hard to keep my moans and grunts from escaping me, giving out the fact that I was loosing control rapidly.

I had no idea what Heero would do now that -- unconsciously or not -- he had me exactly where he wanted, all I knew is that I wanted to touch him, feel him with my hands. I was hoping he would let me.

I put one of my hands on his shoulder, moving slowly to let him know what my intentions were. I asked with my eyes for permission to see him as well, and his hands left their spot on my stomach and reached mine, taking them to the buttons of his shirt. That was all the answer I needed.

His help was more than welcome. Once it dawned on me what we really were about to do, it was nothing short of a miracle getting his shirt opened without ripping it in my haste to see his body. He let me pull off his shirt and throw it unceremoniously to the floor with the rest of the clothes.

He just stood on his knees on my bed, letting me watch him, keeping every little piece of his form to mind, where I would keep it as one of my biggest treasures. If possible, now he looked even more handsome, and I noticed his eyes roaming my body, just as hungry as mine were on him.

I lay back down, and in the moment where I expected -- hoped -- he would get rid of my pants for me, he surprised me by covering my body with his, and captured my lips in a long, deep kiss.

His mouth was more demanding now, and he kissed me with renewed fervor. I could feel the whole expanse of his body over mine, covering me from neck to toe, and that only enhanced the sensations caused by the kiss, making it hard to breathe and kiss back with just as much vigor.

And them he thrust forward, rubbing his pelvis against mine, and every little part of me still paying attention to the kiss suffered from sudden sensorial overload, and I opened my mouth on a silent scream, drowning in a sea of sensation.

Heero kept kissing my shin, my cheek, my neck, any and every part that his lips could reach, while I just squirmed and trashed, trying to make him move harder.

I could clearly feel the evidence that he was just as turned on as I was poking me, and still, Heero seemed to relish on that sweet torture. He increased the rhythm of his thrusts, rubbing his cock against mine through two layers of clothing.

I felt my toes curl and tried to avoid the embarrassment of coming inside my pants by pleading with Heero to stop what he was doing. All my mind would let me say was his name, though.

'H-He-Heero...', I risked, shakily, hoping he would understand what I was trying to imply with the needy tone of my voice.

'Don't...don't you worry, Duo...', he seemed to be having some difficult with speech himself, and his expression was something between concentrated and lost in pleasure.

'I...said...', he kept moving over me. 'That...I...would...ahhh'. Another thrust. '...take my time...'. Another. '...with you...' . And again. I had lost track. I had lost notion of anything that wasn't the feeling of Heero's body against mine.

And when I felt like the very few shreds of control that I still possessed were about to snap, I opened my eyes , wanting to see Heero's face during that glorious moment, and I marveled at the sight of his expression, very similar to mine -- mouth open, taking big gulps of air -- and he...drew back.

And the loss of contact was so sudden that I thought I could weep from it. It was not a sensation I cherished in the least. It was physically painful, and...frustrating.

Incapable of finding words to say, I resigned myself to closing my eyes and take deep breaths in an effort to calm the hell down. I could hear and feel Heero doing the same -- since he was still sitting over my legs.

I didn't allow my eyes to open again. I did not know why Heero had stopped what we were doing when, obviously, we were about as close to culmination as we would get. Maybe he had finally realized that what we were doing was crazy, and now he was having second thoughts. If that was the case...damn, I didn't want to see that on his face.

Those thoughts flied from my head though as soon as his hands -- always so warm -- settled on the muscles of my stomach, caressing briefly before going to the buttons of my pants. I looked at him in shock and found on his face something completely different from what my mind had expected to see just a moment before.

Heero was smiling softly down at me. And it was beautiful. I could have orgasmed right them and there, but maybe my body, knowing better than my brain what it was about to experience, decided that it wasn't going to give it up so fast after all.

His hands opened my buttons and zipper expertly, and went down my legs, taking my pants and underwear with it, leaving me finally naked.

Heero got rid of his own clothes a second later, and again, positioned himself over my body, but not before letting me watch the breathtakingly picture that he made.

He reached a hand slowly in the direction of his jacket over the chair and magically produced a small recipient from one of its pockets. I didn't have time enough to find out what it was before Heero opened the little bottle, putting a considerable amount of scented liquid in one of his hands, rubbing it on the other briskly.

He moved to the foot of the bed and grabbed my feet, pushing them gently in my direction, so that my legs were bent at the knees, opening and exposing my body even more to his view.

In that moment, I felt a small pang of worry. It had been a long time since I had last gotten any, and I was probably going to feel some discomfort that wasn't very welcome.

A second later, one of his hands returned to my torso, gently caressing my shoulders and nipples while the other hand started preparing me in the gentlest way I had ever been prepared in my entire life. I could barely believe how wonderful it felt to have him giving attention to two such sensitive parts of my body.

He took his time. He was still caressing and preparing me with gentle patience when I decided I couldn't wait any longer, not for another second. I felt the wave of desire crash over me and I couldn't fight it. I wanted him.I needed him.

'Heero...please I...I can't ...anymore...' I begged incoherently, wishing that he would be capable of deciphering, through the many signs my body was giving, that I wouldn't be able to stand that torture for much longer.

He just moved his hands away, grabbing my legs and placing my knees over his shoulders, this new position making me rise a bit over the bed.

'You ready?', he asked, his voice raw with need.

'I've never been so ready', I whispered back, using the rest of my strength to move forward and kiss him, plundering his mouth almost violently.

He got positioned and entered me, and the new sensation made both of us stop the kiss to throw our heads back in abandon. His entering was slow and careful and I could feel every inch of his cock caressing my insides. When he was finally sheathed completely, I felt like we had been doing that for days, as if we haven't lived in any other form that not that one, together like that. Nothing had ever felt this good.

And then he moved. And I would have forgotten my own name if Heero hadn't been saying it, over and over, with just as much passion as his name was living my own lips.

He found a rhythm, in and out, excruciatingly slow, making the pleasure built inside me fast, taking my whole body.

'Hee...Heero...aahh...Heero...more...more...harder...', the words left my lips desperately.

He complied, pushing harder inside me, every new thrust hitting a spot inside my body that made me see stars everywhere.

He went faster still, and when Heero moved one of his hands -- that were firmly keeping my legs over his shoulders -- and gripped my hard dick, I bucked, arched off the bed and moaned loudly, coming all over his hand and my stomach.

He stopped altogether and watched my orgasm, entranced, like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

When I came back to my senses, he was still inside me, unmoving and breathing heavily.

'Duo...you are...beautiful...', he said reverently between sighs.

Those words filled me with renewed energy and in one fluid move I took my legs off of his shoulders and turned us around on the bed so that I was on top, with him still inside me.

I took advantage of his surprise at the new position and kissed him hard. I splayed my hands over his chest for support and started riding him.

Seeing Heero under me, his face contorted in pleasure, was certainly one of the most beautiful things in the world. I was half hard again in a matter of minutes just from the sheer power of the sight he made.

He put his hands on my thighs encouraging me with brisk touches, and I complied, moving faster over him.

'Heero...you are...beautiful too...', I whispered, still moving, noticing by the signs his body was giving me, that he was quite close.

I like to think that my words were the beginning of the end for him, because his eyes suddenly opened and closed, he arched off the bed and I felt him swell inside me and come. Seeing and feeling his orgasm like that triggered something in me and took me over the edge again, making me orgasm for the second time that night.

Two orgasms in less than an hour.

And even though the muscles in my stomach were screaming protests at me for the effort, they seemed to be the only part of my body that had anything to complain about. The rest of the organs were too busy turning into a mass of very satisfied goo.

We were both quite obviously exhausted and I let my body fall over his. Heero closed his arms around me immediately.

We stayed in that position for a long while until finally deciding that sleeping like this wouldn't be very comfortable. We re-arranged side by side on the bed, and Heero hugged me from behind, his arms coming around my mid-section possessively.

I had never felt so sated...so happy...so complete.

That was the last thought that went through my head before sleep claimed me.

I woke up hours later, realizing immediately that I was alone on the bed. I rose and looked around the room, already illuminated by a gentle sunlight coming through the windows.

Not feeling or hearing the presence of anyone else around the apartment, I laid my hand on the place where I knew a body had been and noticed that the spot was still slightly warm and the sheets smelled like Heero.

I hugged his pillow and went back to sleep.

I woke five hours later, felling a bit weird. I looked at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was already 3 in the afternoon so I got up and took a long shower.

Feeling like a human again, I walked to the kitchen to get something to eat, following my growling stomach instructions.

I grabbed an apple from a bowl and walked to the living room, alerted by the presence of something over the coffee table on the middle of the room. Upon reaching it, I saw it was a red rose.

I didn't have the habit of keeping flowers in my home. Much less roses. Much less red ones.

I came closer to the table and noticed that under the flower there was a small note. I already knew what to expect this time, and just as I predicted, Heero's neat handwriting adorned the little piece of paper.

'In memory of the best night of our lives.

Love,

Heero'

Love...that was a new concept and my mind seemed to be wrapping around it quite easily. I couldn't avoid a smile to blossom on my face when I thought about what he had written on that note.

Feeling rather good, I got my keys and went out for a walk leaving my apartment -- rose and card still over the coffee table -- behind. I walked without destiny for an hour, realizing with a start, and some surprise, that my legs took me to my company building.

Old habits really die hard!

I decided to go in, just to check if there was someone on the building or if something new had been added to my work pile over my table during my absence.

Before I could get to the door to my office, I was approached by Relena, the cleaning lady.

'Mister Maxwell', she said with a little worried smile, 'I'm glad to see you here'.

'Good afternoon, Relena', I answered politely, 'Why are you so happy to see me?', I asked, not really interested about why she wanted to talk to me.

'Well...it's just that...I was cleaning yours and Mr. Winner's offices this morning and I found Mr. Barton's wallet. He...he might need it and I was thinking about a way to return it to him fast now that everyone was dismissed for the day, when you showed up.' she said.

Barton...Barton...the name wasn't strange. If I was not mistaken the name belonged to a client we had had a meeting with four weeks ago. If that wallet had been found just now, Relena was lucky to have found me in the best of moods because we would have a very serious conversation about how often the offices had to be cleaned, very soon.

'Right. And how do you expect me to give him his wallet back, Relena?', I asked, trying my best not to sound completely sarcastic.

'You could ask Mr. Winner to give it back to him in person...', she said, looking slightly embarrassed about suggesting such a thing.

At that point I wasn't bothering to hide my sarcasm anymore. 'And...explain me one thing, will you? Why would Quatre care about giving Mr. Barton his wallet back if Mr. Barton himself didn't care enough to at least call us and check if he had lost his wallet here until now?', I asked, arms crossing over my chest.

She flushed violently this time, getting me really confused about this reaction. She had to take a deep breath before replying. 'He was here yesterday, Sr. Maybe he didn't notice that he lost his wallet yet and...I...I thought that...that Mr. Winner and Mr. Barton were...friends.', she finished, her face even redder than when she started.

It was in that moment that something finally dawned on me.

'Relena', I inquired, doing my best to make the tone of my voice as neutral as possible considering what I was about to say, 'could you tell me which is Mr. Barton's first name?'

She seemed confused as to why I would be asking such a thing, but replied anyway.

'His first name is Trowa, Sr.'

And in that moment, all the pieces of a giant puzzle came together in my mind.

Chapter 8

"Intoxicate me now
With your loving now
I think I'm ready now
(I think I'm ready now)
Itoxicate me now
With your loving now
I think I'm ready now"

I used to love Fridays. Their arrival meant that the long waited weekend was right around the corner, bringing the very real possibility of getting some hours of much deserved rest for body and mind. Besides all that, many of my most recent good memories I had acquired during Fridays, such as the first time I had set foot on "S.P.Y" and the ball on Romefeller Manor.

Despite all of that, TODAY was a Friday and I couldn't find at least one good reason as to why I should like this day. It would be almost funny, if it weren't tragically irritating.

My accidental meeting with Relena during the afternoon had opened my brain for a whole new perspective on the situation I had been dealing with lately.

Mr. Barton turned out to be Trowa. Trowa Barton. He was a fairly important gentleman with whom I had had a meeting four weeks ago. A very respectable client -- paid well too -- and one of the owners of one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, research companies of the market.

You might be asking why the hell I got so absolutely shell shocked upon knowing that Trowa was a business man. That wasn't all that uncommon, after all.

What made the whole thing impressing to me was the fact that, even though I had had more than one mee