"All right, twenty yards to go and only enough time for one good play. We're going with the Lunar Connection on two. Daniels, Velasquez, I want you to punch a hole right through their defensive line. Duo, you know what to do."

A smile brighter than Christmas lights appeared on the running back's face. "Damn right," Duo said, slipping his helmet back on and fastening the chin strap. "Run like hell and try to catch whatever you throw."

"And try not to get tackled," Noin added with a humorless face. Gloved fingers slid through hair the color of crow's feathers, holding it back as the quarterback replaced her helmet.

The huddle dispersed, each player spreading out to his or her position. The on-looking crowd cheered as the white-clad team lined up across from their counterparts in uniforms of stark black. This was the second annual Preventers Holiday Football Match, an event designed to bring the organization closer together by allowing its members to beat the snot out of one another in a vaguely civilized manner. Those in the stands were just family and friends, along with the Preventers staff that had chosen not to play, but that did not dissuade them from being passionate and loyal fans, cheering one team or the other or neither or both.

Running back Duo Maxwell adjusted his helmet to make sure it was tight. He stretched his arms over his head, the synthetic material of his form-hugging uniform creaking a bit, but stretching with him easily. The body suit Duo wore was not unlike a space suit in basic design, but it was custom fitted to his tall and slender body, hugging him like a second skin to reduce drag while he was running. The other players had uniforms of similar design, but with more padding on the chest and shoulders. Producing maximum speed required as little weight as possible, after all.

"We love you, Duo!" two young ladies called from the stands.

Duo flashed them both a wide smile and a wink, fingers forming a victory "V", making many a girl in the on-looking crowd swoon. Duo Maxwell -- the twenty year old Lt. Colonel and, according to office gossip, the most eligible bachelor in the Preventers Organization.

"Ready and down!" Noin shouted to the line of players in front of her. The rows of white and black crouched down before one another, ghostly streams of hot breath mixing in the December air between them.

Duo lowered, his legs folding under him. Taut muscles stretched the tight material of his uniform, every nerve in his legs itching in anticipation for the go. The running back's smile was gone, replaced with a focused scowl as he stared passed the rows of bodies in front of him, passed the battlefield, looking back and back until the only thing he could see was the goal behind it all.

The ball snapped.

Duo's legs sprang like a triggered mousetrap, sending him on a hurtling journey toward the goal filling his vision. The fullbacks surged forward, dividing the defensive line just enough for Duo to shove his way through.

Noin fell back, eyes narrowing as the line to her target fell in place. A sharp throw, a loud cry sent the ball spiraling through the unmerciful winter sky. A beautiful arch stretched out over the desolate field, the shape of nature's perfect curve that seemed to draw out time itself for those watching its flight

Time was a matter of heartbeats pounding in Duo's ears. He saw the ball over his shoulder, knew it had been aimed right and true. Now he just had to catch the damn thing. At the one yard line he leapt into the air, arms outstretched to receive what had been sent to him. Rough leather slid into his gloved fingers, a teasing sensation that tickled his sense of victory before it was stolen away.

A shoulder rammed into Duo's stomach, forcing the wind from his lungs and the ball from his grip as he was lurched to the side. That collision was relatively gentle compared to the one that followed as Duo's body slammed into the turf, another body on top of him adding weight and velocity on the way down. Duo's vision started to go black and he was vaguely aware of the sound of a buzzer and loud cheers all around him.

"Duo?"

The running back's eyes cleared again and he blinked up at the male hovering over him. Intense cobalt eyes stared back down at him from underneath a black helmet.

"Say something, Duo."

The running back groaned and curled up on his side, arms clutching his stomach protectively. "Owieeee."

Steam poured out of the shower pit and into the locker room, creeping over the hard concrete floor like a steadily progressing fog. The bruised running back stood under the downpour of the center showerhead on one side of the open shower room, facing the opposite wall, head lowered and eyes closed to let the hot water trickle down both side of his body at once. Heat soaked into his tired body and made the purple bruises marking his stomach, back, and thighs ache. Life had jumped into fast forward and Duo found himself standing alone in the open shower room before it dawned on him that everyone else had already dressed and left. Well, almost everyone.

Standing under the frigid water raining down from the showerhead directly opposite Duo's, intense cobalt eyes stared across the room from under dark chocolate hair. Icy water soaked into Heero's skin and dulled away the soreness of black and blue markings on his arms, back, buttocks, and calves. Slight shivers distracted him from the stinging cut under his left eye and the throbbing of his splinted nose.

Duo's eyes drifted open and his head slowly rose until he was staring back at the blue eyes across from him.

They gazed at one another across the divide where hot and cold met and swirled around each other.

Duo started.

Heero started.

They didn't come together. They collided. Water flew in all directions. Nerves ignited with searing pain as bruised and tired muscles impacted. The smack of flesh on flesh echoed through the empty locker room.

Heero grabbed Duo's hair and yanked his head to the side, smashing his mouth into the running back's chapped lips.

Duo's arms wrapped around Heero's torso. Fingernails dug into flesh and raked down the frozen back, leaving trails of hot pink, irritated skin.

Heero groaned into Duo's mouth and bit the running back's bottom lip hard. Salty, coppery taste spread onto both tongues. Heero shoved his tongue into Duo's mouth, only to have it bitten in return, though not hard enough to draw blood.

Cold hands found Duo's ass, one of the few places he hadn't gotten bruised, and refused to leave. They groped, squeezed, smacked, pinched. Fingernails scraped along the pale white flanks. Duo gasped and began quivering against the cold body sucking away his heat.

Heero's hands clutched Duo's buttocks tightly and he hoisted the running back off his feet. Heero turned sharply and slammed Duo against the freezing tile wall under his cold shower, dousing them both with an icy rush of water.

Duo ripped his mouth from the kiss and cried out as cold water poured over his body.

Mouth freed, Heero's teeth attacked the running back's throat. A sharp bite, a hard suck, and Duo had a new bruise that would be a bit more difficult to explain than his others.

Duo's hands shook along with the rest of his body, though not entirely from the cold. His fingers came back under his control and he fisted them in Heero's hair, pulling with all his remaining strength to dislodge the mouth from his throat. This time his lips were shoved against Heero's, his tongue invading, trying to drink the heat out of the other man's body.

Heero lowered Duo back to the ground, though his hands stayed on the running back's ass -- groping, squeezing, smacking, pinching. Arousals ground together between cold bodies, a rush of blood spreading heat to firm bellies.

A hand left Duo's ass. Heero's fingers renewed their grip on Duo's hair and yanked hard, pulling Duo away from the kiss and knocking the back of his head against the shower wall.

Duo yelped, then grunted as he was spun around and his front slammed against the cold tile. His erection ached from the impact, but lust had soaked into his mind, dulling away the protests of his sore and exhausted body.

Cold fingers wormed up his ass and Duo pressed back to take them in deeper. He rocked his hips, short, hard shoves against the fingers that scissored inside him and tickled his prostate.

Duo closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against the cold shower tile. His thoughts strayed to his first intimate encounter with this man -- Heero following him home, slamming him against the apartment door and giving him the hottest blowjob of his life. But this wasn't his apartment, and it sure as hell wasn't a blowjob he was about to receive.

The throbbing girth of Heero's cock slid into Duo just then, as if it knew what he was thinking. The running back screamed a curse and rammed back against Heero's hips, forcing the entire length up him.

Heero didn't wait. He hardly made a noise except for hard pants and the sound of his hips pounding against Duo's round ass cheeks at a speedy tempo. Duo moaned, groaned, called Heero several filthy names. Heero responded by biting the running back's shoulder.

Heero's hands worked between Duo and the cold wall. One wrapped around Duo's stomach. The other wrapped around Duo's turgid cock. It squeezed, stroked, rubbed.

Duo's eyes tightened shut. He was losing himself, free-falling through the air and about to land hard. He clawed at the wall he was pressed against, but found no traction with the smooth tiling. There was another body on top of his, driving him into the impact harder and faster.

Screams rang throughout the locker room. Hot seed splattered against the shower wall and ran between Heero's fingers. At last Heero made a sound, a few heavy grunts blown against Duo's neck as heat pulsed inside him.

Seconds passed, slowed by the heavy weight of post-orgasmic euphoria. Heero's sticky hand twisted the shower dial, smearing it with cum as he turned the water temperature up. Warming water brought a heavy sigh of relief from both men.

Heero took a step backward and slowly pulled out. He retrieved a washcloth and gently washed away the sticky seed on Duo's cock, as well as that dribbling out of him.

Duo turned around, still leaning against the shower wall, and stared at the other young man though water-heavy bangs.

Frozen cobalt eyes stared back.