Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own this and I don't make any money off of it.
Warnings:Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence.
Cadence
Some Truths
Heero rubbed at his stomach and winced.
"Did you take your pills?" Wu Fei asked as he looked at the man over his stack of paperwork.
Heero grunted.
"That means, no," Duo snickered. Able to talk now, he was determined to over do it to make up for lost time.
"Yuy," Wu Fei admonished.
"Heero," Duo said, making his voice sound like a hectoring mother.
Heero glared, snorted, and pushed his paperwork aside as he stood and stretched. His back cracked and he winced again, this time for a different reason.
"Getting old?" Duo snickered.
"Maxwell," Wu Fei warned and Duo rolled eyes at him, grinning affectionately.
Heero glared again and then went to take his pills. Coming back, he was holding one of the movies that Sally had brought over with the paperwork and some of their personal things. There was a sticky note attached to the top. It read, 'One of my coworkers recommended this, haven't seen it myself'.
Heero flashed the cover of the movie at the others. "Have you seen this
movie?"
Duo shook his head with a frown. "Crimson Wind? What's that, a horror movie?"
Heero read the description on the back. "After a tragedy, Franklin Stowe
turns his life around
and travels into deep space where he encounters new life forms poised on the
verge of conquest. Their Queen, a -"
"Beautiful, large breasted woman," Duo interjected.
"With a remarkable lack of morals," Wu Fei added.
"Betrays her people and joins him in the fight for the freedom of the Human Race," Heero finished with a raised eyebrow. "Have you seen it, then?"
"No," Duo replied, deadpan.
"No," Wu Fei echoed.
Heero smiled.
"Are you suggesting that we take a break and watch it?" Duo wondered as he put his paperwork aside.
"Yuy's stomach says, yes," Wu Fei said. He stood stiffly. "I'll order out. Greek?"
"Fish," Duo suggested. "With those little fried cornbread balls."
They both looked at Heero. Heero made a face. "Nothing for me."
"You have to eat!" Duo retorted. "How about..."He thought for a moment... "Soup? Baked bread with melted cheese... and... a salad?"
"Who has that?" Wu Fei wanted to know.
"Carmen's. A little hole in the wall two blocks from here," Duo protested, " They don't deliver, but they have chicken and rice, a great stew..."
"Stew?" Wu Fei was suddenly interested. "With those... dumplings?"
Duo grinned. "Yeah. Had it before?"
"Trowa's sister, Catherine," Wu Fei admitted. "She made terrible soup, but her stew was very good."
"It's just overcooked soup, Fei," Duo chuckled.
"That's probably why," Wu Fei snorted and then looked at Heero. "What do you think?"
"About Catherine's cooking?" Heero grimaced.
"About the take out!" Duo retorted. "Yes? No? You'll have to go get it. I'm supposed to stay out of the city smog for a little while longer and Fei's still not getting far."
"And you are not supposed to be speaking so much," Wu Fei added critically.
Duo sighed and looked long suffering.
"Sounds good," Heero replied and then went to get his wallet. Before he went out the door, he said, "Sally is on speed dial and so is my cell number."
"Yes, mother," Duo replied irritably.
"We will be all right, Heero," Wu Fei grumbled. "It is only Sally's over zealousness that is keeping us confined here."
"And the fact that you can't walk more than ten feet," Duo said under his breath and then looked innocent when Wu Fei glared at him.
"Proper exercise will bring me back to full health," Wu Fei replied stiffly.
"Which she has to okay," Duo warned, wagging a finger at Wu Fei.
Wu Fei frowned and looked away. "Are we going to get dinner, or not?"
"Dinner and a movie," Duo chuckled. "It's like we're on a date."
A strange look flitted across Heero's face, but then hew as turning and leaving. "I'll be back shortly."
He locked the door behind him. It was odd, suddenly having one of their number gone, Wu Fei thought. It was as if Heero's absence had made an uncomfortable vacuum.
Duo suddenly loomed in his vision and warm, strong lips devoured his own. Wu Fei started back, shocked, and saw Duo's instant trepidation. "Uh, did I read your signals wrong, Fei?"
"I- I..." Wu Fei could only stammer. "What...?"
Duo looked embarrassed and then upset. "I'm sorry. I suppose I wanted so bad for you to get interested in me. I thought, when you got so hot and bothered when I was near you... Guess that was just a normal guy reaction, right?"
Only if you are a homosexual and in love with Duo Maxwell, Wu Fei thought. He tried to get his mental balance, tried to comprehend that Duo really did feel for him what he was feeling for Duo, but... could he admit it? What would happen if he did... especially to their partnership, their friendship?
Duo was getting up, looking as if he wanted to find a place to hide. "I'm really sorry, Fei. I promise, I won't do it again. Just partners, right? You and Heero... I really think you two are the best there is. It was too much to hope that one of you would be gay or think about me... that way."
"Maxwell?" Wu Fei cut in, knowing that he couldn't let Duo think or feel that way. It would ruin what they had more completely than anything he could do or say.
Duo didn't look at him. His jaw clenched, he put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and he hunched in on himself, as if he was expecting Wu Fei to shout at him in anger. Wu Fei reached up, took Duo's strong, calloused hand, and pulled him back to the futon. Duo sat heavily, staring at nothing hard. Wu Fei took hold of Duo's chin gently, turned his head to face him, and then kissed him very lightly on the lips. When he broke the kiss, Duo's eyes look large and hopeful.
"Was that a, 'You're a good friend', kiss? The, 'Kiss off', kiss? Or the, "Kiss of death before you kill me', kiss?" Duo asked in a trembling voice.
"It's a , 'I'm a fool and should have done this a long time ago', kiss," Wu Fe breathed and did it again.
Duo smiled against his lips and then he slumped in relief. "Good," he said when Wu Fei broke the kiss, "because I was feeling like the biggest idiot..."
Wu Fei laughed lightly and then was confused and shy. "What now?" he wondered.
Duo shrugged and looked embarrassed.. "Don't know. Not much practice."
"I'm lacking in... experience... as well." Wu Fei felt flustered now.
"Maybe we should ask Heero for advice?" Duo laughed, but he was leaning closer now and his hand rubbed up and down Wu Fei's arm lightly.
Wu Fei blushed, remembering Heero's strong body, the touch of his hand in his hair. It felt so confusing. Why was he thinking of Heero when he had just breached the barrier between himself and Duo?
"Maybe he doesn't have any experience either?" Wu Fei said thoughtfully, remembering Heero's uncertainty, his shyness.
"Heero?" Duo smiled, looking dreamy. "With that body and those eyes? He's hotter than hot. He must have lots of men and women offering to jump in bed with him."
Wu Fei was confused and shocked. Duo saw his expression and looked ashamed.
"I guess I should tell you," Duo said in a small voice. "I've always really liked him too."
Wu Fei was suddenly angry, "So, you were waiting for one of us to show an interest? It wouldn't have mattered which one? Is this only sex then?"
Duo went wide eyed and panicked. "No! It isn't! I just..." He groped for words. "I... Dammit, Fei, I'm in love with both of you! I know that's messed up, but... I am."
"Both of us?" Wu Fei comfirmed softly.
"Yeah..." Duo turned away a little, hands clasped together tightly between his knees. "I'm not a whore or anything. I just... Look, I know I can't have both of you and it's not like one of you is a choicer pick. I'm not going to lie about that. I feel for you... but I'm always going to feel the same way about Heero too."
Honest, always so honest, Wu Fei thought, while his mind tried to make sense out of it all. Duo loved him? Loved Heero? Loved them both? It was giving him a headache.
Duo stood up and took a step away. "Yeah, I'm messed up... Didn't want you walking into this blind though. I understand if you want to...not deal." He sighed. "Can we forget about this? Go back to just being friends?"
Wu Fei touched his lips. Maybe it was time for his own honesty. "I... I'm also attracted to Heero."
Duo whirled on him, open mouthed. His voice failed him when he tried to speak. "Yeah?" was all he could manage finally.
Wu Fei put a hand to his face, covering his mouth, as he replied, "Yes."
Duo rubbed the back of his neck and rocked on his heels thoughtfully. "So... all we gotta do now is... get Heero in on this."
"No," Wu Fei said abruptly, face going as hard as granite. "This is wrong, shameful. If we feel this way, it must mean that we are reacting to a sexual attraction, not anything concrete, not anything-"
Duo was in his face, purple eyes sparkling as he kissed him. Wu Fei felt his heart thump in his chest, his body go hot and cold, and his innermost self say, "Yes, this is the one." but he had felt that with Heero as well, he realized and he floundered in confusion.
"Messed up," Duo whispered against his lips. "But it's okay. Has to be. It's love, right?"
Wu Fei struggled to deny it, struggled to find safer ground, a place that made sense, but nothing made more sense than how he felt. "Messed up," he agreed. "What should we do?"
"Lay a trap?" Duo suggested.
"Be honest?" Wu Fei countered with a frown
"Heero buddy!" Duo mocked. "Why don't you join our threesome?"
Wu Fei shivered and Duo was immediately serious.
"Sorry, I joke around, but..." Duo slipped an arm around Wu Fei's waist, careful with his healing wounds. "He's not interested. I don't think we really have to-"
"He is," Wu Fei admitted. "He..."
"Spit it out!" Duo urged in astonishment.
"Last night," Wu Fei said, feeling uncomfortably like a young girl trading love stories."He made his... interest... known."
"Heero?" Duo was incredulous. "You gotta be kidding?"
Wu Fei ran hands over his face and grimaced. "This feels so..."
"Dirty? Sinful?" Duo suggested. "Dishonorable?"
Dishonorable? No, Wu Fei thought, it wasn't that, not if they truly cared for each other. "Indulgent, decadent."
"Sodom and Gomorrah?" Duo wondered."Well, to some people, just being gay is pretty wrong, you know?"
"Not many, not any longer," Wu Fei sniffed. "Still, this is very... different."
"Well," Duo drawled as he shrugged. "Still might matter, you know? Maybe Heero wants you, but what about me? I suppose I have to ask.... do you want Heero more than me? I mean, if he doesn't want to go for this, someone's going to have to make a choice."
A choice. Wu Fei was drawn strongly to Duo. He could see himself making a life with him. Hurting Heero, though, leaving the man out in the cold while they found their happiness, felt very wrong. He couldn't imagine finding happiness that way.
"I must admit," Wu Fei said, "I am not an impulsive or-"
"I know, I know," Duo interjected. "This is damned freaky for you and it might be that way for awhile. I'll handle things then, all right? Leave Heero to me. I'll find out what he's thinking. Maybe he'll confide in me if you go... I dunno... take a long bath, or go into my room to have a quiet nap, okay?"
Wu Fei nodded, relieved that Duo was going to allow him to absorb this new turn of events at his own pace. He didn't think that he could face Heero without knowing for certain that he was actually interested in them both.
"My ancestors must be disowning me as we speak," Wu Fei muttered.
"Nope!" Duo beamed. "They're dead. They don't have an opinion about anything."
Wu Fei didn't instruct him on his beliefs. Besides, that bit of down to earth humor was strangely comforting.
TBC
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