6x2,2x6
The sound of someone pissing woke him. It was long, copious, and someone heaved a sigh of relief during it. When he was done, there was a brief, irritated yawn filled with words.
"I'm supposed to be here. Leave the coffee."
A door opened and closed, something that Milliardo had to wonder about, since he had been too deeply asleep to hear it open the first time.
Footsteps came to the bed and then there was a long silence.
"You're awake," the voice grunted. "There's coffee. I'm having some and then I'm shoving off. Had a great time... I guess... it's all kind of fuzzy after I asked you to show me if you starched your underwear, or not.... Anyway.... " The voice trailed off uncertainly and then the footsteps went away.
Milliardo felt the definite signs that he had been drinking far too much. He didn't want to chance moving and disturbing a stomach that seemed poised on the brink of upheaval and a head that felt ready to explode. It was better to ignore painful light and unanswered questions that had mostly to do with the person drinking coffee nearby.
A cell phone rang and the voice answered, "You'd better be calling me to tell me that you're already on the training field and waiting for me. Yeah? I can check on that, you know? Okay, so you're good troops, today. I know, I know.... I'm fine. Worried? I'm nineteen, agent, and your Captain, not still wearing diapers. I'll be there and running your asses into the ground in an hour... mark."
Another call shortly after that,"Yes, Commander Une... I know I'm late. Sorry, but you shouldn't give an awards ceremony, serve hundred dollar drinks, and expect everyone to be bright eyed in the morning. Besides, you still owe me some for trying to kill me during the war. Nope, not nearly paid up. Worried? Why is everyone worried about me? I'm a war hero, a captain in Preventers... Oh, well, yeah I went to his hotel... Yes, he's here... No, I... wait, that's not your business... yes, I am okay... Jeez! I'll be on the field in fifty eight minutes... mark."
Keys rattled and footsteps went towards the door. Hotel suite, Milliardo remembered, and then, Preventer award ceremony, followed hard by a memory of a grinning face, a drinking contest with expensive liquor, and.... "Duo?"
The footsteps paused. "Yeah?"
"Was... I was a gentlemen?" Milliardo needed to know.
A chuckle reassured him. "And so was I," he replied, "from what I remember."
That made Milliardo think.
"Don't worry," Duo told him as his footsteps continued to the door, "One time thing. Over and forgotten. Guys... drink... screwing... It happens."
Milliardo pried open his eyes and winced as the light stabbed into them. He focused on Duo's back. His Preventer dress uniform was wrinkled and his jacket was tied around a slim waist. His tie was in one hand along with his car keys. His braid was half undone and slowly unraveling. Milliardo caught sight of the valor award still pinned to the jacket. He remembered placing it there, looking into Duo's sparkling, proud, eyes, and thinking that he had been remiss in not knowing Duo better than he did. Not just drink, then, he thought, not just two men full of celebration and need.
"Was I... all right?" Milliardo asked as Duo's hand touched the door knob.
Duo looked over his shoulder, impish face laughing at him. "I think so. I feel pretty good. Me?"
Milliardo wished that he could remember. The thought pierced the hangover, suddenly, that he might never know the answer to that if he let Duo go through that door without saying... "I'm not sure. The drink. Perhaps, we might...." Appropriate words failed him.
Duo stared at him, deep consideration in his eyes that belied the casual seeming grin. He replied, "We can talk about it, later."
"Later," Milliardo replied. "All right."
The footsteps returned to somewhere by the bed, keys rattled as they hit a solid surface, and Milliardo opened his eyes as he heard cloth rustling. Duo's jacket was over the back of a chair. He blinked at Duo, as the man sat in it and began pouring himself more coffee from a service on a small table.
"Staying?" Milliardo asked in confusion.
"Une really does owe me, so I'll call in sick, today, so that we can talk... later," Duo replied in amusement.
Milliardo felt relieved. "Good."
It was easy for Milliardo to go back to sleep, then, knowing that, when he next awoke, his life might be changing for the better.
___________________________
"I don't have the mission completely drawn up, yet," Milliardo said before Une could speak. She had strode into his office, military correct in her posture and carrying with her a feeling of irritation. "Another two hours, I think."
"That's not why I came to your office," Une replied as she closed the door and faced him.
Une was looking down at Milliardo, and seeming far taller and more intimidating, than was possible. Milliardo felt his own irritation. His desk was filled with devices that all had blinking screens of information calling for his immediate attention. He didn't have time for private chats of any sort.
"I have timetables to meet," Milliardo tried. "Perhaps, later, Commander Une?"
She frowned, her hands locked behind her back, as if bracing herself for something unpleasant. Milliardo had always found it an odd habit for a soldier. It went against training to keep hands unready to hold a weapon or strike out in defense.
"This is about Agent Maxwell," Une said tightly. "I'll be blunt. He's off limits. Aside from a charge of fraternization, that I could level, he's a ward of this organization, and therefore under my jurisdiction-"
"He is of legal age," Milliardo interjected, "and I am not his superior officer, so charges of fraternization won't hold. I am a 'consultant', and a 'liaison', not a Preventer agent. I won't be intimidated by you, Commander Une. Maxwell is very capable of making his own decisions."
"Was he sober when you fucked him?" Commander Une asked and her glasses flashed as she leaned close to Millardo. "Was he, Milliardo Peacecraft?"
Milliardo was very quiet until he had his rage under control and then he replied icily, "You seem to be under the impression that I took advantage of Agent Maxwell. Perhaps you should speak with him? He has a rather strong personality, and he knows his own desires."
"He is young. Too young," Une snapped.
"Only a few years younger than myself, Commander," Milliardo pointed out. "If you're making the case that I seduced him and swayed him against better judgment,then I must conclude that you don't know the man very well. I also take exception to your insinuation that I am an unsuitable person with questionable character."
Une straightened and looked down her nose at him. "Don't hide behind words and pretend that we don't carry with us the burdens of our past."
"I'm sullied then?" Milliardo scoffed.
"Haunted," Une replied. "Marked. Bloodied far more than those young Gundam pilots ever were. Our decisions took hundreds... thousands... to their deaths. Don't bring Maxwell into that. Don't burden him any more than he already is."
"Maternal instincts?" Milliardo wondered sarcastically.
Une's nose flared for a moment, as if she were controlling her temper with supreme will. "If you can't see past your own arrogance, to what is best for him, then my point is made."
Milliardo's temper suddenly stepped down a few notches and he was given an uncomfortable view of himself through Une's eyes. It was hard to concede her point. He could only reply, "You assume there is more than the casual 'one time', between Maxwell and myself. We had a pleasant interlude, together, and I think that I failed to sully him with my burdens, as you call them, during that time. We move in different circles. It would make a relationship difficult."
"I will take that as your understanding the situation properly,"
Une replied. "Finish up that Mission report and have it on my desk in
one hour."
"Yes, Commander Une," Milliardo replied, feeling fresh irritation, as he watched her walk, with correct precision, out of his office.
Milliardo's computer alerted him to several messages. Milliardo tried to push personal feelings aside as he replied to them. When he reached Duo's email, he couldn't help a small leap of elation and a smile.
'Get together again?'
Milliardo caressed the keyboard with his fingers, thinking carefully. He weighed his position, his age, his 'burdens', and the possibility that he might be unduly influencing a naive and easily swayed individual. The last made him snort in amusement. Naive, was definitely not Duo Maxwell. The man had been... inventive and take charge.
'Tonight. Dinner. My car.' Milliardo felt tense anticipation and then a definite warmth, when Duo replied.
'Dinner in your car? Classy, Mill. Maybe a restaurant that I can afford, okay?'
'That's good,' Milliardo replied. 'Wouldn't want food on my leather seats.'
'Or other things.' Duo replied and Milliardo could imagine the man's leer.
'I'll call when I finish up work,' Milliardo told him and Duo agreed.
It didn't feel like forbidden fruit, Milliardo thought. It felt pleasant, as if starting a relationship with Duo was more right than anything that he had ever felt in his life. He could only hope that Duo felt the same way.
_____________________________________________
"You don't really have to go to the trouble," Duo said as he climbed into Milliardo's car.
Milliardo frowned as he pulled out of the Preventer parking garage. "What do you mean?"
Duo shrugged and replied, "We both know what we want. You don't have to wine and dine me to get some."
Milliardo's hand tightened on the stick shift. "This is just sex, then?"
He could see Duo studying him out of the corner of his eye before he replied, "We both work hard jobs with long hours. We both have reputations that other people steer clear of. Finding gay men who want to look past that and get mixed up with us, is damned near impossible. I hate quick, anonymous screws behind bars. You probably do, too."
"I could be anyone, then?" Milliardo wondered bitingly."Being agreeable is my only positive?"
Duo snorted. "Don't be stupid. You have a lot of positives. I'm lucky to get someone like you."
"I thought that I was lucky, as well, but for different reasons," Milliardo replied. "I'm afraid that I took our 'relationship' more seriously."
"Yeah?" Duo was clearly surprised. "You sound like you're getting all feminine on me, Mill. Next you'll be complaining when I don't call or bring flowers."
Milliardo's jaw worked as he simmered with anger. He was driving, but he wasn't sure where, now. He resisted the urge to simply stop and order Duo onto the sidewalk. "Une was right," he finally said. "You are too young."
He could feel the heat of Duo's glare. "She needs to stay out of my business," he replied.
"I'll drop you off at the daycare," Milliardo continued. "They're very good with handling infantile behavior."
Duo's fist hit the dashboard next to Milliardo's steering wheel. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed, making Milliardo start. "What makes you think that we can have anything besides sex? You're off in eighteen different directions every week, and I'm off on suicide missions. You're Prince Milliardo fucking Peacecraft and I'm a loud mouth Preventer agent, with a borrowed last name."
"Italian?" Milliardo wondered simply.
Duo stared, trying to understand, and then he barked a laugh and replied, "Yeah, why not?"
"We can have what ever we want in life," Milliardo told him quietly as he changed lanes and headed for a small, out of the way, favorite restaurant."We simply have to ignore those who say that we can't."
"We are still having sex, later, right?" Duo wondered, looking as if he didn't believe a word Milliardo was saying.
"I'm agreeable," Milliardo replied.
"No more daycare cracks, though," Duo warned. "I get enough of that shit from the older agents."
"Understood," Milliardo replied.
Duo watched him for a few moments and then sighed. "You have no idea what you're in for, do you?"
Milliardo thought of Une. "I have some notion. I hope to prove my intentions are honorable, though."
Duo laughed, "I feel like a virgin or something, when you say that." He remembered then. "That's important to you, isn't it? You said something like that when we first woke up together."
"Extremely important," Milliardo confirmed.
"Why? I'm the one who put out," Duo wondered. "Nothing dishonorable about taking advantage of that."
"There is when you've found that you are beginning to care about that person," Milliardo explained. "It's becomes more than about sex and warm, willing, bodies."
Duo grinned. "You just made me get all hard, Mill."
Milliardo found a smile, then. "Keep it for later."
"Count on it," Duo promised.
------------------------------------------
There was a definite size difference, of course, but Duo's 'presence' seemed to negate that. The man was loud, strong, and he wasn't obverse to making Milliardo move to please himself. Limber, inventive, and passionate; as if every touch went straight to his libido and stroked it. Honest, Milliardo finally labeled him. He was as honest in bed as he was every where else. He didn't hide how he felt, he revealed it, full throated, until Milliardo feared for their neighbor's complaints.
On all fours on the bed, shoving into tight heat, Duo tensed and thrusting back rapidly underneath him, he saw blunt fingers gripping the bed sheets and muscles ripple along the man's arms. That was all the warning Milliardo was given before the man spurted and bucked, coming with a strangled cry. It made him tighten around Milliardo and Milliardo was pulling out and shooting his hot load over Duo's back in the next moment.
Member limp and wet on Duo's backside, Milliardo kneaded Duo's hips and asked, "All right?"
Duo had collapsed forward, upper body spread out on the sheets while his hips were still raised, as if wanting more. He hummed an affirmative and already looked half asleep. The view was making Milliardo hard again.
Snagging a wet cloth from the bedside, Milliardo cleaned them both up, Duo squirming when he pushed the cloth between his cheeks and rubbed.
"Sore?" Milliardo asked worriedly.
"Good sore," Duo mumbled and then let himself slide all the way down and tucked a pillow under his head. "'Eep here?" he barely got out before he was doing just that.
Kneeling on the bed, trembling a bit, still, from his orgasm, Milliardo stroked his half hard on, and then firmly denied it, as he stretched out on the bed beside Duo. They had time, later, he comforted himself and tried to believe in it. His mind told him otherwise, citing a long list of duties that didn't have any spare time for new lover's. The few days that he had stayed in one place was an aberration, not soon to be repeated.
"May I, again?" Milliardo whispered into Duo's ear.
"Sure... fine," Duo mumbled. "Juss don'wake me..."
He kept Duo on his back and simply lifted strong legs to push in. He couldn't help a desperate passion as he thrust. He nuzzled Duo's hair and smelled sex and Duo's own personal scent. It was heady, an aphrodisiac. Something was here, something powerful, that Milliardo had never sensed with previous sexual liaisons.
When Milliardo spent himself over Duo's belly, he didn't let Duo go, or move to clean them up again. He didn't want to lose contact, even for an instant. Instead, he curled up around the smaller man and pulled Duo into the protection curve of his body. Duo didn't protest.
When Milliardo felt a kiss on his unshaven cheek, early the next morning, and heard Duo say, "Gotta go. Mission. See you in a week.", he pretended to still be asleep. He felt a pause, a considering gaze, and then Duo was grabbing things that rattled and leaving.
When the door closed, Milliardo opened his eyes and stared at it. Weak, he derided himself, emotional and unwilling to face facts. They weren't going to give up their careers for each other. It wouldn't be right. They would resent each other, in the end.
The door opened and Duo came back in. He was rubbing at the back of his neck, looking confused. He saw Milliardo staring at him in surprise. "I..." he faltered, unsure, and then, with the honesty that Milliardo had come to expect, he bulled forward and finished, "I don't want to go. I've never not wanted to go, before."
"I don't want you to go, either," Milliardo admitted. "I want you, here, with me."
"Isn't it stupid?" Duo asked as he approached the bed, dropping his coat onto a chair as he went. "Am I supposed to give it up that easy? People depend on me."
"Since you were very young," Milliardo agreed.
"Yeah," Duo sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed.
Milliardo's cell rang. He answered it and Une said, "I need you on a shuttle in one hour. You're heading a delegation to L4."
He could imagine her calling Duo, and making the same speech only inserting, 'suicide mission' instead of delegation. It made him angry.
"I resign," Milliardo said and knew it for what it was, a man leaping off a cliff and hoping the life line was tied tight.
He began to disconnect the call, but Duo was taking the cell away from him. He could hear Une's angry voice demanding answers, telling Milliardo that he had duty and obligations to uphold.
Duo grinned and put the cell to his ear. he winced a moment, and then said to Une. "Hey, commander. I resign, too. I'm tired of saving the day. Let someone else do it for a change." He listened and then snorted. "I've been old enough to make my own decisions for years. No one's making them for me, including you."
Duo disconnected the call and tossed it aside. His grin turned uncertain. "You sure I'm worth it?" he wondered.
Milliardo reached out and pulled Duo against him. "Yes."
They were quiet for a few moments and then Duo asked, "So, what do we do now? I could get an IT job or do some demolition. I'm good with explosives."
"I am rich," Milliardo reminded him. "We don't really have to do anything."
"Too boring," Duo replied. "We can both still help out the world, we just gotta find a way to do it where we're home after five, every night."
"With you," Milliardo agreed.
"With you," Duo agreed.
"Are you sure?" Milliardo pressed.
Duo elbowed him in the side. "Someone told me, once, that, when you find someone you want to live for, you stop trying to die."
"Who told you that?" Milliardo wondered, troubled by the dark nature of the comment.
"Heero... and he should know."Duo smiled. "I'll have to thank him. That's why I turned back. I remembered it. It's the way I was feeling."
Milliardo realized, that the words gave understanding to his feelings, as well. Duty, selflessness, and dedication. His life had sounded ideal, something to make a man proud of himself, unless, his reasoning for doing so were less pure. Had he been wanting death, wanting, in all of his traveling and , sometimes, dangerous negotiations, for something terrible to go wrong?
"I was thinking," Milliardo admitted, "before you returned, that we could never ask each other to give up our careers for each other."
"We can," Duo replied, "When our careers were only to hide how alone we were in our lives."
"Not alone, any longer," Milliardo said and kissed him. "Never alone, again."
"Never," Duo agreed.
When the cell phone rang again, neither of them reached to answer it.
End