23-Jan-2002
Once upon a time, Bonne and Von invited me, and several other people, to come play in a world they created. That world was Arcadia. Then everyone came back to the GW world, and lived happily ever after. Or did they? This sequel to Chasing the Crown has been in the works in some fashion or another since Project Akon last year. Blame the delays upon me and my brain. Apologies for the lengthy header, however, we highly suggest you check it out before skipping to the fic.
Title: Tin Man's Journey
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com , von - sablexo1@yahoo.com ,
bonnejeanne - bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: NC-17 for graphic lemon content
Pairings: 1+2+5, Ripper
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz, Mission: Arcadia, Chasing the Crown, and all the Christmas fics
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners.
Kenny, Duan, Wufan, Tryan, Carter, Jack and the Ripper, and everything relating to Rip & Jack's universe are ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments welcome, be they short or long. Feel free to send direct feedback to the authors.
Special Notes: Song lyrics used in this fic belong to America, and come from the song "Tin Man". Additionally:
1. Fans of the Ripper will be happy.
2. People who have a problem with threesomes, foursomes... will not be happy.
3. To paraphrase the great Tina Turner... some people like things nice, and easy. But this isn't nice... and easy. It's nice... and rough. I'm talking about the lemons contained therein. If this doesn't fit in with your world view of how Duo (and Heero) ought to act, sorry, but don't tell us about it.
WARNINGS: LEMON, multiple partners, light bonadage, blood, voyeurism, a little angst, some sap.*
*And Heero bruised his upper arm...
Sometimes late when things are real
And people share the gift of gab between themselves
Some are quick to take the bait
And catch the perfect prize that waits among the shelvesBut Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
That he didn't, didn't already have
Duo paused to stretch, arching his spine back in a disconcertingly loud chorus of pops as he ordered his thoughts and tried to remember what Commandment he was on. Heero and Wufei always did have the ability to derail his train of thought, he thought with an odd little smirk.
A slight scuff of something against the cracked pavement intruded on Duo's awareness. When his eyes sought the source, he glimpsed a small shadow ducking behind the corner of the wall.
Old and new instincts flared up, and he found himself in a low crouch beside the corner, the warm weight of his gun settling into his hand. He must have been more distracted than he'd thought if anything had managed to sneak up that close to him without him noticing. With a purely mental growl of self-recrimination, he cautiously peered around the corner, weapon ready.
There was a startled gasp and an aborted duck, quickly frozen. A pair of eyes looked up from a small face framed by strands of thin dark hair.
"Geeps! You gonna shoot me, mister?" the boy's high voice cracked. He waved his hands palms up. Threadbare clothes and a smudged face did little to hide the obvious lack of menace in the young intruder.
Swallowing the bulk of his heart, which had leapt into his throat as he realized just how close he'd come to almost doing just what the child was asking, Duo took a deep, calming breath. "Dammit, kid! What in God's name are you doing crawling around this old ruin in the middle of the night?"
Assessing Duo's expression and tone, the boy dropped his hands, planting them on his hips in a somewhat defiant manner. "Huh. What're *you* doing. You ain't been around here before. I know. This is my spot. Whaddaya want with it?"
Duo snorted, vanishing the gun. "Probably not in *your* lifetime, kid. This was my spot long before it was yours. You might even say that I made it what it is today," he replied, voice edging towards bitterness for a moment. "Guess I was just saying goodbye."
The boy watched the gun disappear with a curious stare. His jaw set when Duo mentioned it being his spot first, a stubborn set to his expression indicating he wasn't exactly prepared to give it up without some kind of contest.
Reading the boy's expression, Duo held up a calming hand. "Relax, kid. It's yours. I'm not here to try and take it back. I've got too much other stuff going on. Too many other places to be."
"Well, ok," the boy said somewhat doubtfully. Then he took a couple of steps towards Duo, curiosity and a touch of street boldness surfacing. "That was a neat trick with the gun. How'd you do it?"
Duo settled back, relaxing a little from his uncomfortable crouch, although still in a position to move in a heartbeat if need be. "It's a special gun. 'Sides... Don't you know any slight of hand stuff?"
The boy shrugged. "Maybe." He looked Duo over closely. "Hn. So you usta hang out here, huh?" His clever brown eyes took on a slightly speculative look.
"Did you know," Duo said, affecting a casual tone, "that a long time ago, there used to be a big church here? The belltower was right over there," he continued, pointing towards a fold twisted girders, jutting up from the broken stone of the foundation. "There wasn't much stained glass like one of those big fancy rich people churches, but there was one really nice one right behind the altar. The priest who was here... he used to run a shelter. Long time ago."
"Course I know it was a church," the kid answered as if implying Duo was probably old enough to start getting senile. His expression changed to something thoughtful, and he seemed to make a decision. "So you got a sentimental attachment... so... so what would it be worth to ya... to have something like a memento? Something... really cool. Would it be," he considered carefully, "Would it be worth... ten credits?"
"Depends on what it was," Duo replied, feigning suspicious interest as he played along.
"It's good... but..." the boy frowned, "It's not like... valuable or anything. But I don't wanna show you if you're just going to flash your fancy gun and just take it."
"I grew up here, kid. You don't wet your nest, and you don't shill your brothers. The gun stays where it's at," Duo replied, frowning a little as he considered the boy. "Tell me something, first, though, and I promise you ten credits anyway."
The boy looked slightly disbelieving, crossing his arms over his thin chest. "Uh huh. What?'
"Don't you have anyplace you go? A home? Folks?" Duo asked, very slowly withdrawing the money and tossing it towards the boy in an unthreatening manner.
The kid's hand shot out and caught the credit chip with sharp reflexes, but he backed up a step. "Sure, mister," he said, his eyes narrowing. Duo could practically read his thoughts - admit you don't have a home and you might end up getting snagged and taken to a nasty place, since no one would miss you...
Duo sighed, a small, almost weary smirk crossing his lips as he shook his head and tossed the kid another credit chip. "Sorry. Dumb question. I shouldda known better. So where's this 'memento', huh?"
The boy looked at the second credit and then studied Duo for a minute. "Stay here," he said. And then added, "I'll be right back. Really, I'm not gonna skate with your money."
Ducking around the wall, he disappeared and Duo could hear faint sounds of movement in the rubble. After a few minutes, the boy returned, carrying something in his hands. It was about the size of a dinner plate, and wrapped in rags and old cloth, and the kid carried it was a great deal of care.
Walking slowly up to Duo, he held it out and peeled the rags away from all but one edge where he held it tightly.
It was a piece of a stained glass window.
It was a small section, from the bottom left corner; Duo could instantly picture the entire picture as it used to be. A picture of the nativity, the holy family in the center, with other figures, shepherds and animals at the bottom and angels at the top. The piece the boy held was almost an entire corner, with the bottom of a shepherd's robe, but in the center of the remaining section was a figure of a herding dog, laying on the grass at its master's feet, looking up at something that was no longer there.
To the boy, who had never seen the window, it was simply a lovely, jewel-bright and to his eyes perfect picture of a dog.
He looked at Duo, watching his face closely as if expecting him to dismiss it as trash.
Far to the contrary, however, Duo's expression had shifted first to shock, then disbelief, before settling into a soft kind of amazement. One hand reached out, almost touching the glass for a moment. "I didn't think any of it survived after the soldiers came," he breathed, eyes darting over every inch of it. After a moment, he collected himself again, looking up at the boy. "That's worth a lot more than ten credits, kid."
The child watched Duo and his face softened into something almost like trust for the first time. Slowly he pushed the fragment into Duo's hands. "I know," he said quietly, and smiled a small, proud smile. "I found it when I was digging out my crib. It was under a big piece of wood and some rocks and dirt."
"You took real good care of it," Duo said softly, holding it as carefully as if it were made of spun sunshine, and not glass. "I wish you could have seen the whole thing. It was beautiful."
The kid nodded. "I figured, since this part was so good." Once Duo was holding the piece, he stepped back a little.
Duo sighed a little sadly, wanting, no, *needing* to do something, but afraid of scaring the child. "There's shelters and stuff, you know. Good ones that can find you a home where you don't have to be cold and hungry," he said softly, keeping his voice even, though some of the reverence of holding that simple piece of glass probably seeped into it.
The boy stared at Duo, a little doubt clouding his face. "But they tell you what to do all the time, and people steal your stuff when you aren't looking... don't they? I like this place... They wouldn't let me come back here... would they? How... do you know which ones are ok?"
"Because I look for the good ones. The ones where the people are nice and they don't let anyone steal your stuff. I'm still looking for one where they don't tell you what to do and stuff, but even the good ones that do... They only do it because they worry about you and want you to be safe. I... I told you I grew up here. Before, and after. This place is okay, but sometimes it's nice to have someone to tell you what to do, to tuck you into a warm bed at night, to read you a bedtime story..." Duo paused, thinking about his own family, and how much he missed them already. "I came back... for a visit. Who says you couldn't come back, too?"
The boy chewed on the side of his bottom lip for a long moment, looking at Duo with a strange expression on his face. After a minute, he said, in a somewhat hushed voice, "Are you... are you... Maxwell?"
Duo blinked in surprise, watching the boy as he nodded slowly. "Duo. Duo Maxwell."
The boy's eyes widened and he took a step closer to Duo, looking up at him with an expression that was both vulnerable and hopeful. "He was right," he said with wonder.
"Who was right? About what?" Duo asked, confused.
The boy nodded. "Before... I was in some trouble... and a guy helped me. He gave me some money and he said if I stayed here, I'd be safe... until Maxwell came and took me to a better place." The boy looked down. "I thought he meant... you know, the dead guy." He looked back up. "He said... he said I'd know who I could trust 'cause you'd know what was valuable."
Duo cocked his head, eyes never leaving the boy. "What did this guy look like? Did he tell you who he was?"
"He was tall - taller than you," the boy answered. "Red hair. He was... funny," he said, with a slight grin. "Like smiling all the time. And he, um, he liked to play with this knife," the boy added, shrugging on shoulder with a look like, yeah I know how it sounds.
A small grin broke over Duo's features as a suspicion crept through his mind. He glanced back down at the glass and then back up at the boy. "Do you believe him? More importantly... do you trust me?"
Looking directly back, the child said simply, "Yes... yes sir. Cause he was right. I been safe here. So he must be right about the other part."
Duo smiled, carefully wrapping the glass back into the rags. "You got a name, kiddo?"
"Jonah," the boy answered. Then he slapped his forehead. "I forgot... I gotta... just a minute..." He dashed around the building again and then came back in a few minutes with a small bag over his shoulder and something in his hand. It was a small piece of paper, only a little smudged, folded up. "Suppose to give you this." He scratched his head. "I did wonder what... the dead guy would do with it," he said, a little sheepishly.
"You'd be amazed what 'dead guys' can do these days," Duo replied, stifling a small grin as he thought about his last few encounters with the 'deceased'. Pushing thoughts of Treize and the Scientists away, he took the paper and examined it closely.
It was simply a note, folded. Inside a hand written message. "How about a drink for old times?" Then an address not far from this area, and, "Any time. Guess who."
Shaking his head, Duo stuffed the note in his pocket. "Lemme grab my stuff, Jonah. The how about we go see if we can talk to one of those nice places?" he offered, giving the boy a gentle smile.
Taking a deep breath, the boy nodded firmly. "Okay Mister Maxwell."
"You can call me Duo, if you want," he replied, slipping over to where he'd been sitting before to grab his pack.
"Okay, Duo," Jonah repeated. He cast a look around the remains of the church and nodded to it, as if saying his own goodbye.
Duo shouldered his pack, stepping up beside the boy before turning and taking one last, lingering look around. "Later Father. Sister," he murmured quietly. Turning back to Jonah, he shifted the wrapped glass into one hand, and offered the other to the boy. "Maybe it's not so bad to have memories to come back to."
With only the slightest hesitance the boy put his hand in Duo's. "I guess so," he said, not entirely sure what the older boy meant but not having a problem with it.
Duo smirked, setting off at a steady walk that the boy would be able to keep up with. "Come on, kiddo. I hear a warm bed calling your name out there."
The address turned out to be a doorway in a wall, with a small set of letters on a metal plate above that said, "Club Maelstrom".
Shoving the crumpled note back into his pocket, Duo shrugged and cautiously pushed open the door, slipping inside.
There was a short entranceway, dimly lit but with a feel of richness about it. There was a small alcove with a well-dressed but beefy looking guy keeping an eye on the door. Glancing up, he examined Duo and then nodded as if recognizing him. He waved towards a doorway covered by a beaded curtain and turned his attention back to a magazine.
Guess I'm expected, he thought with a small grin. Settling his pack a little bit more firmly on his shoulder, Duo slid past the curtain, disturbing it as little as possible out of habit, and looked around.
He saw what resembled the inside of a small bar or pub. There were tables and chairs, a few people sitting at them, a small stage at one end with microphones and instruments at rest, no one playing. Pool tables, dart boards, video sharpshooting, and a bar with about a dozen stools, three or four of them occupied.
The people appeared to be of varying ages and social levels. In fact one table was occupied by a couple of guys Duo recognized instinctively as Sweepers, even though he didn't know them personally.
A familiar, infectious chuckle drew his attention to the tall person tending the bar. Dressed in a simple white shirt and black vest, with a scarf tied carelessly around his neck, the redhead looked disturbingly at home with a dishtowel over his shoulder.
"For some odd reason," Duo said cheerfully as he slid into a stool at the bar, "I never pictured you so... domestically."
A pair of merry, perhaps a little too merry, brown eyes met his with a tangible spark of electricity. "Ah but that's what makes it so satisfying, sweet boy," said the Ripper. He placed a coaster and a glass in front of Duo and poured something deep purple/red into it over a couple of pieces of ice.
Duo eyed the glass warily for a second, glancing back up at Rip. "This isn't like Mama Ninfa's margaritas, is it?" he asked, quirking up a brow.
Grinning, Rip shrugged. "Like in what way?" he asked. Then he lifted the bottle he'd poured from to his own lips and took a long drink before lowering it and corking it.
With a fatalistic sigh, Duo shook his head and lifted the glass. "What the hell," he said with a grin before tipping it slightly towards Rip in a small salute and then taking a drink.
The liquid was sweet, rich, and heady... almost too fruity to be wine, too sweet to be brandy.
After it settled in his stomach, there was a slow, inexorable ignition of warmth throughout his torso which spread all the way to the ends of his fingers and toes... hell he could almost feel it moving down to the tip of his braid...
"Very nice," he commented, voice low and soft as he let himself sort of float in the sensation. "Can I ask, or is it a trade secret? He lifted his glass, clinking the ice in it as he contemplated taking another sip. Better to take it slow; he didn't have Heero here to tuck him into bed the way he had in Arcadia.
Rip shrugged. "Something good, something rare... something you'd like," he said carelessly. Leaning forward on his elbows on the bar he slipped a long finger into Duo's glass and then licked the drops of red liquid from it. "How's little Jonah these days?"
"Safe. Warm," Duo replied, eyes tracking Rip's hand until he had to remind himself to meet the redhead's eyes again. "How did you know I'd be there?"
Dark lips curving in the expression that was never far from his features, the eternally young man chuckled. "I wanted to know, that's all. How are things these days, Duo?" he asked, his tongue wrapping around the two syllables of his name rather like it had wrapped around his fingertip a moment before.
Duo cocked his head, eyes tracing over Rip's features for a long moment before he finally answered, "Okay, I guess. Safe. Normal. Kinda weird, actually." He frowned a little before shrugging and taking another sip of his drink.
"Isn't that what you wanted?" Rip said curiously. "Peace... for yourselves, for the kiddoes..."
"Yeah. Yeah it is," Duo replied quickly. "It's just... weird to get used to, I guess. What about you?"
Leaning his chin in his hand, Rip attempted to look thoughtful. Then he grinned. "I destroy peace... mine, everyone else's... I hate to be bored. The things I used to do..." He sighed reminiscently. "But then I was never able to appreciate what you seem to consider so essential."
"Essential?" Duo asked curiously, taking another sip. "There's not too much I really consider 'essential', and you were appreciating him just fine in Sank."
The answering smile was intensely predatory. "Ah... and where is the delicious Heero?"
"Home," Duo replied, a small sigh escaping him. "With the kids. Speaking of domestic," Duo chuckled softly.
"Safe in the arms of justice," Rip suggested evilly.
"I hope," Duo answered, biting his lip and stifling a soft groan as that mental image popped into his head. Tipping the glass to his lips, he drained the rest of the sweet liquid in a large gulp, tongue darting out to catch the last drops from his lips. Setting it back down, he rested his chin in his hand and peered at Rip again.
Rip grinned at Duo's expression. "I'm always impressed at how... generous you are with your essentials," he remarked.
"Only to the ones I trust," Duo replied, lips quirking into a wry smirk as he made a show of examining the redhead. "Although how that explains you..."
Rip dropped his lips in a slight, exaggerated pout, then grinned again. "Even so, it's quite rare. Quite rare. It makes me... curious. How far does it go, and in what directions? Would be interesting to find out."
Duo closed his eyes, enjoying floating in the drink induced warmth as he listened to Rip's voice. "Dunno," he admitted slowly. "Never really came up before." He let his eyes drift open, fixing upon Rip for a long moment before continuing. "You'd just get off on him trying to kill you, anyway..."
Brown eyes sparked. "You know me so well... but that's certainly not the only thing. And what would you get off on, Duo-chan?"
"It's not hard to quote back what you've openly admitted to," Duo said, eyes wandering over every smooth plane of Rip's features. A familiar tingle, like a prickle at the back of his neck as if he were in a sniper's crosshairs, tickled his senses, while his mind practically screamed 'danger!' Rip embodied danger in a neat, grinning package. Duo swallowed hard, enjoying the way his body seemed to flush with a new kind of heat. "As for the other? By now, just about anything... Then again, I always did think you were damn sexy."
Rip smiled, leaning his tall body easily across the bar and lifting Duo's chin with one hand. He didn't move too quickly, staring down into Duo's eyes as his lips descended on the braided youth's mouth. He licked the drink-stained surfaces lightly before taking a full kiss. His mouth tasted as hot and electric as Duo could have imagined. It was a little like kissing a Bengal tiger.
Duo moaned quietly, eyes slipping half closed as he leaned into the kiss. He could feel a tingle racing across his nerves, and a familiar flush of adrenaline as it seemed to rush from the back of his brain down to his toes in a ripple that only complimented that warmth infusing him. His hand came up, fingers gripping Rip's as if looking for a circuit to close, even as he let his own tongue explore this new sensation.
The exploration continued, mutually, for long moments, and then as leisurely as he'd begun, Rip leaned back from the touch, watching Duo's face with a combination of enjoyment, curiosity, and speculation. His hand never moved in Duo's grip.
Still leaning a little over the counter, he said, as if pronouncing a profound truth, "You.... are bored."
"I am?" Duo replied, clearing his throat a little when he realized how... dreamy his voice had sounded. He thought about it hard for a moment, still caught in the tingly haze of his rush. "Yeah... sorta."
Rip nodded sagely. "Yeah," he mimicked, "...exactly. We have a lot in common, did you know that? Differences, yes, but some interesting things in common. You - are - bored. You'd like to think it's something more... complicated." He sighed theatrically. "I know what I am talking about - I know about being bored. I used to cut people up for fun, you know? But even that gets boring eventually..."
"I imagine that eventually, everything gets boring," Duo hazarded.
Rip tapped Duo's nose gently with his finger, "And you've done more than your share, hmmm?" He smiled. "And I like you... so I'm going to share a little secret with you.... in fact, I'm going to *help* you," he added, with an ingenuous, little-boy-pleased grin.
"Help me?" Duo echoed brilliantly.
Nodding happily, the redhead lifted the towel off his shoulder with his free hand. He whistled, and a head turned at a table not far away.
"San... take over for me," Rip called. A very attractive blond young man of about twenty stood up and came over behind the bar. He glanced at Duo and his mouth curved in a somewhat knowing smile.
Moving around the bar, Rip beckoned to his guest.
Gathering up his bag again, Duo followed obediently, curiosity flooding him.
Rip took Duo's hand, and with their fingers clasped together, Duo could feel the slight bulge of the wrist sheath around the redhead's forearm. Rip pulled him to the other side of the room where another door and beaded curtain were revealed in the shadows. Going through it, he was led down a hall, past several doors. Then Rip stopped at one and opened it, drawing Duo inside.
The room resembled a comfortable den, with a wide leather couch, lounge chairs, entertainment equipment, a mini-bar, floor pillows, and thick carpet.
Pulling Duo against him, Rip kissed him with a feral intensity, running his hands down Duo's back, stroking along his braid and finally sliding around the curves of his rear. When he finally lifted his head, Duo seemed to hear a muted roaring in his ears like his blood was rushing way too fast.
"Now, I could give you the ride of your life, my lovely boy," Rip said sweetly. "But after it was over..." he lifted his shoulders, "...bored again. So I am going to show you how to keep from getting bored... how to bring fun and amusement to your life, without even cutting anyone up!" His grin was almost proud.
Duo panted softly, caught up in the swirl of sensation and the roar in his head. "How?" he asked, finding his voice after an abortive attempt.
Rip nodded happily. "You will see," he said. Then he gave Duo's behind a nice squeeze. Their bodies rubbed together and Duo could feel the redhead's bulging crotch press against him. Rip slipped the bag and long coat off Duo's shoulders and dropped them onto the carpet. Then he pushed Duo back until he was bumping the couch with the back of his legs, and gave him a little push to sit.
Settling back, Duo reached up, catching the collar of Rip's shirt, unable to stop himself from pulling the redhead down close enough to steal another swift, heated kiss.
He got Rip's tongue halfway down his throat for his trouble. There was a rising sense of excitement, almost of glee from the eternally young man. However he drew back eventually, placing a finger on Duo's lips.
"First lesson," he said, his voice lush with indulgence. "Predictable... is boring..."
Stepping back, he lifted a small remote from the small table beside the couch. Duo saw that in addition to the remote, there was... well it looked like the same bottle Rip had poured his drink from, sitting there uncorked, and a glass beside it.
Pressing a button on the remote, Rip gestured with a long, graceful arm. The wall across the couch opened across the middle, revealing that the wall behind was in fact some kind of glass. And Duo could see through the glass. At first it almost seemed like a mirror, for it showed a room that looked nearly identical to the one he was sitting in. But there was no tall redhead in the image. There was, however, someone sitting on the couch.
Dropping the remote on the couch, Rip walked over to a door in the wall beside the glass. Blowing Duo a kiss, he opened the door and stepped through.
The other figure on the couch looked up. It was Heero Yuy.
Duo blinked, jaw slack with surprise as he sat up a little straighter, leaning forward over his knees to watch.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Rip said, his voice clearly audible, though the door had closed behind him. Heero stood up and nodded, giving no indication of being aware of any kind of other room where the glass wall was.
Heero was dressed in a pair of low slung, hip hugging jeans Duo had never seen before, and a t-shirt with the neck and sleeves cut away, and the hem cut above his midriff.
"Now, you were telling me about this little problem..." Rip prompted in a friendly tone, perching on the arm of the couch.
Heero took a deep breath and looked down. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the jeans and nodded. "Hai," he said. "I think Duo's getting bored with me. It's not that I blame him because he's had to teach me how to..." he added, with a little shrug.
Rip tilted his head and then smiled. "You know... I think I might be able to help you..." His smiled became more feral. He stood up and moved to Heero, standing behind him. He placed his hands around Heero's bare waist. "That is, if you think it's a good idea..."
Heero looked up at Ripper for a moment, then nodded. "I think it might be. I can't think of anything else to do," he said.
Duo shut his mouth with an audible snap, torn for a moment by the scene. Was that really Heero? His Heero? And he thought Duo was bored... with *him*? For a moment, Duo wasn't sure that he could believe that, although it *did* sound like something Heero would think, now that he thought about it.
Then his brain shut down, suddenly realizing that Rip was in there with Heero. A daringly clad Heero, and a predatory Rip, who'd long ago admitted that he found Heero sexy. Suddenly, pants that had already been getting uncomfortably tight, became almost unbearably so. He settled back, easing the pressure a little by relaxing his posture, enraptured by the scene.
Rip's smile widened slightly at Heero's agreement. "Well, you know, I would just love to help you, dear boy," he purred in a low voice. His hands moved around Heero's bare midriff caressingly. "And this outfit is a very nice start... I'm sure Duo would like it," he complimented the Japanese boy. His hands slid upwards and under the lower edge of the shirt, long fingers finding Heero's nipples and circling them slowly, his actions clearly apparent.
Heero's mouth opened slightly and his breath deepened appreciably. Looking up at Ripper over his shoulder, he leaned back in the tall redhead's arms, resting his head against Rip's chest. He placed on hand on Rip's arm and moved his hand down until it covered Rip's hand under the top. "Think so?" he said, dreamily.
"I'm quite certain," Rip said, chuckling. Giving Heero a kiss on the cheek, he added, "Of course, once the outfit has been appreciated, it can be discarded..." Slowly Rip peeled the cropped shirt up as Heero raised his arms obediently.
Heero shivered a little as he felt the air cool his skin. His nipples hardened further and his fingers drifted to the zipper of his low-cut jeans. Looking up at Ripper, he slowly unzipped them, then moved closer. "How's that?" he asked, softly, draping his arms around Ripper's waist.
Duo swallowed back a groan of appreciation, squirming uncomfortably in the couch. "Perfect," he murmured, his own hand slipping down to the persistent ache in his lap, stroking the firm bulge through the black denim of his jeans.
"Nice," Rip answered, bending to lick Heero's neck. "But go a little slower. And sell the merchandise," he laughed softly. "I wonder what Duo would feel if he could see you now. What would you want to show him?" One of Ripper's slender hand slid down Heero's belly and into the open fly of his hip huggers. He didn't lift Heero out of them, instead he curled long fingers around Heero's cock, and began stroking it, the flesh itself hidden by his hand and the loose flaps of the jeans' closure.
Heero gasped, feeling Rip's strong hand around him. He licked his lips again as his hips rocked forward slightly. Moving back, he felt Ripper behind him. Slowly, his hips moved in small circles affording them both pleasure. Closing his eyes, he reached a hand around to grasp Ripper's thigh as waves of pleasure moved over him. "Everything," he managed in a raspy voice. "I'd want Duo to see everything."
"Of course," Rip murmured. He reached down and firmly took Heero's wrist, lifting his hand away from Rip's thigh and curving it to place on Heero's chest. He guided Heero's fingers to touch his own stiffened nubs of flesh. Taking his other hand, Ripper drew it down into Heero's pants to replace his touch. "I bet watching you touch yourself would entertain Duo," he suggested. He lifted Heero's chin and turned his face just a little to face the wall. "See the mirror there? You can imagine that's Duo watching you..."
A soft whimper burst from the back of Duo's throat, fingers trembling as they fumbled with the snap and zipper of his own jeans. Unable to tear his gaze away, his eyes roamed over Heero's exposed flesh, flicking over the expression on Rip's face, the way those long fingers guided and touched his lover. Duo swallowed, hissing a little with pleasure as his fingers wrapped slowly around the ache of his arousal.
Prussian blue eyes widened slightly, then Heero's eyelids drooped as he faced the mirror. Lifting his chin a little, he slid his other hand down inside the small confines of the pants, feeling his skin damp and hot. The top of the jeans opened further as one side slid down over his hip, fractionally. Breathing deeply, he pumped his hardened flesh with long strokes, remembering what Ripper had said about going too fast. A delicious ache grew in his groin and Heero felt his brow suddenly moist with perspiration as he groaned aloud in the room.
"Good..." Rip purred. He surveyed the Japanese boy and carefully gave the jeans a little tug, letting them slide just a little more, exposing the graceful curves of his hips and baring both his throbbing cock and the twin globes hanging below to full exposure. "Yes, that's very nice." Watching Heero's arousal build, the redhead reached into his own pants pocket and removed a small tube. He uncapped it and squeezed a little of the lubricant on his fingers. Dropping the tube on the couch, he slid one arm around Heero's waist, and then pushed the other, slippery-coated hand down the back of his drooping jeans, plunging a long finger in with sudden, almost savage precision. Thrusting against Heero's prostate, Rip began fucking him deeply with one finger and then two.
Heero responded to the sudden invasion with a deep moan. He felt Ripper's fingers deep within his body sending shockwaves with each thrust. Matching the redhead's rhythm with his own, Heero felt both suspended and driven with pleasure. Gasping in air, he felt his cock begin to throb and released in a high arc onto the floor below.
Duo clenched his jaw, breath hissing between his teeth as his fist tightened around his cock and his strokes sped up. Quiet whimpers and grunts filled the end of each exhalation, his attention all but drowned by the sight of Heero's hand wrapped around the stiff shaft of his own erection. Duo's eyes caught the first jet of his lover's release, gaze darting up to watch the roll of pleasure across Heero's face with fascination and a burning need. It blossomed within his chest, scorching his lungs as it flooded downward, filling him and emptying him all at once. Almost when he thought he could bear no more of the searing fire, it erupted from him, his own release catching him so swiftly unprepared that he couldn't even tear his gaze away from Heero beyond the mirror. No, not couldn't... Wouldn't. It was too perfect.
Licking his lips, Ripper held Heero encircled by one arm, easily, as he sagged in his release. Lowering Heero to his knees, Rip kissed the back of Heero's neck, teeth closing over it for a moment. "Now... let's see how perfect you really are," he growled with a wicked smile. The next moment Heero felt something larger, hotter and stiff pushing deep into his opening as Rip took him from behind.
Heero closed his eyes. The sensation of Ripper filling him completely caused a protracted moan from deep inside his chest. New waves of pleasure rolled over his spent body, taking his breath away. Feeling the larger man behind him also brought a somewhat feral smile to his lips as he felt his cock attempt to wake up once again. "Yes," he hissed, surrendering to Ripper's erotic attack.
One of Rip's long, steel-fingered hands closed over his hip, holding him easily as the redhead plunged into Heero's already throbbing body with a hard, nasty rhythm. His features reflecting an almost elemental enjoyment of the hot, tight body gripping his cock, squeezing and surrounding him, dragging at his hard flesh deliciously. The impacts were abrupt and forceful, rocking Heero's body completely. The hand fastened on Heero's hip dug into the flesh a little, enforcing the perfect movement between them.
Rip growled wordlessly, his other hand sliding into Heero's hair, fisting and pulling Heero's head back, forcing him to face the mirror to that his expressions were fully revealed.
Duo felt his cock reawaken, rising in his grip like a wolf scenting prey. His chest heaved as he struggled to suck in enough air to cool his rapidly overheating body, thick beads of perspiration breaking out over his body again as he failed. Stroking the thumb of his free hand over the tip of his erection, he gathered some of the moisture there, bringing it up to his lips and licking it clean, eyes slipping closed for a moment as he imagined Heero or Rip doing it instead. Violet eyes opening again, he fixed his attention on the glass, drinking in Heero's expression, a low rumble of sound in his chest as he was mesmerized by the intensity of it.
Heero felt the strong fingers in his hair as his nostrils flared scenting the room. "Harder," he managed, rocking back against Ripper's onslaught.
White teeth, an even and rather startling large row of them, flashed behind darkened lips. The hand in Heero's hair moved to his neck, long fingers curling easily around it and forcing his back to arch further upwards, even as Heero's knees began to burn a little from the friction with the thick carpet. The arch was unnatural, uncomfortable, yet at the same time the hammering impacts of pleasure suddenly increased, as the change in posture altered what was happening inside Heero's body. It tore through him with irresistible force, shattering his last grasp of any thought.
In the other room, Duo remained rooted to the couch, pickpocket hands still against his own body as he stubbornly refused to attend the surging ache within him. Fascinated by the tableau beyond the glass, he sat almost motionless, absorbing every thrust, every twist of expression, every whisper or shout of sound falling from his lover's lips. That should be me in there, he thought, the small voice almost lost within the haze of pleasure and guilt. Oh Heero... did you really think I was bored with you?
Heero felt the ache of desire in his body mingle with the slight pain his body felt from being stretched and held in Ripper's strong grasp. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he felt his cock respond to the impact of Ripper's cock buried deep within and his strong fingers gripping his throat. He swallowed hard, feeling the imprint of Rip's fingers ripple with the motion. A part of his mind encompassed the whole scene and Heero's mouth stretched into a smile of delight. On one hand, Ripper could simply close his hand and Heero Yuy would be no more and on the other, the pleasure he was causing could drive Heero over the edge and cause him to inadvertently take his own life. Paradox, Heero thought, then his breath caught as Ripper's cock impaled him at the precise angle to cause him to shudder and release. Heero screamed surrendering his body, mind and soul to the redhead.
The slight tightening of the bared smile, and a momentary closing of Rip's mad brown eyes were the visible signs when his climax hit, continuing to thrust even as Heero's scream failed and the Japanese boy seemed to collapse. The redhead's hips slowed and stilled their savage dance and his fingers released Heero's throat, letting the boy beneath him slide to the floor, his face pillowed on the thick carpet.
With a little twist, Rip unseated himself and then rocked back on his heels, coming easily to his feet, his cock barely diminishing. Leaning down to swipe a fingertip along the cleft of Heero's ass, he raised it, shining with a little thick fluid and licked it. His eyes rose to stare at the "mirror" knowingly.
In the other room, Duo remained rooted to the couch, pickpocket hands still against his own body as he stubbornly refused to attend the surging ache within him. Fascinated by the tableau beyond the glass, he sat almost motionless, absorbing every thrust, every twist of expression, every whisper or shout of sound falling from his lover's lips. That should be me in there, he thought, the small voice almost lost within the haze of pleasure and guilt. Oh Heero... did you really think I was bored with you?
Predictable is boring. So I'm boring as well as bored, Duo thought to himself, knowing that he was probably failing lesson one even as he rose to his feet, but unable to stop himself. He didn't even attempt to fix his jeans, knowing that his trembling fingers would never accomplish the dexterous task, and beyond caring what either of the two people beyond the door saw anyway. Pausing for a moment to eye his hand with morbid fascination as it shook on the doorknob, he took a breath and then slowly pushed it open.
"Heero..."
Rip had spent the brief time stripping his pants the rest of the way off, shedding the vest and opening the white shirt to hang. He saw the doorknob move and his smile grew. Stepping back a few paces, he perched again on the arm of the couch, as if making way for the new player making his entrance on the stage.
Heero felt the softness of the carpet caress his face. A few moments later he heard the door mechanism and later still his name called in a familiar voice. Lifting his head up, he smiled slightly as he saw Duo.
Letting the door shut behind him, Duo forced his feet to carry him within the room. His gaze darted up to Rip, dragging appreciatively over the redhead, before returning to Heero collapsed against the floor. Crossing to him, he knelt beside Heero, those trembling fingers ghosting over his lover's cheek for a moment, violet eyes a mirror of lust and appreciation, and just a little confusion.
"Duo?" Heero said, looking up at the braided pilot through dark lashes. Pulling himself a little closer, Heero nudged up against Duo's leg like a cat.
"How are you here? Are you real?" Duo asked in a soft whisper, hands reaching out to run along Heero's body, as much to convince himself of his lover's solidity, as simply giving in to the overwhelming desire to touch, to try and inspire those same reactions Rip had wrung from the Japanese youth.
Heero shivered under Duo's touch. He lifted up a little and looked back at Ripper, before turning to answer Duo's question. "I'm real," he said, reaching up and wrapping his fingers around Duo's inner thigh.
Rip watched the two with the same pleased-yet-wicked, almost indulgent expression he'd had most of the evening. "Think it was a trick, Duo-chan?"
Duo's attention shifted up to Rip, swallowing uncomfortably as he absorbed the sight of the beautiful redhead. He had to think for a moment before he could answer, thoughts almost lost as his body clamored for his mind to shut up and just *fuck* something. "This is you, Rip..." he said slowly. "When you're involved, I take nothing for granted."
Rip waved a gleeful finger. "You took for granted that your lover was home tending the kids," he said with a chuckle. "But the point's a good one. The trick isn't this not being your Heero, though."
"My bad. I'm rebuked," Duo managed, half his attention thoroughly absorbed by the painfully close proximity of Heero's hand to Duo's still aching cock. His hands continued their absent explorations of the other pilot's body, an anchor in a world that seemed to be rapidly spinning out of control. "What is the trick, then?"
Rip laughed happily, pleased at the direct question. He simply pointed for Duo to look at the "mirror".
As the braided youth turned his head, he saw that it was a clear pane of glass showing the room he'd been sitting in.
TBC
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ravynfyre@hotmail.com,
sablexo1@yahoo.com,
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