23-Jan-2002
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
"Thoroughly rebuked," Duo murmured, a slight, almost self-depreciating grin overtaking his features. Settling a little bit more securely on his knees, he pulled Heero up against him, inhaling the heady musk of sex and perspiration. "God, you're beautiful."
"And a rather remarkably talented actor, as well," Rip murmured with another low chuckle.
"So I noticed," Duo replied, glancing back at Rip, tongue darting out to moisten his lips unconsciously before looking back down at Heero. "The part about why you were here... Was that an act, too? Or is that... what you thought?" he asked uncertainly.
Heero looked up at Duo, then towards Ripper. "Arigato," he said, with a small bow to the redheaded man. Returning his gaze to Duo, Heero tilted his head slightly. "That part was real," he said.
Duo swallowed uncomfortably, ignoring the prickle in the back of his eyes that would have been the prelude to tears, if he allowed them. Which he wouldn't. Bending his head, he seized Heero's mouth in a deep, possessive kiss, the slow burn of his blood in his veins and the still present surge of adrenaline fueling him. Releasing Heero at great length, he nuzzled the damp tangle of hair at the nape of the Japanese youth's neck. "Never," he replied fiercely. "Never. I like showing you things... You showing me things. It's not you I was bored with..."
Heero fell into the kiss with a certain amount of joy at the reunion. Released, he felt Duo's soft hair against his bare skin. Hearing Duo's words, he sighed deeply. "Hai," he said. "Wufei said I was being ridiculous," he added, hugging Duo. Looking up, he caught Ripper's eye.
"You both are," the redhead drawled, getting up from his perch and walking over to the mini-bar to pour a drink from one of the bottles. His tone had the bare tinge of something... that sounded rather like boredom.
"Probably," Duo agreed, something a little feral lighting his violet eyes as he watched Rip pace away, "Since I seem to have two gorgeous, half-naked men in my reach, and I haven't done more than kiss either of them..."
Swallowing the drink, Rip leaned on the bar and favored Duo with a shrug. "It's not pretty-boy there you're bored with, you twit. It's yourself."
Heero disentangled himself for a moment, and pulled the jeans off of his legs completely. Rising gracefully from the floor, he moved to the bar to see if he could find something to drink. He was thirsty.
Now completely naked, he didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable. He did, however, feel some minor aches and fingerprints along his hips. Snagging a small bottle of sake and a bottle of water, he made his way back to the sofa and sat.
Duo favored Rip with a half-lidded look, lips quirking up a little as he nodded with agreement. "So I guess it's time to start figuring out what to do to keep that from happening anymore, huh?" Turning his attention on Heero who was seated comfortably on the couch, the smirk grew more predatory. Crossing over to the couch, Duo knelt before his lover, resting his hands on Heero's knees for a moment before sliding them up Heero's thighs. With his head down so that he had to peer up through his bangs to meet Heero's eyes, his hands continued their journey around and behind until Duo's fingertips just barely delved into the cleft of Heero's ass, finding the sticky moisture there. "You seem to be a little... messy," he said with a wicked grin. "Need some help with that?"
Rip watched Duo's actions, his head tilting slightly. His mouth, which had for a brief moment lost its signature grin, curved slowly as he leaned against the mini-bar. It couldn't be said that he relaxed fractionally... because Rip's tall, powerful body maintained a sense of being built around springs constantly under tension, even when he affected a languid slouch. But something in his mad brown eyes shifted from a cooler, almost distant glitter to a heated pleasure.
Heero looked down at Duo without speaking. The bottle of water lay unopened at his side. He slowly drew the sake bottle up and took a small sip. The liquid warmed his stomach as he continued to hold the braided pilot's eyes with his own. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back against the sofa, tilting his hips forward as he pulled one foot up to rest on the sofa's edge. He then poured the rice wine on his lower stomach, feeling it dribble down his skin and between his legs. Raising his other foot, he rested on Duo's shoulder. "Please," Heero said, quietly.
Smirk widening a fraction, Duo nodded and slowly lowered his head, amethyst eyes holding Heero's gaze as long as he could. Using the heels of his hands to massage and spread his lover open a little more, Duo's tongue darted out, swiping tenderly against the inside of Heero's thigh, almost a soothing gesture, before moving lower. The taste of the sake mixed with Rip's unique flavor, both complimenting and clashing with it all at once, ever a contradiction, just like the man himself. Tongue moving with slow, purposeful strokes down the moist cleft, Duo cleaned his lover, pausing every now and then to leave a soft kiss high up on the inside of Heero's thighs. Lifting his head to meet Heero's gaze briefly, Duo bent forward, lavishing special attention on the puckered ring of flesh before him, tongue delving deeply as Duo savored the sensations filling him.
Heero's gaze became slightly unfocused as he felt his lover's tongue taste and tease him. His eyelids drooped over his Prussian blue eyes as he raised the sake bottle once again and poured some of the liquid on his chest. He gasped as the cool liquid caused his skin to constrict and tighten his nipple.
Looking down the length of his body, Heero saw and felt his cock move and extend upwards. His lips stretched into a small smile as he watched it wave slowly towards Duo as if trying to get his attention.
The redhead's smile widened further as he watched. Straightening slowly, he paced silently towards the couch, approaching from behind Duo, his eyes moving from the drops of sake traveling down Heero's body to the back of the kneeling Shinigami's head, braid sliding across his back as his head moved, tongue working across Heero's skin. Making no more sound than a shadow, Rip stopped just behind Duo, slipping down to sit on his heels. Something silver dropped from the open cuffs of his white shirt and into one hand, then was raised to his mouth absently as Rip darted out his own pink tongue to slide along the sharp blade almost absently.
As he collected the last traces of Ripper's essence that he could reach, Duo slowly started working his way back up, pausing for a bit to rasp gently at the twin globes within the soft pouch of skin below Heero's cock. Moving up, he began dutifully removing the traces of sake still slowly dripping Down Heero's body, a mischievous fire in his eyes as he intentionally bypassed the firm evidence of Heero's reawakened desire. Violet eyes locked onto cobalt, maintaining contact as Duo's tongue darted into Heero's navel, lapping up the small pool of alcohol that had gathered there.
Heero's smile widened as he watched Duo. He chuckled as he felt his lover's tongue dip into his navel. Leaning his head back for a moment, he poured sake over his awakening erection causing him to gasp again and cool the growing fire in his loins.
Duo felt a sudden prickle up his spine, and a second later, the brush of lips against his ear. At the same moment, he felt the brief touch of something metal and cold, so light he might have imagined it, traveling up his back and then air on his skin as his shirt parted and fell off his shoulders.
The sudden burn of a fresh flood of adrenaline flashing through Duo's veins made him stiffen, breath hissing out quietly between clenched teeth. Eyes darted to the side, as if he could catch a glimpse of the redhead behind him, but were inexorably drawn back to the artful trickle of clear liquid bathing Heero's cock. He let his quickened breath wash over the softening flesh, slowly beginning to coax it back to attention.
Heero chuckled again as he slid his hand down and curled his fingers around his cock. Closing his eyes, he moved he soft skin back and forth, enjoying the sensation. His pleasure was increased a thousandfold knowing that Duo was watching and Ripper was right behind him.
A puff of warm air ghosted along Duo's shoulders and back as Rip laughed silently. Slipping his fingers into the back of Duo's jeans, he extracted the sheathed blade concealed there, dropping it carelessly on the carpet next to the chestnut haired boy and in easy reach. Then Duo felt a slight tug against his back waistband... and the sturdy black denim was parted by the impossibly sharp edge of Rip's blade, slit down the center of the back seam.
Duo's eyes drifted shut for a moment, a silent lament for the worthy sacrifice of one of his favorite pairs of jeans, before leaning in to drop quick, indiscriminate kisses upon Heero's flesh - hand, cock, thigh, stomach, anywhere his mouth could reach. The lingering traces of sake helped Duo as he slid his hands up past the small of Heero's back, fingertips ghosting over the smooth ridges of his lover's ribs as they continued up, before moving to Heero's chest to flick playfully at the tightened nubs of the Japanese youth's nipples. As the dark fabric of his pants slid away from his body, Duo pressed forward, hips unconsciously rotating in small circles, his freed cock trapped between the couch and his belly.
Heero raised the bottle once again and poured the remainder of the sake over one of Duo's hands. The empty bottle was tossed to one side as he continued to manipulate his now stiffened flesh. Looking over Duo's shoulder to Ripper, he smiled, both eager to see what would happen next and caught in a rising tide of desire.
The remains of Duo's pants slid down his legs, where he felt the lightest of touches and the brief kiss of steel, until the garment was rendered into strips that fell to the floor. The caress of air was followed by more light touches, some flesh, some cool brushes of the flat of the blade. They seemed to follow no pattern nor have any purpose or goal other than random curiosity.
Each soft kiss of knife against flushed skin pushed Duo closer and closer to the edge of a precipice that he wasn't even aware of having approached. The blood in his veins had been long ago replaced, it seemed, by molten steel, temperature rising degree by degree until Duo knew his skin would burst, unable to contain the furnace anymore. With his hands tracing abstract patterns in the alcohol on Heero's chest, he occupied his mouth once again with Heero's cock, almost fighting with his lover's hands for space along the stiffened shaft of flesh. Having denied himself release just before he entered the room, he was more than ready, but strangely caught off guard as it rushed over him, spurned on by the random touch of metal against his overheating skin.
Duo's hands tightened sharply against Heero's chest, a soft cry bursting from the braided youth's lips as the hot flood of his essence splashed against Heero's thighs. Head arched back almost painfully, body bowstring tight, Duo surrendered to the explosion of pleasure singing along his nerves, letting it carry him along for how long, he knew not.
Heero's eyes opened wide as he heard and felt Duo's release. Moving his hands around the braided pilot's hands on his chest, he caressed them as he focused his attention squarely on Duo.
As Duo felt his body washed by pleasure, warm breath settled on his shoulder as a deft hand moved around his waist, fingers circling his spasming cock, milking the last of the fluid from it. Catching some of the warm liquid with his fingers, Rip settled his body gently around Duo's back, his skin returning the heat coming off the braided pilot. Just as gently, a hand slid along Duo's jaw, guiding his mouth back towards Heero's still throbbing organ.
Duo's eyes were slightly dazed as he opened them again, meeting Heero's intense cobalt stare. He turned his hands, catching Heero's up as he allowed Ripper to carefully guide him. Never breaking eye contact, Duo let his mouth curve into a wicked little smile, before descending to engulf Heero's cock in a single, deep swallow.
Heero inhaled deeply as he felt Duo's warm, wet mouth around his flesh. His hips moved of their own accord as they sought the promised pleasure. "Oh, Duo," he moaned feeling himself at the edge. Panting, he thrust forward and a short time later felt himself shudder and release. Leaning back, he allowed his body to sink into the sofa as he felt the deep relaxation cover him.
Refusing to release Heero's hands, twining his fingers more tightly with them, in fact, Duo greedily swallowed down Heero's seed, a pleased growl rising from the pit of his stomach at the familiar sensation. He could still feel the warm weight of Ripper at his back, the redhead's presence stoking the fire within him that had not abated at Duo's climax. His mind kept supplying him with images of those mad brown eyes, and the feral smile that always hovered around Ripper's mouth. Duo's body could still feel the ghost of the featherlight caress of blade against his skin, and his muscles began quivering under the assault of his own endorphins.
With a heave of his thighs, Duo shoved backwards, bowling Ripper back off his feet. He released his hold upon Heero's hands, snatching up the blade Rip had taken from him earlier, even as he used his momentum to spin around, pouncing the redhead. With his knees pressed hard against Rip's sides, Duo straddled the prone man, a fierce, lupine grin of triumph on his lips as he rested the edge of his blade just against the side of Ripper's throat. "I've always wanted to do that," he growled softly between panted breaths.
The redhead made no attempt to resist or dislodge Duo's attack. Looking up into the violet-eyed pilot's face, his expression was one of intense delight as his eyes locked onto Duo's. One hand slid around the curve of Duo's ass, pressing him down and back a little more firmly, which brought the hot, rigid flesh of Rip's cock up against the cleft of Duo's rear.
Flames of gleeful unreason seemed to blaze into a wild conflagration in his eyes. Slowly Rip arched his back and lifted his head from the floor, pressing his flesh against the edge of Duo's knife until a trickle of red beaded along the newly parting cut.
Heero stretched out on the sofa and watched Ripper and Duo. For all intents and purposes, it looked much like a duel.
Amethyst eyes flared, Shinigami peering out from the depths of Duo's soul. "I know as well as you do that you let me get this far," Duo observed in a low purr, "But I wonder... if even you are fast enough to stop me, if I really decided to finish this..."
Teeth flashed in a grin, as Rip continued to press his throat against the blade. "Why would I do that?" he murmured, his tone puzzled. Then Duo felt the hand on his hip settle like a steel vise, as Rip's other hand moved around his other side, and he suddenly felt something cold and smooth slide along his lower belly as the knife Rip had never released settled its edge against the base of his cock.
"When this would be much more fun..."
An instant spark of fear, like a drug he didn't even know he craved, stabbed down Duo's spine, filling him from the inside out before it faded "I thought you said cutting people up got boring," Duo said, his grin stretching a little wider.
"Aren't you offering to relieve me of boredom for good?" Rip asked sweetly. "I think if I go, I'd rather leave you that way than dead," he mentioned, sliding the edge of his blade up along Duo's cock a bare centimeter and then back, his touch delicate enough not to mark the skin... yet.
Heero's eyes widened slightly at the sight. As he watched and listened, it became even clearer to him that Duo and Ripper had more in common than just good looks. The boredom thing was something that both seem to have difficulty with, and it was the one thing he felt that was out of his reach where Duo was concerned.
"Sadist," Duo observed almost cheerfully, his grin never diminishing, although whether he was referring to Ripper or himself, wasn't clear. "I'm glad I'll never live forever," he remarked, backing the edge of his blade off a little, eyes drawn to the thin line of crimson against Ripper's flesh.
The redhead's eyes sparked, and then he simply said cheerfully, "Me too." With an eye-blurring flip of his wrist, he threw the knife straight up where it embedded in the ceiling and stayed. Reaching up with his now empty hand, he took hold of Duo's weapon, not attempting to take it from him, simply lifting it so he could bring the blade to his mouth and lick a few drops of crimson from it. Then he curled his palm around the blade and tightened his hand. Sliding his hand up and off the blade at its point, red tears welling from each side of his fist, he reached down, opening his hand to wrap it around Duo's cock, the warm red liquid lubricating the grip.
The blade was discarded by dint of Duo burying it halfway to its hilt in the floor beside Ripper's head. Violet eyes slipped closed for a moment as that strong grip enveloped his cock, the very slickness of the touch hardening him even more. Blinking languidly down at Rip, he bent forward, tongue stroking against the redhead's throat, gathering the beads of crimson there, before bringing his mouth up to tangle with Ripper's.
Rip's eyes closed, sinking back to rest his head against the carpet, participating in the kiss as if it were the only thing happening in the world. His fingers and palm stroked Duo's manhood with skill from a thick catalog of experience. As the caress coaxed the braided boy to move against him, his hips lifted, rubbing his erection along Duo's rear in the same tempo.
Without breaking the kiss, Duo shifted forward, resting his weight upon one hand for a moment as he gently disentangled Rip's hand from his arousal. Rising to his knees, he guided Rip's still bleeding hand to his own cock, liberally coating it, before returning it to its previous hold. Finally breaking the kiss, Duo pushed up, staring down at Rip for a long moment eyes gone dark and fierce, before settling back again. Without further preamble, he shifted down, seating himself fully on Rip's manhood, a low hiss erupting from his lips at the first sharp stab of pain.
Heero sat up on the sofa. Finding a corner of it, he settled back, watching Duo and Ripper in deep thought. Mentally, he adjusted his picture of what the future might hold to include, what seemed to him, a few vital things Duo needed. As the men joined together, Heero watched the expression on Duo's face and smiled to himself. Glancing down at Ripper, he compared what he saw with his first impressions of him and understood that they had been terribly simplistic.
I don't know if I'll be able to give you this, Duo, he thought. But perhaps I wasn't meant to do so in the first place. Curling up on the sofa, Heero wondered what would Wufei make of all of this.
The Ripper's eyes closed again as Duo impaled himself, his lips stretching in a smile of pleasure, feeling the tight squeeze around his cock, lubricated by warm, sticky blood. Opening his eyes, he watched Duo's expression, letting the braided pilot take what he seemed to want. But once Duo had found his rhythm, Rip's hips lifted, thrusting upwards, increasing the pace as he enjoyed the visual stimulation of watching Duo ride him.
Pleasure spiked throughout Duo with each thrust, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps that complimented the pace, making his muscles tense and grip. For one brief instant, it was like being in battle, the ache of the forces at work against his body, knowing there would be a price to be paid later when it was over, but not caring because the adversary would go down in flames as well. And then the instant was gone as the wave of pleasure within him built up too great to contain, bursting from him, overflowing from him, spilling out in the same way his essence did to eddy and pool against Ripper's abdomen in swirls of crimson and cream.
Feeling Duo's body tighten and shudder, Rip lifted his hips from the floor in a sudden jerk, shoving hard into the braided boy, allowing a soft grunt of satisfaction to escape his lips as he permitted his body to release his essence deep inside. Holding Duo steady with one hand, the other dug into the thick carpet giving him support, until the tension broke and he fell back to the floor, a cat-with-cream smile painting his features as his eyelids dropped not quite closed. Drinking the sight of the violet-eyed beauty straddling him in the throws of his climax, Rip felt his body spin towards relaxation for a few moments in time.
As the last of the tremors slowly faded, Duo fell forward, bracing himself up long enough to dislodge Ripper before collapsing to the floor. His eyes drifted shut, cheek pressed to the thick carpet for a moment as he struggled to catch his breath again. Slowly, the world seeped back into focus, and he opened his eyes, turning his head towards the couch where Heero waited.
Rip took several deep breaths, and then got to his feet with surprising ease. Reaching down, he collected Duo, lifting him just as easily, and depositing him on the couch beside his lover. Dropping a kiss with a soft chuckle on the top of each of their heads, he dropped bonelessly into a large lounge chair nearby and relaxed like a cat.
Heero slid an arm around Duo, holding him against his side. His eyes were drawn to the heap that was Ripper for a long moment of wonder. "Thanks, Ripper," he said finally.
A soft laugh was his only answer.
Duo pulled his legs up under him, catching up the tip of his braid in his hands as he shifted against Heero until he lay curled on the sofa, his head in the Japanese youth's lap. After a long pause, he closed his eyes, voice drifting softly up to Heero, "So how did you know I'd be coming here"
Heero looked down at Duo. "I didn't until I talked to Rip," he said.
Duo's mouth curved into a small, wry smile. "Do you ever not get your way?" he asked, pitching his voice a little louder.
Ripper snickered softly. "Frequently," he said. The sound of popping joints could be heard as he stretched extravagantly. Then the redhead got up and wandered back to the mini-bar. Flipping up a section of the top revealed a tiny sink. Running water, he rinsed his hands of blood and semen, drying them on a small towel. Titling his head, he considered a moment and then wet the towel and wrung it out, tossing it in the direction of the couch and its occupants.
Heero caught the towel and wiped his chest with it. His skin felt a little sticky from the sake. After he was done, he found the bottle of water and poured some on the towel and began cleaning Duo as well.
Duo started to arch into the pampering contact, until his slowly cooling mind supplied him with an image of what exactly Heero was wiping away. He shuddered slightly, then went very still in Heero's arms as he tried to catch his breath. After a moment, he gave a sharp little laugh, almost on the edge of bitterness without quite crossing over. "So... which am I? Psychopath or sociopath?" he asked with a snort.
The Ripper chuckled as he finished cleaning himself of blood and semen. Holding his hand under the small faucet, then drying it, wrapping a piece of tape from somewhere around the cuts, he decided the question wasn't aimed at him since he qualified for both.
Heero looked down at Duo and shrugged. "Who are you asking?" he replied. He didn't quite feel he had the authority to answer.
"Which do you want to be?" Rip interjected brightly, with another trademark grin.
Duo blinked, turning his head on Heero's leg, staring down at his knife imbedded in the floor, the dark stains against the carpet holding his fascination. "Dunno," he admitted after a long moment of contemplation. "Dunno if I care." Violet eyes traced the abstract patterns of blood, one pale hand raised to eye level to peer at the few splatters remaining there. "Did you always not care, or was it something you grew into?" he finally asked, pitching his voice to carry to Rip. "Or am I totally fucked up and you actually do?"
Rip opened a cabinet and removed a refill for his empty sheath, strolling over to look down at the two entwined on the couch, naked but for the weapons at wrist and ankles. "Care?" he said, as if musing aloud. "If I knew what it meant..." He grinned and winked at Duo. "Not like you do, I'm afraid. They gave us tests you know, when we were children, and they were trying to decide if the experiment was a success or a dismal failure. Lots of tests. Psychological, emotional, social... whatever. It was after that things got unpleasant. My attitude's a side effect, don'tcha know?" His expression was unmarred by bitterness, as if such an emotion was also foreign.
"I suppose you could say Jack cares..." he mused lightly. "Although not about the things people do... He cares not to get hurt needlessly, cares to prevent things or persons from doing him in. Not a risk taker, dear Jack, not like some. I had to sleep with him for years to make sure no one got to him in his vulnerable state."
Duo thought about that for long moments, finally tearing his gaze away from the floor to let it wander over Ripper's body. "Cure for boredom," he murmured, lips twisting into a wry grin. "I could spend the rest of my life trying to get you, never be bored doing it, and still never succeed." The observation was made with no bitterness, no wry humor, just an odd sort of wonderment, eyes pausing at weapons sheaths before finally coming to a rest on the thin red line still barely visible against Ripper's throat. "You really didn't care... did you?"
Rip shrugged. "Care... yes I cared... it was exciting. I loved it," he admitted, licking his lips. "It would have been a fair trade. If not," he shrugged. "Another day, another game. The interesting thing is, *you* didn't care... for... almost a few seconds at least..."
Heero listened to the conversation with interest. His eyes moved from one to the other, but he didn't comment.
"More than a few..." was the nearly inaudible reply. Duo's tongue darted out, moistening lips that had gone dry, the hand he'd been intently studying a few minutes before clenching and flexing absently as if he missed the weight of his blade. His dilated pupils suddenly swam back into focus, zeroing in on Ripper's face. "It would be very easy to slip back into that place," he admitted slowly.
The redhead favored Duo with a smile, and wandered back to the bar, pouring a drink. Closing his eyes, he sang softly, "Your nerves sing at my cold touch, The song of the sting that you feel too much. You part with illusions, you part with lies... When skin parts again, red the tears it cries, So red the tears it cries..."
Heero sighed deeply and then gently moved Duo so that he could stand. Stretching a little, he padded over to the bar and retrieved another bottle of water. "That's nice," he said, downing half the bottle. "So, you're a singer too."
Rip leaned close to Heero, pushing the bottle away for long enough to take a kiss. "I'm told not," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I've never cared about that either."
Heero looked up at the tall redhead, wondering how had he gotten under his personal radar. A part of his brain registered that the kiss was good, but another part wondered why he failed to resist.. even a little. "Hn," he said, aloud.
Hearing the grunt from behind him, Duo couldn't help but chuckle softly, the familiarity of the affectation somehow anchoring the chaotic tumble of his thoughts.
"How do you rationalize it, Heero?" he asked curiously, "The violence and the killing? It was okay here, and then it wasn't, but in Arcadia it was okay again... But once we got back here... not... I can't figure sometimes," he said helplessly. "Sometimes... it just doesn't seem like such a bad thing..." His voice was quiet and small, as if afraid that admitting that might cost him more than his pride, or even his sanity. Afraid that it might cost him the one true thing in his life, but unable to hide from it anymore.
Heero looked up sharply. "I don't," he said simply. "The killing is something I'll have to live with. It's too big for me to determine right and wrong, so I don't. I try to take it one minute at a time. That's all I'm capable of, Duo." he said.
"You're capable of a lot more than that. You just never believe me when I tell you," Duo replied, sitting up, resting his chin on his drawn-up knees.
"Like what?" Heero asked.
"Like performing in a beautiful play," Ripper murmured with a sly look.
Duo turned, an odd little smile curling his lips, the smoldering fire kindling in amethyst pools again as he nodded slowly. "You are a hell of an actor," he said, voice low and husky. "So was it worth the wait, Rip?"
The redhead met Duo's eyes with an expression of feline satisfaction. "Oh yes."
Heero looked down for a moment. He felt both complimented and embarrassed by the attention. A part of him felt a little angry besides. He was a man after all. Looking up at Ripper, he smiled a little. "Salt and pepper," he said, then tossed the empty water bottle into the trash.
Rip chuckled appreciatively. "Believe me, knowing what I do now, one or the other would be so much less."
"And what do you know now?" Duo asked curiously as he rose from the couch, stalking over to join them. Wrapping his arms around Heero's abdomen, Duo leaned over tongue swiping over Ripper's lips for a quick taste before the redhead could answer.
"He means together we make a fairly interesting person. Separate, we'd be interesting for a few minutes at most," Heero said.
Rip snickered but did not say a word.
"Hn," Duo replied, letting his hands slip down Heero's stomach to flutter against his lover's thighs as he bent his head forward to thoughtfully suck against Heero's neck. "God only knows what Wufei would have made of all of this," he murmured quietly against Heero's skin.
Heero chuckled. Then, he laughed, folding his arms across his chest. "Ask him when you get back," he said.
Rip watched the two with an expression that seemed a little too still. The smile seemed to widen without doing so. He poured another drink.
Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So... Which wall do you have him tucked behind?"
Rip looked down at his feet, scuffing one against the carpet idly.
Heero shook his head. "Yeah..." he said. "Right." Moving forward, he reached up and took Ripper's chin in his hand. Leaning up, he kissed the tall redhead. "Nice place you got here," he said.
Looping an arm loosely around Heero, Rip answered, "Thanks so much."
As Heero had moved away, Duo crossed his arms over his chest, head cocked slightly to one side as he examined the redhead. "You aren't qualified to play the innocent, Rip... What did you do?"
TBC
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
ravynfyre@hotmail.com,
sablexo1@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com.