Title: To Fly On Broken Wings - 15/15
Author: tkmaxwell777
Category: Shonen Ai/Yaoi/Het
Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xOMCx5, TxKxT, Jesse+Cara
Rating: R
Warnings: Angst, Lime, Major Sap
Archived: Yep! Thanks Lev :)
Disclaimer: I only own my OC's and the storyline... all other characters belong to the original creators of Gundam Wing... which I am not, in case someone didn't catch that ^_~ The song 'If' belongs to Bread.
Todd awoke to the most amazing feeling - being in someone's arms. He couldn't help but smile as he remembered exactly whose arms he was lying in and what had happened the night before to result in this pleasant circumstance. Todd felt his companion running his fingers through his long blonde hair lazily, and thought that if he had been a cat, he would have been purring from the other boy's ministrations.
"Good morning, my Ice Prince," came an amused voice.
Todd pulled away so he could look at Wufei. "Morning, my Dragon."
Wufei smirked. "I take it that you slept well?"
Todd groaned in protest, snuggling back into Wufei's embrace despite his sounds of distress. "What little sleep I managed to steal in-between you molesting me."
Wufei's laughter was rich and warm, wrapping around Todd like a soft blanket. "I do believe you did a fair share of molesting on your own, Morgan." Wufei loved the way they could banter words. He knew he was going to enjoy spending time with the other boy.
"True, Chang, true. Still, I think your youthful stamina got the best of me. I'm so tired this morning, I don't want to move."
Wufei snickered. "You'd better get in touch with Cara. She's going to think I've tied you up and won't let you come home."
Todd yawned, moving to lie on his back, his head sinking into the fluffy pillow as he gave Wufei a knowing look. "Chinese rope torture? Why, Fei, I didn't know you were into that kind of thing." The gleam in Wufei's eyes told him he was in trouble; of course, that kind of trouble could be entertaining.
"Not rope, but scarves are definitely a possibility. Tell me, have you ever been stroked with just silk until you came?" Wufei's sounded husky from just waking up, making him more seductive in tone.
Todd felt himself growing hard just from the thought of it and the sound of his lover's voice. "No, but I have a feeling I'm going to find out what it's like sooner than later, if you have your say about it."
In an instant, Wufei had rolled over on top of him, pinning Todd's arms above his head. "I think I like the fact that you are so accepting of your fate."
Todd thrust himself up against the other boy. "Who wouldn't be? Look at you... you're incredible."
"Then how about you let me molest you one more time before you go?"
Todd didn't get a chance to reply before Wufei lowered his head to take his lips in a slow and passionate kiss. Their tongues met and intertwined as they rubbed their naked bodies against each other.
It didn't take long for Todd to realize that he indeed did have a Dragon... and he found himself eager to be consumed in his lover's fire all over again. Interesting to discover was that Heero and Duo were so right.
Dragons did have wings after all.
Heero watched the still sleeping form of his lover as the sunlight crept through the drawn shades to fall on Duo's hair. His hands couldn't resist the temptation to begin stroking those beautiful long strands. Their softness seemed to remind him of how fragile Duo was on the inside. The brash former Deathscythe pilot tried to come across as so flippant, but anyone who got to know him soon found out what a giving heart the violet-eyed boy had; it was what made Heero love him even more.
Their escapades from the night before made Heero smile, but there was something bothering him about how Duo responded to him whenever they were just snuggling after their lovemaking. It was like Duo tried to keep them from being too emotional. Heero couldn't quite put his finger on the problem, but he didn't like the pattern that was developing. There had been moments over the past week or so when they had spoken soft words of love to each other, but it seemed like Duo was becoming uncomfortable whenever Heero tried to express his feelings openly.
Heero traced the boy's lips with his finger, remembering what it was like to kiss them. He would never get tired of that. Duo's kisses were addictive, and Heero feared he would never be rid of his need of them. The longhaired boy had been right when he had said that he was what Heero needed. The only thing Heero knew to do was be what Duo needed in return. He smiled softly again at that thought, knowing that it would be a challenge, but already looking forward to meeting it. His finger continued to run over Duo's mouth until the tip of a tongue peeked out to lick Heero's finger. Heero gasped before looking up to find violet eyes smiling at him.
"And what is so interesting about my mouth this morning?"
Heero smiled sheepishly then leaned down and kissed Duo lightly on the lips he had been caressing. "The fact that I can do that as much as I want to without worrying about ever having to stop," Heero replied softly as he gazed down at his lover.
Duo's breath caught, and Heero could see a glimpse of something in his eyes before it was hidden away. Duo then grinned. "Did I ever tell you that sometimes you sound just like a poet?"
Heero frowned. This was exactly what he had been worrying about. He decided that the best course of action was to be direct. "Why is it that you can never take a compliment or allow me to say things like that to you without making a joke out of it? You're doing it more and more, Duo, and it makes me feel like you're not taking me seriously."
Duo's grin faded as he quickly looked away. Heero could feel him tense as he responded with, "Why can't you just write it down or something? I don't want you to be that focused on me... like that."
Heero reached out and turned Duo's face back to look at him. "I enjoy the teasing and joking around just as much as you do, but sometimes I just want to tell you how I feel about you." He could see the fear in Duo's eyes and began stroking his cheek. "You don't have to hide from me, remember?"
Duo was trembling. He trusted Heero, but it was just so hard to open up sometimes still. "I've never had this before, Heero. I just... I don't know how..." he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and continued, "I can't just stop protecting myself, okay? I mean, it's gonna take time for me to get... comfortable... with letting you say things like that to me... without my defense of humor trying to keep my heart safe, yanno? It's not that I don't want to hear it, I just... I'm not used to hearing you say stuff like that yet, and I guess I'm still afraid to get used to it."
"I told you forever, Duo, and I meant it. I'm not going anywhere, at least not without you, and you don't have to be afraid to let yourself express the depth of your emotions for me either." Heero's eyes searched Duo's. "I want you to accept my love, Duo, without hesitation."
Duo nodded. "I know. I do, but it's just that... well, it's different when you write it down, Heero. I can read it, think about it, and then be able to come up with a response to show you how it made me feel." He looked at Heero, wanting to explain it completely. "But when you say things like that to me on the spur of the moment, I don't know what to say back. I feel like I need to say something, so my sense of humor takes over before I can stop it."
Heero smiled in understanding. "In other words, I blow your mind?"
Duo grinned. "Yeah. You do." He kissed Heero's nose. "But you know that I love you more than anything, right?"
Heero looked into sincere violet depths and felt his fears fade away. "Yes. And you know that I would face a thousand deaths and live a thousand lifetimes just to see the love in your eyes I do now, don't you?"
Duo ran his fingers through his lover's chocolate brown hair and spoke softly. "I do. And I would too." It wasn't eloquent, but it was honest. Duo raised himself up to capture his poet lover's lips again, letting the simplicity of the moment envelope him.
As the sunlight danced through the window, they made love slowly. When they lay sated in each other's arms, Heero spoke words of affection to his longhaired lover, who blushed and kissed him repeatedly.
It was a good morning indeed.
Todd opened the door and walked into his living room. His eyes met with a sight he would have been furious to see only the day before. Jesse was stretched out on the couch with Cara lying on a pillow across his lap. Todd took a moment to dwell on the fact that Jesse had waited with Cara, knowing he would have to face Todd, yet unwilling to leave her alone. That within itself told Todd how much the younger boy cared for his sister; it was time to deal with this.
Todd reached out and shook Jesse lightly. Dark blue eyes fluttered then opened, hazy from sleep at first, then clearing when the boy realized who he was looking at.
"In the kitchen," Todd whispered, giving Jesse a pointed look that said 'just you and me'. Jesse nodded in understanding, moving to transfer the girl's head on the pillow off of his legs and onto the couch. With that accomplished, Jesse followed Cara's brother into the other room, a sense of dread filling him. He knew he had to talk with Todd, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. At least the blonde hadn't thrown him out... yet.
Todd closed the shuttered door behind them to give them some privacy. He had no other choice but to do this. "Do you really love my sister?"
Jesse had been expected a lot of things to come out of Todd's mouth, but that certainly wasn't one of them. "Yes, more than anything," he replied before he could even think about what he was saying.
Todd studied him. "Why?"
Jesse blinked. "Why?"
Todd crossed his arms. "Yes, why? Why do you love her?"
Jesse didn't know exactly what to say, but words began tumbling from his mouth anyway. "She's the only person that never asks me to be something I'm not. She brightens my day with just her smile, calms my fears with just the sound of her voice, and makes me feel like my life is worth living by just looking at me. She understands me better than I do myself, and I would be completely lost without her."
Todd looked into the sincere eyes of the boy he had once thought of as a little brother in many ways. Who had been there to comfort him? Jesse didn't have any brothers or sisters. Why hadn't Todd noticed how alone Jesse had been? No wonder the other boy had needed Cara to get through his loss. Why hadn't he realized that Jesse had needed him as well? Todd had been so focused on his own grief that he had failed to see that Jesse was hurting just as much. Todd reached out and laid his hand on Jesse's shoulder, feeling a sense of guilt when the other boy flinched at his touch. When Jesse saw that he wasn't going to hurt him, he relaxed some; it made Todd ashamed of how he had acted before.
"I don't think I ever told you that I'm sorry about your parents," Todd admitted, only to see shock register on Jesse's face. He knew he was doing the right thing then. "You lost just as much as we did, yet you were there for Cara in a way that I couldn't be, no matter how much I tried. I didn't understand that she needed you, and I lashed out at you because I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Jesse asked softly. This was the first time in over a year that Todd had spoken to him without sounding angry. What had Wufei said to the blonde last night?
"Afraid of losing Cara," Todd replied evenly. "You see, I needed to take care of Cara in order to hide from my own pain, but when she turned to you, that left me having to face myself. It made me angry and bitter because all I saw was loneliness and hurt inside, and I blamed you for making me live with it. I blamed you for taking away the person I needed to focus on in order to forget." Todd let that sink in before continuing, "What I should have understood was that you needed someone as much as I did, and I should have been there for both of you. I'm sorry that I wasn't, Jess. I'm sorry that I blamed you for something that wasn't your fault. I'm sorry that I acted like such an idiot. I'm really sorry." Without another word, he pulled the young man into a fierce embrace, allowing the anger and bitterness to seep out of him as he held the other boy in his arms; it felt so good to finally be free of it.
Jesse didn't know what to think. He stood there for a few moments, letting the other boy's words filter through to his heart; suddenly, he felt the dam he had built around his own grief crumble. The pain from months ago tightened in his chest, and for the first time, he didn't feel like he had to be strong and bear it alone. He felt the tears escaping from his eyes, and then he was nothing more than a lost boy needing to be held. As he began to sob, his arms tightened around the man he had looked up to, the man who had ignored him when he had needed him the most, the man who was finally willing to give him what he had longed for ever since his loss - someone to comfort the little boy inside who had lost his family.
"I didn't even get to tell them goodbye. I wasn't home when they left that night. I just want one more chance to tell them that I love them, but I'll never get it. I'll never get to hear my mother singing in the kitchen anymore, or my father laughing with his friends. I'll never get to taste her homemade beef stew or listen to his stories about growing up on the farm. They're gone, Todd. They're gone, and I can't get them back. Why? Why did it happen? Why?"
Todd felt Jesse give into the hurt he had been carrying. He felt his own heart breaking from their shared pain, but he held Jesse secure, giving him the acceptance that the other boy needed so much. He could feel his own tears sliding down his cheeks, and he realized that this was what he had needed to do. The three of them would find a way to be there for each other, and Todd regretted all those months of anguish that they had endured when they could have been healing.
"I don't know why, Jess," Todd whispered, his own grief filling his voice. "I don't understand why it happened, but I know that your parents loved you, and they wouldn't want you to grieve for them forever. They'd want you to get on with your life, to remember them as the good people they were, and to try to be the best person you can be." He pulled away slightly to look into Jesse' teary eyes "I know they would be so proud of you if they could see you now. I know they would be, because I am."
Jesse sniffed. "You are?" He had never heard those words spoken to him before. His father had been a caring man, but not very demonstrative or verbal with praise to his child.
Todd nodded as a warm smile lit up his face. "Yes, I am."
Jesse couldn't believe the changes in the blonde that had taken place literally overnight. "What the hell did Wufei say to you last night?" He then wanted to laugh; Todd actually blushed! That only made him more curious about what had happened between the two men.
"Let's just say that he made me face the truth... and let me know I wasn't as alone as I felt."
Jesse smiled through his tears. "Then I really owe him." He tightened his arms around Todd in a hug. "And Todd, you were never alone. Cara loves you more than you realize... and well... so do I."
They released each other, and Todd reached out to ruffle the other boy's black hair. "Love you too, Jess, but that doesn't mean that you and my sister are going to be given full reign." Todd turned toward the paneled door. "You can come on in, Cara, since I know that you've been listening the whole time."
Jesse turned in surprise to see Cara open the door and sheepishly walk in. "Morning," she said as stopped to stand beside him, her face tinged pink in embarrassment for being caught.
Despite his sister's demeanor, Todd could see the joy shining in her eyes... and the longing too. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Forgive me?" he whispered into her soft hair.
Cara returned the embrace, her heart full. "Nothing to forgive. Forgotten, bro." When they pulled away, they both smiled before Todd motioned for all of them to sit at the table.
Todd gave them both a level look. "Jesse, you're legally an adult. Cara, you're still in high school. This presents a problem that we are going to try to remedy." Todd watched as both teens looked at each other hesitantly, before he continued. "I know what it's like to be in love." His mind went back to the ebony-haired boy he'd left in bed just that morning, and he couldn't help but smile. "I know that you two have been friends for quite a while now, and the only aspects that haven't been explored between you are the romantic and sexual ones." Todd paused again, noting how they both blushed. "I'm not going to try to keep you two apart, but there are going to be some guidelines as to what you are allowed to do." He waited for them to protest, but was pleasantly surprised when they both waited for him to explain. He looked at Jesse. "No oral sex until she's seventeen and no penetration until she's eighteen AND out of school. Those two conditions are non-negotiable. I'm going to trust you both to be adults here and abide by this. If I find out that you go beyond those limitations, then you won't be allowed to see each other without being chaperoned until she graduates. Is that clear?"
Jesse was stunned. He'd never expected Todd to allow him to kiss Cara, let alone... well, touch her... like that. He looked over at Cara to see her staring at her brother in shock.
"You mean you're going to allow us to be... involved?" Cara asked incredulously.
Todd smiled at them. He definitely needed to thank Wufei for his advice that morning. His Dragon was wise beyond his years, and Todd was beginning to appreciate his lover's insight already. "Yes. Kissing, touching, even manual stimulation if it will offer you release without you risking becoming pregnant. You'll be seventeen in a few months, so you won't have to wait too long for the next step in your physical explorations." Todd reached out and took Cara's hand. "I want you to take this slowly. If you can wait to have intercourse for the next year-and-a-half, then I'll know that you two are serious about each other. This is all about trust, and I hope that you both won't let me down."
"You don't have to worry about that, Todd," Jesse assured him, his dark blue eyes serious. "Heero and Duo told us the same thing. You're not the only one who wants us to be responsible. Besides that, Cara and I both know that we are not ready for a family yet, not by a long shot, and even though we could have sex using protection, well, the risk is still there, and I think we can both be happy being together without taking that unnecessary risk."
Todd nodded. "Good. I'm glad you both understand that. There are consequences for every action we take in life. I hope that you will both remember that in moments of temptation. I know it's now easy, but sometimes being an adult means you have to do what's hard in order to do what's right."
"It's more than I even dared to hope for," Cara replied softly, her hand squeezing Todd's in thanks. "I think you are being more than fair to us. We won't take your faith in us for granted." Jesse nodded.
"Then I think a celebration is in order," Todd announced happily, jumping to his feet to walk over to the pantry. "How does pancakes and sausage sound?"
Jesse looked at Cara and grinned. Things were finally working out. "Sounds good to me."
Cara placed her hand on Jesse's cheek as she leaned in and kissed him lightly. "Me too."
Todd caught the moment out of the corner of his eye and smiled. He felt a sense of completeness fill him as the two sat in the kitchen while he cooked. The sausage was done soon, and he was getting ready to begin the pancakes, when he noticed both of the room's younger occupants looking at him thoughtfully.
"What?"
Cara smiled, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "So, what did you and Wufei do all night?"
Todd nearly dropped the bowl of batter. "Um... well... we talked... and stuff."
Jesse grinned, knew what Cara was thinking, and decided that she had to be right. "Talked, hmm? What other 'stuff' did you do together?"
Todd knew he was turning bright red. Being interrogated by your sister and her boyfriend was not a pleasant thing. "Look, Wufei and I... well, we are... what I mean is that... ah, hell, we slept together, okay? There! You satisfied?"
Cara gave him a positively smug look. "Told you that you just needed to get laid."
"Cara Marie!"
Laughter echoed through the kitchen as a brother, a sister, and a boyfriend began a new life... together.
Duo watched as his friends congregated in the living room. It was a farewell party for Quatre and Trowa who would be leaving to return to L4 the following day. It didn't seem possible that they had been there for a week already, but it had passed by so quickly, and it was time to say goodbye until the next visit. Wufei had decided to stay for at least another week, and from the way he and Todd were looking at each other, Duo didn't doubt that his black-haired friend would be transferring to Japan for good to be near his new love interest. Toby was sitting on the arm of the couch, teasing Kyle from the way the other boy was blushing. Jesse and Cara were kissing quietly in corner of the room, their love for each other shining brightly. Duo felt something warm inside, something he hadn't felt in a long time - he was content.
"They look good together, don't they," Heero asked as he slid his arms around Duo's waist from behind.
Duo settled back into the embrace. "Who? Toby and Kyle, Jesse and Cara, or Wufei and Todd?"
Heero laughed. "All of them."
Duo closed his eyes, the feeling of Heero's arms making the moment perfect. Their week together had been wonderful. Duo was beginning to enjoy Heero saying passionately sweet things to him... he kissed Heero every time, which was turning out to be the best way to express his feelings to his lover. Of course, his paintings weren't bad either. Some tasteful nudes graced his canvases at the moment. Dey and Rayne's love scenes had become hotter too. Duo was happy.
"It's like everything fell into place when you arrived, Heero. We were all just waiting for you to begin the chain reaction that has set all of our love lives into motion."
"Hmm. That's a pretty daunting concept. What if I hadn't?"
Duo turned around and looked at him. "I don't want to even think about that possibility." He kissed Heero softly. "I'm just glad that you did."
Heero smiled. "Me too." He kissed Duo back soundly, loving the way he melted against him.
"Okay, everyone," Quatre's voice called out, breaking through Heero and Duo's passion-clouded minds. They broke their kiss and looked at the blonde. Jesse and Cara came up for air as well. Todd and Wufei stopped the debate they had been having about the Ming Dynasty. Kyle swatted Toby's hand away from his thigh and refocused his attention. Quatre smiled at them all in amusement. "I wanted to thank you for making us feel so welcomed this week. We intend on visiting as often as possible until you get positively sick of us."
"Not gonna happen, Q!" Duo yelled out, causing everyone to laugh.
"Yeah, you'll be lucky if we don't come after you and drag you back in a couple days!" Kyle added quickly.
Quatre shook his head at them, smiling brightly. "After talking with Trowa, we've decided that we want to sponsor someone to go to college here." Quatre turned to look at Toby who was still teasing Kyle on the couch. "Toby, we want that someone to be you."
Toby looked at him, stunned. "Me? But... but you don't even know me. Why... would you do that?"
Trowa smiled. "Because we think that you are talented, and we want you to have the chance to discover your potential. Since you are majoring in architecture, Quatre will be able to help you find a decent position in a good firm when you graduate. It's something we both want to do. I hope you'll let us."
Toby didn't know what to say. "I... thank you... I..." Tears filled his brown eyes as he tried to process what was being offered to him.
"You guys have no idea what this means to him," Kyle said as he stood up to wrap an arm around his flustered mate. "To both of us."
Quatre beamed. "I'm just glad that we can do it." He suddenly found himself being smothered by an enthusiastic redhead, the shock having worn off rather quickly. Trowa watched in amusement, but not for long, as he was the next target of said redhead, who hugged him just as excitedly.
"You guys! This is so... Thank you so much! You won't regret it, I promise!"
"I know we won't," Quatre said, his aqua eyes meeting brown in a wordless bond of friendship and understanding. "Just remember that you're worth it, Toby." Toby hugged him again.
"Well, I do believe this calls for Champaign," Heero announced calmly.
"Yeah, let's make this a party the building will never forget!" Cara added happily as she looked at Jesse.
"Yeah, if they call the cops, all we have to do is say that this is a Preventer matter," Todd interjected blithely, his light blue eyes laughing at the indignant expression on his lover's face.
As Heero went to fetch the glasses, Duo looked around again at his friends... his family. Yes, he was content. He looked over at Todd and smiled as he realized that Fei was no longer alone. That thought led to another one, and the smile turned positively impish. "Hey Morgan, has anyone ever told you that you'd look good in a doujinshi?"
Heero paused to admire his longhaired lover who was already reclining in bed. Walking over to the stereo, he could feel violet eyes watching him as he selected the song he wanted. The soft melody began playing, and Heero walked over to the bed. His eyes caught and held Duo's as the song spoke for him.
//If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you? The words would never show, the you I've come to know//
Duo looked up into blue. The depth of emotion he was feeling was almost overwhelming as his eyes met those of the one who owned his heart. The words of the song were so true. They had discovered so much about each other that no one else would ever know. He couldn't wait to find out more.
//If a face could launch a thousand ships, then where am I to go? There's no one home, but you. You're all that's left me to//
Heero slid into bed, the warmth of his lover already making him burn with desire. Before Duo could say anything, Heero rolled over on top of him, his hard body pressing Duo down into the soft mattress. Blue eyes shining with love gazed down into soft violet. Neither one could speak.
//And when my love for life is running dry, you come and pour yourself on me//
Lips met in silent agreement, their mouths merging together in the symbolic union of their souls. Arms wound around each other, legs intertwined to bring their bodies closer, and tongues claimed that which was rightfully theirs. Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in each other.
//If a man could be two places at one time, I'd be with you. Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way//
"What do you want, lover?" Duo asked softly as he thrust his body up against Heero to let the other boy know exactly what he wanted. He would never get enough of Heero against him, of giving himself to Heero, of making love to Heero; nothing could ever compare to this incredible feeling they shared.
//If the world should stop revolving, spinning slowly down to die. I'd spend the end with you, and when the world was through//
Heero smiled, loving the way Duo's hair had fanned out around his head, the silkiness surrounding them. He would never cease to be amazed by Duo's masculine beauty. He let his hands caress the shorter strands around Duo's face as he almost whispered, "I want to fly."
//Then one by one the stars would all go out//
Duo's breath caught as Heero lowered his head and claimed his awaiting lips. As their kiss deepened, both of them could feel their eager appendages unfurling for flight once more. They made love slowly, savoring every sound, every movement, and every emotion. Rising with the tsunami of their desire, they clung to each other as they both climaxed, shouting names and words of devotion as they trembled with unbelievable pleasure... elated, impassioned, and free.
//Then you and I would simply fly away//
Love had taught them that no one's wings were ever too broken to be mended.
The End
(:./tk/fly15)
