Every finger is touching and searching

Until your secrets come out

In the dance, as it endlessly circles

I linger close to your mouth…

- Riverdance

Seven:

Duo closed the grill with a weary sigh before eyeing his watch to look at the time. It was almost two in the morning and knowing that he would have to get up soon to prepare notes for another day of Heero not showing up for classes, was something he was definitely not looking forward to.

The evening hadn’t turned out to be so bad after all. He had carefully avoided being too close to the young heir, but had kept the conversation going easily enough, so it wouldn’t look as if he was deliberately trying to avoid speaking to him. He had also avoided Wufei’s knowing look because each time he did, it only reminded Duo of just how much of a hypocrite he really was.

During the course of the evening, Merian had told everyone of the upcoming wedding and Relena had been quick to offer her services if the two wished to have the ceremony in the Yuy or Peacecraft mansion. Merian had been quick to jump on the offer, but Wufei had disagreed – that is until they had more time to think about it.

But it was something else that had Duo doing a double take sometime that evening. At one point during the party, Quatre and Trowa had disappeared without a trace. Naturally, Duo had assumed nothing out of the ordinary and had continued his lively conversation with Wufei over a basketball game. However, seeing that they had run out of beer, Duo decided to go back into the house to get more. With a soft song on his lips, he sauntered into the kitchen only to freeze in his steps as he heard the harshly whispered words and the telltale sounds of whimpers and groans emanating from the small space that was his laundry room.

Blinking in bewilderment, he tiptoed closer to find out exactly what was going on, only to regret his actions, for as he peeked through the slightly opened door, he found himself staring at the small blond leaning over the washing machine and his taller lover apparently showing him the way to work it. Duo felt his pants tighten at the sight and wincing at the discomfort, he shuffled towards the nearby guest bathroom to unzip and free his turgid flesh from its restricting confines. With hands that shook lightly, he tried to will away his sinful thoughts. But it seemed as if the more he forced himself to forget, the more vivid the image of both boys screwing each other in his laundry room continued to become even more prominent in his mind. By the time he was through, Duo was spent, embarrassed and dismayed at having masturbated to the imagery of the young men.

No wonder he had been thought of as a pedophile. He couldn’t even think of dating older men any more.

I think I need some help.

Both boys had come out later as if nothing had happened. If it weren’t for the telltale flush of color on the blond’s face, Duo would have sworn that everything he had seen in the house had been just a figment of his imagination. His eyes had met Trowa’s and with a light blush dusting his cheeks, Duo realized that the boy had known he was there. The look they had exchanged said it all and the teacher knew that he would have to keep quiet about what had happened in there. But the question was…did Heero know about this?

Was Heero even into boys at all?

What about that time in the bedroom…and that time in your apartment?! His mind taunted. Duo tried to dismiss them out of his mind. So what if it had looked as if Heero seemed interested. He was a young boy and he was sure that his friends’ activities would have piqued his interest, but that was all. That had to be all. There was no way in hell that Heero would have that sort of a thing for him. Besides, he had Relena.

Unaware of the sad sigh he had given, he began to pick up the mess that had been left behind. Wufei and Merian had been the first to leave despite Duo’s invitation for them to stay the night. Relena had dragged Heero along with her next and Duo had been troubled to find that he hadn’t wanted the heir to leave just yet. And even though Quatre had offered to stay to help with the clean up, Duo insisted he go with Trowa. And so in less than an hour, he was again left alone to his devices.

Compared to the happy laughter and noises of the party, it was now cold and rather lonely. Duo was used to the city – the noise, the nightlife - but none of that was here. It was a relative countryside and the many trees that surrounded the house gave it a lot of shadows that, Duo hated to admit, freaked him out. He continued to pick up the paper cups meticulously when the sound of something being dropped had him jerking his head alert with a frown on his features.

“Who’s there?” he asked sharply, reaching for something…anything, just in case he was about to be attacked.

“It’s only me,” came the soft reply as Heero stepped out of the shadows with a small apologetic bow.

Duo blinked in surprise and dropped his old baseball bat back to the ground as he stared at the boy at the other end of the pool. “Heero? What…what are you doing here?” And why was his heart pounding so fast again? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t been alone together before. So, why did it feel as if the air was suddenly non-existent?

Heero was thankful for the night shadows or he was sure that Duo would have noticed his darkened cheeks. Clearing his throat, he croaked out weakly, “I just came to help you…uh…clean up the place…”

“Oh…ah…well…” Duo eyed the almost cleaned poolside before laughing softly. “Looks like I’ve done most of the work, but you could help me arrange the chairs if you like.”

Nodding quickly, Heero began to do as he was told, making sure he didn’t stare too much at Duo, who was now wrapping up the large garbage bag.

“So, what happened to Relena?” Duo began conversationally.

“I dropped her off…or rather one of the drivers took her home,” came the simple explanation as Heero arranged the final chair and stood indecisively for several seconds. He had had the option of going back to his lonesome, boring room for the night, but his feet had led him back here, not knowing if Duo would even welcome him at all. He had noticed that the teacher barely looked at him all evening besides that one poignant moment that had sent Heero’s innards burning with heat. So, what was he here for? Just to see Duo one more time before going to bed?

“I…I will come to class tomorrow,” he finally blurted out, feeling incredibly foolish for sounding so desperate. But he didn’t want to go just yet…he wanted to talk to Duo and besides, the braided man had said it was okay earlier, right?

Duo smiled warmly and gave a mock salute. “Aye, aye, captain! I look forward to teaching you again.” He tossed the garbage bag into the large bin and rubbed his hands together in a satisfied manner. “Well, that’s about it. Never underestimate the power of paper cups and plates, Heero. Those things are lifesavers.” Suddenly feeling thirsty for reasons unexplained, he began to make his way towards the ice cooler that still contained a few drinks. Out of curtsy, he tossed a flippant ‘Want a beer?’ over his shoulder.

Heero shook his head. “I don’t drink.”

Duo nodded and reached for his half-finished can. “And it’s a good thing too, young man. You shouldn’t be drinking.”

“You shouldn’t be drinking either,” Heero retorted as he moved closer to stand beside the chair that Duo had now made himself comfortable in. Wandering eyes roamed the relaxed figure with a hunger that would have surprised anyone. And as Duo raised the can of beer to his lips, his shirt was lifted a little, exposing rippling muscles on his toned torso that Heero longed to touch. He clenched his hands tightly and shivered lightly. He was still in his swim shorts and noticing that, Duo frowned and got to his feet. “We had better go inside and get you a good shirt or something. I don’t want you getting a cold because of me.”

In no mood to argue, Heero followed the older man into the cozy house that was slowly becoming a haven for him. There was something about this place that made Heero feel safe and…loved. Blushing lightly at the thought as he stood waiting for the other man in the hallway, he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something fall upon him.

“That should be your size,” Duo said with a grin as he stepped out of his bedroom. “Go on…try it on.”

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Heero slipped the plain black t-shirt over his body and kept his gaze pinned firmly to the ground as he felt Duo’s appraising eyes on him. To think that he was actually wearing something that had been on the older man’s skin was enough to send Heero’s pulse racing. For several long minutes nothing was said until Duo finally broke the tense silence with a light cough.

“Uuumm…Heero?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you think you should be going back to your house? Your parents might be home by now…”

Heero winced inwardly. Just as he had feared, Duo really didn’t want him around. And suddenly feeling bratty, he replied with a cold ‘So what?’

Duo blinked at the blunt question in honest surprise. “Heero…they care about you and I should think that if they do not see their son in bed…”

Heero interrupted curtly. “They don’t care. They don’t bother to check up on me. But if you want me to leave, then I will just go…”

Duo did not miss the ache in Heero’s voice and cursing himself inside, knowing that he was bound to regret this in the long or short run, he placed a hand on the boy’s arm to stop his movements.

“Don’t…” He took a deep breath and tried again. “You can stay for as long as you want, Heero.”

Heero shook his head rapidly, his long brown bangs falling over his eyes as he retorted back. “You are just saying that. You don’t want me to…”

“Will you just stop acting like a goddamn know it all and just stay!” Duo snapped in irritation and growing frustration, which in turn sent Heero gasping softly at the vehemence of the words. The braided man ran fingers through his bangs and gave a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you, I’ve just had a…long day, that’s all.”

Heero nodded softly and tried to release his arm from Duo’s grip. “Then all the more reason why I should go back to my house. You don’t need me to…”

“No…it’s okay,” Duo interrupted quietly as his hand tightened around Heero’s arm. “It’s…lonely in here…sometimes. And I guess I can relate to you not wanting to be all alone in your room as well.”

Heero was sure that this was just another one of his dream sequences happening again. There was no way that Duo could be telling him this. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking. Yes! That had to be it. Duo was obviously drunk and he was talking like this to Heero without knowing it.

“Perhaps you should lie down, Duo,” he said with slight concern as he began to lead the unresisting man into his bedroom. Blushing furiously at the sight of the black cotton sheets, Heero pushed the teacher gently back upon the bed, only to suck in a harsh breath as he felt himself tugged gently. He was now sprawled halfway across the older man’s chest and for a gut-wrenching second, Heero was sure he had brushed against Duo’s…groin!!

Don’t pass out. Please don’t pass out…

“Why…why do you look so sad, Heero?” Duo mumbled sleepily as he continued to hold onto the boy. Heero was stumped at the question as he found himself staring into half-lidded amethyst depths, not really knowing what to say. Was it that obvious? Was his unhappiness at the way things were, showing through now? Or was it just Duo that could see through the act?

“I…I don’t know what you are…”

“You have this…sad look in your eyes,” Duo continued as a hand reached up to brush away some of the unruly chocolate locks from the younger man’s face. “Beautiful eyes like that should be filled with laughter and happiness. You shouldn’t have pain and suffering in them at so young an age…” At this point, Duo could barely keep his eyes open, but he felt that he needed to talk to this boy that was causing him to feel so…strange…

Heero was trembling now; the tears that he could barely hold back beginning to slide down his cheeks at the words that seared right through his troubled soul. With a harsh sob, he buried his face against Duo’s chest and wept sadly. With broken words, he mumbled against his shirt. “I-I don’t deserve to be happy. You don’t know what I really am! Everyone will hate me…”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Duo replied around a yawn as he pulled Heero closer to his body, even as his eyes began to drift closed with weariness. “You have friends who love you. Your mom and dad, Quatre and Trowa…and Relena too. So stop whining and go to sleep…”

Heero sniffled and gave a small nod before asking softly - more to himself than anything. “And what about you, Duo? Do you…do you love me too?”

He hadn’t been expecting an answer because he was sure that the older man had finally gone to sleep, but to his immense shock and delighted surprise, the barely audible words were uttered from Duo’s lips.

“Always Heero…I will always love you…”

He was walking down the streets of that dingy old neighborhood that always had the perpetual smell of rotten vegetables and stale cigarettes. He was seventeen again and that lackadaisical expression of nonchalance was still a permanent fixture on his visage. He kicked at an empty beer can with irritation, his eyes narrowed in growing fury as he watched the bastard that was yet to pay him, talking with some other man-whore.

The boy wanted his money back. He had been gullible enough to think that the old bastard would have changed his ways by now, but no, he had had to be stuck with Milly from down the street for the night with no place to sleep. The money was supposed to have been returned with interest, but he had gotten nothing. Well, guess what? It looked like old fart-face was going to get what he deserved. Duo was going to bash his brains in with his fists tonight, even if it killed him.

With a few more steps to his goal, the rage and taste for murder filled his mouth and he licked his lips. A deranged, almost maniacal look came into his usually playful amethyst depths as he cracked his knuckles. He was going to kill someone tonight and no one was going to stop him.

Prepare to say your last prayers, old fart, because I will not spare you.

He stepped over the pile of garbage that had fallen out from a nearby trash can and was about to open up his mouth to call out to the grease-slicked fat ass, when he was suddenly blocked by the figure of a someone he had never met before.

What the…?

“Get the hell out of my way!” He roared in fury, only to suck in a harsh breath as the person lifted a hand to reach for his face. Defenses rising on autopilot, Duo reared back gently, but was shocked into speechlessness as he felt the hand slip to the back of his neck. It was drawing him closer. This person was pulling him closer.

What the fuck? Is he planning to…?

Yes, he was. The lips that sealed his were warm and coaxing, but yet surprisingly naïve and almost afraid. Duo tried to understand why some stranger had decided to walk up to him to do this. He tried to catch a glimpse of the man he had planned to clobber, but to his surprise, the dingy streets he had grown up in had now changed into a beautiful and breathtaking garden that was eerily familiar to the young man.

The kiss…

Oh, god, yes. The kiss was beginning to do things to him. Things he had never thought he would be able to feel again. Whoever this person was, was quite talented at this simple act. Deciding to forget all about old grease ball for now, Duo closed his eyes and allowed himself to be swept away. He parted his lips, a low moan of pleasure escaping from deep within his throat as his hands slid down to hold onto the lithe waist. This person was clearly a boy or a man, for Duo was yet to find a female that could make him feel so queasy and weak like this.

Their tongues clashed and he felt as if he had died and gone to heaven. He pressed himself closer to the young man - his entire body now beginning to ache with a desire that was beyond his comprehension. This had him clutching even tighter to this person. Their bodies fit together perfectly – like molded sculpture. Duo whimpered and sighed into the kiss, never wanting it to stop - never needing it to stop. He wished they could be like this together, forever if need be. With hands that trembled, he allowed his hands to slide up the strong back of his newfound love until they sank within soft, silky locks that his fingers ran through over and over again. He felt the boy moan…or was that him? Not that it mattered now. What mattered was that this was the most incredible kiss he had ever received. And as he slowly opened his eyes to take a look at his amazing partner, he was stunned into silence at the piercing pair of blue eyes that stared right back at him.

Funny, they looked awfully familiar.

He also wasn’t a bit surprised to find himself croaking out weakly. “Hee…Heero?”

“Yes…Duo?” came the soft reply from lips that were swollen with the evidence of their actions.

The teacher swallowed tightly and tried hard to gather his scattered wits about him.

I will not panic. I will not panic. This is all a dream. I will just open up my eyes now and I will be back in my bed in my small home and I will…

So, why then was this dream looking so damn real? Why wasn’t it fading away like all of his other ones? Why was Heero still looking down at him?

“Are…are you really here, Heero?” A dumb question to ask, but regarding all that was happening right now, pure logic was no longer in question.

The young heir, who looked flushed and rather embarrassed, replied softly. “Yes…I…I am.” He made the mistake of moving a little which in turn sent them both gasping at the friction that was created between their lower regions. Duo cursed beneath his breath and desperately sought a way to get around this situation without causing them any more discomfort.

“Could you…could you get off me, please?” he finally asked weakly. He needed to think and fast. There was no doubt in his mind now. His dream, which had involved him kissing some stranger, had actually been happening in real life! He groaned thickly as he felt Heero’s weight shift off him and fall to his side. He knew that the boy was staring at him for he could feel the weight of it send a prickle of fear, confusion and heightened awareness down his spine.

The teacher stared at the ceiling for several long minutes, knowing full well that he would have to figure out some sort of excuse or story for doing something like this. He stole a quick glance at the clock noticing with panic that it was already eight in the morning!

Think! Think of something, goddamnit! Say it was a horrible mistake! Claim that you are delusional! Anything!

But it was the feel of Heero’s tentative fingers against his chest that sent the warning bells ringing even louder in his head and turning sharply, he gaped in surprise at the look in the teenager’s eyes.

Oh, no.

“Heero? Wha…what are you doing?” came the feeble question. Please stop. I am not sure I can…

Heero’s heart was pounding so much faster than he could have possibly imagined. He was sure that Duo could hear it at this rate, and a part of him felt a giddy sense of triumph at the helpless look of need on the teacher’s handsome features.

I have him now. Heero thought as he pushed aside the small knot of doubt that was lodged somewhere in the pits of his stomach. I can do whatever I want. All I need to do is…

“Stop this now.”

Heero’s wild thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as he found himself being shoved away a bit roughly. He fell back onto the bed and stared in bemusement at the heaving back of the older man in growing dismay and embarrassment.

Duo…

“I want you to leave my home now, Heero. We have a class to prepare for, remember?”

Cold. So cold that Heero could actually feel the chill from the words seep into his bones. He swallowed tightly and got to his feet slowly, his mind desperately trying to process what he had done wrong this time. Of course, he should have realized that Duo would not see him as anything but a young boy that needed to be helped. Or probably as some rich, spoiled brat that was sick to boot. How he had managed to make things worse in the space of a day was beyond the young heir’s comprehension.

Fighting back the tears of humiliation that welled up in his eyes, he ran out from the room as fast as his legs could carry him, never giving Duo another glance.

An hour later found the teacher trying his best to put up a smiling face as he made his way down the hallway and towards the study room. He gave absent-minded nods and half-hearted smiles to the maids and servants that greeted him. If left to his devices, he would have done anything in his power to avoid coming to the big house today.

Funny, only last week, he had been so eager to make his presence known and now…

Now, I am trying to deal with my jumbled emotions.

He stopped in front of the door and stared at the solid oak paneling for a good five minutes, wondering why he suddenly felt so afraid of stepping through them. Had he finally pushed Heero completely away? Had it been a good idea to even invite the boy to spend the night with him? Stupid! He should have known that something like that would have happened. Or had he? How was he to know that Heero would not be so averse to such close contact?

How was he to know that the boy would react in such a way to his kiss?

To be honest, Duo hadn’t even known what to think at the revelation. Why hadn’t Heero screamed and called out for help? Why hadn’t the boy threatened to report his actions to his parents? Why in God’s name was he trembling like this?

It’s just a measly kiss, that’s all. He clenched his hands into tight fists, taking deep calming breaths to steady his frazzle nerves. That will be the last time it happens. I will make sure of it.

He placed his hand on the doorknob to open up the door and to face his nemesis, when the loud booming voice of a man he did not want to see at this time rattled his thoughts.

“Good morning, Duo! Fine morning, isn’t it?”

Jumping in surprise and placing a quick and automatic grin on his features, Duo spun around to face his employer. “Mr. Yuy, sir. What a…a pleasant surprise.” He stole a quick glance at the clock and turned back to face the beaming older man. “I thought you would have left for work by now, Mr. Yuy,” he added weakly, already having a sense of foreboding for the impending reply.

“Ah, don’t be silly, Duo,” Odin enthused as he gave a friendly pat on the young man’s shoulder. “What’s the point of me owning a company if I can’t take a break every now and then, hmm?”

Was that why you cheated on your wife? Duo thought with a faint feeling of bitterness.

“Oh…I see…”

“So, that’s why I am coming in to see how far you have progressed with my son,” the businessman interrupted with that same look of pride on his features. “You wouldn’t mind me sitting in on one of your lessons? I promise not to interrupt or interfere.”

No! No, you can’t come! Damn it! This is our very first lesson and I haven’t even gotten around to dealing with seeing Heero after that…

But to his dismay, he found his lips saying out the words before he could control them. “That would be just fine, Mr. Yuy. We would love to have you here.”

“Excellent!”

And before the teacher could say another word, Odin had opened up the door, leaving Duo gaping after him with worry and dismay.

But even he couldn’t ignore the look of shock and surprise that had flitted across the heir’s face as he had watched the two men come into the room. The look was quickly replaced with one of uncertainty and then anger, which was masked with Heero slipping his glasses on and focusing his attention on the books before him again.

Knowing full well that he would have some explaining to do later on, Duo gave a soft sigh of resignation and prepared himself for one of the most difficult lessons he was ever going to teach.