Wolf Moon Part 18
Duo's forefinger traced over the curve of Heero's high cheekbone then slipped lightly down his jaw until it hooked the chain and lifted the silver cross to eye level.
"I swear not only on this holy symbol but also on my life that your mind, your heart and your soul will always be safe with me." he pledged then sealed the promise with a kiss.
The kiss wasn't rough or demanding, more a chaste brushing of lips but Heero tensed at the unexpected contact. Duo rubbed his thumb in small circles on Heero's palm then leaned back to gaze into the Tracker's twin pools of cobalt blue staring back in surprise.
"Ya want to kiss me?"
The question purred through Duo's throat in a coaxing honey tone. The feathery traces of his thumb left tingling tracks on Heero's skin.
The Lone Hunter was often a man of few words but to find him totally speechless was rare indeed. Duo halted his thumb's distraction but didn't lessen the cunning captivation of his violet eyes.
"I'd like it very much if you'd kiss me." Duo stated sincerely.
Heero swallowed. His lips poised to reply but the answered stuck in his gullet. He swallowed again and was a bit more successful in mastering his voice, yet, "Yes." was all he could manage to whisper.
Duo cocked his head to align his and Heero's lips and make certain their noses didn't bump. "Are you sure?"
Where Heero's skills at verbal communication might be lacking, he had no problem with physical responses. He lived by a simple rule...actions always spoke louder than words.
Now it was the Irishman's turn to be stunned by an unpredicted move. The Tracker braced his left hand on the ground; his right hand reached around Duo's back and snagged his braid.
As Heero's opened mouth covered Duo's lips, a whimper replaced the syrupy sighs that had previously oozed from Duo's throat. This time it was Duo's eyes that enlarged to twice their size. And this time the kiss was hungry with need.
Duo slipped his arms over Heero's shoulders, pressed his body against a smooth, naked chest that was radiating enough heat to be keenly felt through his thin cotton tunic.
The kiss deepened. Tongues slithered, teased in a game of tag and retreat.
Duo held on like a drowning man clinging to driftwood. His fingernails dented Heero's bare back then left reddish trails as his hands slid down to grab up fistfuls of Heero's waistband.
The Duel Spirit and the Demon Tracker rocked and grappled, pawed and panted. If their mouths hadn't been so exquisitely engaged they could have produced more audible sounds than grunts and groans.
Duo wanted more and his manhood was in complete agreement. He guided his leg between Heero's legs then applied just enough insisted pressure to the Tracker's groin to convey his wishes.
Heero tightened his grip on the braid, clamped down on Duo's entrapped thigh, relaxed his left arm and sent he and the enamored Irishman sprawling under the apple tree. Hands roamed, hot breaths mingled. Bodies rubbed together and friction enkindled sparks that ignited an all-consuming firestorm of passion.
For lack of air, Heero broke the kiss. His face was flushed, sweat drenched his bangs and golden droplets glistened on his heaving chest. His manhood throbbed against Duo's thigh.
Likewise Duo sucked in short trembling breaths and likewise his penis also pulsed within his trousers' cramped confines.
As Duo endeavored to catch his breath, he wheezed, "Heero...we..."
In spite of the incomplete sentence Heero understood. "Our first time shouldn't be..."
"Like this." Duo supplied the ending.
While there was no denying there was a strong sexual attraction, lust was forbidden to be the driving force. Although their engorged erections begged for release, impatient genitals would not dictate their copulation.
With their first kiss, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell had suddenly discovered a bond beyond their dream empathy, a union not forged by fleshy desires but borne from mutual concern for each other's well being. A brand of love that was not selfish or demanding but willing to wait.
Heero rolled on his back, closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything but his painfully swollen manhood. Duo curled on his side and pressed his forehead against Heero's damp shoulder. He'd hoped the fetal form would help ease his discomfort but he, too, was granted only a small measure of relief.
Heero sighed, slowly opened his eyes then, without warning, a chuckle quivered through his chest. As the usually stoic Tracker broke into a full-blown fit of laugher, Duo propped up on one elbow and made a halfhearted attempt to stifle his own attack of giggles.
To anyone other than Duo, Heero might have appeared to be in the hysterical throes of madness and in some sense he was. The barriers around his heart had shattered the moment his and Duo's lips touched. The control he was so desperate to maintain had been compromised, perhaps beyond reclaiming but he didn't give a damn.
When the laugher subsided enough to speak, Heero announced. "I've been such a fool."
"A fool?"
Heero sat up, tucked hair that had frayed from his ponytail behind his ears and offered an explanation. "For so long I allowed fear to rule my life. I withdrew from the world and filled the solitary void with hatred of anything that took perverse pleasure in tormenting mankind."
Duo leaned closer as if to share a secret. "You might be able to hide from the world but not from yourself."
Heero lowered his eyes, not to look at the ground but inwardly at himself. After a few moments he centered his sight on Duo. "Thank you." he whispered as he took Duo's hand.
"For what?"
"For making me feel secure enough to give up my control. At least with you." he added to establish the limited degree of his trust.
Duo kissed Heero's hand. "I only provided the opportunity. You followed your heart and made the decision."
"Still...."
"Shhhh. From this moment on we stand together with no more doubts or fears and I pity any human or demon that dares to challenge our resolve."
An apple blossom scented breeze fluttered the leaves like fairy wings. The sun, that had reached its midday zenith, filtered through the branches and painted mosaic patterns over the spring green grass.
Duo gazed overhead through the dancing white flowers and squinted in the bright streaks of light. "The sun and my stomach say it's time to eat. Let's gather up the longbow, arrows and target and see what we can find for lunch."
*********
An ebony wolf slunk with stealthy steps along the garden's east border. A brown wolf sauntered by his side. A third wolf with a dappled coat of brown and tan paused to stiff the air then loped to catch up with his feral counterparts.
*Humans.* the dapple coat stated telepathically. *Not the two of Twilight.*
The black wolf's nose also tested the air. *Friends.* he responded in the same mental manner.
At the orchard's border, Heero stopped to study three shadowy shapes weaving through the garden. Contrary to the pink and white peonies, glimpses of earthier shades briefly showed through the leafy stems. Next the puzzling colors intermingled with the red poppies swaying in the breeze then vanished as if they were never there at all.
The canine trio's natural camouflage blending with the landscape made it difficult for the Tracker to confirm actual movement or whether it was merely a mirage of light and shadows tricking his eyes.
"Do you see?" he asked for Duo's visual verification.
Duo followed Heero's line of sight to the garden but had no idea what he was supposed to be seeing. "What?"
Heero decided to come down on the side of caution. "Hand me the longbow and an arrow." he instructed.
The lack of additional information proved frustrating to Duo."I've heard that being horny can make ya daft." he suggested as a possible reason for his partner's odd behavior, "So should we find some privacy and jerk ya off?"
"No!" Heero snapped at the Irishman's quite sincere offer of assistance, "Just hand me the damned bow."
An arrow was notched and the string pulled back until Heero's knuckles touched his chin. Sighting down the shaft, he mentally calculated where the phantom forms might emerge from the concealing foliage.
Duo stood by Heero's shoulder and, although he still didn't understand what he was looking for, he also sighted in a possible target.
The last row of peonies and poppies shuddered then parted with a rustle of shiny leaves.
A long snout poked out and sniffed at an array of scents. Large black eyes surveyed the immediate area. Long ears perked up and listened for the slightest sounds. Gradually a sleek, lean body glided into the garden.
"Wolf." Heero whispered.
"Are you sure?" his inner voice questioned.
The bowstring quivered. Heero's fingers loosened their grip in preparation to shoot. "I know what I see."
Duo tilted his head and focused his enhanced falcon sight on the four-legged trespassers. The brown and dapple-coated wolves were unknown but a tattletale blue aura clearly identified the natural form of Chang Wufei.
Without warning, as the arrow let go, Duo chopped down across the shaft and redirected the shot into the ground.
Heero whirled around, "What in the hell?" he demanded an explanation.
"Wufei." was all Duo could managed to say as he sucked in a quivering breath.
At the garden's edge, Wufei was unaware of how close he'd come to being unintentionally skewered. Flanked by his comrades, he became encased in sparkling blue pinpoints of light that flowed into wavy outlines then took on a solid human form. The same transformation altered the other wolves into a male and a female.
Now upright and bipedal the veiled trio started towards the house.
Heero stood frozen in stunned silence. The longbow dropped from lax fingers. A hard shuddered clawed up his spine and his knees became rubbery causing him to sway.
Duo caught his arm and shored up his support. "Easy now."
Heero stammered in shock."I almost made...a terrible...mistake."
"You had no way of knowing." Duo stated the truth, "Only with my keen vision was I able to distinguish the man within the beast."
Heero leaned heavily on the discerning Irishman. "From now on must I second-guess my instincts?"
Duo locked his sight on Heero."Look beyond the physical shell into the soul that's where a being's true nature dwells."
*********
The Lone Hunter's impassive mask was firmly fixed in place when he and Duo found Quatre, Wufei and his clansmen visiting on the porch.
Wufei rose from where he sat on the steps and bowed to his fellow warriors. "May I introduce my cousin Chang Lee and his mate Maya."
"Lee and Maya have graciously agreed to watch over Twilight while we journey to Deep World." Quatre stated happily.
Trowa appeared at the door and beckoned to his friends and guests."Lunch is ready. Let's enjoy the food and each other's company."
As everyone filed inside, Heero paused beside Duo and leaned close to whisper. "Do you think it's a good idea to let the wolves guard the sheep?"
Duo grinned. "As long as the kitchen's well stocked."
TBC...
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