Author's Note: Here's a mini sequel to that Afterwards Halloween drabble I wrote. Don't ask me what I was thinking- I guess I thought all that happy stuff needed to be balanced out or something...
Afterwards 2 Part 2
It was nearly Christmas time when Duo went to visit his father and his family for a week. I stayed at home for several reasons, though I had told Duo that I had a deadline looming on a game- which was true. I also told him that I thought he might want some time with his father- again, also true. Duo had accepted my reasons, given me a fantastic goodbye, and left on a Sunday evening.
I hadn't told Duo that the other reason- the main reason- was that I had stayed at home because of how his father dealt with me.
That first night his father had visited us I hadn't noticed anything. Victor had been too excited to see his son. He had spent the weekend here and then gone home, promising to keep in touch.
It was after that I started noticing how uncomfortable he seemed when I answered the phone, the way he avoided discussing certain things with Duo... it seemed silly of me, but I just had a feeling that he wasn't happy with his son's choice of spouses. When he'd issued the invitation to Duo, I'm sure I didn't imagine the pause before he'd included me... and his relief when I had declined...
Duo didn't seem to notice, and I wasn't going to mention it to him. Alone as he had been, to discover that he had parents was a source of great joy, and not one that I would ever try to mar with my suspicions.
Besides, Duo loved me. We were married. Nothing was going to change that, even if his father didn't approve of me.
Or so I hoped.
Duo was supposed to be gone for an entire week- a Sunday to Sunday trip, so I was very surprised when on Thursday as I was sending in my daily logs, to hear a car pull up in our driveway.
Val lifted her head from the sofa as I got up from my chair. "Who do you suppose it is, girl?" I asked her. Val had no answer for me, but talking to her was better than talking to myself.
Before I even got to the door, I heard the car drive away and the click of a key in the lock.
I got to the door just as Duo flung it open. What was he doing home? I caught a glimpse of a yellow cab going up the street- why hadn't he called and asked me to pick him up at the airport? Duo closed the door and dropped his bag.
"Duo? Why are you..." I started, but the rest of my sentence was lost when Duo threw his arms around my neck and kissed me warmly.
I kissed him back- I had missed him badly, even though I wondered what was going on.
Duo didn't give me a chance to answer. He kept my mouth busy as he pushed me back towards the bed, his fingers tugging off my clothes.
"I missed you," he said when the back of my legs hit the mattress and he separated from me long enough to pull his t-shirt off over his head.
"I missed you too," was all I managed to get out before he pushed me down on the bed and claimed my mouth again.
Then I couldn't think for a bit, because his hands were everywhere, demanding and caressing. He lifted my hips, and I found myself wondering for a mad moment if he had come home just to make love to me.
But there was something about him... something was wrong... but he didn't give me a chance to stop him, and somehow I knew that pushing him away and demanding an explanation was not going to work...
My body didn't want to push him away, it wanted to press against him, pull him deeper inside, let him do whatever he wanted- and so I did.
When we were finished, Duo curled himself up against my chest, panting. I held him close, letting my fingers wander through his hair, trying to catch my breath.
"Sorry," he said after a minute or two, and I thought he meant that he was sorry he had jumped me the moment he walked in the door.
"It's okay," I told him.
He shook his head and I felt his shoulders tremble. "No.... no it's not. I'm so sorry Heero!"
"What have you done?" I asked and was surprised when he raised his head. There were tears in his eyes and I felt my heart stop for a moment. What had happened?
"My father... his family..." Duo started and then shook his head. He took a deep breath and then another.
"You're home early. Did something happen?" I prodded, hoping to get an answer.
He nodded. "Lots of things... I... I'd better start at the beginning. When I got there everything was fine. Everyone was nice. My stepsisters are cute, Vivian was very sweet... but... then I noticed that they kept inviting people over. Friends of my sisters, friends of my stepmother's- all women. All single. For breakfast and lunch, to go out shopping... Whatever we were doing. I didn't think anything of it- I mean with the girls and Vivian there it made sense! It wasn't until one of them asked me out and I told her that I was married that I found out what was really going on."
"What was really going on?"
"They- Victor and Vivian and the girls had been telling them I was single! That I was looking for a girl- that my ring didn't mean anything- it was just a war memento!"
Anger surged up in my chest for just a moment- it was as I had thought after all.
"I confronted my father about it, and he said of course he hadn't said anything about my 'relationship' with you. I was a young man after all, and young men change their minds often. You had just happened to come along and offered me companionship when I was lonely- how did I really know what I wanted? I had admitted that until you and I got involved that I hadn't thought about guys that way-" Duo choked.
"And so he wanted you to leave your options open. See what was out there." I finished for him and he nodded. Duo put his head back down against my chest, his arms tightening around me.
I had to close my eyes for a moment. The way he'd come home- his apology- and now... I was getting a feeling that this was all a build-up to something that I didn't even want to think about...
"Duo," I said, even though I didn't want to, "tell me the rest."
"For... for a moment I wondered if he was right..." Duo's voice was very soft.
I let a minute pass, felt an ache begin to build in my chest.
"What did you do?" I asked finally, needing to know the worst.
"I left the room, went to mine, called a cab and packed my things. He... he tried to stop me and I told him that if he couldn't accept you as my spouse, then I couldn't accept him as my father. And I left."
It was not was I was expecting. I didn't know what to say, and Duo raised his head and looked at me.
"Heero?" His fingers touched my cheek. "I'm so so sorry- it really was only for a moment and then I realized I was being an idiot. I had seen what was out there and I was happy with you- happier than I have been before. And even if my father doesn't approve of my lifestyle I still have my Mom, the guys, Idun and you. I don't need him. Please forgive me?"
I reached up and caught his fingers. Kissing them gently, I pulled him back down to my chest. "Easily. Happily. For a moment there I thought... well, it doesn't matter."
Duo huffed against my chest. "I may have been an idiot, but I wasn't that stupid."
I kissed the top of his head, content. "I'm glad you're home."
"Me too."
We stayed there, dozing a little, until the phone rang. Duo lifted his head and frowned. "Did you forget to send your logs in?"
"No," I slid out of bed and grabbed my shirt and boxers off the floor before I went to answer the phone. I pulled them on before I sat down and hit the answer button. I know the vidphone only showed from the waist up, but you never knew when the camera might slip...
"Hello?" I said as the screen cleared and then had to repress a growl when I saw who it was.
"Is my son there?"
A hiss from Duo made me flick my eyes briefly to the side. He was shaking his head.
"No," I answered, not missing a beat. "I thought he was with you. What's going on?"
Victor ran a hand through his hair. He looked frustrated.
"We just had a little disagreement. He ran off somewhere. If you do talk to him, tell him to call me?" He met my eyes for a moment. "I'm sure he'll contact you."
"Of course," I answered. "I am his spouse after all- and this is his home." I reached for the hang-up button. "I'll let him know you called."
I hung up and joined Duo back on the bed. "He's going to call your mother next."
"And she'll want to know why I ran off." He shook his head. "I know- I'll have to deal with it eventually, but not now." He curled back up on my chest. "I just want to forget about it for a little bit- okay?"
"Okay," I agreed, and closed my eyes.
The phone rang a few more times that night, but we ignored it. Time enough to deal with it all tomorrow. Tonight was for us.
TBC...
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