Life... Really Part 18
Both Heero and Duo shared a wide-eyed look before turning to their friends. The Japanese, who was quite certain that he misheard them, repeated, "Prom?"
With an innocent shrug, Relena smiled, "You weren't planning on missing out on our last dance as high school students, were you?" Her gaze focused on the cat-eared boy and she winked at him, "Especially since you have a date for it."
His violet eyes widening, Duo pointed to himself, sputtering, "M-me?" Beside him, Heero paled a bit, his own eyes widening. After trying to hard to be careful when they were around their friends, was it really possible that their relationship was picked up on? "So you know?" the braided youth asked, his tail and ears drooping slightly in fear.
Quatre grinned reassuringly, nodding, "We had figured for a while now that the two of you were together." Relena's own smile grew as she nodded enthusiastically. Motioning with his head to his girlfriend and smirked, "Well, Relena was the first one to pick up on it."
"So it doesn't bother you?" Heero heard himself asking nervously. Over the years, his friends had become the only family he ever really knew, aside from Zechs and Noin. The last thing he wanted to lose was anyone of them, but he knew that he would not be able to leave Duo if any of them refused to accept their relationship. The Japanese teenage felt his throat go dry in anticipation.
Relena laughed and shook her head, "Why should it bother us? I'd be more upset if you weren't together. Besides, you were the first one in our group to accept Quatre and I as a couple." Her gaze fell on the normally stoic, unruly-haired boy. "I've never seen you smile so much, Heero," she commented.
Smirking, Quatre added, "Nor have I. Not just the smiling, but you've nearly become an entirely different person over the last few months."
The slightest hint of a blush tinted Heero's cheeks and a small smile tugged at his lips in spite of himself. In really considering the minute changes that had come over him ever since Duo had taken his human form, he realized just how much easier it was for him to smile. The other boy certainly had made quite an impact on him.
Quatre was still grinning when he turned to his nervous-looking, braided friend. Speaking clearly, he reassured the other teenager, "You have nothing to worry about, Duo, as far as anything changing. You're part of our group, and your being with Heero will not change that."
Both Heero and Duo gave their two guests relieved smiles, their shoulders finally relaxing. They shared a brief exchange of smiles. Brining his gaze back to the other couple, the cat-eared youth replied quietly, "Thank you, guys."
With a wave of her hand, Relena went back to the matter at hand by stating, "Well, we know how much you would love to get to do something normal with all of us. So, we thought that we would help the two of you get ready to enjoy the prom with the rest of us."
Looking from Heero to Relena to Quatre and back to Heero, Duo's disbelieving gaze fell back on his friends. Pointing over to his lover, he asked, "But how-?"
Quatre shook his head and raided his hand to reassure him, "Don't worry. We have it all figured out at how we can pull this off. If it is something you really want to try, we can see that it works out."
At that, Duo's eyes widened and he turned quickly to meet the Japanese teenager's gaze. Biting his lip, the braided boy asked quietly, "Can we try it, Heero?" His tail was clutched tightly in his grasp, hardly able to contain his excitement in the thought of being able to participate in something normal teenagers were able to do.
Seeing the look of anticipation, Heero smiled warmly. He would never be able to deny Duo anything, he knew that much. While in the past the thought of attending a dance was something that never appealed to him, the unruly-haired teenager had to admit to himself that this was very different. Gently running a hand through Duo's bangs, he answered quietly, "If it is something that you want, we can try it. His arms were instantly filled with his enthusiastic lover.
At the announcement, the other couple winked to each other, seeing that they had made the right choice in formulating their plan. There were going to be risks involved and they wanted to be sure that nothing went wrong. To keep Duo's identity safe, there would have to be come compromises and sacrifices made, but if it went off without a hitch, it would all be worth it tenfold.
Over the course of the last few months, after all Duo had done for all of them over the time that they knew him, Relena and Quatre wanted to see the boy as happy as they knew Heero wanted him to be. Knowing that Trowa and Wufei felt the same way for their braided friend, they knew that they would have more then enough people involved in carrying out their task.
As their friends continued their embrace, Relena beamed a bright smile in their direction and announced, "As we mentioned, we have a lot of work to do if wane to be ready for it." Removing a small stack of CDs from her bag, she grinned, "Starting with dancing lessons."
* * * * * *
Zechs finished adjusting the tie to his dark uniform before taking up his black chauffer hat. With a deep sigh, he fidgeted with the brim of the hat in his hands and frowned, "I hope that this isn't a mistake."
As she approached, Noin smiled reassuringly while she tried to keep her own fears at bay. Flattening the edges of her tall lover's black suit jacket, she commented quietly, "I don't have any doubt that their friends will make sure everything goes well." The young maid chuckled deeply, "After all, Wufei had the bright notion of having you be their limo driver just in case Heero and Duo need to make a quick escape during the dance."
Taking a deep breath, Zechs finally gave a small grin and nodded, "They all certainly seemed to have covered everything in regards to any problems that may come up." His head lowered so he could stare at the cap in his hands again. "I guess I still can't help but be worried, that's all."
With a sad smile, Noin replied, "It's to be expected. Duo really has become like a son to us over these last few months, hasn't he?" The tall chauffer gave a small smirk and nodded, still keeping his gaze lowered. Zechs never was one who ever thought of the notion of being a father. When he suddenly was presented with the label of 'dad', even if it was just a title for Duo's sake, that name had become a great deal more than just that.
Gently kissing her lover's forehead, Noin told him, "Believe me, I am just as nervous as you. But you know that this means the world to him to be able to do this." Her smile faded and she swallowed hard. "Not just that, but Heero has never been able to enjoy anything like this before, himself. They're only going to be children once, Zechs. It would be wrong of us to try and stop them from trying this."
His blue-eyes gaze rising to meet hers, Zechs grinned and nodded. "You're right, love. Thanks for talking some sense into me," he said quietly. He leaned down to kiss her lips tenderly.
When the pulled back, Noin smirked, "Well, that's what I'm here for." Zechs chuckled deeply before kissing her once more. At the end of the kiss, the tall blonde man placed his hat on, allowing the young woman to adjust it properly that the brim nearly covered his eyes.
Looking down to his watch, he announced, "I better go pick up Trowa and Wufei along with their dates." He had already times hoe long it would take to have all of the friends together before taking them around to each family house so that the couples would have pictures taken together before leaving them at the large banquet hall for the dance.
"See you in a few minutes, then," she said with a wink. With a bow of his head and a slight tip of his hat, Zechs leave by the back entrance in preparation of getting the family limo ready.
Taking a deep breath, Noin took up the plastic container on the counter and went into the living room. Both Heero and Quatre had finished dressing into their tuxes an anxiously awaited for their dates to finish preparing for the prom. The young maid regarded them both with a warm, smile. "You both look quite handsome this evening," she said sincerely.
Heero, looking more nervous of the two boys, looked up from his fidgeting hands and grinned back along with his friend as Quatre replied with a nod, "Thank you, Noin."
The young woman walked up to the Japanese teenager with the container she recovered from the other room. "May I?" she asked politely with a motherly smile. Heero's own slight smile widened a bit as he nodded in response.
Removing the red rose with a lilac ribbon tied at the base, Noin carefully pinned it against the vest of the teenager's dark grey tuxedo. In sensing the tension in Heero's shoulders, she whispered, "Don't worry. Everything is going to be perfect tonight. Just try and enjoy it." The boy physically relaxed at the gentle reassurances as the maid finished setting the rose in place. When she stepped back, she nodded, "Perfect."
Heero stepped forward unexpectedly to hug the young woman tightly, silently wishing that his own mother would have been this supportive of him. Still, it felt right for him to show this kind of affection towards the one woman who had been like a mother to him since he was young. "Thank you, Noin," he whispered.
Stunned by the sudden embrace and whispered thanks, Noin blinked back the tears from her eyes before returning the tight hug. She gently kissed the boy's cheek before bulling back and cupping his other cheek with her hand. "No thanks needed, Heero. It's been my pleasure," she whispered back.
Relena made her appearance, lifting the floor-length skirt of her form-fitting, strapless, sky blue silk dress. Her blonde hair pulled up with a few loose wisps falling in curled ringlets, she made a striking and lovely sight. Quatre's eyes widened and he breathed, "Wow."
For a moment, the blonde teenager nearly forgot hoe to use his legs before finally walked up to where she stood in the doorway. The young girl smiled brightly as her boyfriend approached, almost unsure in his movements. Holding out the large bouquet of long-stemmed lilies that he picked for her, the Arab smiled, "You look beautiful, Relena."
The girl blushed, making her already pinked cheek all the darker, Relena replied quietly, "Thank you, Quatre." Running a hand down over the dark blue jacket of his tuxedo, she winked and grinned, "You look pretty good, yourself." With a deep chuckle, Quatre leaned in to capture her lips in a brief, yet intense kiss.
When the young couple joined him, Heero asked nervously, "Is Duo almost ready?" Relena met his anxious gaze and instead of answering with words, her smiled just grew and she gestured with her head back to the doorway. When the Japanese boy looked up, his breath caught in his thought with a sharp gasp as his cobalt eyes widened.
For anyone who knew the braided teenager, it would be difficult to recognize him as he stood now. Duo was dressed in an elegant, lilac-colored gown made of velvet that touched the floor. His hair out of its usual braid to be pulled up in large ringlets to cover his ears with a few ringlets that shaped his face, the brown fur of his ears blended in perfectly with the hair covering them and with the strands that covered the sides of his face. No one would believe that the person standing there was a male, or that there was anything out of sorts with the breathtaking creature.
Noin and Quatre both stood as stunned as Heero, their eyes widened, in seeing what a stunning image the cat-eared boy made. Relena giggled to herself, thrilled at how all of her work on hair and makeup and jewelry on the boy had made such an impression. When Heero still hadn't moved, Duo forced himself not to bite his lip nervously, lest he ruin the pink lipstick that painted his lips.
Finally shaking himself from his shocked state, Heero managed to move his legs and slowly crossed the room. Smiling brightly as he approached his lover, he whispered breathlessly, "You look wonderful, Duo."
The cat-tailed boy blinked his violet eyes, the silver eye shadow now showing all the more. He smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss his lover soundly. When they pulled back, Noin approached and handed Heero the bouquet of red roses that he had picked out at the florist. Duo accepted them from his lover with a shining grin before kissing him again in appreciation.
With his arm in Heero, Duo walked with now practiced ease in the heels that Relena had found to go with the dress. While they were not the highest of heels, they were enough that it took time over the last few weeks for him to get adjusted to them. It was just one of the many things that their friends had done in preparing them for this night. While all of the preparation had been a great deal of work, it was already showing its rewards.
Taking Duo's arm in his, Heero led him back to their friends. "So we have everything covered?" he asked. "There shouldn't be anything that we're forgetting?"
Relena held up her large purse, grinning, "We're all set. Duo and I already planned it that if for whatever reason his hair starts to come loose or his dress straps come loose, we run into the ladies' room so I can fix him up. I have everything I need in here." Duo nodded, already understanding their plan should a problem of such should arise.
With a nod, Noin added, "Zechs will be parked at the hall's south exit. If you need to get out of there, you shouldn't run into anyone along the way there. Trowa and Wufei had checked the layout of the building. They'll be ready to make sure there are not any chaperones standing by the door if something comes up."
Her smile returning, the young maid reassured, "And should your mother call while you're out, I have that covered as well. I'll just tell her that you're under the weather and resting." It was the best cover, as it was something that Danielle would never question. Knowing that the redhead would want to know that her son was resting to be at top shape for school and her assignments the next day, Noin was certain that the story would go over.
"And if all else fails while we're at the dance," Quatre ginned with a shrug, "We hit the fire alarm and everyone will be too busy evacuating the building to pay attention to anything else around them." While no one wanted the dance to end early, it was just a precaution should the need to make such a move be necessary.
Satisfied with all that he heard, Heero nodded firmly and allowed the last of his nerves to ebb. Giving his friends a small smile, he nodded, "Thanks for all of your help in this. I'll be sure to thank Trowa and Wufei when this is all over as well."
Duo was still too excited and overwhelmed with a swell of emotions in getting to be in the open. In his current disguise, he would be able to hold and kiss Heero without drawing any unwanted attention. Trying to practice not speaking very often, as a means of hiding his deeper-than-it-should-be voice, he just nodded enthusiastically to show his own appreciation.
Both Quatre and Relena smiled warmly back. "This has been fun," the young girl admitted with a small chuckle. "After all the other things we've been able to do together these last few months, it'd be upsetting if we weren't all able to have fun at this dance together."
Her Arab boyfriend smirked, "Now we went through all of this so you both could relax and enjoy this. So, don't worry about anything and just have fun."
Fun. A word that before the last few months was something that Heero had been denied.
The front door opened Trowa and his date for the evening. In seeing the young woman dressed in a lovely emerald dress on Trowa's arm, Heero's eyes widened again. "Dorothy?" he almost sputtered in disbelief. There was little mistaking that the young woman was indeed Dorothy Catalonia from Wayne University.
Blinking her own widened eyes, Dorothy recovered from her surprise and smiled brightly, "Why, Heero. This is a pleasant surprise. Trowa never told me which of his friends were going to be joining us."
Trowa shrugged with a grin as he commented, "Dorothy has been Catherine's best friend since they were in grade school." At the mention of Trowa's sister's name, Heero nodded. He had almost forgotten that he ran into Catherine before when she first introduced Dorothy to him. It made sense that his tall friend would have known her for as long as his sister had.
"He's just trying to outdo me and my date," Wufei's voice came from just outside. As he entered, the Chinese teenager smirked, "When he found out I was bringing an older woman for my date, he had to ask one out to be his."
When Wufei finished stepping inside, his date on his arm, the eyes of their friends widened. "Sally?" Relena gasped.
The tall nurse was dressed in a lovely, shimmering gold dress that fit her frame perfectly. The usual braids that she were had been undone to be worked into a flattering style where half her hair was loose to fall down her back. It was a far cry from the white medical coat that she normally was donned in when the teenagers saw her at school.
Sally smiled and shrugged, "We decided now that the school year is almost over, we shouldn't have to hide the fact that we're dating." She was warmly received with smiles from the circle of friends around her.
Quatre was the first to speak up with an elated, "Well, it's about time!" The others shared their own agreement to the sentiment.
After having stayed behind Heero, Duo stepped out in reminding himself that Dorothy would not recognize him. The moment he was in plain view, Trowa, Wufei, and their dates stared at him in awe. Sally gave Wufei a shocked look, receiving a slight smirk and shrug from her boyfriend, before turning her wide eyes back to Duo.
Being the first to close her gaping mouth, Dorothy grinned brightly, "My, Heero, who is your beautiful date?"
Heero turned and smiled proudly at his lover. Wrapping his arm around Duo's waist, he introduced, "This is Dawn. We met a few months ago." His date smiled shyly and waved at the others.
After a brief exchange of instructions, Noin quickly disappeared before reappearing with her digital camera. "I just want to get a few shots of all of you before you have to visit the other houses," she announced gleefully.
* * * * * *
Once all of the families got a chance to see the group of friends to have their own pictures taken, the limo carrying them finally arrived at the large hall that had been rented for the senior prom. After such a whirlwind of introductions and countless flashes of cameras, Duo was already having the time of his life. No one treated him as anything other than a normal person. The act that he had to play the part of a shy girl did not faze him in the slightest since he was able to be with Heero and the others. It was one of the immeasurable sacrifices he was willing to make to be with his lover.
Stepping into the dimly lit room decorated with chandeliers, silver heart-shaped balloons and light colored streamers, duo gasped sharply. Already, the large space was filled with finely teenagers speaking excitedly amongst each other. As their group made their way to the dinner table, Heero and the others were stopped by many of their classmates to greet them. Heero's proud smile grew in seeing how anxious people were to meet his mysterious date for that evening.
By the time dinner was finished, the wide dance floor had been cleared as the DJ set up his station at the end of the room. Already, there were whispers spreading at how shocked so many of the students were that Heero Yuy had actually attended the prom. Not just that, but he was with someone of striking beauty, outshining most of the other girls present. Duo was just smiling from ear-to-ear when Relena excitedly whispered that she had overheard such things already.
The dance itself finally began with a slow song and without hesitation, Heero took Duo's hand in his to lead him to the dance floor. Biting his lip nervously, Duo settled himself into his lover's arms when they reached the center of the floor. He began to worry that he would forget the dance steps that he had been taught so patiently and make a fool of himself amongst all of these people around him.
In sending his partner's tension, Heero hugged his waist tightly towards him. With a loving smile, he whispered, "Relax." The cat-eared boy grinned back, hardly able to contain his laughter. Considering how tense Heero, it was ironic that Duo was now the one feeling a bit of nerves.
Resting his chin on the Japanese teenager's shoulder, Duo closed his eyes and allowed the other boy to guide him. The moment they started moving, the dance steps came back to him and they moved fluidly across the floor. Another slow dance followed and they continued on in their turns and steps and the cat-tailed boy was comfortable enough to open his eyes to meet the smiling gaze of his lover as they went on in their dance.
The hours rolled by and there was only one occasion when Sally notices some of the virtual hairspray giving way to Duo's thick hair. Quickly taking the boy's hand, she and Relena led him back to the ladies' room to retouch his hair back up over his ears before anyone saw them. It was the only near catastrophe to the whole evening. Everything else had gone off without a single hitch.
Relena, Sally and Dorothy had even pulled duo up to the dance floor, along with the others, to participate in the fast dances. Throughout the whole evening, the talk of the prom continued to be Heero's attendance and his striking date that everyone tried to get a chance to meet. There were several offers from many of the teenage boys to slow dance with the captivating creature. However, Duo politely turned them down, saying that he already promised those danced to Heero. The Japanese boy was never happier, nor more proud, that he was that evening.
Much to everyone's disappointment, the last dance was announced and everyone grabbed their dates for the last slow song. Relena and Quatre kissed deeply as they began to dance together, both still wearing the crowns they were given at the announcement of their being voted Prom King and Queen. That was the last plan for the evening that Heero, Trowa and Wufei had secretly carried out. It was not difficult to get so many of their classmates to vote for the young couple. Quatre and Relena certainly had become their class's most beloved couples. At the announcement of their crowning, the band of friends cheered and whistled for the shocked pair.
His arms tightly wrapped around his lover's neck and with a contented smile on his pained face, Duo purred deeply and lowly enough that only the pother boy could hear. As they continued to sway to the music, Duo whispered in his ear, "Thank you for agreeing to this, Heero. It's been wonderful."
Wrapping his arms all the tighter around his partner's waist, Heero smiled the same and admitted, "Yes, it has been." He pulled back enough to brush a few curled ringlets from his love's face to gaze into his eyes. His breath nearly hitching at the sheer beauty of his lover, he breathed, "I love you, Duo."
The other boy's smile grew as he whispered back, "I love you, too." Leaning in, they kissed each other deeply for the countless time that night.
It had been such a freeing thing for the two of them... to be able to hold and kiss each other in public without reserve or an entire night. As much as neither of them wanted the evening to end, they knew they would never be able to forget it. Their kiss continued even as the song ended and the DJ announced the end of the prom, the other students around them applauding the efforts of everyone in charge of the festivities.
Nothing else existed in their world but each other in that moment.
* * * * * *
When they finally got back into their bedroom once all of their friends were returned safely to their homes, Heero and Duo were still smiling brightly and holding hands. Duo laughed when he was finally able to free his hair from all of the pins and tiny violet ribbons that Relena had used to keep it in place. Thankfully, the hairspray nowadays did not leave hair sticky and stiff as it faded after a few hours. When his furry cat ears were finally out, they twitched a few times.
Once all of his hair was loose, Duo gasped when Heero's suddenly appeared to unzip the back of the dress he wore, kissing and nipping at the exposed neck and collar bone. Moaning deeply, he leaned against his lover's bare, firm chest. Turning in the other boy's arms, Duo allowed him to remove the dress completely from his lithe body. Almost on its own accord, his long tail stretched in having been freed from its confinement.
Hands removed every last article and bodies pressed hard against each other as kisses became more demanding and moans more needy. Finally reaching the edge of the bed to sit, Heero pulled his lover to straddle his hips as their lips claimed each other again. One hand gripped Duo's long hair in a tight fist while the other held the boy close. As his partner's head fell back with closed eyes in a deep moan, Heero panted, "I need you, Duo."
"Yes. Take me," Duo whimpered in a pleading voice. From there, there were no further words between them.
* * * * * *
A phone ring in the darkness of the early morning hour before it is finally answered. "Dekim. It's Jacob."
"You had better be calling me for a good reason at this hour of the morning."
The smile in the other voice was heard clearly. "Oh, it is... The opportunity that we have been waiting for has finally arrived."
TBC...
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