Author's Note: I'm going to say this at the beginning of the next few chapters, and then not repeat it again, okay? Just for the record, I DON'T do death fics. Please keep that in mind.
Witness Protection Part 53
Euphoria
We talked a bit more about the plan to infiltrate the courthouse over dinner--mostly explaining to Duo and Catherine that they'd have to pass a security checkpoint, including a metal detector and probably a quick physical search. If we were going to disguise Duo, it would have to be good enough to fool someone making a cursory check for weapons.
"If you're tellin' me I've gotta wear 'falsies,'" Duo muttered unhappily. "I kinda figured that out already."
"I'm just saying they'll have to feel reasonably 'real.' Stuffing a bra with tissue won't cut it."
"A bra--?"
Catherine patted Duo's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll help you pick out something comfortable."
"That's not the point," he protested. "It's the thought of wearing it at all!"
"Didn't you wear one for your stage act?" I teased, leaning back in my chair and breathing a sigh as the twinge from my shoulder was very minor.
"No--as a matter of fact, I just wore the gown--and ended up out of it, anyway."
"You won't be dressed as a cheap floozy this time," Wufei told him. "You'll have to look like a typical woman off the street--or maybe a secretary or something."
Catherine looked at Duo and chuckled. "We have got our work cut out for us."
He made a sour face and said nothing more on the subject.
But as we climbed into bed for the night, I couldn't help asking him again if he was still determined to testify.
"'Course I am," he muttered defiantly. "Told ya. Khushrenada has to pay for what he did to Zechs and then to us." His gaze dropped to my bandaged shoulder. "Hell--if the worst he'd done was have someone shoot you, I'd still wanna see him fry for it."
"Love you, too," I sighed, snuggling in next to him and tugging his warm body close.
~*~
First thing the next morning, after a breakfast for which I finally made it to the table, we headed into town to shop for Duo's outfit. Duo and I took the back seat, so I could stretch out and relax a bit, and Wufei drove, with Catherine riding shotgun--in the figurative sense only.
We'd decided over breakfast that we'd be far safer shopping where we were than waiting until we got back to the city. Out here there were not only fewer eyes to potentially recognize Duo, but there was less media exposure about the upcoming trial.
There were also, according to Catherine, some very nice boutiques that carried a variety of women's wear, as well as one or two consignment shops. She'd gone with Wufei to the small grocery store in town on the first day there, and had checked the place out with Trowa's idea in mind. I was once again impressed with what a level-headed woman she'd turned out to be.
It made me glad Relena had turned him down all those months ago. Where Catherine was resourceful and determined, Relena had always been unsure of herself and her place in the department. I thought part of it had to do with being the Chief's daughter, and never having had the chance to prove herself.
But I knew that in Catherine's place, she'd never have had the quick wits or skills needed to survive, let alone triumph.
"Care to share?" Duo asked quietly from his seat beside me.
"Hm?" I asked absently.
"You look--distracted," he pointed out, frowning slightly.
A flicker of his eyes towards the back of Catherine's head made me realize he'd noticed I was staring rather fixedly at her auburn curls.
I snorted and shook my head, reaching for his hand. "And you look--jealous."
His glance slid to the floor and then he peered shyly up through his bangs. "Sorry you didn't pick the feisty girl instead of the brassy guy?" he whispered.
"Never," I asserted. "You are the only one for me." I lifted his chin with one finger and leaned in to brush a kiss across his lips, my own reply every bit as quiet. "Just because I admire the woman my partner is involved with doesn't mean I have any sort of romantic designs on her."
"But you were looking at her so--intently."
"I was comparing her to the last girl Wufei showed interest in, and thinking how much better suited they are for each other."
He looked relieved, and perhaps a bit embarrassed at having been caught in a jealous moment. "They really are great together."
"Like us," I pointed out.
He smiled in response. "You always know what I need to hear, don't you?"
"Well--now I do. Not at first," I reminded him.
His nose wrinkled adorably. "That's true. You were pretty harsh back at the start, weren't you?"
"Yes."
"But I wasn't any better."
"No."
He got quiet again, sliding a bit closer and leaning comfortably against me. "Glad we got past that."
"Me too."
We pulled into the parking lot of a mini-mall, which contained a grocer, a hair salon, and a hardware store.
"Euphoria Hardware?" I muttered, puzzled over the odd name.
"Well what else would they call it, considering that's the name of the town," Duo shrugged, tucking his braid down the back of his shirt, before sliding out of the car and stretching languidly. "Isn't it adorable?" He took a baseball cap out of his hip pocket and stuffed it on his head, pulling the brim down over his noteworthy indigo eyes.
I looked around, realizing that across the street was Euphoria Auto Repairs, and just down the block Euphoria Day Spa. "Huh. Interesting name," I conceded.
Wufei looked over the top of the car at me, smirking. "I didn't believe it at first, either. Who'd have thought a fishing village would garner such a flattering name?"
"Oh, but it's not just a fishing village," Catherine explained, gesturing around at the quaint shops and nearby pier. "During the summer months they get quite a few tourists. That's why there are cottages for rent. They have whale-watching boat trips and deep sea fishing charters, as well as harbor tours, and even open air concerts on the green."
"That explains the boutiques and gourmet coffee shop, eh?" Wufei guessed, nodding towards the Starbucks just a block away.
Duo gave a wry chuckle. "Pretty upscale for a hick town."
"It's sort of a hidden treasure," Catherine explained. "I'd heard of it before, from the locals back at the farm. But I was always busy with circus work, or at the vet clinic, and never got down to see it for myself."
"It's quite lovely," Wufei commented, his gaze traveling from the sailboats bobbing at the wharf, back to Catherine. "Perhaps we could come visit when we have more time."
She grinned at him and nodded. "I'd love to. I hear the local chocolatier is famous for his chocolate-covered blueberries."
He held out an arm, and she looped her hand through it as the four of us began walking down the sidewalk towards the first clothing shop on the block.
Duo stuffed his hands in his pockets and ambled along beside me, giving a sidelong glance and a rueful smile. "Don't suppose we can walk like that," he mused.
"Ah, no. But I'd like to."
Once again I seemed to find the right words, and he smiled and relaxed, staying just close enough for me to feel his presence, but not so close that anyone might be scandalized by the sight of a gay couple.
The first shop we entered was filled with spring and summer clothing in a variety of pastel shades that made Duo blanch and pause at the door.
"I, uh, don't think we'll find what we're looking for in here," he said a bit hoarsely.
Catherine cast a discerning eye around, and lit upon a rack of shirts. "Sure we will," she said firmly. "There are some very nice blouses."
"B-blouses?" he echoed, glancing at me for help.
"Shirts," I translated, nodding towards the long-sleeved garments.
He swallowed hard, and followed Catherine over to the rack while Wufei and I hung back by the door, as dutiful boyfriends should.
My partner was smirking evilly, and I elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't revel in his mortification so much. It's very unbecoming."
"Screw that," he chuckled unrepentantly. "After the show he put on in the hot tub--I'm entitled."
I found myself grinning irrepressibly. "On second thought--"
Duo either had preternatural hearing, or he knew us both very well, because he looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes menacingly, as Catherine held up a pale, chiffon blouse to see if the sleeves were long enough for him.
Wufei stifled a snort, and hastily turned his face away so Duo wouldn't see how amused he was. Meanwhile, I forced a bland expression onto my face, and gazed impassively back at my irritated lover.
Honestly, it was kind of fun watching him squirm. And I promised myself later I'd make him squirm in a much, much better way--preferably underneath me. That might take his mind off the embarrassing plan to smuggle him into the courthouse. And for damn sure, it'd take my mind off it.
"How's the shoulder?" Wufei asked quietly, having regained control of his mirth.
"Predictably stiff and sore--but I feel much stronger than I did yesterday." I gave him a level stare. "I'll be ready for anything when we reach the city."
He nodded curtly in return. "Good. We'll both need to be at our best."
"I will," I assured him. "In fact, I'm sort of eager to see the expression on Khushrenada's face when we walk Duo into that courtroom."
A feral smile spread across his face. "Me, too."
Catherine had apparently discarded the idea of chiffon--or Duo had forcibly wrested it from her mind--because the two of them headed our way empty-handed.
"Let's try one of the consignment shops," suggested the perky girl. "Duo's a bit keen on darker colors, which would be out of season in most of the dress shops."
"Hey--it'll hide the 'falsies' better," he pointed out in an undertone. "That other material is too--see-through."
"Sheer," Wufei corrected him graciously. "The word is 'sheer.'"
Duo gave him a fishy look as we went back outside. "Sometimes, Chang, you send out some seriously mixed signals."
"How so?"
"Any guy who'd use a word like 'sheer,' just comes across as totally gay, y'know."
"Not true!" protested my partner, glaring. "It's the proper term for a lightweight fabric."
Duo rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "See what I'm talking about? The word 'fabric' sounds kinda queer, too."
"No it does not!"
I coughed quietly into my hand. "Yeah--it kinda does," I admitted.
"Yuy!"
I gave a covert wink to my lover, beginning to see why he enjoyed baiting Chang so very much, and then turned an innocently blank look to my partner. "What?" I eyed him up and down. "You don't hear me using words like 'sheer' and 'fabric,'" I pointed out.
"And you're gay--which would suggest those are not words commonly used in a homosexual man's vocabulary."
"It's not the words, exactly, 'Fei," Duo continued, his face alight with mirth as we made our way down the sidewalk. "It's the fact that you know something about material." His glance slid suggestively down my partner's body. "You probably wear silk boxers, don't you?"
Wufei colored splendidly, doing a lovely fish imitation. "So what if I do?"
Duo laughed out loud, thoroughly enjoying his revenge.
"Just because I like the way a particular fabric feels--" Wufei cut himself off abruptly, realizing he was only getting in deeper by the minute.
Meanwhile, my lover groaned suggestively. "Don't talk like that 'Fei--you'll get me thinking about silk an' leather an' God knows what else."
Shit--now he had me interested in the conversation.
"This ends now!" declared my partner, speeding up his pace and looking anywhere but at the smirking woman on his arm.
She darted a teasing glance over her shoulder at Duo, raising an eyebrow and mouthing the word "silk" with a rather hungry look.
Yes, she was perfect for Wufei--I was quite certain of it now.
We reached the consignment shop without further sniping on anyone's part, and once again Wufei and I distanced ourselves from the shopping experience, while Duo and Catherine put on a performance for the store clerk that had me scratching my nose to cover all my smirks and near-laughter.
Obviously, they couldn't tell the helpful sales assistant that they were buying for Duo. So instead, Catherine would choose something off the rack and hold it up in front of herself, twirling to show it off to Duo.
He'd promptly shake his head, pointing out whatever he didn't like about the selection, and she'd try holding it up to him and convincing him of its merits, while surreptitiously seeing if the length and fit was right.
They looked very much like siblings, or at least cousins--and the snatches of conversation I overheard had Catherine waxing poetic about a new guy she'd met, and a special date, while Duo argued that the fellow just wasn't worth the effort.
The clerk bought it hook, line and sinker, and kept pulling things from various locations, trying to help put together an outfit for the fictitious date.
Every now and then Duo would cast a helpless look my way, and I'd give a thumbs up or down on whatever selection Catherine was waving about at the time.
It was kind of charming the way he wanted me to approve his choice of clothing--even if it was women's clothing.
"You look like you're enjoying this," Wufei commented at one point, as I was watching Catherine drape a loosely knit shawl around Duo's shoulders.
"So were you, when Duo was still squirming about it," I pointed out.
He smiled reluctantly. "Yes, I was." His dark glance traveled to the pair again, as Duo tried to shrug off the delicate fabric. "Give him a thumbs up on that," added my partner.
"Huh?"
"The color matches his eyes."
My jaw went slack for a moment, even while I was automatically giving Duo the affirmative gesture.
"Y-you've looked at his eye color?"
"It's hard to miss," came the calm response. "That shade of indigo is--very compelling."
"C-compelling?" I stammered. "Look, Chang--I don't know why you'd notice a thing like the color of Duo's eyes, but keep your opinions to yourself, why don't you? And while you're at it--"
I stopped in mid-rant, seeing the glimmer of mirth in Chang's dark eyes, and realized I'd been baited as neatly and effectively as he usually was.
"Smooth, Chang. Very smooth."
"Payback's a bitch, Yuy. You of all people should know that by now."
I nodded, letting him have his moment, and watched as Duo gave the clerk the shawl to ring up.
~*~
It took a total of three dress boutiques, two consignment shops, and a trip to the hardware store before we had all the items needed for Duo's disguise.
Don't ask.
After we'd finally accomplished our mission for the day, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner out at a quaint restaurant on the wharf.
The Gull's Wing was a rustic looking building, with both inside dining, and a deck that hung over the water--dotted with round umbrella tables and matching chairs. When Duo suggested eating outside, I pointed out the numerous seagulls swooping down to beg handouts, and insisted we'd dine inside.
"Party pooper," he mumbled as he pulled the door open and stalked inside.
"Better that than risking a different kind of 'poop,'" I noted. "I doubt the gulls are very discriminating about where they let fly."
"Oh. Good point."
He stopped in the foyer, looking at a "help wanted" sign. "Hey--they're lookin' for a cook. Maybe I should apply."
"And maybe we should eat elsewhere," Wufei said with a frown, pausing as he pulled open the interior door. "If they're between cooks, I wonder who's running the kitchen."
The girl just inside the door heard him and waved us in eagerly. "Don't mind the sign! My grandpa is still the cook, until we find someone to replace him. He's been cooking here for fifty years, an' no one's died yet."
"Fifty years? No wonder he wants time off," Duo said with a grin.
The young brunette smiled widely at him, gathering up a handful of menus as she approached us. "What he wants is a permanent vacation," she elaborated. "He wants to become a beach bum, and go surf fishing, and hang out on the pier with the retired sailors and tell stories all day."
She led us between tables to a comfortable booth by a bay window overlooking the harbor. "Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?"
Duo had snagged a seat closest to the window, and was watching the gulls swoop around the deck with genuine fascination.
"D--Max?" I prompted, recalling the alias we'd used before.
"Oh." He dragged his attention away from the birds, and fixed it on the menu. "Wow. Where d'you get such a selection of beer?"
"My grandfather knows people," she said with a shrug. "He's always liked the exotic stuff, himself--so he stocks it for the customers."
A voice carried from the back of the building, sounding plenty hearty for a man she called "grandpa."
"Mary! Get yer butt back here, girl! The timer for your dinner rolls is goin' off!"
She smiled apologetically and darted into the back room.
Catherine looked around at the cozy little restaurant, pointing out the fishnet and shells used to decorate the walls. "This place is adorable."
"So long as the food is palatable, I'll count us lucky," Wufei replied, still apparently unconvinced.
Mary came trotting back out of the kitchen, looking a bit flushed and harried. "Sorry for the interruption. You folks ready to order?"
"Well, I for one need something to drink," Duo asserted, pointing to one of the beer selections. "That'll be good for starters."
Catherine and Wufei chose iced tea, while I ended up deciding to try Duo's beloved dark imported beer, just to see what the fuss was about. And by the time our young waitress returned with our drinks, we were ready to order meals--so we put in our requests and settled back to enjoy the pleasant ambiance of the place.
While it wasn't a fancy restaurant by any means, it was a little too nice to be called a mere diner. But by the same token, there appeared to be a handful of locals sitting up at the counter, mainly clad in work clothes or other casual attire, which kept it from looking formal or elegant. It just felt like a homey cross between a country kitchen and a fine dining establishment--with simple meals alongside fancier fare. I guessed it was sort of "all things" to "all people" in town.
And although the flow of incoming and outgoing customers was sporadic, it seemed every one of them greeted Mary by name and called out a "hello" to her grandfather back in the kitchen.
We didn't dare discuss our plans in such a public place--especially where we were obvious strangers; so we just chatted about the scenery and the weather until our meals showed up--in fairly good time.
"Wow--this looks really delicious!" Duo commented, leaning in to sniff at his pasta dish. "Smells even better."
"It does," Wufei agreed, sounding more surprised by that fact than Duo had.
Mary smiled at both of them as she deposited Catherine's and my meal in front of each of us. "Grandpa's gotten a lot of compliments over the years."
Borrowing a page from Duo's book, I smiled politely at the young lady. "Didn't I hear him mention that you made the rolls?" I gestured to the steaming basket of golden dinner rolls. "The talent must be hereditary."
She grimaced slightly. "Not really. About all I can make is rolls--and sometimes brownies." She pushed a lock of dark hair behind one ear. "Pops tried to teach me his recipes--but I managed to screw up just about every single one."
"Maybe you just need more practice," Duo suggested, twirling his fork in his pasta and taking a bite--then closing his eyes and moaning in pleasure. "Aw, this stuff is awesome!"
"Only because Pops made it," she insisted. "Honestly, I tried. For like, three years I tried. I just haven't got the touch."
"Max is a very good cook," Wufei told her, nodding in Duo's direction.
"But not a professional," Duo replied nonchalantly, his attention split between the meal he was enjoying and his view of the sparkling ocean from the window seat. Then he glanced mischievously at my partner. "At least not that kind of professional."
I couldn't help smirking at the color that rose in Chang's face, but I elbowed Duo gently to caution him to back off and not start a scene.
"Well you all enjoy your meals and I'll be back to check on you in a bit," Mary said, her gaze flitting from Duo to me before she headed off to the kitchen.
I didn't care for the hint of intelligence in her big brown eyes that made me think she knew more than she indicated. Had she recognized one of us from a news or tabloid story?
"If you're gonna start doubting everyone you meet--" Duo commented, catching the look I kept on the girl as she left.
"Right now I have to," I said curtly. "She may seem like an innocent young kid--but it would take only a single phone call to put us right back to square one." I absently picked up a dinner roll and took a bite, immediately spitting it back onto my plate. "Yuck!"
"What's wrong?" Wufei asked with a frown.
"These are awful! Too much salt or something."
Duo picked one up and tentatively nibbled at it, making a face and plunking it back into the basket. "Tastes like someone used a tablespoon, instead of a teaspoon. Blech." He took a long swig of his beer to wash away the unpleasant flavor, and then smirked at me. "She's gotta be on the level, Yuy. She didn't lie about her cooking skills--or lack thereof."
"That doesn't mean she couldn't be looking to get rich quick by squealing to Khushrenada or the FBI about us."
He shook his head. "I don't think she's the type. Folks out here have no use for the Feds. Kinda like me."
"Either way, she has no idea where we're staying, and we'll be gone by tomorrow," Wufei said evenly. "Let's just enjoy our meal and stay alert, shall we?"
I thought maybe he was trying to make things less stressful for Catherine by not dwelling on all that might go wrong, so I let it slide for the moment.
Somewhere between dinner and dessert, Duo decided to pay a visit to the kitchen and see "Pops" for himself; apparently he had a question about some ingredient in the marinara sauce, and his culinary curiosity wouldn't be satisfied until he knew what it was.
I insisted on tagging along, not willing to let him out of my sight in a strange place, and found myself watching with a bit of bemused wonder as he charmed the socks off yet another stranger.
Pops looked every bit of his eighty years. A short, ruggedly-built man, he seemed as weathered as the rocks lining the coast--with wrinkles at the corners of sea-green eyes, and a wispy beard framing his jaw.
He looked over the pass-through from the kitchen when Mary told him a customer had a question, and his gaze swept Duo appraisingly. "Somethin' wrong with yer meal young feller?"
"No--not at all," Duo assured him with a smile. He held out his hand, and the grizzled cook wiped one on his apron and took it. "I'm Max. And I just wanted to ask how you get your marinara sauce so tangy."
I rolled my eyes, thinking that cooks were a strange breed. Honestly. Who worries about how something ended up tasting good?
Well, except for Wufei--who'd mostly been shocked that it had been Duo who'd known how to make a perfectly flavored meal.
Personally, I just wanted to consume my food and get on to other things. Not that I couldn't enjoy fine cooking--but I wasn't fascinated by it.
Duo and Pops were chatting like old friends by that time--spouting words like "cilantro" and "pesto"--almost a secret language of chefs.
Mary suddenly appeared at my elbow, and smiled up at me with a conspiratorial look. "Maybe you wanna pull up a chair," she teased. "Sounds like they could be at it all day."
"I'm sure they could. But we've got other things to do, so I'll have to drag Max away shortly."
She eyed me up and down, a slight wrinkle on her forehead. "You an' Max a couple?" she asked bluntly.
I blinked in surprise, quite sure we hadn't been obvious.
"It's the way you look at him," she whispered, giving me a wink. "It was clear the minute you walked in the door that he wasn't--available. And then you followed him over here, like you maybe have a little possessive streak about him."
"Um--sorry?"
She laughed at my tentative apology. "Don't be. He's cute as Hell, and you're a lucky guy--but then, so's he."
Her teasing gaze made me blush hotly. "Uh--thank you."
"Aw, don't mention it. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to be so secretive about it. Pops don't care--and even in a backwater town like this, we've got our share of same-sex couples."
I was still so floored by her perceptiveness that I couldn't carry my end of the conversation, so I tugged at Duo's sleeve hopefully. "You almost done, Max? We should get going soon."
He grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I can tear myself away now that Pops spilled his deep, dark cooking secrets."
Pops grinned in return, a fond sparkle in his aging eyes. "I wouldn't tell just anyone about the lemon juice," he said firmly. "But you know what you're talkin' about; so it's a professional courtesy." He reached out for another handshake. "Stop by any time you want to share recipes, kid."
"Sure," Duo replied nonchalantly, knowing full well we were leaving the next day. "And you keep up the good work." My lover turned and without thinking slipped an arm through mine, heading us back to the table.
I hesitated, looking down at our linked arms, and his eyes widened and he started to release his hold--only I put a hand over his and kept it there as we made our way back to Catherine and Wufei.
No one at the counter seemed to notice--or if they did, they simply didn't care. It was a liberating feeling, thinking that I could touch Duo in public without censure. It felt really, really good.
"Yuy?" he whispered.
"It's okay, Duo. Mary noticed from the moment we walked in, and made it a point to tell me no one would care. It appears she was right."
My lover glanced around and then back at me, eyes lighting up. "Shit--I could get to love this town."
"So could I."
Dessert was a tasty confection I had no doubt Pops had spent hours on--layers of cream between delicate pastry, drizzled with a fresh berry sauce that tasted like fruit right off the vine. He really was a talented cook.
Duo seemed to have gotten his life story, and spent the final moments of our meal expounding on how Pops had traveled with a Merchant Marine vessel and been all over the world when he was younger--learning about cooking and spices from chefs wherever he went. In spite of how skilled he was, he'd never set foot in a culinary school of any kind. His knowledge was all hands-on, rather than learned from a book...a genuine self made man.
We were all pretty impressed by that, and left Mary a very generous tip, before making our way back out to the car.
~*~
The sun was sinking over the hills by that time, and I felt a curious mixture of regret at leaving the pleasant town, and relief that our ordeal was nearing a conclusion.
"Hey, Yuy--you feel strong enough for a little hike?" Duo asked, tugging me away from the door of the car as I'd reached for the handle.
"We walked all over town today," I pointed out.
"I know. It's just, there's a foot path that goes along the cliffs and up to where the cottages are. Wufei and Cathy used it the other day to come in for supplies. I thought maybe you an' I could go back that way, while they take the car."
I hesitated, genuinely tired from our day of shopping. But the pleading in Duo's eyes was unmistakable. He wanted to be alone--maybe for the last time until the trial was over. And while we had a private room in the cottage, we weren't truly alone there with Catherine and Wufei one room over.
"Sure," I said, pushing the fatigue to the back of my mind and forcing a smile.
Wufei looked me over with a slight frown. "Are you certain you're up to it, Yuy? It's an uphill walk."
"I'll be fine," I assured him, though I wasn't sure at all.
Duo seemed to catch on, and started to open his mouth to say it'd be okay if we didn't make the walk. But I cut him off quickly, giving him a teasing look. "If I get tired, I'll just make Duo carry me the rest of the way."
He smiled and relaxed, though his hand reflexively brushed over my bandaged shoulder. "It's a deal," he said warmly. "I'd carry you to the ends of the Earth if I had to."
"Romantic drivel," Wufei snipped with feigned scorn. "Come, woman--let's leave the two lovebirds to their own devices."
"Woman?" Catherine asked dangerously, as Wufei opened the door for her. "Chang--you and I need to talk!"
My partner blanched a bit as he rounded the car to the driver's door, and Duo gave a whoop of laughter. "Better start backpedaling right now, 'Fei-kins! You've got some serious ass-kissing to do to get out of the hole you just started digging."
Wufei shot him a scathing look and hopped into the driver's seat, shutting the door forcefully.
Duo caught my arm and pulled me towards a sidewalk along the wharf. "C'mon, lover. I'll show you the scenic route."
It was, indeed, scenic, though more because the setting sun lit Duo's hair with glimmering highlights, than because of any natural wonders.
We made our way along the walkway until we reached a public beach that was relatively deserted that time of day, and then walked along the sand to get to the foot path Duo had mentioned.
But once we were on it, I slipped an arm around his waist, feeling like we were the only two people out there--and even if we stumbled across a stray hiker, it was their tough luck if they were offended by a gay couple.
The path did, indeed, climb rather steeply for a bit, and I found myself feeling a little lightheaded before we were halfway to the top.
"Duo--I need to rest," I admitted reluctantly, stopping at a scenic overlook and sinking onto a boulder that jutted out from the hillside.
He immediately sank to his knees beside me, anxiously putting a hand to my face. "Shit! I'm sorry, 'Ro. I should've known better. You took a fuckin' bullet less than three days ago."
"I'm okay," I insisted. "Just not back up to full strength. I'll be fine after a couple of minutes of rest."
He didn't look convinced, so I pulled him up next to me on the boulder and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Duo--I'm fine! Stop fussing."
"Sorry. It's just--while you were in and out of it, I was pretty frantic. 'Fei brought me out to the cliffs to settle me down. He made me do some kind of breathing thing, and watch the seagulls and stuff--to give me something else to focus on. I--I wanted to share this with you. So you could see how beautiful it is out here."
"I do see," I assured him, brushing a stray strand of hair from his face and leaning in to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I see a guy who shines brighter than the most spectacular of sunsets--a guy I want to spend the rest of my life with." I pulled him into a hug, and put my lips beside his ear. "Marry me."
He stiffened and then pulled back in surprise, searching my face warily. "Yuy--guys can't get married in this state."
"That's irrelevant," I shrugged. "I don't need a legal document to consider us permanent."
He looked adorably uncertain, his face scrunched up in confusion. "You already promised me forever," he pointed out.
"Yes, but I didn't ask you to marry me. I didn't ask for you to forsake all others, and cleave only to me, until death. I want that, Duo. I want to know this is exclusive and permanent and that even when we have our ups and downs and fights along the way, we'll stick with each other and work through them."
His expression softened, and he leaned in for a kiss. "Hell, lover--that's what we've been doing for weeks now--fighting and making up, and sticking together against all the odds. I got no problem promising to keep doing that--with you--and only you--for the rest of my life."
I felt my breath catch at the tenderness in his voice. "So--that's a 'yes'?"
"Yes," he smirked, wrapping his arms even tighter around me so that I could feel the pounding of his heart against my chest and the warmth of his breath on my neck. "I love you," he whispered so quietly I barely heard it.
But my heart soared at hearing the words he'd been holding back for so long, and I had to blink hastily to clear my eyes of a little excess moisture. "I love you too."
We stayed there on the little plateau, enjoying the salty breeze and the rhythmic pounding of the waves on the shore below until I felt strong enough to continue the hike. And when we did resume our journey, it was hand in hand, the way we were going to spend the rest of our lives, once we got the trial out of the way and were free.
TBC...
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