Author: Zazu
Rating: R
Warnings: Yaoi, AU
Pairing: 1x2
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, nor do I own the characters. I have borrowed them here for some fun and creativity, and this is not for profit. I do, however, own the plot mentioned here, and any instances that you may find similar to real life events are purely a coincidence. All of the characters depicted in this story are adults.
Notes: This was written for the Moments of Rapture 2010 "Clichés" Contest.
Happenstance
Happenstance. A circumstance that is especially due to chance; an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental.
~*~
"You've got to be kidding me," Duo muttered, alighting from the taxi into the dark streets. Only the glow of the moon and a few emergency lights directed his way towards the hotel that was his destination.
"Fuck me now." After an unexpected, ridiculously long wait at the airport and one extra flight transfer, the only thing he wanted to do now was to lie down and sleep. Settling the strap of his bag on his shoulder, Duo followed the lights towards the reception.
For a hotel sitting on a city block with no electricity due to the severe storm, Duo had to admit that although it seemed to have taken forever, the girl behind the desk had been efficient in finding him the room he'd booked and retrieving his room key. Someone led Duo up the four flights of stairs to his door and for once, Duo was grateful that he had an old-fashioned key as opposed to a fancy key card. He wasn't sure what he would have done if he'd gotten this far and didn't actually get into the hotel room.
There was no point in bothering with the lights, or the flashlight he'd been given. The moonlight barely filtered into the windows, but all Duo needed was the bed. Setting his bag down and kicking off his shoes, he slid under the covers. He should check the room, but with the Preventer's training convention going on, he knew that the entire perimeter would be secured storm or not.
Bliss. That was the last thought on his mind as Duo snuggled in and fell asleep.
~*~
What the hell?
Those were the first words that crossed his mind when Heero realized that someone was spooned behind him, an arm was draped over his waist.
"What?" The body behind him stirred.
Crap. Heero hadn't realized that he'd actually spoken aloud.
Wait a minute. He was in bed with someone. A male someone!
"What the hell!" He jerked away and fell out of bed.
A head appeared, the bangs tousled from sleep, and eyes with an odd shade of bluish purple peered sleepily down at him. They widened quickly and the man sat up.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked incredulously.
"I'd like to ask you the same thing!" Heero snapped. "This is my room!"
"No," he said slowly. "This is my room."
Heero stood up, running a hand through his hair. "I'm supposed to be in room 412."
"So am I."
Ten minutes later, the two of them were down at the reception desk. From the look on the face of the approaching manager, Duo already wanted to take back any good thoughts he'd had towards the not-so-efficient receptionist from the night before.
"Mr. Yuy, Mr. Maxwell, I do apologize for this. With the storm and all of the computers being down, we never meant for such a mistake to occur..."
"It doesn't matter," Heero interrupted. "How will this be fixed? Will he be moving to a different room, or will I?"
"Well, you see...with the conference booked as full as it is, and the hotel filling up with people whose homes were flooded, there aren't..."
"You're not telling me that there aren't any other rooms available, are you?" Duo asked. A sinking feeling in his gut told him that the manager was about to tell him exactly that.
"I'd be happy to refund you the cost of the room and throw in free breakfast for you!" the manager quickly said. "I know the room only has one double bed, but a cot can be brought in..."
"What about an upgraded room?" Heero asked.
"I'm sorry, even all of those are booked up." The manager looked a little desperate. "I do sincerely apologize to the both of you. If there's anything I can do to make your stay better, please let me know."
Duo sighed and looked at Heero. Offering his hand, he gave a half smile.
"My name's Duo Maxwell."
After a moment, Heero took his hand.
"I know who you are."
Duo looked confused. "You do?"
"Yeah. Riverview Elementary School. You didn't braid your hair back then. It's a lot longer now. I'm surprised you kept it."
"Riverview? No way!" Duo peered closely at the other man. "Yuy. I don't think I know anyone by that name."
"My first name is Heero. And you probably don't remember me," Heero said with a shrug. "I was two grades ahead of you. The first time we met, my classmate and I had been assigned to help your group out during the annual sports day."
Duo laughed. "No way!"
"Yes way." Heero nodded towards the hotel restaurant. "Breakfast?"
"Yeah," Duo agreed, turning towards the restaurant. "I'm starving!"
They placed their orders with the waitress, but only when their coffees arrived did they start talking again.
"Now that you mentioned the sports day, I think I might remember you."
"Really?" Heero took a sip of his coffee.
"Please tell me that you weren't the older boy I spilled my juice box on." Duo grimaced at the memory.
"You...spilled a juice box?"
"I accidentally squeezed it, okay? Juice came squirting out and it got all over his..." Duo waved in the general direction of his mid section. "He was teased forever about having peed himself. He hated me!"
Heero chuckled. "No. That wasn't me."
"Thank God," Duo sighed. "Or else this would be really awkward."
Their breakfast arrived then, and they began eating. Heero glanced at his watch. "We have about forty minutes before the conference meet and greet starts."
"So you must be a Preventer then, to be here," Duo said between bites. "Where do you work?"
"Twenty-First Division, Captain of the Intelligence Unit."
Duo whistled, impressed. "Intelligence, huh? Guess you get to play with all the high tech gadgets."
"What about you?"
"Twenty-First Division, First Officer of the C4."
"Twenty-First Division?" Heero asked with a frown. "I knew the position was available in that department, but I wasn't told that it had been filled."
Duo chuckled. "Don't worry. You didn't miss a memo. I was asked if I would be interested. I just accepted about twenty four hours ago. First Officer...was kind of a promotion for me, so I was already slotted into this conference."
"Congratulations," Heero said. "I might get the high tech toys, but you get all the fireworks."
"Thanks." Duo lifted his coffee cup and took a drink. "So tell me about the Twenty-First Division, Captain Yuy."
~*~
"Wow," Duo said as he removed his tie, tossing it aside. "I've forgotten that one of these days can be more tiring than pulling an all nighter while staring at a bomb configuration." He flopped back onto the bed, then immediately stood again, look sheepish.
"What's wrong?" Heero asked.
"Sorry. We haven't exactly talked about who would sleep on the bed, or the cot."
"I'll take the cot." Heero dropped his jacket onto the small cot.
"Well, you're the senior officer. I should take the cot."
Heero snorted. "Don't worry about it. It's only for a couple of days."
"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"
"Why should you argue out of your favour in the first place?"
"Fair enough." Duo lay back, stretching out with a sigh. "Okay then. Dinner's on me. I heard there's a deli around the corner that's pretty good."
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"Someone in my group." Duo straightened. "I'm going to grab a quick shower, if you don't mind?"
"Not at all."
~*~
"And with only two minutes left everyone else started clearing out. It's a part of protocol you know? So I thought to myself 'Damn, Maxwell, you're going to blow sky high!' because I couldn't figure out a way to get to the wire I needed to cut without offsetting the balanced mercury and setting off the bomb."
"Why did you stay at all? You could have backed off like everyone else."
"How?" Duo asked. "The whole building would go down and my favourite Chinese place is right at the bottom!"
Heero snorted. "Is food all you think about?" he asked, eyeing the second deli sandwich that Duo was eating between telling his story.
"No. I guess it was the challenge. I knew somehow that I could do it, but I just needed that little bit of extra time. My commander was screaming at me to get the hell out. If you've ever met him, Chang's pretty persuasive. He's never forgiven me for ignoring him, never mind the fact that I did get to the wire and shut the bomb down."
"How'd you manage it?"
"It was kind of stupid, actually," Duo said. "When you try to envision how the builder would have put everything in place, they had to leave a safeguard of some sort to ensure that the bomb remains balanced when they left the bomb wherever they needed it to go. So it's a matter of locating and tricking that safeguard into thinking that nothing is out of place. That's a bit of a simplification, really, because you have to take into account that the thing is actually ticking away, but a lot of times, when they expect you to find the bomb and try to disarm it, a lot of the wires and screws and bolts are just there to confuse you."
"I can tell you really love your job," Heero said.
"What can I say?" Duo laughed. "It's a passion of mine. I've been destructive since I learned to roll over."
Heero laughed. Somehow, that wasn't hard to imagine.
~*~
Heero shifted on the cot, stilling as his bed squeaked at his movements. He sighed mentally, trying to fall asleep. While it was true that he'd slept in worse conditions before, both during his preliminary training and in real-time missions, it had been a while since he'd have to sleep like this.
He wondered if he'd gone soft, or if it was just the setting of the hotel that left him unable to focus on sleep and not his personal comforts. Heero's mind flashed back to that day, years ago, when he'd first met Duo. It was hard to believe that the small boy, though physically not much smaller than he had been despite his being two years older, was now a grown man sleeping just a few feet away from him.
"You're the coolest kid ever, Heero! You were so fast! I want to win all the ribbons like you do!"
"Then practice hard."
"I want to be just like you!"
Heero shifted again, then stilled.
"Hey, Heero?"
Heero started. He'd thought that Duo had fallen asleep a good half an hour ago. "Sorry," he apologized. "I must be keeping you up."
"Don't be sorry," Duo said. There was a click, and the bedside lamp on the far side of Duo turned on. "Come on. We can share the bed."
"It's okay. I'm fine here."
"The hell you are. We're doing focus groups tomorrow and I'm pretty sure that if today was just a starter today, tomorrow is going to be even more tiring. And it's not like you'll have less space here than you would on that tiny thing."
"But..."
"Just get in. The faster you do, the faster we both get to sleep."
"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?" Heero asked, repeating what Duo had said before dinner.
Duo laughed. "Why should you argue out of your favour in the first place?" he asked, paraphrasing Heero.
Heero rose gratefully from the cot. Taking his pillow and blanket, he joined Duo on the bed.
"All set? I'm going to switch the light off."
"Okay."
The room darkened once more and for a moment, both of them tossed and turned to find comfortable spots.
"Do you have laser corrected vision, Heero?"
"No. Why?"
"I thought you might have been the older kid whose glasses I broke."
"How did you manage that?"
"They looked cool on him, so I borrowed them and tried them on. Then I tripped over my shoelaces and fell. He walked around with his glasses taped together, right at the bridge of his nose, until he got new glasses."
Heero chuckled. "Good night, Duo."
"Good night, Heero."
~*~
When Duo woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of the shower running, his alarm clock beeping, and the sensation of his hand palming his groin. It took a moment for him to realize that not only was Heero in the bathroom, but they'd shared the bed, and yet Duo had awoken with his head on Heero's pillow and his legs tangled in Heero's blankets.
He hoped to God he hadn't been rubbing up against poor Heero. That was probably why the guy had escaped so quickly to the bathroom before their alarm clock had gone off.
Hitting the button to turn off the incessant beeping, Duo closed his eyes and tried to will his erection away. Heero would be done his shower soon, and Duo needed to wait until it was his turn before he could take care of his little problem.
Except, the thought of Heero in the showers, water running down his toned body, was not helping matters at all.
Shaking his head, Duo tried to think of other things like goldfish and poison ivy and the neighbour he'd had in high school, who walked around their unfenced backyard in very little clothing as if to attract attention, except she could have gone around naked and Duo wouldn't have been interested.
He shuddered a little at the memory, and abruptly sat up when the bathroom door open.
"You're up," Heero said as he exited, dressed only in his pants and towelling his hair.
"Yeah," Duo replied. In more ways than one. He derailed that train of thought. "Are you done with the bathroom?"
"It's all yours." Heero turned around and bent over his overnight bag. Duo took the chance to hurry into the bathroom.
It was a little pathetic that it hadn't taken more than a few strokes for Duo to climax, but that wasn't his primary concern. What did concern him was that it had been the vision of Heero, his muscles rippling with hidden power as he towelled his hair, which sent Duo over the edge.
Splashing water onto his face, Duo tried to reason with himself. The man was good looking; there was no doubt about that. He had a sense of humour; that much, Duo had discerned from their few conversations. And that body...Duo wanted nothing more than to push Heero down onto the bed and explore every inch of it.
Thinking of a senior officer like that was certainly an offense. Duo banished the thought and hurried through his morning routine. He'd spend most of the day away from Heero, and that would give him the time and distraction he needed to stop thinking of these absurd thoughts.
Heero paused in his searching when he heard the bathroom door close behind Duo. Straightening, he looked at the door, then back at the bed. His groin stirred with brief interest when he recalled the feeling of Duo's weight on him as Heero awoke, his braid tickling Heero's stomach where his shirt had ridden up. And if the morning wood at his hip had been any indication, Heero deduced that Duo was quite well-proportioned.
Glaring at himself in the mirror's reflection, Heero mentally chided himself for thinking such thoughts. He was there for sensitivity training, for goodness sakes, and that should tell him that he should be more aware of the people around him, and the last thing Duo needed was for a senior officer, one that would be working in the same Division, to come on to him.
Pulling his shirt on, Heero flipped on the TV to watch the news, distracting himself from his thoughts.
~*~
Duo had been right, Heero mused as he half-listened to the speaker of the moment. The focus groups did require more energy than the day before. All of this training was definitely more tiring than being up all night tinkering with new gadgets and coding. Those tasks certainly were more engaging to Heero than these.
His gaze drifted briefly to his left. Duo's group was there, and he was talking, not that Heero could hear what he was saying. He guessed that Duo was bored, because whatever he was saying, his face lacked the animated expressions he'd had in their previous conversations, especially the ones that were about the specifics of his job.
At that moment, Duo glanced over and made eye contact. Heero raised an eyebrow, and Duo shot him a quick smile before turning back to his group. Taking his cue, Heero, too, turned his attention back to his group.
~*~
"What to stay in for dinner?" Duo asked. "I'm beat. I think I'll just get some room service or something."
"I'm not hungry yet," Heero replied. "I need to stop by the gift store. My secretary, Relena, insists that I bring her a souvenir."
"What are you going to get her?"
"I wish I knew."
Duo laughed. "You're on your own, buddy. I don't have a secretary to buy for."
Heero sighed. "If you don't mind waiting, I can bring some take out back. There's a PF Changs not far from the hotel, maybe a block away."
"Really? That'd be awesome!"
Heero nodded. "Any preferences?"
"Anything is fine."
"I'll be back in an hour."
"Okay. See you. Thanks again."
Duo was dozing, half listening to the television program, when Heero returned. The room filled with the scent of the food, making Duo's mouth water.
"Smells great!"
Heero set the containers down and they sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed to eat. Before long, the food was gone.
"That has, thus far, been the highlight of this trip. The storm, the flight transfers, the room mistake, all of that has been made up for." Duo thought for a moment. "No, that's unfair. There was also the discovery that we were elementary school mates. That was a highlight, even if I can't remember you yet. But this restaurant, this food, totally makes my day."
"You'll be happy to hear that there's one right by where you'll be working."
"Really? That's awesome. See? I love it there already."
"Doesn't take much to make you happy."
"Why should it take a lot? Simple pleasures in life; that's the way to go."
"True enough."
"You agree?" Duo asked. "What are some of your simple pleasures?"
"A good book in a good reading chair with a good light. Warm tea on a cool day. A little happenstance." Heero looked at Duo for a moment. He opened his mouth to say more, but found himself leaning forward and pressing his lips to Duo's. He pulled away after a moment. "Kissing," he finished softly.
"Kissing is hardly a simple pleasure," Duo breathed.
"Oh?"
"Let me show you." Duo leaned forward, meeting Heero's lips and immediately deepening the kiss.
Heero couldn't tell how much time had passed before they parted, but they were both breathing hard. "You're right," he said. "That wasn't too simple. You might have to show it to me again."
"Gladly." Duo stood and pulled Heero up to sit on the bed. Their lips met again, moving slowly against each other, their tongues teasing and tasting until they were breathless but still wanted more. Heero realized that he was lying down, his hand fisting Duo's braid Duo's hand in his hair as they kissed.
Duo pulled back with a chuckle. "I'm glad you didn't order anything that was too heavy on the garlic."
Heero sighed. "Way to ruin the mood."
"Sorry," Duo looked slightly contrite, then grinned. "Let me fix it."
Heero pushed Duo back and leaned down over him, taking the initiative once more. This clearly suited Duo; his hands roamed down Heero's back, touching, almost tickling. Heero slipped his hand up Duo's t-shirt, finding and teasing a nipple. Duo moaned, his back arching a little into the touch. Resting his hands on Heero's hips, Duo angled them, pressing their groins together.
It felt better, Heero realized, than it did that morning, when Duo had been unaware. Duo's hips rocked up into Heero's, breathless gasp escaping between their kisses.
"Oh God, Heero!" Duo hissed against Heero's lips before his head tilted back and he found his release. The pulsing of Duo's climax against his hardness, even through their clothing, was enough to send Heero over the edge.
They lay together, catching their breaths, before Duo chuckled. "Holy shit, Heero," he breathed. "Did we just come in our pants like a couple of high school students?"
Heero nodded.
"I can't remember the last time that happened," Duo said.
Heero couldn't, either, but he wasn't about to dwell on it. He shifted away with a grimace. "There's a good reason that I can't remember the last time this happened. The feelings afterwards aren't the best."
"You're totally right," Duo agreed. "Dibs on the shower!" He jumped up and dashed into the bathroom.
With a sigh, Heero followed and knocked on the barely-closed door. "Can you at least share?"
The door opened and Duo grabbed his arm. Heero stumbled in with a laugh.
~*~
It was two weeks after the conference that Heero opened his door to find Duo on his doorstep.
"Hey, you made it." Heero smiled.
"Got in a couple days ago. I just settled into my apartment."
"Come on in."
Duo stepped in and slipped his shoes off. Heero had barely taken two steps before Duo pushed him against the wall, stealing a deep kiss.
"Look what I found," he said against Heero's lips before stepping back. He held up a picture.
Heero smiled at it; he had the very same picture. In it, Heero was holding Duo's hand, a half smile on his lips as he looked at the long-haired boy. Duo was missing a tooth but he was grinning at the camera, holding out an award ribbon he'd won.
"I remembered you as soon as you mentioned Riverview, and that sports day," Duo said softly. "I didn't want to tell you without showing you that I'd kept this picture all these years. You were my best friend back then, Heero."
Heero nodded at the memory.
"You're my bestest friend, Heero! We'll be best friends forever!"
"Okay."
"Really! I want to be just like you! Even when you become a big kid and go to middle school, you'll still be my bestest friend!"
"I moved away the next year. I cried when I found out you weren't coming. But we left before I could say goodbye and...I guess I just forgot," Duo said sheepishly. "Sorry, best friend."
"It wasn't your fault." Heero tugged at Duo's braid. "You were too young to know better."
"But hey, aren't you glad?"
"About what?" Heero asked, handing the photograph back to Duo.
"That we woke up in the same bed!"
Heero laughed, tugging on Duo's braid again. "Yeah, I was glad for this happenstance. Now, come on in. You haven't seen my place yet."
Duo dutifully turned his attention to the apartment, then looked back at Heero. He held out his hand, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Want to show me where I might be able to wake up spooned against you tomorrow morning?"
Heero took Duo's hand and drew him in for a quick kiss before leading Duo away from the living room.
"Right this way, bestest friend."
OWARI
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