Sorry, this next bit’s really short. Oh, well, the next one looks like it’s gonna be even shorter!
by Anria Chiou Lalumin

Past Encounters
Part Three: The Best Thing

When Duo woke the next morning, he was in someone else's bed. He stared up at the deep bluey-green of the canopy above him and part of his brain tried to work out where he was even as the other part tried to make him go back to sleep.

The part that tried to work out where he was won out. He gained full consciousness as he remembered every part of the past four days.

Ever since meeting Heero, neither had been out of the other's company for more than a few seconds. Their first mating, on the wooden table in the kitchen, had been followed by a food fight. Duo wasn't entirely sure how it had started: just that the next thing he knew the two were running stark naked through Heero's home, throwing vegetables at each other and giggling. That had ended rather abruptly in the living room, when Heero had tackled him, knocking the two of them rolling over the thick rug in front of the fire. Having been left untended during the banquet and the episode in the kitchen, the fire petered out while they were engrossed in each other, leaving the room illuminated by one lone torch.

After they had satisfied each other there, the two had decided it would be a good idea to re-light the torches and the fire all around the house so that they didn't fall over objects in the hallways. Then they had retreated back to the rug in front of the fire. It took them another five hours to consider using Heero's bed.

Not all of the past four days had been sex, however. They had spent a large amount talking -- well, to be more precise Duo talked and Heero listened. They had learned more about each other.

Returning to the present, Duo smiled, shifting in the tight circle of Heero's arms so he could see his lover's face. Heero was snoring slightly, his intensely blue eyes shut and mouth hanging open. Duo knew he was exhausted; he'd made sure he was exhausted.

Brushing the thick, soft chestnut bangs back from his forehead, Duo pressed a kiss to the soft skin there and gently wormed his way out of Heero's arms. Standing at the foot of the bed, he looked up at the lean, perfect form of his lover and was completely unaware that his eyes took on a soft light when he did so, lips curving up in a faint, fond smile.

Quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping man, Duo made his way from the bedroom to the bathroom, pouring himself a cold bath since he couldn't be bothered to heat it, and washing himself thoroughly. Heero would wake up not long after him, and if his lover caught him in the bath again . . . well. He could remember what had happened last time, and, relishing the memory or not, Duo wanted to do more than screw today.

Duo jumped out of the bath as soon as he could, scrubbing himself down with the towel and trying to warm up from the freezing water. Teach him to take a cold bath.

He scrambled into his clothes and, sneaking past the doorway to Heero's room -- his and Heero's, now he thought about it -- and down the stairs into the library. Heero certainly had an extensive collection of books, Duo thought to himself, staring. Heero had kept him away from this room, and in particular away from his desk.

It was that desk to which Duo was headed. Seating himself at the table, he shuffled through some letters, looking aimlessly, until something caught his eye.

Frowning, Duo read the letter. He read it again. And again.

It took quite some time for the meaning to sink in.

+

Heero scrubbed a hand through his hair, yawning. He'd woken that morning to Duo's pronounced absence and had immediately resolved to find him. He wouldn't have gone far, and Heero couldn't wait to see him again. The past four days had seen him fall harder and faster than he had ever for anything in his life. He couldn't get enough of Duo.

He searched all over the house and was about to try the grounds before he realized there was one room he had not gone into.

Why would he have gone to the library? Heero argued with himself. He doesn't even like books! There's no reason for Duo to have gone there...

However, even as he was thinking this, he was pushing the library door open.

Duo was sitting at his desk, staring straight ahead. The letters that had been in a neat pile were messed up in front of him, one in particular placed on top of all the others. Heero knew what it contained and almost groaned. Of all the ways for Duo to find this out...

"You're BG," Duo said in a flat monotone, as though this simple fact had sucked all of the life out of him. His beautiful eyes met Heero's.

Heero narrowed his eyes. Why would...? The answer came to him in a sickening rush and he blurted it out, feeling like it shredded his guts. "You're BR."

Duo nodded.

They stared at each other, cobalt eyes meeting Prussian. The silence was deafening.

Duo broke first, standing. "I'll leave," he said. His voice cracked on the words.

Heero just stood there stupidly as the best thing that had ever happened to him walked past him and out of the room, out of his life.

[part 2] [part 4] [back to Anria's fic]