Author: FancyFigures
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, wish I did, just enjoy writing about 'em for free etc
Pairings: 1+2
Category: POV, romance/sap
Warnings: Yaoi, lime (light)
Spoilers: None
Notes: What do you get the boy who has everything for his birthday? Duo knows what he wants. Heero knows what he's going to get. Enjoy their journey there!

Written for Sharon, for Moments of Rapture's 2nd birthday, and because she and I both need happy endings fairly regularly!

Feedback: I guess the theme has been done before, but I've enjoyed writing my version! If you liked it, PLEASE let me know!

Best Wishes

"What's this, then?" asked Heero. He looked faintly disapproving - no, more than faintly. His eyes were dark and unreadable, and ranged over the dining room table. Must have seen the crumb-filled plates and the empty bottles of champagne littering it.

"A celebration!" I cried. I may have been a little too enthusiastic because of my own half-filled glass. And the five glasses before that. I know he winced at the volume.

"For what?"

"My birthday!" I announced, rather upset that he hadn't remembered. The other guys had, and although they were due out for the evening at a conference they couldn't miss, they'd come laden with all my favourites. Chocolate-topped profiteroles, ice cream, angel cake, chocolate muffins, raspberry jelly ... yeah, a really well balanced meal! And, of course, champagne to wash it all down.

I surreptitiously slid a couple of the empty bottles that were on the floor under the couch, with my foot.

"Come on Heero," I wheedled. I wanted to pat the seat beside me on the couch, but I thought that would just be too cute for him to bear. "Come and join me! I'm all on my lonesome 'cos the guys had to go out. I've just been waiting for you to come back for your share -"

"My share?" he said, a little suspiciously.

"Of the party food, of course!" I said, quite innocently.

"It appears to have all gone," he said, straight-faced. He was right, of course. I didn't think he'd want the profiterole that I'd dropped on the floor and then dusted off with a napkin. And Trowa had sat on the only remaining slice of cake. Anyway, I was saving that for my late-night hunger emergencies.

"Should you be drinking so much?" Heero asked. He gingerly lifted another napkin full of jelly and ice cream off the armchair and sat down there instead. Too far away for my liking, but I'd work on it.

"Jeez, don't be a tight-ass! I'm sixteen now!" I protested. "And it's just for tonight, in the comfort of my own home -"

"OK, OK," he waved a hand to pacify me. "It's just not good for you - it dulls your senses."

"If I had drunk too much, perhaps it would!" I shook my head very vehemently, and he raised an eyebrow in response. Praps I shook it a little too much. "But I've only had a few glasses. Enough to relax me. Enough to feel good. Why don't you have a drink yourself?"

"Drink? I - no thank you."

"Ah, c'mon, Heero. Just to be sociable. I'm not asking you to be a lush."

"A lush?" He struggled with the word. "I just don't drink, Duo."

"You don't know how to enjoy yourself," I pouted. "And it's damn rude when it's my birthday 'n all. I don't ask much, do I? Just to join me in a toast to another fine year."

"Rude?" he said, a little warily.

"Yeah!" I snapped. "On a guy's birthday, you're meant to be nice to him, let him have a good time!"

He peered at me, almost suspiciously. I opened my eyes even wider. Mr Innocence, that's me. "Just a drink?"

"Yeah - though if it warms you up a little, you're welcome to share a few more with me."

"It won't," he said, firmly. "Alcohol has no effect on me."

I got up off the couch, and poured a drink out of the nearest open bottle for him. I only had one clean glass left - it was a beer tumbler, actually. I thought that Heero wouldn't have a problem with such a social gaffe. It sure took a good lot of liquid to fill up.

He took it from me like it might bite him. "That's too much, surely, Duo?"

"Nah," I replied, breezily. "You need to catch up with me - I'm several glasses ahead o' that. I mean, that's fair, isn't it?"

"I - don't know," he said. He took a sip. Held back his grimace, but I saw it nonetheless.

"You having a problem, Heero? Can't match me in a coupla drinks on a happy occasion?"

"I'm fine!" he snapped back. Pride reared its head, and well above Caution. He quaffed back a third of the glass in one go.

"No effect, huh?" I asked.

"No."

I sniggered to myself. I saw the slight flush, high on his cheekbones. His fine, sculpted cheekbones.

"So what do you do to relax, Heero? What can you take - to help you let go a little?"

"I don't need to let go. I don't choose to do that. Not like -"

"Like me?"

"Maybe." He looked damn awkward there, perched on the edge of the armchair. His free hand was clenched rather tightly on his thigh. Nice, strong thigh. Muscles running tautly up to...

"Nuts?" I said, blithely. He stared at me, confused. "I have a coupla packs of nuts, Heero. You could have them with your drink, as I haven't left you much else."

"I've - I've eaten already," he said, faintly. But I'd already produced a squashed packet from behind the couch cushion, and ripped it open. I offered it out to him. He had to get up from the chair to reach over and take one.

I sank back into the couch, the packet coming with me, and Heero's hand following. It made sense for him to fall down into the seat beside me, didn't it?

"Duo, stay still! I can't reach them -" He sat down heavily. He looked at the remainder of the pale liquid in his glass, and he sighed. "Look, I know your plan, Duo, and I'm not falling for it. I think you should be more mature now you're sixteen..."

"Plan? What plan? I just wanted you to be comfortable! What did you think I was doing?"

He blushed. It was so gorgeous! He looked a little unsure in the face of my supreme confidence. "I just thought -"

"Just thought what?"

He flushed even more. "I just thought it might be - a way to get into my pants. Get me drunk, get me snuck up close to you on the couch, and then..."

"What?" I almost shrieked. "Like - how arrogant is that?"

"You have often said you'd like to..." he protested.

"Yeah - as if!" I spluttered. I reckoned I was giving a damn good performance of righteous indignation. The champagne I'd drunk so far was elevating my acting to Academy Award standards. "I do have other fish to fry, y'know! As I remember, you were given the chance - and you said you weren't interested..."

"That wasn't exactly what I said..." he broke in, but his words dried up quickly.

"Yeah, well," I finished. "That's of no interest now to either of us, is it?" I sighed, with a pretence of tiredness, and gestured the bottle at his glass. "You want a top up of that? Seeing as it has no effect on you, anyway?"

What could he say? He was embarrassed he'd accused me of being some kind of sex fiend, and he could see I was still drinking steadily with perfect control. He had to save face, after all. I topped up his glass, and watched him drink some more.

"Oh, and thanks for the present, Heero."

"Present -?" He wasn't quite quick enough to recover his words. "I - I didn't know - I didn't -"

"- get me one!" I finished for him. I put that sad, pathetic little expression on my face. The one that makes me look like a puppy begging to be saved from drowning. I do it really well. I reckon mother dogs would come to my rescue.

"Duo, this isn't fair," he protested. "We never gave presents last year -"

"But the others gave me a coupla things, this time. Nothing big - nothing expensive. It's the thought that counts after all, isn't it? But that's OK - I understand that your thoughts must of necessity be concentrated on things far more important than me -"

I think I heard him groan.

"You talk complete nonsense, Duo. I'll make allowances, and blame it on the champagne. I apologise for forgetting your birthday, but you're right, there are more important things going on than trying to think of something to get you as a present -"

"So the problem is that you can't think of anything?"

"I - that's part of it, yes - but -"

"But I can help there!" I beamed at him. I put the bottle back on the table, and managed to shift six inches nearer him in the process. "Just offer me your Best Wishes on my birthday, that's all I want!"

"But - I don't -" he tried to interrupt.

"You don't want to give me Best Wishes?"

"No - I didn't mean that!" His brow was creased with his concentration, trying to keep up with me. "For God's sake, Duo, you twist my words -"

"Drink up then!" I smiled. "And then you can give it to me!"

"What -?" The mouthful of drink spluttered out of his mouth all over his pants. Never mind - I didn't intend him to end up the evening in them.

"The wishes! You can give me the wishes! Three wishes, I reckon, just like the stories have it."

"What on earth are you gabbling about?"

"You're gonna grant me three Best Wishes for my birthday gift, aren't you?"

"I am?" he said, faintly. This time, he reached for the drink very willingly, and downed the rest of the glass. "I think maybe I should never have come home..."

"Chicken!" I grinned. "C'mon, this is my special day, isn't it? You're not gonna spoil it, are you? What could I possibly ask for that would inconvenience you more than having to run down the store and buy me something?"

Heero stared at me. He pursed his lips. His pupils dilated, then shrank again. It was all very interesting to me, those instinctive - and revealing - reactions.

"It's - a game, then, is it?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "You could call it that. A party game." I leant gently in towards him, just to try out my theories. I could breathe in his smell; his body, his clothes, his hair... he was warm, and he looked as delicious as all those party foods I'd savoured just an hour before. But he always had the promise of even more delight than they did....a more lasting satisfaction. I was sure that I could see goose bumps rising on his arm. A sudden heavy swallowing in his smooth throat. I licked my lips, and he saw the gesture. I made sure that he did.

It was a full ten seconds before he pulled back.

"Rules! Conditions!" he snapped, for the first time managing to distract me successfully.

"Erm - yeah - of course," I hedged. It couldn't be anything too tricky, could it?

"You get three wishes, I get three conditions."

"OK," I said. I felt a little bit of the control slipping away. Whose game was this, anyway?

"One - no huge sums of money to be involved! I'm just as broke as -"

"- as I am!" I smiled, ruefully. "Sure."

"Two - no threat to my laptop! In any way!"

I agreed. I must admit, I hadn't thought of a way to incorporate it in my birthday celebrations, anyway.

"Three..." He paused. I beamed back at him, though my smile faltered slightly. "Nothing non-consensual."

Was that all? I thought with relief. "OK, OK Heero, that's all fine. If you don't wanna do something, I don't ask again. So now you have to be my Birthday Genie and grant my wishes. Ready?"

The look he gave me spoke volumes. Its sternness was unyielding like rock. Its warning would have sliced through metal. Its disapproval would have caused an eclipse. And its nervousness made my heart melt.

*

"Wish number one. Dance with me."

"What -? I can't dance!"

"Rubbish! You move like a dream, I've seen you!"

"Dancing? Me?" Heero looked as if he'd strayed into the Twilight Zone, and I was his guide.

"Nah - but you run well, and you have perfect timing, and your body's in top condition - look, come here and try!" I tugged him up on to his feet, and reached over to flip on the CD player. What a surprise! - there already seemed to be a CD in it, and it was set on some sexy, throbbing little soul number. I couldn't have chosen a better number to dance to, with Heero, even if I'd searched every CD that Quatre possessed, and tried every track out, dancing with a cushion all through the night...

He was too startled to resist me, and I had an arm round his waist before he knew it. I started swaying to the music, and moving him along with me, and it was damn fine, I can tell you. To start with, it was a bit like dragging a plank of wood around after me, but that was still OK by me. So long as that plank of wood had Heero's smell, and Heero's feel, and was only six inches away from me at any juncture of our bodies.

"This is - it's not much good, is it, Duo? I feel damn stupid. We'd better sit down -"

"No, no," I reassured him. I tugged him a bit closer, and my leg slipped accidentally between his knees. I took a firmer hold on his waist, and put my other hand on his shoulder. "Come on, you'll get the hang of it, and it's only a short track. You promised, remember? It's my First Wish!"

He grudgingly shut up. I felt his hand hovering at my waist as well, and then it settled down, rather gingerly, on my hip. I had to move slightly to the side of him - it was having an unfortunate effect on my groin. I suppose I could always have blamed that on the champagne as well...

We swayed some more; I was humming softly under my breath alongside the singer. I could feel the beat of the music creeping up my legs and through my body. As I gradually leant further into Heero, I felt him move in rhythm. When I turned my body around the furniture, he rolled along with me like he was on casters. OK, so he didn't dance - but he moved like liquid chocolate. It was like having a shadow - but a warm, fleshy, breathing one.

Heero's voice broke in to my pleasant daydream. "A short track, you said?"

"Uh-huh."

His voice was a little muffled where I was pressing his face into my shoulder as we circled the room. "It's been ten minutes, Duo. Are you sure it's the same number?"

"Must be the uncut version," I murmured. I slid my hand from his shoulder up to his neck.

He swayed a little awkwardly.

I smiled. "Hey, Heero - got problems standing up straight? I thought that alcohol didn't affect you?"

"I'm fine!" he growled. "I just - well - I just took a wrong step. I need a rest, Duo!"

"OK, OK," I sighed. "Wish one over, then." And I turned down the music.

*

"Wish two..."

"What now?" he sighed, leaning back into the couch again. "I think I've got cramp in my left buttock."

I tore myself away from the delectable vision that inspired. I've always fancied myself as a physiotherapist. Or something like that. I filled up his glass again, as he obviously needed some refreshment after our dance.

"It's a sedentary wish," I smiled. I could still feel the imprint of his hand on my hip. It was tingling, like there'd been a tiny electrical shock.

"Good!"

"I want to read your fortune."

"What? Do you have some kind of - of -"

"Ball, Heero?" He flinched. "I meant crystal ball, Heero, of course. But no, I'll read your palm. Here, let me have it."

He still stared at me. He looked rather flushed, and I didn't think we'd danced all that energetically.

"Your palm, Heero. Let me have your palm. Hold out your hand."

He stretched out his hand, palm upwards, and I took it in mine. His fingers were long and strong, and well used to precision working. Careful manipulation. A very firm touch. I shivered a little.

"OK, here we see your Life line, a good, wide curve here, shows you have loads of vitality, lots of get up and go. Of course, I know that already - your body is in perfect shape." My eyes wandered a little, as if I needed just to check up on that. Down from his shoulders, down to his muscled chest and satisfactorily flat stomach, and on down to long, sinewy legs. I can see through clothes, didn't I tell you?

Heero blushed as if he knew I could. "Get on with it, Duo, I'm perfectly aware of my physical health, thank you."

"This is the Head line," I continued, and this time I ran my own finger across his palm, tracing the contours. It was warm, and a little sweaty. "It's straight as a laser, Heero - that means clear, concentrated thinking. It thrusts through the palm, doesn't it? And your Fate line - well, that's very strong, very firm. Shows you've settled into your pattern of life even at this age."

"Where do you get all this rubbish from, Duo?"

"Ahh, now, don't scorn what you don't understand!" I admonished him. And secretly blessed another evening of surfing the net.

"Here's the Heart line - ahh, look at that!"

"What?" He couldn't resist it - peered down at his palm. Saw my finger tip tracing the smallest of circles around in it.

"It's curved, isn't it? That means you're active in your love life - you're the aggressive one. You always do top, Heero?"

His face was scarlet; his mouth opened and nothing came out.

"Anyway, " I continued, "then it's this really steep curve below your index and middle finger, and we all know what that means!"

More goldfish impressions from Heero.

"Means you have a strong sexual desire. But 'cos it stops just up under the index finger, you're picky about your partner - must be rather frustrating for you, eh?"

Heero grumbled something like, "For God's sake!" but he let me trail the tips of my fingers over the lines, and along his fingers. Up along each one, then down into the creases between them. Gently across the pad of his palm; softly against the thin skin at his wrist. I could feel the pulse there. It was quite strong.

We had both fallen silent. I could feel an answering throb in my own pulse. I stroked, just enjoying the touch of his skin. The smoothness of his flesh. I wanted to put my lips to his wrist, but I was rather attached to my head and didn't think I could afford to lose it if Heero took exception to my actions.

Time will come, baby... I promised myself. I kept stroking. It was very soothing.

"It tickles!" growled Heero.

"What?"

"Duo, it - it's annoying. Please stop."

I couldn't feel any change in the pulse - if anything, it was speeding up. Could have been annoyance causing it, of course.

"OK. Wish two over." My hands came back into my lap and we both sat back. My fingers itched. So did other bits of me.

*

"Wish number three -"

"Yes?" he asked, tension in every fibre.

"I want you to let me kiss you."

"Duo, are you drunk? What sort of a wish is that?" He looked rather red, and he jerked back away from me on the couch. "You said nothing non-consensual, remember?"

"I'm not asking you to kiss me, Heero. Surely you can just let me give you a friendly peck? Just let me see how you taste. You don't have to respond at all - dammit, we've established that already, haven't we? I just - I'm just curious, that's all."

"You're not just drunk, you're mad as well! Curious about what? A kiss tastes the same whoever's involved -"

Oh Heero, I thought! What sweet naivety!

"You know that, do you? From experience?"

"Of course!" he blustered.

"Prove it," I murmured.

"Wait up! You'll be kissing me, remember -"

I sure will, baby, I smirked to myself. "But you can tell me if you think I taste the same as all the others you've kissed, can't you?"

"Duo," he groaned. "You're doing it again - twisting my words! When did I say I'd let you kiss me, anyway?"

I took a deep breath. "Just a little birthday treat for me, Heero, that's all! It's not as if I'm asking any other present, not even any one so small that you might have already bought it for me, because you are my friend 'n all, and might have been expected to remember such an important day in my life, if I didn't know what an important guy you are and how you can't really be finding time for such trivia as caring about your friends 'n all. I mean, if it's really abhorrent to you, I wouldn't force you, of course not, and if you think there won't be the slightest chance of any pleasure from it, and it would make you want to heave, well, of course I won't, and -"

"Shut up," he growled. "Will it satisfy this stupid game if Iet you?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you won't expect anything else from me?"

"Nope."

"Dammit!" he cursed, almost under his breath. "Is this what being drunk is? I can't believe that alcohol has had this significant an effect on my rationality. This is a bizarre situation for me to be in -!"

"Hush, baby," I sighed. "I'm coming in as well."

"In -? Wait, Duo - I never said you could -"

He was silenced as I leant in towards him again, and he clamped his mouth shut in some misguided attempt at a defence. I put my hands to his angular, handsome face, and I took possession of his mouth. It was sweet, and moist, and - for the moment - impregnable. I sighed again, because it was still really very tasty, and I pressed my lips even more firmly to his. And I slid out my tongue, and I licked at the corners of his mouth. Gently. Persistently.

He didn't move away. In fact, his hand wavered a little at his side, and I fancied he was tempted to put it round me. I shifted slightly so that he could reach me more easily. And I kissed him some more.

"Duo..."

"Mm?"

But he didn't get a chance to answer. He'd made the fatal mistake - usually mine! - of opening his mouth to speak, and I took full advantage. The hot tip of my tongue pushed gently through the tense lips, and teased at his teeth. I could taste the drink in his mouth, and feel the soft roughness of his own tongue, and the temptation to suck greedily on it was very strong. But I didn't want this to end just yet. Well - not ever, really, but I understood I was on a very narrow precipice here, without knowing quite what mood Heero was in.

His lips eased just slightly, and it was enough for me to suckle on them; to squash happily against them as my tongue plunged on into his mouth, tasting the warm insides of his cheeks, the ticklish smoothness of his palate.

"Duo..."

"Mm?"

"I - think that it can taste different..."

"Yeah?" Tell me something new, Heero! I had never tasted anything as good as Heero. Not even the profiteroles. My heart was beating faster than was healthy. I wasn't sure I'd make it to my seventeenth birthday.

And he was responding - my prayers were being answered. There was no question of it! His mouth opened wider, and he forced his own lips back against mine. His tongue was no longer an innocent bystander - it was thrusting back at mine, deep into my mouth, claiming its territory in mimicry of me. A very exciting, sensual mimicry! I felt my head swimming, and my arms sliding around his chest. I clutched him to me. And he clutched back! His hands were buried tightly in my hair, his legs tangling around mine. There was saliva and hot breath and a lot of panting between us. I couldn't remember having a better birthday, not even that movie with the mega-transformers, not even when I'd been to the circus...!

"Heero.."

"Hn?"

"Would you say, then - this is consensual?" I had to gasp a bit - it was difficult to get breath in between the kisses.

He didn't reply for another few minutes. His tongue was busy in my mouth, so I guess that gave me its own answer. His hand was up inside my shirt, so that looked like a second vote.

"Duo..."

"Mm?"

"It's just the alcohol, isn't it? Making it feel so good?"

I smirked. His tongue slipped into my mouth as I did so. We massaged tongues for yet another long while, before my turn to answer. "There's no alcohol in that drink, Heero."

"What -?"

"It's just coloured water. I didn't want you to let me kiss you just because you're drunk. But I wanted you to relax a little. Admit you wanted me. I reckoned if you thought you were getting drunk, it might have a placebo effect."

"You devious little -! I thought I was under some kind of drugged influence here..."

"Why? D'you feel your senses are dulled, Heero?"

"No..." he whispered. "Just - a little disturbed..."

Some more kissing.

"Duo..."

"Mm?"

"This business about you not trying to get into my pants..."

"God, Heero, how paranoid can you be?"

"Duo - your hands are in my pants!"

"Oh yeah, so they are! Perhaps I'm under the influence as well, eh?"

He shifted under me, and - miraculously - it seemed to be so that I could get a better handle on the zip of his pants. I slid it down. The soft, warm, untouched flesh was beckoning to me. I could feel a terrible, wonderful ache in my groin.

"Duo..."

Christ, I thought I was the talkative one!

"Mm?"

If I didn't know Heero so well, I'd have thought I could taste a smirk on his mouth. I mean, I do know him that well, don't I?

"I knew about the champagne, Duo. D'you think I wouldn't know the difference between alcohol and water?"

"What -?" I admit I was startled. Was he that good an actor himself? Was I sharing the Academy Award? "But you - why did you -?"

"Look down, Duo. I didn't forget your birthday after all."

I tore my mouth from his, and glanced down at his groin. There was a rather fetching pair of red boxers peeping out of his unfastened pants. With some kind of logo on 'em. Funny - I wouldn't have had Heero down as a designer briefs type of guy. Then he reached down and tugged hard at the sides of his fly, exposing the boxers in more of their glory.

'Happy Birthday' they said. In fabulous, fluorescent green lettering. 'Happy Birthday, Duo.'

"I never said I wasn't interested in you," he murmured, as I gazed stupidly at a scrap of silky cloth that made my mouth dry and my cock spring up and down like a fairground ride. "I just said I wanted to wait until I felt it was the right time."

"Now -?" I croaked.

"Now," he smiled, and gasped as I reached tentatively out to the heated swelling that was tenting his 'Birthday' boxers. The 'u' of 'Duo' looked suspiciously like a soaring mountain; a rearing obelisk; or a pile of profiteroles, richly stuffed with fresh, oozing cream, ready to burst out of its mouth-watering pastry case...

"This is my present to you, Duo. I wasn't lying - I really couldn't think of anything else you might want."

"Yeah," I sighed, as I tugged the red fabric down over his cock, to admire it in all its splendour. The tasting juices in my mouth were all at full alert. "Neither can I!"

Looked like I wasn't gonna need that piece of crushed cake for my late-night hunger emergencies after all!

End

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