Author: Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this.
Warnings:Male/Male sex, graphic, violence, language,
Princes and Soldiers sequel to Epilogue

Princes and Soldiers, II + Part 1
What Friends Are For

"Miss!" Duo snarled. "GET OFF!" He pushed at the dog and sat up, naked and hair tangled all around him. He blinked at the dog sitting almost in his lap, her happy face looking at him eagerly. "Heero!" Duo shouted. "The damned dog needs to go out! Come on! It's my day off. I wanna sleep!"

"Miss?" Heero peeked into the bedroom and saw the dog perched on Duo. He came into the room then, only wearing a pair of blue shorts and hair damp as if he'd just taken a shower. The dog thumped her tail, but didn't give up her perch. She tried to lick Duo in the face.

"Heero!" Duo complained and fended her off.

Milliardo muttered under the blankets next to Duo. His long, pale hair was the only thing visible.

"She likes you," Heero said simply.

"I don't know why," Duo retorted. "It's not like I encourage her or anything. OFF DOG!" he finally shouted and gave her a hard push. The dog landed neatly on the floor, tail still wagging, but head cocked in confusion.

"Come, Miss," Heero called and the dog reluctantly obeyed, still looking back at Duo hopefully. Heero rubbed her behind the ears and smiled gently down at her.

"Relena better never find out that you named that mutt after her," Duo said with a shake of his head.

"Why would it bother her?" Heero wondered, looking confused. "She's a sweet, loving dog and Relena-"

"Heero," Milliardo said, still under the blankets, "Never put the name of my sister and dog in the same sentence. She would appreciate that even less."

Heero's face cleared and Duo knew that he had passed off the whole conversation as beyond his understanding of women. "Heero," Duo prodded. "I think she's about to bust. You better take her out."

"All right," Heero agreed and led the dog away, closing the door behind him.

Duo was suddenly snagged by a powerful arm and pulled underneath an equally powerful body. Blue eyes were looking down into his own and a fall of long, pale hair was a curtain all about them. Duo opened his legs invitingly and Milliardo slid between them, pressing their arousals together. Milliardo's _expression was equally aroused. Duo's, on the other hand, was thoughtful, even when his legs rose and wrapped around Milliardo's slim waist.

"That's encouraging," Milliardo said in disappointment.

Duo came back to himself and smiled at his lover, "Sorry, just thinking."

Duo used the leverage of his legs to pull himself up to rub a definite erection against Milliardo. "You know I'm interested."

Milliardo reined in his passion tightly and lowered himself until he was stretched out beside Duo, Duo's legs still locked around him. He propped his head on his hand and studied his lover. His free hand gently played with the small ring in Duo's nipple as he said, "Talk to me." If Duo was troubled, he wanted to know why.

Duo looked pensive. "How many points do I lose if I tell you I was thinking about Heero's love life, or lack of it?"

"None," Milliardo assured him and kissed him. Breaking the kiss reluctantly, and reigning himself in again, he urged, "Go on."

Duo sighed, "Well, he hasn't been seeing anyone besides 'Miss Relena', the dog, since he moved in with us. That goes against all my plans to make Heero a full fledged member of regular society."

"It is strange that he named the dog after my sister," Milliardo mused. "Could he have feelings for her?"

"The dog?" Duo teased.

Milliardo frowned.

Duo relented. "I don't know. I don't think so. I guess that he thinks the sun shines on her and all, but... well, I think he thinks that she is out of his class and that...."

When Duo paused, Milliardo left off playing with the nipple ring and cupped his lover's face. He rubbed Duo's cheek with his thumb, "You can always talk to me truthfully. If you think It's Relena who doesn't measure up..."

Duo shook his head, "No, it's not that... I think Heero believes that she's all about peace, sweetness, and light and he's just a bloody terrorist. He'll probably always think that just being around her... sullies her somehow."

Milliardo went very quiet and Duo was suddenly worried that he had said the wrong thing. "Mil?" he questioned anxiously.

Milliardo shook himself, coming out of dark memories. "It's nothing. I... I used to think that about myself at one time; that I wasn't worthy to rule the Sanc Kingdom, or be around my sister, because of the blood on my hands."

Duo was suddenly a warm bundle in Milliardo's arms, holding him tight with wiry arms. "We can't change the past, " Duo said against his chest, "and we aren't responsible for most of it. You and Heero have both got to stop beating yourselves up over it."

Milliardo smiled down at the fierce young man in his arms. "For you, I would do anything you ask."

Duo snickered. "You are so going to regret that."

Milliardo pushed Duo back into the blankets to see his face and found Duo grinning wickedly at him. Milliardo raised one pale eyebrow. "What do you have in mind, Maxwell?"

Duo laughed, but then grew more serious, "Well, it was real hard for Heero to stop blaming Relena for what happened to me. Being her guard didn't cause me to get attacked by ex Oz soldiers, just as his accepting that job and working long hours didn't either. Now that they've talked it out, thanks to you forcing them to be together in the same room, Heero is back thinking that the sun shines on her and that she embodies peace. That's real important, Mil. She is his excuse for the war. Her cause for peace gives him something to hold onto and comfort himself with when he stops to think about all the people he... we killed in the war."

Milliardo nodded. "I sensed that in him. He was angry, but it hurt him to be that angry with her." He gave a strand of Duo's long bangs a small tweak. "So, what are you suggesting? You've already said that my sister isn't a candidate for Heero to date."

Duo winced and then reached up to grab two handfuls of Milliardo's hair. He pulled the man very close. "Relena is queen of social. I think it's time Heero went to a few parties."

Milliardo was skeptical. "Duo.... I know you wish to help Heero, but have you considered that he might prefer to be single? Have you talked to him about this?"

Duo frowned. "If you're trying to say that, even though he isn't gay, he's going to devote himself to me entirely and refuse to date, I'd have to say you're nuts. Heero and me used to be sex buddies, but that's it. I love him like a brother and he loves me that way too, but, bottom line, he's just like every other red blooded young man; he wants a warm body, preferably one that loves him."

Milliardo sat up, the blankets pooling around his hips. His long, slim waist and his broad shoulders were peppered with scars, but he was built as perfectly as a sculpture. Duo couldn't keep one of his hands from smoothing along his lover's skin and caressing over one prominent bicep.

"If you're asking me to arrange for Heero to meet women for the purpose of sex, then I will have to object," Milliardo said sternly. He frowned when Duo laughed at him. "Duo," he said, even more serious, "I don't know what you're used to, but in polite circles, young girls are treated with respect."

Duo's laughter died. Milliardo felt a chill when he saw all emotion simply disappear off of Duo's face. His amethyst eyes were as hard as granite as he said evenly, "What I'm used to, you don't want to know, but I haven't let it make me into the kind of person that would-"

Milliardo suddenly understood what he had implied with his words and he pulled Duo into a frantic embrace, cradling Duo's head against his shoulder and kissing his face feverishly, "Forgive me, love! I... I wasn't thinking! Of course you are not that kind of person."

Duo was rigid for a moment, but then he let out an exasperated sound and pushed back from Milliardo. He glared, but the hardness had left him. "There's still so much we don't know about one another," he said irritably. "You expect me to act like trash and I expect you to act like an elitist. We have to get that stuff out of our heads, Mil, and see what's in front of us."

Milliardo nodded, subdued. "Forgive me," he whispered again.

Duo sighed, "When I said Heero wants a warm body like anyone else, I'm just stating a fact," Duo said. "I didn't mean for you to think that's all I wanted for him. Heero needs a companion. A love. He's not going to find that hiding out here and only hanging out with soldiers. Relena has parties and young girls go to them. Heero can go and rub elbows. Maybe he'll get some sparks off of one of them."

Milliardo nodded. "I think that you're right. I'll call Relena later today and try to arrange something."

"Good." Duo's face slowly broke into a smile again, but it was still tempered by a small amount of hurt. Milliardo caressed Duo's cheek and leaned down to capture his lips with his own in a tender kiss. Duo's smile became more genuine. "Okay, it's impossible to stay mad at you when you do that," Duo told him. "Get back here in bed and let's 'make up'."

Milliardo stretched out beside Duo, captured him in his strong arms, and pulled Duo on top of him under the covers. Their bodies met and both of them were heated. When Duo reached down and caressed his hard length, Milliardo shivered and moaned. He fumbled to the side table, jerked open a drawer, and found a tube of lube. Duo grinned and took it from him.

"Door!" Milliardo groaned as Duo squirted the cool gel, warmed it with his hands, and then applied it to Milliardo's raging hard on. "Lock it."

Duo's grin turned very wicked. "Don't you like to live dangerously, Commander Marquise?"

"Duo," Milliardo began to complain, mortified. It was just like Duo to be that open, that bold, that damned erotic. Milliardo was too reserved, too straight laced for that kind of exhibitionism. All he could think of was Heero returning from walking the dog and opening that door. The man was very polite, but one never knew. Even the barest off chance of discovery was enough to make Milliardo's face flame.

Duo's hands, stroking up and down hard, wouldn't let Milliardo's embarrassment effect his need. When he raised his hips and put the tip against his entrance and rubbed there, smearing lube and preparing himself, Milliardo felt his brain short circuit. Suddenly, as Duo slowly lowered himself and his erection slid into tight heat, Milliardo didn't care about unlocked doors, or ex Gundam pilots. He reached up and pulled his lover down to him, devouring him with kisses as Duo began a rocking motion. Milliardo pushed upwards to meet that downward motion, sheathing himself completely. Then it was frantic, heated thrusting, Duo riding him briefly and then Milliardo capturing him and rolling him underneath. He thrust in and out of his lover as Duo panted, groaned, and let out small whimpers; arching his back and opening himself wide to receive Milliardo's large length. Milliardo came first, spasming and feeling as if his very life was spurting out into gouts into Duo along with his come. Grabbing and pumping Duo's erection, he soon had Duo crying out and shooting hot, thick come over both their bellies.

They collapsed, then, wrapped around each other, both of them hot and sticky with sweat and sheets tangled all around them.

"Ow!" Duo said simply.

"All right?" Milliardo panted through his exhaustion.

"Just wondering if I'm ever going to get used to Mr. Humongus down there," Duo replied, but then nuzzled Milliardo's neck and nipped him under the ear, to tell him that he was just teasing.

"It's your impatience," Milliardo teased back. "You never allow yourself time to adjust."

"Because you are so damned hot, that's why," Duo breathed back, his warm breath tickling Milliardo's ear. He quieted after that, both of them resting together and caressing each other lightly.

"You're thinking," Milliardo said with a chuckle.

"The rusty wheels that loud?" Duo laughed back.

"You're too quiet," Milliardo told him. "That's how I know."

"Well," Duo joked, "You know I can't chew gum and walk at the same time. Thinking's the same way."

Milliardo snorted. "Duo, you and I both know that you are a genius. Stop acting as if you weren't."

"Never tip your full hand," Duo laughed, but then, "Well, I was thinking about all that I came through to end up here, in your bed."

"Our bed," Milliardo corrected.

"Yeah," Duo amended sheepishly. "Our bed. Just seems incredible. Once in awhile, it hits me and I have to thank my lucky stars."

"Lucky stars?" Milliardo repeated, amused.

"Yeah," Duo said as he closed his eyes and began to fall asleep in the warm embrace of his lover, "I don't have many of them, in case you haven't noticed."

"Enough," Milliardo replied as he to began to doze of in languid afterglow. "Enough to bring us together. That's all that matters."

[part 2] [back to Kracken's fic]