Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warnings: Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence
Princes and Soldiers
Sequel to What Best Friends Are For
Light Fantastic
"Duo?" Milliardo looked up at the ex Gundam pilot, his one time enemy, his , now, lover. Duo was stretched along a tree branch just above Milliardo's head. Wearing jeans and a tshirt, and braid hanging down past Milliardo's face, Duo looked relaxed and dreamy, smiling at a leaf that he was twirling in one hand. The faint sounds of traffic came to their ears, they were still in the city after all, but the picture of peace and contentment canceled that out. It was all very idyllic and Milliardo hated to break the mood with hard facts.
Duo turned his smile on Milliardo. "Hm?"
"Now that you've become used to nature, I can hardly pry you away from it," Milliardo teased, trying to ease into the subject.
Duo gave a small shrug of one shoulder. "I never knew how peaceful it could be. It was always just something you passed by in a park on the way to somewhere else on the colonies, all artificial and lifeless. There weren't any birds or squirrels, not even any bugs. During missions, it was all a liability and damned uncomfortable when I was trying to get to out of the way bases with minimal supplies and no backup."
Milliardo gave a gentle snort. "You could enjoy nature just as well down here. You look ready to fall."
Duo's amethyst eyes twinkled at Milliardo. "I think your danger standards have fallen a lot since the war Mill. You've gone from fighting scores of Leos with only a buster rifle to being afraid of a seven foot drop from a tree branch."
Milliardo laughed. "All right, so I'm transparent. I'd like to talk and I don't want to get a pain in my neck looking up at you." He motioned to a set of lawn chairs by a small, bubbling pool of water. It was in the warm sunlight.
"It is kind of chilly in the shade, " Duo grinned, "and this tree branch is grating on my nipple ring. Let's go."
Duo swung down, hung by a sure grip for a moment, and then dropped as light as a cat to his feet next to Milliardo. He motioned Milliardo to proceed him. When Milliardo did, Duo reached out and hooked a finger into the belt loop of Milliardo's casual tan pants and let it pull him along. When Milliardo looked back, Duo smiled impishly.
"You always look damn good in red, Mill," Duo commented as they reached the chairs. Milliardo sat down and Duo released his grip on his pants. Instead of taking his own seat, though, Duo straddled Milliardo's lap and looked down at him, his grin still in place. He fingered the collar of Milliardo's red tshirt and pulled it wide to look down it at Milliardo's broad, muscled chest. "Are you cold, Mill?" Duo teased. "Your nips are hard."
"Nips?" Milliardo blushed hotly. "Duo," he cleared his throat and made Duo release his shirt. He tried to get things back on more serious ground. It was hard, though, with his very handsome lover sitting on... Milliardo cleared his throat again. "Duo, we should talk about Relena's party."
Duo blinked as if it had been the farthest thing from his mind. Milliardo was sure that it had been. His lover never worried about anything for long. He took what came and dealt with it then. Heero was the planner, the strategist, the anal retentive, detail oriented individual of the partnership. Duo was the fast thinker, the fly by the seat of his pants agent, the one who came up with good, last minute solutions when things didn't go as Yuy planned them. They complimented each other perfectly. Apart, though, Duo's lack of dealing with upcoming situations came very close to maddening for Milliardo. If Heero was the planner, and Duo was the one who carried out the plan, Milliardo was the one who gave the orders and expected people who planned, and carried out those plans, to do them to his satisfaction. Duo's laid back, come what may, attitude had launched them into more than one argument.
"I thought she planned everything and we just showed up and ate her food," Duo told him honestly. "I went to one once and I remember it being nice."
"There are several dynamics that weren't present then, "Milliardo pointed out.
Duo played with Milliardo's hair. It was in a braid similar to Duo's and it had been tied at the bottom with a black ribbon. Duo wound the braid around his wrist as if he were trying to make a pale bracelet. He sighed. "If you're afraid Heero's going to embarrass Relena, or himself, you don't have to worry. He might glare at people, but he was taught the finer points of partying with important people as part of his infiltration training. He won't be stepping on people's feet when he dances."
Milliardo's hand closed over Duo's and he stopped Duo from playing with his braid. Their eyes met and Milliardo could see that Duo knew very well what he was leading up to. Duo looked annoyed... even rebellious, and that made Milliardo chill thinking about possibilities. Heero wasn't going to be the problem, he knew, it was Duo he had to worry about.
"You can't have any fists fights or name calling contest while we are there," Milliardo said, point blank. "You can't get upset when someone... when someone wonders, 'who brought in the trash?'." Duo flinched and Milliardo could see his jaw clench. "You can't fight everyone who wonders if you're being with me for personal gain. You can't-"
Duo was suddenly springing off of his lap and turning away from him, standing rigidly and fists clenched. "You don't have to tell me this stuff! I know I have to let them take their pot shots and roll with it."
"I wish...," Milliardo stood and spooned up against Duo's back, wrapping strong arms around his lover. Duo softened after a moment and leaned back into his warmth, the sun playing over them both and sparkling in the pool before them. "I wish it wasn't going to be that way, but we both know, that someone will say something. The odds are in favor of it most definitely. I don't want to say, 'Get used to it', because I wish we didn't, but we... we both have to learn to ignore such comments thrown our way. You do realize the gossip our match has generated? This won't be a simple get together with my sister with our friends in attendance. This will be a large get together with people who still think that two men together as a couple is a perverted situation, and some who think that someone of my... background, with anyone less than their ideal, is worse."
Duo snorted. "Mill, I was hooked up with Heero before you. I know you'd like to forget that, but we didn't exactly get pats on the back for it from other people. There is this whole, 'You're a damned terrorist killer' stigma I've had to put up with, too, and, oh, yeah, the L2 street scum, label, I always forget about that one... well, most of the time. I've worked up a pretty thick skin, okay? I promise not to pee in the planter, wipe my snot on my sleeve, and not to kill any other guests while I'm there, okay, Mill?"
Milliardo's arms tightened on Duo and he kissed Duo's slim neck. "I'll try not to kill them, either."
Duo started and looked over his shoulder at Milliardo's thoughtful frown.
Milliardo grumbled, "Do you imagine it will be easy to contain myself if someone insults you or our relationship?"
Duo smiled tenderly and turned to give him a bear hug, almost managing to lift Milliardo off his feet. Milliardo staggered and they almost fell into the pond. Duo dropped him just as quickly, though, and grinned at him with his heart in his eyes. "Love you."
Milliardo kissed Duo deeply and then said, "I love you too, so we both have to remember that nothing they do or say will ever touch that."
Duo eyed Milliardo's height. "We'll look goofy enough just standing next to each other. No dancing."
"Do you dance?" Milliardo wondered with a pale, arched eyebrow.
Duo smirked. "I had a couple of lessons at the schools I had to attend, so yeah, I can. I'd be staring at your belt buckle, though. That could be embarrassing."
Milliardo smiled and pulled Duo into a dance position, holding his hand and sliding and arm around his wiry waist. "It's not that bad," he said. The top of Duo's head barely reached Milliardo's collarbone, but he thought that Duo stood gracefully and he balanced well. Duo looked up at him, smiling. His large eyes sparkled. "Not bad at all," Milliardo repeated softly, cupped Duo's chin, and bent to give him a loving kiss. Duo leaned into him, hands cupping Milliardo's ass and kneading there.
"Well," Duo said huskily as Milliardo broke the kiss with a start.
"We're the perfect height for some things."
Milliardo looked stern, but it was only half serious. "If you do that on
the ballroom floor, it will be embarrassing."
Duo smirked. "What's the matter? Don't like this?" Duo rubbed against Milliardo's crotch and his hands began to do wonders.
Milliardo made a sound of pleasure. "You... You are insatiable."
Duo became serious suddenly. "I'm not," he said as if Milliardo had accused him of something dirty. "I just love you and, because I do love you, I want to be with you as much as I can. It isn't all about sex, Mill. You do know that?"
It was the perfect moment to talk about it, Milliardo thought. He caressed Duo's face and then said honestly, "Your needs are stronger than mine, love. Sometimes, they can be... somewhat overwhelming."
Duo cocked his head to one side, startled. "Oh... so... I'm pushing you? Doing things you don't like? You should have come right out and told me before, Mill."
Milliardo felt uncertain. Was Duo looking hurt or understanding? It was such a difficult thing to discuss, especially among two men. Milliardo found himself looking at the pond as he said, "It isn't that I don't like the pleasure that you give me. I am simply much more... conservative. You are... impulsive and ... uninhibited."
"I think you were hinting about this before," Duo sighed and ran a hand through his bangs as he blew out a puff of air in exasperation. "You have to tell me these things, Mill. I want to know if you don't like something." He made a face. "Course, if you're going to tell me that you only like it one way, I think we're going to have to talk about give and take too."
Milliardo blushed and hated himself for doing it. Duo laughed at him and pulled him down for a kiss.
"Maybe you need me to loosen you up?" Duo told him. "Maybe-"
Milliardo blushed even harder at the clear innuendos. "I'm not talking about that and you know it. I'm talking about..." He paused, trying to find a polite wording. "Public displays? Sex that is rather.... graphic?"
Duo grunted. "Like?"
Milliardo licked suddenly dry lips. He couldn't help the swelling in his pants and Duo could feel it. "When we were... washing dishes and you..." He swallowed hard.
"Yanked down your shorts and used my soapy hand to beat you off?" Duo finished bluntly. Milliardo nodded and Duo sighed. "Why didn't you like that?"
Milliardo found the words suddenly. "You said before that it wasn't just about sex, Duo... When you do things like that... it makes it feel to me like it IS just about sex. I feel... I want to make love to you, not just feel like we're relieving ourselves."
"Ah," Duo thought about that. "So..." He frowned and then said, "You want more foreplay?"
"More... romance," Milliardo corrected.
"And not in the kitchen?" Duo guessed.
Milliardo shook his head.
Duo continued, "Or me kneading your ass out here on the lawn?"
Milliardo shook his head again. "It... embarrasses me. I feel pleasure, but-"
"Guilty pleasure," Duo finished. When Milliardo nodded again, Duo shook his head. "You are a complicated man, Mill. Guess that's why I love you; the challenge."
Milliardo saw Duo's amusement and he managed a smile as well. "Perhaps you should tell me if anything has been bothering you as well?"
Duo looked suddenly reserved.
"Duo?" Milliardo prompted, worried.
Duo shrugged, "Well, I do keep ending up on the bottom. I love you, but, Mill, you're huge. I'd like a chance to do other things, okay?"
Milliardo knew what Duo was saying and he felt ... He had managed not to let it come to that in their relationship. How to tell Duo that he felt uncomfortable contemplating it? Something dominant in him, raised it's hackles. It was primal and foolish, but he couldn't help feeling almost defensive when ever Duo tried to steer their lovemaking in that direction.
Duo read his expression and he sighed. "I can see this is another thing that makes you uncomfortable." He slid arms around Milliardo's waist and hugged him close. "Mill, you have to explore the possibilities. Trust me, okay?" he grinned. "You just had an entire conversation about sex in the middle of the garden and you started it. You can't tell me that was a bad thing?"
"When the conversation began, we were talking about a party," Milliardo grumbled, but then relented. "All right, Duo, I won't insist that you and I become completely circumspect, but I would like some privacy."
Duo leaned sideways and plucked a rose from a bush. He hissed as a thorn pricked his finger. Sucking on the tiny wound, he handed the rose to Milliardo. When Milliardo looked questioningly back at him, Duo said with a smile. "Your eyes are lovely, sir, and your hair is like silk. I would love for us to go back to our room and talk about the rest of your loveliness some more."
"Duo," Milliardo warned, giving his lover a mock frown.
Duo looked innocent. "I'm trying to romance you."
"And that's all you have in mind?" Milliardo wondered doubtfully.
Duo grinned. "Well, you know I don't lie. All of this sex talk just has me... kind of excited."
Milliardo snorted. "We have work to do out here and in the house, Duo."
Duo pouted. "Mill, this is kind of painful," he complained.
"Then the sooner you get your mind off of THAT, the better," Mill replied with a chuckle.
"You're a cruel man," Duo growled as he followed Milliardo to a tool shed. "If you were a proper Prince, you'd have gardeners to do all of this."
Milliardo didn't say it, but he felt Duo stop and then start walking again and he knew that Duo had thought of it himself, that if Milliardo were a proper prince, he wouldn't be with Duo at all.
"You are living with a career soldier," Milliardo said, to cover over the moment. "Discipline is something that I learned from the cradle. That means work before pleasure, I'm afraid."
Duo brightened, "Does that mean AFTERWARD I can romance you?"
Milliardo smiled, thinking of it. "Yes, most definitely."
"Then give me a rake, Mill," Duo chuckled. "You just guaranteed that the work is getting done in record time."