Thank you! This was lovely!

It was well written, and the plot was good. I wish that it was longer, but it is fairly perfect just the way it is!

Aw, my heart. They seem to have this compromising thing down, even when they're not thinking of it as compromising. (So much gorgeous hair in one relationship!)

PS I am glad you enjoyed the sudden glut of reviews, I am on Gundam Wing binge and I suspect that there will be more to come.

Awwwwww...I hope you add more to it. It's so interesting!

D'aw, they're adorable! I like how you've written the relationship in a believable way... their opposite lifestyles coming together and all that. Good work. :) Looking forward to reading more.

Cute! I liked this- for all I don't care for the pairing. XD

Ah, yumminess.

I'm still waiting for my Prince Charming. How come Duo gets all the great guys, hm? Oh sure, I know a guy with a beach house; but it's not like I've gotten to SEE it yet. For all I know, he could be making it up. (Well, no, since I sort his mail and know he gets a tax bill every year...but you get the idea...) At any rate, it's lovely to see Duo bask in the joy, even if I can't. I get to live vicariously through him (and all the G-characters), and honestly, that's pretty cool. Thanks for a tasty, delicious chapter for my birthday. And I apologize for the late review. As I explained in an e-mail, I was miserably sick. Better now, though, and soon to post a pic of my pre-birthday tattoo on my LiveJournal. So...thank you again for wonderful storyness! You spoil me so! -Snow

This was a great sequel to the first chapter- and I didn't even have to beg for it this time... about my first born though... we'll talk later, heh, heh...

What's funnier than Duo in denial? Duo denying he's in denial. Here, he's trying to convince us/himself that nothing has changed in his life since Zechs entered it and changed everything, though not much... really... not in big ways, honesty, heh, heh...yeah: "...So things hadn't changed all that much. OK, there were a few other embellishments, but they mostly didn't count. ..."

Duo's so... male here. Wanting it all, to be in control and accept a few luxuries on his own terms, and yet, Zechs is very much the same... wanting that control but wanting Duo ... and on his terms. What they do is a funny dance of compromise.

Here, Duo is delighted that Zechs cares but has to put up a little resistance to show he's the man: "...'I'd like to take you out. It is a rather special day, after all.'

'You sap.' It was sappy and a bit dumb, but it was sort of nice that he'd remembered...'I don't see any reason why not.'

...Dinner?'

'I guess I could do that. Benito's?'

'Fine.' Zechs didn't sound overly enamoured by the suggestion..."

Such nice compromising. Civilized, manly, and you get the feeling that they respect and love one another.

The changes Duo doesn't point out are deeper. Zechs has improved Duo, and Duo has humanized Zechs as well: "...'Yo, big boy,' he called, following it up with a wolf-whistle that made Zechs whirl around. 'You charge by the hour?'

The blond gave him a long, appraising look. 'For you, I could offer an all-night special.'

Duo laughed delightedly; a couple of months ago, there was no way he'd have come out with something like that. 'You're going to get yourself a reputation, hanging around street corners at this time of night.'

'Am I indeed?' Zechs strolled up to him, taking Duo's chin in one hand, tilting his face and then kissing him.

That was new too. A couple of months ago, Zechs wouldn't even hold his hand in public. ..."

The discussion of marriage between two mature men was smoothly done. Duo is unsure and is calm and unsure, too. It's a necessary conversation if they are serious about their relationship, and, apparently both are. I like how they both use humor to ease the tension here: ...'Absolutely,' Zechs agreed smoothly. 'Really, you should feel compelled to marry me straightway just to save the planet.'

'Oy! I said you can ask me in a year and a half, so stop pushing. And I want a damn long engagement.'

'Fine. For my part, I would like to be married before I'm sixty. Any other demands?'

'You wear that red coat,' Duo said promptly. 'And, um, all the rest of it..."

Love Duo's costume requirement!

Of all the arguments Zechs could use and temptations he could wave in front of Duo to get him to say yes to a move to Sanc, what works comes from just being himself, which is lovely and romantic: "...There was a thread of wistfulness in his voice that made Duo reach for one his hands...He loved Zechs, and Zechs loved him back. They'd managed OK so far. They'd work it out. And he damn well wasn't going to let Zechs go. ..."

Very real, funnier than most real situations, and oh, so romantic. Duo and Zechs... who knew? You made me enjoy them with this story.

Thanks!

-KS

huge strides taken and all to the good. They certainly could be considered the 'odd couple' but its an odd couple that works. And Duo has nothing to fear from Sanque, but what Sanque has to fear from Duo... ah, that's something different entirely.

Very interesting fic. I like where it is going. Not my usual pairing but I'm really liking this fic. Good job! I can't wait to read more.

I know why I missed this posting, but I am here to catch up now. First off, I read the other reviews to make sure I hadn't missed a vital point, and I had to laugh over StandingonTheRooftops' horror of the Duo/Treize pairing. I bet she'd think differently if she read your 13x2 Breathless story? You even convinced me that they had possibilities.

Onward ho! I loved how Duo creatively saved Zechs'... life/reputation and how Zechs was completely blown away by him.

This was a favorite line(s) from Zechs for me:"'I'm not a vagrant!' Zechs snapped. No one had ever looked at him like that; like he'd crawled out from under a particularly muddy rock. The cheek. Admittedly, he wasn't in terribly pristine condition; he'd dropped his jacket in the first bar and not noticed until it had been well and truly trampled on, and somewhere else, he'd had drink spilled down his trousers. He certainly didn't look like a vagrant, though. 'I'm the Sanque ambassador.'"

After Zechs comments here, there follows my favorite Duo line: "...I had a relationship that ended badly. I needed to get away from everything.'

Duo snorted. 'Must've been a hell of a bad relationship if you ended up escaping here.'"

So funny so simple so Duo. Oh, but then there was this great exchange: "Zechs didn't. 'That's your job? You're some sort of outreach councillor?'

'Do I look like a social worker?' Duo asked, obviously amused. "

And oh I did like his little white lie here: "...Zechs ran one hand the length of Duo's braid. 'Don't you ever leave this loose?'

'Sometimes, but it gets tangled and then it's a bitch to brush out and braid again. How does yours stay so smooth?'

'I'm not sure.' That wasn't true, but he didn't want to admit to weekly visits from his personal barber, and hair care products that probably cost more than Duo's monthly rent. "

I adore this look into the future of their relationship-though rose-colored glasses: "God, this was going to be difficult. He wanted to take Duo home, and install him in his ridiculously pretentious suite, and feed him every delicacy known to man, and buy him a whole new wardrobe and his own shuttle and everything else he'd ever wanted, and Duo was going to fight him every step of the way."

Sorry for the lateness (I won't even go into the the sequel whine) and thank you for the posting!

-KS

I like this...a lot and I know it is complete, but I would love to see where it could go from here. There is never enough 6x2 and I am very bored with 1x2 as I don't think they work together all that well to tell the truth.

Any chance at all that you might continue it or make a longer sequel? I am willing to beg and I think you have a very good start here of something that could be truly excellent.

YAY! Another zechs and duo story. I love it! I totally do! :) I love everything about them and I want to read more more more. lol

Awww, cute story!

Hopefully that is just a part one? Thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between the two and hopeful there will be more coming.

Of course, you KNOW I like this. I'm a sucker for get-togethers, even if it's not my favorite couple. But it's up there as a sweet-together couple. Especially the way you blend disparate backgrounds.

I cracked up over Standing's review. The 3X6 comment was priceless. I think I've had my brain broken a time or two as well.

But never by you. You do manage to make even the most opposite lifestyles somehow WORK. Perhaps you could come act as my matchmaker and find me a perfect guy. Or just make one up for me. I like your guys SO much better than most of the real ones around. But then, Zechs...Duo...what's not to love?

Anyhow, thanks for letting me preview, and I love the way this turned out!