Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Duo wakes up to a new day. Trowa has a different sort of awakening.

Strays and Misfits

Part Thirty-One

Duo came to wakefulness slowly, letting himself become aware of his surroundings in a leisurely manner. Memories of the previous night were a bit hazy due to his heat, but he had an overwhelming sense of being safe, protected and even loved. It was a feeling he had never realized he'd wanted until he suddenly had it. He shifted a little and smiled at Heero's sleeping face. A purr started deep in his throat when he saw how peaceful Heero looked when he compared it to the slightly haunted expression his friend wore most of the time.

He took great care to get up without waking the young human and quickly went about tidying things up. There was still a fire in his blood, but it wasn't the overwhelming blaze it had been just the previous day. It was more like a simmer that could be ignored, which was a great relief. Once the few things were tidied up in the living room, he quickly retrieved some clothes from his bedroom and went to take a shower. As the warm water streamed down on him, he shivered as his overly-sensitive skin caused him to react. He cleaned himself off quickly, steeled himself, then turned the tap to cold. The change in temperature nearly made him yelp in alarm, but it did the trick. Heero had done a lot for him the previous night, and Duo had no wish to traumatize his human friend. They would take things slowly. Duo had never had a relationship of this sort before, and someone had done something to Heero that had caused him to freeze when Duo had been over him. There was one thing Duo swore he would never do. He would never knowingly cause Heero harm.

Not long after he turned off the frigid water, there was a soft knock on the door. "Yes?" he called out.

Heero's voice was uncertain when he spoke. "Are you all right in there, Duo?"

Duo smiled. It still amazed him that Heero treated him as an equal rather than an underling or a pet. He d never met anyone like Heero before. Well, Howard, but not really. He d kind of always thought Howard was using Felines for cheap labor in his store. He was wrong, he was sure of that now. But until he d met Heero, he d never thought he d meet someone genuinely kind.

"I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute. How about you?"

After a short pause, Heero responded. "I'm actually feeling really good. I slept like a log last night." After another moment, he spoke again. "You relax today. I'll get breakfast together."

Duo blinked and his smile became more gentle, even though he knew that Heero couldn't see it. "That sounds good, Heero. Thanks."

He finished drying himself and got dressed. Duo found Heero in the kitchen. The human was just standing there, and seemed to be frowning at nothing at all.

"What's wrong?" Duo asked.

Heero turned to him with an apologetic smile. "Nothing. I was just lost in thought." He turned and gestured to the abundance of baked goods they still had leftover from Heero's cooking spree. "We have some muffins, cinnamon raisin bread, some banana nut bread and a nice chocolate cake."

"Muffins sound good," Duo responded. He opened the fridge and peered inside. "We still have bacon and juice. Sounds like a good breakfast to me."

Heero nodded and turned on the stove to heat a pan he'd taken from a cupboard. One of the few that were still clean. "Are you sure you're all right? Not regretting last night are you?"

"Is that what you were thinking about?" He shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, I'd like to do it again sometime." He edged closer to Heero and bit his lip shyly. His ears twitched. "That is, of course, only if you'd like to."

Heero, to Duo's delight, reached out and pulled him into a quick one-armed hug. "I would like that. We'll find out what we each like as time goes by." He frowned again. Duo didn't like that expression on Heero's face. "I only hope you won't get too impatient with me. I'm not used to ... I mean, this is all-"

Duo placed a finger to the other man's lips. "How could I possibly get impatient with you when I've had just as little experience?" He knew that Heero had been in a relationship before, but it had been abusive. Any experience he'd had only contained pain and suffering, so it didn't count in Duo's book. "We'll learn together."

The fragile smile Heero cast at him made Duo's heart flutter.

xxxxx

Trowa was slow to wake, his mind muddled from the sleeping pill he'd taken last night. He'd had to though. Quatre's innocent curiosity about sex, all of his questions, and that video he had unthinkingly opened up on Trowa's computer; it all served to spark Trowa's imagination. He'd been unable stop thinking, to stop picturing Quatre in ways that left the brunet flushed and wanting. He couldn't think things like that. He knew it was wrong. Quatre was too good, too innocent, for someone like Trowa. And yet, knowing this, didn't stop the dreams. From fragments of vague desires, to full-blown fantasies, his dreams were flooded with the blonde feline.

It was no wonder his dreams chased him into the waking world. In the haziness between asleep and awake, Trowa would have sworn that he could even feel the warmth of Quatre's body, as if he were really there in his arms. It wasn't real. This was just a dream. Quatre was safely asleep in his own bed, in his own room, not here in Trowa's, his body warm and firm against Trowa.

The brunet rolled his hips forward, the illusion of a hot, lithe body against him fueling his growing erection. He groaned and heard an answering moan from the figment before him. Rocking forward again, he felt fingers wrap delicately around his bicep. A weight settled over his hip, a leg. God, this was the best dream he'd ever had. He could feel puffs of warm breath against neck and face, could feel an answering hardness meeting his own with each press forward. So good, the warm rumbling purrs growing louder as the body under him bucked up harder, demanding its own pleasure.

"Quatre," he moaned breathlessly, lips tingling as they touched warm flesh.

A sharp cry followed, the body below him jolting. Wetness spread between them and Trowa came, adding to the mess. Best dream ever, he thought, only to have the illusion shattered when Quatre nuzzled up under his chin and asked, "Was that sex?"

To Be Continued...