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"Maxwell's Toy Emporium"Written By: Miss Murdered Disclaimer: I don't own the GW characters - am
just borrowing to torment for my amusement Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Holiday Fic Exchange, Cheesy, Smut,
Christmas Miracles Pairings: 6x2 Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Duo's toy store
is going out of business. That is until a handsome rich stranger just
happens to need gifts and ends up visiting Maxwell's Toy Emporium "Maxwell's Toy Emporium"
Duo should love Christmas. Usually, he did - but this year Christmas felt like a blade in his chest - the final curtain call. He tried to be happy, tried to be friendly to all the customers that came into his store but Duo was too tired to try anymore. Not now it was Christmas Eve and the writing was on the wall as he watched an old Christmas movie half-heartedly while staring into the customer-less expanse of Maxwell’s Toy Emporium. He was giving up but he couldn’t do anything else. Duo had tried to get a bigger loan, had tried to run an online store to supplement the income of the bricks and mortar building and had tried every bit of marketing that he could afford but he had to face facts. His family business - the business he had inherited and the only thing he had left of his family - was dead. And despite all of Duo’s efforts, he could not bring it back to life. He’d told himself he would give the place one more shot when his loan application was turned down in July. And the shot would end at Christmas Eve. If he could make enough money in the run up until Christmas, then Duo would keep it going for another few months but despite a few busy weekends, it was not enough. It never was. Holding his head in his hands, Duo checked the time and debated about closing the store early. It was 2.34pm and the last customer had been over an hour ago. Those late panicked holiday shoppers did not want to visit small independent stores - they went to the large malls and superstores or bought gift cards online. Duo couldn’t compete with those big store prices - or he could if he didn’t eat or needed somewhere to sleep. Duo got to his feet, getting up from where he had been slumped behind the counter so that he could close the store and go upstairs to his apartment and drink a bottle of whiskey and sleep, when the bell above the door tinkled and someone walked in. It seemed like an apparition - like something that Duo’s bored mind had conjured in his depressed state of exhaustion. But it wasn’t. There was a real guy in his store. A real life customer and Duo tried not to watch all that he did too intently in order not to frighten or distract his last potential sale. But he couldn’t help watching a little too closely when the guy looked thoroughly confused and out of place in Duo’s toy store. He was tall, Duo noted, and he had movie-star good looks that seemed thoroughly out of place among the boxes of Lego. Blond hair cascaded down his shoulders and his features were striking as though chiselled from marble. This guy really didn’t belong in Duo’s store - especially when his cream trench coat looked more expensive than every item of clothing that Duo owned and his shoes shined brighter than the gaudy Christmas lights that Duo had decorated his store with. The guy picked up a few things, looked intently at the back of the boxes, and then placed them back on the shelf clearly not sure what he wanted to buy. This guy did not have kids, Duo was 100% sure of that and he needed help. And Duo could provide that. “Can I help?” Duo asked as he approached cautiously, his hands in his pockets casually to appear relaxed rather than desperate to sell a few more toys. The last few toys he would sell. “Ahh, yes,” said the guy, “I need to buy gifts for my nephew and niece but I am not sure about any of this…” His voice trailed off as his eyes met Duo’s. It was hard not to shiver when piercing blue eyes looked him up and down and Duo felt severely underdressed in his black skinny jeans and his Pokemon Christmas jumper. “Well, how old are they?” Duo asked gaining some composure as he asked a straightforward question. The guy shrugged his shoulders, his hair moving with the motion of his body and he laughed softly, shaking his head at his own lack of knowledge. “I think the boy is… seven and the girl must be four…” Duo snorted at the summary of their ages. “Not a close family, huh?” Duo said, trying to sound light-hearted rather than cruel or mean. “You have no idea… Duo.” Duo blinked, suddenly wondering if the guy could see into his soul due to his discovery of his name - yet then he remembered. He had a name badge. ‘Of course, dumbass,’ Duo thought. “I’m Zechs,” the guy said, offering his hand which Duo accepted noting it was bigger than his own and didn’t feature the callouses than his own palm was covered in. Duo dumbly realised that they had been holding hands a little too long and he let go, rubbing his sweaty hand on his jeans. “I owe them some good presents,” Zechs continued, a slight smile on his face, “I’ve barely seen either of them.” “You’ve come to the right place. I can offer a personal service those big stores can’t - make sure you give them the best presents ever.” “Personal service?” Zechs said as he quirked an eyebrow to which Duo spluttered out of apology and turned red. He was usually the one making the jokes, the one being inappropriate and here he was blushing like a schoolgirl because some hunky guy had come into his store making a few innuendos. “What is best for a seven year old boy?” asked Zechs, distracting Duo from his embarrassment. Duo was glad of the change of subject and he reached for a nearby box. “What sort of things does he like? I mean, these robot making kits are pretty awesome. You can even programme them and make them move.” Zechs responded by taking the box from Duo to look at the pictures and read the blurb on the back.“I honestly don't know. My relationship is strained with my sister and her husband to say the very least.” Duo nodded sympathetically. “It's a good choice - one of the most popular toys this year.” “You'd recommend it?” “It's pretty awesome - you’d totally be my favourite uncle if you bought this for me.” Zechs laughed softly. “Want me to buy one for you, too?” “Naw, I’m good. I’ve already got the set. Perks of being a toy store owner.” “Quite a perk.” “The other perk is going out of business because everyone shops online these days but whatever,” Duo said, shrugging. It took a heartbeat for Zechs to take in what Duo had said and his expression changed, a frown on his perfect features. “I’m sorry… just a bit frustrated,” Duo apologised. “I can imagine,” Zechs replied, an awkward silence filling the air between them until Duo broke it. “So the girl.., you said about four, right?” Duo walked towards a different selection of toys, letting Zechs follow so he didn’t say anything else that was stupid. Why was he telling some handsome stranger on Christmas Eve his woes? It wasn’t like his life was going to turn into a movie where everything would turn out perfectly if he just wished it. There was no such thing as a Christmas miracle - he was sure of that. They approached a shelf of old fashioned wooden toys. “Something like this, maybe? Beautifully handmade by a local supplier.” Zechs looked closely at them and Duo noted then that he had followed his recommendation as he was holding the box of the robot toy in his hands. “I think my sister would approve - she’s quite traditional in her aesthetic.” He picked up a small wooden kitchen set - a pretend toaster, coffee pot and cups all beautifully rendered in wood, delicate patterns adorning it. Duo looked at the shelves sadly. Trowa Barton had supplied handmade wooden toys for his store for the last five years and Duo wondered if his business would suffer without somewhere to sell his wares locally. “Let me ring these up for you,” Duo said with more cheer than he felt and he took the boxes from Zechs' grasp with a slight gasp of protest. Without glancing back, Duo slipped behind the counter, noting how the Christmas film on his iPad had stalled for some reason - it’s stagnation somewhat appropriate. “You want gift-wrapping?” Duo asked. “It’s extra..” “Yes, please,” Zechs responded before Duo could even finish his sentence, “anything to delay the inevitable.” Duo glanced up. “You really don’t want to see your family, huh?” “They really don’t want to see me either, no doubt. Usually we avoid one another yet my sister has extended the olive branch and it would be rude of me to ignore it. Sorry for complaining about my plans... I bet you want to close up the store soon to be with your family.” “No family events for me. Just a bottle of Jack Daniels and a few cheesy Christmas movies,” Duo said as began to wrap the gifts, trying not to show how much it hurt to be alone on Christmas to a guy he had just met. Zechs did not need to know that the only thing he had left of his family was the store they stood in and he was going to lose that as well. It was all too damn depressing for Christmas Eve. “We could drink together,” Zechs offered and Duo looked up, surprised at the suggestion, “I mean, we could go for a drink to delay our inevitable doomed Christmas Eves. My treat.” Duo grinned. “Sure, if you’re buying.” “Perfect.” It did not take long for Duo to finish wrapping the gifts and it took even less time to close the store, turning out the lights and leaving it in darkness. He glanced back sadly as he locked the door, the closed sign feeling oddly final and he huffed out a heavy sigh before he plastered a fake smile on his face. “Any place you wanna go or just the nearest?” “Frankly, I don’t care,” Zechs replied. “Nearest it is then!” The nearest was barely ten steps from Maxwell’s Toy Emporium and Duo opened the door with a smile and a “after you”, letting Zechs step in first. It was quiet, everyone else seeming to have better plans on Christmas Eve than Duo and Zechs did. Duo went to the bar as Zechs secured a booth and he bought three beers each so they did not need to leave their secluded vantage point. From the booth they could see the comings and goings of the other Christmas Eve patrons and it allowed privacy and as much seclusion as they could get in such a place. Duo sat back comfortably in the faux leather booth and started on his first beer, glugging it down far too quickly. It had been a depressing day and alcohol was required - Zechs obviously felt the same as he drank just as quickly drowning whatever sorrows he had. A large group of friends arrived at the bar, laughing, and wearing brightly coloured festive jumpers, one person wearing one that lit up and Duo looked on enviously before glancing over at Zechs. He looked even more handsome in the dim light of the bar and Duo had to stop himself from staring, peeling at the label on the beer bottle instead. “I'm surprised you don't have somebody to spend Christmas Eve with,” said Zechs, “are you sure there’s no partner hidden away or family desperate for your company?” Duo laughed softly, a slight bitterness to the sound as he thought about how his life sucked and how he missed everyone so damn much. “No, no, somebody and no family. The only thing I have left of my family is a toy store and I'm losing that.” “I'm sorry for asking.” “It's okay,” Duo said, a small smile on his face to reassure Zechs, “it's just hard at this time of year when everything is about family and about being happy and I miss them, you know? But I love that I can make people happy at this time of year with the store but I guess now I can't even do that…” Zechs reached out his hand and touched Duo gently on the arm, offering some kind of comfort. “And here I am avoiding my family.” “Family’s always complicated.” Zechs reached for his second beer, downing half in one big gulp. “Maybe one day it will be less complicated.” Duo raised his beer bottle. “I'll toast to that.” The bottles clinked together and they finished the second beers promptly. And then the third. And then Zechs bought shots. And soon it became very apparent that Zechs would not be able to drive to his sisters and it seemed all taxis had disappeared from the face of the earth. “You just need some black coffee,” Duo suggested, “and to sleep it off a little.” “With you?” Duo blinked, dumbly, alcohol fogging his brain but then he smirked when he realised the intention behind Zechs’ words. “Maybe...if you want.” The answer was a clumsy kiss and a hand on Duo’s thigh. Drunk and full of the Christmas spirit they left the bar, hands all over one another, making the short journey back to Duo’s apartment above the toy store. Once they had got through the door, some drunk fumbling with the keys on Duo’s part, they were grabbing at coats, removing clothes bit by bit clumsily while lips met each other, noses bumping and teeth knocking. If Duo had thought Zechs was gorgeous before, that nothing compared to him with his shirt hanging open, his abs defined like a statue and Duo couldn’t resist the urge to lick at the dips in his muscles and then to open up the fly of exquisitely tailored jeans to suck at the tip of Zechs’ cock through the material of his grey underwear. It was heady, the feeling of alcohol, the feel of Zechs’ hand in his hair and Duo felt like the reality of his depressing Christmas Eve was slipping away to be replaced with something different, something better . Maybe it was some kind of Christmas miracle. The idea almost made him laugh. “Enough,” Zechs said softly, a hand on Duo’s cheek. Duo got to his feet. “Really? You want me to send you out in the cold on Christmas Eve?” he said, sarcastically. “No,” Zechs replied, pushing his hips forward into Duo’s, their clothed cocks rubbing against one another. “I want more.” “The personal service I promised?” “Yes, exactly.” It seemed a lifetime ago that Zechs had walked into his store to buy gifts and Duo had quipped about his personal service. Yet it had all led to Duo’s bedroom, to the soft light of the streetlights streaming through his opened curtains and Zechs’ body above him, around him, inside him and Duo was a little drunk but at least he wasn’t alone and depressed. Least he was feeling something more than the depressing reality of losing everything that mattered. As Zechs was kissing at his neck, was holding one of Duo’s hands tight, and his hair tickled as his measured thrust rocked the bed, Duo feeling every inch of Zechs’ cock inside him. “Fuck,” Duo moaned out, a hand grabbing at Zechs shoulder tight, giving himself leverage to thrust upwards into each of Zechs’ downwards motions, their bodies slapping together in the silence of Duo’s bedroom. Zechs grunted into Duo’s skin, the speed of his hips picking up and Duo wrapped a leg around his waist, bringing them ever closer so that the tip of his cock rubbed against Zechs’ abs as their bodies jerked together. They didn’t last long then, slick skin against skin, and Duo let go of Zechs’ hand to pump at his own dick as Zechs came into the condom inside him, his thrusts speeding up until they came a stuttering stop, a few lazy thrusts signalling his release. Duo pumped his cock a few more times until he came, sticky, between their bodies, and they both collapsed to the bed in a heap together, lips finding lips lazily. “I will have to write a good review for the… service ,” Zechs said and Duo rolled his eyes, unable to articulate a response when he was tired and weightless and his body thrummed with pleasure and alcohol. He fell asleep, not caring about the stickiness or his bedsheets and when Duo woke up, he discovered that he was now alone, a pang in his gut and an ache in his head. “You’re an idiot, Maxwell. He just wanted an easy lay,” he chided as he sat up, the early morning sunlight hurting his eyes. It was Christmas Day and Duo was hungover and sore. It was not a good start. Especially when he would never see Zechs again. If that was his even real name. It couldn’t be, really, as it sounded so damn stupid… Duo reached for his phone to check the time and noticed that there was something underneath the phone. An envelope. He frowned at it, unsure how it had come to be where it was with his foggy brain but then he saw his name in a loopy cursive script and guessed it only could be Zechs who had written it. He opened it and felt glitter on his fingertips, making him very aware it was some form of cheap Christmas card, yet as he got the card out, something else slipped out onto the sheets. A cheque. A cheque with the name “Zechs Merquise” and a signature and date but no amount written. Duo blinked, confused, and then he looked at the card. The front was merely a Christmas scene, a tree, some snow but inside there was a note written in the same cursive script as on the exterior of the envelope. ‘Duo, Sorry that I left this morning. My sister hates me enough already - it would be very rude of me to delay the inevitable anymore despite the fact I would’ve far preferred to stay in your bed than leave. Please accept this cheque as an offer to invest in your wonderful store. I don’t know what amount you require to keep this running so please feel free to fill this in yourself. We will then discuss future investments and any business plans. I would like to become a partner in the business - a silent partner, luckily, as I do not have your expertise but a partner nonetheless. I also have left my number in your phone. Please feel free to call or text me. I would like to discuss your personal services in more detail and repeat last night's events. And lastly, Merry Christmas. Z.’ It was hard to take in the contents of the note with the throbbing in his head but the meaning of it soon began to dawn on Duo. He was going to be able to save the business. And there could be a repeat of last night sexcapades if he wanted. Which he did. Very much. He reached for his phone, searched through his contacts to see Zechs there and typed a quick message. - Yes. - The response was almost instant, as though Zechs was sat waiting for a message and that thought made hope bloom in Duo’s chest. - To which? - - Both. - - Then I’ll make sure I leave a very good review about your services. - Duo snorted at the innuendo and let his phone fall to the bed as he lay back, looking at the ceiling. He’d never thought anything would good would happen to him - that fate had taken so much from him but never given him anything back but on this Christmas Eve something had happened. A rich guy had walked into his store and offered him an opportunity to save his business and maybe, just maybe find something better - something like a future, something like love. And Duo had never believed in Christmas miracles but this Christmas Day, he did. ~ * ~
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