"The Meaning of
Life"
Written By: SkyLark
Pairings: 1x2x1
Warnings: AU, Neko, male pregnancy, sap, angst
Rating: R
Betaed by ShenLong Deb *hugs*
Archives: http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw/SkyLark/gwSkyLark.htm
and http://www.mizunoamy.bravepages.com/skylark/skylarkfics.html
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters.
I just love playing with them.
Third fic in the Neko series
"The Meaning of Life"
Blinking in shock, Heero rose to his feet and rounded the table to
sit beside his husband. “Do you even know what you’re suggesting?”
he asked in little more than a whisper. “By appealing the verdict
that the Justices gave, we would have to expose that you’re pregnant.”
Duo nodded and replied calmly, “I know. And there will be a lot
of press on our heels if the word does get out, but…” Looking
down at his abdomen, he ran a hand over it and said softly, “But
I want to give it a chance.”
Gently taking both of the neko’s hands in his own,
Heero waited until sad violet eyes met his gaze. Biting his lip, he
frowned, “Duo… we already discussed this. We don’t
need to have a ceremony to say that we’re each other’s life
partner. I am perfectly happy with the way that things are now.”
“It’s not just for me,” his partner responded,
his tall ears drooped heavily. The artist tilted his head in confusion
and a silent urge for him to go on.
Taking a deep breath, the braided teenager gripped his
tail and sighed, “It’s for our children. They’re all
going to have enough of a time growing up different as it is because
of how they look. If they have two parents that are not accepted as
bound, it’s just another thing that will make them different.”
Just as Heero opened his mouth to speak, Duo quickly
added as he pressed their foreheads together, “You and I both
know how cruel people can be. I just want our children to have as
much of a normal family as they possibly can… since it’s
probably the only bit of ‘normalcy’ they’ll ever have.’
And that was enough to silence the art major for a moment,
a small lump forming to block his throat. Clearing it away, he pulled
his head back a bit and responded quietly, “But the attention
something like this would draw… you could be hunted after by
scientists that want to research this.”
Shrugging, Duo commented, “If they want, I would
be willing to donate blood for them to test. I would even be comfortable
with Howard sharing what he knows if it will make them happy. The
bottom line is that they won’t be able to take me away thanks
to the first ruling by the Supreme Justices. It made sure that no
one is entitled to my life.”
Quickly seeing the logic of that, Heero nodded shallowly.
“I want our kids to be able to go to school and make friends
like the ones we have,” the neko continued with a few tears in
his vibrant eyes.
Unable to hold back everything he'd been feeling any
longer, he went on, “I want them to be able to experience everything
in the world that we have. And for them to do that, we would both
have some explaining to do when they’re out in the world. Why
not just make their existence known now to spare them that much?”
Of course they would eventually have to come forward
with this news, the artist agreed. What his husband was suggesting
made all the sense in the world. If they were going to make the news
known, why not in such a way that it may open a door that had been
closed to them?
“I… I need to know that you’re in this
with me,” Duo pleaded as a few tears rolled down his heart-shaped
face. “Because I think this is the best thing that we can give
our babies right now… a fair start in life.”
Slowly reaching up to wipe away a stray tear from his
partner’s face, Heero breathed, “Okay.” Nodding firmly,
he vowed in a clearer and louder voice, “I’m in this with
you… every step of the way and through whatever comes of it.”
His own eyes watering, he freed one of his own hands to place it over
his lover’s abdomen and whispered, “For all of us.”
Despite the tears on his face, the neko smiled brilliantly
and quickly closed the distance between them for a heated kiss. Pouring
all of his appreciation and affection into that exchange, he pulled
away only when the need for air broke them. “Thank you,”
he said softly through his soft pants for breath.Laughing, Heero shook
his head and asked, “Do you have any idea how crazy this is?
There are almost never appeals made against a decision from the Supreme
Court because they tend to stick to their initial rulings.”
“Yea,” Duo answered. “But, I really don’t
care. We have a chance to fight for something that we really were
not given a fair chance at, so we should go for it.” Smirking,
he chuckled, “And it will soften the shock of three little one
with cat ears and tails running around.”
His face wincing, the artist agreed, “Yea. The
last thing that we need is for the secret to get out that way. If
we thought that the media was a problem before, it would be a nightmare
if they don’t know about them in advance.”
More and more, the whole prospect of the appeal was
sounding better to the both of them. Even the headaches that would
come from time to time would be worth the problems that they would
be attacking before they came up.
That left a serious question…
“When should we look at filing the appeal, then?”
Heero asked, more than happy to leave the reins to his husband in
this case. After all, it was the neko that would be affected the most
by the hearing and what came from it.
Only thinking for a moment, Duo replied, “The sooner
the better. Before our semesters really get underway, we should look
at getting this out of the way. And if there is any way that the appeal
does go through, it would be nice to have that wedding before the
babies are ready to come into the world.”
If there was any question to what Heero thought of that
idea, it was answered in his wide smile. Leaning in, he kissed his
lover soundly.
A plan already in mind, the Japanese youth suggested,
"We better talk to Dorothy and Lady Une as soon as we can about
all of this so they can work with us. As the directors of our majors,
they may be able to pull some strings to help keep us from falling
behind whilst getting ready for this."
Duo gripped his tail once more, fidgeting with it as he blushed. "Um..."
he began timidly, "Any chance we can have them stop over here
for that talk? I could use some time to talk with them about this
whole pregnancy stuff."
Smiling warmly, Heero reassured, "Of course. First thing’s
first, though. We’ll have to talk to our parents before anyone
else." As he stood up, he kissed his husband's forehead and headed
for the vidphone at the table.
While his partner was busy placing those said calls, Duo was lightly
rubbing his belly as another wave of movement began. Taking a deep
breath and releasing it slowly, he fought a wave of anxiety over their
decision.
Nervous or not, there was certainly no turning back in his decision
now.
* * * *
Danielle, Trent, Noin and Zechs filed into their sons' apartment complex
when their first semester's weekend rolled in. Taking a deep breath
as she sat beside her husband at[on] one of the living room couches,
the red-headed lawyer asked the boys across from her, "I take
it that I should be sitting down for this meeting you called?"
The expectant parents shared a look as Heero lowered a tray of beverages
to the table before their guardians. "That may not be a bad idea,"
he muttered nervously. As he straightened, Duo stood at his side to
drape his tail around the artist's waist as well as an arm.
Zechs smirked, "Then that means you're planning to appeal the
ruling." Jaws falling slack, the young men sputtered in shock.
Suddenly, the tables had been turned on them enough that they felt
like the ones that needed to be seated.
Shrugging, Noin giggled, "We had a pretty good idea that you
might try that, considering you have a case that you can argue now.
Just judging by how you sounded over the phone and by your demeanors
now, it was pretty clear that's what this meeting is about."
"I cannot say that it is going to be an easy fight," Trent
began, folding his hands together in his lap. "Even with the
pregnancy, you would still be two men looking to be married. Just
as before, a civil service is not an option for the High Courts
to rule since it is a form of segregation."
Gently rubbing a temple against an oncoming headache, Danielle frowned,
"You also know that we would be up against Septum again. That
man has mastered a way to win over the Justices in this matter because
there is such a political side to allowing you to wed. So, we would
have to completely change our tactics from the last case." Stretching
her arms out, she added, "And that is all if the appeal is accepted
in the first place."
Raising an eyebrow questioned, "So you are both sure that this
is what you want?"
Heero and Duo looked to one another again. Linking their arms around
each other's waists, they smiled before turning back to face their
parents. "We're sure," they both nodded firmly as one.
Worried as she was, Danielle could not help the grin on her face as
she rose from the couch. Taking each young man in a one-armed embrace,
she reassured, "Then we'll fight this with everything we have." Relieved,
the couple returned the embrace, Duo purring deeply in his mother-in-law's
ear.
Pulling back, the red-head winked, "All right. Let's get started
on filing that appeal."
* * * *
The following evening…
Dorothy chewed on her bottom lip in deep thought after hearing everything
that her friends had to say. Seated across from her and Lady Une,
Heero and Duo waited for something from either young woman. Cradled
carefully in the neko's arms, little James was suckling on the
bottle being offered to him.
Folding her hands together on the table, Lady Une spoke first. "I
can understand where you are both coming from with this choice,"
she stated. Her brown eyes focusing on her pupil, she informed, "And
I can promise that I will see you do not suffer in your scholastics
should you need time with whatever it is you need to do to prepare
for this appeal."
At that, Dorothy turned to Duo and added, "You know that
I will see that the same goes for your own studies. What I am concerned
is how this will affect you and the pregnancy should the stress become
too much. We've already had one close call at the first hearing."
Beside her, the other young woman nodded her head in agreement as
a concerned frown marred her own face.
Gently shifting James in his arms to burp him over his towel-draped
shoulder without even thinking about it as he replied, "We're
worried about that as well, but I will be taking better care of myself
than I was that first time." Raising a hand that he was able
to free, he smirked to the ladies when they still looked worried,
"I'll have Hilde, Sally, Treize and Howard examine me every hour
if I have to."
Reassured by that, the law and art directors eased considerably. "Very
well, then," Lady Une smiled. "You have our total support
in this. Wherever we can help, we'll be happy to do just that."
Dorothy grinned and gave a firm nod in an echo of the sentiment.
"Thank you, both," Heero sighed in relief. Looking over
to his cat-eared partner, he said quietly, "I'll head into the
studio to work on a few projects so the rest of you can talk
alone, then." While he got to his feet, he kissed the neko's
temple and headed from the living room.
Blinking in confusion, Dorothy tilted her head and asked, "Is
something wrong, Duo?" Lady Une leaned forward a bit, the worry
returning on her features.
Satisfied that James was relieved of his little gas burbles, the pregnant
teenager shifted the infant once more to resume feeding him his bottle.
Cheeks reddening, Duo frowned, "I just could use some support
in dealing with this whole pregnancy."
He sighed, "Lately, it's really been getting under my skin.
I'm fat, moody, I can't sleep well at night..." Sighing,
his ears drooped as he shook his head while concluding softly, "And
I feel like a bad parent for letting it all bother me."
Instantly calming at that, the young women smiled and snickered quietly.
Quickly moving to take up Heero's place on the neko's right, Lady
Une reassured softly, "It's perfectly normal to grow irritated
with being pregnant. You're well into the last trimester and so the
more challenging of the symptoms are taking hold."
Dorothy seated herself at her braided friend's other side and smirked,
"When I was pregnant with Leslie, I was just as anxious to have
her in the world as I was to have her out of me. Being pregnant
with her was not always a walk in the park by a long shot."
The art director threw in, "Same with me when I was carrying
James. But, wanting the pregnancy over with does not make you a bad
parent by any means."
Slightly brightening in hearing that, Duo looked from
one friendly face to the other, whispering, "Really? I'm not?"
Chuckling, Lady Une smirked, "Duo... look at what you're doing
right now." The neko blinked his violet eyes and looked down
to the infant that he was feeding in his arms. "You've been feeding,
burping and changing James, here, without any effort. If he started
fussing, you knew how to take care of him. Why do you think I was
so eager to pass him off to you when we got here?"
"You mean... you've been testing me this whole time?" the
braided teenager realized in surprise, his eyes widening. The young
mother nodded with a proud grin on her face.
As another thought crossed his mind, Duo shrugged, "But that
doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be a good parent. That
just means that I know the drill thanks to the 'training' that
Heero's mother has been putting us through."
Dorothy smiled, "Well, you do have a point that there is a lot
more to being a good parent than the basics. It takes a selfless,
caring person to become a good parent."
Leaning in, she told the expectant 'mother' firmly, "And I cannot
think of anyone with those qualities and so much more than someone
like you who willingly accepted whatever came with this pregnancy
so that your little ones could have a chance. That is what is going
to make you a wonderful parent."
Small tears stung the neko's eyes as those words sank in. Carefully
shifting to place James in his padded seat on the table, he moved
to hug the law director tightly. "Thank you," he managed
in a broken breath.
Returning the embrace, Dorothy whispered back, "You're welcome."
Lady Une then accepted an embrace from her braided friend as
the same sentiments were exchanged between them. All the while, little
James just cooed and played with his toy of colorful, linked rings
in perfect contentment.
Quietly sniffling as he returned to his seat, the teenager wiped at
his damp eyes. A wave of activity stirred in his abdomen. For just
a moment, Duo imagined that the little ones were trying to give him
some kind of comfort as well. Lightly rubbing a hand over their kicking
feet and poking hands, he purred quietly.
"I still miss being able to see my feet," Duo stated in
a slight grumble. Rubbing his back, Lady Une and Dorothy laughed in
complete understanding.
* * * *
Moments later, Dorothy and Lady Une stepped out of the apartment and
headed out to the parking lot.
Once they were outside and out of earshot from anyone around, the
law director asked under her breath, "Are you thinking what I'm
thinking?"
Lady Une shifted the handle of James chair and smirked, "I have
a feeling that I am."
Their eyes meeting, the young women said at the same time, "Baby
shower."
Chuckling, Dorothy nodded, "Nothing better than a little party
with family and friends to make Duo feel better right now. And with
the appeal that they're going to be putting through, he and Heero
could use something to help them look forward to the babies coming."
"Agreed," Lady Une smiled. "I'll make some calls around
to see what time would work best for everyone to get together so some
invitations can be made up. No doubt their parents will be more worried
about the hearing to come to be distracted by having to come up with
this as well."
The two co-conspirators continued to give off ideas and make their
plans all the way back to their car, looking forward to seeing
their friends' faces when they were able to pull off the festivities.
* * * *
Later that evening, once the apartment was theirs again, the expectant
couple called it an evening and prepared to head to their bedroom.
Just as they stepped inside, Heero moved to turn Duo to face him to
steal a heated kiss. Whimpering at the assault, the neko’s violet
eyes drifted closed as he kissed back for all that he was worth.
When they finally separated, Duo panted, “H-Heero?
Not that… I’m complaining… but.. what… brought
that on?”
Smirking, the artist answered, “I have to confess
that I listened in on your conversation with Dorothy and Lady Une
earlier.” He raised a hand as his lover was about to protest
and said sincerely, “I am sorry, but I was worried over what
was upsetting you.”
Any objection that the neko may have had was soon forgotten
in his knowing that he would have done the same if he knew Heero was
not happy over something. He gasped when the father-to-be rested a
hand over his swollen abdomen and whispered huskily, “You’re
still the sexiest thing that I ever laid eyes on. Nothing will ever
change that.”
Duo bit back a moan as his lips were attacked once again.
Melting against his partner, he raised his arms and allowed his shirt
to be removed before returning the favor in nearly tearing Heero’s
top off. And so they began a ravenous round of lovemaking late into
the night.
Sated and worn at the end of it all, Duo never fretted
over what Heero may have thought of his appearance again.
TBC
chapter 22
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