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"Bona Fide"Written By: ExecutiveShrimp Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs
to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not
profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Romance, drama, family Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Heero is being deported. Duo suggests (or proposes, if you will) marriage, to get Heero a Green Card. All they have to do is convince Immigration that their love is 'bona fide'. The problem is… they hate each other. Bona Fide is part of the GWCU: The Gundam Wing Cinematic Universe A GWCU fanfiction based on The Proposal (2009) This series of stories places our two (or more) favorite Gundam Wing characters in movie "universes". Not following the original story of the movies, but borrowing their worlds, events and/or premises. For a comprehensive introduction to the concept of the GWCU - as well as an up-to-date list of movie adaptations that are completed, in progress or planned - view my profile page.
"Bona Fide" PART FIVE His mom and dad spent the day taking Heero sightseeing – and Duo trailed along. There really wasn't much to see in the small town of Broadview, Montana, but Heero was gracious enough to pretend to be interested as he was shown the statue of a local war hero like they were touring the Statue of Liberty, and walked down main street to the town's square like they were walking down Broadway to Times Square. C.C. did most of the talking. Norman didn't really say anything and neither did Duo. Heero "Hn'd" every once in a while when C.C.'s intermittent silences required come sort of response. They had lunch together and then did some shopping in preparation of the party that night. It was startling how infatuated his mother was with his 'fiancé' – when she didn't even know of their fake engagement yet. Heero's phone had been going off the entire day, but he didn't answer it once and eventually even put it on silent. Duo heard it vibrate several times during lunch, but the curator ignored it. At least Heero was committed to the charade, recognizing that the importance of convincing everyone of their relationship trumped the importance of his job – for the time being, at least. On their way back home, they would pick up Duo's grandmother. The spry older lady had been waiting on the front porch of her home and when she noticed her son's car approaching, she rushed down the path with quick little steps. Duo opened the car door before they had even come to a full stop and oomphed when the woman collided with him and squeezed him to her tightly. He hugged her back but was mindful not to get a single one of white hairs out of place. "Nice of you to finally drop by, before I drop dead," she joked crassly, finally letting go of her grandchild. "Granny! Don't say stuff like that!" He looked back at his parents getting out of the car, but Heero was still buckled up in the back seat. He made a face and motioned for him to get his ass out of the truck to show some respect. Heero came out and approached apprehensively. He tried to pull the same trick he had with C.C. – avoiding a hug by reaching out for a formal handshake. But Granny wasn't deterred and instead he just ended up with his hand awkwardly sandwiched between the two of them as she embraced him. He patted her back with one free hand and the way he looked at Duo over the woman's shoulder, with desperation in his eyes, amused Duo and he certainly wasn't going to come to his aid. The hug lingered uncomfortably long and Duo knew Granny did it on purpose. She was like a dog in the sense that she could smell what people were feeling, but like a little devil in the way she abused that intuition. When she finally released him, she appraised him. "Look at this one. Like Michelangelo sculpted him himself." She playfully smacked his cheek, making the Japanese man reel back with wide eyes. "Not as tough as marble, though." Cheeky little… Duo laughed. Duo, Heero and Granny squeezed into the backseat of the car for the five minute drive back to the house. Like everyone else, she was surprised to learn Duo's miserable boss and his boyfriend were one and the same, but it sparked a long tangent about how she and Granddad used to hate each other's guts – and how they ended up loving each other until the day he died, nearly a decade ago. At the house, his mother and grandmother whipped up a quick meal and while the men ate the two ladies snacked a little here and there while readying for the guests to arrive. Laughing as they prepared finger foods and added a little too much 'punch' to the bowl of punch. Heero excused himself to go freshen up. Duo became increasingly worried as his mother dropped names of the guests that would be coming. Aunts and uncles, cousins and old friends from high school. He wasn't even sure if most of these people knew he was gay to begin with – he never officially came out to anyone other than his parents and the few times he did come home for holidays and birthdays, the subject was never broached. "Are you at least getting a raise?" Granny inquired, while stirring a big batch of dip. "Actually, I'm having my work featured in the gallery soon. I won't be Heero's assistant anymore." Before they could accuse him of anything, he said: "Heero fell in love with my work before he fell in love with me." "That's wonderful!" Said his mom and Granny as one. His father agreed, albeit less enthusiastically. "Turns out the one positive thing we ever heard you say about Heero is true: he has great taste." "Yeah…" He became morose and it was difficult to hide. Of everything, perhaps the lie that Heero approved of his art was the most painful to him of all. Heero did have a great eye – his taste was impeccable. Not only did he select the most wonderful works from well-known artists, he picked artists out of obscurity and launched their careers because he had a great eye and anyone who was anyone trusted it. His grandmother was looking at him, but he wouldn't know if she was going to say anything or not, because the doorbell rang. "That has to be Andrea and Frank," Cecilia said. "They are always first to arrive, at any occasion." She motioned for Duo to go answer the door. He got up and walked to the front door. It felt like there was lead in his shoes. He could see their distorted faces through the stained glass window of the door, lit by the porch light. "Annie! Frankie!" He mimicked enthusiasm as he welcomed them inside. "Buddy boy!" His uncle hugged him first, then it was his aunt's turn. Duo used to be very close with them, he had many sleepovers with their three sons when they were younger, since he didn't have any siblings himself. "Look at you, still ugly, I see," the boisterous man said. Duo let out a chuckle as apparently the man hadn't forgotten about their running gag. He and their three sons used to call each other 'Ugly' all the time, instead of using their actual names. Duo didn't even know how it ever started, or where it stemmed from, just that it used to be funny as Hell, running through the streets calling his nephews Ugly at the top of his lungs. He walked them into the kitchen and watched wistfully as the family members hugged each other and were genuinely excited to be in each other's company, even though Duo knew they spent time together all the time. He noticed his mother mouth at him: 'Go get Heero.' His stomach turned again, twisting all those happy feelings into a dreadful, nerve-wracking mess. With those same leaden shoes from before, he walked upstairs. Heero was standing by the window, looking out at the moonlit woods stretching out behind the house. "Let's go. My aunt and uncle are already here." The introduction went as well as expected. The extended family wasn't as familiar with how much Duo hated his boss, so there was little resistance and the same-sex relationship didn't throw them off. The same could not be said for everyone, as more guests arrived at the house. There were some inappropriate jokes and awkward tension, but nothing insufferable. The three nephews, two more aunts and uncles and their teenage kids, his dad's golfing buddy – and longtime family friend – the neighbors from both sides and four friends from high school, including a girl Duo used to date before he had his sexuality figured out, all came to the house and were all excited to see him again. It was as weird as it was wonderful and Duo felt more relaxed when he finished his first beer. Heero was mostly a silent shadow to him while Duo mingled. It was over an hour into the evening when Frank motioned at Heero with his glass of Whiskey and said a little too loudly: "This one must be special, for you to bring him home to meet the folks." His powerful voice drew everyone's attention, silencing the other conversations going on in the living room. Suddenly, all eyes were on Duo and it was quiet. Sweat burst out of him like he was being wrung out and his face was unbearably hot as the focus point of all their curious stares. Oh fuck, this is it, he realized. If he didn't say it now, it was going to be out of place later. He looked over his shoulder at Heero, regretting that they had agreed for Duo to take the lead. It wouldn't have been right for Heero to be the one to come out and say it, but it definitely would have been easier. He knew he had been staring for too long and tried to play it off as him being love struck. He reached out for the Japanese man and with a gentle touch to his elbow he invited him to come stand at his side. After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Heero's shoulders, having to present a facsimile of a couple madly in love. He could feel the tension in Heero's body, but his face was perfectly impassive. "Heero is special," he said to the group. "Very special… So, so special…" His stalling was embarrassingly inelegant. "Uhm…" He looked to his parents and grandmother, seated on the couch. "I've been trying to find the right time to say this… And what better time than when surrounded by friends and family? But, I've been so busy trying to find the right time, that I've forgotten to find the right words." He chuckled nervously and the audience joined in. "Heero and I…" Even that was a weird thing to say and it was only getting worse. "Heero and I are getting married." There was silence first. Then his mother bounced up from the couch. "Honey… That's wonderful!" She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around both of them. When she pulled back Duo noticed the tears in her eyes and he hated himself. "I never thought you'd… I didn't think… I mean, I knew you could, legally, but I never knew you wanted…" She couldn't finish a single sentence, too emotional and too excited. "She didn't think you'd have the balls to get hitched," Granny helpfully said. "Mom!" Granny snickered. "Please, can I be a part of the planning?" Duo's mother begged him. "Oh, uh… I don't think there's going to be much to plan. We were just gonna go to City Hall and-" "Don't you dare!" "There really isn't any time. There's a problem with Heero's Visa, so he's going to have to leave the country for a while if we don't do it soon." C.C.'s eyes widened as a sudden idea struck her. "Do it here!" "What-" "This weekend!" For the first time, Heero spoke: "We're flying home on Saturday morning." "Just stay one day longer. I just need one day to arrange everything and I promise I will make it a beautiful wedding for you two." "Mom, really, we-" "Oh, bullshit, just say yes already." Granny got up from the couch and waved her hand dismissively. "And while you're at it, go adopt a grandchild for me too, before I expire." "Jesus…" Duo looked to Heero, but his boss wasn't of any help, he was as shocked as he was. A couple of photographs from an actual wedding ceremony, surrounded by friends and family, would make their case with the Citizenship and Immigration Services more compelling… So he said: "Okay, yeah. Let's do it." Might as well get it over with. His mother squealed and hugged them again. While the other guests came up one by one to congratulate the happy – actually shell-shocked – couple, C.C. addressed the room: "People, we have a wedding to prepare!" The living room turned into a control room after that as his mother strategized and assigned duties. It took little for her to persuade everyone to be on board and use their connections to make this event happen. Even though gay marriage had been legalized for a while, it would still be a novelty to this small town. But his parents were beloved in Broadview, Montana, and why wouldn't they be? They were kind, generous people, charitable even. People who made everyone part of a family. Even miserable curators from Manhattan. Duo finally realized that Heero had snuck out of the crowd and he was about to go find him when his grandmother came to find Duo instead and she urged him to follow her into the den for some privacy. Once she had him alone, she questioned: "Is this marriage intended as a scam to keep Heero in the country?" "No!" He hurried to say. She stared him down for a moment and he was proud that he didn't budge. A genuine smile appeared on her thin lips as she accepted his word as truth. She had raised him to be an honest boy, after all. "Okay." She stepped closer and reached for his hands. She held them for a moment, patting them, before turning them over and shaping them into a cup. Then she took off the one ring she wore – the engagement ring with which her husband had proposed to her. She placed that ring in the palm of Duo's right hand and then closed his fingers around it. He shook his head incessantly. "No. No, Granny, I can't accept this." "It's not for you!" She smacked him upside the head. "It's for Heero." "Yeah, I get that, but I can't. I can't give this to him." "Why not?" "Because… it's yours!" The lady shook her head. "It doesn't belong to me. It belongs something greater than me. It belongs to this family," she said solemnly. "It's been a symbol of love and loyalty in this family for four generations. Now, your mother gave it back to me after Grandpa passed away and that was lovely of her. But we both agreed it would be yours to give away someday. And that day has come." He opened his palm to look at the ring. He cradled it carefully. The central sapphire, with rows of small diamonds on either side, reflected the light delicately. "It was meant to be. It's as blue as his eyes." "Oh God." He couldn't contain a sob. It was incredible to him that she would offer her gay grandson this treasured heirloom and that she considered his relationship as valid and loving as her own – as any relationship on which this family was built. In spite of what many people around the world, and around the corner, still thought of two men getting married. That the gesture was wasted on a lie, made his every heartbeat a jolt of pain in his chest. She cupped his chin and pulled him down to kiss him on his forehead. "Now don't fuck this up." Duo was startled by his own laugh. Granny left him alone in the den and he needed a moment to sort through his emotions and steady himself. Beyond the door he heard laughter and it hollowed him, but there was no backing out now. He had to go through with this, he had to commit to the lie now, if he wanted to protect his family from being devastated by the truth. He had guessed Heero had snuck upstairs however, through the window of the den he could see the man standing in the backyard, facing the forest. Duo went to him, grabbing two of his dad's coats off the hangers in the hallway before going out the back door. Dry leaves crunched under his feet as he walked through the grass to where Heero stood. He slipped into one of the coats along the way and draped the other over Heero's shoulders when he reached him. Heero didn't thank him, although he must have been cold, because he instantly brought up his hands to keep the coat closed around him. "That went pretty well," Duo tried lightheartedly, standing next to the other. "Could have been worse." "Having an actual ceremony will look good for your Green Card application." "Hn." "It's just a song and dance. We'll still have to make it official in New York at City hall, with all the right paperwork. It doesn't really mean anything." "It means something to your mother." Duo chewed on the inside of his cheek, less painful than hearing the truth. "Chang called, he left a message. Our interview is the twenty-third." "Then we'll have to sign on the dotted line next week. If it's official, we'll be in a stronger position." Heero turned to face him with a serious expression. "You can still back out of this, Duo. Chang told me to remind you of that. He'll let you off the hook if you come clean first thing Monday." Duo frowned at him. "Why are you telling me that." "Because you deserve to know." "It doesn't matter." He shook his head. He had made up his mind. "In for a penny, in for a pound. It's like you said: this isn't just for you. It benefits me too. And now, it's for my family as well." He fidgeted with the ring that was in the pocket of his jeans. "They want this. I-… Honestly… I never thought I'd ever be able to do anything that would make them this happy. I can't take that away now." He closed his fingers around the ring and he hesitated but he pulled it out of his pocket only to hold it in his clenched fist at his side for a few more minutes as they stood in the cool air of the night. Heero turned to face the trees again and his gaze followed the trunk of an oak up to its branches and then up to the starry sky. "You're the worst assistant I've ever had…" Duo looked at him with proper disdain. Seriously? A random insult? Now? "… But you're a good son." Oh. He titled his head up at the sky as well. "I don't think that's true. Good sons don't miss two Thanksgivings and Christmases in a row." "You love them. You were just afraid of disappointing them, because you're gay… and dirt poor." For the first time, Duo was amused by having Heero sling an insult his way and he laughed. "Turns out you were never a disappointment to them at all." Maybe the man wasn't pure, self-indulgent evil after all. He tore his gaze away from the sky and instead watched the stars reflect in Heero's eyes. They were beautiful, just like the sapphire. "Thank you. For saying that." He was content with staring at him, reminding himself of how handsome the man was. He remembered thinking that to himself when he first met the curator, but the hideous way in which his boss had treated him since, had made him blind to it. "When I told my grandfather I was gay, he said I should never speak of it again and that he wished I had respected him enough to keep it to myself, because now he would die knowing that the last Yuy left would do nothing but besmirch the name." Duo let out a puff of air at the intimate story. It amazed him that Heero had volunteered to tell it. The man's mouth tightened. He never looked down from the stars. He explained his honesty offhandedly: "It was one of the questions on your list. How did your partner come out?" The most meaningful way to thank him was to share his own story, so he told him of the day he went off to college. He had kept the secret bottled up for years and he only dared to tell his parents the truth because he knew he'd had a place to go afterwards and they didn't have to see him again if they didn't want to. The reaction he got was limited to mild surprise from both and then his mother was quick to say that she accepted him and loved him. His father didn't say anything. He never treated him differently since knowing the truth, but Duo hadn't been able to tell if that was because his dad didn't think of him differently, or if he just meant to ignore the truth and pretend nothing had changed. He never officially came out to his grandmother, but his parents told her while he was away for his first semester and when he came back for the holidays she had a seat next to his during Thanksgiving dinner and she just leaned in with a smirk and said: "Called it." The story made Heero smile and he tilted his head down to look at his feet, at his expensive shoes getting wet in the damp grass. Duo cleared his throat and maneuvered to stand in front of Heero, rather than to his side. "I had another interesting talk with her, tonight. She told me to give you this." He pinched the ring between his fingers and held it out to the other man. Heero looked up from his feet to the ring that was proffered and then to Duo's face. The American shrugged. "Obviously, I'm gonna need it back when we get divorced," he was quick to joke, because the moment felt way to heavy otherwise. He avoided Heero's gaze because that, too, was far too intense. From his new position, facing the house instead of facing away, he became aware that they had an audience. Granny and his mother were standing at the kitchen window. His mother had the decency to keep up the pretense that she was doing the dishes, but his grandmother sported a grin and waved. He gave her a look, hoping she would give them some privacy, but she just kept watching. "It's your grandmother's ring." He focused on Heero again. "It's the family ring. And… you're family now, as far as she's concerned." The watchful eyes on him threw him off. Not knowing how Heero would react, he told him they had a witness. The Japanese man reactively looked over his shoulder and spotted the two women through the window. Granny waved again. Heero half-heartedly waved back before once more facing Duo, this time with a comical expression. "I'm gonna give you the ring, and we should probably kiss after that." "Probably." He reached for Heero's left hand ceremoniously, even though all the spectators could see was Heero's back and Duo towering over him. He tried to put the ring on the fourth finger, but he couldn't get it past the second joint. Heero was a slender man and not very tall, but of course his fingers weren't as thin as those of a skinny, five foot three, eighty-two year old woman. He let out a breathy chuckle, which was a cloud of white air in front of his face. He tried the pinky and it was a perfect fit. Duo leaned in to follow through on the plan, but with only a few inches left between their faces, Heero looked up from the ring and their gazes locked, freezing Duo. He felt himself getting warm, in spite of the fact that it was cold and he hadn't zipped up the coat. He pushed through his nerves and leaned in, placing a kiss on the corner of Heero's mouth. A little less intimidating than going straight for the lips and from where they stood, his mother and grandmother wouldn't be able to tell anyway. He realized, too late, that he probably also could have gotten away with a much more platonic kiss on the cheek. It lasted only a second and then he pulled back and even took a step back. The sound of a window swinging open with a creak drew both their attention and they looked at the elderly lady as she shouted: "You call that a kiss?" They heard Duo's mother laugh and rather than fight to keep her mother-in-law from meddling, she gave up on doing the dishes and waited as well. The two men looked at each other uncomfortably. Duo was trying to think of a rebuttal until Heero said: "Just do it. It's only a kiss." He had expected some hesitation on his own behalf, but the word 'kiss' had barely left Heero's lips before Duo touched a finger to the underside of his chin and captured his mouth. Heero's eyes slipped closed first. His mouth was also the first to open. Duo didn't dare to use his tongue – that was still his elderly, Catholic grandmother watching, after all – but the realization that he definitely wanted to was like a ringing of bells in his head. A hilarious 'woohoo' caused them to part and look back in time to see C.C. ushering Granny away from the window. Duo bounced awkwardly on the balls of his feet and both men purposefully looked the other way. After a couple of minutes to let the cold invade his body again, Duo interrupted the silence. "Wanna go inside and get a drink?" "Yes. Please."
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