The Day Heero’s Cousin Came II:

 

Heero was finally released and he had to cough a little to get some air back into his lungs. Damn, but his cousin was strong, which shouldn’t really have been surprising. He managed a weak smile as he pulled back gently. He honestly hadn’t expected such an exuberant greeting. All he had read about his family was that they were almost considered royalty in Hokkaido, and so getting such an open display of emotion was something that had Heero genuinely puzzled.

 

“Don’t look too worried, Miwa,” Rei said with a small smile. “I might have been raised in the backwaters of Sapporo, but I know all about Western life and culture. I believe I told you about that in one of my emails.”

 

Heero nodded quickly. “Yes, you did mention that. Things…things just seem to escape me these days…”

 

“You are working at that Preventers’ place, yes?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Is it too stressful? Don’t worry, cousin,” the older man enthused with a wider smile as he gave Heero a light pat on his shoulder. “A month away from the hustle and bustle of city life will make you wish you had thought about coming back home way before this.”

 

The sound of something crashing in the kitchen had both men spinning around sharply. Heero cursed inwardly at his lack of better judgment before giving a small bow of apology to Rei.

 

“Please excuse me. I have to go talk to my…him.”

 

Rei, who had had a light frown on his features at the disturbance, gave a curt nod of understanding before motioning for Heero to go ahead. “Perhaps we should hurry up and then make our way to the restaurant, ne? I would really like to meet your future bride.”

 

Heero froze in mid-stride as he spun around slowly to gape at Rei in confusion. His future… bride? Who in the world was that? And from the way the sentence had been stated, it was obvious that Rei did not have a certain long-haired American in mind. Just what had Duo told his cousin?

 

Rei noticed the bewildered look and shrugged lightly. “Your roommate told me that you had a girlfriend. Aah…ah yes…Relena Peacecraft was her name.”

 

Heero stared blankly at the older man for a few seconds, before forcing a tight smile on his features. “Would you excuse me for just one moment? I have to have a little talk with my roommate.”

 

And hardly giving Rei a chance to speak, he stalked into the kitchen.

 

“Duo,” he began in a dangerously low tone as he noticed that Duo had now moved towards another counter. “Into the bedroom…now.”

 

“Sorry, Heero. I’ve got dinner to cook,” came the flippant reply as the braided boy made a show of arranging the remaining pieces of sushi on the tray. But on closer inspection, one could see that the American was trembling and unfortunately, his partner was able to see that as well. A piece of the delicacy fell to the floor and Duo swore beneath his breath. He fell to his knees to pick it up, when Heero’s hand caught his.

 

“Heero…!”

 

The Wing pilot led him past Coco, who seemed to sense that something was wrong and promptly began following the couple into their bedroom. They hardly gave Rei - who was now staring at the couple with a mixture of confusion and irritation on his features - a glance before making their way into the safe confines of their room. Slamming the door shut behind him, Heero released Duo’s hand and asked in that same flat tone that held so much more behind it.

 

“Relena? Relena is my bride?”

 

Duo made his way towards the window and rubbed his aching wrist gently. He stared out into the nearly empty streets and then gave a small shrug.

 

“What was I to say, Heero? He asked for your significant other, didn’t he?”

 

Another colorful curse fell from the dark-haired boy’s lips, before whispering angrily. “And what the fuck did you say? That I was with Relena?!”

 

Duo spun around with an irritated look on his features to whisper back just as angrily. “I couldn’t say it, Heero, okay? I just couldn’t! Maybe if you had told me about his arrival, I would have moved out at least a week ago!”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?! You aren’t making any sense!”

 

Duo snorted. “I thought with all your wonderful research, you would have figured out something wrong with this….” He waved his hands about and at Heero’s blank look, Duo gave a sigh of exasperation. “This, Heero! You. Me. Partners? Lovers? Gay? Homosexual? What? You want me to spell it for you?”

 

For a long moment, they glared at each other as Coco jumped onto the bed to ‘meow’ softly at the tension that had suddenly risen in the room. She seemed torn at whom to turn to and so settled for lying on her back, hoping that one of them would take the cue to scratch her ears or something.

 

“Is that what you really think?” Heero finally said coldly.

 

Duo had no plans to be fazed by his lover’s anger. “Yeah, Heero. That is what I really think.”

 

“You really think I would forsake you over my family’s tradition, Duo?”

 

The American felt something hard tug in his chest at the question, but he shook his head rapidly and turned back to face the window. “I know you don’t like me doing things for you without your permission and I know that I sometimes get in the way of some things. But this is the harsh reality of it all, Heero. Like you, I have been doing some reading and discovered that there are certain things that might not sit too well with your family, okay?”

 

“Duo…”

 

“Hell! Look at the way he was looking at me when he came in here, Heero! He can’t even stand me! Do you think that we can just walk into Japan with our flags of ‘Hey, we are a loving couple, so back off!’ in our hands and be accepted?! They would hate you or probably disown you, Heero and I know how long you’ve been searching for your family.”

 

He groaned and sat heavily on the bed, burying his face within his hands. His voice came out thick and muffled. “I want you to discover them and see what its like to have a real home. I don’t want our relationship to make things difficult for you.” He lifted his head to pin silent pleading depths at him. “Can’t you see, Heero? I’m only doing this for you…”

 

“Then stop doing things for me, Duo!” Heero bellowed in frustration, watching with an inward wince at the look of surprise on his lover’s face. He lowered his voice and continued quickly. “You always…always try to do things that are the best for me and don’t think that I don’t appreciate it, because I do.”

 

The Deathscythe pilot turned his face away refusing to say anything. Heero noticed the stubborn look within those amethyst depths and with a soft sigh, he made his way towards the bed. He picked up Coco and placed her gently on floor before sitting beside his silent companion. With his eyes pinned on the upset cat, who was now trying to rip holes in his pant legs, Heero spoke carefully, knowing that his words were going to have to be said in a way as not to be misunderstood.

 

“I know you mean well, Duo and that I can be a…what is that thing you keep calling me?”

 

“…jerk…”

 

“Yes, a jerk. I know I can be that a lot of times, but I don’t want you to think that I do not enjoy all the attention you give to me.”

 

Coco was now making an attempt to climb up Heero’s leg.

 

“You were the one who suggested we go to Japan, although I was more than content to remain here.”

 

“But…”

 

“Shssh,” he placed a finger against Duo’s lips. “Let me finish. Yes, the idea of seeing what my mother’s birthplace looked like was more than appealing to me, Duo, but…that wasn’t too important to me. I really was happy just knowing that I even had a family, do you understand?”

 

The American said nothing.

 

Heero withdrew his finger and continued quietly. “And like you, I’m aware of how much our relationship could cause…problems with them. But guess what, Duo,” he placed a hand beneath his lover’s chin to stare deeply into his eyes, “I would not give you up that easily just to make my family happy. I have been with you for almost five years now and have seen them…well, never. Who and where do you think my loyalties lie with, Duo? With Rei, who I just met today?”

 

“You have been sending him emails, Heero, haven’t you?”

 

“Well…yes…but…”

 

“So, theoretically speaking, you know him, right?”

 

“Duo…”

 

“How long has this communication thing been going on, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

Heero shook his head and ran fingers through his hair, suddenly wishing that he had never invited Rei to drop by. “For about a month now…”

 

“Wow…a month…”

 

“Duo…”

 

“And you couldn’t find any time at all during that month of conversation to tell me, your partner – who by the way sleeps in the same fucking bed with you every night – that you were inviting Cousin It here.”

 

Having no clue as to who Cousin It was, Heero let that slide and bit back sharply. “So, I forgot to mention it to you, Duo and I will admit that it was all my fault. But, you don’t have to take your frustrations out on me. I am suffering here too, damn it.”

 

Duo flopped back to the bed and placed an arm over his eyes in apparent dismissal. “It’s okay, Heero. Why don’t you just go have fun with Rei and come back and tell me about it…when you feel it’s convenient to do so.”

 

Heero muttered something in Japanese beneath his breath and rose to his feet, almost throwing the poor cat to the floor in his haste. “You are beginning to act childish again, Duo. I just hope you snap out of it by the time I get back.”

 

Duo’s only reply was to raise his middle finger in acknowledgement. And seeing that his lover had no intentions of apologizing, Heero made his way out of the room making sure the door was slammed loudly behind him.

 

Coco gave a questioning meow before jumping up the bed again. She crawled closer to her owner’s head and lay quietly beside him. She could feel him trembling and knowing she couldn’t do much, she moved even closer to give him the warmth he so badly needed.

 

__

 

Rei raised the small cup of sake to his lips and drank from it quietly, his brown eyes trained on his silent cousin. He had been surprised at how quickly Heero had stormed out of his bedroom and how he had literally dragged him out of the apartment and into his car. Although Rei had tried to make conversation, Heero had only given non-committal grunts and nods here and there, but nothing else. To be honest, the situation was beginning to grate on the older man’s nerves.

 

He placed the cup down and tried again. “So, would you like to see the pictures of what your home looks like, Miwa?”

 

Heero swallowed the retort of wishing Rei would call him ‘Heero’ and instead gave a light nod. “Sure.”

 

Satisfied with that answer, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small but bulky white envelope. “Here you go. In there you will find some pictures of your mother’s brothers…my father and my uncles. Also some pictures of our grandparents and a few other relatives that live in the compound.” He reached for his plate of hot unagi* and ate it quietly, wondering how his cousin would react to them.

 

Heero opened the envelope and began to thumb through them quickly. There were pictures of the landscape and for a while, he thought that they lived in the middle of nowhere. There were lots and lots of lush forests surrounding a few rooftops that he guessed were his relatives’ houses.

 

“We live in the outskirts of Sapporo,” Rei explained quickly as he noticed Heero’s confused expression. “The Hayakawa family has a large expanse of land at their disposal. Not only are we a large extended family, we also have access to some of nature’s great wonders. Lakes with enough exotic fish to last a lifetime…we have mountain trails and beautiful places to hike or just to sight see. We are far removed from the city, but not too far,” he added with a chuckle. “So, you are allowed to relax and enjoy the countryside…”

 

“Who is this?” Heero interrupted curtly as he pointed at a picture of a woman in her mid-forties or early fifties. She was dressed in traditional flower print kimono and her long black hair had been piled up above her head in a rather becoming fashion. She held a small yellow umbrella in her hands and she was smiling…a little.

 

Yoh…

 

“Oh, that’s my mother,” Rei replied with a warm smile. “She looks so much like yours, doesn’t she? And believe me, I wasn’t surprised when I saw your picture. It is a bit unnerving to see my past self looking right back at me.”

 

Several more pictures of people he could not place were flipped through quickly. He came to a stop as he saw the picture of two rather distinguished-looking people. The man seemed to be in his late eighties, but he still stood tall and proud. He had on a traditional black and white yukata that hugged a rather tall frame. His hair was white and combed back neatly, a matching beard and mustache completed the picture, giving him a more dignified look. His visible hand held a rather intricately carved walking stick, while his other hand held onto the back of the chair that the woman was sitting on.

 

She looked just as distinguished as he did. Her kimono was simple yet looked expensive. Her hair, gray now with age, was done in a neat bun above her head. She had her hands placed primly on her lap and Heero could tell that his mother had gotten her beautiful features from this woman.

 

They weren’t smiling.

 

“Those are our grandparents. Don’t mind the stern look on their features. They don’t really like…well, taking pictures.”

 

“Hn.”

 

He was about to hand the envelope back to Rei, but thought twice about it and kept it beside him. And picking up his chopsticks, he began to eat again quietly. All in all, he had about two uncles and an aunt. He had counted ten direct cousins and a few more second cousins along the way. He dug into his food trying hard not to show his inner fear.

 

He couldn’t face them in real life. It was all well and good to research and see everything through pictures and words, but to actually stand before them and present himself as a relative, especially considering what had happened to his mother? The thought alone made him quake at the prospect.

 

I need you with me, Duo. Why can’t you see that?!

 

“So, when are you coming back home? They are all eager to see you.”

 

Heero chewed slowly to think his words over. “I should make it down there in a month,” he finally said with a small nod. “And I will be coming with…”

 

“Miss. Peacecraft? Although she does not sound Japanese…”

 

Heero’s grip tightened on the chopsticks as he interrupted firmly. “I will be coming with my roommate.” He picked up another piece of the broiled eel not really tasting anything.

 

Rei stared at Heero for a few tense seconds before giving a soft laugh and shaking his head. “Oh…he will be joining you two then?”

 

Heero frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean that your roommate will be joining both you and Miss. Peacecraft…right?”

 

“He has a name, Rei. It’s Duo and no, Miss. Peacecraft will not be joining us because she made no plans to join us for this trip.”

 

“But he said…”

 

“Forget what he said,” came the sharp interruption. “There was an obvious misunderstanding. Miss. Peacecraft and I are not, and highly doubt that we will be, lovers. I am already set…with a partner. I don’t need anyone else.”

 

Rei’s lips tightened in disapproval as what he had feared seemed to be coming to fruition. He finished his cup of sake and remained silent for a few minutes. And in a voice that was a far cry from the cheerful one he had kept up all evening, he said quietly.

 

“Your grandparents will require you to bring home a suitable bride for them, Miwa. How do you think they will take it if you showed up with…with another man as your…partner?” He reached for the bottle of sake and poured another generous amount in his cup. Heero watched impassively, not saying anything.

 

Drinking it in one gulp, Rei wiped a hand across his mouth and eyed the silent boy. That stubborn set of his chin was one that he had seen all too well. His grandfather had such a look whenever he needed something done and this had been one of those things. He had been sent to bring back Miwa and so far, things were not looking so good.

 

“Listen to me, Miwa…even if you do bring him…perhaps…I mean, perhaps you two could just pretend to be good friends, that’s all. Surely you do not wish to upset your grandparents?”

 

“Pretend we are just friends, ne?”

 

Rei nodded fervently, a small light of hope flickering for a moment within him. “I didn’t say he couldn’t come, but as long as you both act like you aren’t… partners…in that sense, everything should be okay, right?”

 

Heero eyed his untouched drink, staring blindly at his reflection. He could almost see Duo’s look of disappointment at having to go for an entire month without touching each other. Just the thought alone was enough to have Heero gritting his teeth. Since their relationship had taken root, he had never been away from the American for more than two weeks – and that was due to a mission that had taken them both separate ways. One whole month? Being so close and yet not being able to do anything just because his family would not approve??

 

/We won’t be accepted, Heero. We just won’t…/

 

“Miwa…”

 

Heero closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Could I have some time to think about this, Rei? I promise to give you an answer by tomorrow night at most.”

 

The older man looked as if he was going to argue, but deciding it was better than nothing, he gave a small smile of acceptance. “Alright, I shall be waiting for your phone call. You do know the hotel I am staying at, right?”

 

“Yes…” came the flat reply. “Yes, I do…”

 

__

 

By the time he made it back to his apartment, it was ten in the evening and most of the building’s occupants had called it a night. He stopped in front of his door, holding the key in his hand as he struggled to find the right way to tell Duo his decision. They hadn’t left on friendly terms earlier and Heero had the feeling that things weren’t going to look any better once he was done tonight. Damn his inability to communicate properly.

 

He opened up the door slowly and slipped inside as quietly as possible. None of the main lights were on and glancing into the kitchen, he could still make out the pan of untouched sushi rolls. So, Duo hadn’t had dinner after all. Feeling immensely guilty, he made his way quietly towards their bedroom and opened up the door gently.

 

The words he had so carefully prepared to say died on his lips as he noticed Duo’s lanky frame draped across the bed. He lay flat on his back, his black shirt halfway undone, exposing his slightly bronzed chest to his gaze. The long braid trailed over the edge of the bed and down to the floor, his lips parted and moist with a possible occurrence of ‘drooling’ at any minute.

 

In sleep, Duo looked peaceful. In sleep, there were no worries and no fears. In sleep, they could dream of being in places where people could love them for who they were both inside and out.

 

Heero peeled out of his clothes quietly, not bothering to put on his usual gray tracksuit pants he usually slept in. He crawled into the bed and shifted Coco, who had still been curled against Duo’s frame. And wrapping an arm around his lover’s waist, Heero closed his eyes and waited for morning to come.

 

After all…everything always looked so much better in the morning, didn’t it?

 

 

TBC…

 

 

 

 

 

Terms:

 

Unagi – broiled eel on rice (*lol* it tastes much better than it sounds)

Yukata – traditional kimono worn by both men and women…usually men.