He was going to do it. Duo coughed nervously, clearing his throat; it felt like his tie was strangling him, although he wasn�t even wearing the hated thing. Just a plain black t-shirt, over jeans, nothing fancy. Nothing he wouldn�t ordinarily wear. Still, he felt jittery; he caught his hand rising to needlessly smooth down his hair yet again, and quickly stuffed it casually into his pocket. Heh � Duo Maxwell, ex-Gundam pilot: faces death without a qualm, gets sweaty-palmed ringing his best friend�s doorbell.
Oh well, here goes nothing. Duo reached out before he could tell himself to stop and pushed the little button set into the plain wooden doorframe. His own apartment door had a button just like it; actually, it was the next one down the corridor on his left. The apartment, in fact the whole building, was one of the perks available to those who worked at Preventer HQ; the organisation part-owned the building and let out accommodation to its agents at reduced rates. Duo had been happy to take advantage of the highly desirable location and impressive security when he had moved to Earth from L2; he still couldn�t quite get over the fact that he had an apartment. He, Duo Maxwell, had an actual apartment. He wondered if this was what a home was supposed to feel like.
Shifting his weight nervously and resisting the temptation to fiddle with the end of his braid, Duo stared at the door, willing it to open. Of course nothing happened, and after a few moments he poked at the bell again, rolling his eyes desperately. Figured he�d finally get up the courage to do this, only to find that Heero wasn�t home.
He was about to turn away, shoulders already slumping, when there was a soft click and the door swung open in front of him. Dark blue eyes, exactly on a level with his own, peered out at him from beneath brown messy hair. Duo remembered thinking earlier at work that Heero�s hair needed cutting again. He liked it that way.
�Um, hey Heero,� he offered a little nervously, leaning against the door frame. �I didn�t wake you, did I?�
Heero Yuy shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on Duo. �I wasn�t sleeping.�
�Ah, okay. Um. Are you busy right now? I mean, you wanna come over and watch a movie or something?� Duo smiled, tilting his head to one side in what he hoped was an inviting manner.
Heero looked blank and cold for a moment, and Duo�s heart fell, but then he inclined his own head, and actually smiled, just a little, uncertainly. �I... think I�d like that.� He opened his door a bit further and stepped through it, letting it swing closed behind him as he fell into step with Duo.
�Hey, cool.� Duo grinned and pried his fingers off his braid again. Although he acted nonchalant, inside he was rejoicing. Heero hadn�t said no. More, he had actually smiled. He had smiled at Duo. Maybe this mission wasn�t doomed to failure after all...
Heero felt nervous. He didn�t quite understand this, it wasn�t as though this were the first time Duo had invited him around to his apartment, to play video games or watch films or sports, after all. It was a fairly common occurrence, and most times Heero accepted his partner�s invitations. Duo wasn�t just his partner, he was his friend, too. Friends spent time together and were sociable. It was still difficult for Heero sometimes, but he knew that he was improving.
It just wasn�t logical to feel this way about something so trivial, but the feelings were there; a slight tingle along his nerves that was wholly different from the heightened senses of battle. He sat on Duo�s couch, stiffly he knew, while his braided partner hunted through discs, bent over with his back to Heero and chattering away about something that didn�t really seem to make a whole lot of sense. Something about old American movie actors. Heero was used to the noise by now, although when they had first known each other it had grated unbearably. He knew that it was just Duo�s version of displacement activity, a cover for nerves or discomfort. What could Duo have to be nervous about?
�Here!� Duo straightened triumphantly, clutching a case, and shooting a strange, almost covert look at Heero before putting his trademark grin back on. �Um, you want a beer or something, Heero?�
He considered it for a moment, but alcohol probably wouldn�t help his confusion. �Just Coke or something. Please,� he tacked on as an afterthought, trying to find something to do with his hands that wouldn�t betray his agitation. Shit, why was he suddenly so off-balance? It was a situation he�d been in before, many times before, and nothing had ever happened then to cause this kind of anxiety attack.
Duo had taken off into the little kitchen, leaving the disc box on the coffee table, and Heero picked it up curiously. Casablanca?� It looked old; he knew of Duo�s fondness for old American cinema, but this actually seemed to be in monochrome. Mostly when Duo invited him over for movie nights they tended to watch action films or comedies, though Duo often complained good-naturedly that Heero never got the jokes. This was new. Different.
Heero looked up as Duo ambled back into the sitting room with a pair of cans in one hand � Heero�s soda and a beer for himself � and a bowl of the butter-toffee popcorn Heero liked. It startled him a little; he wondered when Duo had noticed that he preferred the sticky sweet stuff to salted. It had only been since the wars ended that he had had the time to eat foods solely for pleasure, and Heero had discovered a rather surprising sweet tooth. He had thought he�d been able to keep that little detail to himself, but apparently Duo had struck again.
He popped the top on the soda can as Duo shoved the disc into the player and flicked on the TV unit, flopping down onto the couch beside Heero and kicking his feet up onto the coffee table as the movie began to play. Heero took a sip from the can, leaning self-consciously back into the cushions and trying to relax. After all, this was just Duo, his best friend.
He took a drink, nibbled on some sugar-sticky popcorn, and watched the movie. It was interesting, a sort of noir mystery from the era of European wars, but romantic as well. At least, it talked about love a lot. Heero had learned almost everything he knew about love � any type of love � from movies and books; Odin had been fair, and kind, but they had had no particular attachment to each other, and Doctor J... Heero shuddered and, without thinking, moved a little closer to Duo.
Duo didn�t seem to mind. In fact, he kept glancing from the TV screen to Heero�s face, then quickly turning his eyes back as if he didn�t wish to be caught looking. It was strange; Heero thought he ought to be made uncomfortable by this sort of covert scrutiny, but it all seemed to feel very natural and inevitable. Just as the pianist on the screen began a melody that Heero was sure he recognised, Duo set his beer down on the floor by his feet, and shifted close enough that Heero could feel the heat of him along the side of his body.
It felt good. Strange, but comfortable; it made him want... something. Things he didn�t understand. Part of him wanted to turn towards Duo and... do something, part of him wanted to freeze in place, part of him simply wanted to move closer, snuggle up against Duo�s side and just let that inviting warmth seep through him without having to think at all.
Duo thought he might be about to throw up, he was so twisted with nerves. Heero didn�t seem to be complaining; in fact he was almost leaning in towards Duo now, turned just ever so slightly to face him. Should he kiss him? As Time Goes By was playing on the TV, it was the closest thing to a romantic moment he�d ever experienced... He wanted to. Badly. Just lean forwards, bridge the gap between their skins and show Heero all the things he couldn�t ever seem to put into words.
What would Heero do if Duo kissed him? He�d probably be surprised; Duo knew his partner had little to no experience with romance, or relationships. He probably didn�t have any idea that Duo had feelings for him. He was probably just being friendly. Damn. And he had no clue whether Heero even had a sexual preference; the guy was antisocial in an equal-opportunities kind of way. For all Duo knew he might get weirded out by the very idea, and Heero had one hell of a right arm. And a left arm, and every other body part that could remotely be used to do violence. Duo had spent a long time studying that impressive physique, though perforce from a distance.
So kissing was probably out, despite what Heero�s proximity in the darkened room was doing to his body. At least to start with. Maybe... Duo glanced down, noting the positioning of Heero�s hand, laid on the couch so close to his own. It was every teenage dating clich� rolled into one, but � no, he was going to do it. He�d sworn to himself that sometime tonight he would let Heero know how he felt � how he�d been feeling for years, ever since his then best friend had taken off after the end of the first Eve War and Duo had belatedly realised what he was missing. Time and proximity had only strengthened his attraction.
Swallowing nervously and flicking another sideways glance at Heero, Duo let his left hand inch sideways a little, towards his friend. Heero either didn�t notice or wasn�t reacting; that was a good sign from him. Heero actively liked very few people, and didn�t trust easily; there weren�t many that were allowed inside his personal space in such a way.
I�d settle for that. Duo moved his hand another few centimetres across the couch cushions. But I want so much more. I only hope I�m not ruining it... He shifted his hand again, unable to keep from holding his breath as his fingers bumped gently into his partner�s. Heero started a little in surprise as their hands touched, his eyes flying to Duo�s face, but he didn�t pull away. Sure that he was blushing furiously, Duo kept his eyes on the TV screen, fighting to stay casual-seeming. Please, please don�t let me frighten him away, he thought desperately, moving his fingers to cover Heero�s lightly.
They were still as rabbits for several agonisingly tense moments, before Heero gave Duo the shock of his life by turning his hand over, bringing their palms into contact and interlacing his fingers with Duo�s.
Duo let out a startled gasp of air, only then realising that he actually had been holding his breath. Heero�s hand was warm and uncertain, and it seemed like he would draw it away; Duo curled his own fingers around his partner�s and shifted a little closer to him, feeling a little less uncertain about this whole thing. Heero... Heero was holding his hand. It was nice.
Duo was sure he was blushing like a tomato in a heatwave now. Neither of them were really paying attention to the movie any more, but they both had their eyes fixed on the TV screen, only sneaking shy little glances at each other when they thought the other wasn�t looking. Uncertainly, Duo tightened his fingers around Heero�s, rubbing his thumb along the other�s palm. They turned to look at each other at the same time, Heero�s eyes wide and almost nervous, Duo feeling like he might spontaneously combust.
�Duo.� Heero really was leaning in towards him now, and there was no way Duo could have stopped himself from imitating the movement, parting his lips a little in anticipation. They seemed to drift towards each other in slow motion, faces filling each other�s vision. They were nothing more than a hair�s breadth apart � Duo could feel Heero�s breath whispering against his cheek � when the doorbell rang loudly.
Duo jumped almost out of his skin, and when his heart had slowed enough that he could think again, Heero was almost a metre away from him, hastily relinquishing his hand and refusing to look away from the TV screen.
Damn. Damn. Duo dragged himself off the couch with an explosive sigh, heading for the door. I�m going to kill whoever... �Relena.� He could almost hear Heero perking up behind him at the sound of the girl�s name, and concluded glumly that shooting her probably wouldn�t help. Even if she did have the worst timing in the history of the universe. �Um, I wasn�t expecting you, ojousan,� he managed, quite proud of himself for managing a veneer of civility despite this monstrous injustice.
�Actually, I wanted to know if you knew where Heero was.� She gestured elegantly � everything she damn well did was elegant, she could even make jeans and a sweater look like the height of haute couture � down the hall to Heero�s door. �I knocked, but he isn�t in.�
Duo was sorely tempted to lie to her � that or shut the door in her face, damn it � but Heero had already left the couch and was coming up behind him, the smile on the girl�s face as she saw him sickening to behold. She started speaking animatedly, and as words were exchanged about gallery openings and fundraising galas and escorts, Duo could just feel all his hopes and dreams trickling away through his fingers like water in the desert.
Heero was feeling... frustrated. He hadn�t meant to leave Duo � just standing in his apartment door, staring after them � but there was something about Relena Heero couldn�t seem to say no to. She had a tendency to simply assume that he thought her ideas were wonderful and would love to accompany her to wherever it was this week. She had never actually gone so far as to drag him out of someone else�s apartment, though.
Duo had been about to kiss him. For the hundredth time that evening, as Relena pulled him after her to claim a table in the wine bar, chattering happily about some artist or other, Heero lifted his fingers to his lips. They had been so close to kissing each other when Relena had interrupted them.
That must mean something. If Duo wanted to kiss him, he must feel something for Heero, but what? Friends, certainly male friends, didn�t kiss each other. Kissing on the lips meant boyfriends. Lovers. He tried to picture himself as Duo Maxwell�s lover. That would mean he would be allowed to touch, all the time, would be allowed to kiss him and caress him and see him with his hair down � run his fingers through it...
Heero blinked away visions of Duo draped in the shining cloak of his unbound hair. He liked Duo, a lot. He thought about him a lot. But did that constitute love? Was Duo even looking for love, would he risk their stable partnership on something less?
Relena was smiling brightly at him, sipping wine and playing with her necklace. Heero had bought her the cross as a birthday present a few years ago, but now it only called Duo to his mind. Duo, fiddling nervously with his own cross, more worn and more battered but far more cherished. Heero knew the stories behind that deceptively plain piece of jewellery, knew how much it meant to his partner. Duo in the Preventers� gym, cross slipping from side to side across his chest as he walked from the showers in only a towel...
Damn. Heero blinked hastily, shutting his mouth with a snap and sitting up straight in the uncomfortable chair. With luck they would be staying at the table for a while...
�...don�t you think, Heero?�
Kuso, Relena was talking at him again, and monosyllables probably weren�t going to cut it. �...I�m sorry?� He shouldn�t have come here at all. He should have stayed with Duo, even if the girl�s interruption had made things awkward they could have at least watched the rest of the movie and been close to each other.
He wanted to be close to Duo.
�Oh, Heero.� Relena was looking at him sadly, and he tried not to flinch. �You�re not listening to me at all, are you?� She leant forward sympathetically. �Is something bothering you?�
Heero was about to tell her no in no uncertain terms, when it crossed his mind that for all her innocence and naivete Relena probably knew more about emotions and relationships than he did. She had grown up with loving parents after all, even if they weren�t related by blood; she had attended school and been popular. She must know about this kind of thing.
�Relena.� He tried to put his confusion and uncertainty into some kind of intelligible query.
�Yes, Heero?�
�How� do you tell when someone� likes you?� He shrugged a little uncomfortably, keeping his gaze focused on the tabletop; he could practically hear the girl blinking at him. She had never been very good at stealth. Not like� damn it, he had to think about something else.
�You mean like, as in�?�
�Yes. I � I think he � I�� Oh. She would probably find out sooner or later. Heero hadn�t felt quite this scattered since he�d first used the Zero System. Still, he couldn�t quite bear to watch as Relena�s face fell. He had known she had hopes, but�
�You mean�well, you don�t mean me, do you?� There was so much concealed pain in her voice. Heero had to look up.
�No.� She was biting her lip, looking away. �I care about you, Relena, but not� like that. I�m sorry,� he offered uncertainly, knowing it wasn�t much.
�Don�t worry about it.� She made the effort to smile at him, though it was weak. �I think I knew, really.�
�Aa.� Heero shifted a little in his seat; Relena was giving him a rather searching look, tapping at her wineglass with a fingernail, and it was making him feel uncomfortable. He took a tiny sip from his own glass, although he had no real taste for the stuff.
�Duo?� Relena tilted her head in question, and Heero started, suddenly remembering just how good she really was at reading people.
�Yes.�
�I thought so. Do you like him, Heero?�
��yes.� Heero was certain he was blushing now; he felt like the entire clientele of the trendy wine bar could hear their words, see into his heart.
�I see.� Relena was quiet for a long moment, studying the deep crimson liquid in her glass, before she looked up at him. �He likes you, Heero. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he loves you. I think he has had feelings for you for a long time.�
��oh.� Heero couldn�t seem to think of anything to say to that. It felt like there was a bubble of something liquid and warm constricting his chest, making it hard to breathe, hard to form words. �But how do you know?�
Relena had her smile back now; she had always been a self-sacrificing person and Heero supposed this applied equally to her private life. �It�s the way he looks at you, Heero.� She tilted the glass back, draining it then setting it down. �Come on, let�s leave. I interrupted the two of you earlier, and now I have to make amends.�
Duo was surprised as hell when his doorbell rang again, startling him out of his lonely moping on the couch. He had retreated there after Heero�s departure, staring at the cold popcorn and just letting the movie play. Damn Relena anyway; she was so beautiful, and principled, she would make a wonderful wife and mother, and she worshipped the ground Heero walked on� She represented everything any guy could ever want.
Any guy except Duo, apparently; he had to go and fall head over heels for his best friend. Scowling, he levered himself out of the cushions and shuffled over to the door, yanking it open. ��hey, �Fei. Sally.� If he�d been in a better mood, he might have made some joke or quip, but�
�Maxwell.� Wu Fei nodded seriously at him, though Sally smiled openly. She had been working on the Chinese boy for a while, but still had a way to go.
Duo stepped back, opening the door wide. �C�me in��
�How are you doing?� Sally asked as she followed her boyfriend into the apartment.
Duo waved a dismissive hand, summoning up a rather wan grin. �Oh, fine, fine. To what do I owe the undoubted pleasure of your company?�
Wu Fei snorted, turning to face him, shaking his head. �You never change, Maxwell. Do you know where Yuy is?�
�Ah, yeah.� Duo scratched his head. Damn, is that all I am to anyone? Heero�s appointment secretary? �Relena-sama turned up a while back. I think they went out to a gallery or something.�
�Oh.� Sally glanced towards the popcorn bowl and two drink cans sitting abandoned on the coffee table, and gave Duo a sympathetic look. Damn the woman anyway, he thought rebelliously. She wasn�t getting him to admit anything. �Well, then, I�m sure we can ask him at work tomorrow�� she glanced at Wu Fei and he nodded much less stiffly than he might once have.
�Ask him what?� Duo was curious now, and that was a bad combination.
Sally grinned at him. �Oh, that new spy movie is at the local theatre Friday night, and we were gonna invite you two to come mock it with us,� she said flippantly.
�Heh, cool.� The tradition had come from the Gundam pilots� � Heero�s and Wu Fei�s in particular � contempt for the inaccuracies of movie portrayals of assassins and soldiers. �Yeah, Heero�d like that, and I�m pretty sure he doesn�t have anything on�� unless Relena turns up again� �I�ll tell him, if you like.� They all knew that Duo had a better record at getting Heero to actually socialise with people.
Sally was grinning again, but whatever she had been going to say was cut off by a knock at the front door. Not the ringing of the doorbell, but an actual knock. Only one person Duo knew did that.
�Hey, speak of the devil.� He all but skipped back to the door, wondering giddily whether Heero had ditched Relena on a corner somewhere. �Hey, Heero�� To his astonishment they were both standing outside his door, and Relena was beaming at him. Duo felt the sudden urge to run for cover, images of engagement rings and wedding invitations running through his mind. ��Relena� um��
�Good evening, Duo.� She smiled even wider, and suddenly Duo found himself with an armful of Princess and a lipstick-mark on his cheek. He stared helplessly as she pulled away, smiling at Heero and wishing him a good night before walking gracefully off down the hallway.
Duo stared after her in shock, scrubbing at his face; it took Wu Fei�s amused voice to bring him back to some sense of reality.
�Hello, Yuy.�
Duo blinked, startled, then turned hastily to Heero, opening his mouth � but couldn�t think of a thing to say. All he could think about was the memory of Heero�s face so close to his own, Heero�s breath against his skin� He was sure he was blushing. Damn it. �Um, hi.�
Thankfully, Sally chipped in at that point, extending her invitation to Heero as well, and Duo didn�t have to do anything except stand there and grin like an idiot, which was pretty much all he was capable of doing about then. Soon Wu Fei and Sally took their leave, which left the two of them pretty much standing there and staring at each other. All his words seemed to have deserted him, but at least Heero seemed to be blushing too. That was probably a good sign, and it made Duo feel a little less-self-conscious.
�Uh, Heero,� he began after a while, just as Heero stepped towards him a little, an uncertain expression on his face.
�Duo?� Damn, he loved the way Heero said his name. He smiled helplessly, and was lifting his hand to touch Heero�s arm when the phone rang and almost startled him out of skin.
Fuck. Duo stamped over to the side table and yanked the handset off its cradle. �What?!�
There was silence on the line for a moment, then: �Agent Maxwell?�
Shit. �Yes, Commander?� Across the room, Heero jerked upright, staring across at him. The absolute worst of it was, Duo was sure he could see relief in his partner�s eyes. Shit, shit, shit.
�You have an assignment this weekend. Yuy as well � if he�s there?�
�He�s here. We�re supposed to be on leave,� Duo observed a little bitterly.
�I apologise for that.� Lady Une�s voice wasn�t particularly regretful. �It�s nothing particularly difficult or stressful. There�s an economic summit in Madrid, and we were providing security, but several agents have had to be reassigned to other cases.�
�So it�s just security detail?� That wasn�t so bad; they should even have time to relax a little when they were off-shift.
�Yes. Colonel Po will be in command; she will probably ask for your input, but you�ll primarily be assigned to the Winner faction, in addition to their own security officials.�
�Understood.� Duo let himself grin wryly. Wonder how many strings Quatre had to pull to get this arranged? �Do you want to speak to Heero?�
�That won�t be necessary. Just report to Colonel Po tomorrow morning, the both of you.� Lady Une nodded at him, and Duo snapped off a sarcastic salute as she closed the connection.
He set down the handset slowly, rolling his shoulders. �Damn.�
�We have an assignment?� Heero had his �mission� face on; if there had ever been a romantic atmosphere between them it was gone now.
�Yeah. Security detail on Quatre�s party in Madrid this weekend. Report to Sally tomorrow morning.� Duo sighed a little. Damn, all his plans and hopes for this evening had been effectively shredded. Maybe he should just call it a day. Go back to his lonely bed and try not to dream � as if that wouldn�t be futile.
�Accepted.� Heero looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly and turned to the door. Duo slumped wearily, raising one hand to wave a half-hearted goodbye as his dream walked out of the door yet again.
�Night, Heero,� he murmured sadly, turning away and entirely missing the uncertain, hopeful look that Heero threw over his shoulder as he left.
Heero jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding a collision as a political aide loaded up with boxes and papers barrelled down the corridor towards the �situation room� where Quatre held court preparing for the speeches and presentations he and his assistants would have to give tomorrow. As well as his own Winner Group Industries, the young blond pilot was currently representing the economic interests of the L4 colonies and was completely rushed off his feet even with several of his sisters here to spread the burden.
Heero was rather glad he wasn�t needed at the moment. Quatre�s party was staying in one of the Winner family estates just outside Madrid, and providing their own security for the premises, so all the Preventer agents had to do was stick around in case there were problems. Sally, Wu Fei, and Trowa, who worked as liaison between the Winner Group security team and the Preventers at functions like these, had gone off to check out the facilities at the convention centre, leaving himself and Duo with not much to do.
Heero sidestepped another frantic secretary. The rest of Quatre�s household were rushing about in what seemed a very disorganised manner, but he knew his friend too well to think there wasn�t some sort of order in this chaos. It was like a miniature whirlwind of businessmen and papers, and at the centre would be Quatre Winner, directing the storm just as if it was a coordinated attack on a space station. Heero had no desire to observe this phenomenon more closely, however, lest he be collared by some well-meaning intern, forgetful of his neutral status as a Preventer Agent, and set to work.
Checking the corridor both ways and seeing no oncoming bodies, Heero stepped out of his alcove and made his way hastily down the hall to what Duo had dubbed the �quiet room,� a lounge towards the front of the building that was out of the way enough that the Preventers wouldn�t be overrun by Quatre�s staff and yet close to the action in case of emergency. Having made it through the door without being knocked down or accosted, Heero let out something of a sigh of relief and then froze as he met Duo�s eyes.
�Hey.� Duo lifted one hand in salutation, turning back towards the TV, and Heero suppressed a peculiar flash of disappointment, moving to join him on the couch. Duo seemed to be watching a Colonial basketball game, or at least sitting in front of it; from what Heero could see the L3 Whirlwinds were losing badly to the L1 Shooting Stars, with five minutes left until time.
�It�s good that teams from different Colonies can play against each other again,� Heero observed, looking for some way to break the silence. Relena had said� but he still had no idea how to go about something like this. Uncertainly, he shifted his posture, drawing one leg up and in the process moving a little closer to Duo. That put him with one shoulder turned towards Duo, though, facing slightly off to the right. Maybe he should move again�?
�Yeah. I�m just waiting for the day when they introduce Sphere-wide sports leagues,� Duo said, making a face as time was called and the final scores displayed. �Maybe if they get a bit more competition going some of those teams might actually get good.�
�Well, they�re showing Colonial sport on Earth television now,� Heero said quietly. �That�s an improvement.�
�Yeah�� There was a comfortable silence between them for a few minutes, while commercials played and Heero imagined what it might feel like to kiss Duo. He could not remember ever having been kissed by anybody; even Relena had avoided that with him, and suddenly he wanted it very badly. Wanted Duo. He almost jumped out of his skin, aborting an instinctive reach for the gun he wasn�t wearing, when callused fingers ghosted softly along the back of his neck, tracing the collar of his fatigue T-shirt.
After a dizzyingly dislocative moment, the fingers moved again, drawing shivering lines up his spine and curling into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Heero fought back a gasp, unable to resist leaning into the touch like a cat. Duo�s fingers trailed down and over his shoulder, and Heero scrambled around to face him, all but kneeling on the couch and feeling like he�d lost all grace, forgotten how to move in his own skin. He thought his eyes must be as wide as saucers, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing properly.
�Heero.� Duo was so close to him, his fingers still rubbing gently across the bumps of Heero�s spine and his eyes luminous with� something. �Do you�� The sound of running feet on the hallway tile interrupted him, and he jerked his hand away just as Trowa burst in the door looking harassed.
�Have you seen Quatre? There�s an urgent call for him!�
Duo glanced at Heero ruefully, and Heero fought the impulse to sigh. �Last I knew he was in the situation room. You�re back then�� he trailed off as Trowa dashed out of the door again, yelling for his beloved. As the door swung slowly closed behind him, Heero and Duo looked at each other uncertainly.
Heero cleared his throat a little nervously. A game show had started on the TV, and the theme music wasn�t much more than a jingling background buzzing in his ears. Duo�s fingers had migrated back to his neck, stroking slowly, and now they were tugging him forward gently. Heero found his eyes fixed on Duo�s lips, that smiling mouth that looked so soft and inviting, and now Duo was coming closer, his face becoming a blur of pale skin and huge indigo eyes, and he was kissing him, whisper-soft caress of skin against skin that couldn�t possibly feel this good, it was just contact, but it did. It did. Heero felt like maybe his brain was overheating, or melting, or something. Duo�s mouth was moving against his, and his hands were clutching at Duo�s arms, and he felt so clumsy and inexperienced, not knowing quite what to do, but it didn�t matter because this was Duo. Perfect.
Somehow, neither of them were really surprised when Duo�s phone went off.
Duo got the feeling that maybe God hated him after all. First Relena, then Commander Une and Trowa, and now finally all his dreams were on the verge of coming true and his phone was busily buzzing away in his pocket, dragging him insistently back to reality and duty. Damn. Just � fucking damn. It took more effort than he would ever have imagined to pull away from Heero, and he had to actively force his fingers to uncurl from the so-soft hair at his partner�s nape. Heero�s face was open and beautifully flushed, his eyes dazed and huge, and he raised his hand to his lips as though he couldn�t quite believe what had just happened.
Flinging himself to his feet, Duo dug the handset phone from his pocket and (resisting the urge to fling it across the room) put it his ear. �Maxwell.� He was sure his tone couldn�t be pleasant, but damn it all, the world seemed to have shitty timing.
�D-duo?� It took him a while to recognise the voice in his ear; it was scratchy with tears. �Is this a b-bad time?�
�Hilde?� Duo blinked incredulously; he had never heard the capable girl this emotional before. �What�s the matter?� Surely there couldn�t have been some emergency in the Colonies or they�d have heard�
�I need to � to talk to you,� Hilde sniffled into the phone, and Duo rolled his eyes, then immediately felt terribly guilty. There was obviously something wrong, if Hilde of all people was crying, but God definitely hated him this week. Either that or he and Heero were simply not meant to be, and that wasn�t something he could accept.
�Hey, can you hang on a minute while I find a vidphone?� He turned, looking around the lounge, and realised with a sinking heart that Heero had already left, sneaking out of the door while Duo�s back was turned. He stared helplessly after him for a moment. Damn you, God.
�Yeah�� Hilde�s muffled response brought him back to himself, and he crossed the room to the side table, fishing the cable out of his pocket and plugging his portable handset into the vidphone console. A moment of blurry static, then Hilde�s image was before him, her face buried in a large handkerchief.
�Hey, honey. What�s up?� Duo tried to make his voice concerned.
�Oh, Duo.� Hilde looked up at him, her eyes watering copiously. Duo was rather glad he wasn�t in L2 at the moment, or she�d probably have cried all over his jacket or something. Damn, crying girls weren�t something he was used to.
�Come on, what�s the matter, Hil?�
�I � Duo, I met someone.�
He blinked a bit, doing something of a double take, and she actually giggled. �Ooookaaaay, and that�s bad because?�
�I thought � I mean, I liked you, and � I thought I should wait and � you seemed to like me, I didn�t want to��
�Okay,� Duo interrupted the disjointed words, blushing. �So what you�re saying is, you, um, liked me before, but now you�ve met someone else and you�re worried about breaking my heart or making me jealous or some shit like that?�
�Um, yeah.� Hilde swiped at her face half-heartedly with the handkerchief. �I mean, I didn�t really know, but I don�t want to hurt you, and now��
�Okay, okay.� Duo made little soothing motions with his free hand. �Don�t worry about it Hilde, really. You don�t have to worry,� he repeated, wondering how to put this. �Look. I like you, I like you a lot, but not in a, a, a romantic sense, okay? You�re a good friend, and I appreciate that, but I love Hee- . Um.� Oh, now he was blushing, and he really, really hoped that Heero hadn�t decided to wait outside the door or something.
�Huh?� Hilde blinked at him through tears, then gasped. �Really?! You and Heero?�
Duo groaned, sinking his face into his hands. �No. Nonono. Really. I mean, I do, but we haven�t really � just now � look.� Somehow his hand had gotten hold of his braid and was tugging at it distractedly again. �I like him. I think he likes me. There�ve been a coupla times, and then I kinda just kissed him, and��
Hilde gasped. �I interrupted! Oh, I�m so sorry Duo! I was just being hormonal and stupid. Is he there?�
�Nah, he scarpered.� Duo sighed, looking up at the screen wryly. �Don�t worry about it, Hil, the way things have been going if you hadn�t called the entire Maguanac corps woulda stormed the room in the next five minutes or I don�t know what.�
�Well, can�t you go after him or something?� Hilde urged. �Go find him and, I don�t know, talk or something.�
�If Heero�s hiding, I�ll never find him.� Well, at least she seemed better. Hormones� no, he just wasn�t going there. �I�ve got time now, anyway; forget my bad luck. Why don�t you tell me about this new guy of yours, huh?�
It was dark by the time Heero parked the car back at the apartment building. They�d been kept late after the convention packing up the monitoring equipment, and then debriefing at Headquarters, and the drive home had been an uncomfortable nightmare of silence and awkward glances. In the seat across from him, Duo yawned and stretched, managing to look unbelievably appealing despite his rumpled uniform and unravelling braid. Heero swallowed, and unlatched the door, trudging around to fetch their bags out of the back.
Walking up the stairs together, the echo of their footsteps made a strangely syncopated pattern. Heero felt peculiarly detached from reality, concentrating on the steps ahead of him yet aware of Duo�s heat against his side. Trying to decide what he should do.
They had kissed. That had to mean something; the only interruption had been Hilde�s phone call, and Duo hadn�t seemed too happy about that. Heero ought to � he should � he wanted� Damn it, he just wanted Duo. Loved him; there wasn�t any way he could explain this baffling surge of emotion whenever he thought of his partner. Love. It wasn�t something Heero had ever thought he would feel. It was frightening, but he had learned after the end of the wars that one who was no longer a soldier no longer needed a soldier�s control. He loved Duo.
Heero�s door was closed, and someone had taped a folded note to it. He glanced at Duo momentarily, then held out his laden hands. �Can you take these?�
�Oh � sure, Heero.� There was so much� hope in those shadowy blue eyes, it twisted Heero�s heart. Duo took the duffel bag and computer case from him, and Heero took his keys from his pocket, pulling the note off with his other hand and unfolding it as he unlocked the door.
It was from Sally, who must have got back earlier than they had. She let Heero know that the movie they had talked about was still on for the rest of this week, if he and Duo wanted to go some night. It sounded like a good idea; Heero thought with a slight wash of amusement that in a darkened cinema he could hold Duo�s hand without anybody seeing him blush.
�Here.� He held the note out to Duo, who had followed him in with the bags. As Duo set the luggage down with a grimace and took the paper from him to read it, Heero gave him a swift, uncertain look, wondering, then gave up. Follow your emotions, Odin had said.
Moving decisively, Heero snapped the locks shut on the door, even going so far as to hook the chain across, then marched around the room pulling power cables out of the wall. Computer, radio, television, phone� all off. Blinds down. He made a quick detour to the kitchen to switch off the handset there and reroute incoming calls to voicemail, then went to stand before Duo, who was staring at him as though he was mad.
�Your phone.�
�My what?�
�Your phone,� Heero repeated. �Give it to me.�
Duo stared at him some more, then slowly reached into his pocket and handed over the device. Heero took it, finding the power switch quickly and then setting the thing aside.
�Now I�m worried, Yuy,� Duo was saying in his nervous-jokey voice, but Heero was already there, gripping Duo�s shoulders and meeting his lips clumsily, trying to imitate the movements his partner had made before. A moment, then Duo was exhaling against him, his breath warm and sweet so that Heero remembered incongruously that he had been eating pocky in the car, his arms sliding up around Heero to hold him tightly, Sally�s letter fluttering unnoticed to the floor.
This was it. This was just what he had wanted. Himself and Duo, with no interruptions, and no jokes, and nothing between them but skin and touch. Duo�s mouth on his, their lips moving together, and he still felt so inexperienced but he was learning, this was his second kiss, and Duo was here. This was real. Heero moaned a little, eyes falling closed, hands unclenching from Duo�s sleeves and sliding around his back, pulling them more tightly together. His fingers seemed to gravitate of their own accord to that enticing tail of hair, threading into the base of Duo�s braid, and damn, it was even softer than it looked.
Duo�s mouth smiled against him, then pulled back, capturing his lower lip and tugging on it a little. Heero�s eyes flew wide at the sensation, filling his world with a blurry flutter of indigo beneath soft brown lashes, his friend, his partner and his love and so beautiful, and God, he couldn�t help but want more. Leaning forward, taking Duo�s lips again, it was all so easy, so simple to express all these things he didn�t even have the words for, and he knew that Duo understood.
There was so much tenderness in it. Emotion, in the gentle movements of his lips against Heero�s, warmth and caring wrapped up in this first tentative embrace, uncertain stirrings of desire in the touch of Duo�s tongue against his lips. That felt shockingly good, and Heero welcomed it, parting his mouth to let Duo inside as they stumbled almost blindly backward toward the couch, tumbling onto it in a tangle of limbs and clutching hands, wanting nothing more than each other.
He ended up half-collapsed on the couch cushions, Heero beneath him and wrapped around him like a starfish in a Disney movie, gasping for breath in between kisses and pressed against each other in just about the most intimate way possible. Duo thought he might be about to die. Either that or a SWAT team was about to break down the door, nothing that felt this good could possibly last. Heero � fuck, it was Heero Yuy, that face, that body, those eyes, here in his arms, wanting to be with him. Duo Maxwell. Maybe God didn�t hate him after all.
�Heero,� he whispered, pressing kisses into the curve of the other�s neck and shifting one hand up to stroke his nape, cradle his head. �God, Heero.� Heero was nuzzling the side of his head, murmuring into his ear, his hands busy unravelling Duo�s braid, sifting through his hair. It came loose, falling like a curtain around them, and Heero twisted his fingers into it, grasping gentle handfuls and tugging Duo up to meet his lips again.
Kissing Heero was definitely his new favourite pastime. It was every bit as wonderful as he had ever imagined, every bit as perfect; Heero was charmingly inexperienced and so eager to learn� A quick learner, Duo decided breathlessly as Heero�s hand ran down his spine, pulling their bodies into closer contact. Damn, he knew Heero worked out, but this was why no one else could compare to the Perfect Soldier. Muscles like steel under skin soft as velvet, and those eyes� he pulled back from the kiss just to be able to get another look at them.
Heero blinked up at him shyly, eyes shading to night skies and dazed with wonder and need. It had been the eyes Duo had fallen for long ago, before he had ever let himself realise it. Windows on the soul, and they had shown so much more than the stony soldier�s fa�ade. �I love you.� The words were out of his mouth before he could really gather himself, helpless in the face of that look, but Heero was smiling. So innocent and breathtakingly beautiful, that smile.
�I love you too� Duo.� His fingers trailed across Duo�s cheekbone, slipping down his throat to the collar of his shirt, pausing uncertainly over the buttons. �I want to touch you. Can I�?�
�Anything you like. I�m glad you made sure we won�t get interrupted again.� Heero�s hands on his skin � God, this was every fantasy he�d ever had rolled into one beautiful reality. Duo arched into the touch as Heero�s fingers shyly explored his shoulders and chest, sliding his own hands beneath the hem of Heero�s shirt as he brought their mouths together again. He loves me. Heero loves me� No, if this was a dream Duo was determined never to wake.
Heero was� perfect. There was no other word for it. He was shy, inexperienced, yes; whenever Duo did something new he would start with surprise, but then he would immediately reciprocate, trying to give back to Duo the pleasure he felt from those touches. And his hands were just as strong and sure as Duo had dreamed them, his caresses growing more certain as he learned what Duo liked, what fed his desire and what drove him to unthinking little squeaks and sounds of pleasure.
They fit together so well. Duo ran his hands down Heero�s sides, palms sliding slickly against naked skin, pulling them into closer alignment as Heero moaned and wrapped arms and legs around him as though to hold him in place forever, kissing him on a rising tide of desperation. Drowning in Heero; it felt like the most natural thing in the world to Duo as his lover cried his name, wrapping them together into a flushed and sticky tangle of limbs blanketed with drifting ribbons of sweat-soaked hair. Like all the hesitations and interruptions never meant a thing after all. Like this was simply meant to be. Sighing with happiness, he snuggled closer to Heero. Mission accomplished.