"Heero how long have we been lovers?" Duo asked. Playing with his lover's fingers not looking at Heero. His eyes downcast like a little boy asking a brand new toy to his father.

It was perfect day. Birds were chirping, happily content on making a nest. Lazy clouds drifted over the warm sun. Flowers bloom & the park was filled with noisy children playing. The grass is green & life was so normal.

Like there is no war.

There is no mission as of now. But make no mistakes, Heero accentuated that they shouldn't be too relaxed just because the opposing sides calmed down a bit. Heero really doesn't know how Duo coaxed him to go to a picnic. Duo's promise of a very satisfactory night planned later this evening might have something to do with it.

"What is exactly the point of this question?" He asked a little irritably. He know very well that this will lead to another senseless argument involving on how he can't express his feelings & how Duo could never keep his mouth shut. He was actually enjoying this moment of respite & he was not going to have this kind of conversation this day.

"In all these years we have been together as lovers & might as well be friends. I never seen you smile or enjoy my company. Quite the opposite in fact." He was mortified at his question yet he want to make sure. "You are always calling me stupid or glaring at me & threat me. Not that I really mind though." 'But you do' Heero quipped in his brain. "It's just that sometimes I think you mean what you said."

"Is that all?" Heero caustically asked.

Duo almost loose all his courage but he is there already might as well say it all. "Not it is not all. Whenever we are together you are always so alert & taut that I feel like we are still in a war zone. Hell, not even when you are drunk you ever loosen up. You never enjoyed life that you make it so boring & dull for yourself. You are not the one who sit & watch the flowers bloom."

"I am not idle."

"It's not just being idle Heero it is called appreciation. It's like you are taking everything & keep them bottled up inside of you." Duo look at the boy surprised to see that Heero was not offended & his face softened a little bit.

Heero took a deep breath. 'Well this conversation will take long.' He surmised. He gather up his courage. Wondering how he could self destruct so casually but when it comes to confession regarding about the boy in his arms he is almost close to breaking down.

"Duo.......did you ever heard of the saying old habits die hard?" He waited for the American to answer. He nodded. "Well I am trained to be like that & it won't take just a turn of the world to change me.

"But I didn't mean to change...."

"Let me finish." He knows that if he let Duo chatter again he will never get a word in edgewise. "The war is still here. We can be optimistic yes for it to end. But as long as it is here we must make sacrifices. You know that don't you?"

"Yes." He remembered the Maxwell Church again. His friends, all those children. Sister Helen, Father Maxwell. Heero urge him to cuddle beside him not minding the grass stains. He burrowed his face at Heero's chest. "I know." his voice was muffled by Heero's green tank top.

"& I am not saying that I will change instantly after the war. This is a process that both of us is going through. No matter what, don't let this obstacles conquer you. You know that even if I can't say it it is there right? Because you can feel it. When we first started this relationship I never thought I could progress this far & lasted this long. " Heero smiled & kiss his lover's scented hair.

"Yes, I know." He can Hear the Japanese boy's heart beat. How soothing it is in his ear. He close his eyes. "I know."

"I thought you should now me better than that Duo. If I don't like your company I wouldn't even let you force me into enduring it. But you got to understand that this is me if I became like quatre, Wufei, or Trowa then you did not fall in love with me. Like I have fallen in love with you no matter how demanding & a nuisance you are." Heero chuckled. He tilted the boy's face. "I know you have your doubts there." He push Duo's nose with his fingers.

Duo frowned. "Doubts?" 'I don't have doubts.'

"Doubts that you are just a mate in bed, just a mate partner, a kind of how shall we put it 'tension relief." Duo was about to protest. "Don't deny it. You know you can't lie to me." Duo blushed.

"So I am going to ask you, when the war is over to stay with me to find out. " Duo look at Heero in disbelief. His eyes mirroring his emotions drowning Duo. 'Heero..' Heero kiss Duo pulling the boy closer. creating soothing circles at the boy's back.

"Right now all I ask is your understanding. We need some one to hold on to or else all fo us will go insane with all this killing & meaningless feuds." Heero look at a distance looking at the trees & the flowers that is just starting to bloom. "Or else all this beauty will be gone to us forever." He reach for a flower & played it with his fingers brushing the velvety perals in Duo's face.

"I know that sooner or later this war will stop. Because we have five unbeatable pilots working on it. I believe in Shinigami that much." Heero look at Duo whose eyes are filled with joyous tears.Duo scrubbed his eyes. "Heero...." Heero smiled at him genuinely & kiss the tears that slid past his cheek.

"It won't be long Duo, I promise."

"P-promise?" His voice was meek. He knows that Heero love him more than he could ever imagaine that's why he is here with him.

"I promise." Duo finally satisfied with his lover's answer settled himself into cuddling the boy all day

After a few moments of silence. Heero's face become neutral again. "Stop your whining & let's go home it's almost sun set & you better make good on your promise or I'll stuff your stupid braid in your mouth to shut you up."

Duo grinned feeling much lighter & playful than before. "I knew that it was too good to be true.": He sighed & folded their blankets. Eager to go home to spend an enjoyable evening together.