untitled Shonen-ai Ficcie

Heero bustled down the stairs of the Winner Mansion and grabbed Duo by the braid, dragging him along until they reached the nearest bus-stop.

"OW!!! Hey! Quit it!!!" Duo protested along the way. When Heero finally released his braid, he rubbed it, comfortingly. "My poor braid. Did the mean old soldier hurt you?" he soothed. "So, what gives, and why are you taking it out on my poor braid?"

"I got a mission assignment." Heero told Duo. "Observation only, which is why we're not bringing weapons. There's a new establishment that just opened in town. A fancy restaurant that is reportedly frequented by OZ soldiers. Allegedly Zechs eats there on a regular basis. I haven't confirmed this. But my orders are to watch and eavesdrop on him if he is there."

"So, where do I come in?" Duo asked.

"If I show up alone at a restaurant like that, it'll arouse suspicion." Heero explained. "First we'll stop off at the local haberdashery(1) and get some appropriate clothes, then we'll head over to the restaurant. We'll need to do something about the braid...." he mused.

"Don't you *dare*!" Duo warned.

"Relax, I promise I won't cut it off."

Duo relaxed. Heero kept his promises. "So, why me? Why not Relena?"

"She'd yell out to me when I arrived and blow my cover." Heero explained. 

The bus stopped at the haberdashery and the two pilots disembarked.

"How can I help you, sir, ma'am...sir.. " The haberdasher noticed the collar and became even more flustered. "Father... Um..."

"We recently heard of the new restaurant that opened downtown and we need something appropriate to wear to it." Heero said, saving the man any further embarrassment. 

"Of course." the haberdasher hedged. They were teenagers, he now realized. "How do you plan on paying for this?"

Heero handed the man a credit card. "Is this acceptable?"

The haberdasher looked closely at it and noticed it was Zechs's credit card. Normally, he would've been under obligation to report it, in case the card had been stolen, but no one liked OZ being there. If this boy wanted to spend their money, the haberdasher was more than happy to help him do it.

The outfits Heero picked out for Duo and himself were well-tailored, and gave an air of quiet elegance. Packing their street clothes in garment bags, the two thanked the haberdasher and made their way to the restaurant.

"Table for two, please." Heero requested when they arrived. "And could we have a corner table, please?"

"Right this way, sir." the maitre'd led Heero and Duo to their table. Shortly afterward, a waiter approached them. He was well-groomed, blue-eyed and blond-haired, with a hint of grey at the temples . He reminded Duo of Quatre, albeit a much older version of the Arabian pilot.

"My name is Neville, I'll be your waiter this evening," the man informed them. He handed them each a menu. "If I may make a suggestion, sir," he added, eyeing Duo's braid.

"The braid stays." Duo said, firmly. 

"Of course." Neville nodded. "However, I was in a hair shop not far from here once, buying a present for my wife, she's such a wonderful lady..."

Heero smiled at the waiter as Duo couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise to tell the man they just wanted their food. //Revenge is so sweet...// he thought to himself. 

"...Anyhow." Nevilled continued. "I saw this beautiful hair ornament there. It was a small clip with three strands of diamonds. I asked the man who ran the store about it, and he said it was made to be woven into a braid. I asked why no one had bought it, and he said, he never met a woman with long enough hair. As far as I know its still there, and you would look very beautiful with it in your braid."

Duo smiled and nodded. "You're right! Don't you agree, dearest?"

"Hn." Heero muttered, the smirk vanishing as he realized he would now have to buy the damned thing for Duo. "Can we just order, please?"

"We don't have the menu, yet." Duo reminded him.

"Fancy places like this don't have menus." Heero pointed out. "the waiter just tells you what's available."

"Right now, the all-you-can-eat clambake is our biggest hit." Neville told them. "Steamed clams, lobster, salmon and swordfish."

"That sounds good to me." Duo smiled.

"I'll have that, also." Heero nodded. He looked around, casually.

"Is there something you're looking for?" Neville asked.

"Um.. no." Heero replied. "I was just looking at this place. It looks very nice."

"Thank you, sir." Neville smiled. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No thank you." Heero replied.

"Nothing for me, sir.

"There are plates and silverware at the buffet table." Neville informed them. "You may serve yourself at any time."

Duo was at the buffet five seconds later. He returned shortly afterward with a plate laden with all the aforementioned items, not to mention corn-on-the-cob, a dinner roll, plenty of butter, and a nice cup of clam broth (2). he also had an empty bowl. "For the shells." he explained.

Heero went up to the buffet and got his meal while Duo worked on a few of the steamers he'd piled onto his plate. "Heero," he whispered, to himself, as he watched him. "I wish this wasn't a mission. It seems so perfect. You and me. This wonderful restaurant. This excellent food. Why can't this be a real date?"

Heero returned and began to work on his own clams. "Delicious." he said. "How about you," he asked Duo, "you like it?"

Duo nodded, his mouth currently full. He felt a little butter on his lower lip, but before he could wipe it off, Heero leaned over the table and kissed it from his lips.

//Too bad it's just for show.// Duo thought, returning the kiss all the same. //If he knew I meant it, he'd probably snap my neck.// 

After they'd eaten their fill and paid for their meals, the two pilots headed toward the bus-stop. Heero reached into his pocket and realized he didn't have change for the bus. "You got change?" he asked.

Duo shook his head. "No. Do you?"

"No." Heero sighed. He handed Duo some money and pointed to a nearby convenience store. "See if they can give you some change for that." he said. "I'll wait here and see if I can hold the bus."

Duo returned twenty minutes later with a bag full of snacks, and change for the bus. "They won't open the register unless you buy something." he explained as they boarded the bus.

Quatre looked up as they walked in. "You two look great! Hold on!" he ran and got his camera, snapping several photos, of the two pilots in their expensive suits.

Duo and Heero headed up to their room and changed into their sleepwear, since it was time for bed. 

"Good night, Heero." Duo murmured, sleepily, as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, Duo." Heero replied.



Duo woke the next morning and found a long white box on the table next to his bed. Bewildered, he opened it and found the hair-ornament the waiter had described inside along with a slip of paper.

Duo stared at the ornament in stunned amazement, then carefully unfolded the paper. His eyes filled up with tears of joy that spilled down his face as read the message that had been written on it:

There was no mission.

-----Owari-----

1) Haberdashery: A store which specializes in the sale of men's dress clothes and accessories. 
2) For those of you who've never had it, clam broth actually tastes very good!