What’s Really in the Dark of Night

 

Chapter Eight: Heero POV

 

I was standing outside of school instead of my usual spot next to my locker that morning. Wufei wasn’t too happy with me at the moment and Quatre was a bit concerned about my recent behavior, but since I was being nice to someone and not glaring them to death, he didn’t really give me too much grief.

 

I had deliberately parked in the space that Duo always took, knowing I’d be safe from my stalker fans for the time being. Yet if Duo didn’t show up soon, some of them might actually gather the nerve to brave coming into the forbidden spot in the lot. I had gone home last night and thought about Duo and her being a girl. It was an odd concept to think about, but the thought brought a smile to my face. Underneath that scruffy exterior, one could say that she’s kind of pretty.

 

I lost myself in my thoughts for a few minutes and then checked my watch. I knew the bell was going to ring soon and Duo wasn’t here yet. I’d never known her to be tardy; in fact, she was always here before me. We had agreed on meeting today before classes, but I was beginning to fear she wasn’t going to show up at all. Maybe she decided it wasn’t such a good idea to be seen together. I sure hoped not.

 

Just then, a shiny, silver Jaguar peeled into the school parking lot and parked right next to me, but I tried ignoring it. It wasn’t until the passenger got out that I forgot momentarily why I was standing there.

 

In front of me stood a slim girl with all the right curves in the right places. Her skirt contoured to her hips almost as perfectly as her red blouse complemented her pert breasts. Her hair was up in a pony tail, letting the long chestnut stands flutter about behind her. It wasn’t until my gaze reached her pretty heart-shaped face that I realized I was gawking, as was the rest of the student body.

 

“Is this more your style, Hee-chan,” she said suddenly.

 

“Duo?” I stammered.

 

“The one and only,” She said, a grin gracing her lips. “What say we take some senior photos and then give Relena's fan-club something to write about?”

 

I blinked; there was nothing else to do while I waited for my brain to catch up with time. When I saw a little flash go off, I blinked again and shook my head. Had she just taken a picture of me?

 

“Wow… Duo… You look… Beautiful,” Way to go Yuy! Open mouth, insert foot. She’s your friend now, you shouldn’t be thinking about her like that.

 

“Thanks,” she blushed.

 

I was kicking myself mentally because I was starting to like Duo a little more than I was comfortable with. What if I only liked her because I had trusted her? What if subconsciously, I only liked her because I wanted to use her to ward off Relena? I couldn’t have that on my conscience! She was a friend now and I didn’t want to toy with her feelings now that I knew how she felt about me.

 

“Quit staring already, and let’s go!” she suddenly snapped. With that, she grabbed hold of my arm and led me inside the building.

 

Well, I refused to toy with her, but if she wanted to toy with Relena and the rest of those furies that made our lives constant hell, who was I to deny her?

 

Our class schedule was completely shot for the day. We had to spend the entire morning standing in line for our pictures then we were herded into the gym just to keep track of who had gotten their picture taken and who hadn’t. It wasn’t as if I needed to get a picture taken now, I mean, every girl in this school (probably with the exception of Duo) had at least three pictures of me.

 

Hell, half the school was paparazzi in training; I didn’t need to be here.

 

The only reason I ever took the damn things was because mother, even if I rarely saw either of my parents, insisted on sending pictures of me to my relatives in Japan, even if she was white. She said that they’d love to have pictures of me since I couldn’t be there for them to watch me grow up.

 

Pretty soon, it was my turn to take my picture, and I, naturally was scowling at the camera. I think I had done this every year, and I never really bothered to change my expression. Just then, Duo passed by behind the cameraman and gave me one of her brilliant smiles. I couldn’t help it then, I gave her a shy smile of my own, taken completely by surprise when the flash went off in my face and was ushered off the little wooden stool I was sat on in the first place.

 

I hopped off the stool, and chased after Duo, who was getting “in mob” to go into the gym. I looked at my watch and saw that our junior/senior lunch break would be in just over an hour and a half, so I went up to her and grabbed hold of her hand.

 

“Hey, Heero… fancy meeting you here,” she smirked. “What’s a nice guy like you doing in a gym like this?”

 

I couldn’t help it and laughed a little, “I was just going to ask if you had any plans for lunch today.”

 

“No… no plans, why?” she asked.

 

“Well, you know how we’re all supposed to go to our 6^th period class after lunch and stay there for the rest of the school day while the underclassmen get their pictures taken?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well, the guys and I are going to skip lunch and hang out in the art room. We ordered pizzas and got permission to have them delivered there. I figured since you’re also in that class, it’d be rude not to invite you.”

 

“Oh,” she said, “okay, I’ll come along. But first, I need to do a little damage.”

 

I smirked along with her, “Right behind you, oh fearless leader.”

 

“That’s right,” she said putting on her best Relena-like attitude, “I’m queen of the world and you are mine to command.”

 

“Heero! Oh, Heero! There you are!” a high pitched voice cried out from the crowd. “I made sure my picture was taken first that way I’d be here to wait for you.”

 

“What do you want now, Relena?” I all but growled.

 

“I was just wondering when you were going to ask me to the Winter Formal, is all,” she said in her little annoying voice, completely ignoring Duo.

 

“That’s months away, Relena, and-”

 

“I know, Heero,” she said, completely cutting me off, “but these things take planning. I want you to run for Prince when I run for Princess. That way, when we win, we can go up and receive our crowns as a couple… and you know, the people that win Winter Prince and Princess, usually win Prom King and Queen, so, if you’d just ask me out already I-”

 

“Listen, toots,” Duo piped in, “Hee-chan is taking ME to the Winter Formal, the Prom, and every other god-forsaken dance and/or event your idle little mind comes up with.”

 

“And who do you think you are, little missy?” Relena huffed, looking completely tweaked.

 

Duo looked up innocently, wrapping her arms around my waist and pushing herself against my side, doing a really good impersonation of ivy on a tree. I looked around us and found that a lot of people were crowded around us now, and a second later, I realized why. I had never let another girl come this close to my person before and I was now wearing Duo like a second skin, which was causing a lot of gaping, glaring, and picture taking.

 

“It’s okay, ‘Lena,” Duo, cooed, “We’ll all understand when you have a nervous breakdown after you find out that Heero picked the school crazy over you.”

 

“WHAT?!” Relena screeched.

 

“You heard me,” Duo smirked, “Heero is taking ME to the dance because he’s MY boyfriend, aren’t you, Heero-baby?”

 

I just wanted to laugh at Relena’s expression and at the faces all the other girls were making, but managed to only let out a tiny smile and wrap my arm around Duo while giving the little nod that was required of me.

 

“See?” Duo chirped happily. “Oh, and by the way, I’d like you to print a retraction.”

 

“I will do no such thing!” Relena yelled when her precious little paper was brought up.

 

“Oh yes you will, your pinkness,” Duo ordered. “Otherwise, I’ll take my case to the principal. You may have freedom of the press, but what you wrote about me yesterday is slander. I am NOT any of the things you called me and I refuse to repeat them at the risk of offending anyone. As you can tell, I am female and I have every right to be with Heero, regardless of my gender.”

 

The room got really quiet then as Relena and Duo faced off, neither girl backing out and me caught in the middle of their argument.

 

Just then, my cell phone went off, indicating I had a text message from Quatre.

 

            pizza is early. come to art room asap  ~*Q*~

 

“Let’s go, Duo,” I said as I pulled her away from the circle that had formed around us.

 

“Sure thing, babe,” she said as she gave Relena one last glare.

 

She allowed me to pull her out of the gym and we made our way to the art classroom before they started letting anyone out for lunch. The halls were eerily empty as we made our way down the hall.

 

“Ne, Heero…I’m sorry for the scene back there,” Duo said. “You don’t have to take me to any of those things, you know. You don’t have to keep playing along.”

 

I laughed, I mean, really laughed. “Don’t you dare apologize for that, the look on Relena’s face was priceless. Although, I don’t condone that kind of cruelty, I suppose she had it a long time coming.”

 

“So you’re not mad?” she asked.

 

“Of course not,” I answered. “In fact, the only reason I didn’t suggest it is because I don’t want to make you feel like the only reason I’m with you is because I’m using you. You mean more to me than that…”

 

I can’t believe I said that out loud. My cheeks flushed and I ducked my head a little to hide it.

 

“Thanks, Heero. You know… underneath that ice prince exterior, you really are a sweetheart.”

 

That comment made me blush more.

 

“So…” Duo said, seemingly thinking out loud, “what am I going to do to annoy Wufei today?” I blinked and stared at this woman as we walked. Honestly, I would never understand her. The second I thought I did, she did something out of the ordinary, of which, I was beginning to truly enjoy.