Writing runs smoothly when I'm deep in C&C

    Duo waited patiently until all of the others were asleep. They weren't all in the same place most of the time and when they were . . . well, his Heero time was always greatly reduced. Since Heero's declaration of 'I don't 'not' love you', the two of them had been tentatively beginning a relationship. For Duo, it was like his dreams were all coming true.

    The last light was extinguished and Duo smiled broadly and slipped out his window and onto the ledge. He walked carefully over the the next window and tapped lightly on the pane.

    A shadowed figure stood from the bed and walked over to him as quiet as mist. The shadow opened the window quickly and pulled Duo into a tight embrace, instantly sealing their lips.

    Duo almost swooned. Only one man could make the God of Death swoon. "Mmm, Heero."

    The perfect soldier grinned and slipped out the open window, Duo close behind. They finally climbed up onto a small alcove between the upper level windows, guarded from the night wind. "Missed you."

    "I missed you more." Duo grinned.

    "Hn." Heero ran a hand over the soft skin of his beloved's face, tracing a fresh bruise, "You take too many risks."

    "Says the self destructor himself."

    Thick brown bangs covered the dark blue eyes, but Duo felt their gaze just the same. Heero hugged him tight and they sat just like that. One person in the moonlight sharing two bodies. A riddle of black, white, and grey.

    "I brought us something to celebrate the battle won." Duo offered and pulled out a bottle of cheep wine and two, paper dixie cups.

    Heero looked at the cups which sported leeping frogs around them then at his love.

    "It's all I could afford." He shrugged.

    Heero nodded, "It's fine."

    "I wish I could have brought something better but. . ."

    "You did bring something better." Heero assured him, "You brought you."

    Duo blushed and popped the cork with a smile. Heero returned it with a smaller version of the happy smirk, and raised his frog covered dixie cup for Duo to fill it. "Make a toast?"

    "You do it."

    Duo nodded and thought a moment, "To us. Whatever we are together. May we never be apart."

    Heero nodded and drank, eyes never leaving Duo.

    The American glanced up at the attention. "What?"

    "You're crazy." Heero said softly.

    "Yeah?"

    "Who but you would make cheap rotgut, a rotting alcove, and dixie cups into a date."

    "But I pulled it off, didn't I."

    "Aa."

    "Heero?"

    "Hm?"

    "Do you. . . do you like Relena?"

    "She is. . . brave."

    "Oh." Duo fought back the sinking feeling in his heart. He'd known Heero felt something for the noble, but he had hoped he would at least deny it. For a little while.

    "She reminds me of a little girl. She gave me a flower once, and I killed her and her puppy. It was an accident, but it happened. I guess. . . I feel like Relena is a second chance. This time I can save the little girl."

    "Heero."

    "I do not love her."

    "You're going to use up your word quota, then what'll you do?"

    "Borrow some of yours."

    "Ouch. That one hurt." Duo snickered.

    "I would never hurt you."

    "I know. I love you Heero."

    "No reason."

    "What?"

    "What could you love about me?"

    The American grinned, "If I didn't know you Heero, I'd say you were fishing for a complement."

    "Hn."

    "There's a lot to love about you." He insisted. "You're smart, kind even if you don't think you are. Handsome and dedicated to the people you care about. You would do anything to accomplish your goals and yet you still saved me instead of killing me when I was captured."

    "You surprised me."

    "How?"

    Heero looked don at the dixie cup and smiled slightly, "You said you always knew you were meant to be killed by me."

    "So?"

    "Since I first saw you, I knew I was meant to be killed by you." He shrugged slightly, "When you said what I was thinking I couldn't do it. You were the first person to ever really want to be my friend."

    "That's just because you shut yourself off from the world Heero. If you were as open as you are when we're alone, all the time, you'd have a lot of friends. People just don't know you."

    "You're different."

    "How?"

    "I . . . you are special to me."

    Duo smiled, "You're special to me too. I wouldn't have gotten this far through the war if you hadn't been there for me."

    "And I'd have killed our only hope at peace."

    The other pilot snickered, "Might have been worth it. If I hear her say Heeeeeeeeroooooooo one more time I'll. . ."

    "Heeeeeeeeroooooooo! Where are you?!"

    The pilots looked at each other and bit their lips to keep from laughing and betraying their location.

    "You were saying?"

    The American made a zipping motion over his lips and grinned a cheshire cat grin.

    "Heeeeeeeeroooooooo?"

    "I should have shot her instead of you. If only. . ."

    "You would have never forgiven yourself."

    "I'd think of some way."

    Duo refilled his paper cup, "More?"

    "Hai."

    "This stuff is nasty."

    "Aa."

    "Sorry I couldn't find better." He looked down at the blot of pink on the green of the lawn. "Relena could shower you in champaign and everything you could ever want. Me, I'll probably be lucky if I can find a place to stay that's dry and safe once the war ends. I'll probably end up back on the streets."

    "I would rather be here." The soft 'with you' hung between them. "And you will always have a place with me."

    "Heero."

    "Duo?" He slid closer, "Why are you crying? Did you really think that you would be homeless after this was done?"

    "I was homeless before."

    Heero wiped the tears away and frowned, "Never again."

    "Heero?"

    "You will 'never' be alone again."

    Duo sobbed and burried his face in Heero's chest as he wept in relief.

    Heero could only hold him as the tears were cried out. "Better?"

    "I g. . . . got your shirt w. . . wet." Duo giggled softly.

    "A baptism from the God of Death."

    "No. Not death. Right now I. . . I'm just Duo."

    "You're never 'just' anything." 

    Duo smiled and leaned into the embrace, "Kiss me?"

    "Mm." Heero's answer was swallowed between their locked lips and lost in the gathering of their tongues.  Neither wanted it to end. Never. But finally, the human need for air drove them back apart.

    Duo cuddled closer and refilled their cups. "Bet you'll never see dixie cups in the same way ever again huh?"

    Heero grinned, "Hn."
 
 
 
 

~tbc~