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Disclaimer: See part 1.

AN: Here be the final part. Don't forget to comment! ^_~

*
Part 3 of 3: The Trial By Coffee
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He was not the same person when he came out of that meeting. There was a kind of hollowness
in everything he thought about, as though he couldn't find it in himself to care. The world was
grayscale; only Duo was still full color, vibrant and lashing out with it, somewhere on the
peripherals of Heero's vision.

He had been an idiot to request that Duo work with him. Surely Wufei would have been just as
good an observer and wouldn't have to go through the heartache of thinking that Duo
may/might/would/could love him back or not.

He jumped over the side of his convertible, the only thing of expense he owned, and turned on
the gas. It reminded him of Wing, damn it. Yes, that was why he got it! He wanted to hit the
wheel. He wanted to punch his fist through a wall. The baka thought they were playing a
game!

He would have driven away if it weren't for Duo's energetic form unexpectedly leaning on the
passenger door. He plastered himself on it, and Heero couldn't drive off without risking serious
injury to the boy.

"What?" He turned to ask Duo, not curtly, but not quite interested either. It almost hurt to look at
him knowing what Heero knew now. If everything was just games, then Heero had lost because
he had invested real emotion into something that had been a farce.

"Nothing." Duo looked at him with professionally faked innocence. "Just imprinting that scowl
on my memories, for further dissection when I have a particularly happy day. We can't have too
much happiness in this world, something might explode, ya know."

"You're babbling."

Duo sighed and stopped leaning against the car, his hands now on his hips. "Not afraid to insult."
He looked almost contemplative, but there was sadness to his eyes that Heero couldn't place.
"When I first saw you I knew you could insult anyone to death, hardly batting your eye lashes."

/Eye lashes?/

Heero waited for the point of this. He wondered if it would hurt if he just drove away. Probably,
although Duo wouldn't even guess so, since he seemed oblivious so far.

"Destined to be killed by you." Duo had once told him. /Destined to be hurt by you,/ Heero had
wanted to reply but he hadn't silenced the threat, he'd taken it in his arms and cared for it for a
week.

/And yet we stay with each other happy with merely existing in the same place./

"Ah, but then I thought -- insult me with my charming personality? Not possible!" Duo was
faking a grin at him as he interrupted Heero's internal monologue.

"You should have remembered that thought when you shot me." Heero said, and then--

It hung in the air like The Worst Insult. Duo hated to be reminded of their first meeting, but
Heero was willing to play dirty today in payback. It was one for one, after Duo had stabbed him
like that in Lady Une's office.

He might have still driven away, no matter how abrupt or damaging it might have been to their
relationship, except Duo in one fluid motion jumped over the other side of the convertible, just
like Heero had done earlier, and settled into the passenger seat.

It sounded like an order when he said strongly and quietly, "Drive."

Heero didn't know if he minded this or not. It was shaping to be a close proximity encounter, and
he could feel his heart-rate speed up, but refusing Duo was always harder than refusing himself.

He took a look in the sideway mirror, saw the starring that was going on behind their back and
figured that some privacy was a good idea after all. What the other people thought of this
relationship never concerned him, but -- despite the hurt Duo caused him -- he was too much in
love not to be considerate of Duo's sensibilities.

Heero drove away, leaving Quatre and other curious on-lookers to their best guesses. It was
something he liked to do often.

***

//...Now I tell you openly. You have my heart so don't hurt me! //

The world was conspiring against him. Of course, Duo wanted some noise in the car while they
drove. Of course, the radio would be playing a song that at least somewhat hinted at the tension
between them! Didn't this always happen when you least wanted it to?

Should Heero dare to turn off the song, he was not prepared to deal with Duo's speculations, so
he kept his hands firmly on the wheel, even though the words were becoming increasingly
annoying.

//...I want more--//

Heero's hand twitched on the wheel. Duo squirmed a little in his seat.

//...You're everything to me...//

Ye gads.

It was the end of the song thanks to whatever deities. Heero felt if he could survive the last
couplet he was safe.

He didn't know how wrong he was. Deities were not up there to baby-sit him through this
turbulent relationship, that much he found out at the beginning of the next song. It started with,
"I just can't get you out of my head," and quickly developed into, "Boy, your loving is all I think
about." Here Duo broke, and turned the thing off, muttering, "Jesus," quietly to himself. Heero
could see some real sentiment behind those words.

Thankfully, they were also nearing Duo's salvage yard.

This salvage yard was a hobby Duo had refused to let go of. He claimed that it made him feel
good to build and repair things, considering how much he had taken apart in the past. Heero
could see something in that logic.

"How did you know I wanted to go here?" Duo asked him once they'd stopped, making
absolutely no move to exit the car.

It was true that when he'd said 'drive' no particular direction was given. "You always want to go
here."

"Heh," Duo scratched at his sun burned nose in a whimsical fashion, "Maybe I should make
myself a car out of this junk."

Heero sat quietly. These little trips they made were his only constant source of one-on-one time
with Duo.

"Maybe not." Duo continued, laughing, as though he knew exactly why Heero didn't agree.
"Maybe you'll drive me around forever." He was kidding. Somewhat.

"Maybe." Heero said simply, not looking away from the other boy.

They looked at each other for a bit, measuring how serious about that prospect the other was.

"So...What?" Duo asked after a minute of this rather comfortable gazing and memorizing of each
other's faces. Truthfully, Duo could charm any body with that slight smile and exotic eyes. Just
the eyes were enough of a drug for Heero to feel light-headed.

Heero didn't have words. He loved Duo -- that was enough. He loved him so much he couldn't
speak of it. It would be too mundane. His heart would never vary.

Duo had to have seen it in his face, because he jumped to all the right conclusions. "Uh, Heero?
Do you or do you not wanna...?" Here Duo's voice trailed off abruptly. He looked down to his
lap in an unconscious gesture, embarrassed and puzzled that he was so.

This was still a savable moment. A 'Hn', a grin, and they were back to friendly terms, but did
they want to go back?

Duo didn't want to say the words out loud. They were both boys, and quite aware of that fact,
having spent long sleepless nights thinking that, "No, it shouldn't matter if the emotion is there,
but it did matter, damn it!"

Looking up, Duo braved the topic because both of them knew Heero was not going to.

"If I kiss you--" He was blushing badly, and his breathing was short, "what will happen?"

Heero turned to him fully.

"I will kiss you back."

Thus happened the point of No Return. There was some relieved downtime after that as they
considered each other, figuring out strategies, escape plans and possible casualties. They were
such mad tacticians, Heero thought. Here they were within a foot of each other, and they
wouldn't do a thing about eliminating that distance.

"Ah...Maybe-Shouldn't we try it?" Again it was Duo who'd asked, but Heero had leaned forward
before Duo finished speaking.

Their lips met, the angle slight and precise, and wonderfully comfortable. It wasn't a slow motion
kiss -- they were too eager to draw it out. It wasn't too quick either -- they couldn't bear to be
apart anymore, and moved closer, pressing against each other's chests, the rest of their bodies
still in the respective seats.

They kissed for a little while, hearts in their throats, terrified of making a mistake. As the
moments passed, their lips began to touch as though it was a common gesture, something they
did everyday.

By the time they separated, Heero discovered they were both not in their seats anymore, but
rather somehow taking up the space between, bodies molded together as though they've been
trying to crawl inside each other. And although it hadn't felt like a bad idea, again they drew
apart, remembering at the touch that they were both boys.

Heero felt he could ignore it if he tried. He knew he loved Duo. His first kiss just now had been a
very pleasant experience and he was ready to do it again, soon.

Duo didn't look quite as sure. He said something, but Heero didn't hear.

"Duo?" Heero couldn't stop watching the movement of Duo's lips. The sounds had faded away
and he read what Duo had said.

'What will we do?'

Heero didn't have anything profound to say. What would they do? Live? Duo looked over at him,
saw something he felt comfortable with and moved closer. In Heero's understanding it meant he
could put his arms around the other boy, and so he did. After a moment or so, Duo relaxed
against him, but not enough to completely slump on him, just a slight pressure on Heero's
supportive body.

They sat like that for a little while. It was very new; they'd never been this close before purely for
the body contact -- Duo's left arm and shoulder against Heero's chest, pressed at a comfortable
angle, so that Heero could wrap his arms around Duo's body. Heero was afraid to use any force,
so he just let his hands lay limp around Duo and held them together.

"You can hold me tighter," Duo mentioned after a while.

Heero pressed the boy a little closer to himself. It felt better. Duo had to twist his head now to
look at the side of Heero's face.

"Tighter,"

Heero hugged him as strongly as he dared to, and Duo didn't protest. Duo craned his neck and
touched the side of Heero's cheek with his lips. Heero looked down, sliding his lips over to
where Duo could reach them. He hit Duo's nose first, kissed it, moved down, found Duo's lips.

It was perfect.

After a while, eager, Heero pressed the other boy very close.

"Maybe a little less tight," Duo told him, breaking the kiss, and Heero let go almost completely,
ashamed of his strength, his breathing uneven.

Duo didn't move away, but turned around entirely to face him, and buried his face into the side
of Heero's neck. Duo's lips moved against it, as though he were speaking. Heero slid his cheek
over Duo's smooth hair a few times -- he didn't understand.

Duo began tracing a pattern on his back with a finger, the other hand still tightly woven into
Heero's shirt, gripping it and pulling Heero to himself.

/Together? /

He then lifted his head, suddenly and smoothly, moved back a bit so that he could receive
Heero's answer.

'We've been together for a long time.' Heero mouthed back, silent, still keeping the boy close.

Duo looked past his shoulder at the memories only he could see. He broke the silence with the
same calm decisiveness and lack of regret he broke many other...things.

"Yes. We have been dating for a while now." Duo chuckled and sighed at the same time. To a
stranger it would have sounded like a whimper, but Duo had chuckled, and had sighed.

"Dating?" This was news to Heero, who'd suddenly remembered the whole rose-puppy-date
scenario. He was rushing things. He was going the high-risk road.

"Yeah. Didn't you know?" Duo was chuckling, relaxing some more and stopping his convulsive
gripping of Heero's shirt, "I thought you did."

"Aa. Possibly." Heero agreed. Their whole acquaintance felt like what romance should be about.
Excitement much? Heero thought wryly. "Subconsciously, I knew," he clarified.

"Aah." Duo drew closer with that sound.

"Let's put--" Heero moved closer, their lips touched, "more ...conscious effort," by then the
words were being gasped out between both of their lips.

/...in/ was just a thought.

All the while Duo wouldn't let go of him, and Heero would not let go of Duo either. The
numbness parted and moved aside for them.

***

They didn't sleep together.

Heero supposed it was a good thing, considering he wasn't ready to deal with all that it entailed.
Despite what they wrote in books, he felt he could survive not making physical love to Duo a
while yet. He attributed this to some kind of weird psychological residue from his lifestyle before
and during the war -- after all it seemed as though the first thing people did after they declared
affection for each other was get naked. Duo didn't seem to mind too much though, so if they had
to deviate from normality again, they could at least do it together.

He felt comforted by the thought of Duo's hands on his body. Heero imagined Duo running his
fingers over his chest. It was an arousing thought, and at the same time it made him want to
smile. More than ever, Heero wanted to see him.

So it was with these thoughts that he made his way towards the office, past the coffee machine--
He didn't make it further than that.

Sudden scalding heat burned his mouth and hands as it quickly slipped through his thin white
shirt and onto the skin underneath.

From the corner of his eyes he'd seen a woman's figure turning, looking in the other direction,
but expected to be able to avoid her. She'd jerked back in fright in the last moment and splashed
all her hot coffee across his face, chest and hands.

For a second, Heero rubbed at his chin and lips, trying to get the remaining hot liquid off, already
feeling the burning begin. Perfect. He was sure Duo wouldn't kiss him until the burns healed.

"Oh my God!" The woman was familiar.

"I'm so sorry! Mr. Yui--" Oh, yes. He remembered his latest secretary well.

She was gasping and pale, her hand against her mouth in an expression of horror. They were
causing a commotion and Heero looked down to see what had become of his shirt. It was a work
of art really, with coffee stains and sugar liberally splashed all the way down.

Heero tried to avoid the people, ducking towards his office, but -- of course -- bumped into Duo
waiting by the door. Duo's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise at Heero's appearance, but he
followed through with that thought, immediately dashing towards Heero with a handkerchief
he'd whipped out of nowhere. He poured the cold water from a plastic cup he'd been holding
when Heero appeared on the piece of material and began dabbing at Heero's face even as they
moved into Heero's office.

"What happened?" Duo asked as he worked.

Heero began unbuttoning his shirt, removing the heated wet material from his skin, "My ex-
secretary spilled the coffee all over me."

Duo paused in his ministrations for a second. "You're kidding." He said in a hushed with awe
voice.

"No."

Duo laughed even as he moved on to wiping coffee off of Heero's hands. He then moved on to
Heero's neck and the spots on Heero's chest where the liquid had seeped through the shirt.
Suddenly Heero became aware that the blinds in his office weren't closed, and he instantly
remembered that his office also had floor to ceiling glass windows on one side.

He chanced a look and saw half the office starring inside. Heero wondered if he should tell Duo
that they were performing for an audience.

"All done, I guess," Duo commented meanwhile. "I cannot believe she did it again. What the
hell do you do to her that she spills coffee every time you're near?" He laughed again, throwing
his head back, "Maybe you were right to be glad she quit."

Heero suddenly found himself looking straight into Duo's eyes. "That girl is a menace." Duo
concluded, his finger's rising toward Heero's face, "Your lips are burned."

And Duo proved Heero's earlier assumption wrong, kissing him softly, as though to heal the hurt.

On the lips, eyes closed, in front of the whole Preventers' office.

Duo must have felt something in the atmosphere, because he opened his eyes and moved back a
bit to look at Heero. He looked like he wondered why Heero hadn't closed his eyes. Then Duo's
gaze moved on to the crowd outside.

His first impulse was to falter backwards, as his hands groped Heero's desk for support, his face
whiter than chalk. Then blood rushed to his face, rendering him completely speechless and
immobile, as all he could do was stare in helpless shock out of the glass wall. Heero, still clad
only in pants, strode over to the glass panel and with a few expert twists shut the blinds rendering
them alone in the room.

When Heero turned back, Duo's face was turned to studiously watch the opposite wall. Suddenly,
the boy slid down to the floor, sitting cross-legged, the back of his head against the desk. His
eyes squeezed shut, Duo started to thoroughly beat his head against the side of the desk, in mute
expression of mortification.

Heero sat on his legs in front of the other boy. He reached out and placed his hand between
Duo's head and the desk, so that the next time Duo wanted to hit himself he beat his head against
Heero's softer hand instead. Duo opened his eyes.

"I can't believe I did that." the boy whispered.

They were so close, Heero was sure his breath touched Duo's cheek just as Duo's touched his.

"Does it matter?"

Heero knew he was asking for a lot, but as Duo searched his face for elaboration on that
question, he found himself wishing that Duo would accept things as they were. It was almost like
committing to each other if a third party knew of their relationship. (Or x-th party as the case
might be, Heero thought deprecatingly.)

Quietly, as though it was an effort, Duo whispered,

"I love you Heero. Let the world know it." Duo swallowed thickly, looking up from under his
bangs.

Heero appreciated the effort. He kissed Duo, telling him with his lips.

***

After he'd been home and back to put a new shirt on underneath his Preventer's jacket, Heero
found Duo again in the cafeteria..

Duo was sitting with Wufei of all people, looking rather morose as he leaned against his hand.
Wufei was talking to him and it didn't seem to be making Duo happier.

As Heero neared Wufei followed Duo's gaze past his shoulder, turning to Heero and assessing
him in one powerful glance. There was no expression on his face whatsoever.

"Heero," he said in greeting.

Heero nodded to him and sat down in a spare chair besides Wufei and across from Duo, who was
on the other side of the table.

Wufei fixed a look on the table for a second before beginning the conversation. "I heard
interesting things in the office today," he said as though he expected Heero to start denying
everything. Was that what he and Duo had been talking about before? He glanced at the braided
boy, seeing the residual sadness in his mouth line, and getting angry with Wufei who had no
right to interfere.

"No doubt." Heero answered nonchalantly, "It's a good thing the weekend is coming up
otherwise the office would be buzzing with the news of Relena Peacecraft's arrival all working
week."

Wufei gave him a grim smile at his avoidance. Heero simply wanted to treat his and Duo's
relationship as a normal thing, not something to be whispering into the internal Preventer's phone
lines.

"So you and Maxwell are joined at the hip now?" Wufei asked next, voice edgy, not letting him
off the hook.

"Wu. Fei." Duo's voice was soft but lacked no conviction as he starred deeply into the Chinese
boy's face, stopping any further remarks. Technically it was obvious that Wufei only wanted to
make sure neither of them got hurt chasing the wind, but it was too early in their relationship to
get technical like that.

Heero considered what he was about to do. It had taken him some thought to realize that Duo
might want proof of his feelings, something he could point at if anybody wondered. The day
before, he had told Duo all about the kind suggestion a woman in the hospital had made about a
plant leading to a pet leading to dating. Duo smiled at him, placing his hand on the back of
Heero's neck and bumping their foreheads together so that their noses touched slightly, then told
Heero that he'd been wondering about the rose. Sitting on the sofa of Heero's bed they'd kissed
and pressed against each other, eager to be close.

Heero had felt it then, in the way Duo held him very tightly, that the insecurity was too strong in
this relationship yet. He had thought about it again when Duo had put his feelings in words at the
office. There was something he could give in return.

"I love Duo, yes." Heero said starring straight at the boy before him, Wufei's surprise melting
into the background.

Something soft whispered pleasure back at him from Duo's unusual violet eyes.

***
Fin.
***
It's over. *sigh* I wish I had the time to work on a sequel... but it doesn't appear that my muse wants to
work.

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