Author's note:

Oh, just your run-of-the-mill oneshot turned multi-chaptered story…

I don't know how often this story will be updated. It has already been completed, but chapters still need to be beta'd. However, there shouldn't be too long between posts. It will probbaly total 4/5 chapters; this time my beta, Shima Yi, is in charge of chapter-breaks, because I don't trust myself to find the right points.

The title is just a variation on a text that I have on a T-shirt and it kinda, sorta, maybe fits the story.


Overall warning: This story includes sexual content and references to eating disorders (individual chapters will not have chapter-specific warnings).


Beta: Shima Yi

No Good Story Ever Started with a Salad

Chapter 1

Heero checked his reflection in the rearview mirror and swiped a fallen eyelash off his cheekbone and adjusted his bangs. It shouldn't matter what he looked like, but somehow it did.

"It's not as if he'll be looking, Yuy," he berated himself, yet he still took a moment to check his teeth and to smooth a hand down his clothes. He shot a look at his reflection and rolled his eyes at himself. He had always prided himself on not being vain and superficial, but some people had their ways of bringing out his insecurities regarding his looks – Duo Maxwell was one of them. He never felt shorter, more sickly thin and weak, and more awkward than he did standing next to Mister Tall-Broad-and-Handsome.

With a final sigh, he pushed the car door open and got out, securing the USB drive in the pocket of his jeans along with his keys. Duo had already buzzed him into the underground parking garage, so he was free to go up to his apartment. It was four flights of stairs and he would have preferred to use the elevator, but he knew Duo would ask if he took the stairs or not and he knew the man would give him shit if he had to admit that he didn't.

Once he reached Duo's floor, he was a little winded; he took a second to catch his breath and make sure that the redness had faded from his face, before he headed down the hall and knocked on Duo's door. He stiffened at the sound of rumbling laughter on the other side of the door. Realizing Duo was definitely not home alone, his immediate response was to bolt, the same way he avoided uncomfortable and unexpected social situations his entire life. But he resisted the urge. He couldn't – it would've been so silly and childish, not to mention unprofessional.

The door swung open and Duo hung off it with a sloppy grin. "Took you long enough; I buzzed you in like half an hour ago," he exaggerated. "Did ya take the stairs or spend all that time waiting for the elevator?"

Heero felt embarrassed at the sound of a group of men laughing at Duo's harmless taunting. "I took the stairs," he said.

"Atta boy." He gave a thumbs-up, fully aware of how obnoxious that gesture was and hamming it up for comedic value. Then he stepped aside and welcomed Heero into his apartment.

The Japanese man walked past him, with his head apologetically ducked between his shoulders. His gaze landed on four equally Tall-Broad-and-Handsome guys, lounging in the living room, shouting at the television and nursing beers.

Duo closed the door and bellowed to get their attention: "Hey, guys! This is Heero. Say hi."

"H~i!" They drawled in unison; of the four, only one of them actually bothered to look Heero's way as he greeted him.

Turning to face Duo, Heero said: "When I texted, you could have just said you were having friends over. I could have stopped by tomorrow, or something."

"Nah," Duo waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay. My team is losing anyway. Might as well get this over with."

"Hn."

Suddenly Duo's attention was pulled to the TV screen again and he joined his friends to lament a botched pass. Heero knew very little about sports, but he knew dropping the ball was not a good thing, if only because that was what the saying meant. He remembered that Duo was an avid supporter of the "Mavericks", so he assumed that was the team that they were rooting for at the moment, so in a pitiful attempt to blend in with the crowd, he inquired: "So, the Mavericks aren't doing so hot right now?"

All five of them turned to stare at him and one by one, they burst out laughing.

"The Mavericks are a basketball team," Duo explained, "This is football."

"You know what football is, right?" One of them, with a shaved head, jested.

Heero was mortified and he wished he could shrink into a tiny speck that could disappear into the fibers of the carpet he was standing on. He nearly flinched when Duo patted his shoulder with his large hand and offered him a smile. He tried a smile in return.

"Lemme get my laptop," the tall man with the long, braided hair said and he promptly walked out of the living room, to one of the bedrooms down the hall.

Heero restlessly rocked his weight from left to right and back, and was thankful for the fact that the four remaining men completely ignored him as they were absorbed into the game play. They groaned and cursed at the players, shouted at decisions made by the coach and scoffed at the commentators' remarks.

Duo was quick to return and he put his laptop down on the breakfast bar in the kitchen. While they waited for the computer to boot up, Duo offered Heero a beer, but he declined.

"If you want, I can take a look at your laptop someday," the Japanese man suggested to fill the silence between them. "I could clean up your hard drive and it'd probably be a lot faster."

The other chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks man, but I don't want you digging around on this thing. You have no idea what kind of filth is on here." He closed a program that started up automatically and waited a few more second, wiggling the cursor until it wasn't laggy anymore. "I think it's done now."

Heero produced the USB-drive from his pocket and handed it over so Duo could plug it in. Before long the video started playing and Duo seated himself in one of the barstools to watch.

The video was one of Duo's vlogs. He had a moderately successful YouTube channel on which he uploaded fitness related videos, like workouts and meal-plans, as well as random episodes where he talked about different issues on his mind, called "Food for Thought". As of two months ago, Heero edited his videos for him, to spare him the time and make the production a little more professional. Duo confessed to neither having the patience nor the technical savvy to expertly edit his content and that it wasn't fun for him. He had complained about the chore of editing to enough people in his vast social circle that one of them, who knew Heero, suggested that he simply hire an editor and the mutual friend gave him Heero's contact information.

Editing YouTube videos wasn't really his daytime job; Heero worked as freelance corporate tech support, servicing the entire region. He was on the road a lot, driving from one company to the next, but he liked his work – it a very independent and solidary. Video-editing was more of a hobby for him. There was something therapeutic to the precision task of cutting, copying and pasting down to the millisecond, and taking something apart to put it back together in a more efficient manner. He liked the philosophy behind it too: cutting out everything that was unimportant or irrelevant, distilling everything down to the core. It felt good throwing away unnecessary things – like spring-cleaning.

Initially, Heero hadn't been interested in editing "some vlogger's" videos, but in the end, it took little effort to persuade him to make time for Duo Maxwell, known online as "That Guy with the Braid". After seeing only one of his videos, Heero knew he was crushing on the man – hard. He couldn't recall what kind of delusional confidence had emboldened him to actually say "yes" when the YouTuber called, but he did. He never thought he would stand a chance with the Greek God, but he did have to shamefully admit to himself that he had been hopeful Duo might have been gay, based solely on his extraordinary hair. That wasn't the case, unfortunately.

He idly stood by as Duo reviewed the final cut of that week's "Food for Thought" video and Heero couldn't help but smile as Duo laughed softly at having his own jokes replayed for him. In the background, the other four were still rowdy, but in spite of their apparent frustrations at their team's performance, it seemed like they were still having a good time.

The six minute and forty-two second video came to an end and froze on the last frame. "I like it," Duo concluded. "I really like that split-screen you did half-way and the effects were funny."

Heero nodded. In the previous draft, he had used fewer effects, not wanting to go overboard, but Duo thought they were amusing and encouraged him to put more in.

"You cut out the avocado-joke though. Why?" He shot a look over his shoulder.

"It wasn't that funny."

"And I suppose you're the expert on what's funny and what isn't?" He challenged teasingly, mocking Heero's serious demeanor.

"If it doesn't make me laugh, it's not funny," he replied simply.

Duo quirked an eyebrow at him. "So, you're telling me you did laugh at my other jokes?"

Heero shrugged, uncomfortable under Duo's stare, suddenly feeling weird and self-consciousness about watching all of Duo's videos so closely – including the ones where he was working out shirtless – even if it was, technically, just his "job".

The long-haired man flashed a grin. "I made you laugh, huh? I feel very proud of myself." He laughed when he noticed Heero's discomfort. He closed the laptop and got up from the seat. "Thanks for this, man. Can't wait to upload this Monday. Oh, by the way, I filmed a gym clothing haul – think you can have that done by the end of the week? I have a sponsorship deal going with the online company and the promotion code starts Friday, so I should really upload by then."

"Uhm," Heero looked off to the side and briefly considered his schedule, but he knew he had plenty of time, as he always did. "Sure, yeah, I can do that."

"Awesome! I already have it saved on this drive."

Heero accepted another novelty USB drive that was handed to him – in the shape of a surfboard with a shark's bite mark.

"Thanks, man. I'll wire the payment just like usual."

"Sure."

"Hey, wanna stay and watch the rest of the game with us? The after-game analysis is going to be brutal, but that can be kinda funny sometimes too," Duo rambled boisterously.

Heero shot a look at the other men on the couch. Under different circumstances he would have suffered through a football game to spend time with a hot guy – even knowing it would never lead to anything, there is no harm in looking and enjoying the view – but he didn't want to intrude and he felt uncomfortable being that outnumbered by burly, macho men. "Uhh, no thanks."

Duo chuckled like he was expecting that answer. "Okay, that's cool. We gotta hang out some other time though. I promise no football. I wanna hear that laugh of yours."

The Japanese man blushed but he hoped it wouldn't be too obvious on his golden complexion. "Yeah, okay."

The man with the shaved head chimed in: "You two girls can watch the Miss Universe pageant together."

Heero stiffened, recognizing it as a jab in reference to his – admittedly – obvious sexual orientation.

Duo laughed and conceded: "I love those pageants!"

His friend turned around in his seat to face him with a raised eyebrow. "You do?"

"Dude, hot chicks in bathing suits? Heck yeah, I love that shit. You bet your ass I watch the Victoria's Secret fashion show every year," the longhaired man quipped. "Half naked chicks in high heels, what's not to love, right?" He looked down at Heero.

"Yeah. Women. Hot," he stammered dryly. He'd actually prefer watching football; at least then he could ogle the big, broad men. Duo let out a rumbling laugh at his less than enthusiastic comment. He then walked Heero to the door.

Heero felt incredibly self-conscious, walking down the hallway, knowing Duo had his eyes on him. He made an effort to keep his shoulders straight and added a little sway to his step that he usually reserved for his nights out, stalking bars and clubs for some much-needed company.

"Take the stairs!" Duo called after him, before he rounded the corner. "You're way too skinny!"

Heero turned for a halfhearted wave before he gratefully disappeared around the corner; he released the breath he had been holding. He looked down at his thin, long legs and his clunky boots that made his feet seem too big for the rest of his body. He had his sleeves rolled up, but he pushed the fabric back down to his wrist, to hide his slender, wiry forearms. Heero never thought he looked that bad – at least, he hadn't since his most awkward phase in high school – and he was complimented on his appearance regularly, with people focusing on his vibrant, blue eyes, his tanned skin, his perfect, white teeth and his "snatched" eyebrows. After dealing with weight issues in his younger years, he was pretty pleased with his lithe physique, but next to Duo, he knew he looked like a stick-figure and it didn't help that Duo kept reminding him.

Heero wished he was the kind of guy that guys like Duo fell for – if "guys like Duo" could fall for another guy to begin with. Or maybe he just wished he was the kind of guy Duo – specifically – would fall for. He wished Duo would enjoy looking at him the same way he enjoyed looking at Duo. But, alas, he wasn't a "chick", in a bathing suit and high heels.

"Why is it always the straight boys that get to me?" He asked himself as he headed back down to the parking garage.

That very same night, he started work on Duo's newest video: a gym clothing haul and try-on. He hadn't edited one of those for Duo before, but he had seen earlier videos on his channel – by that point he had seen all of the videos several times – and the try-ons were probably one of his favorites, although it embarrassed Heero to admit that, even to himself. In the first part of the video, Duo was enthusiastically unpacking his order and holding up the joggers, shorts, tank tops, sleeveless shirts with dropped armholes and a long-sleeved compression shirt. The tall, muscular man rambled on about the fabric and mentioned the company's name a little too often than sounded natural; Heero knew he would have to cut a lot of it out so the viewers wouldn't get too irked by the obvious sponsorship. The second part of the video was Heero's favorite. Duo had raised the camera up high on the tripod and aimed it at a blank, white wall of his apartment and he'd come marching into frame wearing a different article of clothing every time, to pose and flex.

Duo was so unfairly handsome that it had been agitating at first to watch him show off his physique. He was tall – well over six feet – and sported broad shoulders, thick, muscular arms with veins showing on the forearms, a defined chest and rock-hard, washboard abs and his long legs were strong and toned. Heero knew Duo worked hard to look the way he did, so he deserved to be proud of it, and it wasn't like he was full of himself. He had a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor and he was a little ditzy – in an endearing way – which balanced everything out.

The man walked into frame wearing the skintight, black compression shirt over black sweatpants and Heero caught himself pulling at his bottom lip with his teeth. The Japanese man laughed at himself and decided he had spent enough attention on the tall American for one day. After one last, lingering look at the still frame of Duo simply standing there, with his arms at his sides and his hips slightly cocked, he closed his laptop and took a few more bites of his lukewarm microwave dinner. He headed to the bathroom for a quick shower and then curled up on the couch to watch TV for the rest of the evening.

Heero's life was pretty uneventful, but he had engineered it like that. His work – while mind-bogglingly complicated to others – was easy to him and he enjoyed the solitude of his car and the music that played on the radio as he drove all throughout the northeast corner of the state during his work day. In the evening, he'd either watch TV, or go to the movies by himself. That probably sounded more pathetic than he was consciously aware of. People never really paid attention to him when he took a seat in the movie theater by himself. Heero liked flying under the radar. He had spent his childhood being on everyone's radar: his dad's, his teachers', the principal's, the bullies', the neighbors'… Knowing he had become invisible comforted him.

A few times a week he would go to one of the only three gay clubs and bars in town and he was mostly invisible there too, but if he lingered at the bar long enough, nursing a drink, he knew someone would eventually see him. They would talk only briefly before he'd invite them to come home with him and they never said "no". He suffered inviting strangers into his home because he preferred the safety and the comfort of his own apartment for his random hook-ups. He had gotten it into his head that he was less likely to get murdered that way, as opposed to fucking in a dark alley down the block from the club, or go to someone else's home.

It was always just about the sex. He was a guy, with needs that couldn't be denied. He wasn't looking for a monogamous relationship because he knew nobody else was either; he had been cheated on enough times to learn that lesson the hard way. Besides, he didn't mind being alone. He got to decide which movie to watch, what he would have for dinner, and he got to have his bed all too himself and not have to share the sheets with anyone.

He liked being alone just fine. At least, he did. But then he met Duo, "The Guy with the Braid". He liked the man's company, even as it made him feel wholly inadequate and insecure, and it was nothing but cruel and unusual punishment because his crush would never amount to anything. They could do their business over the phone, over email, even, but when Duo said he preferred meeting face-to-face to go over the edits, Heero had made no objections. Considering how often the Youtuber uploaded, they met about four times a week and Heero was both giddy with excitement and sick from familiar nerves every time.

Later that week he finished the first draft edit of the haul video and, after rebooting the computer systems of a laboratory up north following an emergency power outage, he took a moment in the parking lot to text Duo to let him know he could stop by to show him the video whenever was convenient for him.

As always, Duo was quick to respond to the message and he invited him to come over after work.

Heero responded with a simple thumb's up, since he had expected Duo to say he could come over at the end of the day – and was looking forward to it. He hoped he would be alone that time. Heero was about to start the engine on his car when his phone, already discarded on the passenger seat, beeped again and the screen lit up with another message from Duo:

I'll make you dinner ;)

His face went hot and his palms sweaty; he was experiencing a little more nerves than excitement at the prospect. He was more comfortable with a quick in-and-out visit. Dinner could last long enough for things to get awkward – for Heero to get awkward. He wanted to text back with a lame excuse that would prevent him from being able to stay any longer than a few minutes. He typed several of them out, but deleted them each time.

In the end, he sent a single letter response: K.

Duo was quick again to call him out: Took you a while to type one letter :P C U 2nite

The very next thought that popped into Heero's head was: What the fuck am I going to wear?

He was uneasy and distracted for the remainder of the day. In his mind, he was already standing in front of his closet and stressing out. Duo could make anything look good, even those stupid sleeveless shirts with the oversized armholes that drooped down to his midriff, showing off those smaller, bunched up muscles over the side of the ribcage. Heero wasn't that fortunate, he needed to take a lot into consideration. He couldn't wear anything too tight, or he'd look too skinny. But if he wore something too loose he risked looking like a small child wearing men's clothes.

Thankfully, he got home early so he had time to shower and change. He decided on dark jeans, a light blue button-up and a grey sweater over top, because he could casually pretend he had worn that for work all day. It didn't make him look like he was trying too hard.

He drove to Duo's apartment building and was buzzed in at the gate. Grumbling under his breath he took the stairs, but he went slow because he didn't want to be sweaty and red-faced once he reached the top. He was out of shape, but he never enjoyed working out and his life was all about actively avoiding things he didn't enjoy doing. When he walked down the hallway he swallowed as he noticed Duo was standing in the doorway, waiting for him. Duo pointedly looked down at his watch and then smirked at him; Heero disliked him in that moment as he felt that he was being mocked.

The man didn't say anything but "Hello" and then invited him inside.

Duo was just wearing navy blue track pants and a white T-shirt that fit taut across his chest. His hair was damp and tied in a loose pony tail. He smelled of generic shampoo and a musky scented lotion.

When Heero walked in, he noticed the camera gear on the dinner table and the tall LED lights in the kitchen.

Duo explained: "I filmed as part of a vegan-dinner inspiration video."

"We're eating vegan?" It daunted Heero a little. He was a fickle eater and he was worried he wouldn't like what would be served to him.

"Yeah, I eat vegan two days a week, on my cardio days."

Heero nodded; he remembered the Youtuber saying that in one of his videos, he just hadn't realized Wednesday was one of those two days.

"You'll like it, I promise."

"Oh, I'm sure."

Duo grabbed the filming equipment off the table and put it on the couch instead to make room for the placemats, glasses and chopsticks that he fetched next. He gestured for Heero to take a seat. "Would you like wine or beer?" The host asked.

"Uhm… Wine?" He scooted his seat up to the table and fiddled with the chopsticks, wondering if it meant anything that Duo had made him an Asian-style meal – wondering if he should be flattered or perhaps offended.

Duo poured white wine in one of those modern wine glasses that didn't have a stem and placed it next to the glass of water in front of Heero. He didn't pour himself a glass; Heero was uncomfortable realizing Duo would only be drinking water and he had opened the bottle of wine only for him. He didn't say anything and watched as Duo walked two white bowls to the table and set them down on each of their placemats. The aroma of the noodle dish in front of his was appetizing.

"Spicy coconut noodles with bean sprouts and basil leaves," Duo announced as he took his seat at the head of the table, to Heero's left.

Recognizing he was expected to take the first bite, Heero picked up the chopsticks and gathered a modest amount of noodles. He knew his cheeks were flushed under Duo's scrutiny as he worked the noodles into his mouth and chewed. "It's good." It really was, thank God.

"Great. I'm glad you like it." Duo's smile was proud and pleased and he quickly started in on his own dinner. "Did you like the video?"

"Hmhm," Heero responded with his mouth full. He took a sip of wine but then switched to water as the noodles were indeed quite spicy.

"Did it make you laugh?"

"It wasn't particularly funny."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," the bigger man conceded. "I was pretty rambly. Was it too bad?"

"No. But the word 'Obeast' has lost all meaning to me," he answered, referencing how often Duo had mentioned the brand name: a portmanteau of the word "obese" and "beast".

Duo chuckled. "I went a little overboard. I was hyper. It's my first sponsorship, it's pretty cool."

Heero nodded, understanding that it was a significant milestone for the Youtuber, even if it meant little to Heero. Obeast was a gym clothing brand that specialized in making workout clothes accessible for overweight and obese individuals, with sizes going up to 5XL. From watching Duo's "Food for Thought" videos, Heero knew the American fitness aficionado used to be quite overweight, but he had worked himself into incredible shape, and many of his videos were tailored to motivate heavier people to start their own fitness journey, making him an excellent ambassador for the brand.

"Do you work out?" Duo asked; from his cheeky grin, it as readily apparent he already knew the answer to his own question.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't have any time," Heero lied. He didn't like talking about this.

Duo scoffed. "That's bullshit and you know it."

Heero shrugged, he didn't feel like delving into the topic further.

"I'm sorry," Duo apologized sincerely, "I don't mean to make your uncomfortable. I'm not saying you look bad, or unhealthy. It would just be really good for you."

Heero only nodded, hoping Duo would drop it, in spite of his best intentions.

No such luck though. "WuFei told me you had an eating disorder when you were a teenager."

The Japanese man glared up at the host. "Well, he shouldn't have. Because it's none of his business, nor is it yours," he bit.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Duo flashed a disarming smile. "I'm doing a poor job at getting you to laugh today."

Heero let a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. He dropped his hostility in response to the sensitive topic and took another bite of the delicious noodles.

"Wanna go see a movie later? A comedy?"

Surprised by the suggestion Heero comically blinked at the other man.

Duo chuckled. "Sorry. God, I sound so lame. You probably already have plans, or something. I just really don't like being alone; I get bored and that's when I start talking some real nonsense to my camera. Trust me, you don't ever want to edit that shit." He laughed at himself.

He considered his options and gauged his own nerves before he boldly replied: "We could go see a movie."

The smile on Duo's lips was big and bright. "Awesome!"

After a nice dinner of light conversation –getting to know each other a little better – Duo gathered the dishes in the sink and he left them there so they had time to go over the video before they would leave for the theater. Duo watched the edited version and made some notes, but overall he was happy with the way it came out and only asked Heero to make a few small changes, which he could have ready the next day.

Duo darted into his bedroom to quickly change into different clothes and returned having replaced the track pants with black jeans and he was wearing a denim jacket over the same white shirt. His hair was still loose, but it had dried and it flowed nicely with his movements. "Let's go. You mind driving and then dropping me off here later?"

"No, that's fine." Heero had only ended up drinking a single glass of wine.

Duo jogged down the stairs and Heero had no choice but to try to keep up. He kept his hand on the railing, worried about stumbling in his haste. He was out of breath once they reached the garage and he tried his best to hide it, breathing slowly and quietly, but that only made him all the more red-faced. Duo looked at him over his shoulder and smiled, but didn't say anything other than ask him which car was Heero's.

Heero – unable to speak – pointed at the charcoal gray SUV parked in the corner, away from most of the other cars.

Duo whistled in appreciation. "Nice ride."

They climbed into the car and Duo let his big hands stroke the smooth, black leather and the sleek design of the carbon fiber dashboard. "I guess I chose the wrong profession."

Heero snorted. He knew Duo made plenty of money running his father's firearms store and gun range, and supplementing his income with his YouTube channel – the big apartment upstairs was testimony of that. From watching his videos, he knew Duo purposefully chose a cheaper car because he didn't use it often, instead navigating the city on foot or on his bike more often than not.

Over dinner, it had become jarring how much Heero already knew about Duo and how little Duo knew of him. On one hand, it made it him feel safe – knowing that Duo knew little about him meant he couldn't know about most of the embarrassing stuff of his life; but at the same time, it made him feel guilty and a bit like a perverted voyeur.

They bought tickets to a comedy that Heero had already seen, but he didn't say so – he liked the movie and wouldn't mind seeing it again. They waited downstairs as people from the previous viewing poured out of the auditorium and the space had to be swept clean of the mess first. A silence settled between them, but before it could get weird, Duo wondered: "Do you want popcorn?"

He did, but being with the health freak he didn't want to admit to that. "No, I think I'm still full from dinner."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't eat that much," Duo continued.

Heero narrowed his eyes at him, distrusting his reasons for pressing on. "I'm fine."

"I wouldn't mind it."

"I'm not hungry," he shot back.

"Will you please just get a bag of popcorn," the taller man whined. "With caramel?"

Duo's motivations dawned on Heero and a cheeky grin appeared on his lips. "You want popcorn."

Coyly he batted his eyelashes at the shorter man. "Nooo, not at all. But, if you wouldn't be able to finish it by yourself, because – I don't know – maybe you got a supersized bag, I guess I'd have no choice but to help you finish it."

Heero quirked an eyebrow at him and teased: "Are you sure that'll fit in your diet?"

"Popcorn is vegan," he quipped.

He rolled his eyes dramatically and started towards the concession stand. "I suddenly have such a craving for popcorn," he said mockingly.

"That's my boy." Duo winked at him and called after him: "Salted! With caramel!"

Heero shook his head and got in line. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Duo checking his phone and then heading to the restrooms. Once he was at the front of the line he ordered an extra large popcorn – salted and with caramel – and two bottles of water, even though he would have preferred a coke. He tucked the bottles under his arm and carried the overflowing bag to the spot where they had been before, right as Duo emerged from the restrooms.

The American hovered his nose over the treat and breathed in greedily. "Ahh, that smells so good."

"Are you sure you won't regret it in the morning?"

"Nah. I allow myself one cheat-treat every week."

"And you're sharing it with me? I'm honored," Heero deadpanned and when Duo laughed heartily at his joke he felt a blush on his cheek and couldn't stop himself from chuckling along.

"You should be, this is a very special moment." Duo picked a single piece of popcorn off the top and popped it into his mouth, and then proceeded to make exaggerated moans of appreciation.

Heero's blush intensified and it didn't relent; in fact, the redness on his face only got worse as they went into the auditorium and picked their seats; Duo was so broad that their shoulders were touching. Heero hadn't been on a proper date in a while, but the evening was definitely starting to feel like one. He handed Duo his bottle of water and was grateful when the lights dimmed and the trailers started to play.

Somehow, the movie was funnier the second time he saw it. It probably had something to do with Duo, who would laugh so hard that he would snort. It was an unflattering laugh for such a handsome man, but it was – for lack of better words – cute and Heero laughed along, his own laugh completely drowned out by Duo's bellowing. All throughout the film, their shoulders touched and rubbed together as their torsos shook with laughter and their hands met several times as they reached for a handful of popcorn in unison, until the bag was empty only forty minutes into the movie.

Heero caught himself leaning into the other man, enjoying that he didn't shy away from him even though he was straight. He breathed in the aroma of Duo's lotion, the coconut from their dinner and the scent of caramel coming from the empty bag between them. He was blushing furiously but he didn't have to worry about it in the dark.

"That was great," Duo commented when the credits started to roll and the lights came on. "God, I feel like I got a work out from laughing." He patted his flat stomach.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny."

Duo prodded him with his elbow. "Don't downplay it, you were laughing."

"It happens. It's a serious affliction. I'm holding out for a cure."

Duo laughed again and they both got up from their seats. He crumpled up the paper bag and tossed it into the trash bin when they passed it. "You have a cute laugh," Duo concluded.

Heero fought against his blush because he couldn't hide in the darkness anymore. "You couldn't have possibly heard it."

"No, but I saw it. You look nice when you laugh."

Heero scratched the back of his neck at receiving the weird compliment, not knowing what to make of it. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome." Duo looked over at the other and scoffed at his expression. "What's with the face?"

"I don't know, I just-…" He shrugged. He didn't want to say that Duo was giving him mixed signals because he didn't want to risk offending him and possibly making him angry. Straight guys could get pretty volatile when they felt that their masculinity was being attacked.

"Oh, okay, I get it." Duo smirked and playfully punched his shoulder. "Look, don't get any ideas okay? No homo, or whatever."

"Right. No. Half-naked chicks in high heels, I remember."

"Hell yeah."

They walked back to the car and once they were on their way to Duo's apartment, the man said jovially: "Thanks for saving me from myself, man. I had a good time. It would have been a real dull evening if not for you."

"Sure. Although, you could have gone to the movies by yourself, to keep yourself entertained."

"Nah, bro, that's way too sad. Sitting all by myself in a movie theater?"

"Hn. Yeah, I guess." Heerp didn't own up to the fact that he went to the movie theater solo almost every week, not now that Duo had made it apparent how "sad" he thought that was. He didn't want to present an off-putting image of himself; he had a good time and he liked hanging out with Duo, even though he may have enjoyed it for all the wrong reasons.

As they neared the apartment building, Duo offered: "Wanna come up for a bit and finish up that bottle of wine?"

Heero knew what that meant: Duo drinking water and Heero being compelled to drink the entire bottle by himself because it would be a waste otherwise. He knew better than to get drunk around the other man; alcohol had a way of loosening his inhibitions and he would surely make a fool of himself if Duo continued being a little too nice, compared to what he was used to from other straight men. "No. I should finish editing your video so I can drop off the finished cut tomorrow."

"Oh, right. Sorry. You know, if it's not enough time, you can drop it off at the gun shop on Friday? I won't upload until later in the afternoon anyway."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind. Sorry you opened that bottle for just one glass…"

Duo made a dismissive gesture. "Don't fret. I have someone coming over tomorrow. She loves the vino and I love that she loves the vino, if you know what I mean?" He winked at him.

Not really, but Heero nodded anyway. He clamped his fingers around the steering wheel at having his face rubbed in the fact that Duo had an actual date tomorrow, with a girl who would get to kiss those lips, touch those arms and run her fingers through the long hair. His jealousy was irrational and unbecoming and he berated himself for it.

The car stopped right in front of the building. Duo got out but he kept the door open and wondered: "Wanna hang again this weekend? If my date tomorrow is a bust?"

Heero should have been offended at being enlisted as Plan B, but he secretly looked forward to getting another opportunity to be close to Duo, even if it was only for his own, shameful enjoyment. "Okay."

"Awesome. I'll see you tomorrow for that final cut."

He nodded. "See you." He raised one hand off the steering wheel in an embarrassingly meek wave and then Duo slammed the door shut and crossed in front of the car and disappeared into the building.

They did end up "hanging" together that weekend. Not because Duo's date went poorly; the opposite, in fact. Duo didn't spare Heero any details, but she had to work – she was a nurse. They would spend much more time together as the weeks went by. Duo was an easy-going guy and he easily trusted and befriended people. Before long, he had filled in all the gaps of his life that had been left after Heero had watched all of his videos. It took Heero a little longer to be able to reciprocate the level of friendship that the American had quickly established. Making new friends didn't come easy to Heero, but with Duo it was as easy – and inevitable – as it possibly could be. Eventually, he told him about the bad break-ups, the poor relationship with his family, his past weight issues and why he liked the solitude of his job.

Somehow Heero was roped into working out twice a week with the bigger man and he even made an appearance in some of the Youtuber's videos as a reference for beginners: doing the lower impact modifications of the exercises Duo was showing. It was mortifying knowing how many people would be watching him, but he grew to like working out with Duo – even if only because the view was nice and he enjoyed being on the receiving end of the man's compliments after the end of the session. It was weird having to edit the videos in which he was featured; he had to resist the urge to erase all evidence of him ever being in that gym, looking like a sweaty, red-faced teenaged boy surrounded by bigger men. The best he could do was edit out those moments when his gaze lingered on Duo's body a little too long to be brushed off as him merely studying the movement so he could imitate it.

His body burned and ached, but he was starting to notice differences and so did Duo. It felt good to have the tall American look at him, even though Heero knew it meant nothing.

Heero's only other friend, WuFei, was straight as well, but he was different from Duo. WuFei took no issue with Heero's sexuality, but preferred not to hear too many stories. Duo, on the other hand, was interested to the point of his curiosity being inappropriate; his questions were almost grotesque and Heero would always refuse to answer them, but Duo kept asking. It was a relief that his new friend was so comfortable with the knowledge of him being gay, but the man did, at times, make him feel like an oddity. Heero was Duo's only gay friend and sometimes the straight man could be inadvertently offensive with regards to the stereotypes, but Heero could never blame him for it. He admired Duo for being open minded.

Even though his crush on the fitness fanatic had fully manifested itself, Heero didn't let it stand in the way of their friendship. He had a crush on WuFei as well, when they first became friends, and he knew the feelings would pass. Until then, he would shamefully masturbate to the thought of him, imagining his body over his, glowing with sweat. It wasn't difficult to imagine what kind of sounds Duo would make during sex – he had heard him groan and grunt often enough to complete his secretive fantasies.

Heero blinked at the paused image of Duo doing bicep curls with a barbell, while shirtless. He had completely lost himself to the moment. He had to finish the edit that evening, but he had just been staring. His erection made itself known with painful throbs in his tight jeans. He straightened up in his seat and readjusted himself in his pants, treating himself to a squeeze that only made his predicament more torturous in the end. He ignored his physical reaction, but was already planning on taking a long, hot shower, with one of the toys from his bedroom, once he was done.

It probably wasn't healthy how much time Heero devoted to his new friend. If they weren't spending time together, he was either working on his videos or thinking about the man. But Duo was enigmatic and fascinating. Heero couldn't help but be drawn to him, even if it was cruel and unusual punishment for however long his misguided crush would last.

The next day, between jobs, Heero drove to the gun store that Duo ran in the name of his father, to drop off the video of arm workouts that he had been drooling over for the past three days. Nowadays, Duo didn't even feel the need to check Heero's edits anymore; he trusted him, since Heero had a good understanding of the kind of look and feel of the videos that Duo wanted and Duo knew what Heero was capable of. The channel had been steadily growing and commenters had complimented the sleek yet fun editing.

He parked his car at the back of the lot and felt as intimidated as he always did, walking to the front door of the shop, which was also the entry to the gun range out back. Heero was a fish out of water. As a victim of stereotyping himself, he was reluctant and uncomfortable to use the term "rednecks", but at a lack of a better words, that was the best way he could describe most of the people that came to the store and shot their guns at the range.

The store itself was small, with only three perpendicular aisles with accessories, leading to the elongated display counter at the back wall where the handguns and rifles were under lock and key. An older man with a big belly, big moustache and dark sunglasses was blocking the middle aisle, looking for his size in a stack of camo-shirts, so Heero walked around to the left aisle and headed down to the counter.

Seated on a stool in a corner, behind the counter, reading a magazine with an American muscle car on the cover, was the guy with the shaved head that Duo hung out with often. His name was Bryon. While Duo could be unknowingly offensive, Bryon got a kick out of pushing Heero's buttons on purpose.

Heero steeled his nerves and cleared his throat to get the man's attention, but he regretted even coming to the store instantly as Bryon looked up at him.

"Hey there, little fella," he said, like he was addressing a child.

"Duo?" He simply asked.

"Giving a demo out back." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, even though that essentially meant he was pointed at the solid wall behind him where shot-up paper targets were on display above the row of mounted hunting rifles.

Maybe he should have just given Bryon the USB drive and instruct him to hand it over to Duo at the earliest opportunity, but Heero at least wanted to see Duo in person, to have made it worth his while to drive down to the shop and be confronted with Bryon. So he went through the hassle of signing in, as everyone was required to do to gain access to the range, trying to ignore Bryon's stare fixated on him. Once he was cleared, he was free to leave through a door to the left, which led back outside.

The open air gun range was a walled-in lot of dirt, with mounts for various targets at the far end. A wooden structure provided shade in the summer and shelter from the rain in the colder seasons. Ten spots with equal distance between them were marked on one line, with a small table by each marker for marksmen to place ammunition, accessories and other guns.

The consistent pops of gunfire were loud and startling to Heero. He didn't like being at the range; guns scared him. He didn't understand the appeal of shooting them for sport. His ex-boyfriend owned a gun as well and liked to go hunting with his brothers in the fall season. Heero was never comfortable with the hobby.

A small crowd of seven people had gathered around Duo – standing behind him – as he held a long black rifle and fired off shot after shot at a wooden silhouette of a person at the far end. The butt of the rifle was against his shoulder to catch the recoil of the firearm after every shot. He wore a baseball cap, shaded goggles for protection and bright yellow, protective ear muffs. Duo paused the controlled barrage of gunfire to talk about the specs of the rifle and then handed it to one of the other man and directed him to give it a try.

They made eye contact and Duo held up his finger, signaling Heero to give him a moment. Heero nodded and idly stood by, keeping his distance. He tried not to flinch whenever another bullet was fired.

After only a minute, Duo walked up to him, quickening his step to a jog to close the distance. He put the protective glasses up on the top of his head. "Hey, what's up? I figured you'd stop by at the end of the day."

"I was close by," Heero explained, "and I'm driving up to Gantbury later in the afternoon, so I don't think I'll be back until seven or eight."

"Oh, well, you could have dropped it off at my place after work." He accepted the USB drive that was handed to him.

"It just worked out this way."

"Wanna come over tonight anyway?" Duo asked with a smile, while he pocketed the drive. "I could make you dinner. And Bryon and I are having a Mission Impossible marathon."

He immediately shook his head. He did not want to be around the other man more often than was absolutely unavoidable. "I'll probably be tired and order in and then head to bed early."

"You don't like Mission Impossible?"

That wasn't exactly the problem, but he didn't want to have to tell Duo that he thought his friend was a jerk, so he said: "Not really."

Duo playfully prodded his ribs with his elbow. "You don't think young Tom Cruise is hot?"

"He's not my type."

"What is your type?"

Heero's face went hot as he barely managed to bite back the truthful response; "you".

Duo laughed. "Fine, don't tell me."

Ready to retreat to the safety of his car and wait for embarrassment to pass, Heero pointedly looked down at his watch and announced that he should get going. To his growing discomfort, Duo accompanied him out front and the tall man laughed heartedly when Bryon joked: "Walking your boyfriend to his car?" Duo didn't care about the fag-jokes that his friends liked to throw around, because it was just a joke to him. That was one of the few things Heero didn't like about Duo: that he never considered that those incessant jokes weren't as funny to someone who actually was a "fag", or a "queen", or a "sissy-boy". It was all just harmless fun and games to Duo. He didn't recognize Bryon's malicious undertone; he simply wasn't sensitive to it, the way Heero was.

"Are we still on for Sunday?" Duo asked once they reached Heero's SUV.

"Hn. Leg-day, right?"

"Yeah," Duo drawled with a sloppy grin.

"I wanna say no."

"But you won't," the other asserted.

Heero nodded. "But I won't." He opened the car door and climbed into the seat. "See you Sunday." He looked in surprise when Duo closed the door for him.

Duo gave him another one of those silly thumbs-up and rapped his knuckles on the roof of the car before turning around and walking back to the door, pausing to chat with a customer headed to his banged-up red truck.

The remainder of the day was a drag. One thing Heero did notice since he started hanging out with Duo, was that he liked his job less and less, especially the long hours in his car – made even worse by late afternoon traffic. He'd much rather be at home, editing Duo's videos. He was even starting to prefer leg-day over the loneliness of his work-day.

As tired as he was at the end of the day, pulling up to his apartment building at seven thirty, he promised himself to go out that night and find himself some company other than Duo, knowing that it would be good for him. He hadn't gone out to a bar or a club in a while and he had become too dependent on his masturbation routine to fulfill his sexual needs, which always involved his American friend as of late and only perpetuated the vicious circle of his crush. Maybe he just needed some random guy to fuck his brains out – or rather: fuck Duo out of his brain.

He leaned against the wall of the elevator as it climbed up to his floor. He'd have to resist the urge to run himself a hot bathe and jerk off in bed before falling asleep early; it would be so much easier than having to go out and force himself to be social – social enough to land a one-night-stand, that is.

His plans for the evening were thrown out the window when Heero spotted the figure seated on the floor of the hallway, leaning back against the front door of his apartment.

Duo noticed his approach and easily bounced up with a bright smile. Only then did Heero notice the bag of groceries the braided man had with him.

"Hey," Heero greeted awkwardly, coming to stand in front of him. "How long have you been waiting here?"

"Oh, only about ten minutes." Duo waved his hand dismissively.

"What if I hadn't come back until eight?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Probably would've done some push-ups, or something." He flashed a smirk and flexed his right arm. "I posted the video about an hour ago, by the way. It's doing really well."

"That's good." He just stood there, stupidly.

"Are ya… gonna unlock the door?"

"Right!" Heero fumbled for his keys and then unlocked the door. He stepped aside to let Duo in first and Duo made a curtsy before picking the bag up from the floor and walking in. The two of them rarely spent time together at Heero's apartment – not even a handful of times over the past few months, and most of those times it was just Duo coming over to pick Heero up to go somewhere.

Still, Duo made himself right at home and headed straight for the kitchen. He searched the cabinets for pots, pans, spatulas and anything else he might need.

Heero stood and stared, not sure what to make of the situation.

As if he had read the question in his eyes, Duo explained dryly: "I'm making you dinner."

He didn't want to come across as ungrateful, but his face must have said it all, as Heero had been looking forward to ordering in, which would have been easy, fast and tasty.

Duo chuckled at his expression. "Don't worry. It's a quick recipe, and you're gonna love it. Southern comfort at its best." He put the pans on the stove and started arranging the groceries on the countertop. "Get comfy," he said. "I'll get this done in a jiff."

"What about the Mission Impossible marathon?"

On cue, Duo produced three DVD cases from the bottom of the plastic bag and he held them up triumphantly.

"But what about Bryon?"

Duo shrugged. "I've been hanging out all day with Bryon, at the store. Need to look at a different face for a bit. Can only stand that ugly mug for so long," he joked. "You are much easier on the eyes."

Heero didn't know what to think, but it wasn't unusual for Duo to show up uninvited and unexpected. It just never failed to confuse the Japanese man. The random comments that registered as "flirting" with Heero didn't help with his confusion. He knew what he wanted of Duo, but he never knew for sure what Duo wanted of him. If anything.

Deciding to let Duo do whatever he had planned, Heero headed into his bedroom and changed into comfortable, loose-fitting jeans and an old T-shirt. He didn't want to put on sweat pants while having company over. He returned to the kitchen and set the table, refuting Duo's protests by reminding him that it would take forever for Duo to find everything.

Soon they were both seated at the table with a large serving of steaming cauliflower mac and cheese in front of them. Even though Duo had used healthy ingredients, it tasted exactly like what Heero had been craving after a long day. The cheese was perfectly stringy and the cauliflower added to the creamy texture of the dish and complimented the tastes well.

"It's good, right?"

Heero could only nod, with his mouth full.

Duo smiled at him and shook his head as the shorter man crammed more food into his mouth before even swallowing the earlier bite. "Go easy there, bro. Don't want ya choking."

They ate without talking much, both simply enjoying their meals. Heero felt happy and grateful that Duo had made the effort for him and he liked that Duo chose to spend time with him as opposed to going through with his plans with Bryon. He didn't even mind the prospect of sitting through three Mission Impossible movies, even though Tom Cruise really wasn't his type.

They were clearing the table when Duo asked to use the bathroom.

"First door on the left," Heero answered and he opened the faucet to let hot water fill the sink, while squeezing a string of pink dish soap into it.

Duo hadn't been gone for more than a few seconds when the man suddenly shouted: "Oh my God!"

Heero's back stiffened at the shocked exclamation. He slammed the faucet shut and rushed towards the bathroom. Duo came out to meet him half way. The other man was laughing at that point and Heero didn't understand what was going on until he noticed the item Duo was holding.

His dildo.

He had never been more mortified in his life. He remembered using it in the shower the evening before and leaving it propped up on the edge of the bath tub to dry after he had washed it. Since he hadn't been expecting guests, he never thought about putting it away before anyone would see.

Duo held the dildo at the base, with the suction cup that made it so nice to use in the shower, and he wiggled his hand, causing the purple, silicone rod to jiggle and it made Duo laugh again. "That's a pretty sizeable friend you have here," he mocked.

Duo's intentions weren't ill, but he angered Heero regardless. He tried to snatch it out of Duo's hand, but the taller man pulled it from his reach before he could grab hold of it. "Duo! Don't! Give that to me."

"What, it's clean, right?" His eyes widened and he feigned disgust. "Right?"

"Of course it's clean, that's why it was left out in the bathroom," Heero snarled and made another failed attempt to take it from Duo.

"Do you really like this?" Duo asked, stunned at the mere idea. He eyed the length of silicone with a mixture of amazement and worry.

Heero snorted angrily, seeing as the answer should be obvious. The toy wasn't even that big but it was his favorite thanks to the exaggerated ridge of the crown and the prominent veining, and he could pop it onto the tiled wall of the shower stall. He shouldn't have been embarrassed about using a sex toy and maybe, under different circumstances, he wouldn't have been, because everybody masturbates, so what wrong with using a little help? But to have his friend stand there, holding the sex toy and scrutinizing it, was horrendous.

Heero started to get upset at his helplessness to bring the humiliating experience to an end and he was frustrated at Duo for making him feel so vulnerable and ashamed. "Give it to me," he bit and his voice cracked.

Duo froze as he recognized Heero was getting distraught; Heero used the opportunity to snatch the toy from his hand and he stormed away with it, walking it to his bedroom and hiding it in the drawer of his nightstand, as if there was any point to hiding it after Duo had already seen it.

The other followed him to the bedroom, but remained standing at the threshold, rather than stepping into his private space. "Heero, I'm sorry," he tried. His apology was sincere but he kept his tone light, trying to cheer him up. "I shouldn't have reacted that way, that was infantile. I just got kind of caught up in the shock of it. I don't know…"

Heero couldn't look at him, not before the excess of blood had drained from his face and he was sure the frustration wasn't going to cause him to burst into tears.

Duo chuckled sheepishly at himself and further explained – not realizing he was making matters worse: "I don't know why, but I guess I just figured that, even though you're gay, you still masturbate like a normal guy… You know?"

Heero spun around in time to see Duo make a grotesque hand-job gesture in front of his own crotch. He stared at the man's forced on smile and narrowed his eyes at him. He had avoided the discussion of stereotypes and seemingly harmless jokes with Duo for as long as he had considered them friends, because he trusted Duo to have no ill intentions with his ignorance. But everything was compounding and he couldn't stop himself from countering: "Like a normal guy?"

"Shit." Duo's face fell as he realized his mistake. "I didn't it mean it the way it sounds. I just meant like a straight guy."

"Because straight is normal."

"I shouldn't have used that word. I- I meant…" Duo paused to search for a better term and concluded: "Average! I should have said average. That's what I meant. You get what I'm saying, right?"

At the other's apologetic expression, Heero already felt his anger deflating. He couldn't stay angry at Duo. Duo was just boisterous, unfiltered and unadulterated. "That was really shitty," he pointed out to him, hoping he would at least learn his lesson. "You totally humiliated me."

"I'm so sorry. It was just a dumb joke, I wasn't thinking. I should have just pretended that I hadn't even seen it," he spoke sincerely.

"It's not abnormal," Heero muttered meekly.

"You're right, it's not. If I had paused to give it some thought, I would have known that. I'm sorry."

Duo readily agreeing with him and continuing to apologize made it impossible to be mad at him any longer.

"It's the same as girls using one of those things," the American continued. "I know that and I'm not judging. One of my ex-girlfriends had one too."

Heero scoffed and deadpanned: "You're delusional if you think only one of them had a sex toy."

Duo's jaw dropped at the remark but then he smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right." He let out a chuckle in relief, now that it seemed the argument had come to a peaceful end.

Heero chuckled lightly as well and, in hindsight, he felt silly about his extreme reaction. It would have been better if he had been able to maintain his composure.

"Are we okay again?" Duo asked. "We cool?"

With a nod, Heero replied: "Yeah."

"Yeah? So I can take a piss now? Because I really gotta go." He grinned.

"Yeah. Just- If you see anything else in there…"

Duo shook his head. "I won't. I won't see a thing." Then he darted off into the bathroom and locked the door behind him to finally take a leak.

Heero took a deep breath and tried to push the embarrassing memory from his mind, but he knew he would get haunted by flashes of it at the most random and inopportune times for weeks – if not months – to come.

They watched two of the Mission Impossible movies in their entirety but only made it through twenty minutes of the third before they decided they were both too tired to care about the high-stakes mission the characters were tasked with.

Throughout the first movie Heero was still self-conscious about what had happened, but Duo was his usual, carefree self, and behaved as if nothing uncomfortable had transpired. He laughed easily and made Heero laugh with his observations about the film about as well.


To be continued…


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