Heero Yuy was one smart assed bastard, you know? Every time I look back now, I could only shake my head and laugh at how slow we all were. When the guy hides, he does it pretty damned well. He even gave me a run for my money with my self assigned motto about running and hiding.

It had been five years after the war, five strapping young men went their separate ways; two joining Preventers, one went with the circus and one left to run a multibillion dollar company. Of course the other, being Heero, left without a trace.

That one stunt really hurt me. We were the best of friends during both wars, even though it took a hell of a lot of work to make him even tolerate me. Soon enough though, coming to the climax of the second war, I had finally lodged myself under the guy's skin. I even made him promise to stay alive; to call it a mission of sorts. That was the most concrete way to make him do it at the time, and since he was a stickler for accomplishing missions, I figured, 'Well hey!' And either way, I'd promised myself that I'd survive the war just to win him over one day.

I'll admit it from early on, folks. I, Duo Maxwell, who never lied to a soul, am in love with Heero Yuy.

Who wouldn't be?

Okay, fine. He may not seem like a people's person on the outside but that's where friendship comes in. He really is a good guy. Charming, witty and he has a sense of humor.

…

Done with that spit take?

Then let's move on.

His laugh was music to my ears. Not that maniacal laugh like in the war, but a real, full belly laugh. And he only let his true self show around me. And that's the highest honor I'd ever received in my life. Hell if I'd ever lose it.

Heero just had some trust issues.

Really, though, the guy was a real ninja over the course of those five years. I had sworn I'd seen someone who looked like him but I couldn't believe it. The scowl was almost identical but the eyes were totally different. They weren't the same deep blue I had grown to love. They were gray.

Yes, yes, contacts would have been the issue -- and it was --but I was wallowing in misery deep down even after everyone had pretty much moved on.

The first few times I kept brushing the annoying feeling of me being right about that stranger. But after a while, my curiosity began to nibble quite fondly on my ass. And that's when I decided to get to the bottom of this and keep my ass in one piece, teeth marks and all.

Minds out of the gutter, people.

But anyway, on my lunch hour during my period of office duty in Preventers, I met the guy leaving the gas station a few blocks away from HQ. And in fifteen minutes he was almost in the midst of the city.

In case you hadn't guessed by now, I followed the bastard.

I parked at least further up the block and looked in my rearview mirror when he stopped and parallel parked between a jeep and a sedan I couldn't care to name.

The guy jumped out of the truck in a tank top and turned to get something out of the cab of the truck, that something being a blue button up shirt to throw on. Looked like a uniform shirt. But before he could really put the thing on, I glimpsed something I'd never thought I'd see again. He had a scar on his right shoulder. In the same spot I'd shot Heero all those years ago.

Call me crazy but I think that was more than enough reason to say he was, in fact, Heero. I could have kicked myself. Of course! The best place to hide was right under the enemy's nose.

Not that we're enemies, but you get the idea.

Snapping out of my stupor in time, I looked to see what building he was going into.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it had been five years and I'm sure Heero, of all people, wouldn't cut his hair. So that left only one possible answer.

But just to be sure I decided to come back later.

…

And return I did.

It was about closing time for most of this particular city block -- the nine to five gurus-- and the cars were few. I was actually playing hooky at the moment and Wufei, being my superior, would have my ass when I got back. But Heero's truck was right where I'd left it. Parking up the street like I did earlier, I decided to wait right there, sitting in the window of the shop next door. I had on one of my baseball caps and tucked my braid down the back of my shirt, as standard custom for recon in public areas.

The Heero look-alike and another guy left the building at the same time, the burly guy leaving in my direction, not paying attention to me. The look alike had remained behind to lock the door and walked toward the truck, hopping in, starting it up and driving off. But before he left, I saw him poke himself in the eyes and blink a bit rapidly. He reached over to what I guessed to be the glove compartment and that's when I saw them.

Blue eyes.

After the truck left and was fairly far away, I was kind of in a daze. And that's how I'd returned to work, looking lost and…

Damned confused.

Wufei's jaw was already slack, ready to rip me a new one, but stopped. Hell I'd have stopped if I saw that blank look on my face. Really, all I felt was a little hurt and betrayal. I mean, come on, even if he didn't want anyone else to know, he could have told me and I would have respected his wishes.

The rest of the day kind of went in a blur after that. At least until I got home and it all sank in.

And I nearly keeled over laughing.

Who would've thought? Heero Yuy, antisocial extraordinaire, would work in a next to all out social business?

And right under our damned noses!

I'd gone to work the next morning earlier than normal with what I figured was a goofy assed grin on my face. One of the others who worked on the same floor as me had looked at me strangely and asked, "Feeling good, today, eh, Maxwell?"

I managed to tone myself down to a chuckle and I grinned at him. "Feeling hell-a good, Rogers."

I felt damned good.

…

Of course I went back around the same time as last evening and waited in the same spot in the window of the gift shop next door. Heero said his usual goodbye and proceeded to walk toward his truck.

And, not being able to hold it in any longer, I laughed. That made him stop short and whirl around to face me. And wide eyed was he.

And I only laughed louder, reduced to tears only a few seconds afterward.

And taking a breath to calm myself I grinned up at him. "You are one, piece of work, Yuy."

There was a moment of silence before I saw his shoulders slump and he removed the contacts.

Wow, didn't think he'd give up that easily.

"How'd you know?"

Of course, I related the entire story and let the silence afterward hang above us before folding my arms.

"You really are a piece of work, Heero," I repeated, shaking my head. I looked behind me and back at him with raised eyebrows. "I could understand just about anything else, but you? A damned barber?"

Then it clicked to me.

Of course! Out of the five of us, we all had a reasonable length of hair. Okay, mine was a bit over the top but that doesn't count. But neither of us would wander into a barber shop. Trowa wouldn't get rid of that bang if you paid him, and I wouldn't let Wufei live it down if he went bald. Quatre wouldn't be Quatre without that tuft of blond hair.

"Genius," I muttered, looking at Heero for a minute longer. "Fucking genius."

And then I ended up bent double laughing with a confused Heero looking at me as if I'd lost it.

Then he looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"No, you're not."

He shrugged, sheepishness gone as quickly as it had appeared. "I tried."

The guy's a character. Just like I told you.

My little memory was knocked clear out of the window when I felt familiar lips on mine. Blinking, owlishly I expect, I saw Heero looking at me, smirking.

"Daydreaming again?"

So, yeah, we got together a few months later, after being read the riot act about five times in as many hours apart. I told you I kept my promises. He even stayed at that barber shop even after I'd tried to get him to join Preventers.

He refused, telling me that he wouldn't be able to meet as many interesting people if he'd joined up. And not nearly as many jokes. That was his excuse, nearly word for word.

Told you he had a sense of humor.

"More like reminiscing," I replied, as he sat beside me on the couch. I looked at him for a moment and repeated, every time my mind went back to those days: "You are one piece of work, Yuy."

"Yeah," he said, knowing what I meant. "But you still love me anyway, so deal with it."

A piece of work, I tell you.

A/N: Yeah, I hadn't written anything in a long while, Nearly a year. But that's because I hadn't written anything since. My writer's block was damned thick. This crappy piece shows it. But I'm getting back into fic writing now so this is something to let you chew on till I get back into my groove. Apologies, I gather, won't work so I'll try my hardest to complete something.