Could have spent the day with you Chapter 1: Could have spent the day with you, a gundam wing/ac fanfic

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Author: Rae

Title: Could have spent the day with you

Warning: Sap and shounen-ai ahead. Beware the mushy stuff.

AC 196

I could have spent the day with you...

Duo glared at his alarm clock, but crept from beneath the covers anyway. Only an insane, workaholic masochist would be up at four in the morning. And since Heero was awake, Duo figured that he might as well wake up, too.

He stumbled around in the dark, eyes closed. He stepped on something, and bit back his yelp of pain. If he made too much noise, he'd probably end up on the wrong side of Heero's gun. It had happened before, when the blue-eyed pilot had mistaken him for an intruder.

Still in the dark, he dressed. There was a reason that he wore black: it's hard to mismatch a uni-color outfit when dressing without benefit of light. Socks and shoes in hand, he moved into the darkened hallway. Heero had eyes like a cat, and rarely turned the lights on in the morning.

Duo traveled down the hall, and noticed that the light in the kitchen was on. He smiled. At least he'd be able to cook and eat without killing himself in the dark. He bounded into the kitchen, eyes sparkling as he grinned at the previously alone occupant. "Good morning!" He greeted the brunette cheerily, grinning wider when Heero's fingers paused briefly on the keys. The typing resumed almost instantly, but Duo didn't mind. Heero couldn't ignore him for long. "What are you up to?"

"Working." His voice was curt, dismissing. Violet eyes rested on the computer for a moment, dimming for an instant before he turned his attention to the stove.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Duo waited with a smile.

"..."

He snickered. "I'll cook." He offered hopefully.

"I've eaten." Violet eyes blinked in surprise, and he laid down the spatula he had picked up. He slumped his shoulders. The silence thickened, stretched by the constant tapping of the laptop.

"It's too damn early for me, anyway." He left the room quickly, missing the eyes that narrowed at his back. The blue gaze rested on the computer screen when he was gone. In large, bold letters, the word 'coward' was entered repeatedly.

"I heard that you went to Relena's speech." Heero glanced up, and eyed Trowa coldly. "Was it interesting?"

"I stayed long enough to say that I'd been there."

"She still have a thing for you?" The green eyes were mildly curious.

"I'm starting to sympathize with Zechs."

"I doubt that he minds, but Relena isn't Noin. If she was, her presence may be appreciated."

"Hn."

Trowa smiled weakly, an obvious effort at amusement. "Maybe it wouldn't."

"Hn." Heero backspaced half a page, and began to retype what he had started before Duo had showed up. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I heard Duo mumbling, and thought that the house was under attack." A brief smiled appeared on Heero's face, before the mask settled back in place. "Do you know what the biggest difference is between you and I?"

"I assume that you're going to tell me?"

"I was born with nothing. Not a name, not words. So, most of it, I shove down to deal with later. You were born with the words, and given a name. I had to take the name I have now."

"Hn."

"I was raised without knowing how to express what I felt, but you were given the words to express emotions that you don't seem to feel."

Green eyes pierced into Heero, but he gave no indication of interest other than a raised eyebrow. There was silence, their breathing quiet in the stillness. Outside, the sky was dark, the sun not yet up. Wufei and Quatre were still deep in sleep, and Duo was probably halfway to slumber. Trowa eyed him a moment more, and then turned around and left him alone with his thoughts and silence.

Heero looked at the screen of the laptop, saved the file he was working on, and shut the computer down. "I feel, Barton. And what does it matter if I do? As if anyone is affected by my emotions?" He stood and left the laptop on the table as he shut the light off and left the room.

Held you in my arms...

Duo sighed to the ceiling, arms crossed over his chest as he lay on the couch. Instead of returning to his room, and sleep, he had moved into the living room of the house that the five pilots shared. He had heard Trowa come down, but he hadn't risen to greet him.

A floorboard creaked, and he figured that the green-eyed teen was returning to bed. It was only four-thirty. With a grunt, he rolled onto his side, glaring at the silent television set and blank walls. "Should have known better."

"Duo." He moved to sit up, his eyes widening. Too late, he realized that he was sitting on his braid.

"Ow!" He rolled off the couch and crouched, rubbing the back of his head. "Heero?"

"What are you doing today?"

"Nothing much. Why?" He waited anxiously in the shadows, chewing his bottom lip hopefully.

"Would you drive me someplace?" Duo sighed in disappointment, closing his eyes as he slouched forward.

"Of course. What time do you want to leave?"

"Now." He nodded, and stood up, brushing past Heero on his way back to the kitchen. His feet were still bare, and his shoes and socks were someplace in the now dark room. "If it's not too inconvenient."

"Of course not." He grinned for emphasis, refusing to meet that blue gaze with his own. He didn't really need to read the blank expression there. It was too bad, because he would have seen the uncertain apology in his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"East." Violet eyes rolled as he found what he was looking for and leaned against the counter to put his socks on. "I'll tell you more when we get going."

"Right." He slipped his shoes on and tied them, and then straightened up. Heero stood in the doorway, seeped in shadows. "Ready when you are."

"Do you want your jacket?"

"No. If you can wear spandex and a tank top, I can wear long sleeves and jeans. Don't worry about me."

"Hn." Duo grinned at him, tilting his head.

"Man, you need to learn a new word." He chuckled softly, grabbing the keys from a hook by the doorway, and walked past him. "We're off!"

The blue-eyed teen followed behind him, deep in thought. Duo opened the door to the garage, and stepped out, pressing a button by the door to activate the automatic garage-door opener.

"I love this thing." They got into the truck, an older model that had seen better days. It was Duo's pride and joy, and his favorite thing to drive next to Quarto's sports car, and his gundam. The first he didn't have keys for (and he wouldn't hot-wire the Q-man's car, anyway), and the second had been self-destructed.

"It works better than this vehicle, most days."

Duo looked at him for a moment, brows drawn together. He shook it off, accepting at face value the small joke. "Man, don't dis on my car, or you won't get to ride in it anymore. As it is, you'd think that I was your chauffer."

"You're not?" Another pause, violet eyes even more confused.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Heero?"

"My name is Kylapso of the planet Zenzabar, and I've taken over this body for scientific research."

"Man, stop it now, or we're not going anywhere until you tell me what drugs you're on." He started the engine despite his threat, throwing a grin at his companion. Heero smiled back slightly, the expression looking foreign on his face. "You should smile more often, Heero."

The expression was gone in a blink, but they were already on their way, and Duo turned this attention to the road, waiting for directions. Inside, he was cheering, pleased at the small show of humor from the normally blank-faced Heero. He'd have to get up at four every morning if this was the result.

I could have done a million things with you...

They drove out of town, going east on the highway. The only sound in the vehicle was the sound of the tires on the pavement that floated through the floorboard. Duo tapped his fingers idly on the steering wheel, keeping beat to the nonsense rhythm in his head. Heero sat silent and still in his seat, his eyes staring intensely through the windshield.

"So? Where we going, man?" He waited for a few seconds, but the blue eyes hadn't so much as blinked. "Heero?" He waved a hand in front the other's face.

"Get your hand out of my face, or you will lose its use."

"Glad to see that you're back to your old self." Not. "Are you going to tell me where we're going in the dead of night, or am I supposed to keep going until we discover the edge of the earth."

"Hn." Duo sighed, thinking how wonderfully helpful his partner was being. "I want to go to a place where a quiet conversation can be held."

"Like, a shrink's office? Or some backwoods park where nobody ever goes?"

"Hn." Duo's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He gritted his teeth, forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. And then he smirked. After a few seconds, he started humming, tapping the steering wheel again. He missed having a radio in his truck. He could feel Heero look at him curiously, wondering why he wasn't taking the bait.

Held you captive with my charms...

"This is good enough. Take the exit and go left." Duo nodded, tapping both hands on the wheel as he looked over his shoulder and changed lanes. Heero had been silent for the better part of an hour, no great surprise. Except for the fact that he hadn't silenced Duo with a threat. Yet.

"So, where we going, man?" He was wiggling in his seat, dancing to the rhythm in his head. Both hands remained on the wheel, but only half of his attention was on the road. The rest was tuned into the music in his head and the boy beside him in the car. "Can I know yet?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Duo blinked as he brought the car to a standstill at a stop sign. He glanced over at Heero, noticing the rising sun behind his profile [1]. After a moment, blue eyes glanced up as the perfect soldier realized that they weren't moving. He raised an eyebrow.

"One of these days, Heero, you are going to laugh. I only hope I'm around to see it." The other turned away again, gesturing his hand in dismissal.

"Left." Duo followed the order, shaking his head in disappointment. Maybe, he thought hopefully, maybe if they were alone, then Heero would let his guard down a little more. No distractions, no missions, no Preventor work. Just the two of them, alone in the woods. What fun!

They drove on the rural highway for a few minutes before Heero told him to turn right. They pulled onto a small lane. It took Duo several seconds before he realized that it was really a private drive. "What's back here?"

Heero ignored the question as they approached a small building. The door was a wooden screen, an 'OPEN' sign stuck to it. Duo stopped the car, and got out, frowning at Heero as the silent warrior got out of the car and made his way toward the door. Violet eyes closed briefly as he looked down and away. There were days that he could only hope for things to get better, times when it all seemed pointless, and the thought of giving up seemed plausible.

"Hell, no." He shut the door, pocketing the keys as he followed Heero into the building. Inside was a little shop, the walls lined with dry goods and snack food. In the back was a counter, behind which was another door. There was no one in sight. "Heero?"

"He's out the back, dear." He glanced to his left, and stared in surprise at an old woman. She smiled at him, showing him a nearly toothless grin. "Your little friend is out back, all ready. You can go on through, dear. It's all been taken care of. But give me the keys, love."

"Excuse me?"

"Your young friend told me to ask for the keys, and not to return them until you left together."

"Right. Thanks." Duo nodded, hiding his confusion as he handed her the keys and followed her wrinkled hand to the other door and through. Outside, he gasped, his eyes taking in the scene before him uncomprehendingly for a moment.

Heero eyed him coldly, holding out a mini-putt putter [2], daring him to comment. Behind him, an eighteen round mini-golf course was spread out, the green carpeting faded in places, some of the obstacles broken.

"Don't tell me that this is something from your childhood. I won't believe it." Violet eyes stared into blue, surprised, confused, and more than a little uneasy.

"I found an article in a newspaper about this place going bankrupt. Since the business here is so slow, it would give me...us an opportunity to play without an audience, or without having to worry about someone over-hearing."

"Right." Duo nodded in understanding, and then shook his head. "I don't get it, Heero. We can talk at the safe house. We could have talked in the car. There are a thousand other places that don't have to be here that we could have talked."

"This way, being out here...there is no escape, Duo. It's talk until we're done, or until one of us gets desperate enough to walk home." He tossed a black ball at the braided pilot, tilting his head when it was caught. "There are times that I don't want to listen to you, and I hide behind my computer. This is my way of saying that I'm listening."

He dropped his own ball, a white orb with a purple stripe, onto the starting mat of the first hole. "So, you're basically saying that this is my one chance here, huh?" Duo watched as the other lined up the shot, and then hit the little ball, sending it flying down the carpet. It bounced off the back board, bypassing the hole completely as it flew into the air and arced to the left. It landed on the ground ten feet away, nestled in the rocks that surrounded the course.

"Hn." Duo watched him for a moment, taking in the momentary flash of frustration and confusion as he reset the ball and hit it again. Two pairs of eyes watched as it smacked against the far board and sailed into the air to their right. "You go first."

Duo hid his smile as he stooped down to set his ball. He eyed the course for a moment, eyeing the little bumps in the carpet, and the angle of the boards that lined the sides. He stood up, took careful aim, and hit the ball. It began a roll to the left, bounced off the board, and then to the right...

"Nice shot." He smiled, registering the sarcasm in Heero's voice. His violet eyes traced the ball as it bounced off the right board, then the left, and then rolled slowly toward the hole at an angle. The ball slowed to the point that it was hard to tell if it was moving. It paused at the edge, seemed to waver, and then dropped into the little plastic cup. "Lucky."

Duo laughed freely, tilting his head back. When he regained his composure, he looked at Heero, surprised to see the other boy smiling back at him. He waited for it to disappear, staring at his dark-skinned partner. After several minutes, realizing that the smile was staying, his grin widened.

I could have spent the day with you...

They didn't make it back to the safe house until early evening. They walked in quietly; two exhausted boys that wanted to avoid the confrontation that they knew awaited them. They snuck down the hallway, glancing at each other slyly. Duo snickered, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Where have you two been?" They both whirled around, eyes wide as they watched Wufei approach them from the direction of the stairs.

"Hey, Wufei!" Duo grinned at him, straightening to his full height. He could feel Heero stand up beside him, retreating into his cold, emotionless mask. Duo ignored the chill that passed through his body as he glanced back briefly and met blank blue eyes. "What's happening, man?"

"You two have been gone for nearly twelve hours, without telling anyone that you were leaving, or where you were going."

"Sorry, Wu! We just got a little caught up in things, ya know?" He tried his best innocent expression, widening his eyes playfully at the Chinese pilot.

"No, I don't know. As we are all partners, I naturally assume that we would keep our comrades from unnecessary worry and anxiety-"

"You were worried about us? Ah, man, that's so sweet. I love you, too, Wu!" Duo embraced the black-haired pilot, effectively shutting him up. He pulled back just as quickly and turned to Heero. He flashed the stoic one a wink.

Wufei took a step back, mouth open in surprised suspicion. He snapped his jaw shut and glared at the braided one. "I will put that miserable contraption you call a truck out of commission if you do this again."

"Whatever, Wufei. It's nice to know you care. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day." Duo walked up the stares, yawning as he did so to make his point. Wufei turned black eyes to Heero and caught the other staring at Duo's back with a slight frown. He looked puzzled and thoughtful.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Yuy?" Blue eyes met black, and any emotions that had been on his face were erased.

"There was something that we had to do." His voice was impassive, and he moved to walk past Wufei as well, but the other reached out a hand to stop him. For once, Wufei's face was soft and gentle.

"If you ever need help figuring it out, Heero, there are three others in this house that know." He didn't elaborate, and he didn't wait for a response. He left Heero standing in the hall as he went into the kitchen to cook dinner.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

He paused in mid-step, standing still in the dark. After a moment, he went over his thoughts of the previous five minutes and shook his head at the feeling of déjà vu. "Man, if this is what happens to my mind, I've got to stop getting up this early."

Dressed, again except for his shoes and socks, he sat down on his bed, replaying the previous day through his mind. They had gone mini-putt-putting, and had arrived at the course at nine o-clock. That meant that they had spent at least three hours in the car there, and three hours on the way back. Since they had been absent for twelve hours, which meant that they had spent six hours hitting at golf balls and trying to out do each other.

He grinned, the darkness hiding the sad longing in his eyes. It had been a wonderful day. They hadn't really spoken, not about anything important, though Duo had chatted away most of the time. His talk had been about trivial things, nothing heavy. He hadn't wanted to ruin his chance of time with Heero by making them both uncomfortable and upset.

Six hours with a relaxed Heero, one that knew how to smile, however slight. He had been beautiful, glaring in confusion at a ball that refused to go where he wanted it. By the time they were done, they could make a hole in one at each hole, but the time leading up to that had been precious to Duo. He never wanted to forget it.

My head upon your heart...

He wandered downstairs, glancing at his watch as he stepped into the bathroom. Almost five o'clock. Heero would definitely be awake, and the others had at least two hours left. He brushed his teeth, redid his braid, and left, turning the light off as he did.

He stepped into the kitchen quietly, smiling gently when Heero looked up. He didn't greet him in his loud way, choosing instead to smile and nod. Heero raised an eyebrow, nodded back, and then continued typing on the laptop. He put water in the coffee maker, and leaned against the counter to wait for it to heat up.

"Have you had breakfast?" No answer. Instead of asking again, he set about making something for himself. He'd make enough that two could eat, but not too much extra, in case he was the only one eating. The blue eyes stayed glued to the monitor and the typing never slowed.

They worked separately, neither one speaking to the other. Duo pretended that the other boy didn't exist, and, glancing at Heero, decided that the other probably wasn't even aware that he was in the room still.

The coffee pot beeped, and he poured the hot water into the top so that it would drip down into the empty pot. He took eggs and sausage out of the fridge, and placed them beside the stove. A spatula and pan followed, and then cooking oil. He turned back to glance at Heero, watching as the other concentrated on his work.

With a mental sigh, he turned back to cooking, pausing to pour the coffee when the pot was full. After a moment of thought, he found another empty mug, filled it with coffee, and placed it beside the laptop. He turned away as the tap-tap of the keys hesitated. Neither said anything.

It took him twenty minutes from the time he entered the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. He pointedly took two sets of plates and forks, but he only filled one plate, taking half of the food from the pan, and leaving the rest covered. He sat down across from his partner, and dug into his food, chewing the food more through reflex than enjoyment.

His gaze drifted to the far wall, then to the line created when the ceiling and wall met. It was several minutes before he realized that the typing had stopped. He looked down, meeting a raised eyebrow over emotionless blue eyes.

"Who is the second plate for?"

Not completely lacking in emotion, he was happy to note. There was the slightest amount of confusion and uncertainty in the gaze that met his. "It belongs to whoever wants it. I made enough for two." They locked gazes for a few moments more, and then Heero nodded and stood up. He slid the rest of the food onto the extra plate and returned to his chair.

Duo had resumed eating and gazing, his eyes resting idly on a cobweb in the corner. He ignored the immense stare being sent his way, and forced down the shiver that tried to sneak up his spine. When he finally brought his gaze back to the table, both plates were empty, and Heero was hiding behind his screen again.

The braided boy grinned to himself, and then cleared the table. He refilled both coffee cups, and left Heero by himself so that he could take up residence in the front room. He switched on the light, and leaned into the corner of the couch farthest from the door, his hand reaching for a magazine lying on the surface of the end table. He flipped through it idly, humming under his breath.

He looked up with surprise when Heero sat on the other end of the couch and turned on its respective lamp. Blue eyes avoided his gaze as the wild-haired brunette sat down stiffly. He, too, took the closest magazine and began to read. Duo stared at him, unable to believe that he'd been sought out.

"I need your advice." His jaw dropped as the words made their way to his ear. "And I don't want any of your sarcasm."

"Okay." He nodded and set the magazine aside, turning his body so that he could give the other boy his full attention. "What's up?"

Heero looked up, his eyes bleak. Duo swallowed the gasp in his throat. "What is the greatest declaration of love?"

"Love? The greatest declaration of love?" Duo felt his body tense, and he ran an uncertain hand over his head, smoothing out non-existent horns. "What kind of love? Because, like, there's the love you have for a family, and then there's your friends, and then there's the other, and it's all kind of similar but really different at the same time."

"But you can tell me, right? I guess it would be the last one. I do not have family, and I know how I feel about my friends." He paused, the shutters covering his eyes as the mask covered his face. "It is the last that confuses me most."

"The greatest declaration of a romantic love?" He blew air through his teeth, puffing his cheeks as he thought.

We could have spent the day, us two...

"I have asked Wufei, and I have asked Quatre, and Trowa." Duo deflated a little at that. So, it wasn't his response that was wanted, just an overall view of things in general. He nodded, pushing down the hurt at the thought that he was once again being reminded that he was nothing special.

"I guess, then, that you got different answers?" Heero nodded. "It's different for different people. A lot of it depends on how strongly you feel for this person, and the likelihood that they return the feeling. Have you got that covered?"

"I don't need advice on how to tell if I like someone, or if they like me, Maxwell. I may be inexperienced, but I'm not some silly chit who doesn't know a grenade from a gun."

"Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise." He held up a hand defensively. "Okay. The greatest declaration of love. I'm assuming you mean to this other person?" He waited for a nod of confirmation, but the blue eyes simply bore into his, and he sighed. "Right."

"If you can't take this seriously, don't bother." Heero moved to stand up, and Duo glared at him.

"I can't help if I don't know exactly what you want!" He glared at the other pilot, daring him to turn his back on him. Heero sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest pensively. "The greatest declaration of love is different to different people. For Quatre, I bet his had something to do with music, and the interstellar connection of two souls."

Heero blinked, drawing his brows together. Duo smiled when he nodded, and then chuckled.

"I've already had this talk with him, once upon a time. Trowa is a little less sappy. Or maybe more for the simplicity. He wants someone to acknowledge that they knew he was human beneath the mask. And that's my theory, not anything he told me."

Again, Heero nodded. His arms uncrossed, and he drew his legs onto the couch and against his chest. "He just wants to know that someone sees him as he is."

"Right." Duo nodded. "Wufei, he's complicated as always. He needs someone that can match him, both in physical strength and in mental endurance. His 'greatest declaration of love' to a woman would be admitting that she wasn't weak. In return, the best thing a woman could ever tell him is that she didn't need him for anything, but wanted him anyway."

He barely caught the ghost of a smile that graced Heero's lips before it disappeared again. "For you?"

"For me?" His smile gentled, and he looked down, unable to meet the intensity of his gaze when it was probing so deeply. "I want to know that I make my partner happy." He looked back up. "I would need that, the confirmation that I made the person I loved at least half as happy as he made me."

Heero frowned, but nodded in understanding. "And to the one you love?"

"There can be nothing more I could offer than the fact that I would love unconditionally. Through everything, no matter what had happened in the past, I will always be here." His voice was quiet, drawing his attention to the windows that were still dark from night. He didn't look back at his partner as he finished. "I wouldn't even ask for the same, I guess. Offer as much as you can and hold on while it lasts, but don't ask for more."

"It seems uneven." Violet eyes swung back to blue.

"It is, but you have to remember that I'm a giver, Heero. I give to you guys each and every day, with little get back, except from Quatre. It hasn't stopped me yet, and I'm not anywhere near being empty yet."

"You could do this for the rest of your life? Give parts of yourself with nothing in return?"

"No." Duo looked down. "Eventually, the pain of having nothing returned will overwhelm me, and I'll have to find something to alleviate that pain. Not right now, and not in the near future, but at some point in time. And when my searching is done, and I've been refilled, I'll be right back here, loving you guys each and every day."

Heero nodded as if in understanding, his eyes glued to the boy in front of him. "Would you show me?"

The braided one looked up sharply, frowning. "Show you what?"

"Relationships, all romantic relationships, are based on the same basic principles."

"Let me guess: Guy asks girl out, girl accepts loudly, they see a lame and boring romantic movie at which he falls asleep while holding her hand? He walks her home and gets a breath full of popcorn and sour candy while trying to kiss her? I think not. You're not asking me to start dating some girl and let you watch, are you?"

"No. It would have to be just the two of us." Duo nodded in understanding, then shook his head. Heero cut him off before he could ask. "I want you to pretend to go out with me, and show me how it is that one acts and behaves when in a relationship."

"That's what I was afraid of." Duo rubbed at his face, blocking his expression from Heero. He thought for a moment, thinking it through. "Fine, but I have to make a few things clear before we even start."

"I'm listening."

"I won't be doing this as a favor to you, Heero. A friend probably wouldn't normally accept, especially when some of the things I tell you are supposed to happen are going to have you pointing a gun at my head. I doubt that I would do this for any of the others, and I guess I just want you to know that."

Heero looked at him for a moment, that slight frown on his face. He didn't ask for elaboration, and Duo could only hope that he understood as he stood up and walked away.

Waiting for life to start...

Duo stretched a little more, leaning against the shelf for support as he stood on the very edge of his toes. "Just a little further...yes!" He pulled down the box from the top shelf of the closet and leaned back, grimacing as his muscles relaxed and protested. "Ow."

He backed into the hallway, and turned in surprise when he bumped into someone. "Hey, Duo."

Quatre smiled at him, turquoise eyes shining. "Hey, Q-man. What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I'm just ready to head down and see what Wufei's cooking for breakfast." He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Did he tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He leaned closer as the blonde's voice took on a conspiring level.

"He has a date with Sally tonight. She showed up yesterday, while you and Heero were gone. Since you weren't around, he had to get the door because I was helping Trowa. Anyway, she never bothered to even come into the house. She told Wufei that she would pick him up at seven o'clock, or his honor would be tarnished."

"Ouch. Man, I love that woman. I tell you what, Quatre, if anyone on earth can match Wufei, it's Sally."

"That's what I think, too. They're so cute together, even if he hasn't figured it out, yet."

"Speaking of which..." Duo trailed off, looking at Quatre pointedly. The blonde shook his head rather sadly and looked down the hallway. "Don't worry, Quatre. He'll come around. Look how far he's come."

"I know. He cares, I can feel it, but I think he wants to make the first move, and I can't seem to signal enough that I'm ready when he is."

"Give it time, Q-man." Duo hooked an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him close in a gentle hug as he led them down the hall. "And while you're waiting, you can help me this wonderful old box."

"What is it?" Quatre tried to peek around him, but he moved the box so that it was behind his back.

"You have to wait." He laughed. They descended the stairs, laughing and fighting over the box good-naturedly. At the bottom, they moved into the kitchen where everyone else was sitting, including Heero and the laptop. Duo placed his box proudly on the surface of the table and removed the lid.

Four eyes peered into the recesses of the box. Heero remained in his chair, but even he had stopped typing. Several seconds of silence ensued, in which four pair of eyes made their way to Duo and stared at him in some confusion.

Glancing up, he frowned. "It's the message on the bottom." They looked back down and Heero raised an eyebrow as they read. After a few minutes, Quatre looked up with a grin.

"That's sweet, Duo."

"Weak emotions." Wufei snorted and moved away to finish making breakfast. Trowa said nothing, but his glance strayed to Quatre for a second. Heero resumed typing. "Sentimentality."

"That's what I thought, too, Wu." Quatre giggled at his innocent tone. "I'm glad that you like it." The Chinese man snorted again, but his lips twitched as he broke eggs into a pan. Trowa sat down at the table.

"What do you want for breakfast, Maxwell?"

"I've already eaten, Wu, but thanks."

"Funny, so has Heero." Violet eyes looked towards the laptop, surprised to see Heero looking at him. He smiled, and then moved to take the seat beside him. To his surprise, and the shock of the others, Heero turned the computer off and turned in his chair to put it on the counter and away from him.

"You wanna see?" Duo held the box out to him, biting his bottom lip. Heero took the box and gazed into the bottom of it. After a few minutes, he handed it back.

"Hn." Violet eyes blinked for a moment, and then Duo looked away, the grin slipping. Heero looked at him for a moment, trying to think. His gaze met Quatre, and he read the words that the blonde boy was mouthing at him. "Who wrote it?"

Duo looked up quickly, eyes shining. "One of the nuns at the orphanage. I used to keep it in the cockpit of Deathscythe, but had to take it out for obvious reasons. At least working for the Preventors means that we don't have to leave at the drop of a dime and I can keep it in the house."

Blue eyes took in the words again, glancing at the fading ink on the bottom of the empty box. The whole of the interior was covered in crayon marks, like a small child had been asked to decorate it. In black, feminine scrawls, Heero could see the words that Duo had spent the morning trying to find. "How old were you?"

"At this time?" Duo frowned at the box, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. While he was thinking, Heero looked up to the approving looks that Quatre was sending him. Even Wufei was turned away from the stove with his eyebrow raised. "I was probably five or six. Maybe younger, maybe older."

"Hn." Duo looked back up, met his blank gaze for a moment, and then stood up with a smile.

"I'll see you guys later. I'm going over to HQ to get a few things." He swished out of the room, leaving quickly and with little fuss. Three pair of eyes settled on Heero, who silently set up his laptop. The box lay ignored upon the table.

"So?"

"So, what?" He typed, his fingers flying furiously over the keypad. He kept silent as he finished the project he had been working on before Duo sat down. He knew that the others still watched, but he didn't know what they wanted or expected from him.

"If you hurt him, Heero, I'll beat you up personally." Quatre threatened, his blue-green eyes more sympathetic than threatening. A second later, the Arabian smiled. "Come on, ask us already!"

Heero raised a single eyebrow, but did not respond for several minutes. Finally, sighing under the intensity of their attention, he saved his file and looked up, his eyes serious. "What does one do in a relationship? Not dating, but once that part is done. When two are comfortable with each other?"

"Like, now that you've known Duo forever, how do you go about telling him without words that you want more?" Quatre asked happily. Heero looked at him, yanked the cord for the computer out of the wall, shutting it off effectively, and fled the room with a quick glare.

"Too much, Quatre." Trowa looked at him sympathetically. "Give him time. He's still coming to grips with it."

"Why does everyone require time?" Quatre stood up, his eyes blazing. "After everything we've been through, and all are training, we, more than anyone, should realize that there might not be time later. How can we give him something we can't guarantee? I am so tired of waiting for everyone else's schedules."

"Quatre." Wufei shook his head. "Don't push people. You may end up pushing them away before you push them to action."

The blonde looked at him, and then sighed, dropping into his chair. He couldn't bring himself to look at either pilot again.

I could have spent the day with you...

Duo stepped back into the house two hours later, holding the small locket tightly in his fist. He would not lose it, no matter what. He'd stopped by headquarters, and sought out Sally. After explaining his mission, she'd smiled and taken off the only piece of jewelry she wore.

"You're welcome to it, for such a quest, Duo." She's said, her eyes smiling at him. They had talked for a while more, Duo congratulating her on her upcoming date with Wufei. Not a long visit by any means, but satisfactory to Duo.

Home again, he listened for the sound of voices, but came up with nothing. Quatre's car was gone, but he couldn't imagine every having a reason to leave together, despite the empty feel in the house. Then something rustled in the living room, and he smiled. They hadn't completely abandoned him.

"Honey, I'm home!" He chuckled at his own wit, covering his momentary unease with his normal cheerfulness. He walked into the room, surprised to see Heero standing by the window and glaring at him. "Hey, Heero dearo [4], what's up?"

Blue eyes stared through him for several minutes, and he shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the frame of the walkway.

"What's up?" The other looked away, eyes sliding around the room as if trying to hide. "Come on, Heero. Spill it. After yesterday and today, if you close me out now, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Let's go." Duo's head drew back at the anger in his tone. "What's the matter, Shinigami? Afraid?"

Duo raised an eyebrow, violet eyes narrowing. The boy in front of him was radiating anger, his whole body tense. After a moment of staring at him and thinking his actions through, he pushed himself away from the entrance and stalked toward him. At the last second, he lunged at him, flying into his body and knocking them both to the floor.

They rolled on the floor, swinging when they could get their arms free, kicking at each other, and trying in vain to pin the other to the floor with legs, arms, and bodies. Duo muttered curses the entire time, pulling insults out of his memory as they struggled. Several minutes after it had started, and with surprise on Heero's part, an extremely pissed off Duo pinned his arms at his side, and leaned over him, gripping his throat in one hand and resting his weight on the other with a hand beside his head.

"God damn it, Heero! What the hell is this?" He growled as Heero's expression shuttered. "Don't do that, Heero! Don't shut me out!" He sat up and shook the other boy by his shirt. "Please don't." He leaned forward, burying his face between Heero's neck and shoulder as he began to cry.

And forever wouldn't be enough...

"Jesus bloody Christ, Heero! I have tried so hard..." He broke off, gasping for breath as he leaned back, rubbing at his fast in a futile effort to stop the tears that cascaded from his eyes. "I have tried so hard. I've tried to be your friend, and goodness knows that I've tried to show you how to live. But it doesn't seem to matter. You always push me back."

He slid himself backwards off the other boy, moving down his legs to sit at his feet. Heero sat up uncertainly, blue eyes glued to the braided one.

"I have tried to give you back what was taken...all I ever wanted was to see you happy. I know they can't have taken it from you completely, damn it! You're still human on the inside. I can see it some days, and it makes my heart break, because the moment you realize it, you push it away."

"What do you want from me?" It wasn't accusing, more of a hesitant curiosity.

"I want you to laugh. I want you to feel. I want you to know joy and happiness, and all those basic human emotions that should exist without thinking. I want you to let go! Let go of the pain, and the anger. Like this! Beat the shit out of me, but let me know that you're still in there!"

"You want this?" Heero waved a hand, gesturing to the broken lamp that had fallen of the end table, and the overturned couch.

"Yes. Because this shows me something, Heero. This is anger, this is an emotion that you couldn't control." The tears were drying, and violet eyes were flashing, shining in an attempt to make him understand. "You're not dead, Heero. You're very much alive, and this confirms it. The other day, when we were mini-golfing, or whatever, you were fighting a smile, and doing a terrible job of it. You felt, and it made me so happy that I was there to see it."

He lapsed into silence, watching Heero assimilate this. He brushed his hair out of his face, frowning when he realized that most of his braid had come undone. While the boy in front of him thought in silence, he redid his braid, working his fingers through the long strands carefully.

"God, Heero. I have tried so hard to be what I could be to you. You let me be your friend, and that was great, and I worked at it every day, and I tried. Then, today, you come out with that damn question, and all I could think was that maybe, just maybe I'd gotten through enough for you to open up to me. Of course, then you tell me that you've already asked the others, too, and I'm nothing special."

He looked away, shoulders slumping as he said it. Heero caught the look, and the strange undertone on the last word. "Why does it matter if you're special to me?"

Duo looked at him, and then groaned in frustration, falling onto his back on the floor. "Because, Heero. Because if something is special to you, it makes you happy, and if you're happy, I'm happy. Even better if you're happy because I'm happy because you're happy."

"Hn." Instead of standing up, Heero got to his knees and scooted a little closer to the braided boy on the floor. "You want to make me happy?"

"Yes." The violet eyes were closed, covering up their color and any emotions they might have showed. "Your happiness is important to me."

Heero settled down next to him, letting his legs stretch out so that he was lying next to him, his head propped on his hand and elevated by his elbow on the floor. "Even though I frustrate you? And anger you? And fight with you? And close you out?"

He listed the words quietly. Duo inhaled deeply, crossing his hands behind his head. "Of course. It doesn't matter what you say or do, Heero, I'm not going to walk off and give up."

"Because that's your declaration." Duo sat up quickly, searching blue eyes for any trace of mockery or teasing. The other boy was serious, frowning at him in concentration, and not in disapproval. "Lack of experience does not equal lack of knowledge."

"I'm sorry, Heero." Duo drew his knees to his chest, and turned his face away. "I'm still your friend, first. Everything else comes after. I just want you to know that."

"You will continue to show me?"

"Yes. If that's what you want." He nodded, and Heero stood up, looking down at his friend.

"The mission has been altered, but the same basic orders are the same." Duo paused for a moment, and then looked up, chuckling.

"I should have known that you'd approach this whole thing the same way you approach everything else.

Could have asked to be with you true…

"Come one, Heero. You're supposed to make this easy for me." Duo growled into the other's ear with frustration. In response, Heero turned around and stepped out of the doorway, letting Duo access to his bedroom. "Thank you, much better. Now why don't you go downstairs and let me have free rein?"

"No." Duo grinned, ignoring the warning look in his eyes. He scanned the bedroom quickly, hoping that something would catch his attention and start screaming 'me, me' to his brain. Nothing did. He stood in the middle of the room, scanning every available surface, frowning a little when realized that that consisted of only a bed and a desk.

"You need more furniture in here. Want a bookcase? There's one in the attic. It's only three shelves, but we could fill it really easy."

"You are not decorating my room." Heero crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall by the door. Five minutes before, and they had been downstairs trailing into an uncomfortable silence after. Duo hadn't wasted anytime in using his 'mission' to his advantage. "Just pick something, and let's go."

"But, Heero! This is my one and only opportunity to be in your room without you pulling a gun on me." Duo grinned, pulling his braid over his shoulder so that he could play with it while he teased the other. "And besides, why would you want to go back downstairs when you have me all to yourself right here?"

"Baka." Despite the insult, his eyes softened, and Duo swallowed as he realized what he had walked into. When the brunette started walking towards him, he backed up a step, holding his hands up defensively. "Where are you going, Duo?" His voice had dropped an octave and gone husky. The sound sent a tingle down Duo's back, making him shiver in anticipation.

"Heero." He tried to make his voice stern. "Stop playing around. I want one item from you that has some personal value, and I'm going to have it." The back of his legs hit the bed-frame and he swallowed.

"Oh, yes, you are." Violet eyes widened before Heero pushed him onto the twin bed. Before the braided boy could get up or scoot away, Heero had laid atop him, pinning his body beneath his. "Is this acceptable, oh teacher?" Eyes half-lidded, Duo wisely kept his mouth shut and nodded. Had he tried to talk at that moment, the only sound escaping his throat would have been a moan. "Pleasurable?"

"Bastard." Heero chuckled, the sound vibrating through his ribcage and into Duo's body. "You know, Heero." He forced the words out, trying to ignore the press and pleasure of the body over his. "You aren't supposed to tease the one you're dating."

"But it's so much fun." He drew out the 'so' bringing his face close enough to Duo's so that his breath fanned his chin and neck. Another shiver ran up the braided boy's body, but this time he couldn't suppress it. "Besides that, I'm enjoying this position." He pressed his lips gently against the pulse beating in his neck. "It makes me happy. You make me happy."

"Don't fuck with me, Heero." Duo's voice was surprisingly hard, and Heero drew up to look at him with a frown. "I want you, and I love you, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you use me. I told you that I would help, but it's not helping either one of us if you mess with my head." He swallowed, his eyes clouding over with sadness, replacing the anger with a bittersweet gentleness. "You know how I feel, and it's not fair if you use that to hurt me."

Heero leaned back down, resting his body on top of Duo's instead of pinning the other boy. He pressed his cheek against the American's skin, inhaling his scent, and concentrating on the warmth that spread through him at the contact. "I'm not trying to use you, Duo. I don't want to hurt you. I just don't know…" He trailed off and moved away, striding across the room in a desperate hurry. "Find what you want. Tell the others that I won't be back in time for dinner."

He left, leaving Duo on the bed, body crying out at the loss of contact, his heart aching for the confusion and hurt he'd seen on Heero's face. "God, love. Will you ever open your eyes?"

And taught you the meaning of love…

"Duo? Are you okay?" Turquoise eyes peered across the table, jarring the brunette from his thoughts. He glanced around at his friends, noticing for the first time that they were all staring at him. "You've barely said anything, and you've only eaten part of your dinner."

"It's been a long day, guys." He tried to grin, but ended up with a half-formed smile. "While you're all here, I was wondering if I could ask you all for a favor."

"Go ahead." Quatre agreed before the other two could say anything. Wufei raised an eyebrow, waiting for the request, and Trowa continued to eat, though he kept his gaze trained on Duo.

"I want to know if I could possible have one personal belonging of yours, something small, that has personal value. I'm making a time capsule to bury in the back yard. Everything will go in my box, which is my personal thing, and it will go in a metal tube that I conned Lady Une into letting me have." He looked at each of them in turn. "It will have something from each one of us, and…" He glanced slyly at Wufei. "Something from Sally. Because she's almost like one of us."

Wufei snorted, but didn't argue. Quatre grinned, already thinking in his head for something to give. Trowa returned to his food, but Duo knew that he was thinking it over. Green eyes looked up. "Have you asked Heero?" He swallowed, looking down at his plate. He should have expected one of them to ask, but he hadn't expected it to be Trowa.

"Yes. He wanted to give me a bullet, but I told him no. When I have everything, I'm going to right a letter explaining the significance of each thing and who it came from." He smiled at them, a real one this time.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

Duo stared at the door, begging it with his eyes to open. The wall in the hallway held up his tired frame, but he refused to go to sleep until a certain blue-eyed pilot made it back in one piece. He didn't know where Heero had gone, but he hadn't expected him to be gone for almost seven hours. Wufei looked up in the other room and glared at him. Quatre was straightening his tie and smiling as the Chinese man seemed to growl at everything.

"If that damn woman shows up, tell her I'll be ready in a moment. Until then, would you come back in here for sanity's sake! He had something to do, and he'll be back. You haven't driven him forever, and he hasn't gotten into some horrible wreck that's left him dying some painful death in the middle of nowhere."

"I forgot the first rule of any relationship, Wufei. Partner, friend, boyfriend…I forgot to trust him." Violet eyes turned back to the door, and he stood straight when he realized that the knob was turning. The door opened, and his eyes came into contact with a familiar shape outlined by darkness. He waited for the door to shut behind Heero before he said anything. "I'm sorry."

Blue eyes blinked at him in confusion, as Heero approached him. He glanced into the living room, and then looked back at Duo, gesturing him into the kitchen with a wave of his hand. "For what?"

"For what I said this afternoon. I know you wouldn't do something like that, and I'm sorry that I accused you of doing it." He shrugged self-consciously, smiling a little in relief when the other didn't seem to harbor any ill will. "I thought that you were really mad at me, and each hour that you were gone just seemed to make me feel worse."

"You can anger me, and annoy me, and frustrate me, Duo, but nothing will make me leave you forever." He pulled his laptop out of somewhere [5] and sat down at the table, effectively cutting off his end of the conversation. Duo wasn't going to let it slide, and sat down next to him, scooting his chair closer so that he could lean his arm on the table and stare at the other boy. "And you can stare all you want, but I'm not going to walk away from you."

"Really?" Duo batted his eyelashes at him.

"Really." They sat that way, ignoring the doorbell when it rang, and Wufei's half-angry words as he greeted his date for the evening. Quatre peered into the kitchen and announced that he and Trowa had something to do, and Duo waved them away without glancing up. The blonde smiled at his companion as they made there way out the door, but didn't comment until they were in the car and underway. "I found my item, by the way."

It took a moment for that to register. "Really? What?" Duo perked up even more, grinning as he waited for Heero to hand over the prize. "When did you decide?"

Instead of moving to retrieve it right away, Heero finished what he was doing, and shut the computer down slowly. "You said it had to be something that reminded us of something special, or something that we'd had for a really long time. My gun was the first thing that came to mind, and there is no way that I'm handing it over to you."

"Ah, jeez, Heero, I would have been nice to it. I'm only going to have it buried for the next hundred years."

"Anyway." Heero went on, moving the computer away so that he could turn to Duo without any objects obstructing his view. "I thought about it, and remembered something that reminded me of the happiest day of my life. I was with a person who made me happy, and who cared about my happiness. Someone who's happiness I cared about." Blue eyes met purple, and he held out his hand hesitantly. Duo took the hint and reached out with his hand, twining their fingers together. With Heero's other hand, he reached into his coat pocket and wrapped his fingers around the object inside.

He pulled his hand out and held the object up for Duo's expression. The violet eyes widened in confusion, and then in surprise, before they filled with tears. He threw himself out of his chair, and at Heero, pressing his lips against his as the little white golf ball, with the thin purple stripe, rolled into a corner of the kitchen, forgotten.

[1] It's spring, or autumn, so the sun rises late and sets early. It just makes things easier as far as timeline goes.

[2] You have a better name?

[3] Sound familiar? Déjà vu? Look at the first couple paragraphs at the beginning.

[4] I couldn't resist.

[5] Maybe he brought it down after breakfast, while the others were away. Sounds good to me.

The complete poem, written by Jennifer S. Norris, is as follows:

I could have spent the day with you

Held you in my arms

I could have done a million things with you

Held you captive with my charms

I could have spent the day with you

My head upon your heart

We could have spent the day, us two

Waiting for life to start

I could have spent the day with you

And forever wouldn't be enough

Could have asked to be with you true

And taught you the meaning of love

Permission to use poem or story can be obtained by writing to raegan_1@hotmail.com