Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or the characters within it. Nor do I own the song Duo sings. It's written by Neutral Milk Hotel.

I haven't written in years. This is a beta testing, if you will. Some hints to the story: Duo will prove Heero wrong in every sense when it comes to his skill levels as a soldier: he is unstoppable. There will be lots of swordplay, some gunplay, and maybe some mech sequences.

The Perfection of 02

By: Maxwell-Yuy

He stood with one arm on the doorframe, a silhouette of perfection. Turning enough to allow the light outside to illuminate his profile, he paused. "Duo?" he asked. There was a claming undertone in his voice that kept the apprehension at bay; a soothing quality that only Heero could possess under such circumstances. With a kind of soft confidence, he replied, "hai?" It felt like Heero was waiting for something more. There was a long pause, and finally, Duo looked up to where his best friend stood in the doorway. With the presence of Duo's gaze upon him, Heero took a deep breath. "Su… suki desu."

Violet eyes closed, a small, peaceful smile overtook the weariness the last few weeks had caused. A lifetime of hardships that had once been present in the crease in his brow erased. A moment passed in which he appeared to be savoring the most beautiful taste in the world. Quietly, he breathed, "love you, too, Heero."

Four Weeks Earlier

"Why can't I go with you?!"

Quatre closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for the 6th time in the last hour. A headache of colossal proportions was heading his way, he knew, and there was little to be done to stop it. A mission in under 3 hours meant no drugs on any kind. There was a shift in the couch, and a presence in front of him. "Quatre, love, would you like some more tea?"

At this moment, Trowa was a god among men, and Quatre the luckiest person in the world to have someone so caring for a boyfriend. Steadying himself, he smiled up at his lover, "thank you, Trowa. Yes, I'd love some more tea." Tender moments such as these were rare in a safe house where Duo and Heero were fighting, and when they did occur, they ended abruptly with—

"HEERO! WHY CAN'T I GO?!"

"Duo, you know you're not qualified for this mission. Your hand-to-hand combat skills are lacking, and you couldn't work a sword to save your life. This is the last time I am telling you this! You will be a detriment to the mission, not only for your sore lack of skill, but your concussion leaves you in no shape to carry out even the barest of tasks. GO TO BED AND SHUT UP, BAKA!"

Oh, no. There it was, the punch line to end all punch lines. He could feel it yet again, the slow shatter of Duo's heart, the breaking on the inside as he successfully fought to keep composure. Did Heero really need to be so harsh with him? Quatre stood up and entered the next room over, where Heero and Duo stood in a battle stance. Before Quatre could muster up the words to placate them, Duo did an unusual thing: he stepped down. Expression faltering for less than a second, he whispered, "you have no right, Heero, to judge my ability in hand-to-hand. And although I'm not a trained fencer like you and Quat and Trow…" His voice crept even lower as an emphasis, chin tilting downward until he was looking through his bangs, "I can use a sword."

Quatre didn't even feel Trowa beside him with the tea, he was too engrossed in watching the most broken, yet stubborn Duo he'd ever seen. And for all appearances, so was Trowa. "Heero," he continued, "I think going on this mission without all five of us is a mistake. That said… I'm going to bed. Good luck."

As the braided form retreated up the stairs towards the bedrooms, the remaining three stared, expressionless and silent. As the faint click of his door closing was sounded, Quatre turned a glare to Heero. "How could you?" he asked, "how could you ever say such things to him? He's saved your life countless--"

"That was luck." There was an edge in that voice, a venomous hint that made Quatre shudder. Trowa threw a disgusted look in his direction, but Heero steadfastly ignored it. "He's reckless and he's injured from our last assignment even though it was simple reconnaissance. We leave at 1400, and we're meeting Wu-Fei at the rendezvous point. End of discussion."

Casual guitar strums enveloped the living room. Slowly rocking back and forth, hands possessed with a motion of their own as they alternated between the chords E and C, Duo opened his mouth and allowed a low, soft tune to fill the house. "Oh comely, I will be with you when you lose your brain. Chasing the only… meaningful memory you thought you had left with some pretty, bright and bubbly terrible scene that was doing her thing on your chest. But Oh comely, it isn't as pretty as you'd like to guess in your memory, you're drunk on your awe to me, it doesn't mean anything at all."

Allowing a verse of slow rhythmic strums where usually there was none, he glanced out the window, into the emptiness of the countryside. The others were due back from their mission three days ago. Although reluctant to admit it, he was worried. Gently humming, hands still guiding themselves to chords his mind was unaware of, he continued, "Oh comely, all of your friends are all letting you blow. Bristling and ugly, bursting with fruits falling out from the holes of some pretty, bright and bubbly friend you could need to say comforting things in your ear. But oh comely, there isn't such one friend that you could find here standing next to me he's only my enemy, I'll crush him with everything I own…"

Closing his eyes and taking in the sound of his instrument, he breathed deeply. Where were his comrades? Relaxing, he felt something out of place. Carefully keeping the rhythm, he concentrated on his surroundings. A tingle in his spine. A new scent flowing in with curtains cascading down the open window. In a usually dormant environment, there was a fluttering of wings.

There, outside. An almost inaudible click. Inside. A presence. It was right there at 7:00, behind him, likely in the next room, coming towards the open door. He finished his strumming, and continued to hum. Five more steps. The tune changed keys. Four. A longer note, flat, as it should be. Three. The singing, "Do-do do do-do do doooooo…" Two. "we know who our enemies are…" One.

The knife was flying across faster than any brain could register movement in the room. A grunt of pain, and Duo took in the intruder. "Who do you work for?" he asked, a deadly hint in his voice. Terrified, the young man could say nothing. Placing down the guitar, Duo silently approached the man who was now pinned to the doorframe, a knife through his shoulder and stuck in the wall. A loud call from outside, and Sally Po stormed in. "What have you done to my man?!"

"Hn."

"Duo Maxwell, you will not go Heero Yuy on me!" At this, Duo raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you send in a stealth agent? We're still allies, are we not?"

If the doctor had been angry before, all traces of the emotion washed from her face. A small, sad smile played at her features. Two men were helping their fallen comrade off the doorframe and into a chair. "Duo… Heero and the others are captured. We just found out last night, and I didn't want to risk--"

"Where are they?"

"Duo--"

"Where, Sally?"

"We're not sure. Zechs has them."

That's it for the sneak peek. If this picks up any reviews, I'll continue. Trust me, I plan a lot of action in the chapters to come, and the chapters will, of course, be a lot longer…