A/N: I do not own Gundam Wing or any characters in it. I am not making any money off of this. The character Flame belongs to my friend. Enjoy!
Misled Emotions
By: Kadama
Duo stared silently at the oak wood door. Why wasn't she talking to him? What had he done wrong? She hadn't talked to him for over a week. He had to know. He raised his fist to the door and knocked. He heard footsteps inside, walking to the door.
A girl opened the door, the girl he needed to talk to. Her fierce blue eyes took one look at Duo, then she slammed the door in his face.
"Open the door. Come on, Flame, I really need to talk to you! This is important!"
"What do you have to say that's so important, you low-life piece of crap?" Flame said from inside the door.
"Let me in, I'm not talking to you from the other side of your door, Flame," Duo said impatiently.
There was silence for a while. Duo wondered if Flame was just ignoring him and leaving himself to be humiliated in front of anyone who walked down the hall. Finally, though, the door opened. Duo let out a sigh of relief. He walked inside the large apartment.
Flame was on the other side of the threshold, glaring at him. "What?" she asked sharply.
Duo made his way over to the couch in the living room and sat down before saying a word. Flame crossed her arms and leaned against the wall on her side.
"Why aren't you talking to me?" Duo asked, pain filling his eyes. Flame wasn't fooled by his puppy dog eyes she used to fall for so easily.
"Why are you asking me? You know perfectly well why I don't want to speak to you any more. I saw you at the party."
Flame walked into the entry hall. She didn't tell Duo she was coming, she wanted it to be a surprise. She had bought the most beautiful gown for Quatre's annual pre-Christmas party. It was dark blue with small silver stars and moons that sparkled in the light. She had curled her hair and was ready for a great time.
With a big smile on her face she walked into the living room, feeling the beat of the music in her ears and all the friendly faces conversing with one another in her eyes.
The one thing she was looking forward to most was Duo. This wasn't going to be any regular time she saw him, this time it was going to be special. She was really going to tell him how she really felt. She and Duo had been good friends for a long time, and tonight she was finally going to tell him that she loved him.
She wandered through the sea of people, looking for her braided friend. Along the way she greeted many of her friends and receiving lots of compliments on her dress and hair. Flame was so happy that night she couldn't stop smiling. Until she found Duo.
Flame found Duo in a small game room surrounded by three girls. They were very beautiful, and all looked slightly older than Duo. There was two blondes and one brunette. Flame found them in the middle of a conversation, so she stood behind the door frame so she couldn't be seen. Duo's playful voice filled her ears.
"Oh, that girl? I'm so glad she couldn't come. She called earlier today and said she wouldn't be able to make it. I was so happy. I swear, that girl will not leave me alone!" He then flicked the skirt of one of the blondes and said, "but I'm glad I'm with three great girls instead of her!" The girl giggled.
Flame turned away from the room in horror, a silent tear running down her cheek. How could he be so unfaithful? She ran from the party as fast as she could, ignoring all the comments she got on the way. She never wanted to speak to Duo again.
End Flame's FlashbackDuo had a blank look on his face. Then he laughed.
"What's so funny?" Flame demanded, irritated. "You hurt me, Duo."
Duo laughed again. "No, don't you see? You've got it all wrong, Flame. I wasn't talking about you, you just heard the wrong part of our conversation, that's all. I'll tell you what really happened at the party."Duo's Flashback
Duo walked into the party prepared to let loose and really shake his groove thing. Of course, it wouldn't be the same without Flame there. She couldn't make it that night. He was extremely disappointed. He loved Flame so much, he just hadn't been able to tell her just yet. He figured he'd have to wait until they could be alone. Until that time, he'd try to have as much fun as he possibly could without her.
Just as he walked in the door, three girls walked up to him, two blondes and a brunette.
"Katie, Julie, Stephanie! It's great to see you guys again!" He gave them all big hugs and an even bigger smile.
"Duo, we haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?" Julie asked cheerfully.
"I'm great, and you?"
"Oh we're fine. We're glad we could visit our little brother finally after so long," Katie answered.
"So you're actually glad to see Quatre, that wonderful, angelic brother of yours?" Duo joked.
The three girls laughed. Suddenly someone tried to get through the four people blocking the hallway. "Maybe we should find somewhere else to talk, ne?" Duo suggested.
The girls agreed. They walked into a small, uninhabited game room and sat down on the chairs to continue their discussion.
"So, Duo," Stephanie said, stretching out his name to further annoy him. "You have a girlfriend yet?" She nudged her elbow in Duo's direction. The braided boy blushed.
"Well, there is one girl. She's not my girlfriend, but I sure wish she would be. I really love her. I just don't have the guts to tell her yet," Duo concluded quietly.
Katie, having not seen Duo in a long while, wasn't up to date on everyone's life, so she asked, "Ooh, is it Hilde Schbeiker?"
Duo made an awful face. "Oh, that girl? I'm so glad she couldn't come. She called earlier today and said she wouldn't be able to make it. I was so happy. I swear, that girl will not leave me alone!" She flicked the skirt of Katie's outfit and continued, "but I'm glad I'm with three great girls instead of her!" Katie giggled.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about her. She always seemed so nice -" Katie started.
"Yeah, she was, until she invaded my privacy several times and is practically stalking me," Duo said, glancing around the room just to check to see if Hilde wasn't secretly listening in on their conversation. "But Flame is always their to 'protect' me," Duo finished.
"Flame?" Stephanie asked, clueless.
Duo found himself blushing again. "That was the girl I was telling you about earlier."
Julie smirked, "Yeah, the one you said you loved so much?"
"Right," Duo smiled at his friends.
End Duo's Flashback"And that's the truth, the honest truth," Duo said.
Flame looked at the ground, embarrassed. Her eyes had glazed over with tears that had not yet fallen. "Duo, I'm sorry," she said softly, unable to look at his face.
Duo lifted her chin in his hands. Very gently. "Flame. Listen to me. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you, Flame. I really love you."
Flame's tears finally fell. She threw her arms around his neck and held him close. She whispered into his ear, "I love you, too, Duo. More than you can ever know."
"I love you more," Duo said, a slight joking tone in his voice.
Flame pushed away from him and smirked. She wiped the tears from her eyes and echoed, "no, I love YOU more!"
"I love you more, more, more!" Duo said, laughing.
Flame jumped on him, sending him flying backwards onto the couch, with Flame on top of him. She smiled a huge grin. She pushed his arms down as hard as he could, rendering him incapable to move. "No way, braid boy. I love you more, and you have to agree, because I have you pinned."
Duo smiled. "Ok, ok, you win." Then Flame let go of her grasp on Duo's arms. Just the moment he had been waiting for so long. As soon as her grip released, Duo wrapped his arms around Flame's back and pulled her down on top of him. He planted his lips firmly on hers. She returned the kiss with equal, if not more ferocity.
Suddenly Flame jumped up off of Duo and the couch. Duo looked confused, and at the same time, wanted her to get back where she was seconds before. "I've got a better idea," she said pompously. "What's the one thing that always makes us feel better?"
Flame smirked. Duo smirked. He stood up. Then they said at the same time: "Twister."
Duo ran to the closet and pulled out the raggedy old box. Flame moved the coffee table away from the couch to make room for the mat. Duo laid it down and took out the spinner. He took off his shoes, and Flame followed his example, leaving them only in their socks (and clothes of course).
"Who's gonna spin?" Flame asked, still smiling, but Duo noticed, in that one smile, she seemed very seductive. She raised and eyebrow at him.
Duo took a deep breath and gulped. Duo never knew Flame could be so...intimate. "I will," he answered simply. He bent down and spun the arrow. He repeated the color and body part corresponding to the board. "Right foot blue."
The game continued for several more minutes, sometimes they would fall down but get right back up again, knowing that neither would count it against the other. Finally, though, there was a little mix-up.
"Left hand yellow," Duo said.
Both people tried to wind through each other in order to put their left hand on the yellow circle. It seemed impossible. Then Flame lost her balance. She fell backwards onto her back. Since she was so tangled up with Duo, she pulled him down with her, on her stomach.
They both laughed, then they realized the position they were in. Both blushed slightly. Duo smiled seductively. "It seems the tables have turned, my dear," he said, lowering himself further onto Flame.
"For some reason though, I don't find this such a bad thing," Flame responded, craning her head upward, letting her lips touch Duo's again. Duo deepened their kiss, and Flame responded. She pulled Duo as close as he could come to her body, and kissed his head.
Duo responded to her touch by kissing up and down her neck, and running his fingers through her hair. "This is what I've wanted for so long," he confessed.
Flame could only agree by kissing his lips another time and letting her tongue slide into his mouth, the Twister game long forgotten.
"This is what I call kissing and making up," Duo said, running his hand gently down her side.
"More like making out," Flame said jokingly, amazed at Duo's gentleness.
"Hmm," was all Duo answered as he kissed her again.
They continued this ritual long into the night, making up/out several times. By the time sunlight broke through the city skyline, they were both asleep in each other's arms, never wanting to leave. They were bounded by love, and that bond could never be broken. Never.
Owari