A/N: It's 02/25 today and a good time to post this. ^^ I feel kinda bad on my part for not publishing a 1x2x1 as my first GW fic here, since that's my OTP, but the muse and prompt has dictated, so I hope to bring you readers some 1x2x1 goodness in the future.

Written for the springkink prompt: 13th Feb Gundam Wing, Wufei/Duo: attraction, secret admirer - Wufei had seen the long braid and that slender body first, and there was no denying to himself, even after he realized Duo was male, that he longed to run his hands through that hair, longed to touch him in ways that shocked even himself.

Unbidden Thoughts

Breathe in, breathe out.

Wufei closed his eyes, taking in the silence of the safe house. He had just finished a solo mission successfully and ahead of schedule. He had already inspected Shenlong for damage and was thankful to find only minor scratches. After hours in the cockpit, a good stretching and workout was necessary.

So he paced the wooden floor, soft footsteps tapping lightly on well-worn wood as he began his warm-up stretches. It did not take him long to complete them and seeing how the house remained quiet, he decided that he would use the empty space in the living room for his katas.

Familiar with his routine, he closed his eyes, concentrating on his breathing as his arms and legs moved, following smoothly from one form to the next.

Unbidden, a familiar image appeared in his mind. Maxwell.

It was normal. Over the past months, every time he found himself in a state of mediation, his fellow pilot surfaced in his mind. He had wondered why it had not been Yuy – the one who he benchmarked himself against, Winner – the most friendly of the five, or Barton – the most mysterious of them, but had found no answer. At least he had no answer that he was willing to admit to his companions.

The fact was that he liked the irritating baka.

He did not know when it had started but his suspicions were that he had fallen in love with the attractive pilot the moment he caught sight of him. Even though he agreed with Yuy that Maxwell's braid was a potential inconvenience in battle, there also was some part of him that wanted to unravel the long, smooth braid and bury his fingers within the chestnut silkiness.

There had been one point of time where he had been bothered by his fascination and attraction towards the loud American. He had come to terms with it though; it was impossible to ignore or deny it when they lived in close quarters. It was easier for him to accept it and move on.

It was only when he allowed his mind to wander, and in his dreams, that he thought about Maxwell. They were allies in the war and that was where their relationship began and ended.

Fingers clenched to form a fist. They struck out against an imaginary opponent, his left foot stepping forward, before both returned to his sides. The right foot took a step and he made a turn, movements flowing smoothly as his thoughts continued.

He had been surprised when he first caught sight of the American pilot. From the back, he looked like a girl and he had been wondering why a girl had been selected to pilot a suit – it made him think of Meiran – when the figure had turned and he had realised 'she' was a boy.

Meiran and Maxwell were very different, yet similar. There had been a few occasions where Maxwell did something and he found himself wondering if Meiran would have done the same. There was something about their spirit that drew him in.

It was not right to say that Maxwell irritated him. He had gotten used to the friendly teasing and jibes, but it was more often entertaining to watch the baka's response to him. It was his way of playing along. Even if he threatened to chase the baka around, it was an excuse to play catching; none of them really had a proper childhood.

It had taken him some time to see through the mask that the American wore as well. They all wore masks – there was no exception – yet Maxwell's seemed the best constructed. He had searched for information about the American on a whim previously. While it had been patchy, he had pieced together enough to know how brave the baka was.

It was another thing that drew him to Maxwell.

He felt the faint smile on his lips as the various puns and jokes the baka had made passed through his mind. His memories of Maxwell were always vividly coloured, the braided baka gesturing wildly, mouth usually rambling.

There were also other memories – Maxwell injured in bed, filthy after a mission that needed him to escape via the sewage tunnels, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile on his face, a real smile instead of the made-up ones he wore commonly.

One memory stood out to him.

"Onna, get out of my way." He grabbed the girl's hand, without looking closely, unappreciative of the attention. He was supposed to be meeting Maxwell.

"Wuffers, if you call me onna again, I'm gonna punch your balls in and make you one too."

He schooled his features back to his cool one, surprise passing in an instant. Turning to take a good look at the girl who had approached him from the back, he was surprised at how eye-catching the attractive American looked as a girl. Long brown hair in a high ponytail, with the thin white blouse and short black denim skirt accentuating his slim figure, Maxwell looked rather stunning.

He allowed Maxwell to run his hands over his chest, noticing how quickly the American placed the small disk in the pocket, before pulling away and stomping off.

The image of Maxwell as a girl had stayed with him since.

As his movements came to an end, Wufei opened his eyes and was surprised again when violet eyes met his. Maxwell's face was barely an inch away from his, before they pulled away.

"Wuffers, you need to be more alert next time."

Black eyes widened in a combination of annoyance, surprise and embarrassment. The thought of what those soft, pink lips would taste like, together with Maxwell's heady scent that he picked up in that brief moment – a mixture of sweat and whatever he washed his hair with – had been uncalled for and unexpected.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Wufei turned away, face slightly flushed – he hoped his workout would be a good explanation – and nodded absently at the Japanese pilot, who had just entered. "Yuy, how was the mission?"

"Hn."

That meant it had been successfully completed. He nodded in response, thankful for the change in topic. "I'll go take a shower. I'll prepare dinner in a bit."

Ignoring Maxwell's whine about how he deserved the shower after their tiring mission, Wufei headed up the stairs. Maxwell was a distraction; they had a war to win. 'Perhaps I should pray to Nataku for intervention… Perhaps I should do something after the war…'