Author's notes: Alright. Keeping this brief. I've had this in the works for a couple of years, so I'll just be putting this up 'cause I felt like it.
Disclaimers: Me no own Gundam Wing nor Gravitation or any charas therein.
Warnings: Crossover, AU-ness. Gravitation storyline set past Eve wars in GW universe.
Oh look.. Just another sunny day not a cloud in the sky, hear the passerby-ers in their ebb and flow of humanity.. the wonderful clean aftertaste of orange soda on a lunch break.
"MAXWELL! I have had it with you! YOU'RE FIRED!"
The young man blinked up at his obviously disgruntled employer.
"I'm on my lunch break."
Turning red in face at 'Maxwell's' obvious lack of concern, the fat, aproned man pointed his chubby fingers at him.
"You have taken 'breaks' all day long. I won't tolerate a slacker!"
Tossing his head back, the braid flopping back down, 'Maxwell' started laughing.
"I've already inventoried, catalogued, and organized your entire stock for the day. Sliced up, wrapped, priced, and labeled several cows, chickens, and pigs. All which is more than your other employee managed in a week's time. Don't tell me you're upset because I worked harder and am leisurely spending my free time. Y'know you would have things easier if you just bought that laser-cutter like I suggested, instead of running this place as backward as you do."
The butcher's face purpled. "I will not tolerate your smart-mouthing, snotty-nosed attitude! You are no longer working here!" He shoved an envelope at Maxwell. "You can take your bloody pay. And I never want to see you around here again!"
With that the haughty man stomped away.
"I didn't want to work here anymore anyways, bastard." Maxwell murmured under his breath. Great. Just great. Just starting a job three days ago, and now I'm fired. Who would've thought a person with the guts and credentials of Gundam piloting under the sleeve couldn't manage holding a job for more than a month at a time.
It'd been nearly a decade since the end of the War… and still not a steady job.
What made matters worse was that none of the other guys ever had trouble. Heero and Wufei were in Preventers, Quatre was the owner and head of Winner Enterprises Inc., with Trowa as his bodyguard.
Only me. He thought, darkly.
Crinkling up the empty soda can in a tight fist, he stood up, looking out of the alley into the busy street of Tokyo.
He had moved here for Heero… That's old news.
Tossing the mangled can into the dumpster, Duo snorted, finally walking free of the alleyway.
This sucks. Where am I going to get a job? I'm probably blacklisted by now.
Sighing, he looked at the envelope forlornly before folding it and placing it into his pocket, looking down only for an instant before someone had crashed into him.
Stumbling slightly, Duo looked down curious to see who had run into him.
"Whoa, watch it kid."
Light brown hair. Curious dark blue eyes… a shade too light to be— Don't think about him.
But the teenager wasn't looking at him, was looking behind him with a slightly worried frown.
Sound popped back in, and Duo, confused by all the screaming, instinctively crouched down reaching for the gun that hadn't been there in years; then just as quickly stood back up knowing that there wasn't any gunfire.
And almost immediately regretted attracting attention as he stood up; a stampede of screaming girls was not a exactly an armed battalion, but still pretty dangerous.
The kid glanced at him smiling brightly, before pushing Duo aside and ducking into the alleyway Duo just left, hiding behind the dumpster.
And then Duo was surrounded by squealing girls from all sides.
"Where is he!"
"Ryu-chaaan! My Ryu-chaaan!"
"I love Sakama-samaaa!"
"Kawaiiii! You look a little like hiim! Cool! Cool!"
Duo looked around confused, but his voice was consumed by the noise around him.
A particularly loud girl shushed the throng.
"Shh! Shhh! Cutie's gonna saayyy something!"
Expectant faces leaned unbearably closer.
Duo mourned the loss of the rest of his personal space.
"….. Umm…… Who're ya talking about?"
There were a lot of annoyed groans, growls, and whines.
"How can you not know Ryu-chaaan!"
"What a loser, not even knowing who he is…."
"Sakuma-sama's the best everrrrrr!"
Duo almost grimaced, slapping on his prize-winning jokester mask, and hoped that he could smooth his way out of this without getting mobbed.
"Ohh…. You mean, Sakuma-san?"
A chorus of voices in the positive.
Duo pointed in the opposite direction of where he had planned on going.
"He went that way."
Another stampede and they were gone.
Heh. Another example of what peace is like..
Amused, Duo leaned against the wall, flipping his braid over his shoulder, arms crossed.
"Kid, the coast is clear."
The teen stepped cautiously out, smiling blaringly.
"Hiiiii! Sankyuuuu, Mr. Persony!"
He blinked at the mangled Engrish that had jumped into their Japanese conversation.
"Er.. you're welcome.."
Maybe I should get the hell out of here…
When something pink suddenly obscured his view, Duo luckily didn't have a severe reaction; he had backpedaled some and his devil-may-care attitude was thrown off a bit.
The teen brought the pink thing—Duo now saw it was a stuffed ragged bunny rabbit, a red bowtie around it's neck— up to his ear, nodding enthusiastically; the teen looked up smiling more.
"Kumagoro likes youuuu! Not many people Kumagoro likes, neh Kumagoro?"
Duo looked at the teen with a strange look.
He was…talking to a toy
"KUMAGORO BEAMU!" And the teen threw the toy at Duo's face, which he caught easily, one-handed.
"Kid, I don't know why that group of girls were after ya, but you need to take better care not to get caught."
Turning to walk away, Duo shoved his hand in his pocket pulling out something small and metallic and hooked it onto the bowtie, then tossed the bunny back.
He didn't need that charm he had mistakenly kept for so long anyway. Better give it away to someone who took great love and care of old looking dolls, then to chunk it in the ocean.
It was time to move on from one Heero Yui. He had better things to do in his life than to pine.
"Later."
--
Not until later did he realize that he had met a one Ryuichi Sakuma, the number one pop artist of Japan at the time.
And Duo, generally such a good judge of age, completely shocked to find the 'teen' was only a couple of years younger than his own twenty-six year old self.
Duo, of course, went on his merry way, not knowing what the future held for him…