The Icing on the Cake

by waterlilylf

Heero and Trowa each discover that the Icing on the Cake of life is finding their perfect match. Chapter 2. Yaoi..

1. Chapter 1

Note: Thanks, as ever, to Kaeru Shisho for editing, and liking the dream….

Chapter one: On his birthday, a disillusioned Heero makes a wish to meet the man of his dreams, and gets a gorgeous car thief instead.

Is this all there is?

Heero accepted yet another business card, forcing himself to look pleasant. Or at least less than murderous. The little square of cardboard, like all the others in his wallet, would go straight into the recycling bin when he got home, but his friends had gone to a great deal of trouble to arrange the party, and the least he could do in return was try.

The man who'd given him the card gave him an admiring glance before turning away and heading for the bar.

How very unromantic. In Heero's imagination, a chance meeting with an attractive man in a club should maybe lead to a phone number scribbled on a cocktail napkin, or the back of one hand, or called out of the window of a taxi as it drove away. The men in this nightclub handed out business cards and propositions.

He just wanted to go home. His own home. Alone.

Instead, he took up a vantage position in the gallery overlooking the dance floor, scanning the room for his friends. He couldn't see Wufei or Zechs, but Quatre, as usual, was surrounded by a crowd of admirers.

He knew most of the guests present, if only vaguely. There was a few colleagues from the magazine where he worked, co-workers of Wufei's from the university, staff and regulars from Zechs' restaurant, and a host of Quatre's friends.

He'd met most of them before, usually at parties his friends had organised, and they'd been pleasant enough, sometimes asking him about computer problems. Tonight was different. Quatre hadn't just hired the VIP lounge of Sanq's most popular gay club to celebrate Heero's birthday. It was also a coming out party of sorts.

It meant everything was different.

'Are you having fun?' Summoned by a thought, Quatre was suddenly at his elbow. The champagne glass in his friend's hand was half-empty and he was a little more flushed than usual. 'Every time I look at you, you've got someone new chatting you up.'

Heero shrugged. 'Honestly, I can't even remember any of their names. And they all talked about the exact same things.'

It was true. For some reason, everyone he met had seemed impelled to reel off their life stories, as if they were attending job interviews; education at a fashionable private school and then a prestigious university; the obligatory year off to travel along with the equally obligatory stint of charity work in some developing country, and then a highly-paid job in law or finance or marketing.

Quatre smiled at him. 'That's how most people start conversations, you know. Sharing information about themselves. It's wonderful that you've decided you want to find someone, but you can't really expect to find your soul-mate straightaway.'

'I suppose,' Heero muttered. His friend was perfectly right, but surely he could find someone vaguely interesting – and interested in him in return. 'I just want a little more than all this superficial chatter and offers of sex. Does that even exist?'

Quatre nodded, gazing down at the dance floor.

Heero followed his gaze. Zechs and Wufei were dancing in a corner, swaying slowly together.

'I want that. I want to find the one perfect person.'

'So do I,' Quatre agreed, very low.

Heero lifted an eyebrow at him. 'Really? I thought you were enjoying the search.' Quatre always joked that he was looking for Mr. Right, but was in no particular hurry actually to find him.

'I met someone.'

'What? You never said anything.' That, in itself, was miraculous. Quatre normally called his friends if an attractive man smiled at him on the train. 'Is he here?'

'No. It's not like that. I don't even know who he is, really.' The blond took a slug of his drink, emptying the glass. 'Do you remember a couple of weeks ago the two of us were meant to take the bikes up to Lake Victoria? But you had to finish an article and had to cancel?'

'Yes, but you went by yourself. Ah. That's when you met him?' Heero guessed.

'Yes. I was coming down that steep trail to the lake, and I was listening to my iPod and not really paying attention to the ground, and the wheel caught on a branch or something. I came off and whacked my head on a rock. Anyway, this man cleaned out the cut, and gave me some water, and we just sat and talked. Like friends.'

'And?' Heero prompted.

'And then a girl came up and said she needed help with moving some logs and he left.' The blond shrugged. 'That's it.'

'No, it's not. Why don't you call the Parks Service and find out who he is?'

'Oh, I did. I called the Visitor Centre on Monday and said I wanted to thank one of their employees and they said they hadn't had anyone working in that part of the trail at the weekend, but there was a team of volunteers cleaning up the boardwalk.'

'And there isn't a list of volunteers?'

Quatre shook his head sadly. 'No. It was just members of the public who turned up to help. And I don't even know his name anyway. I can't exactly go around asking everyone in Sanque if they know a tall man with amazing green eyes.'

'I'm sorry,' Heero offered. 'You know, you could just ask when the next volunteer day is and turn up.'

Quatre shrugged. 'I did think about that, but the park is enormous, and there's no way of knowing whereabouts he'd be, or even if he'd be there at all.'

'I can come with you if you like.'

'Thank you. I'll think about it. He's probably straight or something but maybe…Oh it doesn't matter.' He looked down at the empty glass in his hand. 'I'm getting another drink. See you in a minute.'

It obviously did matter. For one thing, Quatre rarely drank at all. Still, at least he'd had those few moments.

Heero, on a purely intellectual level, knew he was gay. He wasn't interested in women; he liked the aesthetics of the male body; he knew that if he ever met his life's companion, that person would be a man. He'd just never met anyone he'd wanted to spend his life with.

He even knew what he wanted in a boyfriend. He'd had years to think about, and he'd watched two of his best friends fall in love.

He wanted someone intelligent and inquisitive and interested in the world around them, rather than the extravagantly educated men he'd met tonight who weren't really concerned with anything outside their own little privileged existences.

Someone with a sense of humour. Heero wasn't the wittiest man on the planet, but he had his own quirky way of looking at things, and wanted someone who would understand that; someone who could catch his eye and make him laugh at a shared joke that no one else would get.

He didn't want a social butterfly, always fluttering about looking for someone who was more interesting or attractive or wealthy, but someone like Heero himself, who had a small, closely-knit group of friends and valued them highly.

Of course, the absolute icing on the cake would be to find someone who liked his friends, and who maybe shared a few of his interests.

Such a paragon was unlikely to exist, outside of his imagination. And if he did, there was no possible way he'd be single.

It was still tempting to fantasise.

Heero hoped he wasn't shallow, and obviously personality was far more important than physical appearance, but on the other hand, he would want to find his future partner attractive.

He didn't think he had a definite 'type' as Quatre called it, but he knew he liked long hair, and had had a few guilty dreams about the shining glory of Zechs' blond mane. He liked the way Wufei's eyes lit up when his partner came into a room, and the way Quatre smiled.

Such a shame that he and Quatre didn't feel that way about each other. Quatre was attractive, charming, wonderful company and the most generous person Heero had ever met.

He'd probably spent days arranging this party, even ordering the cake specially. Heero's second passion, after computers, was cars, so it was a chocolate cake in the shape of a race track, with little model cars on top. He'd blown out the candles earlier, feeling rather an idiot in front of everyone, and made a wish, just as Quatre had told him to.

Heero took a deep breath. After all Quatre had done, Heero owed it to him to at least try to enjoy himself. He would fortify himself with another glass of champagne, and a slice of cake and then force himself to mingle.

The most beautiful man he'd ever seen was stealing the decorations off his birthday cake.

As he watched, the young man standing by the buffet table carefully cleared a miniature red Mercedes with a napkin before sliding it into his backpack.

He glanced up as Heero walked over. 'Hey! Don't tell anyone, will you?' He flicked Heero the most delightfully conspiratorial grin, somehow weaving a private world that encompassed just the two of them. 'I figure they'll probably throw the whole thing out when the party's over, so no one would mind if I took a couple of cars.'

'Of course they won't,' Heero assured him. 'Do you collect model cars then?'

The car thief shook his head. 'They're not for me. But my best friend has a little boy who's three and he loves them. He'll think it's Christmas when he sees these.'

'That's very nice of you.' Heero selected a bright yellow Ferrari and handed it over.

'Hey, thanks! I'm Duo. Nice to meet you.' He licked a smear of chocolate icing from the palm of his hand and held it out.

'Heero.' Having grown up in Japan where it wasn't the custom, he was never entirely comfortable shaking hands, but it felt good to hold Duo's. His skin was just a little damp from the swipe of his tongue, and there was still a faint trace of chocolate across his knuckles. 'Why don't you take some cake for your friend's son as well? Does he like chocolate?'

Duo nodded fervently. 'He'd live on the stuff if he could.' He took the napkins Heero held out and wrapped a large slice, carefully tucking it into his bag. 'Thanks! His mom is on her own, so she doesn't have much money for treats like this. Ben's going to think it's his birthday and Christmas all at once!

'Like you said, it'll probably be thrown out later anyway.'

'Yeah. I hate seeing food being wasted like that, don't you? Oh, thank you.' He eagerly accepted the plate of cake Heero handed him. 'When there are people starving in other countries and everything. And this is an amazing cake! I can't believe no one else is eating it.' He laughed suddenly, looking around at the other men around them, all with gym-honed bodies in designer clothing. All so different from Duo, in his jeans and t–shirt and that amazing smile. 'They'd probably get in trouble with their personal trainers if they ate all those calories, don't you think? I was talking to a guy at the door who was bitching about them not having diet tonic water at the bar. I mean, can you believe it?'

'It's ridiculous, isn't it?' Heero took a deep, calming breath, trying not to stare too obviously at Duo. Which wasn't easy when the other man's tongue was sliding along his spoon, licking up every last taste. This was what it was supposed to feel like then. 'Ah. Can I get you a drink?'

'I'd better not. This is the first thing I've had time to eat since breakfast.'

'Then you need to eat something more than cake,' Heero said firmly. A few words to one of the circulating waitresses produced a tray loaded with canapés.

'Oh, thanks!' Duo gave the girl a grateful smile, and dug a few notes out of his wallet, handing them to her. 'My friend Hilde used to work as a waitress. The pay was crap so she depended on tips.' He looked curiously at the plates of food. 'Wow, is this caviar? I've never tried that before.'

'Try it now.' Heero scooped a spoonful on to a cracker and held it out, fascinated by Duo's face as he chewed. 'Like it?'

'Weird.' Duo's tongue flicked out to lick a crumb at the corner of his mouth. 'I thought it was meant to be salty, like brine. It's more creamy, isn't it?'

'This is Beluga,' Heero explained, offering him another loaded cracker and taking one for himself. 'Sevruga is the one that tastes salty. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. It's an acquired taste.'

Duo tossed him a cheeky grin. 'They say that about a lot of stuff, don't they? Some of that's creamy too, isn't it? And a bit salty.'

Heero suddenly realised what he was talking about, and promptly choked.

'Shit, I'm sorry! Here, drink this.'

Heero grabbed the glass of water Duo was holding out and downed it in one gulp. Wonderful. Duo had been flirting with him, and he'd acted like an idiot.

'I'm sorry,' Duo echoed softly. 'I'd normally never say something like that to a total stranger, I swear. I mean, I don't even know if you're gay, or with someone, or if you want to beat me up right now, or…'

'The last thing I'd want to do to you is beat you up,' Heero promised him. 'And, yes, I am gay.' There, he'd said it. For the first time ever. His friends had guessed, but he'd never actually said the words. 'I'm gay, Duo.'

Duo was smiling at him. 'You sound pretty happy about it.'

'I am. I wasn't, until a few minutes ago, but now I am. Very happy. Thank you.'

'It's my pleasure.' Duo leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek; just a brush of soft lips against skin, but Heero could smell the aftershave he'd used, feel a few stray hairs ghost against his cheek. It felt just as amazing as he'd always hoped it would.

'Thank you.'

'You're just out?' Duo's gaze was understanding and affectionate and damn, he was gorgeous!

Heero's perfect man, miraculously conjured out of a wish from his birthday candles.

'It's … a little hard to explain. I wasn't anything for years. I was too wrapped up in my studies and then my job and I have some very good friends so I suppose I never felt the need for anything else. Two of my closest friends got together a year or so ago, and I started to think that it would be nice to have someone for myself, and I wondered what that person might be like.' He reached out, very daringly, and took Duo's hand. 'I worked out that it was a man I wanted to be with. That's tonight party is about, really. My friend Quatre fancies himself as a match-maker and I think he invited every eligible man in Sanque. I feel a bit like the prince in the Cinderella story!'

'Found any glass slippers yet?'

Heero glanced down at Duo's feet. He was wearing black boots with a small heel and a silver chain across the instep of each.

'Not yet, no.'

When he looked up, Duo was glowing at him, and they were still holding hands.

'I don't even know anything about you,' he said wonderingly.

'Where do I start? I'm Duo Maxwell, I'm twenty four, and I have the best job in the entire world! I work for a garage that imports cars from Italy. Mostly sports cars and classics. I get to fly there every couple of weeks to suss out Italian garages and car auctions and sometimes drive the cars back to Sanque. Isn't that the coolest thing you ever heard of? This time last week, I was driving a Lambourghini over the Alps!'

'So you're a used car salesman?' Heero teased. 'No wonder you talk so much!'

Duo grinned back at him. 'I work as a mechanic mostly, you know, servicing them before we put them up for sale. But I do work the saleroom if my boss is away. I'm pretty good.'

'I bet you are,' Heero agreed. Of course, he would be wonderful. How in the wide world would anyone be able to resist that smile?

Duo's smile widened. 'So, would you buy a car from me?'

'That depends. Perhaps if you came as part of the deal.' He was flirting, Heero realised. Flirting with a breath-taking man who seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was. And it was unbelievably easy.

'Well now.' Duo gave him the cutest little glance, up through his lashes. 'We don't generally do deals like that. You'd have to talk to my boss. He's usually pretty open to customer requests, if it makes a sale.'

Heero burst out laughing. 'You really are good at this, aren't you? It's a shame I already have a car.'

'But not one with me in it,' Duo pointed out, lower lip sticking out in the faintest suggestion of a pout.

'That has always been its one major flaw,' Heero said smoothly. 'Perhaps you'd consider coming for a drive with me sometime?'

There. He'd done it. He'd asked another man on a date.

Duo considered. 'I'm not sure. I've got a reputation as a purveyor of very special cars. I can't be seen in any old wreck.'

'Hn. Do you think your reputation could stand being seen in a 1957 Alfa Guilietta?'

'Hell, yeah! Seriously? 'Cause I was only joking, you know.'

'I wasn't,' Heero told him.

Duo squeezed his hand. 'I'd like that a lot. Tell me something about you.'

'My name's Heero Yuy, I moved to Sanque from Tokyo with my stepfather when I was fourteen, I edit a computer magazine and I have two cats.'

'Oh, I love cats,' Duo enthused. 'My friend Trowa has a couple of Maine Coons and they're great. Just big balls of fluff. I have a pet Polar bear.'

'Of course you do,' Heero played along. Duo might be a trifle eccentric, but he was also funny and charming and utterly gorgeous.

'Yeah,' Duo said around a mouthful of cake. 'Snowy.'

'Snowy,' Heero echoed. 'How original. I suppose you keep him in your bath?'

'Oy! I defy anyone in the universe to have a pet polar bear and not call them Snowy. It's inconceivable. And no, I don't keep in my bath. I used to, when he was a tiny cub, but now he lives at the wildlife park in Nova. They've got a really good Arctic habitat.'

'You're serious!' Heero gaped at him. 'How in the world did you come to have an animal like that?'

'Trowa used to work at this circus during the summer holidays, when he was a student. They had polar bears, and one of the females died having her cub. They couldn't really care for the little one 'cause they were on the road all the time, so I said I'd take him.'

Heero shook his head wonderingly. 'That's amazing.'

'Yeah, it was cool. It was only for a few months, 'til he could eat solid food and got too big for me to keep at home, but it was great. I go to visit him every few weeks, and take him treats.'

'Like live seals?'

'No!' Duo made a face at him. 'Like guys who don't buy my cars when I give them the full sales pitch!'

'I see.' Heero stepped just a little closer, very daringly sliding one arm around Duo's waist to pull him a little closer. 'Are you quite sure that was the full sales pitch you just gave me? Because I'm very tempted but I think may I need a little further incentive.'

'I could maybe do that. If I really want to close a sale, my boss lets me do all kinds of stuff to keep the client happy.' Duo's perfect, kissable mouth, was almost on his, when a telephone rang sharply. 'Damn!' Duo slid a phone out of his jeans pocket, grimacing when he saw the number. 'Sorry, Heero. I need to take this. It's work. I'll be back ASAP but I could be a few minutes. Wait for me?'

'Of course.' He watched Duo head out through the throng of dancers, braid swinging jauntily across that lovely ass.

Yes! He'd met someone he liked, a lot, and who seemed to like him back, and was willing to spend time with him. And they had almost kissed and Duo had agreed to go out with him.

'My God, Yuy,' an amused voice drawled. 'Just how much have you had to drink? You do realise you're smiling like the village idiot?'

Heero turned to see Zechs Merquise grinning at him. ''I've met someone.'

'That beauty with the braid who was just talking to you? Well, no wonder you look like all your birthdays have come at once! Do you think you could come into the back with me for a few minutes? I've something I need to talk to you about. It's rather urgent.'

'Oh.' Heero took a last, longing look at the door Duo had vanished through, and then nodded. After all, he'd said the call might take a while. He followed Zechs around the edge of the dance floor, to a small, darkened room behind the bar. 'What's the matter? You haven't had a fight with Wufei, have you?'

'Certainly not. I just have a little birthday present for you, that's all.'

'But you already gave me a gift this morning.'

Zechs smiled. 'Shall we say, an extra gift? You remember our little conversation last week?'

Oh shit. He'd had dinner at Zechs and Wufei's house, and afterwards Wufei had gone to his study to mark some exams and Zechs had taken out a bottle of brandy. At some point after that Heero had told his friend that while he knew perfectly well that he liked men, he'd never actually met a real person he'd been attracted too. Luckily, he hadn't been quite drunk enough to mention that there was a couple of honourable exceptions to that statement and that both of them were currently in the same house as he was.

Even in the dim light, he could see the very definite gleam in Zechs' blue eyes. Oh, shit. This wasn't just a random room either. The lighting was purposely dim, but there was a deep leather couch and a box of tissues on the little table beside it.

'Zechs! My god, tell me you haven't hired a stripper!'

'A little more than that, actually. An exotic dancer,' Zechs corrected silkily. 'Heero, it's just a little fun. A very lovely young man who's going to put on a show for you.'

'I'm not interested.' Heero crossed his arms and glared at his friend.

'Now, stop being prudish. I've already paid him, so you'll be wasting good money if you don't at least give it a chance.' Zechs reached out and touched his arm, very gently. 'Heero, I do know this is all difficult for you. Just sit back and enjoy the show, all right? It will only take ten minutes or so. If you're in any way uncomfortable, you can leave, or ask him to stop. '

Heero nodded. Duo had said he might be a while, and Heero didn't really want to have to endure any more strangers coming up to him. At least in here, he was safe from that. He settled back in the soft leather sofa as the lights dimmed a little more and music started to play.

A slim figure suddenly appeared on the little stage, with his back to Heero, a cloud of hair swinging around him as he began to move slowly, in time to the gentle beat of the song.

The dance wasn't overtly sexy or slutty, just very sensual. Gentle spotlights picked out details here and there out of the darkness; the gleam of a violet silk shirt; a firm backside in black leather, copper-gold glints in his hair as it swirled around him.

It was rather lovely. Obviously, Heero had much preferred being with Duo but the young man on the stage was undeniably talented. If he hadn't had Duo outside, waiting for him, he would have been sorry when the music stopped.

'Would you like me to come closer for the next song?' The dancer's voice was pitched low and sultry, and oddly familiar.

Heero swallowed. As Zechs had so rightly said, there was no harm in appreciating the male body, and certainly not in this beautiful incarnation.

Without waiting for Heero's response, the dancer shook back his glorious hair and jumped down from the stage, silky shirt sliding from his shoulders as he moved. 'Your friend asked for the deluxe show so I can…'

'Duo!'

'Heero!' Duo stuttered, stumbling to a halt.

Heero felt bile, bitter as betrayal, rising in his throat. Of course Duo had been perfect. Zechs had obviously coached him in how to behave. It had all been an act, and Heero, the idiot, had fallen for every word.

'Get out!'

'Heero, wait.'

'I said, get out. That little act of yours was very impressive, but I'm really not interested in being with a prostitute.'

'I'm not a prostitute!'

'Oh, excuse me for not knowing the politically correct term.' Heero's tone could have serrated steel. 'Exotic dancer, is that better? Although it doesn't really convey the full meaning of someone who sleeps with strangers for money. Now, get the hell out of here!'

Duo ran.

'What the hell happened?' Zechs was suddenly in the room, flanked by Wufei and Quatre. What the hell was that all about? Had they been waiting to congratulate him on losing his virginity to a paid whore? 'Why was he so upset?'

'He was upset! Fuck him! I'm furious, if you're interested.'

'I told them it was a stupid idea!' Quatre said defensively.

'You were in on this?' Heero stared disbelievingly at his friend. 'You seriously thought it was OK to let them hire a prostitute to sleep with me?'

'Heero, what on earth's the matter? Zechs didn't mean any harm.' Wufei stepped up to take his partner's hand. 'Of course we didn't hire you a prostitute! He's just a dancer! We looked up some websites and we picked someone we thought you'd find attractive.'

'He's not just a dancer,' Heero snarled. 'He's the one! I was talking to him earlier. I thought he…I liked him. But it was all an act, wasn't it?'

'No!' Zechs was suddenly in front of him, hands on Heero's shoulders. 'Heero, no. I just engaged him over the internet, last week. He looks different on his website; that's why I didn't recognise him outside. I told him to be here at half past ten. He texted me to say he'd arrived a little early and I told him just to go and have a drink until the private room was ready. He didn't even know who he was supposed to be dancing for. I never told him your name or anything; just that I wanted him to put on a show for a friend.'

'Oh, fuck.' Heero thrust one hand though his hair. 'I thought – I totally screwed up. You said he was going to do more than just strip, and then he said he'd been paid for the deluxe show.'

'It was just a lap dance!' Zechs stared at him. 'What did you say to him?'

'Horrible things,' Heero whispered, remembering the look on Duo's face before he'd turned to leave. 'Oh, God. I have to find him.

He was sitting on the pavement outside the club. 'Yeah, I know it's closing time,' he was saying into his phone. 'And I know I'm outside the city; that's the damn reason why I'm calling a taxi in the first place. OK, fine. I'll wait.' His face hardened when he saw Heero approaching. 'If you're here to hand out any more abuse, fuck off. I don't get paid enough to put up with that crap.'

'I'm here to apologise. Duo, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that.'

'No,' Duo said flatly. 'You shouldn't. Fine. Now, fuck off.'

'Can you please let me explain?'

'You know what? I don't give a damn. This job is shit, Heero. If you think I like taking my clothes off in front of total strangers, and getting slobbered over like I'm a lump of meat for sale, well, I don't. I thought it was nice actually meeting someone who talked to me like a human being for a change, but now it just hurts. At least those assholes who dribble over me are honest. It's pretty damn obvious what they want. They don't put on some act and then turn on me.'

Heero flinched at the ache in those beautiful eyes. 'The only reason I reacted like that is because I thought you'd been acting earlier. I've never met anyone like you. I thought you were amazingly special and you seemed to like me too. When I saw you in that room, I thought my friend had paid you to be nice to me beforehand.'

'I'm not that good an actor,' Duo mumbled, calming down a little.

'Why do you do it?'

'I need the money.'

'It sounds like you already have a good job.'

'It's not for me. It's for Hilde. Ben's dad was like my older brother; we grew up together. He was killed in a car accident last year, and Hilde got sacked from her job a few months later 'cause Ben got sick and she kept taking time off to be with him. Then she started getting behind on her rent, and she took out a loan with some moneylender.' He sighed. 'Stupid girl. She only told me when he started getting heavy on her to make the repayments. And there's not a lot of ways to make a lot of money fast. Not legal ways.' He sighed, running one hand through his mass of hair. 'So that's it. My dirty little secret. You can go back to your party now if you want, and find some guy who's good enough to take around in your car.'

'I don't just want you in my car,' Heero said in a rush. 'I want you in my whole life. Please. I'll find some other way to help you get the money for your friend. Zechs has a restaurant; he's always looking for waiting staff. He pays well, and I'm sure he'd be understanding if she needed time off.'

'Nah. I can fix my own mess, thank you. I won't need to do this for much longer anyway. Hilde's got a new job, and we've almost paid off what she owes. Then I can get back to my real life.'

'I hope she realises what a good friend you are,' Heero said quietly. 'How amazing you are. And I'm so very sorry about the things I said to you. I'd do anything to show you how much.'

'Anything?' For one heartbeat, looking into the challenge in Duo's eyes, Heero felt an adrenalin-charged rush of pure terror and then Duo just laughed. 'Forget it, OK? There's no point. Come on, Heero. You can't possibly tell me that you like what I do.'

'I can't,' Heero agreed. 'I also hate that you so obviously hate it, and that you're too stubborn to accept help from a total stranger, and I think I'm going to have to kill everyone in the universe who's ever even looked at you sideways, when you're dancing for them.'

Duo started to laugh and quickly turned it into a cough.

'You don't know me.'

'I don't know a lot about any of this, but according to my friend Quatre, one reason to go on a date with someone is to exchange information about each other. Traditionally over dinner at a nice restaurant. And you seem to like talking and eating, so maybe you'd be willing to partake of those activities with me.'

'Maybe.' Duo gave him a little sidelong glance, very sly. He was pouting again; Heero would never, never be able to resist that; not when Duo's bottom lip practically had a big neon sign declaring it to be the most kissable piece of flesh in the universe. Or maybe he would let Heero nibble on it, or slide his tongue across it, or damn it, just capture that delicious mouth in his own and see what a real kiss felt like.

'Maybe?' Heero repeated, one eyebrow raised. It was a look that always seemed very sexy on Wufei.

Duo shrugged, tossing his hair over both shoulders. 'You want to go out with me. Convince me.'

It would be so easy, and so very terrifying, just to lean over and kiss him. Heero didn't. 'I I like you, and I thought you liked me too. You're the only person in the whole club who actually made me feel grateful that I'm gay. All the others just wanted to brag about how much their houses are worth, and their last promotions and then expected me to go home with them. You made me laugh and you were interested in who I actually am. Oh, I forgot, this is yours.'

He handed Duo the silk shirt he'd grabbed on his way out. 'I didn't find out any glass slippers but maybe this is the modern equivalent. And I'm very grateful that I don't have to spend the rest of my life trying to find its owner.'

Duo stifled another laugh. 'What, you're setting up as Prince Charming?'

'You're the one who's charming.' He jumped up, holding out one hand. 'I want to make this up to you. You said you'd come for a drive in my car. Will you please let me take you out tomorrow night?

Duo was smiling as Heero pulled him up. 'No horse-drawn carriage then? I was kind of hoping for that.'

'Tomorrow,' Heero promised. 'I promise. If you'll come out with me.'

'Maybe,' Duo said, teasing, and then leaned in to touch his mouth to Heero's, making the kiss a question at the beginning. Heero parted his lips, slightly, at the first dab of Duo's tongue, not entirely sure what was the correct thing to do; not sure either what to do with his hands, which were hanging uselessly by his side and wanting to put them on Duo's waist but then he'd want to touch more, lower down and Duo mightn't allow that.

Then Duo moaned, a little, deep in his throat, and Heero slid his tongue out to meet Duo's and his beautiful car thief suddenly had both arms around Heero's neck. Heero's hands were suddenly sliding up Duo's back, feeling warmth and muscle under the little top, and then venturing down, just a little.

'Wow,' Duo breathed, soft as the strands of loose hair that were drifting against Heero's skin.

'Wow, yes.' Wufei had been right all along, it turned out. It was easy, and exhilarating, and, damn it, utterly engrossing with the right person.

'Yeah.'

Duo didn't seem to mind Heero winding both hands through his hair and pulling him close for another, deeper kiss, so he did just that. Duo didn't mind, either, when Heero scraped his teeth against his bottom lip, just to see how it felt, or sucked on Duo's tongue, or pulled back a little to kiss that little place at the base of his throat, and then each corner of his mouth, and then the tip of his nose.

'So?' Heero pressed another kiss to the utterly irresistible dimple hovering beneath Duo's left cheek. 'Tomorrow?'

'You're very persistent.'

'Yes.'

'OK, then.'

'Really?'

'Really.' Duo gave him a firm nod, and somewhere somebody blew a car horn and footsteps, moving fast, rushed past them.

They were on the street, with other people around, hurrying home, or into a bar before closing time, and he'd totally forgotten. Totally forgotten anything else existed in the entire universe.

'Me too,' Duo confided softly, and then a taxi pulled up beside them.

'Maxwell?' the driver stuck his head out of the window.

'Yeah. Yeah, that's me.' He sounded torn and breathless and regretful all at once. 'Uh, Heero, I'm really sorry but I start work early tomorrow and…'

'No. It's all right. You'd better take it or you could be waiting for hours.' He opened the door, ushering Duo inside and handing him the backpack. 'Tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow.' Duo wound down his window and leaned out, heedless of the driver protesting that the meter was switched on. 'I can't wait.'

'Nor can I.' Heero bent down and kissed him again, heedless of the fact that there were people watching. Probably jealous, since they were in Sanque's gay district, after all. He blew Duo another kiss as the car started to pull off and then thought of something.

Fuck.

'Duo!' He leaped into the road, breaking into a run. 'What's your phone number?'

Duo's laughter floated out of the car, as he leaned back out in a cloud of hair. Heero was repeating the number, over and over, in his head as he walked back to his party to find his friends.