Title: One-shot Heaven 2007

Over All Rating: A for Adult; contains swearing and sexual references.

Summary: Collection of short stories staring our favorite Gundam Boys! Yaoi, Hetero, Yuri and more!

Author's Note: This is a collection of one-shots inspired by various items, comments or pictures. Each story will be categorized and rated separately. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. This story is for entertaining purposes only.

Summary: Heero's family just keeps growing and Duo muses over a lost opportunity. Angst

Story Rating: T for Teen; mild swearing and romantic themes

Pairings: 1x2

Silent Heartbreak

The morning was beautiful and the birds just outside of the window were chirping happily, as they usually were. Duo counted four eggs in the nest. They would be hatching soon, he was sure of it. He'd been watching them for the last few days. They were just finishing their nest when he moved in. He felt a certain connection with the birds who occupied his window sill. Four eggs. Just like the four children currently running around the Yuy household.

Looking past the birds, Duo could see Heero Yuy, the proud father, walking down the drive across the street to pick up his paper. Little Odin trailed behind him, his little clone, with a plastic briefcase and clip on tie (he had insisted on both for his eighth birthday). It still amazed Duo how much Odin looked like his father.

"He's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up." Duo said to the birds, whose attention didn't wane from the eggs in the least.

The front door opened and there she stood; Mrs. Relena Yuy. She stood wearing her usual pink business suit and trying to balance her briefcase in one hand and the newest member of the Yuy family in her other. Behind her emerged two smaller heads, laughing and running in circles as they circled the yard.

Duo watched them playing and his eyes found the birds again. They were oblivious to the children, except for perhaps being grateful that they were across the street and no where near their precious nest. He envied them.

As he usually did, Heero watched them play, smiled and pat each of them on the head before heading to his car. It was Tuesday, which meant it was Heero's turn to drop the kids off at school while baby Lisa went with mom to the office. Odin scoffed his head at his younger siblings and climbed into the passenger seat of his fathers' car, ever the diplomat-in-training. William and Milly, six and four, made another run around the yard before jumping into the backseat and waving goodbye to their mother.

Duo often dreamed of fathering children. He had grown up alone, so the prospect of one day having a large family gave him something to look forward to in the future. Of course it would be difficult for him to have that family when he was alone. His eyes locked on the baby in Relena's arms and the sudden urge to vomit rose in the back of his mind. But he couldn't blame her. She wasn't the one afraid of her emotions.

Relena laughed and waved through the tinted windows to where she knew her children sat, then she walked to the open front door and shared a good-bye kiss with her husband. Heero would do as he always did and run his hand through her soft hair, gently stroking her cheek as he pulled away. Then, he bent over and kissed Lisa's head before climbing into his car and backing down the drive. Relena watched him go, then strapped Lisa into her own car and drove herself to work.

What was it about women that men found so attractive? Was it the ability to reproduce? Well, science was getting close to changing that. Eventually even gay couples would be having children, Duo was sure of it. So really the reproduction factor was a rather flimsy excuse to marry a woman. Men were far more satisfying and they required much less fuss. It was Duo's own fault that he didn't have one now.

Heero had always been the strong one. All through high school he had been the protector type; Fighting for the meek and innocent when they couldn't fight for themselves. That had been Duo's role in high school. Duo Maxwell: the pastor's son. He spent the bulk of high school picking fights that he couldn't win in a desperate attempt to gain some attention. But he never had to pick a fight with Heero. Heero always gave him the attention he desired without even asking.

Heero was the perfect student. He always got straight As and was constantly setting school records. He never really fit into any of the clicks, because they all loved him. He pacified the jocks so they wouldn't beat up the nerds. He joked with the skaters while spending his weekends with the hackers, breaking into the school system so they could download video games for other students. All of this was why Duo had been amazed when Heero wanted to spend time with him.

Duo attended the lunch time bible study mostly because it made his father happy, so when Heero had asked to meet him, Duo hadn't hesitated when he said yes. They became fast friends and spent most waking hours together. Then the day came that Duo still kicked himself over.

It was junior year. The annual Spring Fling was coming up and every girl in school was giddy over being asked out. Heero had just about every girl in their class bombard him, just hoping that he would ask them to the dance. But he never did. He never even spared them a second glance. Duo had always felt privileged because Heero never once blew him off for a girl. As the dance approached, most of the girls gave up hope on Heero and accepted invitations from others, but still Heero hadn't asked anyone.

Finally, about a day or so before the dance, he and Heero were standing in the hallway while Duo searched desperately through his locker for the book he swore he left there just the other day.

"Damn it! It couldn't have walked off!" Duo shouted into the hollow confined of his locker.

"With everything that's growing in there, I don't know about that." Heero teased from beside him.

Duo sent him a glare before continuing his search.

"I hear Hilde thinks you're going to ask her to the dance."

Duo stopped searching at the strange tone in Heero's voice. "Huh?"

Cobalt eyes met soft violet ones and Duo noticed something strange about his friend's demeanor. Something he'd never noticed before, but couldn't pin point it. "Hilde. Are you going to ask her to the dance?" Heero asked again.

Duo was dumbstruck. "Uhh…I don't know…" He gave up in his search and closed the locker door. "I guess so."

Heero's face became unreadable and he nodded. "Oh."

Duo raised a brow in confusion. "I mean, who else would I ask? Everyone else is taken by this point."

Heero nodded. "Yeah." He agreed and walked away to his class.

The dance wasn't anything spectacular and Duo barely remembered it. Hilde Schbeiker had ditched him about five minutes in and spent the rest of the night laughing with her girl friends while Duo wandered from punch bowl to punch bowl. Heero ended up going with the head cheerleader and captain of the debate team, Relena Darlian. They didn't speak much during the dance as Relena kept pulling Heero back onto the dance floor or sending him off for drinks.

Their relationship was never the same after that. Heero started dating Relena and Duo had been pushed to the back burner. The rest of high school was filled with lonely weekends with the occasional meeting at the local burger place, but even then Relena tagged along so Duo and Heero could never have one of their heart-to-hearts that Duo loved so much. It went on that way into college and up to the day Heero showed up at Duo's door with the big news.

"Relena and I are getting married."

Duo remembered feeling like all of the air in his body had been drained in one swift moment leaving him twitching on the floor. At the time, he didn't realize why his heart ached at those words, but it wouldn't be long before he learned the truth.

"Married huh?" Duo had finally managed to say. "Well, congratulations buddy!"

Heero nodded and sat down when offered a chair. "Relena wants a short engagement so we've set the date for March."

"Three months?" Duo asked incredulously. "That's cutting it awfully close."

Heero nodded. "I know. That's what I tried to tell her."

"Never could understand women." Duo shook his head and sat at the table across from his friend.

"Duo, am I making the right choice?"

Again Duo's jaw hit the floor. Heero always had a way of asking just the right question at just the wrong time that left Duo picking up pieces of himself left from the spontaneous combustion.

"I mean, is she really the one?"

Duo wasn't sure how to answer. He had never been good at romance. "Well…who else would you be with?"

Heero's eyes darkened as he looked at Duo across the table. His gaze was so intense that Duo actually had to shift under it. Duo felt his palms begin to sweat and suddenly he was very aware of how very small his kitchen table was.

But Duo never said anything. Eventually Heero left, leaving Duo alone in the tiny house he shared with two old high school buddies, Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner. Just as Relena planned, the wedding went off without a hitch and Duo found himself standing next to his best friend as he said his vows. Behind him Quatre was crying and Trowa was passing him tissues from his pocket. Wufei Chang was playing the piano while his wife, Meilan, stood behind Relena and held her bouquet during the kiss.

Heero spent most of the reception meeting and greeting his new in-laws while Duo made small talk amongst the grooms men. As the party began to wind down, Heero managed to break away from the last of the guests and find Duo sitting alone finishing a glass of champagne.

"Have fun?" His tone was cold and almost uncertain.

It made Duo shiver. "Yeah, great party." He smiled up at his friend, downing the last in his glass. "Guess I should go. You have a honeymoon to get to." He winked.

Heero nodded, but didn't respond. The silence made Duo a little uncomfortable.

"So, Spain huh? You'll have to let me know how that goes." Duo smiled.

Heero nodded. "I will."

More silence.

Eventually Duo got agitated with his behavior and grabbed him by the forearm. "I think we need to chat." He hissed before dragging him into the men's room. "What's up with you Heero?" Duo asked as the door closed. "I thought this was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but you look like someone just shot your cat!"

Heero's expression darkened and he seemed to become even colder. "How I behave on my wedding day has nothing to do with you."

"Oh doesn't it?" Duo asked, his voice raising. "How many times have you come to me about Relena? I feel so in-tune with your relationship that I'm surprised you didn't ask me to say the vows with you!"

"You're an idiot." Heero countered and made a move to leave the room.

"I'm an idiot!" Duo shouted and blocked his way. "Why don't you tell me something I don't know?!"

"Okay." Heero stopped trying to get past Duo and stared at him. "I'm in love with you."

There it was again. Those shocking statements that Heero had become so good at, only this one was the most intense of them all.

"You're…what?"

"You heard me." Heero said coldly. "Think about it, Duo. I didn't ask anyone to the Spring Fling in junior year in anticipation of you asking me. I came to you after I got engaged hoping you would try and talk me out of it. But you didn't. You never said or did anything so I did what was expected of me."

Duo was mentally floored. Heero loved him. He really loved him. It all made since in an instant. The casual flirting they so loved, the attention Duo craved…all of it was summed up in one simple word: love. Duo was as much in love with Heero as Heero was in love with him. Why hadn't he been smart enough to see it sooner?

"Heero, I…"

"You what?" Heero's gaze lost all compassion and longing and were nothing but cold walls. "You love me too?"

Duo nodded dumbly, unable to form words against his harsh tone.

"It's a little late for that, Duo." Heero spat. "I'm married now. That's a commitment I can't back out of. You're father's a priest, you should know that."

Duo was still speechless. How could he have been such an idiot?

"I love you, Duo." Heero said again, softer this time. "I always will. But now I'm with Relena because you didn't say anything." Without another word, he pushed himself out of the bathroom and drove off with his new wife and out of Duo's life forever.

They shared casual conversation over the years. Heero kept up his friends on the progress of his ever growing family and in turn he always wanted to hear about Duo's salvage business. They spoke like mature adults as though they never had the conversation in the bathroom so many years ago, but Duo remembered it.

He remembered it because it plagued his dreams every night. And now he was in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, with a nice birds nest on his window sill, forced to look across the street every morning and see the Yuy family living their nice lives. Yes, a beautiful morning indeed.

End