Disclaimer: GW is not mine. Neither are the proverbs used. I borrowed them from the RinkWorks site, so this is sort of in the same arc as 'Alive But Without Permission'.

Spoilers: Nah. Not really.

Timeline: Set... sometime after EW. Other than that... unspecified.

Dedication: Kidishcaresh. Love ya, girl!

Summary: Duo and Wufei have a battle of wits, wills... and proverbs. But maybe, just maybe, they can both come out winners.

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A Proverbial Battle

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Wufei glared at Duo. The damn braided ex-pilot would NOT shut up. Not even for a moment!

"Come on~!" Duo drawled, tugging on Wufei's arm as his room-mate *tried* for the umpteenth time to read his book. "Wu-FEI! You're too quite. It's unnatural, man!"

"A silent man is a wise one," Wufei quoted the proverb, not even looking up from his book. For all the good it was doing him, though. He'd re-read the same sentence six times and still didn't understand a word of it.

"A man without words is a man without thoughts," Duo quipped back.

Shocked at the reply, Wufei looked up and blinked at Duo- who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Wufei was dumbfounded. It was an actual prover Duo had quoted... but... Duo was arguing with him... using a proverb? That made no sense.

Duo laughed brightly, tugging once again on Wufei's arm. "Surprised that I know proverbs? We're both really smart, WU-fei. Great minds think alike, after all," the violet-eyed man chirped.

"But fools seldom differ," Wufei shot back.

Duo blinked, frowning for but a moment before the smile was back in place, Indigo-violet eyes sparkling madly.

"Play with me, Wufei! Stop reading those darn books and pay attention to ME!"

"The pen is mightier than the sword," was the response.

"But ACTIONS speak louder than WORDS! So stop reading! You're already smart enough, y'know?"

"Knowledge is power," Wufei stated, turning his eyes back to the book. But truthfully... he wasn't paying attention anymore. He just wanted to see what Duo could possibly say to that old saying.

"Ignorance is bliss," Duo said. The brunette smile and sat on the arm of Wufei's chair, throwing one arm across Wufei's shoulders, and tossing his legs into Wufei's lap. Wufei, of course, knew that Duo wasn't ignorant. Far from it in fact. And, actually, Wufei had always admired the sharp mind that was hidden behind that mask of immaturity.

"Why do you always wear the same old clothes, Wufei? It's ALWAYS the white pants. Don't you know that 'clothes make the man'?"

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," Wufei replied, snapping the book he had been trying to read closed. "I would prefer to be alone, you know."

"Two heads are always better than one," Duo laughed.

"But if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Wufei tried not to smile. He really did. The actual conversation wasn't making much sense anymore. It was all a battle of wits, wills... and proverbs.

"Money talks," Wufei smirked. "I'll pay you to go away."

"Talk is cheap," Duo returned with a smile and a wave of his hand. "Many hands make light work."

"But too many cooks will spoil the broth." Wufei gave up all pretenses and smiled, leaning back so that he could stare at the unusual pilot while he thought up another saying. "With age comes wisdom," he decided, remembering that he was an entire four months older than Duo- at least according to Duo's assumed birthday.

"Ah," Duo smirked. "But out of the mouths of babes come all wise sayings. Besides," Duo said, noticing the veiled hint. "The bigger, the better." He took Wufei's hand in his, holding them palm to palm to show that indeed, Duo's hand was larger, the fingers longer.

"But the best things come in small packages," Wufei smiled.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Wufei continued, making shooing motions with his hands. "So go away so I can miss you."

"But out of sight, out of mind, right?" Duo wondered with a smile, scooting a little closer to Wufei. "So I'm not going anywhere. Not without you, at least." A sparkle of sobriety flared in his eyes as he slid off the chair arm and fully into Wufei's lap. "Do you feel this too, Wufei? Please tell me that I'm not the only crazy one. I really, really don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Nothing ventured... nothing gained," Wufei smiled back, taking Duo's hand in his and linking their fingers.

"Better safe than sorry," Duo muttered, eyes dimming a bit. Shit, Wufei thought. Duo was really interested in him like that? And... apparently afraid Wufei wouldn't return the attraction? That most definitely HAD to be rectified. And now.

"The only thing constant is change," Wufei replied, reaching out with his free hand to tilt Duo's face up, to meet his eyes.

"The more things change... the more they stay the same," Duo smiled slightly.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Duo," Wufei said. "I certainly don't." He lifted Duo's hand, brushed a kiss across the knuckles.

"Beware Greeks bearing gifts," was the soft reply. "We're so different, you and I. And I thought birds of a feather were supposed to flock together."

"Opposites attract," Wufei told him sternly. "Anyways... what will be, will be."

"And life is only what you you make it. What if we make the others mad with... this?"

"Then we'll cross our bridges when we come to them, Duo. Anyways... it's not like Quatre and Trowa would have room to talk."

"Ah... so what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Is that it?" Duo's voice was soft, and he leaned his head in until his forehead rested against Wufei's. Their breaths mingled between them.

"Well... one man's meat could be another man's poison. But not in this case, I think. More like... the more the merrier."

"But two's company and three's a crowd. So... no threesomes okay?"

"Okay," Wufei smiled. "I think I can promise that." He leaned up, and captured Duo's lips in a quick, soft kiss.

"Aren't you supposed to look before you leap?" Duo asked, his breath caught in his lungs.

Wufei just smiled. "He who hesitates is lost," Wufei replied... and then kissed Duo again.

Words, needless to say... became pointless. Because nothing communicates so effectively as a kiss.