AN: Duo isn't a bubble head and Quatre isn't a crybaby, so there!

Duo was just waking from a dream, and started to move when he became aware of another body on the other side of his pillow. Oh, that's right, Quatre, he thought, yawning and opening his eyes. When he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, he became further aware of his left arm trapped under the weight of his guest. Yawning again Duo used his free hand to rub at his eyes and turned on his side so he could view Quatre more closely.

The blonde was snuggled into the body pillow, holding it as if it were a lover, and his hair was tousled messily so parts were sticking up. He looked a lot younger, less guarded in his sleep, and Duo wondered how a kid like him had ended up on the street, because he was too healthy and clean to have been there long. Not to mention he hadn't known who the Changs were which was doubly intriguing.

"Who are you?" Duo murmured sleepily, reaching out to brush some hair back from Quatre's eyes. The blonde grumbled and shifted, half-opening his eyes.

"Mnh?"

"Morning," Duo said.

Quatre closed his eyes again and turned his face into the pillow. "Nnnnh."

"Right, too early to get up," Duo said in agreement and curled up into the pillow like Quatre. He tried not to smile as felt Quatre pull away slightly to study him. He mentally began to count the seconds until Quatre spoke.

"Umm...Duo?"

Sixteen, you are polite. "Mmm?"

"...Don't you have your own pillow?"

Duo cracked an eye open. "This is my pillow."

He was rewarded with a bright blush. "Oh right, I'm sorry."

"I was just teasing man," Duo laughed and sat up. "I'm the one who should be sorry. My personal bubble is non-existent compared to other people."

To his relief Quatre laughed and relaxed. He liked the small blonde, though he'd only known him one day.

"No, it's all right...I was just a little jumpy..."

Duo frowned in confusion for a moment before he caught on. "You mean you were afraid I'd try ta jump your bones."

That entertaining blush intensified and Duo finding himself enjoying it more by the moment.

"Yes..." Quatre admitted, obviously ashamed and embarrassed for jumping to such conclusions.

"Well don't worry, I won't jump you," he paused, then added as an after thought, "unless you want me to." Duo grinned suggestively.

Quatre's blush increased even more, but though his answering smile was somewhat shy, it was also sexy as hell, and Duo wondered if he'd promised prematurely.

"If I want you to, I'll let you know."

Duo laughed. "All right it's a deal. C'mon, let's go have breakfast."

"I still don't know how I'm gonna pay you back for this," Quatre said as he climbed out of the bed.

"Especially now that sex is out of the question," Duo teased, already halfway to the kitchen.

"Duuuooo!" Quatre wailed as he followed.

It was strange; Duo, even with his outgoing personality, didn't normally start this level of teasing so soon. It was just...that blush was so much fun! And Quatre didn't really seem to mind.

Duo was not the best of cooks, and since it was still soon after waking up, greasy food was too heavy, so down came a box of KIX, two bowls and the sugar-tin.

Quatre accepted his bowl with a mock scowl, which was immediately ruined by a large yawn. Duo chuckled as he got out the milk and sat down lazily, filling his bowl till the point of over-flowing and carpeting the KIX with sugar. He noticed Quatre staring at his bowl. "What?"

"That's going to get all over the table," the blond pointed out, filing his own bowl more moderately.

"Nah, I always do this," Duo replied, digging in. Little yellow sugarcoated puffs scattered over the table. "See?" he quipped while Quatre politely covered his mouth to hide his smirk. Quatre rolled his eyes and began eating his own unsweetened cereal.

"You're not gonna put sugar on it?" Duo asked as if Quatre had forgotten to put pants on.

Quatre shook his head. "No, it's sweet enough the way it is."

Duo stared at him. "But-that's so...plain."

Quatre raised an eyebrow at him and bit down on the spoon archly. His expression of injured dignity was so comical that Duo sputtered and some milk joined the KIX on the table. Quatre laughed at that and soon the two were laughing uproariously.

"Ah...I haven't laughed so much in a long time. You're good to have around kid."

Quatre immediately stopped laughing and glared at him. Duo stopped laughing too and blinked.

"I'm not a kid," Quatre said tersely.

Duo studied him carefully, taking in the blonde's small stature and wide, innocent blue eyes, and couldn't imagine him to be older than fourteen. Still, Duo wasn't the best judge of age; he was usually off by a couple of years. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen," Quatre replied.

Duo couldn't stop the small scoff from escaping his lips, and Quatre narrowed his eyes angrily at him. He suddenly stood up and darted into the bathroom.

"Quatre?"

There was no answer, but the blond was soon back, holding something in his hand. With an unreadable expression, he tossed the object onto the table in front of Duo, scattering the KIX like sand on ice.

Duo stared. It was a driver's license. He picked it up and the date told him that Quatre was born the same year he was, and was nineteen, almost twenty. Then he noticed the name.

"Holy shit, you're Quatre Winner!" he yelped, jumping up and looking back and forth between the card and his guest. Quatre paled so quickly Duo thought he might faint as he snatched the card back, shoving it in his pocket.

"What the fuck are you doing out here!? The newspapers say you've been kidnapped. Your family's offering a huge reward for anyone who finds you!"

If it hadn't been physically impossible, Duo would've sworn Quatre got even paler. "You're not going to turn me in are you?" Quatre asked, his knuckles going white and his voice trembling ever so slightly. He looked terrified.

"You weren't kidnapped, were you?"

Quatre shook his head. "No, I ran away."

Anger flashed through Duo. How could anyone want to hurt this boy-guy? He'd reached out and grabbed Quatre's arm before he realized what he was doing. "What did they do to you?" he demanded harshly.

Blue eyes widened at him. "Wha-? Oh no! My family didn't hurt me. Just the opposite in fact," he finished quietly, looking down and away from Duo's fierce gaze.

Duo felt that maybe he should remove his hand, but found he didn't want to. The best he could do was loosen his grip and he suddenly hoped he hadn't bruised the fragile-looking guy. Then again, the blonde hadn't bruised much from the beating he'd gotten last night; he was much tougher than he looked.

"Meaning?" Duo asked, his voice softer and gentler than it had been a moment ago.

Quatre still wouldn't look at him, but could see him wrinkling his nose. "They coddled me. They wouldn't let me do anything for myself. My father wanted me to just sit back and inherit the fortune he'd built up from scratch. I didn't want to do that...I wanted to make my own way."

Duo snickered cynically. "No offense, but it didn't look like you were doing too good a job."

Quatre slumped and blushed a bit. "No," he admitted, "I wasn't."

"Why'd you let it get so far? Why didn't you go home before you ended up on the street?" Duo couldn't understand it. Why would anyone give up a soft bed to go starving on the cold, perilous streets?

Quatre laughed, though it seemed hollow. "And admit that I was wrong? That I really can't do anything on my own? I couldn't stand it...I know it sounds stupid, to starve for pride..."

Duo shook his head. "Well, yeah, it's stupid...but noble in a kinda way. People have no honor these days."

Quatre finally looked at him and his expression was half gratitude and skeptical. "You have honor?"

Duo grinned, not at all offended. "I have my own special Duo Code. But what about you? Why'd you accept my help?"

Quatre shifted and blushed. "I'm not so proud to refuse help when I need it."

"Just from your dad," Duo added, making the blonde laugh. He was glad Quatre was relaxed again. It just didn't seem right to see the guy unhappy. Duo moved from holding Quatre's arm to slinging an arm around the smaller guy's shoulder and giving a squeeze.

"Well you can stay with me as long as you want."

There was that pleasant blush again. "I couldn't possibly impose-"

"Don't worry 'bout it," Duo cut him off. "You need a place to stay, I've got one. And I like you."

"But-" Quatre began but Duo cut him off again.

"If you're worried 'bout owing me, you can probably help out on some of my jobs. What can you do?"

Quatre blinked, as if he hadn't been asked that before. "Well...I'm good with numbers and computers, I guess."

"How are you at reading people? Like, knowing what they'd do and stuff?"

Quatre shrugged. "It depends on the person of course, but I'd say I'm decent at it. Give me half an hour talking with them and I'd probably have quite a bit."

Duo squeezed him again. "Excellent, welcome aboard. Oh, d'you know how to use a gun?"

Quatre nodded. "Father made sure I knew how, in case anyone did try to kidnap me."

"Didn't you bring one with you?"

"I pawned it for food."

"A'ight, rule one 'bout this town, always carry a gun. It's dangerous out there."

Quatre nodded, a little wide-eyed.

"Don't worry, I've got an extra ninety-nine you can use for now," Duo told him. "And you'll be with me," he added with a grin.

Quatre smiled back and his stomach grumbled, calling to their attention that they had stopped eating breakfast.

"Aw man! Now it's gonna be all soggy!" Duo complained as he went back to his bowl. Quatre laughed and sat back down as well.

AN: All right, so it's moving kinda slow, don't worry, I've got a bit written so it won't be too long before things pick up -