Chapter 2: Running Away from Circumstance

Waking up was definitely hell the next morning. Heero opened his eyes to the blindingly bright light of the next morning with a heavy feeling on his chest and mind. He hadn't be able to sleep as well has he had wanted to the previous night, with thoughts of his confrontation with Duo fresh on his mind. He hated that he always lingered on such things and felt embarrassed that he didn't have other things to preoccupy himself with. The fact of the matter was that he was lonely, alone, and virtually friendless. If not for Duo's constant nagging, Heero was certain that he wouldn't see other human beings other than the times he went to class, communal bathroom and encountered his roommate. He found that he was unable to relate to others and often found it difficult to even muster the motivation to want to relate to anyone else. It wasn't that he saw himself as superior to others, but that he saw virtually everything in his life as a transient state. Everything that happened in his life was brief and temporary compared to his entire life span, compared to the entire universe. With this state of mind, what was the point in trying to make relationships with other people, when he knew that in a moment of years or even months, they would no longer be a part of his life? College was no exception. He had four years with a massive group of people that he figured he would never fully know, as a lifetime isn't even enough time to understand the complexity of human beings. Additionally, they would all disperse and go their different paths, separate from one another in four years time. Why should he try to linger? Why attempt to make relations that will soon be disbanded? Heero saw it as a wasteful effort.

Heero also understood, however, that this leads to a sad and pathetic existence. He wasn't so far gone into his constant contemplative state to appreciate this fact. This is why he was grateful to Duo in some ways, who had been his first true friend and only person he had kept a relationship with for any amount of time. This is why he was often hurt whenever it seemed like the two of them would separate, leaving him to fully confront his isolation and loneliness. Their interdependence upon one another was unhealthy at times, Heero knew, but he couldn't conceive his existence as it currently was without Duo. Although he acted aloof, Heero thought and felt things deeply. Perhaps deeper than he knew himself.

Heero lay still on the bed, staring at the ceiling contemplating all of this. He knew he needed to get up, that there was no time for him to lie in bed any longer. But, he couldn't bring himself to get up. He had no motivation to leave his bed. It was 8:30 am, much too early for his liking.

"Shut that thing off!" The muffled and irritated voice of Heero's roommate rumbled across the room. It was then that Heero realized that his alarm was still resounding, sending the music of Kato Kazuki across the entire room. Heero sighed heavily. Kato Kazuki wasn't an artist that Heero particularly liked. In fact, he truly didn't like much contemporary Japanese music at all. He found it rather monotonous and predictable. Heero found that the ancient sounds of then samisen more to his liking. He only had Kato's music on his iPod because Duo was obsessed with the singer. Heero knew that Duo couldn't understand a single word that the singer was saying, but that he enjoyed watching him sing and move more than anything else. Duo had given Heero the music, which he had reluctantly taken and uploaded onto his iPod. Whenever he heard the music, it put him in a tranquil state as it reminded him of Duo and amused him to no end with the horribly campy and dramatic lyrics.

Heero shuffled out of bed and turned off the alarm. Fully awake, he quickly changed into his bathrobe, grabbed his shower caddy and headed to the showers. He hated his school's communal showers more than anything. Heero fully distrusted the showers and his floor mates, certain that they were in constant mischief in the stalls and spreading all kinds of foulness. But it turned out that a hot shower is what Heero needed to fully wake himself and his mind up. He briefly ran over his class schedule for the day, deciding which classes were necessary for him to attend and which ones he could manage not to sit through. He also made a mental checklist of the items he needed to grab in town before he went back to his dorm. In an attempt to avoid as much interaction as possible, Heero always tried to consolidate all of his errands to a central time that he would be out, instead of having to make multiple trips. Heero was certain that he could get his errands accomplished in about an hour, allowing him time to return to the studio and finish a sculpture that was due in a week.

Having fully cleaned, dried, and dressed himself, Heero was finally ready to leave for the day. Heero wore his standard outfit: black skinnies, loose fitting hunter green tank, and heavy combat boots. He didn't bother glancing at his hair, as he knew how it would look: unruly and as defiant as he was. He had learned long ago that there was no use in trying to tame it, as it seemed to have a will of its own. He glanced at his watch as he grabbed his messenger bag. 9:30, just in time for me to make the 9:35 bus. Heero raced out of his room to catch the bus across the street. His first class was across campus and would take at least 20 minutes to walk to, making the bus a more desirable method.

Heero caught the bus right as it was leaving his stop, causing him to swear lightly under his breath. As his stop was one of the first on the lines, Heero was able to get a prime seat in the back of the bus. Back of the bus for Heero meant less attention and more privacy. Also, it was early, so the likelihood that the bus would fill up was very slim. Heero changed the song on his iPod from Kato Kazuki to La India, something much more to his liking. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, reveling in the vibrant sounds of salsa that were pulsating through him.

Midway through the bus ride, Heero felt a presence sit next to him. He was irritated, as he never appreciated anyone sitting next to him and the fact that he was certain that there were plenty of seats on the bus for this person to sit in made him more irritated. The bus had only stopped a couple of times, allowing for only a handful of people to possibly come abroad. So why was this person sitting so close to him when there were other options available. Heero decided that today was not the day for him to get into any confrontations; he didn't need the additional stress. He decided to ignore the person as much as possible. He smelled a distinct vanilla fragrance coming from the newcomer that Heero found pleasing in spite of himself. He was fairly certain then that the person who had sat next to him was a woman. He definitely did not want to the have a confrontation with a female and have to break the respectful boundaries that he had placed onto the opposite sex. Heero then started to hear a noise coming from his new neighbor, making it obvious that the person was trying to get his attention for some reason. He could faintly hear a man feign a cough and then speak. Heero was certain that the man did not realize that Heero was wearing headphones as the cord was tucked into his clothes and his unruly hair covered the earpieces. So, his new neighbor was a man. A man that smelled like vanilla, Heero mused. The man gave another fake cough. Heero, with his eyes still closed, grimaced and turned the volume on his iPod higher. Nothing was going to disturb him and his plans today, that was certain.

When Heero felt that his stop was coming up, he stood briskly and staggered slightly to the door, holding desperately to the railing. He didn't bother trying to look at the person who had attempted to talk to him, there was no need. Seeing who that person was wouldn't be advantageous at all, giving Heero no reason to look. Heero stepped off the bus quickly and slipped into the studio arts building.

It was about five minutes until class started, giving Heero enough time to change into his sculpting class. Their current project was working with plaster, a difficult to manage and messy material. It required that he change into clothing that he didn't mind getting ruined with un-removable material. Heero slipped into a grey pair of old, fitted jeans and an oversized blue shirt. He quickly put on a pair of old, second hand boots before looking for his cap. It wasn't that Heero was high maintenance that he had to keep his hair covered, but he knew that getting plaster out of hair was not the easiest task. Heero glanced at his watch; he had about three minutes until class began. He continued looking for his cap when his phone rang. He sound made him jump slightly as he was used to the silence that being isolated in a locker room gave. Without glancing at the caller ID, Heero immediately answered.

"Hello?" he asked while sifting through the abandoned lockers in search of his cap.

"Hey," came a small voice. Heero paused, immediately knowing who was on the other end.

"Hey," was all Heero could say, trying to decided if he was still angry or not at the other man.

"What are you up to Hee-chan? Wanna grab some breakfast?" Duo asked hopefully, obviously scared that Heero make have a go at him again.

"I'm about to go into to sculpture right now, so I can't talk." The reply came out a little more curtly than Heero had intended it to.

"Oh," was all that Duo could manage.

"You know that sculpture is usually at least three hours, so I won't be able to make any breakfast. But I'll probably be free around 1 or so. We can lunch then."

"Yea? Ok, Hee-chan! Let's go to the Oak Room for lunch! I need my Asian cuisine fix for the day!" The Oak Room was one of the dining places on campus that exclusively served mostly East Asian food. Heero and Duo frequented that particular dining commons, as it was one that fit both their tastes and had a great atmosphere.

"Hn."

"Or I could just gobble you up instead, Hee-chan!" Duo gave a loud, throaty chuckle at this. Heero found himself smirking as he and Duo were getting back into their comfortable roles of bully and victim. Arguing honestly did not suit the two well at all. Already, not even one minute into the conversation, Heero was wondering why he had ever considered the fact that he could remain angry at Duo longer than a day. This was the way he wanted to be feeling towards and treated by Duo, making almost anything that Duo did forgivable so that they could maintain such a relationship.

"I suppose you could do that Duo. Look, I need to go to sculpture, but I'll see at the Oak Room around 1:15." Not one for goodbyes, Heero hung up the phone. Heero put his possessions in his locker, sighing as he locked it. He had concluded that there was no hope in finding his cap and that he had to make due without it.

Sculpture was to be expected that day. It was long, arduous and had exhausted Heero. He finished with his assignment a couple of minutes early and was glad to have the extra time to walk leisurely to the Oak Room.

As he was walking from the studio arts building, one of Heero's sculpting tools fell from his bag onto the sidewalk. As he stooped to retrieve it, he smelled the familiar aroma of vanilla. Heero paused slightly, wondering if it was actually him that smelled of vanilla the entire time. Perhaps something that he had washed his clothes in, or a fragrance of someone he encounter at the party last night? As he reached for his tool, he found a pale hand extending the instrument to him. Heero looked up partially in annoyance and partially out of curiosity. He looked up to meet eyes with a startling pair of icy blue ones, staring intensely at him. Heero froze slightly, temporarily transfixed by the other person's gaze. The other boy stood slowly, tool still in hand. He was a little over six feet tall, with long blond hair that was let loose down his back. He wore nice, form-fitting clothing that were reminiscent of military attire. It was a fashionable look that was growing trendy. He had a young, but strong and beautiful face that was noticeable as his hair. If Heero was to be honest, the other man was breathtaking. Heero was certain that he had never seen him before and that he was the man on the bus from earlier. He had a presence that was extremely graceful and tangible. Heero was certain that this was the man from earlier. His scent was even then same.

Heero finally rose and took the tool from the other man, not bothering to show his appreciation for the kind gesture.

"I saw you on the bus earlier and now I see you here. It's amazing that each time you could have such an astoundingly attractive scowl on your face." The other man's voice was smooth and light. It held such power and maturity that Heero felt slightly overwhelmed by the sound of it. The voice was almost melodic in the way that it washed over Heero and put him at ease. Because of this, it wasn't until a moment later when Heero had been able to process what the other man had actually said. "Astoundingly attractive"? What did this mean and when was Heero ever described as something attractive?

"Pardon?" Heero asked.

The other man laughed lightly to himself more than at Heero. "I'm sorry, I've got you all flustered. My name is Zechs Marquise. Pleasure." Zechs extended his hand. Heero glanced at the extended hand, stuffed his tool into his bag, nodded at Zechs and turned to take his leave. As he turned, Zechs caught his arm. Heero turned back to face him, eyes wild in disbelief that a stranger would actually lay a finger on him. Heero was certain that his glare would be enough to make Zechs recognize that he had overstepped all bounds, as his glares usually have that ability. Instead, Zechs steadily looked at Heero back, seemingly unnerved by his glare.

"You didn't tell me your name," was all Zechs said in a normal voice as if all that was transpiring was completely normal.

"Release me. Now," Heero all but growled at Zechs, who simply smiled in return.

"I apologize. I have clearly stepped my bounds. Please forgive this trespass." Zechs apologized. He released Heero's arm and looked expectantly at Heero. Heero in response simply scowled, unsure what the proper response should be.

"What is it that you want?" Heero asked, curious about the other man's motives for some reason.

"Nothing really. I simply saw you on the bus earlier and thought you seemed interesting. I was walking by on the way to the library and saw you again. I simply wanted to say hello. Is that so odd?" Zechs questioned.

Heero drew his lips into a tight, disapproving line. "Yes, it is. I don't speak with people I don't know. Nor do I appriciate being held onto in such a manner."

"Of course not," Zechs agreed in a manner that made Heero feel a little uneasy, "But meeting each other so many times within such a short time period is certainly odd as well. I think that gives us the excuse to act oddly, don't you think?"

"No, I don't. I've somewhere to be, so if you'll excuse me." Heero started to turn.

"I don't want to keep you. Hopefully I'll run into you again soon and get to know you better. Have a good day." With that Zechs turned and walk down the sidewalk as if their conversation had been completely normal. Heero silently watched him go, certain that Zechs wasn't a real person and their conversation hadn't just happened. Surely people don't talk and act like this in real life?

Although he was highly irritated, Heero couldn't help feeling curious about Zechs and his motivations as he walked to the Oak Room. What had he meant by he will get to know Heero soon. Why would he want to do such a thing, Heero wondered, unable to understand Zechs' motivations. Surely there was some reason that he went to such lengths to speak with Heero. Perhaps they had a class together and the other man wanted a study companion. Or perhaps he too was slightly lonely and needed some companionship. Whatever the reason, Heero was certain that it wasn't something that concerned him, so he decided to remain removed from the entire situation. Heero was certainly not in the mood to contemplate the motives and actions of others, for he had other things on his mind that were slightly more pressing at the moment.

Heero arrived only five minutes late to the Oak Room, to find that Duo had already gotten a booth for them, two trays of food and had already begun eating by himself. Heero watched as the thin man stuffed an impossibly large amounts of lo mien into his mouth, following it with a large gulp of iced green tea. A piece of lo mien stuck to Duo's chin, left behind after Duo's torrent of eating. He deftly slurped up the remaining noodle with a satisfied grin. He then set his attention to the pho soup that was left alone steaming on the other side of the table. Duo did not hesitate to pick up a pair of chopsticks and a noodle spoon and began to work on his soup. As Heero approached, Duo glanced up. Spotting Heero, Duo gave him the toothy, goofy grin that he always gave Heero when seeing him.

"Hee-chan!" he waved and shouted as if Heero were deaf and blind. Heero decided that such an adolescent act was not worth him getting embarrassed or irritated over. Instead, he gave his classic small smirk and approached the table.

"Hee-chan, I got you the pho soup that you like so much, but it was taking you so long to get here and I was so hungry…" Duo feigned regret as he gave a large slurp of soup. Unable to maintain his look of regret, Duo broke into another toothy smile and continued to eat.

"Duo, you do realize that I'm only five minutes late. How a person could consume so much food in such a short period of time, I've no idea."

Duo shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Well, you know me. There's some stir-fry over there if you want it." He nodded towards the plate of mixed vegetables doused in what was likely to be soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce. There was an array of vegetables including bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots, and celery. A combination that Duo knew Heero enjoyed. Feeling slightly elated that Duo thought of him so well and prepared this meal for him, Heero brought the plate in front of him and began eating.

"So why were you so late?" Duo asked between slurps and mouthfuls of noodles.

"I got caught up," was all Heero said. He wasn't quite sure why he didn't tell the truth and explain what happened with Zechs. For some reason, he thought that he shouldn't tell Duo what he had been doing and who he had just encountered. Even through this doubt, Heero was certain that withholding this information from Duo was an appropriate action and that doing otherwise would have an adverse effect.

Duo grunted in response, never stopping from feeding himself. Their lunch proceeded without incident, both virtually forgetting their fight from the previous night. The two of them were much too content with being happy with one another than with being irritated. The way they were at that moment was exactly how they wanted to remain.

"So Trowa," Duo started, slightly on edge. "He's pretty cool. You know how we usually play video games on Thursdays? Well I mentioned it to Trowa last night and he said that he would like to tag along." Duo glanced at Heero's face quickly, trying to read the other man's face. "You, know, if you don't mind too much," Duo added quickly.

"Hn. He didn't really seem like the video game type to me."

Duo shrugged his shoulders, moving on to a California sushi roll. "I dunno. He said he wanted to come, no prompting from me. I mean, you don't really look like you play video games either."

"Hn. Yea? What do I look like then?" Heero questioned.

Duo looked up and stared at Heero. Taking in his soft, messy brown hair, unruly with traces of plaster. His strong features and piercing cobalt were nicely accented by his strong jaw line and angular face. His body under the oversized sculpture outfit that he had yet to change out of was also apparent. Through the clothes it was apparent that Heero carried with him a hard body that was conditioned and exercised well. He carried with him an air of aloofness and mystery that was extremely attractive and innate. It appeared that he did everything with ease and that nothing in the slightest would bother him. Duo brought his eyes back to Heero's to find that Heero was intensely staring at him. Duo made a gargled, choking noise, as he was startled to find that Heero had caught him looking so thoroughly.

"Actually Heero, you look like a big geek. I suppose it isn't too surprising that you play video games then." Heero continued to stare at Duo with an unreadable look in his eyes. He was trying to figure out the explanations to Duo's comments and answers. He should have realized by now, after years of trying, that it was impossible to understand Duo, especially by just looking at him and listening to him.

"Hn."

"So what do you say? Is it cool if Trowa comes?"

"Sure, I don't see why it would be much of a problem," Heero managed to say through somewhat clenched teeth. Thursday nights belong to him and Duo. It was a time that they could be alone without the interference of Duo's other friends and strangers. Although he was certain no one was paying attention to him, Heero felt that he couldn't relax and be himself in such a public place. This is why he preferred and looked forward to Thursday nights where he was allowed to be himself because he was out of the public realm and also because he was in the presence of Duo, who always permitted him to be himself. Despite this, Heero agreed to let Trowa come. If Duo wanted Trowa's company, who was Heero to deny him? Unlike Heero, Duo was a social person, thriving on mere human interaction. He needed people around him, talking, giving him attention, in order to feel comfortable. Heero knew this, and because of this, he planned to allow Trowa to invade their Thursday night.

"Thanks, Hee-chan. It'll be fun! I promise. I think Trowa was really interested in you. I think he thought you were some weird phenomenon. He was all like, 'Heero seems so serious and Victorian. How is it that you two became friends? I'm very curious about him'. Well, I mean he didn't say all of that exactly but he definitely called you Victorian. Victorian! What the hell does that mean? I suppose there are worse things to be called…maybe." Duo sniggered slightly.

"That's odd," Heero vaguely agreed, trying to figure out for himself what the term "Victorian" could possibly mean. Whatever the intended meaning, Heero found his minding drifting to other concerns not soon after.

For the rest of their lunch period, Heero pleasantly listened to Duo prattle on about nothing in particular, thankful for the mind-numbing effects their conversation was having on him. After parting ways with Duo, Heero continued with his day, skipping his mid-afternoon class and going back to the studio to work on his sculpture more. Afterwards he went into town to grab the several things he needed before going back to his dorm. On the way to catch the bus, Heero passed by a local coffee shop, The Dirty Truth. Figuring that it would be nice to drink coffee and reflect on his day, Heero stopped in. He enjoyed The Dirty Truth, as it was rarely crowded and served excellent coffee. It also had high backed booths that isolated guests from one another, allowing Heero the utmost privacy. Settling into one of these booths with a small Americano, Heero opened one of his newly purchased books and began to read. Heero had been reading for roughly thirty minutes before he was interrupted by some unwanted company. Heero glared as he glanced up to see Zechs settling into his booth, sitting directly across from him. The other man had ordered himself a coffee as well and sat as if it were natural for him to be joining Heero.

Heero glared harder at Zechs, unable to come up with any words that would be appropriate for the situation, as he had never found himself in such one. Zechs seemed unperturbed by Heero actions and took a slow sip of his coffee, staring intently at Heero.

"Hello again. Three times in one day! Such a truly happy circumstance," came his familiar sugary greeting. Heero continued to stare, scowl still in place. "I must have freaked you out quite a bit, hm? I give you my word that I was not following just now. You see, I'm new to this area and was in desperate need of good coffee. I stumbled across this shop. On my way to one of the booths over there," he gestured behind him, "I noticed you reading so intently. I had to give my greetings."

"Please leave," was all that Heero could manage although spoken through clenched teeth.

"Oh, that beautiful scowl. I think that made it worthwhile for me run across you. What is it that you're reading?" Zechs continued without taking much note of Heero's previous request. He did not seem in the least flustered by Heero's abrupt rudeness. In fact, it seemed as if he expected it. He reached across the table and read the cover. "Invisible Monsters, eh? That's one of my favorite Chuck Palahnuik books. Although, Choke is a close second. Have to you seen filmed version of the novel?"

Heero continued to stare. He took another quick sip of coffee, closed his book, and shifted to leave the booth. He was unwillingly to humor this person in any capacity. He simply wanted to spend is time alone for a change, without the disturbances of others. Zechs was ruining this for him, making it more difficult for him to remain in his self inflicted isolation. As Heero moved to leave, Zechs once again caught his arm. Heero looked across at him to see a pair of intense eyes staring back at him. Something in Zechs' eyes told Heero that he was about to fight a battle that he was surely going to lose.

"Stay," Zechs said this words, not imploringly, but almost as a command.

"Who do you think-"

"Just stay. What have you to lose? What would you be doing otherwise? If you haven't got a good reason, then stay."

In Heero's mind, he honestly wanted to leave, but for some reason, something compelled him to stay. Zechs' words resounded through Heero. "What would you be doing otherwise"? Really, what would Heero do if he did not stay with Zechs. He would certainly go back to the Studio Arts building, finish his sculpture, and then go back to his dorm. Nothing eventful in those plans and nothing that spoke of unbridled youthfulness that he was suppose to express in his college years.

Additionally, perhaps he was tired of being lonely and isolated. Perhaps he did not desire that state as much as he pretended to and needed contact with others. Perhaps it was the flattery that someone would try so desperately to spend time with him that compelled Heero to stay. He was not use to this type of treatment, to people actively seeking to spend time with him. As much as he tried to deny it, he had to admit that it felt comforting to know that he was wanted in some capacity. With this understanding, Heero slowly sat back down, not sure what to expect. Zechs continued to hold onto Heero's arm as he sat, a grin spreading across his face.

"You've no idea how you've pleasured me by just staying," Zechs smiled. He released Heero's arm and studied Heero a little.

"So are you ever going to tell me your name?"

Heero hesitated. He always hesitated when giving information about himself, never wanting to expose to himself too much to others. He felt that by revealing himself, he was in turn making himself weaker and more susceptible to pain. He had gotten into a comfortable habit of simply denying everyone access to him. Heero hesitated, and finally decided that he could trust this man with his name as he had previously given his so freely.

"Heero Yuy," he gruffly said.

Zechs smiled. "It's nice to meet you Heero. Shall I get you more coffee?"

"That's quite alright. I won't be able to sleep tonight if I have another cup." Heero admitted.

"I understand completely. 'Yuy', huh. That's Japanese, right?"

"Surely you could tell that I'm Japanese." Heero said, slightly annoyed. One of many things he hated was discussing his lineage and race with those outside of it. He often encountered a great deal of ignorance on their side and frustration on his side.

"I don't presume to understand people's beings and histories based solely on appearance," Zechs responded simply.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I suppose you look Japanese. But how you identify and who you really are goes beyond my perceptions and your name." Heero nodded his head.

"Well, if only more people would keep that in mind." Heero sighed, "I'm half Japanese, half white."

"Is that so? The last person I dated was bi-racial as well."

Heero shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure what Zechs' comment meant and what he was suppose to take from it.

"Do you know Japanese then?" Zechs asked, but not in manner in which he expected the answer to definitely be an affirmative one.

Heero nodded. "I grew up in Japan most of my life. I went to an international school while I was there, so I was able develop my English skills quite well."

"And surely your mother taught you as well?"

"I was adopted by a Japanese family, so no, my mother did not teach me English." He said stonily and simply.

"No, I suppose she wouldn't then." Zechs agreed simply, not treating the matter as anything bizarre but acting as though, given the information, he had come to an obvious conclusion.

Heero was taken aback and extremely grateful that Zechs did not respond to Heero's familial history the way that most do. Most people look awkward, become silent, or say the words that Heero hated most in response to his past "I'm sorry". These responses simply leave Heero angry and resentful. His situation was nothing to be sorry for was it was something both out of his control and his adopted parents' control. Way lament something that could not be changed?

Heero was silent for a minute or so. Zechs seemed didn't seem unnerved by this. He simply said, "I can see that you're the type of person who reluctant to talk about himself, regardless of the topic." Zechs gave a small smile, "that's quite alright. You've already told me so much about yourself anyway."

Heero was slightly relieved that he didn't need to talk about himself any longer and was glad when Zechs steered the conversation in a different direction. The two spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening talking about an array of topics. Nothing they discussed was menial, low-brow, or awkward. In fact, with the guidance of Zechs, Heero found that he enjoyed their conversation greatly. Although, because he didn't speak much, Heero found that he was listening to Zechs the majority of the time. Heero did not mind this as he is never to one to carry a conversation or to speak for a long period of time. The two struck up a repore that was comfortable and natural, much to Heero's surprise. Heero was surprised about how much information he revealed to Zechs about himself and how easily the other man disclosed information about himself. Zechs showed patience with Heero's invert personality and didn't seem to take offense when Heero was silent or hesitant to reveal information. Heero found Zechs to be an interesting person with whom he could easily have stimulating conversations with.

Heero, however, could not prevent his hormones from making themselves known through the conversation. Heero often found himself staring at Zechs' face: his striking, blue eyes, perfectly portioned lips, and beautiful platinum hair. He could not help but often scan over Zechs' well-defined body, hidden behind a dress shirt and dress pants. It was apparent, however, that he was in excellent physical condition. His body was very lean, but also hard and solid in the places where it should be. Heero had to almost force himself not to stare. Zechs' changes in expression and shifts in position only helped to accentuate these features and make them more known to Heero. He was afraid that Zechs would notice him looking and become angry. This is why for much of their conversation, Heero kept his eyes averted and head lowered. He didn't need to embarrassment of being caught checking out his newfound companion.

As the time grew closer to 9pm, Heero realized that he needed to go to the studio and finish the sculpture that he had been working on. Slightly irritated, he realized that he would have to be at the studio until early the next morning because he was gaining such a late start that night. Heero reconciled his annoyance when he realized that he was late because he was enjoying Zechs' company, not for a nonsensical reason.

Zechs caught Heero glancing anxiously at his watch. "Have you somewhere to be? I don't want to keep you."

"I actually do need to head back to the studio and finish a sculpture that I've been working on," Heero admitted.

"It isn't a problem at all, I have some school things that I need to take care of as well. Would you like a ride back to the school?"

"I really shouldn't ask that of you. I can wait for the bus."

"Please, Heero. It's on my way home."

Heero consented. Zechs gathered their trash and threw it away on their way out of the door. Zechs directed Heero to his car, which was parked across the street. The car was a simple, standard Toyota Celica. It was small but also stylish and attractive. Heero was in no position to critique anyone's car as he did not have one himself. He always figured that any location that his is in is only temporary, so there has never been much of a reason for him to buy a car, for he would soon have to sell it anyway. Heero slipped into the passenger seat, taking in the fresh pine car freshener. The distance between Dirty Truth and the studio arts building was very short and Zechs drove very quickly, making them arrive much earlier than Heero had expected.

When the car came to a halt, Heero unbuckled his seatbelt immediately. He turned to Zechs, gave a nod of appreciation and turned to open the door.

"Just a moment Heero," Zechs said softly. Heero, unable to control himself, stopped, leaned back against the seat and turned to Zechs. Zechs was looking at him with searching eyes that made Heero slightly uncomfortable. It was as if Zechs was contemplating something very important concerning Heero and was obvious that he had doubts. The moments before Zechs said another word seemed to last longer than they actually were. "I'm very happy to have run into you the amount of times that I have today, Heero."

Heero couldn't respond; he simply nodded his head. He felt awkward, never having found himself in such a position before.

"Forgive me if I'm being terribly forward, Heero, but I would like to see more of you." Zechs looked at Heero expectantly. Heero simply froze. No words could escape his mouth. What was he to say? If he were to be honest, this was the first time he had found himself in such a position. What exactly was Zechs asking of him? Was the other man looking to simply hook-up, become friends, or something more? Heero hardly had any platonic or acquaintance relationships, let alone private relationships. Heero had no doubts in his mind that he found men attractive nor did he doubt that he wanted to have various types of relationships with men either. The problem was that he had never acted on these feelings before. He had no idea how to confront this situation. His default response to situations that caused him problems was to simply ignore them and walk away. For some reason, however, he found that he couldn't simply walk away. He wanted to stay and give a response either way. Heero considered if he really did want to see more of Zechs as well. The other man had been pleasant company at Dirty Truth and have proven to stimulate Heero's interest and mind, a feat that is quite hard to accomplish. Engaging with Zechs more, however, would be a breach in one of his rules to stay away from attachments. Heero considered the other man. Heero had to admit that he found Zechs to be incredibly attractive, both physically and otherwise. Heero felt slightly intimidated by the other man's beauty and realized that he wanted to see more of it. He had no experiences with anything of the sort, but he understood the tightening in his groin and the quickening of his breath. This was something that he could not deny. These physical signifiers along with how stimulating Zechs' personality is, made Heero reconsider his rule.

"I…" Heero couldn't figure out what to say. He stammered on like this for a couple more seconds, hoping that the words that he needed would come. He hoped that he wouldn't remain sitting there like the idiot he felt that he looked like at that moment.

Zechs smiled slightly, and raised a hand to Heero's cheek. Heero willed himself not to turn away from the touch. Zechs brought his hand lightly to Heero's cheek and gently caressed it. He studied Heero's face with an intensity that made Heero feel self-conscious. Heero sighed slightly, giving into the soothing feeling of someone touching him tenderly for once. Against his better judgment, Heero closed his eyes and leaned into the touch slightly. Zechs gently held his cheek in his palm, while using the pad of his thumb to caress his eyelid. Zechs then explored the rest of his face with his hand, slowly, as if trying to remember each line and pore. Zechs hand then brushed Heero's hair from his forehead several times as if to try to tame it. His hand came to rest at the nape of Heero nest, and once again, gently caressed the skin there with the pad of his thumb. Heero sighed slightly. He had never felt such tenderness before in his life, not from family and definitely not from a lover. He had never been touched as if he were anything precious or valuable. He wasn't even sure that he was aware that such simple touch such as that could evoke such emotion from him.

"Heero," Zechs said softly. Heero's eyes fluttered open, meeting Zechs', slightly unfocused. Zechs smiled gently at him. "Heero, you are so beautiful."

Heero paused at this. "Beautiful"? Heero? Never had he heard these words describe him before, only words such as "aloof," "cold," "austere," but never beautiful. Heero slowly felt the guard that he had built up over the years fade away, realizing that honestly all that he needed was to be told that he was something positive by someone, anyone. It was disturbing that a stranger like Zechs whom he's only known for a day could make him feel wanted by a few simple words and gestures.

"I…" Heero stammered again, unsure of what he was supposed to say at this time. His heart was began to beat faster than he had felt in some time. He didn't know how to react.

Zechs started to lean in closer to Heero, his intentions obvious. Heero felt his breath catch as he sat paralyzed with Zechs' hand gently grasping him and mouth coming closer. His stomach tightened and Heero started feeling slightly nauseous. Heero knew what was about to come, what was going to happen, but he was scared. Before Zechs could react, Heero was out of his grasp, back pressed against the car door. Zechs leaned back, startled by Heero's actions. He held a look of both surprise and concern as he saw Heero's eyes grow round with panic.

"Heero are you-" Zechs attempted to voice his concern.

"I appreciate the ride, Zechs. Have a good night." With that, Heero opened the car door and ran into the studio arts building, pulse thumping in his ear. As soon as he was through the glass doors and out of sight, Heero leaned against the nearest wall. He rested his head roughly onto the wall, willing for his heart to return to regular speed.

He was stupid, Heero decided. Heero had determined that he had acted utterly ridiculous and made a fool of himself. He was also ashamed that he had showed his fear so obviously to Zechs. Before that brief moment in the car, Heero had never been intimate with anyone before. He'd never been kissed, hugged, caressed, or held. In a matter of a couple of minutes, Zechs had attempted to do almost all of these. Heero's ignorance and fear of the unknown had made him recoil from Zechs. He didn't know if he was ready to be with someone, in any context, sexual or otherwise. Heero didn't know how to respond to the overload of senses he was feeling in the car: the shortness of breath, the accelerated heartbeat, the light stomach and the tightness of his groin. Of course Heero had been hard before in his life before that moment, but never because of something that was actively being done to him. He was scared. Confronting people intellectually and socially are all things that Heero could do without effort. This, however, presented something different. It necessitated him becoming vulnerable, something he was not ready to do.

Heero jumped as his phone rang. Slowly withdrawing it from his bag, he read the caller ID: Zechs. In absolute embarrassment and self-loathing, Heero pressed the "ignore" button and went into the studio.