The Heero Look

Chapter 4

2x1

ENJOY!

Heero's shoulders sagged. "Willy…I can't. At least not now."

"Then when?" He demanded.

"I don't know," Heero shrugged and whispered shyly, "maybe never."

"Never?" A loud, gruff sigh was heard over the line. "Heero, Heero, Heero. Haven't ya made your point yet?"

Heero's back straightened while his lip poked out in anger. "Willy, I'm not some child who ran away because Mommy was being mean to me. You know that my reasons for leaving go just a little deeper than that."

"I'm sorry," he apologized after a moment, "I wasn't tryin' to make jokes of ya leavin'. I understand livin' with ya mother was pure hell." Heero was fully aware that there had never been any love lost between his mother and Willy. She held the fat, balding man with contempt and viewed him as a necessary evil she had to endure for the furtherance of Heero's career.

"Whatever she did to finally push ya over the edge had to be a doozy," Willy continued.

The man couldn't know what a painful memory he had evoked.

"Christ, Heero you act like I'm feeding you to the lions. All I'm asking you do to is be nice to the man. You're such a strange little thing." Bridget Yuy clucked her tongue and shook her gorgeous blonde hair. "Anyone else would be beside themselves at the chance to have Mr. Frankel pay some attention to them."

"Then why don't you ask one of them to be his escort tonight."

She rolled her eyes while she poured herself a glass of wine. "You say 'escort' like it's a bad thing."

"Mother, escort is a nicer name for a whore, a street walker, a…uh…prostitute for crying out loud!" Heero huffed loudly.

"You will not take that tone with me, young man." She shook her finger in his face. "And besides, would all of that really be such a bad thing if you're with one of the richest, most influential men in the fashion industry? Think of what an alliance like that could do for your career."

Heero watched his mother take a dainty sip of her wine as she stood across from him. Her blonde hair surrounded her head like a halo while her face was flawless with just the right amount of make-up and lips covered with bright red lipstick. Her suit was immaculately pressed and hugged her small curves superbly.

Bridget Yuy was a stunningly beautiful woman but in all his life, Heero had never seen a more hideous sight.

"My career, you say?" Heero scoffed and shook his head, "God you're so...so...selfish!"

Bridget grabbed his chin and squeezed hard. "I will take none of your sass, Heero Yuy. Mr. Frankel called and his car will be picking you up at eight sharp. There's a very nice outfit on the bed that I've laid out for you and Mr. Frankel even sent a lovely diamond bracelet for you to wear, as well." She moved her face closer to his, "You will not ruin this Heero, do you understand me? Now, be a good little boy and get your fat ass upstairs."

Tears filled Heero's eyes at his mother's painful grip and insulting words. He snatched his chin away, blinking the tears back. "I am not a whore." He squared his shoulders and repeated it again. "I am not a whore and I will not go out with Mr. Frankel. Tell him that he can take that lovely diamond bracelet and shove it up his rich, old ass! Or better yet, you get your ass upstairs, wear the damn bracelet and be his whore for the night. Think of what an alliance like that could do for your career."

Bridget raised her hand high and smacked it across Heero's cheek, causing his head to snap to the side. She struck him so hard that nearly all the wine flew out of the glass and onto the floor.

Heero could taste the blood in his mouth and held a hand to his smarting cheek.

The tears finally fell.

"You ungrateful son of a bitch," she bit out. "Are you ready to throw away everything?! Huh? Everything that I've worked so damned hard for? The things that I did for you? Do they mean nothing?"

Heero's bottom lip trembled and try as he might, he couldn't stop the flow of tears after they started. "You mean the things that you did for yourself, Mother. You never did anything for me…especially now. So you can have all of this," Heero waved to the large, posh apartment they inhabited in Manhattan, "and I will keep my self-respect."

And instead of getting dressed to meet up with a man who was old enough to be his grandfather, Heero packed his few personal belongings and left the penthouse without another word.

During the long bus trip south, Heero had tried to remember his mother's thousand and one self-interested maneuverings but it was a futile attempt. For as long as he could remember, Bridget Yuy had a hand in the small of her son's back, pushing him into things he wanted no part of. How he had hated all those beauty pageants for children, the modeling classes, the photography sessions and the endless rounds of interviews that always left him feeling embarrassed enough for both of them.

Bridget had been tireless in her efforts to turn Heero into the perfect little boy, then into a wholesome young man, and finally into the perfect beatific canvas that every fashion photographer and artist would want to capture. Psychologists would have a field day with their relationship.

If ever there was a parent living vicariously through their child, this was it.

Heero was a victim in Bridget's unrelenting ambition. His father had been killed in a car accident when he was just three years old. And since there was no else to say differently, he'd had no choice but to go along with Bridget's demands. Rebellious outbursts had been few and far between. Jason, his ex-fiancée and courageous sweetheart, who had dared to get between he and his mother had been one of them. That act of defiance had ended in heartbreak of such proportions that Heero hadn't risked another.

Bridget had proved to her son just how ruthless she could be, and Heero had no choice but to follow wherever she led.

Until Mr. Frankel.

He had previously wondered if his mother would actually consider selling him into a marriage of convenience. And now he had his answer. The reality of the situation had jarred Heero into taking stock of his own life. He reached the conclusion that Bridget would never change and if he wanted something different for himself then the change would have to come from him.

Although leaving his mother and career in New York had been the healthiest decision he'd ever made, it had also been the hardest.

"My leaving wasn't totally about getting away from my mother," Heero explained to his old agent. "I'm just sorry you had to be caught in the middle, Willy. And I really need for you to understand that I had to get away from all of that. I couldn't take it anymore."

Heero paused for a moment as silence traveled through the phone lines. He quickly added, "And besides, I'm having a great time down here. You should have seen me today! I went jogging on the beach in sweat pants and a baseball cap. Down here, I look absolutely heinous every day but I've never been happier. I'm peaceful, I'm free and for the first time in my life I'm doing what I want to do."

"But does it have to be so drastic? And in Virginia of all places! Doll face, why don't you just tell the ol' bat to butt out once and for all?"

"William, do you honestly think Bridget Yuy would simply 'butt out' of my life because I asked her to?"

He ignored the use of his full name and dodged the question. "Did you see the new underwear ad?"

Heero sighed but kept up with the conversation. "Yes and I nearly passed out from shock."

"So did the hot shots of the company who peddle the stuff. They can't believe their ad people shelved the campaign for all these months. They're head over fuckin' heels, Heero! Their sales have sky rocketed just in the week the ads have been out. Your pretty ass is decorating billboards all over the country! They even want to do a series of television commercials."

Heero was taken aback. "Using me?"

"Of course, 'using you.' They want to do more features of you in printed ads and eventually have the commercials tie in with them. So far, they're saying what you're doing for underwear now is what Mark Walhberg did for Calvin Klein in the nineties."

Heero was completely speechless. Things like this only happened in a supermodel's dreams and to have it actually happen to him…it was surreal.

If only they didn't happen at a time like this…

"Babe, opportunities like this are golden. Can you imagine what this will do for us?" Willy sputtered in excitement.

"Willy…I'm glad the ads are a hit but I can't come back."

Willy snorted, "Not even to the tune of ten million dollars per year for a four year contract?"

Heero's legs folded beneath him and he collapsed on the floor. "You're kidding. Ten million dollars?"

"I see I finally got ya attention." Willy chuckled, "Just so you know, I'm not going to accept five million, I'll counter it with a much better number and no doubt they'll concede. Those ads were dynamite and they're not about to let you slip through their fingers." He paused, thinking. "How does twenty-five million sound?"

"It sounds ridiculous."

"Not too ridiculous," he took another puff of his cigarette. "I could definitely use the bread."

Heero's lips puckered with worry. "You haven't been gambling again, have you? Have you been over withdrawing from your account? And have I been hearing you puffing on a cigar? I thought you quit smoking…"

"Cut it out, will ya?" Willy growled, "You sound like my ex-wife. Never mind me, what about you? When are you getting that gorgeous ass of yours on a plane and back to New York? Enough with the excuses, already."

Heero caught a glimpse of himself in the full length mirror in the corner. The man in the mirror was sitting Indian style on the carpet in the tidy yet modest apartment. In no way did he resemble the gorgeous model on the front cover of the magazine. He was chubby by comparison, his hair hadn't been conditioned or trimmed in months and his hands were a nightmare with short, jagged nails and paint-stained fingers. And his crooked front teeth made for a less than perfect smile.

"I'm not coming back Willy," he said softly, hoping he wasn't hurting his old friend to badly. "I'm in the worst possible shape and I know they wouldn't want me the way I look now. They'll take one look at me, laugh in my face and send me right back. And, believe it or not, I'm a bit chunkier than when you last saw me. I couldn't model anything, let alone underwear, even if I wanted to."

"How much do ya think you've gained," Willy asked unfazed.

"Uh," Heero stuttered, not expecting the question. "I don't know, maybe fifteen…"

"Fifteen pounds, is that all? That's nothing, babe." He laughed it off, "I'll send you to a fat farm and they'll knock that right out in a few weeks. Now, what'll it be? The Golden Door or Canyon Ranch? As a matter of fact, I think you may be closer to Canyon Ranch. Did you wanna make the call or should I? Well, why don't I..."

Heero interrupted his fast talking agent. "You're not listening, Willy. I'm not coming back, okay? I don't want to and I'm so tired of doing things I have no interest in doing!"

The following silence was long and filled with tension. "At least think about the offer, okay? This is one hell of a contract to turn down. And we can start slow, if you want. We'll accept no other work than this but Heero…twenty-five million dollars is a lot of money to say no to."

Heero sighed miserably. "I know Willy." He didn't want Willy to suffer any financial setbacks because of his decision. "Don't think I'm not flattered or grateful for all of this, and all that you've ever done for me. It's just that I have another life here and I really like it."

He glanced at the door, thinking suddenly of the man across the hall. It unnerved him that thoughts of Duo should come to his mind at that moment. Heero was certain that Duo had absolutely no bearing on his decision to stay in Virginia.

Right?

"Well," Willy sighed, "they're in a hurry but I've stalled them for a while. I told them, as well as our other clients, that you've taken an extended vacation. I'll give you a few days to think about it and call you back."

Heero told him okay, already knowing his answer would be the same in a few days, or even a few weeks, but he figured it was a little better than refusing him outright. The constant references to money made him uneasy. He knew of Willy's gambling problem but the man had a fondness for betting on the outcome of any and all sporting events.

"So, how's everything else in your life?" Heero decided to make a little conversation.

"Didn't I tell you not to worry about me?"

He ignored the gruff almost mean voice. "So business is good, then?"

"Are you kidding? I've got the infamous Heero Yuy for a client and now everyone's come knockin' at my door!"

Heero was relieved and let out the small breath he was holding. Willy's agency had been handling showroom and catalogue models when he and Bridget had walked through the door. And when Heero's career had taken off, Willy had moved uptown in more ways than one. Pretty soon, he had more clients than he had time for and had hired several personal assistants to help him manage. Heero had always been glad that his own success had contributed to Willy's.

"Okay, I guess I'll let you go now. Take care of yourself. Watch your blood pressure. Stop smoking those cancer sticks, be a little nicer to your assistants and don't forget to take your medicine."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Stop naggin' me." Willy had always been a bit uncomfortable when Heero showed him a little affection. "Think about the contract, as well. Give it some serious thought."

"I will."

They both said their final goodbyes and Heero hung the receiver up thoughtfully. Something wasn't right and he could feel it deep in his gut.

Was Willy really taking care of himself?

Now that Heero wasn't there, he didn't have anyone to chase after him to take his pills or throw away the hidden cartons of cigarettes. He hoped he was eating properly, too. It killed him to think that his leaving was affecting Willy's business negatively.

His musings troubled him, and he welcomed the interruption of a knock on his door. He leapt from the floor to answer it, swearing to himself that his heart hadn't accelerated with the hope that it might be Duo. He had almost reached the door when he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses, and hurriedly put them on before opening it.

"Can you come out and play?"

Duo couldn't have looked more adorable if he tried.

His hair was damp and tousled, his bangs hanging in his eyes and his long, impressive braid hanging over his shoulder, swinging slowly. He was leaning against the door jam with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his ratty, light blue jeans. A simple white shirt covered the hotness that was his muscled torso. His amethyst eyes were twinkling as they stared down at him.

He was just so damn cute and far too much of a temptation.

He was like a fat triple-scooped rocky road ice cream cone to a model who had sworn away everything except carrots and water. One taste, and he'd be fucked.

Literally.

"No, I can't," he said firmly, staring at Duo's bare, twinkling toes.

"Aw, come on. Please," he begged with his lip poked out.

Heero bit his lip to hide a smile as looked up at him. "I really can't. I've got so much work to do. Don't you have something constructive that you could be doing?"

"Hmm," he thought for a moment, "I could go to the gym downtown and workout or do Lily the favor she asked and sweep out her greenhouse. Apparently, she wants to plot some more plants in there and wants to get things ready. But," he winked at him and Heero felt his smile grow, "I could have my arm twisted to goof off."

"Well I can't so this will have to be goodbye."

Duo humphed and kicked at a dust bunny. "Some friend you're turning out to be," he sulked as he wheeled to leave.

Heero couldn't erase the smile as he closed his door. He told himself that his sudden good moods were a testament to him finally being able to live his own life and Duo Maxwell's unexpected appearance had nothing to do with it.

Absolutely nothing.

Each day of that week passed in a similar manner. It became their routine to meet and run together every morning. Lily would usually have breakfast waiting for them, which Heero would eat quickly before rushing up to his room to work while the morning light was still good.

Duo generally made a nuisance of himself around noon like clockwork but Heero didn't mind at all.

It was almost impossible to get mad at him now.

During the day, Duo would do odd jobs around the house for Lily while their evenings were spent in the living room watching television or playing classic board games.

One evening the three of them decided to take a leisurely stroll around the block. Lily excitedly filled them in with the current gossip of every family in the small neighborhood. It was amazing how much information Lily knew and revealed to them. No one had skeletons in their closet that Lily didn't know about.

Another night, Duo got out the ancient, hand-crank ice-cream freezer, which he fondly remembered from his youth. He cleaned it and oiled the rusty crank while Heero and Lily whipped up some vanilla and chocolate ice cream. A few hours later they were all enjoying the homemade frozen treat beneath the stars in the wide open backyard.

Heero had compared that tranquil evening to many he'd spent club hopping in New York. And he wouldn't have traded for the world.

Duo couldn't remember a time when he had felt so relaxed in the company of others. And it was baffling to him how he found such pleasure in the simple things. Turn back to a few months ago and he never would've figured himself to be the guy who was content with taking walks around the block, playing board games and eating ice cream in the back yard.

Lily was simply buzzing with delight at the thought of her two favorite men finally getting along.

On Thursday, Heero noticed he was low on supplies, and went to the local arts and crafts store to stock up. When he returned, he was carrying a bag so large and heavy that he could barely see over it let alone muster the strength to take it all the way to his room. After ten minutes of taking small breaks on the steps, he finally made it and set the cumbersome bag down on his worktable, and turned to be confronted with a startling sight.

A man was reclining on his bathroom floor. He couldn't see the head or shoulders because they were lodged inside the cabinet underneath the sink but Heero couldn't deny, he recognized the shape of those muscular thighs and legs immediately.

"If you're a thief, I think it's only right to tell you I don't hide my money or precious jewels in the plumbing."

"Har har…you're a fuckin' riot," Duo mumbled beneath the sink.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Heero said mischievously, leaning against the door of the bathroom.

"Never mind," he said louder.

"Okay, so why don't you tell me the logical explanation as to why you're stretched out on my bathroom floor with your head under the sink."

"Lily told me you'd been complaining about a leak."

Heero frowned a moment and was about to tell him otherwise when it dawned on him. "Oh that's right, I did but that had been a few months ago. I figured she would hire a professional or something, though."

Duo slid out far enough to peer up at him with an agitated expression. "Ya know, you're an ungrateful little thing. Just be glad someone took time out of their busy day to fix your leaky faucet. Okay?" He ducked his head back into the cabinet.

Heero rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a good thing you came when you did. That awful, leaking faucet ruined a whole bag of cotton balls. Cotton balls, Duo! Can you imagine?"

Duo chuckled, "Yeah, I found a few soggy survivors."

Heero was about to say something else when a something hit him. "Hey, what's that smell?"

"Nothing," Duo said too quickly.

"Duo…"

"Well…"

"Spill it," Heero placed a hand on his hip even though Duo couldn't see.

"Remember that bottle of disinfectant you had down here…"

Heero groaned. "Oh, you didn't…"

"I did, but it wasn't my fault. Someone hadn't screwed the top on tight enough. And besides, what are you complaining about? You're not the one down here making yourself dizzy by inhaling the fumes."

"If the smell is that strong, why don't you take a break and wait for it to air out? Dummy," Heero deadpanned.

Duo was quiet for a moment. "Don't you have something better to do with your time other than irritate the hell out of me while I'm doing you a favor?"

"Not really," he responded and smiled as Duo mumbled something unintelligible and probably rude under his breath.

Heero decided to close his mouth and focus on something of a bit more importance like the way Duo's gorgeous body was laid out on his very own bathroom floor.

Just like a gift at Christmas.

He was wearing slightly faded, dark blue jeans and a red and blue plaid work shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The tanned skin of his forearms was bare and Heero could see the veins jutting out prominently. He had left the shirt unbuttoned and the sides had fallen open, leaving his muscled chest bare.

Heero swallowed with difficulty. Duo's thick, muscular arms were stretched above his head and each time he moved, the muscles of his chest bunched up nicely. His stomach was flat yet rigid and formed while his navel lay innocently above the button to his jeans. Every time Duo reached for a difficult spot in the back of the cabinet, he would raise his narrow hips up and push down on his bare heels for leverage.

Heero bit his lip at the sight.

His eyes fell lower still, taking in the snap to his jeans. It looked easy enough to undo, just a twist of his fingers and those jeans would open to paradise. They conformed softly to the shape of his lower body and Heero couldn't take his eyes off the spot where his thighs came together. His knees were raised and in the narrow strip of his lap, there lay a big, long…

Wrench.

"Ro?"

He jumped guiltily and yanked his eyes back to the dark opening beneath the sink. "Uh huh?" He answered somewhat breathlessly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he tried to laugh but it came out as a gargled sound.

"Okay…"

Why was he so breathless? Heero had seen models before, male and female, wearing next to nothing. He thought back to the swimsuit layout in Bazaar he did a few years ago. They shot the layout in Jamaica and he vividly remembered the long limbed, teak-colored male models he'd had to assume intimate positions with. One was more beautiful than the last but none of them stirred his senses the way Duo did.

"Can you hand me the wrench, please?"

"The uh…the wrench?" He repeated stupidly.

"Yeah, both of my hands are busy keeping this pipe closed. Do ya see it?"

Yeah, he saw it all right, nestled right against the fly of his jeans.

"Ro?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you succumb to the fumes of the disinfectant?"

Heero blushed. "No I'm uh…never mind," he shook it off and dropped to his knees beside Duo. He extended his hand and was embarrassed to see it trembling. He clenched his fist and steeled himself. 'Just pick up the damn wrench, pass it to him and stop being such a freakin' girl.'

He thrust his hand forward, but a second before he grasped the wrench, he closed his eyes.

And that proved to be a huge mistake.

Heero miscalculated his reach, overshot his mark and his hand slid against the bare skin of Duo's stomach, missing the wrench completely. A certain amount of desperate groping was required before he located the wrench and his hand accidently landed on something that was quite a bit larger than a simple wrench. Heero opened his eyes, gasped softly and reached one final time before his hands closed over the metal tool.

Duo grew completely still but a small tremor shimmied through his body, from his head all the way down to his toes.

Heero clutched the wrench and poked it through the cabinet. "Here."

Duo clumsily took the wrench from him. He barely had a grip on it before Heero snatched his hand back.

"Thanks," his voice deep and husky.

"You're welcome," Heero's voice was just as husky and still breathless.

"I'll be finished here in a sec."

"Um no hurry," he scrambled to his feet. "I've got some uh…things to uh…yeah," he stuttered before fleeing from the small bathroom.

He was all thumbs as he unloaded the bag of art supplies. 'Oh my God,' he mouthed and his eyes bulged as his burned with embarrassment.

How could he have been so stupid? He was mortified, shocked, humiliated.

He couldn't believe he'd actually gotten a grip of Duo's…uh…

"Omigod," he whispered to himself.

Heero briefly wondered what Duo was thinking.

Did he think he did it on purpose?

Probably.

Instead of passing Duo the metal object he'd asked for, Heero had grabbed a firm hold of his crotch.

Nice.

Heero ran an unsteady hand through his hair.

It was an accident.

It could have happened to anyone.

"Only it happened to me," he whispered as he closed his eyes, one hand coming to rest on his still burning cheek.

"All done," a deep voice said behind him.

Heero jumped to the ceiling at the sudden sound and whirled around with a hand over his pounding heart. "Oh, okay. Um, good. Thanks." He turned back around and restlessly arranged his new supplies on the work desk.

He felt Duo move up behind him and he closed his eyes, not wanting his smell to be so achingly familiar, not wanting to feel the warmth emanating from him. He felt his large hand on his shoulder, tentative at first, then firmer, stronger.

"Ro," he whispered softly, his breath moving over Heero's ear.

It would be so easy. So easy to go with the urging of Duo's hand and lean against the hard body he knew was just…right…there. So easy to turn around, run his hands up and down Duo's firm chest and raise on his tip toes to meet his full, parted lips.

So easy…and so stupid.

He immediately squelched the desire and turned around. "I really appreciate you fixing my sink and all but I've got a lot of work to do so…"

Duo stared down at him, very surprised by his formal tone and frigid expression.

How could he not…?

Duo's whole body was on fire and yet Ro was standing there emotionless as ever.

What the hell? Duo had a good imagination, but it wasn't that damn good.

He'd felt that small, fragile hand of his grab onto him and he'd almost exploded.

Duo wanted him.

Bad.

But if he was going to stand there and pretend as if nothing had happened, then he damn sure could, as well.

"Wow," Duo scoffed and shook his head, "I apologize, Mr. Yuy for getting in your way once again. The next time I devote an entire afternoon to doing you a favor, I'll think twice."

He reached the door in three angry strides and slammed it shut behind him.

Dinner that night had been silent and filled with tension.

Still buzzing with anger from earlier, Duo had thought about telling his aunt he would be dining out that evening and wouldn't be able to make it to dinner. But at the last minute, he changed his mind. He wasn't about to let Ro run him out of his own damn house like some scared little girl.

He longed to be back in Carolina, free as a bird with no one to answer to but himself. Where he could go out and be a man, conquering all that stood in his way. He missed hanging with his boys, running the streets looking for a party or something sweet to take home for the night.

This wasn't the first time he'd felt like this.

So empty and home sick.

He figured he needed one of two things: a tank full of gas to take his ass home or a sweetheart to kiss the one big boo-boo that kept him up at night and make him feel all better.

He needed someone, a body, a vessel in the most elemental way. One who didn't make him think, one who cooed over him and laid their hands on him and then later pretend that they hadn't. One who flattered him and whispered outrageously sexy things in his ear.

He didn't want intellect or companionship or, God forbid, friendship.

He wanted sex.

Pure and simple.

But, come to find out, Lily had made his favorite: smothered chicken, rice, macaroni and cheese and green beans. He would've been a real jerk to turn out on her after that. So there he was, sitting in the dimly lit dining room staring across the table at Ro who look as coolly remote as he was hotly sullen.

Lily could sense the underlying hostility enveloping the room but couldn't understand where it was coming from. Just yesterday her two boarders were getting along like peas in a pod and now…well, now her nephew was glaring daggers at Mr. Yuy while the other pushed pieces of chicken and rice around his plate.

By time the dinner was over, she was stressed and worried and upset and badly needed a sip of her "herbal" tea. To keep Mr. Yuy from retreating upstairs, she asked him to brew the tea for her while she complained to Duo about the thermostat on the air-conditioner and asked him to check it.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were in the parlor, settling down to watch an old movie on television.

Duo saw little of it. His eyes kept straying toward the young man curled up in the easy chair, watching the television screen through the tinted glasses that still aggravated the hell out of him. It still boggled him as to why Ro chose to wear such outdated glasses rather than get more modern ones. Or better yet, why he couldn't just get contacts?

Then again, he doubted Ro Yuy did anything conventional. He seemed determined to pick outfits that flattered his small frame the least. His attitude annoyed him to no end as well. Ro gave off the vibe that he just didn't care and had voiced as much when asked. He could be a pretty presentable guy if he just decided to fix himself up a little.

And the hair. Good gracious but the hair got to him the most. Why, in heaven's name, of all the hairstyles on this planet, he would choose that?

"My tea needs a little uh sweetening." Lily muttered and left her seat to go to the kitchen.

Duo didn't move, but stared broodingly at Roas he slouched in the chair opposite of his. His eyes were hooded by glowering brows but he could tell Ro knew he was staring. Occasionally, he would glance at him from the corner of his eye and would look away just as quickly.

Duo didn't dare look away after he was caught. He was glad Ro was uncomfortable.

Served him right.

He'd been more than a little uncomfortable after the little touch he'd received earlier that afternoon.

When Lily returned, she brought along the unmistakable aroma of Jack Daniels with her. She tripped and stumbled back to her chair and it was apparent that she was more than a little tipsy but neither said a word. After she tumbled into her chair, she set heavy lidded eyes towards the television screen and resumed sipping from her teacup.

Duo barely noticed any of it. He was trying very hard to understand how he could have been so turned on by Ro.

The people that he was often attracted to fell into two categories – the ones that he wanted to have sex with and the ones he already had sex with. All the ones in the former group usually ended in the latter with time.

His attention had never been rejected and if when it was time to call it quits, he was the one to do it.

Tall or short, blond or brunette, black or white – no one was spared from rejection when he was tired of them. He was sure they had often been left with questions and mystified as to the reason of their break up but they never asked. And Duo wasn't a man of explanations.

But in all his time, since his first girlfriend to his last lover, he'd never encountered someone like Ro. And what was even more boggling was the amount of time he spent thinking about him. He was boring, annoying, a smart ass and kind of beautiful.

Okay, Ro was very beautiful in his own way but still…how did a man like that attract a man like Duo Maxwell? He'd felt many touches before but the one he'd suffered that afternoon was different somehow.

And Ro wasn't the bold 'touch me while I'm halfway under your sink' kind of guy so it probably had been an accident. It wasn't that hard to guess the guy was probably a little embarrassed by it.

Okay, a bit more than just a little embarrassed by it but why be so damn defensive about it? Why not just go with the flow?

If anyone needed a good rowdy roll in the sack it was Ro Yuy. And from the top of Duo's head to the bottom of his toes, he felt he was just the man for the job. It had been too long since he had something hot and gyrating beneath him, screaming his name. And in his mind, the both of them were prime candidates to take that much needed roll.

At least now he knew for certain something about himself that he'd always suspected. He could never be friends with anyone, man or woman, that he wanted to sleep with. He couldn't be their chum, their confidante, their buddy. It just wasn't possible. And his feelings on the matter solidified as he sat staring at Ro from across the room wondering what he'd look like naked.

"Do you think she's okay?"

Duo jumped slightly at Ro's unexpected voice. "Huh?"

"Do you think Lily's okay," he nodded to his aunt.

Duo looked at his aunt. How long has her chin been resting on her chest like that? And why hadn't he noticed her impossibly loud snoring before now?

Because his mind had been too preoccupied by Ro as it usually was.

"Should we wake her up?"

Duo shook his head. "No, she'd probably feel a little self-conscious. She was sucking down a few more cups of Jack Daniels than she usually does."

Heero smiled at the reference to Lily's "herbal" teas.

Ro had a pretty smile, despite his slightly crooked front teeth. But Duo hardly noticed that little flaw now.

Heero got up and switched the TV off, causing the room to be enveloped in darkness. He moved towards Lily by the sofa and gently lifted her head up so her neck wouldn't strain as much.

"You think you can carry her to the room?" He tilted his head up at Duo.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They stood in the darkness, staring intently at the other. Lily's deep snores kept in time with the clock sitting on the mantel. The room felt like it was closing in around them and it soon became difficult to breathe.

Heero was the first to move and break the spell. "Can you pick her up?"

Duo nodded as he licked his lips. "Sure," he was happy to expend some energy and if he didn't soon, it was possible that he would spontaneously combust. He bent at the waist and slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back. Without much effort, he lifted into his arms but his shoulder screamed in protest nonetheless.

He grimaced.

"Is your shoulder alright?" Heero laid a comforting hand on his injured shoulder and looked up at him.

"Its fine," he looked down at the small hand touching him.

Heero removed it quickly. "I didn't really think about it until now, otherwise I wouldn't have asked." Without waiting for a reply, Heero started off towards Lily's room that was located towards the back of the house on the first floor.

"Why don't you go ahead and turn down her bed," Duo suggested, following closely after him.

Heero did as asked, taking a momentary glance around the room. Lily's room was a little smaller than her tenants with a lifetime of memorabilia cluttered around. She also had an adjoining bathroom, as well. Heero peeled back the crocheted quilt and sheets as Duo gently laid her down.

As he tucked her in, Heero set about taking off her shoes and loosening her clothing so she wouldn't feel too restricted.

Duo watched as Ro worked to make his aunt as comfortable as she could be. He couldn't imagine anyone he knew to do such a thankless task as this. All afternoon and evening he'd been harboring such a grudge against him, mentally accusing him of being everything from a dried up prude to a dangerous tease.

If he had reacted with such strong emotions to his touch this afternoon, what had Ro felt?

Mortification, to say the least.

And now here he was, making this smashed old woman as comfortable as she could possibly be out of sheer kindness.

Duo waited patiently until Ro was finished before they both left the room, closing the door softly behind them. Lily hadn't missed a snore during the entire ordeal.

They walked through the house, switching off the lights as they went. Duo's footsteps fell close behind Ro's as they climbed the stairs and walked down the hall. As they came to stand in front of their rooms, they turned to face each other awkwardly.

Duo wanted to touch him so bad it nearly hurt. He wanted to lay a hand against his cheek to see if it was as soft as it looked. He wanted to thread his fingers through his slick hair and shake until it was free and loose of the gelled product, smelling the tantalizing scent of his shampoo. He wanted to take off the hideous glasses and look into his eyes, to see their true color and solve the mystery beneath them. He wanted to explore beneath the bulky clothing with his hands and run his tongue against his crooked teeth.

"Good night Ro," he said thickly.

"Night Duo," Heero whispered back before turning around and walking into his room.

Inside his room, Heero walked straight to his bed and fell atop it, wrapping his arms around himself. His entire body was trembling with need.

He'd have given anything for Duo to touch him, was even close to throwing it all out the window and beg him to do so.

But Heero wasn't beautiful, and he knew Duo was accustomed to making love to beautiful people.

He immediately scolded himself. All he had wanted was friendship, right? He couldn't be greedy and want more.

How could he?

The answer was a mystery to him but whenever he found himself around Duo, he either felt incredibly wonderful or incredibly miserable. His knees went weak at the mere sight of him while his body turned to mush at the sound of his voice.

The worst part yet was that he spent unimaginable hours thinking about him.

It was dangerous and stupid and soon, he would be leaving to go to football summer camp.

Then what?

He would pack his things, get into his big, expensive truck and drive home where he could go back to his celebrity lifestyle and forget all about the boring boarder named Ro Yuy.

He had plenty of other problems to worry about like the money issue with Willy. He knew Willy would be calling soon, expecting a response to the new contract and Heero still didn't know what to tell him.

Did he want to return to his old life in New York as Heero or did he want to continue living in Virginia as Ro?

Wouldn't going back be safer than staying here and falling in love with Duo. Because he knew that was exactly where he was headed if things kept going the way they were.

Was it wise to trade one set of problems for another?

How many ways could a heart be broken?

He sighed to himself and rolled over to stare out of his bedroom window. He came to a sudden conclusion.

No matter what his decision was, he knew one thing for sure...

He had to stay away from Duo Maxwell at all costs, starting tomorrow.

Sorry it took so long to get out, I had a few things to revise.

I want to thank all you guys for leaving amazing reviews, I love them all! And don't worry unlike my old (and really bad) stories I plan on finishing this one!

Really hope you like and remember to leave a review.