A/N: I'm sorry for the wait, but here it is! It's also longer than the last one, so it should make up for the longer wait.

Just another note, I titled it 'Dinner with Death' because Duo calls himself death and it was a cool title. Just thought I'd explain in case anyone got confused.

Ch. 9

Heero and Duo both chose to stay away from the school the next day. They decided instead to stalk Relena at a safe distance. Heero hid a few houses away as Duo crept into his room and changed clothes. As a last-second thought while he was pulling on his black wife-beater, he grabbed the clothes that Heero had lent him Sunday. Stuffing them all into a bag he headed downstairs. He shouldered the bag and slid down the banister quietly. It was a proud feat for him, considering he was wearing his favorite pair of tight leather pants.

He jumped off at the bottom to see Rodger by the door with his backpack.

'Relena doesn't know,' Rodger mouthed. 'Amaria and I kept Dad quiet about it. The reporters stayed silent for fear of suddenly finding themselves working in the mines.'

Duo put his hands together in a thank you gesture. Rodger knew he could read lips, yet Rodger wasn't able to himself yet. Duo was teaching him, but it was a slow process.

"Duo," came Relena's sweet call as Duo reached the door, causing him to flinch. With his best fake smile on he turned to greet her.

"Hey Bitchcraft," Duo greeted. "How's your plan for making Heero your slave working?"

"Perfectly," she icily replied. "He's shopping for my engagement ring as we speak."

If Duo hadn't known the truth, he would have gone off to kill himself. He satisfied her by dropping the mask and standing there with his mouth hanging open. "What? He is not!" Duo feigned horrified shock. Implying something by giving certain expressions with truthful words wasn't classified as lying in his book. Relena gave him a triumphant smile as Rodger seethed with rage.

"He is, it should be on the news by tonight," she replied sweetly. "You put up a good fight Duo, but I've won. It would be better for Heero if you never showed up again. That way he can get on with his life like he truly wants to. Goodbye." Relena strode out of the doorway, gleaming with triumphant glee.

Duo played his part well, walking slowly and without hope or light down the street. Relena drove off, content with the outcome. Duo walked for a while more, and then burst into a run when he knew he was out of her range of sight.

Heero—seeing Duo frantically run—ran worriedly to his side.

"Duo, are you okay?" He asked as Duo bent with his head nearly touching his knees. "What happened?" Heero had expected many things, Duo springing up and then backwards as he began to laugh uncontrollably, however, was not one of them.

"Re-Relena… caught me s-sneaking out and… and then…" Duo tried to say as he continued to laugh. "She told me… you were getting… getting her an engagement ring! And she thinks… she's won… 'cuz she couldn't tell that I-I wasn't… wasn't as s-sad as she… thought!" Duo gave up trying to speak and simply fell onto his butt, laughing.

"She said I'm what?" Heero exclaimed.

"You heard," Duo replied. "D-don't make me… say it… again."

"It's gonna be on the news later on," Heero observed. "And then all hell will break loose when some newscaster says, 'but isn't he dating Duo?'." That got Duo to stop laughing. He placed a hand to his chin as he thought about it for a few moments.

"But she'll have to stay on Earth until the conference," Duo commented when he was done thinking. "I have a feeling Dad wants to take me with him instead of Rodger this time—otherwise Relena never would have told me to disappear so it'd be easier on you—and we can just take care of the problem in the open like that."

Heero nodded as Duo's idea came into his head as well. "She won't be able to try anything with all those people around—not to mention the press coverage—and we can counter anything she throws at us." Heero helped Duo stand up and the two smirked at each other. Revenge was going to be sweet.

"Oh yeah," Duo said, "I've got your clothes with me." Duo handed Heero the bag as Heero nodded his thanks. They found a gas station and Heero changed in the bathroom. Slinging the bag with the old clothes now in it over his shoulder, they took a long walk around town, neither really wanting to go school. They only relaxed as they saw news coverage of Relena leaving the colony.

"How about we make a battle plan at my place," Duo suggested.

"Why not at mine," Heero inquired. Duo shrugged.

"Mine's closer. And besides," Duo added, "Dad is probably going to want to have you over for dinner sometime. Might as well get it over with." Heero nodded and they headed for Duo's house once again.

Heero was taken a bit aback by the sheer size of Duo's fourth floor room. No, room wasn't the right word for it. He had a suite. There was a large living room decorated in crimson red and black in a very gothic style, and a short hallway with three closets leading to his actual bedroom. The bedroom was decorated much like the living room. His carpet was as black as space. Silver and diamond hangings adorned the black with purple swirl designs walls as a crimson bedspread with lavender pillows softened the room a tad. He had a large dark wood dresser—the desk was in the living room—and a large full-body mirror next to his closet door. A sheer silver canopy hung around the bed. Large French doors adorned the back wall, leading out onto a small balcony overlooking the rose garden.

Duo took the bag from Heero and set it on his dresser as Heero starred in awe.

"Melissa decorated it," Duo informed him as he pulled back one side of the canopy. "She had a 'gothic phase' as she calls it, and decorated this room. It was supposed to be for a gothic girl that Rodger was being arranged to marry, yet her dad called it off. And so Dad figured he'd stick me in here. It suits me fine though."

Duo sat on the bed and crawled over to let Heero in. Heero snapped out of his daze and joined Duo on the massive bed. Duo let the canopy drop and lay down. Heero did the same and they forged a plan for the council meeting that Friday as they snuggled close. Heero found he couldn't keep his hands off of Duo for long in this romantic gothic room, and dinner came all too quickly to find a happily exhausted couple.

They showered and changed, and Duo lent Heero some of his looser clothes. Dressed in his most ragged pair of jeans and a slightly baggy shirt (for ones you buy at concerts never truly fit you) Duo slid down four banisters with Heero shortly behind. It was more convenient than walking down all those steps.

Heero was wearing normal jeans and one of his old green tank-tops. Duo had managed to steal one during the war and had held onto it as a comforting reminder ever since. Heero had promised to return it after Duo had explained why he had it.

"Hey Rodger," Duo greeted as he they walked into the dining room. Noticing his sister's absence he added, "And where's Amaria?"

"Staying with a friend," Rodger answered. He turned to Heero as they sat down. "Relena was lying this morning, right?"

"Yes," Heero answered. He put an arm around Duo's shoulders. "The only one I want to marry is Duo." Duo blushed and looked up at him with awe-struck eyes. "I would have before you had disappeared if it weren't illegal."

"I'm sure I can find someone who'd do it," they head Zechs comment. Turning, they saw Zechs join the table besides Rodger. "Hello boys."

"What are you doing here," Duo asked.

"Mr. Sullivan invited me to dinner," he answered with a shrug.

"Do we need to set an extra place?" Melissa asked as she came in. She gave Zechs a kiss and then turned to Heero and Duo. "Good to see you again, Mr. Yuy. Will you be joining us?" Heero nodded. "I'll just go tell them to prepare for another person then."

Duo thanked her happily. Mr. Sullivan came in then, and took the head seat. He noticed Heero and asked, "Are you joining us today, Mr. Yuy?"

"I dragged him along," Duo answered with a big smile. "Figured you wouldn't mind."

"I had been hoping to invite him," Mr. Sullivan commented with a nod, "so it's not really a problem."

"Good," Duo added. Melissa joined them shortly and sat next to Zechs. "You're joining us?"

"Well my boyfriend is the main guest," she replied. "So of course I am."

"Well congrats," Duo told them with a cheery smile. "You better thank Sally for grabbing Wu Fei, Melissa. I thought for sure Zechs here was gonna grab him for himself after he joined the Preventers."

Mr. Sullivan barely managed to keep his mouth shut and not spew his drink everywhere, and Zechs just starred at him with surprised eyes.

"How'd you know?" he asked. Duo just laughed.

"Come on, Zechszy," Duo teased with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "You were making such big doe eyes at him you'd have to have been blind not to notice it."

Mr. Sullivan cleared his throat and then asked, "So how long will you be staying with us, Mr. Peacecraft?"

"Oh yeah," Duo interrupted, "you're going by Milliardo now, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Zechs waved it off. "I'll be here until the conference, and I'd like permission to bring Miss Melissa with me as my special guest."

Duo looked at Heero with an amused face and mouthed, 'He sure knows how to make the right impression on dear old Daddy.' Heero gave him an amused smile and managed not to chuckle at that.

"Certainly," Mr. Sullivan replied, "I will feel better knowing she is in good hands while I'm away."

"Gosh Dad," Duo commented, "I know you're overprotective but good grief! You'd think you were leaving for a year, not a week."

"I know that's a problematic area of my life," Mr. Sullivan calmly replied. With a smile that almost looked like a smirk he added, "And we are going to the conference. I've decided to take you with me."

Duo feigned surprise. "No! I thought you were taking Rodger again for sure when Relena told me to disappear!"

"She what," Zechs asked. Melissa sat by him with her jaw on the floor.

"Yeah," Duo answered, shrugging with a wave of his hand. "She said Hee-chan here was getting her an engagement ring and told me it'd be easier for everyone if I simply disappeared. Only shows she truly knows that she doesn't have a chance with Heero as long as I'm around."

"She doesn't even have a chance when you aren't around," Heero commented. Duo gave him a big smile and kissed his cheek.

"So why are you letting Duo go now, when you never did before," Rodger inquired. "I thought you weren't letting him take over the family business, and that was why you took me instead."

"I never knew that Duo was a gundam pilot," Mr. Sullivan answered. "It's unfair that he should be kept away from his spot on the council just because no one will allow him to go." Duo thought for a moment as servants brought out the first course.

"Thanks Dad," Duo finally said as he starred at his plate. "That means a lot." Duo then looked at Heero with a bewildered face and inquired, "We have seats on the council?" Heero began to chuckle.

"Yes," he answered. "They decided to give us honorary seats because we won the majority of the war." Duo scoffed.

"More like the whole war," Duo commented. "Yeah, the resistance did some good but, come on! Oz didn't yell 'it's the resistance!' It was always, 'it's the gundams!' We did more damage in a few days than they did the whole war!"

"You always have to be politically correct," Rodger stated. "And they did help, even if they didn't do as much as you guys."

"What a pain," Duo commented.

"Truly," Zechs agreed. "Now how are you two going to break the news to Relena?" Everyone starred at the couple with inquisitive eyes.

"In front of as many cameras as possible so she can't assassinate me on the spot," Duo answered. "And you'll just have to wait to know the rest." Duo started to eat as a way of showing that he wasn't going to say anymore on the matter. They looked at Heero, who shrugged and followed Duo's example by taking a bite of the food.

Rodger sighed. "You're so stubborn Duo," he stated. Duo just nodded in agreement.

"Can't spoil the surprise," Duo commented as he winked at Rodger. "Just watch the news."

"I won't have to, since I'm coming as well."

"Oh, well then you get a front row seat."

A phone interrupted their conversation, and Mr. Sullivan excused himself from the table to take it.

"So are you going to make a move for Miss Melissa's hand," Duo inquired as he smirked at Zechs.

"Duo!" Melissa exclaimed while she flushed crimson. "That's an extremely personal question that I'd rather you'd asked when I wasn't here so that it could still be a surprise!"

"It will be, my dear," Zechs stated, "for I'm not going to answer." Duo pouted. "That doesn't work on me," Zechs added as he stared at Duo. Duo huffed and crossed his arms.

"How come it works on you, the ice prince," Duo asked, "yet not Zechs?"

Heero leaned over to Duo's ear and whispered, "Because I find it adorable and want to take you to bed with me every time I see you do it." Duo blushed and starred at Heero with wide eyes.

"Geez, again?" Duo finally asked when his shock wore off a few moments later. "If this is what our being apart does to you, I'll just have to try it if you ever slack off too much." Heero glared at him as he stuck out his tongue.

"Try it and you'll find yourself under house arrest," Heero commented.

"Oh, is the big bad Preventer gonna punish me?" Duo teased with a sly smile.

"Guys, please!" Rodger exclaimed. "We're eating for heaven's sake! Save the talk until dessert at least!" Heero and Duo shared a glance.

"Yes mother," they both replied as they rolled their eyes in complete synchronization. Rodger began to laugh as Zechs chuckled with Melissa.

"What charming twins," Zechs commented, "how ever did you come by them?"

"I'd like to know where to find the lucky catch you got to get those two beauties," Melissa added. "And if he was a lawman."

"Because you do realize that twincest will look bad on their permanent records," Zechs continued.

Mr. Sullivan came in just then to find them all laughing hard. For the rest of his life, he never could figure out what they had found so funny. Duo on the floor wasn't much of a change, but Rodger and Melissa along with him—with Heero and Zechs not far from falling—was quite a sight. He sighed and took his seat, eating as he waited for the moment to pass. Third course was over before they stopped laughing at random intervals at a small reminder of whatever had happened.

A/N: Just a note, most fancy dinners have four courses. Well, there it is! And get ready, the conference happens in the next chapter! So I'll do my best to have it up no later than tomorrow if at all humanly possible, TTFN!