AN: I am sorry that this is so short, and I apologize that it's so clunky but it wanted to be written and didn't care that I had reservations on the quality! Forgive me!

"Don't. You. Dare," Heero warned me slowly through a ground jaw. I looked at him with wide eyes full of pure innocence, even canting my head slightly as if indicating that there was something wrong with him. We had decided to have a bit of pre-shopping for the house solely out of pure boredom, and it was his fault he turned me loose in such a large store with two cups of coffee coursing through my veins. Sadly for me, he finally realized that I had bolted on him shortly after we arrived, and judging by the expression on his face, he'd been stalking after me for a while, trying to find me. He found me, didn't he? Why'd he have to look so sour?

How is it my fault that I ended up on a display stand proudly showing off the newest zero turn mower? How is it my fault that I started posing seductively on the biggest one like a girl in a magazine sprawled over the hood of a Camaro while people passed by? How is it my fault that the woman openly staring at me walked smack into a woman who was too busy talking on the phone instead of paying attention to her surroundings? How is it my fault they're now brawling on the floor?

"Get down!" Heero snarled as he pointed at the floor by his feet. Blinking at him with my large and expressive eyes, I peeled myself from the mower and hopped down next to my friend. Slowly, I gave him a cheeky grin as security came galloping over, and before we could be included in the carnage Heero grasped my shoulders and drove me away. Looks like we won't be coming to this particular warehouse chain any time soon. So, we went to the competitor. This time, Heero walked close to me, almost striding in step with me, and then I realized… he had hooked his fingers into my belt, just on the side of my hip. Right where my gun rests when I'm at work. Then it hit me, he often holds me by the gun a lot when we're on a beat. I burst into laughter and he gave me a cold and dirty look.

"What?" Heero asked flatly while still offering me that old patented glare o' death of his.

"I see you like holding me by the gun," I purred as I leaned in close to him. "Oh Heero… do you want to… count my bullets?" I breathed into his ear. He kept walking and didn't falter in step, which in turn, kept me from faltering in step.

"I'm not holding you by the gun, Duo," he growled in a low tone. Something about the way he says my name just makes me shiver. I love hearing it pour from those perfect lips. "I am holding you by the belt loop at your hip."

"Yes," I countered as we turned a corner. "And that's usually where you hang onto me when I do have my gun on me." I stopped abruptly, which was a pretty bad idea, because he didn't. Losing his balance for a moment, Heero tripped slightly forward, yanking me with him, which in turn caused me to stagger. I grabbed onto his shoulders to keep myself upright because knowing him, he'd let me face plant on the concrete floor without unhooking his finger in my belt loop. I grinned audaciously in his face as I leaned forward and whispered. "Maybe you want to take out my clip and… inspect it, huh?"

Okay… maybe the little pelvic thrust was a bit too much, but when our crotches collided his face turned bright red and suddenly I found myself staggering backwards as my arms pinwheeled for balance. I lost it and fell, hard, on my bum. The back of my skull smacked into the aluminum shelving behind me and honestly, the sound was louder than the actual pain, to which there was hardly any.

"Duo?"

His eyes had widened comically and before I could even give him the reassurance of a smile to let him know I was okay, he was on one knee before me. His breath was quick; I could feel little puffs of it through his parted lips as he pressed close to reach the back of my head to lightly probe my scalp for injuries.

"I'm so sorry… I just… reacted without thinking," he murmured as those nimble fingers trailing through my hair sent goosebumps along my arms. I couldn't help the light shiver coursing through my torso. I can't believe it! He was wearing the cologne I had bought him for Christmas!

"Hey… isn't that the cologne I bought you for Christmas?"

"Yes," he said. Realizing that I was without injury, he rose swiftly (without even a pop of his knee to let me know he was human! Figures!) and jutted his hand out to me. I grasped it without thinking and let him haul me up.

"I told you that smelled good on you."

"Thanks," he grunted. He gave me one more look up and down and then jammed his hands into his front pockets and turned to stalk down towards the flooring isle. I tilted my head to watch him walk away. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, but does he have a fine backside on him. To simply call it an ass would be insulting to the sculptured perfection that it was. And those long legs. I could spend an hour just rubbing them…

Sighing, I lowered my eyes to my crotch. "Really? You do know we're in public, right?"

We found ourselves staring at samples of bamboo flooring. We both liked the grain, but we couldn't decide on a color. He stood slightly behind me, peering at the samples over my right shoulder. I couldn't believe how good and natural that felt, it felt… real. Like we were real and in my dream world, how easily I could just turn my head slightly to the right and give him a warm peck on the cheek.

In reality, I'd probably end up embedded in the cinderblock wall of this place. Aaah, but I could dream. And the faint hint of that gifted cologne once again filled my nostrils. He didn't put on a whole lot, either. I don't know if he just wasn't comfortable wearing it, used to wearing it, or even liked wearing it. This made my mind race. If he didn't like wearing it, then why did he bother with it today and why so little? I mean, you practically had to stand in a very close proximity to him to even know it was on. Did he like the scent and had only worn it for his benefit? Heero had never mentioned anything about what kind of smells he liked. We had both discovered it one day when a cologne sniper got us in the mall. While I was impressed with his amazing abilities of restraint (seriously; that kid had no idea how close he was to death with that move!), Heero had simply commented that it smelled nice as he stalked away with his affected sleeve up to his nose. I came back the next day and bought a small bottle.

"Duo," my name was whispered again my ear.

So… why would he put it on and with such a small amount? Maybe I'm reading far too much into this because if he did enjoy it; that could be one of his guilty little pleasures, right? Heero deserves those, poor guy. With all that he's

"Duo?"

been through in life. With his trainings and missions, it was only fair he could have a secret little joy. Now… the ifs of why he had decided to put it on. I sure wished it was because I had been the one to gift it to him. I longed that it had been me as the reason for applying it. I longed that it was done in such a small application with him in

"Duo?"

anticipation of whatever it could be that would draw us close to one another. And, it did happen and in a very "us" sort of way, too. Which is cool. We aren't the traditional romantic types. Well, I know I'm not, I don't know what he considers romantic. He knows what's expected out of it, but… what does he personally consider romantic?

I blinked when I felt fingers on my chin turning my face to the right, and I came to my self once again. Cobalt eyes were hard, but very concerned and I realized that Heero was speaking.

"…get you to the emergency room?"

"For what?" I asked, surprised.

"I've been calling your name for two minutes now," Heero said. I felt his thumb trailing slowly along my jawline as he peered deeply into my eyes, as if trying to diagnose any probable head injury through my very eyes.

"I'm okay," I managed to whispered, so lost was I in that intense gaze that my heart actually began to hurt. If only that were for me… if only that were for me. This was what I wanted, but on purpose.

"Heero… I'm okay," I whispered again gently, but made no move for him to break any sort of contact with me.

"Are you gentlemen okay?" an employee said as he came over.

"He fell and hit his head about fifteen minutes ago," Heero answered. "And he just zoned out on me, can he sit down in a chair?"

Alarmed, and before I could open my mouth to protest, if that were even possible at this point, a computer chair rolled out from behind a desk and Heero eased me into it.

It was fun to be rolled around in the chair while we spoke to the nice kid who was showing us the floor samples. He listened patiently as Heero and I debated on dark versus light, which grain would look good in a hallway without windows, and should we decide on stone for the kitchen. Linoleum was out, we both hated it. The crap in our bathroom now was fading yellow and curling up in the corners, so that was definitely out. Finally, after an hour of Heero pushing me between various samples, we decided on a nice light color; honey almost. I liked it, it looked new and fresh and clean.

"Windows," Heero said as I got out of the chair.

"Today?" I frowned, and then checked my watch. It was nearly three in the afternoon. "How about we save those for another time? I'm getting tired and I think we missed lunch."

"Good idea," he said. We thanked the young man and then we began to walk towards the front.

"Right quick; let's go to the garden department."

"Why?"

"I just want to look at the flowers."

"There's no need, Duo. They'll be gone by the time our landscaping is finished."

"I know, but I want to look at them anyway."

"I thought you were hungry?"

"It's just a little detour," I said as I turned around and began to walk backwards in front of him. Reaching out, I grasped his wrists. "I won't buy anything, I just need an idea." Maybe the excitement in my eyes quelled his urge to jerk away from my physical contact, because he simply nodded. "And besides, we can just go to the Jeep from the door there."

So he obliged. I didn't take my time examining every potted plant out there, but I did stop when I found a cute little number that I couldn't possibly pronounce it's scientific name for. It was purple, the petals small and delicate and it was a hanging plant to boot. I felt the slight brush of his light jacket against the back of my right shoulder and I longed to melt backwards into him. "Pretty, huh?"

"Yes. It'll spread out nicely."

"All it needs is a home."

"Says the guy who said he wasn't going to buy anything."

"I know," I answered wistfully. "Besides, we don't have a hook to hang it on." And there was just the perfect place for it, too. Right outside of the kitchen window where our table is. It opens inwards and once upon a time, someone had had their plants there. There was the telltale sign of where the screws for the little hanger used to be in the brick. My fingers caressed the small purple blossoms as I turned away but Heero stopped me as he lifted the plant and carried it away.

"C'mon, I owe you this for letting you fall," he said as he headed to the register. He didn't pause as he snatched up a flower hanger, a pretty little thing with a humming bird and a butterfly on it from its box. I felt the warmth blooming in my chest again.

"Oh Mr. Yuy, you're so good ta me!" I sang out as I began to follow.

While Heero installed the little flower hanger, I got supper going. It felt like a spaghetti night to me. "You know… the more we talk about the new house, the more cramped this place is starting to feel," I said as I stirred the meat simmering in the pot.

"I know," he said before the power drill drowned out any immediate answer I could give. He tested the hold, was satisfied, and then hung the plant outside into the evening air. It was nice and mild, so I wasn't too worried about it dying on me over night. He set his feet back onto the kitchen floor and then shut the window behind him. As he went to put up the drill, I couldn't stop myself from walking towards him. I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him and hugging him tightly with my face pressed into his shoulder. I felt like I was watching this from outside of my body.

What the hell, Duo? You're going to creep him out! Let go of him! You know he doesn't like to be touched unless he invites it, you're breaking all kinds of rules here, buddy-boy!

I couldn't stop. I just couldn't. And to make it worse, he froze when I hugged him suddenly. Maybe because it was the way I was more clinging to him than anything, as if he had waded out into the waters I was drowning in and I latched onto him for one last ditch effort to live.

"I'm sorry," I whispered into his neck. "I'm sorry…"

It was one helluva long moment before he moved. At first I was preparing myself for him pulling away from me and just going on about his business as usual. In fact, I was so prepared for that, that when he wrapped one arm around me in a loose hold, I let out a sound that resembled the startled yelp of a wounded animal. Now that got his attention. The drill case forgotten behind him, his free arm wound around me as well, and I could feel his palm on the back of my head, holding my cheek to his shoulder.

"It's alright," Heero whispered. I closed my eyes and kept holding on.