Title: The Smile

Author: Karina

Rating: PG

Pairing: Wu Fei + Duo

Notes: Challenge 91. Baby Series 3 #37. Takes place after A Taste For The Exotic.

Spoilers: None

Warnings:

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Characters from the series but the baby is mine.

Title: The Smile

"Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Chang. Front and centre if you will."

Hunter's voice from the earpiece was as effective in breaking their clinch as a bucket of ice water throw over them would have been.

Duo drew a shuddering breath, called back abruptly to harsh reality, his eyes flicked to his watch, afraid they had exceeded their allocated break. There was still two minutes remaining, but that was no comfort.

If Hunter was calling something was up.

Wu Fei had his own moment of disorientation, pulling himself together with surprising reluctance. He had been enjoying the hardness of the body pressed close; the scent of Maxwell's spicy cologne. The feel of the braid clutched in his hand.

When had he taken hold of that rope of hair?

Duo grinned, noting Chang was grasping his hair like some talisman. "I guess we will have to take this up some other time."

With visible reluctance Wu Fei dropped the braid, stepping back. He had not expected to be so rattled by a dance, but there was very little he could describe as simple about the clinch with Maxwell. He wanted to say something, to tell Duo what he thought of the dance, of the moment, but nothing seemed appropriate.

All of his clever words and scholarly training failed him. He could not even think of a poetic phrase written by a Master to convey his emotions.

All he could do was look at Maxwell and hope Duo could see, and understand, what it was he was feeling. What it was he was hoping for and beginning to dream of.

Duo slowly smiled, not his usual manic grin; not even his sneaky smirk. It was a smile Chang had never before had the pleasure of seeing. It was a paragon of a smile; it was perfection. The smile embodied everything he was feeling at the moment, offering everything from hope to fulfilment in shimmering, violet blue eyes. He had never seen those eyes smiling before. Laughing, yes, but something this time was profoundly different.

The smile lit up Duo and Wu Fei knew it was a rare event he witnessed. This moment, this exact moment in time, was as perfect as he would see Duo until they were ready to take a step forward and from friends become lovers.

A step they were far from ready to take.

"Hunter, we read you." He hated the necessity to answer the man's call.

The last thing he wanted to do was leave this devastating smile but there was, as always, duty to be adhered to.

Duo understood the need and while the shimmering violet was changing to his normal blue, he leaned in and feathered a kiss across Wu Fei's lips. It was time to work, their private moment was over, but it was a moment neither would forget. They each determined to seek to renew its magic at some future point.

End

Karina Robertson 2008