Authors note: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Thanks to
PrincessLesse, who helped so much with her review! I wasn't sure about whom
to pair up next, but when I saw her suggestion, it just made perfect sense! I
realize that my Japanese is very poor, bare with me. As for Duo being a Bob
Seager fan, well he is an American, and it just fits. You probably guessed, but
Duo is 16 and Minako is 15.

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"The deep joy we take in the company of people with whom we have just
recently fallen in love is undisguisable."

John Cheever


Joy
By Veronica Cereta

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"We have a new student joining us today."

Minako looked up from the note she had been writing. Her best friend
had been abruptly dumped the day before and the note was meant to cheer her
up. The situation put her in a men-hating mood, which was rare for the blond
flirt. Of course the mood couldn't last long. In fact it completely disappeared
the instant she saw the new kid. He was a hunk, with long brown hair pulled
back into a cute braid. All she could think was "Yum!"

"The name's Duo." As the boy surveyed the class his gaze came to rest on the
most beautiful member. It was as easy as choosing the Venus De Milo from a pile of
kindergarten clay sculptures. She was a striking creature, her long blond hair pulled up
into a red bow. He flashed her a winning smile as he sauntered to an empty seat two
chairs ahead of her.

The girl fought to stifle a giggle and she returned to her note. She wanted to tell
her friend about the new boy and how he had looked at her, but that seemed a little
harsh. She new her friend would be happy for her, but still . . . Minako quickly finished
up the note and began daydreaming.

Duo meanwhile, paid no attention to his first Classics lesson. He was too busy
plotting ways to win the fetching blond over. She was fantastic, like a goddess of
beauty in a world of mortals. 'Goddess of beauty, that's good.' He would haft to try to
remember that one.

Maybe he would have paid more attention to the class if he had known what was
running through the girl's mind. Not one to let little things like reality spoil a perfectly
good daydream, she was already planning their wedding. He would make a great
groom, with the ponytail casually hung down the back of a slick tux. 'Do you Duo, take
Minako . . .'

"Minako, Minako!"

"Huh," she was jolted from her fantasies by the menacing voice of the Classics
professor.

"Glad you could join us." He always said that, and it was never funny. She
wondered why he didn't vary his insults a bit. "Tell me, Minako, what did Aristotle say
about friendship?"

'Good thing I am so good at quotes,' thought the cunning blond. "Nani desuka
yujin ka? Ni karanda toisho ni ichi chashaku."

The class broke into laughter. "Nani? Nani?" She looked around for someone to
tell her what was so funny.

'What a cutie,' thought Duo as the blond blushed bright red. Luckily the final bell
rang saving her from further embarrassment. She walked quickly out into the hall
avoiding her classmates. Duo rushed to catch her.

""Nani desuka yujin ka? Ni karanda toisho ni ichi kihaku." (A/N: What is
friendship? One soul with two bodies.) Duo said as he casually strolled up along side
the girl.

"What?"

"The quote by Aristotle, it's Ni karanda toisho ni ichi kihaku."

"Isn't that what I said?"

"Close, you actually said "Ni karanda toisho ichi chashaku." (A/N: One soul with
two teaspoons.)

"Ohhhhh." The girl smiled shyly and then giggled. Duo saw his opportunity.

"Hey, you want to go get ice-cream or something?"

"I would love to . . . but I really should go see if my friend is okay. She was
dumped last night."

"That sucks." Duo replied with sincerity. "I'll help you look for her."

"Okay, thanks"

Minako's friend was not difficult to locate. As soon as the two stepped out onto
the sunlit front steps she elbowed Duo. "There she is." A girl with blond hair pulled up
into two odangos was strolling across the lawn. She appeared to be in deep
conversation with a boy Minako had never seen before.

"Well, what do you know! Looks like he's already made a friend, and they're
having an actual conversation." Duo seemed very pleasantly surprised.

"You know him?"

"Oh, yeah, we're buddies. Listen, I don't know about your friend, but looks like
mine would not appreciate an interruption right now. Maybe we could try for that ice
cream.

Minako thought for a moment. Her friend did look somewhat happy, and maybe
time alone with a different guy would be just what the doctor ordered. "Sure!" She
replied, trying to put the breakup out of her head, at least for the afternoon.

Once at the ice-cream shop the two ordered and found a booth in the corner of
the room. There they talked and laughed for hours. Minako learned about four of
Duo's closest friends; Duo learned about four of Minako's closest friends. The two
learned how much each valued and cared for their friends. Duo gave her advice about
what to do with a friend going through a break up. When it came to cheering people
up Minako was unmatched, still the fact that he cared enough to offer the advice was
nice. She had never slipped so easily into conversation with a guy before. She wasn't
shy around him at all. In fact it was like spending the afternoon with her best friend,
only he was a cute guy she wanted to kiss. He spoke with so much passion about
friends and even life. She was very enthralled. Duo was having fun too. He had left
someone special when he came to Tokyo, and was glad to meet a friendly face, and
what a face! Minako seemed more beautiful after he had learned more about her. She
had so many dreams, so much energy.

Eventually the conversation got around to music. Duo learned that her favorite
groups were "Glay" and a group called "The Three Lights." Though she liked many,
many singers. He also learned that she had never heard of Bob Seager, one of his
favorites.

"Man, you gotta hear him!"

"Is he cute," she asked.

"Well . . . no, not really, but he is a really good singer, and I just happen to have
a CD with me. Still, I don't have anywhere to play it."

"We could go to my room. Mom and dad aren't there, so we should have
privacy."

"Great!" The two hurried to Mina's house and up the stairs to her bedroom. As
they entered a small white cat got up from the bed.

"What a great Cat!" said Duo as he stroked it's soft fur. The animal purred
softly.

"Please get out, Artemis." Mina shooed it out of the room. "We would never get
any privacy with him around."

Duo laughed, thinking it a joke.

The room was a typical girls room: fluffy bed, makeup on the dresser. There
were posters of teen idols on every wall. "Wow, do you like all of these guys?"

"Sure do! But none of them have gorgeous hair like yours! Hey, let me do your
hair, pleeeeeaaaaase!"

"Umm, I don't know." Duo weighed the pros and cons of the idea. She was
beautiful and he did want to get close to her, but his hair! He set the CD into the
player and pushed play. "Okay, why not."

"Yea!"

Duo let loose his braid. His long brown hair fell in cascades down his shoulders
and back. Minako touched it; it was soft and tingled her fingers. "Turn the Page," was
playing in the stereo. Thanks to her years in London, the girl could follow along well
with the words. The song was about how lonely life can be, and how it is just a series
of events, like pages in a book. The girl was giggling a lot as she did Duo's hair and
this caused him to worry.

"Hey, what are you doing up there?"

"You'll see. I just want to see how this looks on someone else."

Duo had to smile at how giggly and excited she was.

"Here you go!" she said, handing him a mirror.

He looked at his hair pulled up into two odangos and burst into laughter. She
stopped trying not to laugh and rolled onto the floor holding her stomach. Duo slowly
pulled out the hairpieces and watched her. She had so much joy, God she was
beautiful.

"You know, you are a goddess of beauty." She looked up with a start. The only
one who had ever called her that was Artemis. She was surprised at how much it
changed when coming from a boy and not a small cat.

"Well . . . If I am a goddess than you must be a god. What are you the god of?"

Duo smiled a sad sort of smile, "Someday, I'll tell you." He sat down next to her
and kissed her slowly and carefully. She threw her arms around him as she kissed
back.