Sorry about that blank page, all! It was my fault actually. Sorries!! Here's the real part 5, honest!

Love and Lust - Part 5
By Kirakira

~*~
Periodically, Duo would open his mouth, but no words would come out. Sure, he was waiting for this opportunity, but now that it arrived, he didn't know what to say. Should he just come out and tell Heero why he left? That seemed a little awkward to him. So he just said the only thing that stuck in his brain.

"Hi, Heero. Long time no see, huh?" he smiled slightly, glancing at the paper he was holding. "Oh...here you go."

"Huh?" Heero looked at the paper in his hand. A few seconds later, he snatched it and stood up, wondering why it took him so long to react. "Hi Duo. You're doing well...from the looks of things anyway."

"Yeah..." Duo stood up as well, brushing himself off. "Doesn't seem like things changed around here."

"Oh really? I wouldn't know." With that Heero continued walking. Not knowing what else to do, Duo followed.

"Uh I called you yesterday but-"

"You did?" Heero said, stopping in his tracks.

"Yeah...Wufei gave me your number. But when I dialed it, a little girl picked up the phone." Duo looked at Heero in the face. "So I figured that I had the wrong number. Heero nodded, his eye barely twitching.

"Oh...a wrong number...?"

"Yeah..." Duo thought for a minute. "Your number is 555-3769, right?"

"Well actually...no it's not." Heero started walking and Duo of course gave chase.

"But that's number Wufei gave me."

"Well then he lied to you because that's not my number."

"Then what is your number?"

Heero scoffed. "You think I'm gonna give it to you?"

"Well yeah..."

"Oh really?" Heero reached the room and looked at Duo. "And why's that?"

"Because..." Duo shrugged. "I thought we were friends so..." He averted his eyes as Heero reached for the doorknob.

"Well...then I guess you were wrong cuz...we're not." Then Heero disappeared into the room. Duo just stared at the door before sighing in despair. The friendship he thought he had with Heero didn't even exist; that hurt worse than getting shot...emotionally anyway. With a gloomy look on his face he turned to walk away, but caught a glimpse at the room number.

"!78...perfect!" Duo walked into the room, closing the door softly behind him.
---
Akari practically glared at Zechs as he just sat there on the bench, flipping through a magazine. On occasion he would look up to see what she and Akira were doing but nothing more. This was really getting on her nerves. They had been in the park for nearly an hour and things still weren't going according to plan. With distress all over her face, she turned to Akira.

"What are we gonna do? The oober won't go away!?" she whispered, leaning close to her sister. Akira looked around before spotting something.

"Hey see that old lady with the poodle?" Akira pointed to her so that Akari could see. When Akari nodded, Akira went on. "Well, how about we bug her a bit, get her mad at us and have her yell at us, then Zechs'll come over there and then he'll get yelled at, giving us the perfect opportunity to escape."

"Uh huh..." Akari looked skeptical. "And you know this'll work because..?"

"Because I've seen it in movies. Now come on." Getting up off the grass, Akira sauntered over to the woman, her braids swinging back and forth as she walked. Akari cursed her sister for having longer hair than her. Hers only went shoulder length. Akira's, on the other hand, covered her whole back. Mumbling, Akari got up and followed her sister, but not before checking to see was Zechs was doing. Luckily, for them, he was still reading that magazine.

Before they got close enough to the old lady, Akari and Akira devised a plan to make her upset. They didn't know if would work, but it was better that not having anything at all. So, mustering up all the courage she could, Akira walked up to the old lady, putting on her best smile.

"Excuse me ma'am," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. The old lady looked at her.

"Yes? What is it child?"

"Well I was wondering if you had a nickel. You see, my sister and I wanna get some ice cream, but we're a nickel short and-aw! What a cute puppy!" Akira knelt down to pet the poodle. Meanwhile, the old lady was looking through her purse.

Akari sneaked up from behind the lady, just waiting for the right moment to grab the old-fashioned hat that sat on her head. When the timing was right, she snatched the hat and started laughing when she came around in front of the lady, seeing her look of shock.

"Hey now give that back!" she exclaimed, standing up. But as she took one step toward Akari, Akira stuck out her foot in the lady's path, making her trip, falling flat on her face. Both girls laughed hysterically. Not paying attention to the poodle's barks. Scrambling to her feet, the old lady glared. "You rotten little brats! Come 'ere!"

"NOW!" Akira yelled, and both raced toward Zechs, the old lady in hot pursuit. Of course the two girls made it to Zechs first. Looking up from his magazine he saw their reddened face.

"What have you two been doing?" he asked before focusing on the hat. "And whose is that?"

"ROTTEN CHILDREN!!" The old lady yelled, seizing her hat finally. Akari and Akira hid behind Zechs. "You brats, if I were your parents I'd whip ya until your bottom bled!"

"Hey! Don't talk to them like that, they're just kids!" Zechs countered, working up a glare of his own.

"Hmph! Those 'kids' are gonna grow up to be nothing more than delinquents, I tell you!"

"Now listen here lady-"

"No you listen!" The lady pointed a bony finger at Zechs. "You're not fit to be a parent if you can't even teach your children right from wrong!"

Akira was stifling a laugh when she heard her name from behind. Turning she Akari behind a tree, motioning her to follow. Nodding, Akira took little baby steps before rushing to be by Akari's side. They stayed behind the tree for a while: Zechs and that lady were still going at it. Then, when the timing was right, they raced toward the entrance of the park, planning on not coming back for the rest of the day.
---
Heero tapped his pencil on the desk while listening to an operative tell how the mission went. He was surprised that Duo walked into the room. For a second he thought that Duo would persist, but came to find out that Duo was actually his partner for this meeting. They didn't talk, only glanced at each other. Heero hated this; there was so much he wanted to tell Duo but wasn't sure how to say. What he said before came out all wrong. He did that Duo was a friend...but was kind of hoping it was more than that. But can't always get what you want right? Looking at the clock he groaned. It was only 11:30 am.
---
Zechs let out a sigh of relief as the old lady stomped off, her poodle close behind. He thought that that would never end. After stretching a bit, he picked up the magazine and started reading the article he left off with. Then, after a few minutes, he looked up to see what Akari and Akira were doing...only to find out that they weren't even there.

"Hmm...odd..." Setting the magazine down he stood up, looking around. "Kari! Kira! Where are you two!? Come now this isn't funny! Kari!! KIRA!!" Forgetting the magazine, Zechs went to go look for them, not knowing that they were already out of the park and were now walking down the main street of the city.

"So we ditched Zechs..." Akira said, kicking a pebble out of her way. "now what?"

"Now..." Akari grinned, "we shop!"

"Shop?" Akira looked at her. "We don't have any money."

"Sure we do!" From her fleece pocket she pulled out a card. After realizing what it was, a grin slowly appeared on Akira's face.

"A credit card!" they said in unison.
~*~

There! I'll try to not be mushy, ok? ^^ I shall try!! Oh! Review please!