the way to a silent boy's heart

Disclaimers: Sadly I do not own Gundam Wing, so please don't sue me.

AN thanks to everyone who reviewed. i hope that you like this chapter.

Chapter 14

Duo and Heero walked down the hall towards the area where the party was being held. Duo looked back to see if Trowa was coming. But he only saw an empty hall.

"Hey Heero," Duo said. Heero looked over at him. "Where do you think Trowa went?"

Heero looked back also. He looked ahead and shrugged.

"Oh well. Where ever he is I'm sure he's fine." Duo said.

They had just walked by a room with the door open when they heard a woman shriek. It had come from the room they had just passed. Duo looked back wanting to see what happened. Heero, on the other hand, was uneffected. After a minute, Duo shrugged and continued on.

The next thing that he knew, there was a medium height blond chick hanging on his arm. She was muttering something like 'I can't believe it's you'. Duo looked down at her and then at Heero helplessly. Heero just smirked and leaned against the wall, as if saying 'You're on your own. You deal with her'.

"Ummm, excuse me Miss," Duo began uncertainly, "but would you mind letting go of my arm?"

"What?" the blond said, then with a slight blush she let go of his arm and continued. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me.

"That's all right, Miss. . ." Duo paused.

"Jones. Marchell Jones." she supplied with a bit of a curtsy.

"Duo Maxwell," Duo introduced himself.

"Is it true that you fought in the war?" Marchell asked curiously.

"Yes, I was," Duo said easily.

"You seem awfully young to be a soldier. What organization did you fight for?" Marchell asked.

"I didn't fight for any organization," Duo said. "I was a gundam pilot."

"A gundam pilot?" Marchell gasped. "That must have been really exciting. Which one did you pilot?"

"I piloted the Deathscythe. Also known as 02." Duo informed her.

"Amazing." breathed Marchell. "Do you think that you could tell me about the gundams and some of the missions you were on?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to." Duo answered.

Just then Heero cleared his throat rather loudly. Duo looked over at him, only to be hit with a Death Glare. Marchell looked at him as well and was a little bit scared.

"Is there something you want to say, Heero?" Duo asked.

"Yes," Heero stated. "You know as well as I that we are not supposed to talk about mission details."

"That was then this is now." Duo disagreed.

"It doesn't matter. People still want the gundams." Heero argued. "But do what you want. I won't stop you."

Before Duo could do anything, Heero stood upright and walked away. All Duo could do was stare after him. I didn't know he was still so serious about the gundams, Duo thought.

"My he's a but touchy, isn't he?" Marchell said.

"Seems that way." Duo said absently.

"So any way, how about those mission stories?" Marchell questioned.

"I'm not so sure about that any more." Duo admitted. "Heero may have a point about not talking to much about the gundams."

"What do you mean? That guy said to do what you want. So you can tell me." Marchell reminded him.

"Yeah, but he said that to make me think about what I was going to do. So that I didn't do anything really stupid." Duo told her.

"So what are you going to do?" she wondered.

"I think I'm going to go find him. He wasn't acting like himself." Duo said. "I'm sorry but I have to find out what is with him."

"Why is it so important to you?" Marchell asked suddenly.

This startled Duo. He thought a minute before carefully answering.

"He's my friend. Is there a reason that I shouldn't want to see what is wrong?"

"No but from your reaction, I'm gathering that there is more to this." Marchell said. "Do you like him?"

"He. . .he's my friend." Duo stuttered.

"That is not what I meant. And I think that you know that." Marchell accused.

"I think that is none of your business." Duo stated more in control. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving."

He waited patiently until she nodded and then he started walking quickly in the direction that Heero had gone.

When he disappeared, Marchell shook her head. The small crush that she had developed since she first saw him was crushed. Duo is completely gone over that guy, Heero, Marchell thought though she couldn't see why. Marchell shrugged before going back into the room she had been in.

Duo looked around the ballroom for Heero, as well as several of the other rooms open to the party guests. But, alas. he found no sign of Heero. Duo them tried looking in the gardens. Again he found no sign of Heero.

Giving up, Duo made his way to the clearing with the fountain in it. Earlier he had been thinking that it would be the perfect spot to tell Heero how he felt. Now Heero was some where in or around the mansion but Duo couldn't find him to bring him here. So that plan wouldn't work.

Duo walked into the clearing with his head down. He never knew that anyone else was in the clearing with him until he bumped into him, sending them both sprawling. Duo landed on top, he shook his head and looked down at the person who he had landed on. (AN should this be a cliff hanger. hmmmmmmm i don't think it will be )

"Heero?" Duo exclaimed.

"Do you think you could get off of me, Duo?" Heero asked.

"I'm sorry." Duo said as he scrambled to get up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"So, where's your girlfriend?" Heero asked coldly.

Duo flinched. "She's not my girlfriend." Duo told him. "Hell I don't even know her. She was just a girl that started to cling on me."

"Fine. What are you doing here?"

"I went looking for you to see what was wrong with you. When I couldn't find you, I came here." was Duo's response.

"Why would you have been looking for me?" asked a puzzled Heero.

"You're a friend of mine, damn it. And I could tell that there was something more than the fact that I was going to talk about a few missions bothering you. So spill Heero, what's wrong?"

Heero just turned away. He didn't know that Duo had been so insightful as to see through the performance he had given. Heero was certain that it was his performance and not his mask that he had seen through.

"I don't know what you mean." Heero declared.

"Some how I don't believe that." Duo told him.

Duo walked up to Heero and placed his hand on his shoulder. He could feel Heero's muscles bunch under the skin. Keeping his hand in place, Duo stepped around in front of Heero so that he could look right into his face.

"We may not have seen each other in a year or more, but you can still tell me things." Dup told him trying to get him to open up.

Heero looked at Duo. Duo was part asking part reminding Heero that he could trust him. Duo's soft violet eyes begging Heero to trust him.

"I was jealous." Heero admitted quietly.

Duo was shocked. Heero just admitted that he was jealous.

"Why would you have been jealous?"

"Because. . ."

"Because, why?"

Heero looked at Duo a minute, before leaning down to kiss Duo. Duo was startled. Heero's lips were firm almost possessive. Duo relaxed and started to kiss Heero back. Minutes went by, before they had to come up for air.

"Does that answer your question?" Heero asked breathlessly.

"Yes," Duo replied huskily before Heero captured his lips once again.

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To Be Continued. . . . . . . . . . .