Umm… I was in one of my moods when I initially started writing this, and some of it kinda rubbed off on Duo. So, I'm sorry if he seems a bit melancholy. I also apologize for his and Heero's apparent lack of brain function towards the end of the chapter; it seemed fitting at the time, and now I'm too lazy to fix it.
—Chapter 7
Sunday morning… Duo stared almost dismally into his mug, watching the sun begin its slow ascent. Heero was leaving sometime today. Presumably, once the others were up so he could say his farewells to them all. Despite his outward appearance of seeming not to give a damn about them one way or the other, Duo knew he really did. And he therefore knew that no matter what time Heero actually did decide to leave, it wouldn't be until he'd had a chance to say all his goodbyes. Hell, by his standards, Heero was probably stricter about that than Duo. Were he the one leaving this morning, he'd probably have done so as soon as he'd gotten up. He'd have taken care of all his goodbyes the night before. Why prolong the inevitable, right?
He let out an exaggerated sigh and drank his coffee. Yeah, why prolong the inevitable… he thought derisively, wondering why was he sitting here, waiting for him? Why did he feel it necessary to say his goodbyes when he wouldn't expect—or even want—Heero to do the same? He abruptly stood, sliding his stool back harshly, and stepped over to the sink to dump the contents of his mug; it had ceased to taste like anything to him. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to pretend today was just another day. Another morning in which Heero would enter promptly at 6:00, grab his already prepared coffee, sit down at the bar, and tell Duo more entertaining stories about his travels. He wanted the week to start back over with Heero's arrival so he could have that much longer to spend with him. He wanted Heero not to leave. Unbidden, Quatre's comment from a couple days before entered his mind, "If you're that set against it, just leave with Heero."
With an indistinguishable growl, he tossed the mug into the sink. Shaking his head almost dejectedly, he gripped the edge of the counter and stared at his reflection in the stainless steel. He didn't want to go anywhere with Heero. He didn't. He wanted to go back to the apartment he shared with two of his friends at the university. He wanted to go back to his studies so he could finish them and finally get out of that hellhole called graduate school. He wanted to go tramping around from colony to blasted colony with a degree he never planned to use doing whatever the hell he pleased. That was what he wanted. It was what he had always planned for. But over the past few months, it had slowly dawned on him just how lonely that would be. Oh he was bound to meet numbers of people and make friends wherever he went, but the travels themselves would be carried out by only him. For some reason though, his mind had conjured all these images of his traveling with any one of the others. But being here, and seeing them all and listening to their stories about life 'back home' he realized how impossible that really was.
Of course, he would be lying if he said his insecurities stemmed from all four of them and not one in particular; Duo Maxwell never lied. His roommates had once asked him why, with all the girls that trailed after him, he hadn't yet claimed one for himself. He had jokingly replied because there was only one person who could ever have his heart—his former comrade at arms, Heero Yuy. Of course, he had been referring to the actual chunk of muscle. Now, though, he wasn't so certain he hadn't meant it metaphorically as well. Quatre had hit right on the mark the other day when he had suggested Duo's attention might have been distracted. Indeed he had been. Certainly not by their riveting conversation either. The years of separation must have clouded his memories of the brooding one, for he certainly did not recall his countenance being quite so domineering, nor his presence as impressive. Then again, when they had parted, they had been in their late teens, on the brink of adulthood; the years since had probably just allowed him to fill out more. He certainly appeared more suited to his frame now.
This explained his distraction the other day, and his reluctance to see Heero leave today. The man was so damned attractive. And as the week had progressed, Duo had found himself drawn to his enigmatic presence more and more. He couldn't help it. Something about Heero compelled him, drove him forward. Try as he might, he couldn't halt or even stall the motion. And now… now when the object of his infatuation was leaving, he knew he didn't want to stop the motion. Ok, so maybe he did want to leave with Heero. At least that meant he could continue forward, right? But that wasn't point. It wasn't about Heero's leaving or whether or not Duo left with him. It was about an answer; an answer he would give his friends the next time they asked about his lack of female companions. Heero Yuy truly did have his heart.
Unfortunately, that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. It still meant that Heero was going back to his duties with Relena, that Duo would be going back to the university, and that in the end, they would both continue living their separate lives. Days ago he had accused Heero of avoiding his loneliness; looking at his situation now, he realized he was no better. Hell, he was probably worse. Technically he was not avoiding it, he just was not doing a whole lot about it. At least Heero was now taking steps to get out of the life that made him miserable. All week he had been conversing with Wufei about the Preventers and his transferring. For all intents and purposes, Relena was no longer his concern. He just needed to go through all that red tape to make it official. Duo was the one still moping about, making plans for a life in which he no longer found any enjoyment. He was the one currently sulking into a coffee mug, wanting things to be different, yet making no attempts to change them. Duo was going to continue as he had always planned merely by grace of the fact that he had nothing better to do. He smirked bitterly over the irony of the situation. He shook his head. In the space of five minutes he had managed to prove how much of a hypocrite he really was.
It was while Duo sat there, contemplating this rapid change in his perception of his friend that he heard footsteps on the parquet flooring of the dining room. 6:00, Heero was up. He schooled his features to resemble the bored look he usually had on when Heero appeared and sat down at the bar again. At the last minute, he remember he had not actually prepared Heero's coffee, and he jumped back up, sending the stool crashing to the floor. Cursing darkly, he tied stepping around it to set it upright again, but only managed to get his feet tangled in the legs, and he, too, went crashing to the floor.
Heero entered the room in time to see Duo disappear behind the bar, letting loose a string of curses as he went. With a slightly bemused expression, he walked around the bar and came into full view of the normally graceful Duo Maxwell sprawled across the linoleum floor, his legs trapped awkwardly in the legs of the stool, his arms and face hidden somewhere underneath his robe. Heero smirked as he watched Duo slowly raising himself up, swearing under his breath. "I take it the chair won?"
The dark glare he sent from underneath the robe told Heero exactly what he thought of that statement. "I won't dignify that with an answer." Turning his attention to the stool, he disentangled his feet and gave it harsh kick, swearing again when he only succeeded in injuring his foot. "Damned furniture." He kicked at it yet again, grunting when the underside of his foot connected with the edge of the seat. He heard Heero laughing behind him, but chose to ignore it. He prepared to make another attack on the stool, but before his foot could make contact, the stool was quickly swept away and set upright beside him. He turned to glare up at Heero, only to find him kneeling in front him.
"Accept defeat, Duo. You are obviously outmatched." He smiled at his more than irate friend, seeming obliviously to the look of death he was receiving. He cocked his head to one side and quirked his eyebrow. "You look like hell." Duo's glare darkened, but Heero paid no mind. He was too amused by Duo's disheveled state. In all the time he had known him, Heero never once recalled Duo appearing unkempt in any way. Currently, he was nothing but. Wisps of hair had fallen free from his braid, framing his face in a way Heero found entirely too appealing. His smile softened, and without much thought, he reached out and brushed some of the stray hairs from Duo's face.
Heero was laughing at him, and Duo was not amused. He lifted himself to a sitting position, and started to give Heero some sort of comeback. At the moment, however, Heero's hand touched his face, and whatever he had been about to say died on his lips. Thinking became too difficult, so he stopped trying. He focused instead on the dark blue eyes that were staring back at him. He was inexplicably drawn to the intensity within that gaze, and he felt himself moving closer.
Logic invariably tried to crack through the haze surrounding Heero, but he brushed it aside. His attention centered solely on the man before him. He was intrigued by his violet eyes, and he wanted more. He moved closer until their lips were but a whisper apart, and he could feel every breath Duo took. "Duo…"
His whispered name was a caress upon his cheek, and Duo stopped breathing. His heart hammered in his ears, and he was suddenly very warm. He reached a hand up and buried it in the soft hairs in the back of Heero's neck, leaning forward to close the gap between them. Their lips touched for the briefest of seconds, igniting a desire inside him Duo had not even known existed. He felt Heero's insistent tugging on his braid and moved closer.
At the first feel of Duo's lips against his, Heero knew he was lost. Eager for another taste, he shifted his position, wrapping Duo's braid around his hand and dragging him closer. Their lips met again, not breaking contact this time. Duo was thankful he was already sitting, knowing that by now he would have fallen over. Heero was basking in the warmth, heated excitement dancing across his skin. He needed more. He shifted his position again, intent on deepening the kiss.
"Duo?" Wufei's voice broke through their haze, and both men froze where they sat. Wide-eyed, they pulled back, staring at one another and breathing heavily. Duo was still finding it difficult to think. Why exactly was Wufei in here? He continued to stare blankly at Heero while he considered this. He knew he was supposed to be doing something right now, but for the life of him, he could not remember what. "umm… Duo?" Wufei could be heard leaving the kitchen and walking back through the dining room, still calling for him. Duo sighed in relief and sagged against the bar, lowering his head into his hand.
After a couple seconds, his head abruptly jerked back up, "Coffee." He was quite pleased with this revelation, and he jumped up, nearly knocking Heero over as he passed.
Heero blinked at him and stood up. His own thoughts were still in something of a muddle, and Duo's sudden outburst seemed remarkably unnecessary. Coffee? "Duo, what has coffee to do with anything?"
"I have to fix their coffee." Duo wondered around the kitchen on autopilot, grabbing the mugs and pouring the coffee. He systematically filled each mug to the drinkers' specifications, paying little attention to what he was doing, trusting himself to get the measurements right. A glance at the clock on the coffee machine told him it was 7:00. He momentarily ignored the fact they Wufei was up early and focused on the more important factor. He had been out of it for nearly an hour. How could he have been out of it for nearly an hour? It hadn't seemed that long.
"What hadn't seemed that long?" Duo jumped and turned to see Quatre and Wufei standing in the doorway, watching them. Oh shit, he'd said it aloud. He flushed, "Nothing." From the looks they gave him, he surmised they didn't believe him. Well, he didn't really give a damn. It wasn't as though it was really any of their business anyway. He turned back to what he had been doing, only to be stopped by Quatre. "umm… Duo?"
"I said it was nothing; leave it alone." He ground out as he poured more coffee into a mug he could have sworn he had already filled.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted something to wipe up all that coffee you spilled." Duo blinked and looked down. No wonder his hand was burning. The hand that had been holding the mug, the front of his pants, his robe, and the floor around him were covered in coffee. He turned back around. Quatre was grinning, Wufei was smirking, and Heero was just watching him. His gaze got trapped in Heero's, and he once again forgot what he was doing. "Duo?" What had he been thinking, anyway? His plan hadn't actually been to kiss Heero. Not that he'd had a plan to do anything—but that really isn't the point. "Duo?" He must have been reacting to his musing from before. What other explanation could there be? It's not as though he had actually wanted to kiss him or anything… right? "Duo!"
Duo blinked, breaking his eyes away from Heero's, and looked at Quatre. "That would probably be a wise decision, yes." Quatre gave him an exasperated look and turned to leave, muttering to himself as he walked through the dining room. Duo slid Wufei's mug across to him as he crossed to the sink to wash his hands. He stopped just short of turning on the water and turned back. Wufei had yet to move. He remained standing in the doorway, switching his gaze from Heero to Duo and back again. Duo slammed a hand down on the counter and turned to face him fully. "What?!"
"You tell me."
"What the hell are you tal—" he was cut off when Heero abruptly stood up.
"If you'll excuse me; I need to get my bags." And a drink. With that, he stepped quickly out of the room, refusing to look at either of them. Oh, he knew he was running, but at the moment, he didn't care. The room had become too closed in and stifling. He could not be in the same room as Duo right now; he needed time to clear his head. And berate himself. What the hell had he been thinking? Never once, during the entire week, had he entertained the notion of kissing that man. Not that he wouldn't do it again—that's really not the point… But he had just managed to embarrass Duo, and lord only knew what he though of him now. Not that Duo would ever think poorly of him, but he certainly wouldn't look at him in the same light. Not that it would necessarily be a negative light, but—oh jesu, he thoughts were rambling. So, anyway, being in the same room as Duo was definitely a bad thing right now.
Then, of course, there was Wufei. Entirely too perceptive for his own good. No doubt the bastard was just waiting for one of them to crack. Oh yes, he would have been content to stand there and watch them all morning, and then, one of them would have spoken, and it all would have all been over. He was a clever bastard. And Heero refused to let him win. So he ran. And he was quite satisfied with his decision, damn it. He just hoped Duo could out wit him. Doubtful, but there was always a chance…
Duo felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Thanks to Heero, he was now left alone with Wufei until Quatre decided to return. Judging from the look on Wufei's face, that would be a long time coming. He glared. Those bastards had set this up. The coffee spill was just an excuse. He hadn't missed the subtle look they'd shared before Quatre had left. They knew he would talk to Wufei. They knew the Chinese man wielded enough power to make even the most stalwart say anything. Well not this time, damn it. By god he would beat them at their own sadistic game. What business was any of this to them anyway?
"When you're acting like a raving lunatic, I'd say it's everyone's business," was Wufei's sardonic reply.
Duo dropped his head in his hand and sighed heavily. Jesus, he'd spoken out loud again. He glared at Wufei through his fingers. "I'm not acting like raving lunatic." Wufei lifted an eyebrow, disbelief clearly written on his face. "I'm not. I'm just a little…" Duo slammed his fists on the counter, "I don't have to explain myself to you, damn it!" He folded his arms over his chest. His expression dared Wufei to try to make him say anything. He remained silent. Duo nodded satisfactorily and turned to wash his hands finally.
"He kissed you didn't he?"
Duo abruptly shut off the water. "I'm going down stairs," annoyance and frustration laced his voice, and he stormed off towards the stairs that lead to the rec room. "And what the hell are you doing up so early anyway!" Wufei held his laughter until he was certain Duo was downstairs. The whole situation was better than he'd imagined it would be. And it only took an entire week.
"Well?" Quatre entered the room, towel in hand. He seemed unsurprised to find it lacking two occupants.
"I think getting up an hour early was a good idea." Wufei smirked into his mug. "Trowa will be sorry he missed it."
"That good, huh?"
"Yes." He turned to face Quatre, smug written all over his expression. "By the way—you owe me $100."
Quatre just shrugged and tossed the towel at him. "I'm going to go get Trowa. Clean up his mess."
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Silence! For the author speaks:
Umm… a thousand and some apologies for taking forever and a damned day to update. The summer wound of being busier than I expected, then there was this whole deal where every single file was wiped completely. I was a little dispirited for a while to say the least. Anyway, many thanks for being so patient. —Rykaine
On a side note: this chapter is really bad isn't it? Honestly… I know it is.