Five: Duo Tries Harder

Five schoolgirls from Japan and one diplomat found themselves agreeing on clothes. They spent almost a whole day shopping and another day displaying all the different outfits they had bought. Relena was glad for such enthusiastic houseguests. Each of the five girls had a loveable yet different personality. As she got to be closer friends with them Relena began to realize there was something different about them. It was almost as if they didn't belong in her world…

"Are we really going to have a pool party, Relena?" Serena asked.

"I can't say. Heero always promises me things but he never comes through for me. Sometimes I wonder why I continuously bother with him."

"He doesn't seem too bad," Mina noted.

"Yes, he doesn't seem bad," Relena agreed.

"What about the others? I mean, they don't seem like they could be friends. What got them to meet?" Lita asked.

"It all started two years ago. You know all about the war between the Earth and the colonies, of course."

"Not… really," Amy confessed. Relena stared at them in surprise.

"You're kidding! How could you not know about that?" The girls shrugged helplessly. This is impossible. Have they been hiding in a hole or something? "Well… this is so strange. It was on the news."

"Uh… let's just say we're not from around here," Raye said, smiling nervously.

"Okay. It might take a while to explain everything. Let's just say they met each other during the war and became… uh… well, I guess the phrase would be close acquaintances. They've been hanging out together ever since."

"It's kind of like the five of us," Serena chirped. "We're all very different but together we're a pretty good team." Relena nodded. She had asked Heero to call her and she was fighting between worry and excitement. Maybe, just maybe he would call her. Or he would forget like he always did. Does he really forget or does he just say he forgets?

"Relena?" Raye gently shook her friend. "Are you all right?"

"I was just thinking. I'm fine." Heero…

Ring! Ring!

"Oh, my god!" Relena jumped to her feet and almost tore the phone apart in her excitement. "Heero!" she gasped into the receiver.

"Hi." She smiled at his voice.

"You won't believe this! I was just thinking about you."

"Thanks."

"You actually called. Thank you."

"Is Duo there?"

"Duo?"

"Yes, Duo."

"I… don't think so." He called to ask for Duo? I can't believe this.

"Dammit." She heard him speaking to someone else. She tried to pick up the conversation but all she could make out was Heero's voice, constantly telling whoever was with him to "shut up".

"What's going on, Heero?"

"Hold on… Quatre's damn phone is ringing." Relena groaned and rolled her eyes. She made a mental note to break Heero of his swearing habit. "Say what?… Shit, you're kidding!"

"Heero, what is going on?!" Relena demanded, nearly shouting into the phone. Her five friends stared at her.

"Hold on, I can't hear two people at once." There was another pause. Relena heard Quatre speaking. "Quatre wants to talk to you," Heero said. There was a brief pause.

"He called me on my phone."

"Who did?" Relena asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Duo."

"And?"

"He's on the roof of your house." There was muffled laughter in the background. "Be quiet, Trowa. It's not funny." Relena glanced up at the ceiling.

"Right now?"

"That's what he said." She distinctly heard Wufei speaking, and more laughter from Trowa. "He can't get down."

"What's he doing up there anyway?"

"Uh, hold on and I'll ask him….." Her friends were giving her strange looks. They obviously wanted to know what was going on but didn't want to intrude. "You won't believe this. Duo's completely flipped his lid." Trowa said something, and laughed a little more.

"I believe it," Relena assured him.

"That's what Trowa just said. Duo says he wanted to impress Lita."

"And how exactly does he plan to do that when he's stuck on my roof?"

"There's someone on the roof?" Serena asked. Relena motioned her to silence, promising to explain the situation later.

"We're going to come over. Try and coax him down, okay?"

"I'll see what I can do." There was another pause and Relena heard the phone shifting hands.

"Relena…. Did you think I wasn't going to call you?" Heero asked.

"I always hope, but I must admit I was doubting."

"I called."

"Yes, I know."

"Sorry I don't call you sometimes." She smiled. She had to swallow a lump that was forming in her throat. "I'll see you in a while. I love you." She was touched by the declaration. She could imagine how hard it was for him to say that in front of his friends.

"I love you too, Heero." She hung up the phone, still smiling. The smile quickly faded as she remembered the crisis at hand. "Don't freak out, but Duo's stuck on the roof."

"Duo?" Lita repeated.

"Yes." He's gone insane. That's all I can think of. "I'm going to try and get him down."

"No, that might not be safe. Let me do it," Lita requested.

"What do you mean, it might not be safe?" Amy wondered.

"It's no good to shout at him from the ground. I'm going up on the roof with him."

"And how do you expect to get down?" Serena asked.

"A ladder, of course."

"I don't like this, but it seems like the best idea," Relena sighed. Duo, I wonder what's gotten into you?

======

Duo was sitting on the roof questioning his sanity. He didn't understand why climbing up on Relena's roof had been such a good idea at four o'clock in the morning. Now that he was thinking about it, it probably wasn't a good idea to push the ladder to the ground. At least he had sense enough to bring his phone. He called Quatre and was now waiting for someone to get him down.

"Duo?" He recognized the voice as Relena's. He crawled over to the edge and waved down at her. His smile widened when he noticed that Lita was with her. "Duo, there's a ladder down here."

"I know. I was using it."

"We'll put it back up for you." In a few seconds the ladder appeared close to his hands. To his surprise Lita started climbing up. He backed away to give her room. She reached the top of the roof and sat down beside him.

"Hey, Duo."

"H-hi," he squeaked. He felt his cheeks burning.

"Would you like to tell me what you're doing up here?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Don't do anything like this again. You really had us worried."

"You too?" he asked hopefully.

"Me too."

"Cool." All right! I've got a chance! Maybe getting stuck on the roof was a good idea! "Hey, Lita?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… uh… I know you kind of have a thing for Trowa, but I was just kind of wondering if maybe you'd… uh… like to go on a… date with me?" He smiled and gazed at her. Man, I can't believe I actually said that.

"I don't know, Duo. This is a little sudden. I don't know you that well."

"You don't know Trowa that well, either," he pointed out. She blushed.

"That's true."

"Look, I'll make you a deal. You go on a date with me and I'll… I'll, uh… Well, I don't know what I'll do just yet, but I'll do something for you in return." She smiled and shook his hand.

"You've got a deal. Let's go." She started climbing back down to the ground. Duo sat there for a while grinning like an idiot. Yes! I'm going on a date with Lita! I'm the man! He snapped out of his daze and got back down on the ground. He couldn't wait to taunt Trowa with his good fortune.