Chapter 9: We're finally getting somewhere!

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and Miranda, my beta who harassed me into finally taking the time to sit down and write the next chapter.





Heero blinked.

He rubbed his eyes.

He shook his head.

It still didn't go away.



He'd popped his head into Relena's room to get her to coach him through starting a conversation with Duo and.... well... Duo was already in the room. With Relena, they were laughing. Relena was in a black pantsuit while Duo wore black leather pants and a violet tank top that matched her eyes. It was nice, Heero noted. It was also one of the first times she'd ever worn something that wasn't all black.

They were singing. .....

Then Duo caught a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye. The words "deer in the headlights" does not even BEGIN to describe the look on Heero's face. Relena stopped in the middle of the "Ba-baba-bababa"'s of the chorus of "you don't own me". Wondering why Duo was suddenly blushing furiously and why the door had just slammed.



Heero sprinted all the way back to his room, bumping into tables and corners. Visions of scantily-clad Duo's dancing around behind his eyelids every time he blinked. This was not good. At least he was leaving on his mission the next day. Hopefully in the two months or so when we was gone he could work out all these confusing feelings.



*****



Oh shiiiit! I felt all the blood leave my body and rush toward my face. I groaned as Relena cackled, Heero had seen me shaking my butt and screaming insepid lyrics into a hairbrush. Relena had insisted that every girl had to do it once, and I admit, it was sort of fun to pretend we were vid-stars in our pyjamas, but the butt-shaking! Heero had caught me shaking my butt.

He was totally disgusted with me, I could tell. He looked as if I'd hit him in the face with a board or something!

I stepped over Relena who was lying on the floor, rolling about and clutching her sides as tears streamed down her face. I scowled at her as I sat down on my bed and buried my face in my hands. I'm glad ONE of us was finding this funny.



******





Quatre smiled as he handed me my ticket and wrapped me in a tight hug. "I'll see you in a few months." He whispered into my ear. He and Relena had come to see me off at the bus station, Trowa being on security duty, and Wufei being too embarrassed that I was an 'Onna" , they were the only two left.

"Q," I said as we pulled apart, "Tell me again, why are Heero and I arriving separately?" Silently, I was hoping that it wasn't changed at the last minute because he didn't want to be anywhere near me, the butt-shaking freak, but Quatre came through.

"Duo, were you paying ANY attention when I was briefing you this morning?" Exasperation wiped the traces of what I suspected to be tears from his eyes. Truthfully, I hadn't been paying any attention whatsoever. Underwire bras are really itchy. I've never worn anything but a sports-bra before, hell, before I stopped taking the suppressants I didn't need anything at all. I kept pulling at the clasp at the front, trying to keep it from rubbing at my skin. Relena says it goes away after a week or so, but I don't intend to find out. As soon as I'm at this school I'm going back to my trusty sports bra.

"Honesty!" Quatre exclaimed, "Duo! Stop pulling at your bra and listen to me!" Oh, yeah, and I'm suppossed to be the Queen of tactless and embarassing others. Passers by turned to stare as I sheepishly stopped pulling at the strap that had fallen off my shoulder.

"Jeez, Q, loud much?" I groaned.

He raised an evil little eyebrow, "As I was saying, you and Heero don't know each other. You are Maxine Solo, he is Odin Gunn. If you arrive together, seem familiar with each other, and go around asking suspicious questions, oh course people are going to wonder what's going on! This is a covert mission, dear."

"Yeah, yeah," I groused. "But how are we going to meet without making everyone all suspicious then? Hm??"

"Easy!" Quatre grinned, "He is going pretend to be smitten with you! When he sees you he'll act so shocked that no one will have trouble believing that it's love, or, er, at least lust, at first sight, so you two will conduct your missions and meetings on your 'dates'."

"Pretend?" Relena mouthed behind Quatre's back, looking quite pleased with herself.

And Whoa. We were going to DATE for this mission? The rational, horrified part of my brain was quickly stomped on by my hormones doing a happy-dance in their new platform shoes.

"But...but.." I stammered before reigning in my shock. I took a deep breath and started over, "Like Heero would ever agree, and besides, all of us know that Yuy isn't exactly the best of actors, how's he going to pull off a reaction that drastic?" I snorted.

Quatre bit his lip and tried to look innocent. Relena, on the other hand looked triumphant. "Because he, er, will be very shocked to see you?" Quatre ventured. Relena started to giggle behind her hand.

"He..why?" I drew my eyebrows together in a frown. "What aren't you telling me?"

"He knows he has a contact, but well..."

"He doesn't know I'm coming?" I shrieked. Oh crap. Way to go girl, you already have the feminine hysterics down pat. Great, now everyone is looking at us, between my shriek, Quatre's bra comments and Relena's barely contained laughter. So much for trying to be the unnoticed spy.

"Oh look, your bus is about to leave!" Quatre exclaimed hugging me again before I could kill him. "Take care Duette," He said, melting my anger. "Good luck."

"Thanks." I replied, then turned to Relena who was still giggling sporadically.

"Heh, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time, thanks Duo." She said, hugging me as well. "And stop tugging at your bra."

"Yeah that's me, the humiliation magnet." I replied finally slipping the strap over my shoulder. "See you all in two months." I said as I stepped back and walked toward my bus. My duffel was already in the cargo trunk and I had placed my foot on the first step as I heard someone call my name. It was Relena, I swiveled around nearly knocking over the boy behind me. "Duo!" She called, "Stop playing with your bra!"

I snorted and boarded the bus, it was official, I would be changing as soon as we left the station.