Chapter Eight

Duo paced his dark room anxiously./Should I …?/ He picked up his phone and poised his fingers above the buttons then swiftly put it down again. /I can't. Can I?/ The process was repeated several times before he finally gathered his courage and dialed a number.

Duo listened intently to the tone, his heat beating furiously.

Someone picked up on the other end. "Moshi-moshi, Yuy residence."

Duo licked his lips nervously. "Hi, is Heero there?"

"Speaking."

"It's Duo here. I was wondering if I could meet you later." Duo glanced at his clock. It was almost 8pm.

There was a long pause before Heero finally replied. "Could we meet now? My parents aren't home yet and I don't think I'll be able to go out any time soon after they get home."

"Sure." Duo let out a relieved breath. "Do you know where the park is?"

"Hai."

"Meet me near the entrance."

"Sure. Ja ne Duo."

"See ya." Duo hung up the phone waited a few moments the let out a loud whoop. He grabbed a black jacket from the floor and pulled on his boots. Running his fingers through his unbound hair quickly he redid it in his usual braid. He shoved his wallet, keys and phone in his pockets and jumped the stairs two at a time in his hurry to leave the house and meet his prince charming.

Five minutes later he was at the entrance, gulping in air after running the entire way. /Now, all I need to do is wait for Heero./ That was easier said than done, not only was it rather cold out but Duo had the patience of a five-year-old. After a few minutes of waiting he started getting fed up.

"Where is he?" Duo snarled irritably.

"Behind you." Duo whirled around and found himself face to face with Heero.

"Hiya Hee-chan." Duo grinned at Heero's scowl.

"Don't call me that. So, why did you want to meet?" Heero walked towards a more secluded part of the park, Duo beside him.

Duo looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uh … well … it's about what happened."

"Oh." A faint tinge of red highlighted Heero's cheeks. They reached a bench in an out-of-the-way spot near a huge rose bed.

"Yeah. Uh … I know what I feel and what I want, but I wasn't sure about you."

"What do you want?"

Duo blushed. "You."

That simple word caused Heero's thoughts and emotions to go haywire. Desire, longing and fear raged for supremacy over his body. Looking at Duo standing before him on this clear autumn night, Heero could see everything, his own fear longing and desire as well as his vulnerability at revealing his heart to the one he longed for. The wind picked up and lifted loose stands of hair from Duo's face, further revealing the large violet depths of his eyes. Staring at this fragile figure, Heero could only think of one word to describe him: beautiful. His choice was easy.

"I want you too," he whispered and leaned in, placing a warm kiss on Duo's lips.

Stunned at the admission, Duo didn't respond at first, but then his arms snaked around Heero's back and drew him closer, deepening the emotion-charged kiss. They stood there for a long time, wrapped in a tight embrace, the outside world non-existent in this perfect moment of admission and emotion.

Duo broke away first and looked at Heero's dazed and desiring expression with a smile. In the starlight glow Heero looked even more innocent and desirable with that expression.

"I take it the, that this is your first real relationship?"

Heero blushed slightly. "Hai. Actually, in the bathroom, it was my first kiss."

"Really? I couldn't tell. You're a great kisser, Hee-chan." Duo laughed at the scowl.

"I should come up with a nickname for you now." Heero had a strange glint in his eye.

"Should I be worried?"

"Not at all, koi." Heero smiled at Duo's wide-eyed recognition of the endearment. Their lips met in another passionate kiss that lasted quite a bit longer. This time Heero pulled away, placing gentle touches of his lips along Duo's jawline.

Duo twined his fingers in Heero's thick chocolate hair and drew him even closer with a hand on his waist. "Gods, Heero, you don't know how long I've wanted this," he whispered huskily, his voice filled with lust.

"How long?" Heero claimed his koi's mouth once again then allowed him to answer.

"Since I saw you standing there in the office." Duo returned the kiss. "You were beneath the window framed in sunlight looking like a god with your gorgeous body and that sultry expression on your face. You looked so beautiful, but distant and mysterious and I wanted you and wanted to know you." Duo couldn't say any more as his lips were caught again by Heero and locked in another mind-bending kiss.

"You thought all that about me?" Heero started deeply into his companion's lust-filled eyes.

"I may run and hide, but I won't tell a lie." Duo kissed Heero lightly. "You have no idea how beautiful you are."

"I know how beautiful you are though." Heero cupped the back of Duo's head in his hand and buried his fingers in his braid. He leaned in to kiss him again, but was cut off by a rustling nearby. Heero immediately tensed and let go of Duo as he turned to face the intrusion.

"Heero?" He turned around again. "What's up?"

"I heard something." Heero shook his head. "Gomen, I'm just a bit paranoid today."

"Why? Duo looked at him curiously.

Heero avoided his gaze then sighed. "Trowa and I got into a it of trouble today."

Duo shrugged. "Everyone gets in trouble."

"We got suspended for a week." Duo looked stunned.

"What did you do?"

"Odin made some remarks and we took offence and pounded him."

Duo snorted. "He probably deserved it." Then he looked at Heero closely. "You don't seem the type to take offence to much and I know Trowa would never pick a fight with anyone, so what kind of remarks would make you two act like that?"

Heero squirmed a bit, but he owed Duo the truth. "We were in math class and Quatre just got back from infirmary. Midii said something bitchy and Odin called him a pansy when Sally defended him. So Tro and I made him our punching bag. What he said was completely uncalled for, there was no way we could let anyone say that to Quatre after what he went through today. Plus, Odin had been a major prick all day."

Duo started at the ground with an anger so intensified that Heero could almost feel its heat. "That bastard," he swore. "He'll pay."

"Duo, calm down, he got punished."

"And so did you when all you did was defend someone against an unfair attack!"

"But how I did it was stupid! Starting fights is no way to settle differences."

"You know you enjoyed it."

"Course I did, doesn't mean it was the right thing to do." There was a silence between them that bordered on awkward.

"So why are you so jumpy?"

Heero still wasn't looking Duo directly in the eye. "It was something Odin said after I punched him. I hope it was him just being an ass, but I don't think so somehow."

"What did he say?"

Hero finally looked his koi in the eye. "I think he might know about us." Duo froze and paled. "Duo?"

"I'm fine … no, actually, I'm not. Heero," Duo looked up and Heero was startled to see tears in his eyes, "promise you won't tell anyone yet? I know Trowa knows and I want Quat to know, but, no one else, please."

Heero nodded and gathered Duo in his arms. /I wonder why he's so upset?/ Right now he didn't press, he just held Duo close.

The, for the second time that day, Duo's mobile rang and interrupted their moment. "It could be important," Duo muttered. "It better be." Heero smiled as Duo answered the phone with an irritated, "This better be good, you just interrupted something very important." There was a pause, as Hero couldn't hear the person on the other end. "What did you say, Quat?" Duo was a bit freaked. "You're *WHERE*, with *WHO*?!"