Chapter 2 - The Warming

Duo had been determinedly staring at the snow on the ground, trying to melt it with his deadly stare when the thought of all the people he had ever loved came to mind. He had loved many people, but not *that* way. He had only ever felt that way about one other person.well perhaps two.

His head fell tiredly forward to meet the glass window and he growled, "Now is NOT the time to be thinking about that, buddy. Just not now, GOD DAMNIT!" and he whacked his head on the glass again.

"Duo?" came a voice at the door, shocking the sleepiness out of him. "Are you awake?"

It was Quatre. Duo had meant to say something to the effect of My god, it's a miracle, please come in, but for some unknown reason, what came out was a simple and blunt "No."

"Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you," Quatre whispered and just as quietly shut the door behind him.

----

After being so quickly rejected, as he was almost used to now, Quatre stood in the middle of the hall, all the more depressed than before. He stood for only a few moments before he heard another, louder curse escape Duo's room. The door swung open behind him with the brown haired pilot holding the knob in a death grip.

"I'm sorry, Quatre, I didn't mean it," Duo breathed, releasing the door knob. "I'm just frustrated because I can't sleep. Please come on in."

Relieved of the immense disappointment that had been thrown at him along with Duo's "No," Quatre turned to face his friend.

"I can't sleep either," he sighed and smiled his best smile that he could in his current mood.

----

Duo recognized Quatre's fake smile in an instant.

"You too?" he asked, motioning his friend to sit on the window seat that he had been staring down the snow on. "What could possibly be troubling you on this beautiful snowy night?"

Duo watched as Quatre sat down. A glare suddenly flashed across his friend's face as he watched the snow falling.

"I don't know," he sighed. That was a lie.

----

He knew that Duo could see right through him. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, he thought. I don't want to burden Duo with my problems and he won't stop prying now until I do.

Slowly raising his eyes to meet Duo's, Quatre took in his friend. He had on a dark night shirt and tight jeans that he had been wearing all day. His face was darkened by the bright light of the hallway behind them, but Quatre knew that he was smiling at him anyway. A rather troubled smile too.

He sighed. "I can't sleep because I'm scared."

Half expecting Duo to laugh at him, he looked away, back to glare at the snow. But, to his surprise, his friend merely sat down next to him and sighed as well.

"Me too."

----

Duo suddenly felt some of that welled up emotion evaporate.

The two young boys sat in awkward silence for awhile, not sure of how to ask the other about his problems. Duo opened his mouth, ready to spill all of his fears and troubles to the blonde boy, who turned to look at him with honestly worried interest, but stopped realizing the door was wide open. He rose and crossed the room to shut it. Duo stood, facing the door, with another death grip on the handle.

"I missed my chance, Quatre," he said between his teeth. "She's gone and I am left with nothing. I didn't get to tell her how I felt. Now I've got so much to say, and NO ONE to say it too." he trailed off into silence.

----

Quatre pulled his knees up to his face and hugged them. He realized then that Duo was searching for someone to say that 'so much' too. But he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"I took a chance, Duo," he whispered. "I told him how I felt I was told that my feelings were misplaced. I told him and now I'm left with nothing but fear of being alone."

---- Holy shit, Duo thought, his head popping up suddenly. He didn't just say.

He slowly sat back down beside his friend, trying not to look at him as he asked, "Quatre, why did you come in here?" His friend looked up, stunned. "Really?"

----

He felt flustered.

"Well, now why did you come back for me after you said 'No'?"

Duo sputtered and turned toward the window. They had reached a stalemate. Each was determined to not answer unless the other did first and neither showed a sign of giving in.

Quatre looked toward the window as well. Trying to think of anything but the answer to Duo's question, which he knew oh too well, he concentrated on the snow. He suddenly realized that he was gravely cold. He owned pajamas only fit for warm climates and while the heater helped, it couldn't beat the airy, translucent fabric. He shivered violently with his legs still curled up in his arms.

----

"My god, you must be freezing," Duo detected. He walked up to his bed, pulled the crumpled comforter off, and threw it over his friend. He stood laughing as the cutest little giggle came from the completely hidden Quatre.

"Thanks," his muffled voice came from under the blanket. "Won't you join me under here? It's a nice place to hide from the snow."

Duo grabbed the end of the cover and pulled it over his head as he sat on the window seat again. He lifted the drooping blanket and was met by a sincere smile this time. The young boy's blonde hair was disheveled by the comforter and his aqua eyes radiated their usual happiness.

"I went back for you because I needed to see this!" Duo laughed, reaching out a hand and rumpling Quatre's hair, making the boy smile so much his eyes nearly shut. He realized then how much he loved seeing Quatre smile like that. It was so.

----

Beautiful. Duo just looked so good, sitting there under the blanket, kindly trying to cheer him up with his infamous big grin, his long braid loosening as the comforter shifted with their movements. As Quatre futilely tried to bring his hair back to order, he watched his friend's face watch his own. There! There it was, in the unusually purple eyes of his fellow Gundam pilot he could see that look that he had seen before, but never directed at him.

And I came in here because I wanted to see that.