Note: Sorry for any weird mistakes because ff.net decided to be "helpful".

Author: aomurasakiai

Warnings: Cross dressing, Shounen ai, Fluff, Sap, Angst, AU, OOC-ness

Pairings: 1 2 1

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG-13

Everything above may be subject to change

Illusions (7/?)

Heero sat alone on the roof of the school as everyone was wandering the campus below, trying to find their respective friends during the hectic-ness of the lunch period. It was very similar to how he'd spent part of it the first day he'd arrived at Moriyama High School, dressed as a female student. But this time it felt… lonely. Not once had he spent an entire lunch period without the braided teen, but for the past few days, the feeling had gotten colder. Though he didn't like to admit it, he missed the presence of the human boy, Duo Maxwell.

Lifting his hands up the Vigil Sphere appeared, and once again he checked across Japan to see that nothing was disastrous enough for him to intervene in. He shifted the view to the braided teen, who was walking down the empty hallway to the library. Duo had been going there every lunch period since that day, most likely to avoid him. Heero sighed softly. It couldn't be helped… he didn't even know why he'd bothered returning to Earth in the first place since he'd resolved to sever all contact with the other teen. The disguised angel lowered his head in resignation before heading down the stairs to the front office.

"Everyone, I have some sad news. Aiko-san has transferred out and won't be returning to Moriyama." Gasps were heard around the room and a certain braided boy tensed at the sudden information.

"But why? She was only here for a month!" Mika said, shocked.

"No reason was given. I don't know why," Ayame-sensei said. "Well, let's begin class. Just a reminder that your semester project is due in less than 3 months. I hope that most of you have at least begun sketching what you want to draw. Now today we'll be working with…" Duo drowned out his sensei's voice as he gripped his sketchpad tightly. He'd already begun outlining the full body portrait of an unruly-haired girl. She had on a small but beautiful smile and Duo was looking forward to actually seeing that smile on the actual face again and again. But now it seemed that it would never happen.

"Heero?" The Japanese guardian angel glanced behind him to see Wufei. He nodded slightly to the Chinese teen before turning his attention back to his Vigil Sphere.

"What are you doing back so early?" Wufei questioned him. Heero rarely returned from Earth so early. For the past few weeks, he'd been worried if he'd come back at all! Something was wrong but Heero seemed like he didn't want to explain.

"Yuy…" the other angel almost growled at him in frustration.

"I'm not going back. Ever." Wufei blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?" the Chinese guardian angel asked. Heero remained silent, not offering an explanation. Wufei sighed.

"Heero, I know that I didn't approve of you going down there in the beginning," he told the other angel. "But I'm not so blind as to not be able to see how you've changed. And all because of that boy. Despite what might happen, I think it's a good… thing," he admitted, albeit grudgingly. But, it was true after all. In the entire time that Wufei had known Heero, he had never seen him so content. Every time he came back from Earth, the Japanese teen would be smiling slightly as if no one else could see. But the black-haired angel saw it all and he was happy for his longtime friend. And now, that stoic expression was back on the unruly-haired angel's face after so long.

Heero continued watching the Vigil Sphere, even when Wufei left quietly behind him. Not that he would have noticed anyway since he was absorbed in the image of the braided teen leaving the school to head home. A sad smile appeared as he remembered how they both used to walk together everyday, as far as the bookstore where they would part so Heero could safely get back to heaven without being seen by Duo. Lightly placing his hand on the floating sphere, he longed to walk with the human again.

Almost 3 months had passed without one word of Aiko. The semester was almost over but Duo didn't have the heart to study for his finals. He missed the young girl deeply and he couldn't help but think that it might have been partially his fault that she transferred out, that he'd pushed himself upon her and then started to avoid her.

Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed. It was a Saturday, the weekend before finals week but he decided to just not think about it even though it was crucial to his semester grade. The only good grade he was probably going to receive was in art since he'd finished his full body portrait of Aiko purely by memory. Granted it didn't do her any justice but Duo was proud of it. He just wished that she were still there to show it to her.

"Duo!" called Howard from downstairs.

"Yeah?" he called back to his uncle.

"You mind running down the hardware store to pick up some things for me? Or are you busy studying?"

"No." Duo went down the stairs and after receiving some money, he set out in the warm Saturday morning. The hardware store was just a couple of blocks down near the bookstore and every time he walked by he ached inside. He constantly thought about Aiko and the many reasons why she had left. Duo was beginning to regret ever kissing her in the first place and yet, he didn't because it was his first kiss… He was glad it had been with her.

Around the corner of the bookstore, Heero peered cautiously to see Duo enter the hardware store. He was wearing loose shorts and T-shirt with a cap covering his eyes. From afar, he looked like a tomboy, which he thought was better than people thinking he was a girl.

'And I said I wouldn't come down here again,' the angel thought to himself. But Heero wanted to see Duo just once more after so long. He'd never realized that three months could feel so extremely long without the braided boy. The guardian angel hadn't even felt like doing any of the monthly reports for Lady Une for the past three months. After the second time, Lady Une was beginning to become suspicious and questioned why his report seemed so halfheartedly done. Hopefully his last one made up for it.

"Time to return," Heero whispered to himself and ran down the alley. In the safety of the alleyway's darkness, he could teleport himself back without being seen by anyone, like he had so many times before. But he did wish that he could have talked to the braided boy again. Not watching where he was going, Heero tripped over a steel pipe, sending him crashing to the hard ground. The pavement scraped his exposed knee and his elbow, causing them to bleed. One of the hardware store employees heard the noise and came over.

"Daijoubu desu ka, ojou-san?" he asked him, holding up his cap that had fallen off when he'd tripped. Heero had completely forgotten that the hardware store had some of their merchandise in the back so it wouldn't take up too much room in the small building. He nodded and reached out to take back the cap when he heard a familiar voice.

"Aiko-san?" The angel looked up to see Duo, staring wide-eyed at him. Cursing silently he scrambled up and ran.

"Matte! Aiko-san!!" Heero heard Duo call out to him desperately and he increased his speed. With one hand he rubbed his watery eyes, thinking he must have gotten dust in them. The American teen continued to beg him to stop and with every step Heero found it harder to run away. Finally, he slowed down and allowed the other to catch up. Blood was slowly running down his leg and his arm but all he could think about was what was he going to say to Duo after three months? Heero could hear him trying to catch his breath behind him. After a long moment, the braided boy finally spoke.

"Anou, do you want to come in, Aiko-san?" he asked. It was then the angel realized that he was running towards Duo's house all along, albeit unconsciously. Hearing the hopefulness in the other's voice Heero had no choice but to agree. The braided teen smiled slightly at him and led him inside. Howard was waiting in the kitchen when they walked in.

"Duo! What happened here?" he exclaimed when he saw Heero's blood.

"Just a little accident," Duo tried to explain meekly. "Aiko-san tripped at the hardware store."

"Well don't just stand there. Take her up to your room and patch her up." Duo immediately complied and led Heero up the stairs. Motioning him to sit on the bed, the braided boy wet a cloth and cleaned up the blood and the wound before applying antibacterial cream. Gently he bandaged up the guardian angel and when he finished he looked up into cobalt blue eyes.

"Aiko-san, gomen nasai." Heero blinked at the other's apology.

"Nande?"

"Because… well, I've been thinking a lot. Ever since you left." Still kneeling in front of the disguised angel, Duo hesitantly placed one of his hands on top of Heero's. "Tell me the truth, Aiko-san. Was it my fault?"

"Your fault?" Heero asked confused.

"It's just that you left so suddenly. I couldn't help but feel it was my fault about… what happened and me avoiding you." Duo looked down sadly. "Gomen." The Japanese teen stayed quiet, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. There was a chance that Duo could hate him for lying all this time and he could go back to heaven with no regrets. Even though it would hurt deeply… Then again the braided boy could like him in return. But he would still have to return to heaven and it would hurt worse.

"Duo," Heero said, barely above a whisper. "There's something I must tell you." The braided teen looked up, hopefulness with a hint of apprehension reflected in his eyes. Heero felt his throat close up at the other's intense gaze so he got up and walked over to the window, his back turned so he didn't have to see Duo's eyes. He tried to calm his rapidly beating heart, but to no avail. It was now or never.

"I have lied to you… I'm not a girl." Duo slowly stood, his eyes wide.

"N-Nani? What do you mean?"

"I'm a boy," Heero said firmly. Silence reigned over them after that statement and neither boy moved. Duo was surprised at the new information that undermined his perspective on everything that happened when he first met Aiko. Suddenly, everything became so clear.

Gomen nasai, Duo. There's… no way it could work.

You don't understand. It's impossible between us.

Because! You don't know me.

I'm not the kind of person you think I am.

"Then… it's not 'Aiko-san' anymore, ne?" he whispered. Duo saw the other gi--boy shake his head.

"Ore no namae wa Heero. Heero Yuy desu," the angel introduced himself before becoming quiet again. Staring at the back of the Japanese boy, the braided teen let a small smile cross his lips as he realized that he'd really fallen in love with a boy, albeit unconsciously. His feelings were genuine after all.

"Sou ka. Hajimemashite, Heero-kun." Heero turned around to face the American, surprised that he accepted it so calmly.

"I'm glad you trust me with your secret," Duo said with a smile.

"Then, about what had happened between us…"

"Daijoubu. I didn't just like you because you were a girl." Duo reached out and gently tilted the other's head up. Heero gazed into soft violet eyes, his heart beating faster as feeling coursed through him. An arm wrapped itself around his waist, pulling him closer to the warm body. Still he couldn't break eye contact; only when another pair of lips met his own did he allow his cobalt blue eyes to close. With that tender kiss, Heero knew that he could no longer avoid the braided teen, no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to always feel this way, despite whatever the consequences may be.

When Duo broke the kiss after what seemed like hours, Heero blinked slowly in wonderment. Then he was pulled into the other's embrace.

"Please, don't run away," came the soft whisper. The guardian angel was still for a moment longer before he placed both arms on Duo's back. He nodded against the other's strong shoulder and closed his eyes, smiling slightly.

tbc…