Author's Note: Hello People. I'm glad someone out there liked it! YES, all five boys will play a part in this fic. Other characters may or may not make an appearance, depending if I can work them in or not. I have no clue how long this will be, but with the way my notes are (sigh) expect a long haul. I am an impulsive writer, as in I can only work on a story when one of my muses comes around to give me a kick in the ass. The result is an all nighter (or two), fueled only by whatever dinner I had and the occasional cup of green tea. On a school night, mind.

Anyway . . . as to the skater's identity . . . I am sorry to say you must read on (and don't jump to conclusions!). Hey, how else am I supposed to get reviews? Sharys

Disclaimer: If I can't afford my own damn horse, then how the hell could I own ANY Gundam series? I literally don't have two dimes to rub together! (walks away grumbling)

Warm Heart, Frozen Memory

Chap. 2

"Remind me again why I agreed to this?"

"Because I would have nagged and nagged until you gave in anyway. You just saved yourself the annoyance."

Heero sighed, admitting defeat. The two of them were standing in his living room, Duo lying sprawled across the couch like some over-grown cat with a distinctly smug look on his face. Heero glared at him as he retrieved his coat from the closet.

"Oh, come on!" Duo prompted. "When was the last time I asked you for anything? Besides, you promised. Remember?"

"I know, I know!" he growled, yanking his jacket roughly over his shoulders. How could he possibly forget? Duo only reminded him about five times a week and whenever he bothered to call. He had been out of town on Duo's birthday, so in retaliation his "brother" made him promise to go out to his choice of restaurant as soon as school gave him the time off. And he was to pay the bill. "You don't have to rub it in."

Duo's face turned into the picture of innocence. "Would I do such a thing?"

Heero's eyes narrowed.

"Alright, I am," Duo admitted, bouncing to his feet, his trademark braid trailing the motion. "Well, how about that dinner? We have to make one quick stop before we do, though."

Years of interacting with the other man told Heero that he was withholding information. He cut Duo off at the door, blocking the exit until he got more details. "And where exactly are we going?" he asked quietly.

The tone left no room for argument.

Duo gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's kind of like this. I wanted to bring a friend of mine along as well, but he has work, see? So we have to go pick him up."

"And he works where?"

Duo gave him his most disarming smile.

"I'm going to kill you."

"No you're not. It's not like I bound you, forced skates on your feet and then tossed you out on the ice."

"If the circumstances were right you would do just that."

Duo made no attempt to deny it.

The two of them approached a very large one-story building with a very distinctive logo plastered on it's sign. Heero's movement was reluctant. He dreaded entering the building, a small part of his mind whispering thoughts of Duo changing his mind at the last minute. He did his best to rid himself of the idea, his face reflecting none of it's inner struggles.

The last time he had set foot on ice had been a complete disaster. Within a five minute period he had somehow managed to knock over nearly a dozen different people. He had been six at the time. He had spent years trying to banish the memory to the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind. He hadn't set foot in an ice rink since.

As they neared the entrance, the doors automatically slid open, allowing them to step inside. A gentle blast of cool air greeted Heero, making him grateful for grabbing his jacket. Duo seemed to know where he was going, so he followed his lead, letting his eyes wander.

The place was nice he supposed. The rink itself was large and judging by the small set of bleachers and a currently blank score board, it played host to some of the local hockey games. Off to the side behind the bleachers were several smaller sub-areas, from rows of lockers, a skate rental booth, to a hot cocoa machine(1).

Currently there was a class taking place on the ice. A small handful of adults were assisting a gaggle of wobbly kids, teaching them how to move about without their feet slipping out from under them.

Duo stopped and smiled. "There he is."

Heero tried to see who Duo was looking at. "Who?"

He pointed to one of the instructors. "There, the one with the hunter green jacket."

He blinked in surprise. The isolated instructor was several years younger than the others, and had an interesting hairstyle that left a long forelock to conceal one of his eyes(2). The man did not look much older then himself.

"They should be wrapping up pretty soon," Duo told him. "Might as well make ourselves comfortable." With that, he plopped himself down onto the nearest bleacher, leaning back on his elbows and crossing his ankles.

Heero made to join him.

(A.N. sorry to end it there, but I have Homework. I'm still in high school ya know!)

They had one of these at the place I went skating on a fieldtrip. Despite the cheapness, it was surprisingly good.

(2) Sorry for the equestrian termology. Trowa's bangs just looks like the forelock of a horse. But in a good way.

Author's Note: Okay, be honest! How many of you thought Heero was the skater at first? I just can't picture him being a competative figure skater, he's too . . . stiff. The skater's identity should be pretty obvious now. If you're still not sure then you will just have to wait until the next chapter. Oh, come on, who else could it possibly be? (In MY opinion anyway) I promise that chapters will get longer as soon as I build up some momentum. The story isn't solid enough for me to really roll with it yet, but I'm working on it.

Yes, in this story Duo and Heero consider each other brothers of sorts. That will be explained later.

If anyone seems too OOC, I am really, really sorry. It's been too long since I've watched the show, and I haven't had the time to dust off my videos. Suggestions would be welcome and appreciated for I am stumbling in the dark here. And remember, REVIEWS ARE GOOD! I run best on feedback. Sharys