A/N: I apologize that it always takes me forever to update. I don't blame any of you who get frustrated with me. I haven't forgotten about any of my stories, I've just gotten major writers block and lack of ambition to write them.

I'm thinking about adding what happens at the end of this chapter, but I won't post it on I would post it on I'll add a link if I actually get the courage to post it.

2nd AN: Thanks LadyDragonWolfKnight for pointing out that the spacers were somehow lost in the uploading. They're in the word document, but for some reason not in the upload. I'm trying to fix that.

Disclaimer: Not mine, none of it except for the order in which the words are placed.

Chapter 6

Yami paused on her way out, catching Quatre in the middle of a cup of tea. "Winner, love, do me a favour and don't mention anything of where I've taken Duo to Heero. If anything is ever going to work out, Zechs has to get there first," she warned, intimating that if Quatre did tell Heero of her friend's whereabouts, she would make sure that he lived to regret it. She hadn't taken him anywhere, but she had a feeling that the boy might be hidden around somewhere, listening in on the conversation. It wouldn't surprise her at all from what she'd heard of him. She personally enjoyed likening him to a bulldog. Stubborn and determined. He'd chew on something until it was dead if that's what it took.

"Alright..." he nodded quickly, hoping that Heero wouldn't assume that he was withholding information. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he stood in between Heero and his goal. "Umm... I jut have one question. Is it really Duo singing? Or is his voice manipulated by technology somehow?" he asked, dying to know. His mind couldn't reconcile the Duo on stage with the Duo who had nearly burst his eardrums with his loud off key singing.

She paused, hand on the doorknob, glanced back at him and laughed. "Of course that's his natural voice, love. Wouldn't have been able to do it if he was that bad, now could we? Technology ain't that good yet," she laughed and blew a kiss over her shoulder as she left.

xx

Duo blinked at the sudden sound of a light rapping on the front door, quickly checking to make sure that Mai was contently playing before making his way over to it. He'd been staying with Yami for two days and still wasn't any nearer to facing Zechs than he had been when he'd first shown up on her doorstep. If Zechs loved him, like Yami believed, then his leaving had to have hurt him. He couldn't bear the idea that Zechs might be too angry with him to take him back, and he'd ruined everything with Heero already by dating Zechs in the first place. "Door, right," he sighed as the rapping continued, bringing him back from his dismal thoughts. "He-" his voice died in his throat as he opened the door to come face to face with none other than Zechs Merquise.

A hand shot out, palm pressing the door open as the smaller youth tried to instinctively shut it again after seeing who it was, a stricken look upon his face. "I'm sorry, Duo… I couldn't wait. I had to see you," Zechs murmured, gently pressing the door open enough to slip in past Duo. He waited patiently as the younger ex-pilot shut the door behind him slowly, obviously using the time to collect himself as much as possible. "Just hear me out, Duo. Please. I know you probably still love Heero, and I know he loves you. But... I can't give you up to him... I thought I could when we first started the ruse, but somewhere along the way, I... I can't give you up, Duo. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You made me live again... You made me love... Yami, she said something that made me think that... If it's possible, would you consider giving us a chance? A real chance this time?" he asked softly, running his knuckles along the boy's cheek tenderly, sighing in relief as Duo's face turned slightly into the caress.

"Zechs, I... I'm sorry for leaving like that," Duo cried, launching himself at the man and burying his face in his chest, arms wrapped around his wait tightly as he clung to him desperately. "I didn't think you wanted me... I didn't want to trap you, to hold you back," he whispered, feeling stupid for having missed the fact that Zechs loved him. If he had only noticed, he would have been able to prevent himself hurting Zechs, the person who had been there for him for the past two years.

"Mmm…. Still dating then?" he asked, nuzzling Duo's cheek with his own, wrapping his own arms around the smaller frame comfortingly, silently vowing never to let go again.

Duo shook his head however at the question, making Zechs pause. "Not still... but we are dating," the Shinigami pilot gave the man a small impish smile, knowing that he had probably made his boyfriend's heart skip a beat in fear. He leaned up to peck his lips lightly in apology, then decided to rain little kisses all over his face to show his happiness.

Zechs chuckled in relief, but that didn't stop him from giving the boy a sharp pinch to punish him for being deliberately cruel with his answer. "Alright, I'll accept that. We're starting over today... But what about your feelings for Heero?" he asked quietly, pulling back slightly from the tight embrace to lock ice blue eyes with violet. He wanted to kick himself for asking, but knew that it had to be done.

"I... I thought I loved him, but... I don't know what happened. I'm happy with you... Maybe, maybe I did love him once, but I think you can only be pushed away so much. I loved him, but that would never have been enough. Some people just don't work out," he smiled, resting his cheek against the strong chest placidly.

The man remained silent for a few long moments, thinking his options over in his head before he tried to work out an answer. "Duo... I'm glad to know that you won't leave me for Heero. That's a big relief for me to hear," he smiled softly, kissing the top of his head. "So the issue of Heero hinges entirely upon Heero... I suppose that we will just have to wait it out with him and see what happens. See if he will give up on his own," he answered, hoping the for his lover's sake, that Heero would be able to possibly work it out in the end that he would just never have the bright eyed youth in his arms. Duo no longer wanted him and that thought alone make Zechs' heart soar. He had won. He had gotten what he wanted. All he had to do was keep his lover safe.

"Mmm... I love you. I don't deserve you, but I'm not stupid enough to make you leave to find someone better," he stated, hugging Zechs tightly once more and leaning up on his tip toes as he pulled the man's face down for a deep kiss.

"Uncle Duo?" a soft feminine voice hesitantly piped up, causing the boy in question to freeze for a moment, lips still pressed against the OZ-officer's. "Uncle Duo? Who's that man?" Maiyumi asked curiously as she stood nearby watching the couple, the front paw of her stuffed bunny, dangling from her hand.

Slowly Duo lowered himself back down to his flat feet, looking over his shoulder at the young girl and giving her a lopsided grin. "This is my boyfriend, Zechs, Mai. He's really nice. You've seen him before. You know how Yam's in that band with me? Well, he is too. He plays the drums," he explained, reaching a hand out to her for her to join them, lifting her up onto his hip when she made her way over.

Impossibly large, grey eyes stared at Zechs for several long moments before she finally spoke to him. "You've killed people... just like Uncle Duo," she commented knowingly, still peering at him as if reading his soul. "I won't tell anyone," she assured him, patting his cheek lightly.

Duo's eyes widened slightly, then snapped up to look at Zechs to see how he was handling the child. "I uh... she's been through a lot... smart kid. Really intuitive," he muttered somewhat hastily, looking as if he was about to die on the spot. She'd done nearly the same thing to him when he had first met her. Yami had taken the news harder than Maiyumi had, which had surprised him. Apparently Maiyumi had different categories of killers and he assumed that the one she had placed them in was alright. He'd seen how she reacted to gunfights on the television, no where near as calm and collected as she was now. He had meant to talk to Yami about it, but at the time it had seemed a fluke, now he wasn't so sure, but he assumed it was her way of showing her acceptance of Zechs.

Zechs could do nothing more than blink for a full minute before he nodded to her, not denying his past, "I was a soldier." He wondered if one of her parents had been killed in the war, or if either had been soldiers. All he knew about them, was that both had died and Yami raised her little sister on her own since her brother was often gone.

"Will he stay too? To protect Maiyumi from the bad killers?" she asked, looking up at both of them curiously, the question causing Duo to look up at Zechs as well, awaiting his answer.

"If Yami is agreeable to it, yes. I will stay the night and protect Maiyumi from the bad killers," he smiled gently, tapping the girl's nose with his finger. He thought it might just be a good idea to stay away from Heero for the night, now that he had seen Duo. For all he knew, the boy might try to shoot him again.

xx

"You're trying to tell me that with all your money, men, and connections that you can't find one single person?" Heero asked Quatre incredulously, Prussian orbs staring at him, daring him to cave in and tell him where Duo was. He knew the boy knew, but as of yet, had been unable to get him to tell him.

"No. What I'm saying is that I refuse to tell you anything, Heero. There's a difference. I've been given orders not to tell you, and quite frankly, I agree with them," he stated firmly, walking off, signaling that he was done with the conversation, whether or not Heero was. He was getting tired of the pilot's insistence upon trying to get him to break down and tell him Duo's whereabouts. He'd already erased the security tapes that would give the guy any information, knowing that he would be thorough enough to check them. Heero now owed him for all the equipment that he had broken in his rage at finding out what Quatre had done.

It had been a close call when Heero had gotten it into his head to go visiting all the members in the band to ask them about where Duo was. Thankfully, Heero had woken up Maiyumi when he had gone to Yami's apartment. Doing so had caused Heero to be banned from the building after the fuss the girl had put up about the incident after he wouldn't leave when she had asked after insisting that Duo wasn't there.

Zechs knew where Duo was, Heero was sure of it, but he wouldn't go ask him. Not when they were both competing for the baka's affection. He knew the man wouldn't tell him anyway, so there really was no point in asking to begin with, which left him at square one, right where he had been three days before. He slammed his fist through the wall in frustration, knowing that Zechs would beat him to Duo. They had a concert the next night and Duo had to be there, Zechs had to be there. They couldn't avoid each other. "Damnit!" he swore, wondering if he should just resort to terrorist tactics and kidnap him from onstage... He sighed, discarding the idea as rash and idiotic. He'd never be able to make it back out unless he strapped a bomb to himself, but Duo would make sure he didn't get outside. If Duo were anyone but a Gundam pilot, it might have been possible.

xx

"Come on Yam! Bus is here!" Duo yelled, picking up his duffel bag in one hand, a water bottle in the other as he headed for the door.

"I'm coming! Hold your horses! Mai's blanket got lost in her be- Wait! Here is it! Coming!" she called running out of the little girl's room, said blanket in hand, two duffel bags thrown over her shoulder which Zechs took from her when she got close enough. "I could have handled them," she protested weakly as she picked up a bag of books for Maiyumi that had been sitting by the door ready to go. The little girl had all of the toys she wanted packed in a small backpack she wore, her bunny once more dangling from her hand.

Avery had already been picked up first, tricked into being on time by stating that he was supposed to be ready to go an hour earlier than he actually was picked up. That way no one had to wait on him like they usually did. They picked Kouma up last since he was on the way to the next venue and because of his mother was always prompt and ready to go earlier than need be.

Yami naturally took the living room in the back with the pullout couch as her bedroom so that she could be close to Maiyumi in case she had any nightmares. She didn't want the girl waking anyone up, nor for it to take her any longer than necessary to deal with them. As much as Duo and Zechs wanted their own room, they didn't have a good enough reason to need one like she did so there was no argument over it. Zechs claimed a middle bunk while Duo claimed the one just above it so that he could be close to him. "Hey, look! I get to be on top, does that make me seme?" he questioned with a grin as he leaned out of his bunk, roughly eye level with his boyfriend.

"Most certainly not. Now come out of there. You're sleeping in that bunk there," he pointed to the one at the head of his own so that they would be on the same level. "I don't want you to get hurt climbing into that or falling out on a sharp turn or anything," he explained, although, really he just wanted to be able to link their hands together as they slept. There were far too many people around however to say that, but Duo didn't seem to argue, instead merely pouting adorably as he climbed out and claimed the bunk indicated. "If anyone will be seme, it will be me," he purring close to the boy's ear, eliciting a shiver down his boyfriend's spine.

"But! But what if I want to be sometime?" he asked a little breathlessly as a tongue traced the shell of his ear, making him suddenly feel a little too warm. He clung to the front of Zechs' sweater, wondering how he could wear such a garment at a time like this... although he was the one doing all the teasing so maybe that was the reason.

Zechs hummed and nibbled on the spot just below the boy's ear as he thought it over. "We'll discuss that another time," he smirked, wrapping his arms around his smaller lover and pulling him closer, letting his lips trail up until they claimed Duo's slightly parted ones, capturing his shuddering breath.

"Maybe Yami really should let you guys have the back room. Geez! Maybe you just need your own private bus so you can molest him wherever you want to," Kouma griped good naturedly at Zechs, causing the man to straighten away from Duo's mouth. "Aw, I'm just kidding. You put on a good show," he grinned, leaning back against the couch and propping his feet up on the coffee table, watching them as if they intended to make out in front of him for show. When Zechs didn't go back to kissing Duo, he flipped on the TV, finally tearing his eyes away from them to something more entertaining.

"Tonight, Duo... after the concert... I have something special planned for us," Merquise murmured quietly against the soft brunette hair, hand trailing up and down the boy's arm soothingly. "Nothing more than you want," he assured gently, pulling back just enough to kiss Duo's forehead. Sure he was hoping that Duo would give himself to him, but he wouldn't push it. If Duo wanted to wait for Heero, he'd let him. It would hurt, but he'd allow it if that was what Duo wanted.

Colour flooded the singer's cheeks at the insinuation, but he nodded nonetheless. "I'd like that," he smiled, reaching up to briefly touch lips with Zechs before he went to join Kouma on the couch, watching cartoons. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he watched the blonde man sit and take out one of his books, flipping to a marked page.

xx

Duo could tell that Heero was nearby. He had yet to see any sign of his presence, but he could feel it once they got to the venue. Heero had something planned, and he had to find a way to stop whatever it was from happening. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, and with Heero, someone always was sacrificed for the mission. He stayed quiet, acting as if nothing were wrong, however he did let Zechs in on his suspicions.

Even once the concert was finished, he didn't feel at ease. Instead, his trepidation only increased. Heero had either not had a chance to make his move, or hadn't been planning one Duo realized as he step foot into the hotel room that he would share with Zechs. As the door shut behind him, the focus of his nerves had taken on an entirely different direction. He was now alone with his boyfriend, whom had earlier given him a rather clear impression of where he hoped the evening would lead to. And he had no intention of disappointing him. Zechs would get what he hoped for, but only because he was willing and eager to give it to him, even more so now, as he looked around the lavish room. A vase of beautiful sunflowers set on the table with a note addressed to him.

He carefully made his way over to the flowers, gingerly picking up the note to read its message. "Sunflowers. They survive off the sun, their face always turned upwards towards the light, their face tracking its motion through the sky. You are my light, and I am those sunflowers. Z," Duo murmured softly to himself, a light smile tugging at the corners of his lips. There was nothing else in the room to symbolize a special evening, but the flowers were enough, more than enough in fact. He appreciated the simplicity of the gesture, not wanting to have been treated like a female, expecting flowers and candles to cover the entire room. Everyone had that and it was far too clichéd for Duo's taste. The sunflowers and Zechs' presence were absolutely perfect and he couldn't have asked for a better ending to the night.

The smile blossomed brighter as he lent back against the strong chest suddenly pressed against his back, warm arms wrapping themselves around his waist. "Thank you," he murmured, turning his head up to meet ice, blue eyes shining with love for him, the street orphan from L2. He'd never imagined his life turning out this way, but it was funny how life turned out sometimes. Just when you thought it was all a waist, something comes around to make it all worthwhile.

TBC…