Disclaimer: I don't own GW, or any of the boys, much as I would love to. I don't own 'Falling' – it belongs to the fabulous Joey Mac. Don't hurt me, I can't do anything to change ownership of any of it, and neither can you.

Warning: Songfic. Shounen-ai. Relena bashing. Bad dancing? You have been warned.

Falling

Part One – The Lesson

"This can't be right," I said for what had to be the millionth time, my shock and near-outrage for once too great to be concealed by my carefully cultivated stoical silence.

"Relax," my mission-partner soothed, clearly trying very hard to keep a straight face. He was failing miserably.

"Don't tell me to relax, Maxwell," I ground out, annoyed by his lackadaisical manner. "This is horrible."

"Horrible?" he raised an eyebrow. "What's so horrible about it? It's just dancing."

I glared at him, thinking, Shit. He's got me there. It's so embarrassing, but he'll spot a lie a mile away, and that'll be even worse.

He leaned his hip against my desk and crossed his arms, waiting.

Just get it over with, I told myself. My glare wasn't working.

Finally, he tired of waiting. "Well?" he demanded.

"I can't dance," I admitted through gritted teeth.

Both his eyebrows shot straight up and a bark of laughter escaped before he bit down on his wrist to muffle the sound.

I glared again.

"But I've seen you dance," he reminded me when he could speak again. "With your girlfriend."

"Relena is not my girlfriend," I growled, annoyed even though I knew he was just kidding. "And I've only danced one dance with her. I only ever learned one. It took me so long to get it that Dr. J decided to drop my dancing lessons, said there were better uses for my time."

A cheeky grin spread across his face.

I winced: that was never good.

"I'm sure there are plenty of girls who would love nothing better than to help you improve your dancing, Blue-Eyes," he teased.

I reminded myself sternly that I didn't want to kill Duo, that I liked him and would regret it later if I did, no matter how good an idea it sounded at the time. I gripped my chair arms instead of his neck and trained my glare on my laptop, silently vowing revenge.

He laughed again, seeing my dour expression. For some reason, the sound sent a tingling sensation down my spine.

Then the alarm on my computer started beeping.

Duo glanced at the clock, startled, and pushed away from my desk. "Break's over," he announced unnecessarily, gathering his books from his bed, where he'd dumped them upon entering the dorm earlier.

I didn't move. If I moved, it meant I was going to afternoon classes. If I went to afternoon classes, it meant I would eventually end up in the dance studio. And that was not going to happen. Ever. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't. And no one could make me.

A very childish voice in my head was screaming, I won't! I won't! I won't! They can't make me!

"Come on, soldier," Duo grabbed both my hands and hauled me unceremoniously to my feet.

He shoved my bag into my arms, then, retrieving his own, turned me around and walked me to the door, hands on my shoulders. He opened the door, and gave me a bit of a push. "Forward march," he commanded, voice almost choked with suppressed laughter, and proceeded to all but frog-march me down the hall.

Rat bastard, I griped silently, letting him propel me towards the overpass that led from the dorms to the classrooms.

Duo's proximity was making me strangely uncomfortable, as was the continued pressure of his hands on my shoulders. I tried to shrug them off, but they didn't move until we'd reached our classroom.

I took a seat in the back row, near the window. Duo plopped down in the only seat next to me, stretching his legs out beneath the desk.

Barely a moment later, Relena entered the room with her entourage of giggling fans. I could see her scanning the class, and looked determinedly out the window as her gaze swept over me. I felt her eyes pin me for a moment, then pass on. When I turned back to the room, she'd taken a seat at the front of the room.

Duo was glaring fixedly at the back of her head.

And they say I can kill with a look, I thought with a touch of asperity. But I was oddly pleased by his blatant animosity towards the girl.

The professor swept in as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Duo slid me a sidelong glance, saw I was watching him, and grinned, then went back to glowering at the blonde in the front.

For some reason, I couldn't seem to focus on the lesson at all.

I was worried about the dance class, which wasn't supposed to happen, since I wasn't supposed to worry about anything (that would imply that my abilities were less than perfect, and that was not acceptable), but that wasn't what was distracting me. I should have been able to work despite any anxiety. Besides, even though I dreaded the mere idea of being forced to dance, what did it really matter if I looked like a complete idiot in front of these other students? It wasn't as though dancing were a skill I needed as a soldier, and I wasn't likely to see any of them ever again, except for Relena, of course, and I really didn't care what she thought of me. But, for the life of me, I simply couldn't keep my attention on the lesson. And as the period wore on, my gaze kept being drawn to the boy next to me. It gradually occurred to me that my intense aversion to looking like a fool was based almost solely on the fact that Duo would be there to see. The theory startled me at first, but I told myself firmly that it did make sense. I reasoned that I didn't want a fellow solider to see any weaknesses I might possess, especially after so carefully constructing the appearance of having none. But lurking in the shadows of my mind was the very definite knowledge that it wouldn't have matter anywhere near as much if it had been any of the others.

The bell indicating the end of the period startled me from my discomforting musings. Even more of a shock was Duo grabbing my hand the instant the bell rang and dragging me to our next class.

A flash of heat had run through me at his touch, but when I glanced at him to see his reaction, it seemed as though he hadn't noticed it.

I'm probably just imagining things, I thought. Not good, but better than… I clamped down on that notion, refusing to finish the sentence, even in my mind. I'd imagined it, and that was all there was to it.

I tried to work my hand free anyway, subtly of course, but failed. His fingers just tightened, as if he had no intention of releasing me any time soon. I wasn't sure what I thought of that.

Duo pushed me into the back corner again, and once again took the only nearby seat for himself.

When Relena swept in with her faithful followers, Duo smirked at her.

Once again, my attention kept straying from the teacher to the long-haired teen at my side.

At the next bell, Duo again raced me through the halls. It was irritating in a way, but had saved me from Relena before, so I didn't protest.

She gave him a nasty look when she saw us already seated in the back of our next class.

He responded by sticking out his tongue.

I almost laughed aloud. Almost.

Class began.

This time, Duo caught me, several times, sneaking glances at him.

"What?" he whispered, the third time this happened.

"Nothing," I muttered hastily, and bent my head over my books as my face began to heat up.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see he was still watching me, but I couldn't dissect his expression.

When he made to haul me off again, I was quicker, avoiding his disconcerting touch, but still moving swiftly and sitting in the back with him.

Relena arrived scant seconds after we'd sat down. She didn't hesitate a moment, but stormed up to Duo, getting in his face.

"You'd better give it up, you little rat," she hissed, eyes narrowed in an expression of anger I'd never seen before. "He's mine, and you know it as well as I do. You can't have him. You don't deserve him. And against me, you don't stand a chance anyway." She pulled back. "So stay the hell ways from him."

I sat in shock, having never heard her speak like that before. And I was completely confused as to what she'd meant.

You can't have him.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Duo, on the other hand, seemed completely unperturbed by her furious diatribe. He merely grinned, blew her a kiss, and flipped her off.

Relena gasped and sputtered, but the professor had arrived, and there was nothing she could do but take her seat.

When Duo realized I was staring in a most un-soldier-like fashion, his grin grew wicked, and he blew me a kiss, too.

I forced myself to scowl at his antics and turn away – swallowing hard and wondering why I was having to force what should have been my natural reaction.

Class ended, but this time I dug my heels in when Duo tried to get me moving. The dreaded dance lesson was next, and I was still frantically trying to think of a reason not to go.

It was a mistake. I should have taken off with Duo when I had the chance.

Relena waited only long enough for the other students to file out before she pounced.

She approached and inserted herself between me and Deathscythe's pilot, turning her back on him to effectively block him from whatever conversation she planned on having.

"I was just wondering, Heero," she purred, "if you had a partner yet for dance class. I've been trying to ask you all afternoon, but – " she shot a swift, vicious, glance over her shoulder at Duo – "I kept missing you."

I opened my mouth to answer, though I had no idea what to say, but Duo cut me off.

"You don't have a partner yet, Relena?" he asked, leaning on her shoulder, the very picture of innocence. "That's so horrible."

She pulled away sharply. "I wasn't speaking to you," she said frostily.

His grin was downright malicious. "Heero doesn't speak to you, but that has never, to my knowledge, prevented you from harassing him."

"I have never harassed Heero!" the blonde bit out indignantly. "He happens to enjoy my company."

"No, he doesn't," Duo shot back nastily. "Ask him yourself."

Relena gasped. "How dare you!" She whirled on me. "Are you going to let him talk to me like that, Heero?"

I stared at her for a long minute, chewing on my lower lip.

"We're going to be late for class," I said finally, and slipped between them, headed for the door. As much as I dreaded the coming lesson, at least being in the presence of another professor would shut them up.

They didn't catch up with me until I reached the studio (I assumed they'd started fighting again, and the red handprint on Duo's face seemed to be proof that Relena, at least, had turned violent).

I couldn't help but scowl as I entered the studio, and I'd barely crossed the threshold when Relena latched onto my arm.

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something I'd regret later.

Our instructor was already there, urging people to choose partners. Not surprisingly, I ended up with Relena.

The period was, as I'd expected, hell. Dancing with Relena wasn't particularly difficult, as she was only a few scant inches shorter than me, but being that close to her for a prolonged period of time was starting to make me physically ill. And I couldn't focus on the steps – my attention kept being diverted to Duo, who seemed to be having the time of his life.

He was a very good dancer, I noted, feeling a bit jealous. He and his partner moved around the room with a grace I knew I'd never be able to match. And they seemed to be getting along quite well. I felt an inexplicable surge of dislike for the girl when my mission partner laughed loudly at something she'd said.

At long last, the class was over.

The instructor let us go, with a warning that if we hadn't practiced on our own – and improved dramatically by the next class – he'd keep us after for as long as it took us to perfect the 'art.'

I made some excuse to Relena – who didn't seem keen on releasing my arm – and fled.

Back to the safety of my room went I.

Back to the safety of my computer, which wouldn't toss its hair and bat its lashes at me. God I hated that blonde girl just then.

Duo found me still at my laptop sometime later.

"You weren't at dinner," he commented, dumping his things on the floor and flopping on his bed.

"Hn." I was only half-listening, still concentrating on my computer.

He made an exasperated noise: he hated when I ignored him.

"Relena was looking for you. Says you need to practice."

"Tell her I died."

There was dead silence for a long moment, then a burst of laughter.

I stopped typing and turned around.

Duo was clutching his stomach and laughing so hard there were tears running down his face. It was almost… cute.

The revelation startled me. Duo wasn't cute. He was a soldier. A fellow Gundam pilot. And annoying. Very annoying. But he was undeniably attractive.

I bit the inside of my cheek and waited for him to finish.

"Sorry, 'Ro," he managed at last.

I started. What did he just call me?

"It's just… I never thought something like that would come out of your mouth." He chuckled a bit more.

"What did you call me?"

He instantly stopped laughing, looking suddenly like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. "What?"

TBC