Chapter Three: Risk It:

The night of the gala had arrived, and Duo found himself getting ready for the occasion. All though Lynn had said it was nothing fancy, Duo felt that his priest get up wasn't appropriate. So, after he showered, and got cleaned up, he found one of his few dress shirts, a black pair of jeans, and his one and only pair of dress shoes. Once he was dressed, he looked into the mirror. Normally, he had his hair tied back, but he felt like wearing it down. He smirked at his reflection. He didn't look half bad.

"Yup, I still got it." Duo said to himself, and he left his home, and headed toward the gallery.

The gallery where Lynn's gala was being held was in the centre of town. A lot of the upper class had shown up. Lynn passed by a few of them, and noticed their disgusted faces as they looked at her work. Lynn's work was dark. It was as if her paintings had come right out of a nightmare. She ignored their faces, everyone was critic.

As she passed by the unfamiliar faces, she hoped to come across a familiar face, but she didn't see him. "He's not here yet, if that's what you're wondering." Lynn turned around to face Trowa.

"Do you think he'll come Trowa?" asked Lynn.

"I don't know." Trowa answered honestly.

"Where's Quatre?" she asked.

"I'm not sure." Trowa told her. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere though."

Quatre was around, he just wasn't inside the gala. He was outside, waiting for Duo. He started to pace back and forth. He knew he had gotten to his friend back in the store. It was only a matter of time until he showed up. Quatre could feel it. He smiled when he saw Duo walking up.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." joked Quatre.

"Not a word Q-man. Not a single word." Duo warned.

"She's inside. Lets go." Duo didn't have time to reply, Quatre gabbed by the arm, and nearly dragged him in, almost pulling his arm out of the socket in the process.

Inside, Lynn smiled when she saw Quatre walk up to her and Trowa. He wasn't alone. "Here he is." Lynn told Trowa.

"Did you get lost my friend?" asked Trowa to Quatre. He shook his head.

"No, but look who I ran into." Quatre replied, pushing Duo forward.

Duo glared back at him. Quatre just gave him an innocent smile. One of these days, he would wipe that smile off his face. He couldn't do it now though, too many witnesses. "Come on Trowa, there's a painting I want you to see."

"But Lynn has all-"

Quatre didn't give him time to reply, like Duo, he dragged his lover off in the other direction. Lynn laughed. "I wonder what that was about?"

"Who knows." answered Duo.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it." Lynn replied once Quatre and Trowa were gone.

"I needed to get out."

Duo mentally kicked himself. That was a really dump thing say Maxwell... An awkward silence came between them. Duo broke it by asking: "So, are all these paintings yours?"

Lynn laughed at him and Duo once again kicked himself. Of course they are you baka. It's her gala. He shook his head. He didn't know why he was acting so oddly tonight.

"Come on, I'll so you around."

Lynn followed her, and he took a look at some of her paintings. He also noticed the upper classes disgusted looks. "How can you take them?" Duo asked her, eyeing a woman who just stuck her up her nose.

"You just get use to them." she said. "They want to see works such as Degas, but what these people fail to realize is that Degas was an Impressionist. Back in the day, his work was like mine, out of the ordinary, and out of place."

Duo didn't know much about art, but he knew what he liked. He was impressed that she wasn't afraid to show off the dark colors. "Well, I think they're pretty good."

"Thank you." Lynn replied, blushing at him compliment. "Too bad that there aren't more critics like you."

"Doesn't Trowa and Quatre like your work?" asked Duo as they continued to walk around.

"I think Trowa likes it a little more then Quatre does, but he never says anything negative about my work." Lynn told him. "In fact, he says art is a form expression, and you should be able to express yourself any way you like." Lynn laughed to herself. "I just wish my art professor would have said that."

"You went to college?" asked Duo.

"Yes, but I only went two years at the community one." Lynn answered. "Still, it was quit an experience. Did you go to school?"

Lynn put him in a tight spot. No, he didn't go to high school, or college, but he couldn't tell her he spent his how life fighting. He wondered if Quatre and Trowa told her about his past, probably not. He thought. He guessed that they didn't even share theirs with her. Duo remembered their conversation when they first met, and he remembered how they quickly changed the subject when Lynn showed up.

"Only high school. Didn't have enough money to go to college." lied Duo.

"Oh, well, that's not too bad then." Lynn replied. "At least you have some education."

"True." he continued.

Lynn continued to show him around the gala. As they weaved their way through the people, Duo changed the subject and asked: "Where do you get your inspiration for your work?"

"My dreams mostly." she answered.

As they stood before one, Duo studied it. The canvas was painted back, with ghostly faces upon it. "You mean from your nightmares...?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Nightmares. I doubt these are pleasant dreams you have..."

Lynn shook her head. "You would be correct Mr. Maxwell."

Duo could hear the sadness in her voice as she said that. He gave her a small smile, trying to cheer her up a bit. "I've told you, it's Duo."

"Right, sorry." she replied. "I guess I picked up Quatre's formal habit."

"It's very annoying isn't it?"

"Just a little." answered Lynn with a small laugh.

Duo couldn't help but noticed how cute she was when she smiled. He felt something nudging him. He looked behind him, to see if it was Quatre but it was not. Duo soon found himself arguing with his own brain.

Ask her, you know you want to.

No.

You know you miss holding a woman in your arms.

I've learned to live without it.

Liar.

Am not!

Are too!

Duo couldn't believe it, he was arguing like a two year old. Then he heard Quatre's voice in his head: "Hilde would want you to be happy..."

Damn you Quatre. Before he could stop himself, he was asking Lynn out on a date. "Would you like you go out to dinner with me sometime?"

Lynn was a little shocked with his request. It had been a long time since she had been on a date. "With me?"

"Yes, with you." Duo answered.

Lynn would risk it. After all, what was the worst thing that could happen? "I would like that."

Not too far away, Quatre watched happily as his two friends exchange numbers. He smirked at Trowa. "I'll told you," he said. "Fate just needs a little push sometimes."

Trowa shook his head. He wasn't as positive as Quatre was about the whole ordeal. Still, he wished his friends the best. Duo wasn't the only one who deserved to be happy.

TBC...