Disclaimers: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing nor it's characters. Merely borrowing them for a little fun.

Warnings: Shounen-ai and nothing much besides that, I think. Heero's POV. Post anime.

Coming Home

Part 3

Immersed in his own thoughts, Heero found himself standing outside his apartment building. Damn, he walked all the way up from downtown. Oh well, might as well call it a day. There was nothing he could do anyway. He would just have to figure it out himself and when he did, Duo had better run for his life if he didn't want to be caught by the Perfect Soldier. Heero felt his heart twinge a little at the thought of Duo running from him further. Even if they can't be more than friends, he had thought they were the best of buddies, at least that was what Duo told him during the war. What had changed?

As he walked past the letter slots, Heero's eye caught something out of the ordinary. It was a white non-descript envelop sticking out of his slot. He frowned, a little confused. He usually didn't get any mail at his apartment, but at the office. The usual correspondence he got in his building was from the landlord but that was very rarely. He wondered if he needed to test it for bugs or explosives. Nearly laughing at himself, he unlocked his letter box and the letter drifted down into his hand.

It was a blank with a single word written on it.

01.

His heart skipped a beat. It was his code name during the war. No one used it anymore… could it be Duo? Could he be back and this was a joke? Frantically, he ripped the paper apart. Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the letter and something fell to the ground. It was a… band aid? Bending over, Heero picked up the item with a small frown of confusion, which was heavily laced with amusement. Twirling the wrapped band aid, with little cartoons all over it, he read the note.

Hey 01,

Sorry about the paper, but it sounds like someone woke on the wrong side of the bed today. And from someone who has his bed pressed against the wall, I know how much it will hurt. So, just in case, here's a band aid for your head.

I hope things have settled down with you and I already had a talk with my paperboy. He promised to stay awake during classes before that scary man from 01 comes and squashes him. Man, you really press hard on the paper. Perhaps I should have you arrested for abusing stationery.

And hey, if you have bad days again, you can drop me a note in my mailbox. I've been told I listen good, once I shut my big trap.

From 02

As Heero read the note, a small smile worked itself to his lips. He didn't know why but the note amused him. It somehow made the turmoil of the day melt away. He hadn't heard much about the new tenant and the rest of the building hadn't seen much of him either. He apparently worked some job that required him to go to work at night.

Heero walked to his apartment, a smile still playing on his lips as he reread the letter and slipped the band aid in his wallet. He just hoped that he won't have to arrest this guy for some weird night time crime or something. He was amusing. But the way he called him 01 made him melancholic. He could still remember the way Duo would yell his code over the comm. link.

His apartment was silent as usual. He tossed his keys into the dish reserved for them and pulled off his shoes. He dropped the letter on the table and headed towards his room. He was suddenly as tired as hell and frankly, he didn't want to think anymore. As far as he was concerned, Duo was gone. Even as he firmly pushed that out of his mind, a little voice in the back of his head screamed 'liar'.

xxXXxx

02,

Remember when you told me I could ask you anything? Well, we have been exchanging notes for a while now, and I don't know if I should ask you this but, I think I need to and…

Heero viciously crushed the paper and threw it onto the floor. It joined the many crumpled wads of stationary on the carpet. Can't he stop babbling? After eighteen drafts, he should think he would be able to write one simple note.

It had been three weeks since the first time he received a note from the guy in 02. And he had been receiving one a day ever since. At first, Heero didn't know what to think, people that friendly didn't exist anymore… except for Duo. But Duo was now in L2, giving orphans a place to stay and hopefully a new lease in life.

Heero knew it was probably unfair but he had started to imagine the person behind these notes was Duo and calling him 02 merely reinforced this illusion. It felt good to pretend, since the mysterious stranger was currently unseen. 02 had his own brand of humour that reminded him a lot of Duo. He managed to reduce Heero to smiles no matter how bad a day he had been having. There was once he left for a mission for three days and found his letter slot crammed full with notes and a little bandaged plushie bear. The note told Heero that while 02 hoped he wasn't hurt, but if he was, he hoped this little thing would cheer him up. That left him grinning like a loon the whole next day. It felt good to have someone care for him like that.

Wufei had noted his almost radiant expression and had asked him outright if he got laid. The Chinese Preventor got a nice whack on his head.

Heero had in turn slipped in a thank you note and a small keychain he had managed to purchase at a strip joint where he was undercover. It was a rather interesting one with a couple in a rather odd position. He wondered himself if anyone, short of a contortionist would be able to achieve that. He wondered if Trowa could, before flushing deeply. One did not think of their friends in that way, especially if that thought involved that said friend's lover. For some reason, he knew 02 would appreciate the humour.

A note came for him the next day saying simply,

01,

This goes into the 'must try' positions in my books.

Thank you.

02.

That left a rather odd feeling in Heero's chest. It felt a little achy and tight. It left him feeling a little sick and more than a little wistful. He knew he didn't feel anything for 02. That person was just a shadow in the dark and Heero wouldn't be able to feel anything for someone he hasn't even seen. Right? Right?

This didn't mean Heero hadn't tried. There were times where he had staked out the letter slots, hoping to get a glimpse of the mysterious stranger who had been making him feel warm inside. It felt different from what his friends made him feel. His friends reminded him of Duo and that thought was still a rather raw wound, coupled with confusion. He rather not visit that place quite yet. He hadn't had much success making friends on his own either and this, if 02 can be called an actual person, was the first friend he had made on his own. He decided to gloss over the fact that in his mind, he imagined Duo reading his notes and Duo laughing at the little gifts they gave each other. No, he won't think of that, it was still too confusing.

The same little voice came out of hibernation and yelled at him again. Liar.

So, anyway, he had tried staking out to get a peek at the stranger. Despite all the correspondence they had had, 02 had never asked to meet him and curiosity had build. Was there some reason 02 didn't want to meet him? Did 02 somehow found out who he was and what he did in the past? Did 02 think less of him?

Heero had to snap out of it. Now he was obsessing over someone he has never even met.

He couldn't remember who had started the gift giving, since he didn't really consider the band aid a gift, more like a gag. But the tokens had started off that way and slowly evolved into something quite meaningful sometimes. The little plushie bear was rather sweet. Heero looked over at his refrigerator door. Under a magnet was a picture of a sunset by the beach. It was beautifully taken, with the bright orange sun reflecting off the sea's horizon.

02 had taken that during a business trip. He had told Heero that there were no such sunsets within the city, and had hoped that he would like it, since he was sure Heero didn't need a Mickey Mouse eared cap. Damn if 02 didn't get him one as well.

Today's note was slightly different, and it started this afternoon when Quatre and Trowa showed up to take Wufei and him for lunch. As usual, Heero was immersed in work and thinking about the chocolate that had been dropped into his letter slot. It had been a rather expensive chocolate and it tasted very good. Heero remembered all those times during the war when Duo would try to entice him into trying some chocolate but had been coldly brushed aside. He hadn't fancied sweet things much growing up but he had to admit, that confectionery was rather… good.

"Heero," Quatre greeted, smiling at the rather odd expression of detachment his friend had on his face.

"Oh," Heero's eyes focused and smiled at Quatre, feeling to be in an extremely good mood. "Hi guys, how are you?"

Dead silence met his greeting.

Confused, Heero looked from Quatre's hanging jaw to Trowa's slightly tilted head to Wufei's frown. Great, what has he done now? He watched as Quatre stumbled back into Trowa who immediately held him tightly. Both were now openly gaping at him. No, make that all three. Wufei's eyes were the size of saucers.

"What?" Heero snapped. "Is there something on my face?"

"He… he… smiled," Quatre stammered.

"Cal… called us… guys," Trowa piped in, more for teasing than any real shock. There was this evil glint in his green eyes that made Heero want to punch him.

"He bounced on his seat," Wufei added, suppressing a laugh. "I saw him!"

Heero rolled his eyes and leaned back, surrendering himself to a bought of inevitable teasing. Damn 02 for making his out of character. Where was the moody, pissy Heero Yuy everyone wanted to kill? Wait, backtrack, that wanted to kill everyone.

"Omae o korosu," Heero deadpanned, watching his friends explode into paroxysm of laughter. I will kill you.

Once the laughter was spent, at Heero's expense, damn it, Quatre invited them for lunch. Heero had gone along rather reluctantly, his mind going over how he was going to answer 02's note. Of late, the notes had been getting more and more teasing. It had become a battle of wits among the two and he found it exhilarating. He hadn't felt that in two years, not since the war, not since… Duo. Alright, squash that thought, hard!

"Come on, Heero, it's been a long time since we went out together. Please?" Quatre started looking at Heero with his huge blue/green eyes.

God, was this how Quatre got his way? Those eyes should be registered as a deadly weapon. Suddenly, he pitied Trowa and also understood why his friend did the things he did for his slightly shorter lover. No one, and seriously, no one could deny Quatre when he stared at someone with that imploring 'oh my goodness, you've tore my heart out' look in his eyes. Heero wondered if Duo learned his own look from the blond.

No! No thinking of Duo. He was over Duo. It was 02 now, right? Right?

That damn voice crawled out again, and yelled a little louder this time. Liar!

So, they ended up in a small Italian restaurant just eating and sharing news. Heero stared around the table, studying his friends and trying to banish the small pang that something was wrong, something wasn't complete. There were four instead of five. Where was… He back pedalled before his mind landed on that name.

"Sooo…" Trowa quirked a grin and all attention turned to Heero. "Tell us what you have been doing."

Heero frowned at the odd grins on each of his friends' faces. It was as if they knew something he didn't and that troubled him. "Me?" He choked out after swallowing a rather large bite of pizza.

Quatre bobbed his golden head, grinning like he was a five year old trying to pry a secret from a friend. "You are different."

"Different?"

Wufei coughed politely. "What he means is you are smiling and more often than not, lost in your own world. That isn't like the Heero Yuy we know."

"And the Heero Yuy you know is…" Heero questioned, not really liking all this attention on him. He felt like he was in the middle of a freaking conspiracy.

"Grumpy." Quatre was so dead.

"Anti social." Trowa shall share a resting place with his lover.

"Too focused on his work." Wait, can't kill Wufei, he was back up. But Wufei torture was possible.

"What is this? Insult Heero Yuy day?" Heero pouted. Well, he would kill anyone who implied he did but when someone other than Heero Yuy stuck out his lower lip, crossed his arms over his chest and slumped further in his chair, it was a pout.

Three stunned friends stared at Heero for a split second before exploding into laughter again. The Japanese teen endured their laughter for a few seconds before pushing his chair back.

"Alright, this conversation is over," he muttered, picking up his coat.

"Heero, please don't go," Wufei gasped in between chuckles. "We're sorry, just teasing you."

Heero stared down at his friends, who were soon properly sombre and took his seat. "Well, that just wasn't all that nice. And I am not out of character," he glared.

The rest quickly shook their heads. "Of course not."

"I'm just happy."

Eyes widened at that but simultaneously, three heads shook again. "Of course."

Then Trowa leaned forward. "Mind telling us why you are this dizzy?"

"I'm not dizzy!" Heero blurted, feeling rather affronted.

"Are you in loooove?" Quatre drawled, dimpling.

That took Heero aback. Love? When did that come into the picture? It wasn't love when you haven't seen the person and didn't know the person fast a few notes left in letter slots. It was like an internet relationship for crying out loud. He didn't love 02. Of course not. But wasn't there lurking in the back of his mind the term 02 that was closely connected to Duo?

No no no no no no NO!

The voice inside his head which was getting louder, sighed and decided to tape the word 'liar' to be played over and over and over again in Heero's head. It was getting tired as Heero was beginning to lie to himself more and more frequently.

Quatre noted the confusion a little too late. "Heero, are you alright?"

"Am I gay?" Heero asked abruptly and was met with three shocked faces with a silence as deep as the Atlantic Ocean.

tbc...