I normally don't like reading authors notes but I thought I aught to write one here.

I've really loved writing this, and I've finished it too. My beta just gave me back the last chapter so I'll clean that up and it'll be done. She said she liked the end but thought I could have done better. I agree. I'm going to post it (sometime before next week hopefully) but I think I'll be redoing it sometime in the future. The problem is the end goes a little beyond my own experience, as I've never had a date or anything it's hard to write about people getting together. This story really is drawn from experiences so that may be why the end isn't quite right. Still I think it's good, just know that I'll probably work on it in the future, when I know what I'm talking about. This is a growing story; as I grow it will (least that's what I hope). There might even be a sequel by the time I leave for college

Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

11

They all gathered at the food court. Wufei, Heero, Trowa, Cat and surprisingly Zechs too.

"I thought this was a sophomore gathering." Wufei grumbled.

"Don't hate me cause I'm a senior. Dad wanted me to go help Relena buy her dress. She's out with the girls and forbade me to go with her, of which I'm glad. So while I'm out "shopping" with her, I figured it was as good a time as any to buy a suit."

"Great!" Cat grinned, "the more the merrier." Wufei grumbled a bit but acquiesced. They all headed for the suit shops.

"I don't really get it, what's the difference? I mean they're all practically the same." Duo groaned. "The only difference I can see is the heinous prices. Who thinks high school students can afford these things?"

"That's why you rent em." Trowa stuck his head out from the changing room. "Approval?" He asked. Duo and Zechs looked him over.

"It looks nice. I just don't see much of a difference from the last one. They're all nice, but none's better then another."

Zechs had a more critical eye and told Trowa that it wasn't as good as the last one and that he thought one with such and such a pant leg would be even better. Duo held his head in his hands.

"I don't get it."

"You're up," Wufei said, emerging from one of the changing rooms with his final choice slung over his arm. Duo slid the curtain closed behind him shaking his head.

"That wasn't so bad." Trowa offered. Cat and Duo shared a look.

"Maybe not for you, but some of us aren't so sure." Duo grumbled.

"I hate trying on clothes. I don't know why. I can find several lovely options, but I hate trying them all on." Cat laid his head on the Formica table of the food court.

"Trying them on is fine, but I missed the clothes matching skills you all got. I must be color blind or something; it's a miracle I haven't died of a fashion faux-pa." Duo echoed Cat's gesture. Wufei shook his heads at the two depressed teenagers.

"You looked fine. Stop moping." Heero put in, returning with a tray of their orders.

"You really think so?" Duo perked up.

"Yes." Heero handed out chopsticks all around.

"You shouldn't be so down about it. You'll be great. This is your first dance at our school right?" Duo nodded, "I'm sure you'll have fun." Heero concluded, before commencing his lunch.

"Yeah this is your first dance." Wufei nodded, as if just remembering Duo had transferred in earlier this year. "Who are you going with?" Duo couldn't contain the slight involuntary flick of his eyes to Heero.

"I dunno yet." Zechs looked incredulous.

"You don't know? There're so many girls who'd love to go with you. I've heard a lot about how popular you are from my sister." Zechs was amazed. "I thought you'd be snapped up in a heart beat."

"Oh. Well, I'm probably not going with a girl so…I'll probably just go by myself." Duo shrugged. Zechs looked at him critically and then nodded smiling.

"That's fine. I went stag to my first dance actually. I met Noin there, but she was going out with another guy at the time."

"She's your date this time?" Duo asked.

"Of course. She's out shopping with the rest of the girls." Zechs turned to Wufei. "And you?"

"Sally." Wufei nodded.

"We're together."

"Of course." Trowa and Cat chorused. Attention turned to Heero. Heero shrugged, picking at his food.

"Same boat as Duo. Nobodies asked. I'll probably go by myself." Heero stated. Cat grinned.

"That's so sad. I mean if you're both free why not just go together?" Cat twinkled, but after a moment of slightly stunned silence added, "as friends." Duo shrugged, trying not to show a preference.

"I don't really care. If you want to I will." Heero stared at his food.

"Doesn't really matter to me either."

"Well then it's settled." Cat announced. "It would be to depressing for you two to both be going alone so you'll go together. It's a good thing your suits are complimentary." Cat beamed. Duo couldn't help shaking his head at his friend's audacity. Inside though his heart was speeding up and he felt a grin trying to edge onto his face. He fought it down with a genial shrug.

"What ever the man says I suppose. There really is no point in arguing with you is there."

"Nope." Cat declared, standing up and collecting all the trays. Heero was still silent. Cat lightly punched his arm as he passed, "you'll have fun don't worry."

Duo did worry. He worried a lot. They were going, as friends. What did that mean? Would they dance together, with other people? Who'd pick whom up? Did he have to bring a corsage? He couldn't really imagine any of it. But the day was fast approaching. The buzz in the school had settled to a low hum a constant whisper in the background. It didn't make Duo any less uneasy. The day before eventually came and Duo sought Heero out. Since the weekend they hadn't really been avoiding each other. This term they had a lot of classes together, but they hadn't really talked specifically. Duo wondered if Heero was annoyed with the whole situation. He caught up with his friend after lunch.

"Hey Heero…I was wondering about the dance tomorrow…" Heero didn't even look up from his laptop. Duo eerily felt as if he'd been time warped back to the first few months of the school year with Heero hiding in corners and ignoring everyone.

"I'll pick you up half an hour till. It won't be anything fancy. Mom's driving. She's very happy I'm going with someone this year." Heero paused to flick an eye up to Duo. "Just be ready and be yourself. Really, it's nothing special. You don't have to do anything." Duo gulped. The way Heero was talking was odd. He couldn't tell if his friend was annoyed or fine. He sounded as if he was being nice but there was an uncomfortable undertone. Duo tried a grin and nodded quickly.

"Sure thing. See you then." He left more confused then he'd came.

Friday evening Duo paced. From the time he got home he was a mass of tension and useless energy. His foster mother tried to be helpful, but he was un-soothe-able. He rechecked his appearance five times before she kicked him out of the room with the full-length mirror. He tried to believe her when she told him he looked handsome. But wasn't that what all mother-types said? He sat on the stairs by the door, waiting for Heero to show up. He wondered whether he should have a flower or something. He worried the end of his braid, after much debate, he'd decided to just leave it as it was. But he had brushed it to a smooth shining luster before braiding it and the braid was meticulous and pristine. He pulled on his black shoes. They weren't really all that fancy but they were nice enough and wouldn't give him blisters while dancing. He already brushed his teeth but felt the urge to go and do it again. To do something at least. Then Heero finally chose to show up. He was actually a few minutes early, but it was a good thing otherwise Duo might have snapped. He flung the door open, smiling wide.

"Hey Heero!" He greeted enthusiastically. He took in Heero's attire. He hadn't really paid much attention while they were shopping. He had purposefully tried to avoid staring at the other boy at all in the process. Now it was hard to bring his eyes away. Heero was perfect. He was elegant and composed, very aristocratic, yet at ease with his whole outfit so he didn't seem stiff, just natural. Duo grinned appreciatively, "Geeze you clean up good." Heero nodded thanks.

"I'll take that as a compliment. You're not so bad yourself."

"Thanks." Duo got out, trying not to loose his speech ability in a fit of tongue tied ness. Snap out of it, you're going as friends, Duo growled to himself. Or maybe not, he amended as Heero presented him with a bouquet.

"I brought these, my mother figures if you do something you aught to do it right. Since I'm picking you up I brought flowers. Crissy picked them out for you." Heero explained. Duo's inner hopes fell, okay maybe it is just friends.

"Tell her thank you for me. They're beautiful. I'll run and put them in some water. Then we can go." Duo took the birds of paradise and hurried to the kitchen, haphazardly stuffing them in a vase, then taking a few minutes to arrange them on the table, before realizing he was wasting time and dashing back to the foyer.

"Ready to go?" He asked upon return. Heero nodded. They left, Duo pausing only to yell goodbye to his mother upstairs in the bath and locking the door behind them.

Zechs and Noin were two of the seniors running the dance. They stood at the entrance gathering fees and cans of food, two dollars off if you brought one. Heero and Duo joined the line behind some giggling freshmen. Zechs waved them over.

"Looking good you two. Bring any canned goods." Duo shook his head and handed over the eight dollars. Heero produced a can of pickled beets from somewhere and thumbed out a five and a one from his wallet.

"Thank you good sirs. The entrance is that way. Enjoy yourselves." He said with a wave of his arm to the left and behind him. They started to move off, "And be sure to talk to me once I get off shift out here!" He called after them, Duo nodded assent.

The inside of the room was all black, it took Duo a minute to realize that it wasn't the room he had suspected, the inside of the square room was now domed, they'd stepped through the door into a giant geodesic dome. Constellations were painted on the ceiling and walls at a magnified size. It was like walking into a planetarium.

"Wow." Duo whispered. His voice went unheard over the noise of the music, which was quite loud. This was yet another dance where one would have to shout to be heard. Heero saw his lips moving and leaned forward.

"What?"

"I said, 'Wow.' This is quite an impressive job." Duo stated. Heero nodded,

"It's a great senior class this year. All their idea." There were strings of white Christmas lights here and there, like more stars and a disco ball hung from the highest point of the dome, like a moon, scattering specks of starlight everywhere. Colored lights flashed on and off from some unknown source washing the dance floor in color then disappearing and leaving just the star spangled light for moments before shedding rainbow colors again.

"Where's everybody?" asked Duo. He scanned the crowd. Heero looked around too, standing on his tiptoes as if that would help. After a minute he pointed and grabbed Duo's arm. He dragged his friend after him over to the table where the rest of their group sat.

"Hello." Duo said. The group had clustered around two of the little round tables edging the dance floor. Cat was sitting on Trowa's lap and Dorothy was talking animatedly with Catherine. A boy Duo didn't know sat on her other side. Wufei and Sally were talking quietly, or as quietly as two people could and still be heard by one another over the music.

"Hey you two. About time you got here. Hilde's late too."

"We're on time, the dance started fifteen minutes ago. Some people don't always volunteer for set up crew, or arrive hours early." Duo protested. Cat laughed,

"That's true too."

"What's true?" asked Relena, approaching from the other side of the room.

"That some people are unhelpful and don't do set up work." Cat teased.

"Unfair. I protest." Duo put his hands on his hips. "Back me up here Heero."

"Whatever the man says." Heero grinned wryly.

"Oh you're no help." Duo grumbled despite smiling.

"Hey ya'll!" Hilde's voice rang out. She bounced over, how one could manage to do that in a strapless prom dress over weighted with beads, Duo was unsure. Weren't they supposed to be made so one could dance? A senior Duo recognized as Chris followed her. He was wearing a modest suit and had combed his hair a bit but didn't look that different from normal. Next to him Hilde gleamed, she looked up giving him a wink and tugging him over, to her friends. He followed reluctantly but with a fond smile. The two were good for each other. Duo didn't know Chris well, but he was the easy going dependable type, with a supposed fabulously dark sense of humor, if all Hilde spoke were true.

"Everybody, this is Chris." She announced. "Chris, meet the gang you avoid."

"I don't avoid you all. I just have no reason to seek you out, no offense." Chris put in mildly. Hilde smiled larger, her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she looked very happy. "Introductions?" she prompted.

"Cat." Cat waved from where he sat on Trowa. Trowa smiled and introduced himself as well.

"Relena."

"Dorothy."

"Catherine."

"William." The boy with curly blond hair responded. His eyes twinkled bright blue behind a pair of glasses. He had a mischievous air and a bright smile. Duo liked him immediately, certainly a piece of eye candy.

"Wufei."

"Sally."

"Heero."

"Duo." Duo finished. Hilde nodded.

"Now you know everyone. Good to see you all." Hilde turned away, taking her partner by the arm and leading him towards the dance floor. "Let's go dance?" the two disappeared into the crowd.

"So." Cat said after a moment of silence. "Are we all just going to sit here? We have a home base claimed and now everybody knows where it is and has arrived. What are we waiting for?" He asked.

"Zechs doesn't know." Duo offered.

"I pointed out where we'd be when we first got here before they turned the lights off, he'll find it okay." Relena shrugged. "I'm all for dancing." She offered a hand to Dorothy who took it. She pulled her girlfriend out of her seat and the two headed off towards the dance floor. Duo was uncertain looking around at everyone, and finally settling on Heero.

"Well, I don't suppose they'll play a waltz tonight, but that's not all I enjoy dancing. Um….?" He was unsure if he should ask to dance, or how one should do this if one was going as a friend. Heero nodded, taking his arm like one would for a formal dance and leading towards the dance floor. Duo turned slightly to catch Cat's eye and wiggled his fingers in farewell. Cat was trying to hide his smile behind a cup of tea from the refreshments table.

The dance floor was very crowded. Duo was worried at first of crashing into people or stepping on Heero's feet, but that began to fade away. At first he only danced in small steps, moving slightly from side to side, his feet keeping a rhythm, mimicking Heero. But then they put on the YMCA. Duo's face lit up like a jack-o-lantern. This was a dance he knew for sure. He bounced up and down with all the other people, waving his hands above his head in the shapes of the letters. After that there was no going back. Duo enjoyed dancing. He'd taken hip hop dance as a P.E. course at his old school and while he mainly disliked it he could dance to rap music. In elementary he and Cat had been part of the "free dance" group. They preformed for festivals the school held with odd, interpretive dance type things. They'd even done one with hula hoops. All this and the eclectic cultures he'd been raised in, as well as a full summer of ballroom dance, did pay off. He danced like the mix he was, a little of this and a little of that everything flowing, but nothing expected.

When Duo danced like this he was used to doing it by himself, alone in the kitchen, or the basement of his house, with the music blasting when his parents weren't home. It almost surprised him when Heero slid squarely into his field of view and dancing with him. They danced differently, but Heero made it fit. In moments he went from dancing alone, to dancing with someone else. Dancing with someone like Heero was very weird. It was so easy, and yet he was hyper aware of every little movement and they way one moved flowed into the next. It was like dancing by himself, but with an extension of his body beside him. Sometimes they would dance closer together, sometimes farther apart. Duo fell into the rhythm of the dance and lost himself. He was sad when the song ended.

The next song they put on was something from Nirvana. Duo's face lit up with a devil grin. He saw Heero shake his head with laughter that couldn't be heard over the music. The chorus hit and Duo was soon head banging along with the rest of the crowd. How you could have a mosh pit in prom gear he was unsure but he thought he saw Hilde being passed around somewhere to his left. The crowd was a mass of jumping bodies. He was afraid that by the time the song was over he'd have lost Heero. He didn't. There was a slight space between that song and the next for people to settle and regain composure. Heero was standing, already looking composed beside him. Duo raised an eyebrow and Heero shrugged. Going with the greater calm the next song was a waltz. All the head bangers trickled off the dance floor. Fewer people remained, almost the perfect number for a good waltz.

Duo extended his arm, stepping forward with an inclination of his head. Heero nodded and he slipped an arm around the boy's waist. Heero's fingers settled into his. Duo counted beats in his head then began the steps. He was used to leading and Heero knew enough to be able to follow a good lead, as Duo prided himself to be. The spun across the dance floor, Duo occasionally tried more complicated steps and turns Heero took them all with only the slightest hesitation or falter. Duo looked around as they waltzed. Trowa and Cat waltzed by with a nod of acknowledgement and Dorothy and Relena were on the far side of the dance floor. They were the only three homogenous couples. Most of the others were seniors or juniors as well. Duo turned his eyes back to Heero. Heero wasn't even looking at his feet. Their eyes caught on one another and Duo was afraid his feet would fumble and trip, but they were well trained, they continued their sure way through the patterns of the dance, but his eyes stayed stationary, glued to Heero's. He felt as if they were communicating. He was not sure about what though. When the song ended they both bowed. Duo rose up and smiled wide.

"That's got to be the best waltz I've ever done. Nice job Heero." Heero nodded lightly, not attempting to speak over the beginnings of the next song. It was, surprisingly, another song Duo knew. It was a song from a video game he played, DDR.

"Heero, it's the butterfly song!" He gasped. Heero nodded. Duo tried to remember the steps, closing his eyes for a moment to picture the little arrows going up the screen. He'd done this one so many times. His body almost knew it by heart. He turned to look at Heero to see the boy already taping out the steps as if he were standing on an invisible game pad. Duo grinned and tried to get them all right.

A while later they stumbled of the dance floor. It was a lull between songs and the chatter of the crowd was almost as loud as the music had been. They passed Hilde and her boyfriend in a corner as they headed for their group table. Duo shook his head but grinned anyway, they probably weren't the only ones. Dorothy and Relena were the only ones at the table when they arrived. Sally and Wufei had gone out for a breath of fresh air about a half hour ago they said. Cat and Trowa were either on the dance floor or somewhere else, not there.

"So, you guys enjoying yourselves?" Dorothy asked.

"I sure am, though I'd be much better off with a glass of water. Where're the refreshments anyway?" Relena pointed.

"Other side of the room there, there's a table behind that crowd."

"Thanks." Duo replied. Heero nodded,

"I'll go, what do you want?" He asked. Duo blinked.

"Um, water? Juice would be fine too though, or whatever."

"Hilde didn't manage to spike it this year, so it should be safe." said Catherine as she caught her breath. She grabbed something from her purse and grinned. "Bye." She ran back off into the crowd. Heero headed around the dance floor to get the drinks.

"So, how's it going?" Relena leaned over to him.

"Pretty well I guess." Duo shrugged. "We've danced a lot. He's a really good dancer." Duo smiled slightly. Relena nodded.

"Yeah, well, we all know that. He always dances at these events, which is rare for people who come without someone. They usually watch or dance with everybody. Heero always dances by himself, except," Relena smiled, "this time. He's danced only with you. Don't you think that means something?"

"Definitely." Dorothy seconded, "I may not be the Heero expert our Relena is, but it must mean something."

"But what?" Duo asked, forlorn. "That he feels a duty to his friend, to the person he was forced to come with. I mean, he could just be being nice!"

"He wasn't forced to come with you. He could have said he didn't want to when Cat suggested it."

"He said he didn't care either way. I wouldn't call that wanting to do something. He just did it because Cat insisted."

"And what did you say?"

"I said I didn't care."

"There you go. If you do it why can't he. I mean think about it, he's getting as mixed signals from you as you are from him." Duo thought on that, it made sense but still….

Heero came over to their table.

"Here is your water." He said, handing over a plastic bottle, still sealed. "My mother is paranoid. She says to never take drinks from a stranger. But this is sealed so I couldn't possibly have tampered with it." Heero stated.

"Um, thanks. That's considerate. I wasn't really thinking about that, but I guess it's good to be safe. Not that I'd suspect you of ever doing something like that." Duo accepted the drink.

"Ah that's the thing. It's always those you don't expect it of, who do the things you don't expect. That' goes for darn near everything." Heero screwed the top off his own water bottle and took a drink. Duo followed suit. The strains of the next song perked his ear.

"Hey, I love this song!" He crowed. "Come on Heero. See you later ladies." He grabbed Heero's arm and pulled his partner back onto the dance floor. The song was a repetitive one, perfect for doing little, but jumping in circles like a child and spinning. He did just that, grabbing both of Heero's hands and twirling them around each other. Like Heero was the center of a wheel with Duo spinning around him. Eventually Heero broke down and joined in, throwing his own momentum into the mix. They spun faster and faster till they were almost about to fall over. The song ended just in time. Duo tripped up on the final notes, sending them chaotically falling. Duo couldn't help laughing as he collided with Heero. Leaning his head against his friends shoulder. Heero stood a second, before standing up straighter, bringing Duo along with him. Duo smiled.

"I haven't done that since I was little. It's amazing how fast you can get going." Duo laughed. Heero nodded. The next song was a slow song. Duo contemplated moving away from Heero, not leaning his head on the other boy's shoulder, but he was already, so what was the difference. Heero was still standing straight, very stiffly, as Duo leant against him. Duo swayed a little, Heero standing like a post. Sighing slightly, dejectedly he began to pull away, almost at the same moment Heero's arms snaked around him. They wound up with Duo pulling away and Heero pulling him back. Duo's eyes widened.

"Heero?" Heero said nothing, just settled his hands comfortably around Duo's lower back. Duo took a step forward and rested his head on Heero's shoulder, the boy wasn't really all that much taller then he, but it still worked. He wrapped his arms around Heero's neck as the boy started to sway slowly like all the other couples on the dance floor. Duo smiled into Heero's neck. Raising his head to share the expression with him. Heero's eyes met his. They answered his smile warmly. Duo felt his lips moving of their own accord, coaxed into truth by those brilliant blue eyes.

"I really like you, you know."

A/N: also, whoever pointed out that the time continuum of this story is messed up, you're right. I totally left out Christmas and thanksgiving and a lot of interim time periods between the "crucial" parts of the story. I'm going to go back in and flesh those out (which is weird because I've already divided up chapters) I hope before summer break to have it all patted out, so if this is on your alerts list it should pop up a few more times. Hope when I finish it all it'll be less confusing and you wont have to wonder what time of year it is.