It's Like That

Chapter 1

Disclaimer

I do not own Gundam Wing or the characters that are used in this fanfic. It is written solely for my enjoyment of writing and with the hopes that other people will review this and help me become a better writer. I would also like to thank the brilliant minds that came up with Gundam Wing. The only thing I have to say is, why didn't you make all the guys gay? It would have saved the trouble of us yaoi lovers having to argue with everyone else that Duo-chan and He-chan were meant for each other. Really, what were you thinking? Ok enough of my ranting. On with the fic! Enjoy!

He scanned the crowded room as he strode in. He hated social gatherings and only came because his friends begged him to. Friends, it was still a wonder that he could consider think of them as such. Being raised as a killing machine had never had any training in human relationships. Out of habit he made a mental check of everyone in the room and where the closest exits were.

"Heeeeeroooooooo!" came the all to familiar screeching of Relena Peacecraft.

Heero silently wondered what he had done to deserve this kind of punishment. The woman had an uncanny knack of spotting him anywhere at a public function. She was also the main reason he dreaded coming to any kind of Preventers gathering. As President of the UPC (Universal Peace Confederation) she made it her personal duty to make sure everything was going well with the Preventers and their missions. Unfortunately she also had and infatuation with him after he had saved her life a few times during the war. She just couldn't seem to get it through her thick skull that he was doing it for the future of peace between the colonies and Earth. Finally reaching her destination Relena quickly clamped onto Heero's arm and began her annoying chatter about business and her "stress filled" day. Why only the day you ask and not the week or month? Well the answer is simple. Relena had a bad habit of calling him and leaving messages telling all about her day, every day.

"So Heero, I heard that you came without a date tonight. I was just wondering why such an attractive man such as yourself would be without someone to escort."

"Pardon me miss Relena but I don't see how that is any of your business. If you must know though I just prefer the solitude." Heero replied.

Heero's friends had by that time spotted the possibility of one of Relena's scenes and decided to save him and her from the embarrassment of the entire Preventer's headquarters and quite a few of the UPC representatives as well.

"Heero there you are" commented Duo as he, Quatre, and Trowa approached them. "I was wondering if you would even show up tonight."

"Hn. I told you I would be here and I never go back on my word. You should know that by now." Heero said a bit wounded that Duo would think he wouldn't keep his word. To the untrained eye it was merely a statement but Duo knew better and his sparkling violet eyes softened. Relena was completely unaware of this little incident seeing as she was to involved drooling on Heero.

"Heero I was thinking that since you didn't have a date you would dance with me." Relena said, coming out more like a command than an inquiry.

Heero stiffened at this tone and abruptly pulled away from her with a barely contained look of disgust on his face. "Look Relena, I told you that I would rather be alone and you still don't get the hint. I would appreciate it if you would stop hanging all over me and let me be for more than five minutes." Relena had a look of dumb shock on her face as she stood there looking at the only man to ever rebuke her affections. "And please close your mouth before people see me with someone who resembles a beached fish."

Relena abruptly snapped her mouth closed and pursed her lips into a thin white line that didn't become her at all. "You'd do well not to cross me Heero, remember that." At that she spun on her heel and marched out of the banquet hall.

During this whole incident Duo, Quatre, and Trowa had barely been suppressing laughter, as Relena had been thoroughly embarrassed in front of about three hundred people. As she finally disappeared from the room Duo lost all control and started laughing hysterically.

"That has got to be the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. I would've paid to have a video camera to catch every moment of it" Duo managed to get out between desperate gasps for air. "Maybe I can get a copy of it from the security cameras." He said bemusedly.

"Hn. I did what was necessary to remove her from my presence." Was Heero's nonchalant reply. "This party isn't my taste so I think I'm going to leave. I'll see you all at work tomorrow" he said as he turned for the door.

"Wait up Heero, I'll go with you." Duo called before Heero could escape. "I'm pretty beat and I'd like the company on the way back to headquarters.

"Suit yourself" was all that Duo got from him as Heero kept walking toward the exit, and freedom.

They got their coats from the doorman and left in silence both immersed in their own thoughts. Heero was starting to wonder why Duo had wanted to accompany him even though it was logical because they both lived in the same apartment building. Duo normally stayed with the much more conversational Quatre considering how much he liked to talk. Sneaking a glance over at Duo he noticed that he was staring at the ground lost in thought. That expression on his face is so cute right now and his eyes, Gods I could get lost in those eyes. Wait a minute. Where the hell had that come from? Shaking his head Heero tried to dispel those unsettling thoughts. Taking a closer look at Duo he examined all his physical attributes even though he had seen the American everyday for the past two years. Duo was dressed in a black and white tux for the banquet, which was slightly mussed from his energetic movements and being stuck in that stuffy room of compressed bodies. The tux fit his slim form perfectly, accenting his trim waist well toned chest and broad shoulders. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he stared at the ground and his impossibly long braid brushed his hips in rhythm with his strides. Small wisps of hair had escaped from his braid and now framed his face. Then there were those eyes again, looking so pensive in the late evening and glowing like twin violet fires.

Gods he could get lost in those eyes. He shook his head again. What was he thinking? He had never thought of Duo this way before. Besides even if he wanted to pursue these strange thoughts Duo himself would never look at him that way. Duo was a Christian and from what he knew homosexuality was forbidden in that religion. Heero stared at the ground hard, besides he didn't know the first thing about relationships; he was only trained to kill.

"Heero what's wrong" came a soft voice through his foggy mind. "You look like something is bothering you."

Heero silently berated himself for letting his guard down enough for the American to notice. "Nothing's wrong Duo."

"You know if I didn't know you so well I wouldn't know you were lying." He said nothing else as they walked the rest of the way to the apartment complex before either of them said anything else. "So what's wrong?"

"I told you Duo, it's nothing so don't worry about it." He started to unlock his apartment when Duo's next question stopped him in his tracks.

"H-Heero, d-do you t-think…." He stopped in embarrassment and turned away quickly.

"Duo?" Heero asked quizzically, puzzled by Duo's strange behavior.

"Nothing Heero forget it," he said as he started to walk to his own apartment. Heero's hand shot out and grabbed his arm turning him back around to face him.

"What is it Duo?" he asked softly looking Duo in the eyes.

Averting his eyes Duo stared at the intricate pattern on the carpet. "Well I was just wondering if maybe…if maybe I could come in for a while." He finished hurriedly. He waited for the harsh rejection of his request for a moment, but looked up in confusion when it didn't come. He looked at Heero who was thinking about it with great care.

"Well my apartment isn't the most decorative place so I hope you don't have any expectations about it" he said watching as Duo's eyes lit up. Heero wondered that Duo had wanted to go in to begin with. And the way his eyes brightened just from being let into his apartment! Could it be that Duo might like him? No, it wasn't possible, was it?

He shook his head as he turned to unlock his apartment as Duo bounced happily up and down in the hallway. Opening the door he quickly strode in and removed his shiny black dress shoes. Duo walked in cautiously thinking it to good to be true. He looked around in amazement. The room was perfectly decorated; nothing clashed or warred with another object for attention. Black furniture was centered in the living room, really it was only a couch and an armchair, but it set off the cream-colored walls well. A coffee table was positioned in front of the couch and beside the armchair, which were facing the television. The small kitchen was next to the living room. It was basically all one big room so it seemed more like a studio than an apartment. Heero's bedroom must have been back the hallway that led off from the living room.

"The furniture and décor were already here when I moved in I just never had the time or motivation to change it" Heero provided as Duo investigated his house. He was a bit nervous, no one else had ever been to his apartment before and he was worried that Duo would think something was wrong.

"Well I give my compliments to whoever decorated, it was done very well," Duo replied trying to ease some of the doubts he was sure Heero was feeling. Heero silently let out a breath he'd been holding. He felt like he should be a good host so he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Would you like anything to eat?" Duo laughed slightly at that because he knew for sure Heero was nervous. They had just come from a banquet and Heero knew his appetite. Duo had probably eaten two plates of food in the first five minutes he had arrived.

"No thanks, we just came from that banquet so I'm stuffed, but thanks for asking" he replied to try and let Heero know that it wasn't that he didn't want to inconvenience him.

"Well then would you like anything to drink?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure, whatever you're going to have is fine for me." Duo replied.

Heero walked to the fridge and got two cans of Coke. He and Duo walked over to the living room and sat down as he handed a can to Duo. They sat in silence for a moment until Heero asked the question that he had wanted to know since Duo had stepped into his apartment. "Duo, why did you want to come in."

Duo considered his answer carefully. He had wanted to talk to Heero about something, but now that he was here he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask or not. He wasn't at all sure what Heero would think and he couldn't bear the pain if it went badly. He could always just blame it on curiosity and Heero would never question it knowing how inquisitive he was at times. He chanced steeling a glance at Heero who was staring intently at him lost deep in thought. As Heero realized he had been caught staring he quickly turned his head and took a drink of his soda. Duo decided right then that he would take the chance, it was now or never.

"Heero I wanted to come in because I wanted to discuss something with you."

Heero looked at him quizzically. "A Preventers mission?"

Duo shook his head. "No it has nothing to do with work. I've been debating asking you something for the past couple of months but I never had the guts to actually ask you because of Relena."

"Relena?" Heero asked in astonishment. "What the hell has she got to do with anything?" He asked, just disgusted thinking about her.

Duo chuckled. "Well after tonight I was reassured that she had nothing to do with what I wanted to ask you. It's just that you never asked her to leave whenever she bothered you before so I thought that you had a thing for her."

Heero snorted at Duo's last statement. "I never liked her at all, tonight was just the last straw. I couldn't take her hanging all over me anymore," he said with a look of distaste.

Duo looked at the floor sobering and then looked up into Heero's cobalt blue eyes. Gods look at him, he thought, his strong jaw and plush kissable lips. I just want to run my hands through that sexy mussed chocolate hair. He stopped himself before his imagination got the better of him. Staring into his eyes Duo asked the question he'd been dying to ask for months.

(To be continued)

Rejected Goddess: Good? Bad? Nothing special? I hope everyone likes it but constructive criticism would be appreciated. This is my first fanfic and I hope that I can improve and write better ones in the future. The later chapters are going to get…interesting. Well please review and e-mail me if you have any lengthy suggestions.