Author: Aja Golde

Title: The Maxwell Charm

Summary: Just what happened between Duo and Heero the night of the party at Magic Kingdom? How did Duo get Heero to spend an entire day with him at Blizzard Bleach?

Disclaimer/Warnings: Do not own GW or WDW. 1x2, spoilers for ch. 7 of Disney Disaster!

Notes: Picks up in the middle of Chapter 7

Duo threw his hands in the air, "I came here to party, I'm on vacation, I want to groove. I did not come here for bed rest. I can get that when I go back home. For now, I just want to dance until I sweat."

"One dance," Heero grunted, "just one."

Duo grinned and snagged Heero's arm, "All right one dance. One really long dance."

"Just one song," Heero corrected.

"If you can remember to concentrate on the music," Duo cooed close to Heero's ear.

"People are watching idiot," Heero took Duo by the shoulders and moved him back several inches.

Duo POV

"Then I guess rule is 'look but don't touch'?" Duo purposefully licked his lips, gauging Heero's reaction, pleasantly surprised when his eyes widened comically.

Duo grinned, suppressing an urge to cackle in victory. Sometimes, Heero was just too easy. But as he dragged his captive farther away from their friends, he was hit with the truth of his words. In public he wouldn't be allowed to touch Heero as much as he wanted to. Watching and drooling would have to do.

Heero watched the crowd enfold them, severing off any path to the statue.

"Looking for an escape route?" Duo asked, trying again to get that suave mask to crack.

"I could make my own if I needed one," Heero snorted.

"You're supposed to say 'why would I want to escape from you, Duo?'"

"I wasn't aware there was a script."

"Well now shout 'Line!' when you don't know what to say. That's how the actors do it during rehearsal."

"You'd better start dancing before your song ends," Heero warned.

Duo grinned, "Then you'd better give me some room."

As the popular hip-hop song began to pick up in pace, Duo cleared an area and started to do a few two handed scissors and pretzel hops. His neck pain was sharp and he nearly fell over as he ended his breakdance routine. Feeling a little dizzy he gave up the floor to another b-boy who started off by doing some clap hops.

"I didn't know you were a b-boy," Heero said.

"Well, you know," Duo rubbed his neck gingerly, "I've picked up a few things."

"You're in pain," Heero glared at his neck.

"The song is not over yet," Duo said, taking Heero by the hand, raising his arm, and twirling underneath. He ended up flat against Heero's chest, but quickly spun out of the semi-embrace, throwing Heero a naughty grin as he dropped low to the floor. He came up slowly, his hands trailing up his own inner-thighs, completely aware Heero was watching him. When he was done teasing Heero, he began to gyrate to the beat, one fist punching the air in time to the music. His long braid whipped about and curled itself around his hips and torso. Heero was standing across from him, looking like a fish out of water, and Duo slithered up to him.

While still rocking his body to the music he asked, "What? Don't know how to dance?"

Heero's lip curled and Duo had to chuckle. He stood opposite Heero and matched Heero's stiff stance. Keeping his eyes locked with Heero's he gradually placed his feet farther apart and leaned heavily onto one foot. A glimmer of a frown crossed Heero's features, but he copied Duo's movements. Then, listening carefully to the music, Duo rocked onto his left foot, his right, and then again onto his left. Heero repeated Duo's steps. Heero was almost a comical sight; he obviously had no rhythm. Duo smiled encouragingly as a Heero started looking like a frisky cat. He obviously was not comfortable with even the most basic of steps.

Duo began to step back and forth, intermittently clapping his hands, raising an eyebrow in Heero's direction. Heero sighed and copied Duo's new moves. Duo bobbed his head to the beat. Surprising him, Heero snapped his fingers whenever Duo began a new head bob. Duo flashed him a wide smile and his heart began to beat more wildly, as if he was pounding a large drum. He couldn't hear the music over the blood rushing through his ears. He reached out a hand and brushed it against Heero's arm, a touch meant to be a sign of encouragement, but it ended up sending a hot tingle through the pads of his fingers. He drew back quickly; Heero had a deer-in-headlights look as he ogled the spot Duo had touched his arm. For all the sarcastic and verbal skill Heero possessed safe behind his microphone, it seemed he lacked real social aptitude. Duo found it endearing.

Winking at him, Duo then led Heero through the steps for a well-known dance song. Heero was good at following instructions, and picked up the steps easily after Duo had convinced him that he didn't look like an idiot.

"I feel stupid," Heero had grumbled, "I've never done this before."

"You don't look stupid," Duo had assured, "not when there are hundreds of other people doing the exact same thing."

"So it's only stupid when you're doing something stupid alone, otherwise it's considered cool?"

"Welcome to the psyche of the young adult."

Heero had given him the once over, "Well if I become better at this dance than you, does that make me stupider or cooler?"

Duo had laughed, "It just means that you can dance."

Now they were slide stepping together and Duo found he loved the synchronization, sneaking grins at Heero as they turned and twisted to the music, the crowd around them doing the exact same movements, a whole mass of people moving as one.

Eventually they gravitated back towards Quatre and Trowa. Quatre seemed to be holding his own, though the appreciate glances he threw Trowa's way were probably not as covert as he thought they were. They grooved as a group of four, and Duo forgot that they didn't really know each other all that well. But their sweat mingled as it flew into the air, and they heard each other's puffs of breath and watched as each of them dished out moves. Yes, my dreams are coming true, Duo spoke silently to the rock star on stage who was practically making love to his guitar. All my dreams to have friends, to feel loved, to be accepted, they're all coming true tonight. And tilting his head back, feeling the sweat drip down his exposed jugular, Duo sent a prayer of thanks to the sky above. Perhaps God really had been thinking of him, all along.

Just then the guitarist spoke into the microphone, "We're going to change gears here. This is for all you lovers out there, a slow song called 'Kiss Me Just Once'."

Then again, Duo thought, perhaps he had spoken too soon. There was only one person in the entire world that he wanted to dance with at the moment, to hold close and rock to the beat with, and that certain someone was Heero Yuy. Too bad he was a guy. Duo stuck out his tongue to the sky.

The crowd around them slowly stilled, singles turning into doubles and loners turning into pairs as strangers locked arms, friends held hands and couples fell into each other's embrace. Duo and Heero stared at each other, as if knowing they both wanted to do what they couldn't. They held gazes for a moment more, knowing they both would be without a partner, and Heero began to turn away. The night didn't seem to be as bright anymore. Duo quickly reached over to tap him on the shoulder, his look of yearning turning into one of coyness and anticipation.

Duo held out his hand, waiting as Heero contemplated his offer, studying his outstretched hand and face. Duo cocked his head to the side. Well? What'll it be Heero? Can you trust me?

And then Heero took his hand, and Duo felt a thrill as the weight of Heero's hand was in his. Heero trusted him, was giving him control.

Duo pulled Heero in close, smelling his aftershave and the heat that was pulsing beneath his skin. They were close enough to be dancing together, close enough to be kissing.

"Line," Heero whispered.

Duo blinked, and suddenly recalled their earlier conversation. He laughed breathily into Heero's ear before tightening his hold on his wrist. Then he twirled around, and began to dash through the crowd, knocking into people's bodies and dragging Heero along with him. He ran through the smoky air, searching for a bridge leading to the lands of hopes and dreams. Once they escaped the crowd he began to shout for no reason other than he felt free. The humid night air was caressing his face, and the hypnotic love song seemed to be radiating from his very bones, as if the speakers were in his body. He led on the chase, smiling when he realized Quatre and Trowa were following them.

They crossed into Tomorrowland, truly a place of hopes for a better future, and Duo began to realize that Heero Yuy liked to do things the hard way. When Duo sidestepped a bench, Heero jumped over it; when Duo skipped two steps down a stairwell, Heero skipped five; when Duo was too tired, Heero grabbed his elbow as he took the lead, pulling him along.

Already tired from dancing, Duo felt the pulse of freedom begin to weaken and he dropped onto the nearest grassy knoll, rolling down the small hill, smelling the grass and dirt and smoke of fireworks. He took in a deep breath, trying to burn everything in his memory. He felt an insane, wild urge to remember everything, just in case he would never experience something like this ever again. Heero rolled down beside him and Duo felt his very welcoming heat. Quatre was on his other side with Trowa nearby, and Duo wanted to thank all three boys. For what, he had no idea, as his brain wasn't really thinking in words so much as in emotions.

They lay, just breathing, for several minutes, watching the fireworks explode over the castle. Duo felt Heero's hand shift by his side and he glanced at his new friend.

"Thanks," Heero said as the fireworks lit up his eyes, "no one has ever invited me to a party or taught me how to dance."

Duo rolled on his side, smiling widely, "Hey, it was my pleasure. I wanted to teach you, it was fun."

Heero looked over at him, and Duo resisted the urge to brush his brown bangs out of his eyes. Heero smiled thinly at him. Duo wasn't sure what to make of the expression, so he said nothing, only watched Heero as Heero watched him.

A lump formed in Heero's throat and he coughed uncomfortably, "Where are you headed tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Duo shrugged, "Quatre and I haven't discussed it."

"The water parks are good," Heero mumbled into his chest.

Duo frowned, "Yeah? Well maybe we'll check 'em out. You okay?"

"Fine," he shrugged, eyes darting to Duo and then back to his chest, "I was just wondering, that's all."

"Oh? Where are you going to be tomorrow?" Duo asked.

"I have the day off tomorrow," Heero said, "if you want, I can show you around Animal Kingdom."

"You mean," Duo said slowly, "that you'd like to spend the day with me tomorrow?"

Heero shrugged again, eyes still staring at his chest.

Duo grinned, "Well, if you're up for a full day of Duo, then I'd love to see you tomorrow."

Though Heero's gaze was firmly fixed onto his chest, a smile, wider than any of the ones he'd seen so far, spread across Heero's face.

Duo looked up into the inky sky, puffs of colorful clouds reaching out towards him, and decided that God was good after all.