A/N - Hey I know it's been …a while but life hit me and …I'm back to writing and will try to crank some stuff out much faster than last time. Hope you enjoy.

Heero pushed the pedal of his cherry red luxury rental down hard, the sporty car easily handling the high speeds and sharp turns of the extended ride back to his apartment. He was uncharacteristically flustered, with his heart rate elevated and palms slightly clammy, but thankfully he'd gotten Hilde home without incident or any further complicating/inappropriate interactions between the pair. The entire ride from the party she just sat completely rigid while seething in her leather seat and biting down hard enough onto her bottom lip that Heero couldn't help but notice that her tooth had pierced the soft skin slightly.

On the outside, he'd stayed perfectly composed, as usual, daring only to glance over from the corner of his eye every so often, but like all of his other interactions with women he was a mess upstairs. As he'd exited the lavish hall with Hilde by his side he couldn't help but notice the prying eyes of his back and an exceptionally scrutinizing stare from Chang, his last partner, and he wasn't at all surprised when he found him waiting inside of the temporary barracks they'd been sharing despite it being well into the morning.

"What was that tonight, Yuy?" Wufei said jumping right to the point but Heero remained silent, for the most part, as he kicked off his stiff shoes and shrugging out of his coat.

"Fine." Wufei said seemingly respecting Heero's desire to have his private affairs remain his and his alone but he wouldn't be so lucky.

"You can be evasive Yuy, but something very odd, very inappropriate and very unprofessional seems to have transpired tonight and I know you don't like to muddle in these type of affairs but you are perhaps one of the few people I willingly converse with. So spill…"

Heero couldn't believe that even his normally discreet roommate who avoided the petty dealings of others like the plague was badgering him about something to trivial, granted it would have been trivial if it hadn't at all involved him. Instead of engaging Chang, at that moment, Heero instead walked towards the kitchen, still eyeing his roommate from the corner of his eye, but he didn't feel like divulging much of anything- ever. He couldn't tell him that he'd become a dirty, untrustworthy, whore of a man who'd kissed a friend's girlfriend and dare flaunt his transgressions for all to see. He'd begun to come to terms with a lot of the terrible thing's he'd done during war times but this was different. He felt a different kind of guilt and shame, albeit more of the latter.

No matter how hard he tried to ignore the other man in hopes he'd take the hint and leave unopened doors closed, he could still sense his glaring eyes on his back. "Wufei I hardly…" Heero started but was abruptly interrupted by Wufei who seemed to suddenly be more interested in adding his own opinions on the evening.

"I know I shouldn't get you involved in such a trivial matter but Maxwell should be ashamed of himself for bringing such a tawdry personal conflict to a work related event. It was vulgar, especially on Dorlian's part, and I'm not sure how you got roped into it all but at least you diffused the situation with some class. Thankfully a few of us still know how to conduct ourselves in a matter befitting a soldier."

"Hn" Heero grunted slightly, while not betraying any of the confusion and relief he was feeling. Wufei didn't know anything after all. That was a good thing. He didn't need any of his all too blunt comments at the moment but he still felt like a complete and utter degenerate.

"But really Yuy, although it goes against my better judgment as well as my personal vow against having any interest in these sorts of things, I still have to ask- how did you get wrapped up in all of this? All I'm saying is that if any of this episode is going to trickle down to where it will further affect you while you are in this apartment, and thus me, you should give me fair warning."

Heero groaned to himself and thought it best to just keep his mouth shut as he excited to his room but no such luck should befall him. Instead of the quiet end of his day he so longed for, a frantic pounding sounded from the other side of the apartment's thick metal door as if it were simply waiting for the worst possibly moment to interrupt the tired soldier.

"Heero! Wufei! Open up!" Heero cringed upon hearing his name and he knew without question who was on the other side of the door. "It's me, Duo. I know you're awake in there." Wufei and Heero both glared at the door but they knew if they didn't answer Duo would simply keep at his insistent banging through the quiet halls until yet another unwanted spectacle played-out for the day.

"Heero. Man. I need your help." Heero cringed inwardly. Of course Duo needed his help. He needed him to plummet further into the realm of debauchery he was already a part of. "I'm going crazy. I've been at Hilde's apartment for hours begging her to let me in and she won't even look at me. Please. I need you. I need her. I need you to help me reach her. She seems to take to you so please help me to get her to listen to me. I can't let it end like this."

No! Heero wanted to scream at Duo but instead he calmly removed his friend's frantic hands from his shirt. "Duo I can't. I ….You don't…..No." Heero thought himself pathetic as he stumbled over his words, albeit it was the only indication of his internal self loathing dialogue.

"C'mon Heero. I know I'm always asking so much of you but…."

"You don't understand." Heero interrupted but Duo was back, immediately latched onto his shirt again, only this time with more fervor.

"Don't understand what man? I'm a wreck here."

" " Heero wanted so badly to just say it. Say that he'd kissed Hilde, he'd kissed the reason for Duo's anguish but nothing came out. He felt it wise to take the cowards route for the time being.

"I'm sorry Heero. I'm sorry buddy. I shouldn't be doing this to you. I mean, I've done some messed up things to you in the past and through all that you stayed by me and have been nothing but a good friend and I shouldn't be doing this to you but I don't know who else to turn to."

Heero wanted to die. He wanted to die right there. Yes, Duo had done some rotten things to him, single handedly ruined his poor excuse for a love life and, basically, albeit unconsciously controlled his little free time with his never ending antics but Heero knew that in the grand scheme of "Bro-ology" as Duo called it, he'd committed an act worse than murder.

"Please Heero just go to her. Please. Do this for me. I won't even say another word or ask another favor." Duo didn't leave Heero any room for argument as he abruptly headed out in his best attempt at composing his pathetic form.

Heero couldn't help but make a rare face as he realized the mounting situation he'd been unwittingly tossed into. All he wanted to do was go to sleep but his almost forgotten roommate caught his eye, an odd look of understanding and amusement playing over his features.

"You heard him Yuy. Go to her. I just hope you can really help that idiot out seeing as he's been such a good friend to you and all. I wouldn't have even guessed that you were good with helping with these delicate lady issues seeing as he's kept you from one of those emotional windbags for what …..six months?…a year?...maybe longer? Yup, that Maxwell's a good friend alright. You should really work it out for him."

With that Wufei gave Heero an odd mock salute and headed off to bed with a strange look of satisfaction on his face.