Note: Posting this one a little early as a gift to myself. Hope you don't mind me messing with the schedule just this once. Happy Bastille Day to all who celebrate, happy Con Air Day to all who celebrate, and happy birthday to me.

Chapter 71: Reprieve

Heero thought he would hate Monday morning. He didn't want the best weekend of his life to end.

Not only was Duo choosing to be with him again, but they were in the best place they'd ever been together, and there were no doubts about how they felt for each other. Months ago he worried about their lack of emotional connection. Months ago they were going through the motions of a relationship, having disconnected sex and failing to trust one another. Now that felt like a distant memory. They'd never been more open, never expressed themselves so well, never connected quite like this.

When his alarm woke him something magical happened. Duo reached across him, turned off the alarm, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then he drew close, body pressed against his side, and whispered "good morning, cariño."

Heero hoped to wake up similarly every morning.

The night before, he'd declared his intention to skip his morning run. Duo joked that they'd gotten plenty of exercise over the weekend, and they deserved to sleep in an extra hour. They deserved. Because his alarm was no longer waking only himself, and his partner was not the type to fall back asleep easily. The idea of consulting Duo about his morning routine thrilled him. Maybe on days Duo worked remotely they could sleep in an extra hour. Maybe if he joined Preventers as a full time, above board agent, they could align their schedules. Maybe they could run together on days they went into the office, and enjoy lazy mornings and a long breakfast on days they worked from home.

It was early to consider those options. Hell, it was early to be thinking about living together. But Heero couldn't help himself. He wanted to be settled into a long term relationship.

He'd tried to connect with anyone else while Duo was missing, partly because he was hurting and wanted to prove he didn't need Duo and partly because he was trying to figure out what he wanted from life. For a short while, he dated like Wufei did in their early 20s. No one he met came close. People were interested because they found him attractive, but his personality was off-putting to them. He didn't particularly like their personalities, either. It was difficult enough to connect with people on a level of platonic friendship and he found it impossible to connect romantically. If he wanted sex, he never lacked for a partner. Still, that was just a physical release. It wasn't enough to satisfy him as a whole, because by that point he understood how powerful love could be.

He remembered what it was like to viscerally be reminded time and again what he'd lost, and how impossible it would be to replicate given his past and the events that shaped him as a person.

Obviously he would be difficult to get along with. The average person, even the average soldier, just couldn't understand his past. He still found himself often on guard, to the point of needing to strategically position himself in public to see any exits and entrances around him. He didn't like large crowds, avoiding concerts and clubs and other things people his age, over the years, did to let off steam. It could make him come off as paranoid, or a homebody. Often he had no patience for what he considered the frivolity of others. He'd grown to trust his friends, but he never trusted any of them with all the parts of himself. Only one person ever got all of him. Only one person's frivolity was endearing rather than annoying.

To find Duo the first time was a miracle. To be given another chance was an incomprehensible gift. There was no way he would willingly let go now. Not unless Duo asked him to.

He didn't think that would become a problem. In his heart he felt that Duo would take the job, become Wufei's partner, and they could settle into a relationship without him constantly traveling and putting his life on the line. Until their weekend together Heero wasn't sure at all what would happen, and a loud voice in his head told him Duo wouldn't change a thing about his life. Not for him. Not for anyone.

Now, after their long talks, after opening up... he felt it was a distinct possibility. He allowed his hopes to carry him forward, and those hopes for a different life, together, were only augmented when he got out of the shower and smelled breakfast.

Freshly changed and hair still damp, he paused before rounding the corner into his kitchen, his breath catching as he heard a familiar sound he'd missed for years. Duo was singing softly to himself, the sound barely floating into the short hallway where he stood. He missed that sound more than he'd ever be able to put into words. It wasn't like Duo would win any singing competitions, but in their time rooming together during Meteor, Heero once thought him good enough to join the ensemble as a background member of their boarding school's musical. That is, of course, if they'd been real students. The braided pilot could carry a tune serviceably, hitting the right notes and keeping tempo with a voice that was plain, but somehow soothing. His tone fully shifted away from his speaking voice in a way Heero couldn't place. But it was wholly Duo in a way few people experienced.

Years ago, he realized that Duo only sang to himself when he was truly happy. When they first ventured into a committed relationship, Duo hummed or sang short tunes all the time when he thought he was alone. Towards the end of that relationship, Heero never heard him sing.

Duo was irrefutably happy. Again.

Heero held up a hand to his face, covering a large smile. Even alone in the hallway he was self-conscious of his reaction to stumbling upon this gem. He wasn't sure if letting Duo know how much he enjoyed hearing him sing would go over well, and decided to cross that bridge another day.

Shifting into a neutral expression, he walked into his kitchen and found the table set for two. Tea was brewing, and a simple spread of eggs, toast, tomato, avocado, and bacon was placed in the center. Normally he'd wake up alone and grab something quick to eat. Now he was decidedly not alone, and a simple meal was waiting for him, prepared by a smiling Duo Maxwell, who stopped singing to himself once he knew he wasn't alone but didn't appear to lose any of his good mood.

Duo never used to make breakfast. Back when they were kids he couldn't trust Duo to make eggs without it being a disaster, let alone produce an entire small spread. Now he was casually throwing together a meal that even Heero's strict nutritional policy would approve.

Duo Maxwell cooked him breakfast.

No. Duo Maxwell cooked them breakfast.

He took in the sight as his love turned to fill two glasses with tea, and wondered if this was what happiness was.

Days ago Duo was annoyed to still be on remote duty for Une. His shoulder wasn't at full strength but he'd made a lot of improvement and felt he was more than ready for light field work. At the time he was excited to travel again, if only to take his mind off of his problems. Now he was happy for the mandatory rest.

It was almost embarrassing how easily he slipped into a relationship with Heero again. Not that it had been easy overall, but once they settled things and communicated all the barriers that felt impossible to pass simply fell away. In his mind it only showed just how much they wanted to be together. He allowed himself to feel excited for the first time in a long, long while. He was never this excited about their relationship in the past.

Even when things were good before, and they felt good at the time, they'd never actually talked to each other with particular depth. They grew to know each other well in terms of likes, dislikes, and personality traits. But talking about feelings? Talking about wants? That was always difficult. Never in a million years would he think they'd be where they were now.

It should have felt rushed. But it didn't.

It felt like they'd overcome something together, and that all of their growth had meaning.

Admittedly, Heero achieved more growth than he did. At times it was surreal to be faced with the undeniable truth that between the two of them Heero Yuy was more open with his feelings. Years ago he was certain their friends would laugh at the idea, but now it was true. Seeing the man Heero became made him understand how much of himself he hid. His whole life he played the role of someone who freely expressed himself. It started out as a game to trick and disarm others, to make folks on the street believe he was stupid and reckless and innocent, but eventually that role simply became who he was. And who was he?

A liar, apparently.

Well, maybe not a liar. The parts of himself he shared were genuine. His smiles, even hiding something deeper, were genuine. When he laughed to hide his pain it was genuine. But it was all surface level.

Knowing this, he tried to change. But trust took time, and he couldn't will himself to trust others before they earned it. After the incident at HQ, once he finally managed to verbalize to Heero about some of his nightmares, he thought he was making improvements. When he finally admitted he was trying hard to be present while fighting a terrible emotional disconnect, he felt that he was taking a big step towards openness and trust. But in retrospect, how far did he really come since they were teenagers?

Heero admitted to his nightmares a lifetime ago. He opened up about them during the war, before they even began sleeping together. He had little choice but to admit what was going on after he'd woken Duo in the night so many times during missions when they were roommates, thrashing in his sleep.

At the time, Heero was confused. Though his life was steeped in violence as far back as he could remember, he'd not had nightmares in years. He tried to parse out what was different, and came to the conclusion that he only had nightmares when Duo was nearby. On missions with the others, or when he was alone, he slept just fine.

That hurt. A lot.

They weren't particularly close then, only at the tentative stages of friendship, but knowing his presence caused Heero nightmares made him second guess whether he should pursue a friendship at all. He wasn't particularly keen on hurting anyone, let alone an ally. It took a few weeks for Heero to understand what was happening within himself, and then in true teenage Heero fashion he just came out and said it one night.

I have nightmares when I fall into a deep sleep. I was trained not to do that, and instead remain alert at all times. With you, I feel someone else has watch. I sleep a little deeper, and I have nightmares.

It was a moment he would never forget. The first time Heero Yuy really showed him true trust and vulnerability was also the moment he realized his mild, base level attraction might just grow into something more. But the reason they got to that moment was because Heero's nightmares woke him with violence. He had no chance to hide what was happening, and so when Duo started asking if he wanted to talk about the nightmares he eventually he gave in. Talking through the them slowly helped to ease them away, and Duo learned more about Heero's past. His nightmares were very specific and didn't encompass all of his training or the war in general. He simply wasn't wired like that. For Heero, missions were jobs and little more.

But he had nightmares about civilian casualties.

It wasn't just about what happened at the New Edwards Base. There were other, smaller instances in his childhood that haunted him. Duo learned early that although he was raised to be an instrument of violence, Heero abhorred violence. It was a means to an end for him, a way to correct social wrongs and obtain justice. It was a means to stop someone else from hurting people. But he hated war with his entire being

Heero had little problem putting his life on the line because he thought he could prevent others from a similar fate. It reminded Duo of himself, and as he listened to Heero slowly and painfully open up, they got closer. It took a long time. He'd give the smallest bit of information and shut down again, leaving Duo to recall it later and piece stories together. Eventually Duo got full pictures of what haunted him, and they could share a room with a low chance of Heero fighting off unseen terrors as he slept. Down the line, when they shared a bed, Heero's nightmares almost never woke him anymore. He'd found peace with Duo next to him, confident he was safe from his memories. One time he almost said that he was sure Duo would protect him.

It wasn't like that for Duo.

His nightmares woke him suddenly, sometimes with a gasp for air and sometimes not. As far as Duo could tell there were no other outward signs of struggle. He didn't think Heero callous enough, even when they were teenagers, to let him fight his demons on his own without offering help. Unless he took the first step and reached out there would be no one to comfort him, because no one knew he needed comfort.

For years he silently agonized over the thought that maybe he didn't trust Heero like he believed he did. If he provided the comfort that allowed Pilot 01 to let down his guard, why couldn't the tables be turned?

Except he did trust Heero.

After a few more years he simply accepted that not everyone's nightmares manifest in the same way. Heero's were easy to spot, and thus easier to address. His only woke himself. And as loud as his heart would beat in his ears no one other than himself could hear it. And as much as he wanted someone to comfort him, he would never ask for that support.

Things got easier when they shared a bed, and he was certain at times he did wake his partner. Even lightly jerking awake while pressed against Heero would rouse him from slumber, if only briefly. Sometimes, when he was lucky, he'd wake in a panic and his slight movement would cause Heero to reflexively hold him closer or kiss the top of his head. Those were good nights, when he could trick himself into believing he was getting his nightmares soothed away by someone who loved him. He didn't doubt Heero would give him what he needed, but he was afraid nonetheless to ask.

Until HQ he'd only ever chosen to hold Heero a little closer and keep his silence. After HQ he did his best to change. He tried very hard to let himself rely on others even when his entire being revolted against the idea. His fears, he decided, wouldn't get to run his life anymore.

He was opening up, even if he was over a decade behind schedule.

But then they had setbacks. And Heero took that time to learn to open himself up even further. Meanwhile he'd chosen to use that time to what? Close off again? Stay where he was and not improve himself? Retreat again until his friends refused to let him retreat further?

There was so much history mixing in with the present. Taking in the whole picture you could argue he was egregiously slow to finally allow himself to speak openly with the man he was in love with.

In love with.

That was so strange to finally admit. It felt right hearing it in his head, but it was odd that just days ago he adamantly refused the word at all. He wouldn't let himself think the word love and now it was as natural to admit to himself as it was to breathe.

Without their history they were moving incredibly fast. With their history they were painfully slow, then incredibly fast. He didn't want to think about it too much, lest it ruin his good mood. He wasn't lying when he told Heero he couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. Even while thinking about his own shortcomings he was walking on air. There was some catching up to do with Heero when it came to learning to express himself, and he was up for the challenge.

Suddenly, he needed to share his joy with someone. He needed to relay the greatest information he could've ever received. He needed to see a friend in person and gush over how things were finally falling into place.

He took his phone out of his pocket and sent a text.

When Heero showed up to work it was unexpected. He may have told Une of his return, but Trowa had no idea his partner would be back, and back late. For someone else walking in two minutes late was nothing, but for Heero it was unheard of. In all the years they'd been partners he was never late to work unless something big happened, and Trowa could count those instances on one hand. But his friend carried on like nothing was out of the ordinary. Except it was terribly obvious nothing was ordinary at all, from the way he carried himself down to the length of his hair, which finally reached a noticeable tipping point.

It took only eleven minutes for him to succumb to curiosity.

"Are you going to say something, or just sit there glowing all damn day?"

Heero froze while reading reports and asked with complete obliviousness "What do you mean?"

Trowa shot him a disbelieving look.

"Are you kidding? You couldn't glow more brightly if you were the goddamn sun." When he saw his partner tense he added "It's blinding. I can't even see my monitor, I'm going to need sunglasses."

He caught Heero's slight smile and found himself in awe when it spread further and took over his entire face. Blue eyes were sparkling. He'd never, from the day they first met, seen his friend quite like this.

"Is it so terrible that I'm happy?"

The soft tone of Heero's voice gave him pause.

"No. It's about time you're happy. I'm quite thrilled to be here to see it."

They looked at each other in a comfortable silence, taking in what they could without speaking. They'd come a long way together after Duo left Preventers and they became partners. Their time working together wasn't all about case work. It saw the beginning of Trowa and Quatre's relationship, their shared surprise at Wufei and Sally's relationship, and the reintroduction of Duo into their fold. Heero's happiness was a milestone they'd been waiting to experience but always felt just out of reach. His partner began to type when Trowa continued his questioning.

"What's with the hair?"

"Hm?"

"The hair. It's like you haven't cut it in months."

"I haven't."

Trowa stared at him for a bit before he asked "Why? You've always kept it nearly the same length since the wars."

He saw Heero's hands pause above his keyboard while he contemplated his answer.

"Duo likes it."

It didn't escape Trowa's notice how his friend's air of joy only intensified at the mention of Duo. He could have fun with this.

"He likes it shaggy?"

"Hn. Not... shaggy. Just a little longer."

"You gonna grow yourself a braid?"

He got an unenthusiastic look from Heero.

"What? Duo likes his braid. He might like you with a similar one."

"No."

"You growing it to your shoulders?"

"No." He saw Heero's mind working overtime. "Maybe?"

"Let me guess... it's Duo's choice how long your hair gets?"

Finally, his partner stopped trying to work and looked up to glare at him.

"Kind of, yes. But I'm never growing it past my shoulders."

"He likes it so much that you'll give him full control, within parameters?"

Something flashed in Heero's eyes that Trowa had never seen before. It only served to make him more curious.

"He might not be aware that he likes it. But he behaves differently, he never readily played with it before. I... enjoy how he reacts to it."

The way Heero spoke was so sincere and innocent Trowa just wanted to immediately text Quatre about it. He refrained.

"So tell me when this all happened."

"When what happened?"

It was a valid question, and Trowa wasn't certain exactly what he meant. If he responded like he wanted with when you surrendered to 02 that would be years ago. Probably around the time Heero changed his mind about killing Duo after he was captured by Oz. If he said when you fell head over heels that could be any time, probably between that failed execution and Duo's disappearance. He had to work backwards and ask the right question to get the answer he desired.

"When you and Duo finally made up."

Heero cut eye contact and looked back at his monitor. "Saturday."

Trowa's eyes narrowed. "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

When blue eyes darted back to him, he saw his friend's confusion.

"Duo is still working from home, yes?" Heero nodded. "So why are you back here and not enjoying more time with him? What kind of idiot takes two days to be—" he gestured up and down in his friend's direction "this ridiculously happy, and then goes back to work when he's probably got extra leave leftover that he can take?"

Heero had the decency to blush a little and turn back to his screen.

"I took a lot of time off, Trowa. I'd given Une this return date weeks ago before I had any idea how things would turn out with Duo. And it's not like he didn't understand. He's got things to do, too."

Trowa eyed him closely in a way that made Heero feel his gaze. It was heavy and almost tangible.

"You're acting funny."

Heero tried to ignore him, pretending to read.

"This isn't about getting laid, either. You don't act like this when you've gotten laid."

Trowa watched his partner tense and glare at his monitor. He knew he'd be insulted shortly, that was part of their dynamic.

"I see you haven't picked up any of Quatre's manners. Get to work, Barton."

A smile spread across his face at Heero's familiar reaction. Then a realization came to him. He knew exactly what was going on. It was obvious the moment Heero walked into their office. It'd been obvious for months but for all that time it was always held back by something. Now it was out in the open.

"Yeah. This isn't about the sex. You went and did something few people would believe, even if you told them."

His partner continued to ignore him.

"You didn't just follow your emotions. You unconditionally surrendered to them."

The way Heero's gaze intensified on his screen encouraged him.

"Heero Yuy. You don't just love him. You're head over heels."

It was a statement, not a question, and Trowa would take it as far as he could.

"Completely smitten. Bewitched. Star-crossed. Hopelessly—"

Heero quickly jumped from his desk to shut and lock their office door before anyone else heard. Wide blue eyes laser focused on green and Trowa knew better than to continue his teasing.

At first Heero looked scared, cornered even. Then a smile began to spread once more over his face.

"You have no idea. The last two days were the best of my entire life and I want to tell everyone, but I don't want to jinx it."

There was no attempt to hide his excitement, no denial of his feelings, and Trowa couldn't help smiling back. From the first day they were partnered, just after Duo's leave from work became an official job opening, he'd seen his friend's misery firsthand. He knew those struggles, and just how much his happiness cost and meant. The last time they were locked in their office together, months ago, Trowa was consoling a heartbroken Heero when things with Duo weren't progressing as he hoped. Now it appeared he had everything he wanted.

"You ever jinx anything by telling me?"

He watched his partner relax against their office door before a sound outside quickly reminded him other people were beyond that barrier. Heero strode away from the door to his desk, grabbed his chair, and rolled it up next to him as he took a seat. For a moment, Trowa wondered if this was how normal friends behaved. Heero was bent forward in his chair, leaning as far as he could like he was about to impart a secret.

"We talked. In depth, honest, and vulnerable. It was so freeing, Trowa. It was like how my therapist said we should've talked. It was everything. Honestly I'm not even sure I was that open while in therapy, it's just so much easier to say things to Duo than to anyone else." Trowa nodded. He experienced a similar feeling with Quatre. "And we didn't fight. Frustrations were expressed, but it was never close to a fight. It was actual communication and I didn't know how important it was until I finally got a taste of it. I can see us working. We're on the cusp of something spectacular, and I've never felt more connected to anyone."

Trowa couldn't help smiling.

"That's great."

Heero's voice dropped into an intense whisper.

"He told me he loves me. That he's loved me for a long time."

"Had he not said that before?"

"Never. Not once." Heero's voice briefly dipped lower, the tone held a hint of the one he used to threaten others. "I kind of resented him, you know? Back then I did, from time to time. And I especially started to resent him recently, when I'd begun to use the words and he still refrained. I thought maybe his uncertainty about my feelings held him back, but that clearly wasn't what stopped him because he knew how I felt after that fiasco at HQ and he still waited until this weekend to finally say it."

"After HQ? That was months ago."

"I said it in Japanese, not knowing Duo understood me. But I said it in English later, and he still didn't exactly reciprocate even though a big part of me was sure he felt the same."

When Trowa didn't immediately respond, Heero leaned back, swiveled his chair 90 degrees, and sighed at the ceiling. It wasn't to indicate stress, but a tactic he used to signal time would be given. Trowa was immeasurably grateful that Heero understood his need to formulate the right words sometimes included extra time to find them. Over the years, Heero rarely pressured him to speak before he was ready, and those circumstances were specific and time sensitive. He could feel his brain working as he really looked at his friend.

Heero's features softened quite a bit whenever Duo was on his mind. It was almost comical, really. He wondered how the man ever managed to hide a full relationship in the past.

"Duo can be spontaneous, and sometimes he talks a lot. He does a good job at making it appear that he's open with others, and I've envied that about him." Under his gaze he saw Heero's brow come together before his friend turned to him with a look of scrutiny. "People say I'm the quiet one of our group. They'll joke that I talk even less than you. But it's Duo who says the least. He'll talk to fill a silence, or to make people comfortable. He enjoys amusing others. But for all the words he uses, he never really says anything. Not about himself. And that makes him better at hiding how he feels than even the most silent of us. People think he's revealing who he is, but he's not."

Heero focused his whole attention to him, slowly turning in his chair until they once again faced each other.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice that."

Trowa nodded, ready to impart the key point of his feedback.

"When he chooses to reveal himself, it's important. It makes sense for him to wait a long time to admit something as profoundly personal as love. Five months certainly would feel like a long time to wait for him to say it back, but knowing him? He's probably only used the word a handful of times in his life. So telling you he loves you? That's an immeasurable gift that he needs to take at his own pace. And when he does, you know it's not said flippantly or because he feels he's supposed to say it. He says it because he means it."

"Is that why I'm so happy?"

With a chuckle, Trowa answered "No, Heero. You're happy because with or without it being hard earned, it feels amazing for someone you love to love you back."

Heero leaned backwards once more, looking relaxed. A hint of mischief came into his eyes as he posited "How strange is it that 13 years out of Meteor, every one of us actually found happiness?"

"It's pretty strange."

"I mean... no offense, but you're socially inept."

Heero got a laugh out of him, and they both felt the absurdity of those words given who Heero used to be.

"Yes, you're not wrong. I'm unclear why Quatre isn't bothered by it."

"And Wufei used to be a major pain in the ass and a borderline misogynist."

"He's still a pain in the ass."

"True, but he's a kind pain in the ass who looks out for his friends."

Trowa hummed in agreement.

"And Quatre could've ended up in a bad relationship, endlessly seeking the good in a shitty partner who would use him for money and his name."

Trowa nodded.

"And honestly we all could've been dead by now."

"Yep."

"But we're here. And we have lives to live, and people to love. And by some miracle that love is reciprocated, and we get to enjoy it. We are experiencing something so amazing I didn't even know it was possible when I was growing up. We're damn lucky. Not everyone who starts out fairly well adjusted gets this, and we all started royally fucked. The world really is ours for the taking, Trowa." For a moment Heero flashed back to a quiet night, years earlier, when he held Duo's hand as they laid in the back of a pickup truck and stared at the stars. "What a time to be alive, yeah?"

Something about that last phrasing tickled Trowa. The words didn't feel like they came from Heero, but he didn't question where he picked up talking like that. It was obvious enough to anyone who knew him.

"Yeah. Exactly. So that brings me back to my original question. Why are you here? You could have delayed returning to work. I'm more than happy to cover for you."

"It's fine. I'm looking forward to seeing Duo tonight. A little time apart isn't such a bad thing, and keeping my remaining leave means I have time to take off and spend with him later. Maybe we can take a few long weekends. Go camping again. See the stars from Earth."

Trowa replied, deadpan.

"But your glow. Not only is it scaring everyone, but it'll cause the night sky to turn into day. Didn't you see people shielding their eyes when you walked past? You'll never see the stars if you're glowing this much. Nocturnal creatures have marked you as their enemy. And you really should've warned me so I could put on sunscreen."

For that comment he got a weakened version of Heero's glare before his friend reached onto his desk to throw a paperclip at him. Immediately they were grinning at each other. There wasn't much that could dampen Heero's mood, and his happiness was contagious. For a long time Trowa was waiting to see this kind of joy radiating off his friend. He was hopeful that one day Heero would excitedly talk about the future. But that wish fulfillment didn't mean Heero was beyond getting a little teasing in his direction.

Duo was on top of the world.

He spent his afternoon working very little and instead went out for lunch to gush about turning over a new leaf with Heero. The next couple of hours were a combination of walking through a large park, enjoying the weather, and making plans for his immediate future. Tonight he'd drop by Heero's place and test how well they continued to get along. He even wanted to try his hand at making them dinner, having gone shopping for groceries that he was currently walking back to his place. He could follow a recipe.

Maybe.

Even if he couldn't follow a recipe well enough to make the food edible he would be showing Heero that he, too, could be romantic. He went so far as to buy tea lights for ambiance just to make his intent exceptionally clear and rub it in his partner's face that he took their conversation about his lack of romance as a challenge.

He could totally romance Heero. He knew it in his bones. He'd sweep him right off his feet until he was blushing and embarrassed for the attention. And then he'd be sure to find another way to do it all over again, at random intervals, to show how he felt.

There was no way he was going to let Heero win. How could he possibly live with himself if Heero Yuy, Perfect Soldier, Pilot 01, seemingly cold bastard to most of the world, managed to out-romance him?

Because their friends would surely find out and laugh behind his back. And to his face.

He could already feel Wufei's laughter and Trowa's awful, knowing look. They'd bring it up for years. His reputation would never recover if everyone saw him out maneuvered like that.

No, he wasn't going to lose this war. Just because he'd grown enough to realize it was unhealthy to need to win every fight didn't mean it was unhealthy to channel that competitive spirit into a need to win at romance.

They'd need to set some ground rules for combat, of course. No embarrassing public gestures was at the top of Duo's list. They could be as sappy as they wanted in private but if he went to a hockey game and got ambushed with some jumbotron nonsense he'd lose his goddamn mind. Heero probably had some limits, too. So tonight they could set the rules of engagement and kick off a long-term war where even the loser of a battle won in the end. He wouldn't mind losing a few battles if the price was being showered with Heero's affection.

Thinking about finally being able to explore his romantic side excited him.

He felt his pocket vibrate with a call and juggled his grocery bags into one hand. When he pulled out the device he saw Sister Elise on the display. It'd been a while since he heard from her, and he wondered if the kids finished picking out their extracurricular activities for the summer. It was a little early to choose, but with few options on L2 it was always best to lock in what you wanted early. Most of the kids chose to join sports teams but others wanted science clubs or art lessons. He was always happy to facilitate their dreams.

"Hey Elise, how's it—"

Duo froze.

When the line disconnected a few seconds later, he dropped his grocery bags onto the sidewalk and took off at full speed.