This fanfiction was originally published to A03 in October 2024. It contains implications of abuse on the streets, violence, lemon, and overall mature content. 1x2x1 during canon events.
When he falls hard, he falls hard,
And his eyes fill up with stars, fill up with stars.
But it's a false start,
A call card,
What's a race without a car, without a fast car?
No way a handsome guy like that was keeping off his mind too long.
Not enough to be a distraction, of course. He was smarter than that. A mission wasn't the time for getting all sappy about a blue-eyed babe dressed in nothing but a tank top and tight shorts. Even if he was a fellow Gundam pilot. A half-crazy one, too. No way he wasn't trained how to use a parachute. That was kiddy stuff in his training and apart from his little blunder there that guy was no slouch. Set his own damn bones back in place without needing so much as a helping hand and could somehow keep his heart rate perfectly stable.
But see, it was those kinds of things that really stuck in the mind. A pretty face, and hell, his lips and eyes and ass and the guy's whole damn package, really, those were all nice bonuses. But there were a thousand pretty faces in a crowd if you looked hard enough to find 'em. No, what really stuck out about Heero Yuy was the contradictions. He'd been trained, obviously. The way he kept things locked in was with cold eyes and sealed lips. It just begged people to fill in the blanks, to wonder and make assumptions.
Kind of like he was doing now, staring up at the moon from the Earth. Thinking about why a cold professional like that was running around not opening up his chute 'til he nearly splatted on the ground. Maybe he'd seen too much. Been through the wringer one too many times. Wasn't like it was easy, getting used to a Gundam.
Well, what the hell. If there was any time to think about it, it was now, while he had time. While Deathscythe was right under him, ready to slip in if anyone decided they wanted trouble. While Howard and the guys were here keeping some extra sets of eyes on things and the natural night sky hung overhead. Funny, this was how humans had seen it for thousands of years, huh. It was different out in space. The sunlight was colder and the moonlight was sharp. Bitter. Here it should be just as harsh, it was closer and all, but he guessed that was the difference a real atmosphere made, huh.
Yeah, it was a real beaut. He was glad he got to see it at least a few times. Smell the real sea air, not artificial space dust with a scent on it. He'd never have known the real deal if he hadn't come here. Hadn't lived through everything he had. It all counted down to this mission. Anything went different in his life up to now? Well, he wouldn't be here. He sure as hell wouldn't have the cash anytime soon to spend on a pleasure cruise down to here.
And there were more of them out there. Hell, on this huge blue planet, he'd run into a comrade not even two weeks in. A good-looker that got him asking questions.
It wasn't like G told him everything. He wasn't that naive. He thought the man respected him, they could talk well enough. But G was an old man and old men had years to get secrets built up into a rotting pile. Especially an old man who had the smarts and connections to build a Gundam. No one down here was standing a chance against Deathscythe so far. No, G was a tightly sealed box if he didn't want you to know something. It made him wonder. Heero Yuy (obviously a codename, no way in hell was a name like that not picked out for him) was in a tight spot back there, and then he showed up. Not exactly his best reading of a situation ever, but hey- He wasn't expecting a guy holding a lady at gunpoint to be in the same boat as him! He'd made it up to him. Anyways. He wondered whether G wasn't holding out him, whether there wasn't more to Operation Meteor that he wasn't being told. What were the odds he just happened to get the same mission and bailed out a fellow pilot's ass with no communication between G and someone else out there? It was possible, but...
Man. Wonder if he's lookin' at the moon too. What went on in that guy's head? Was he a hardass all the time, or just on the clock? Would their next missions overlap again? Could he maybe be... A friend?
Heh. Too soon to tell. Duo leaned back, crossing his arms to support his neck with a little smile. He was always doin' this, huh. Said he could go solo down here but that was never his name for a reason. A pilot's life was a short and lonely one. A real candle in the wind, just like being a street rat. And here he was looking to make a friend of the bastard who stole Deathscythe's parts. Well. Not like he wouldn't have done the same outta Heero's Gundam if the man himself hadn't shown his face and changed things.
Guess he was a little crazy too. Just hopefully in a way that wouldn't get him blown out or up anytime soon. Especially not for an ungrateful, antisocial psycho. No matter how handsome. He was a nice guy, but he had his limits.
"... Mission's still on, huh."
They got played like damn fiddles out there. The intel must have been bad. Hell, the intel had to be flat out rat poison. How the hell had they taken the bait? G would have vetted it. Paranoid old man was way too cautious to not double and triple check something juicy like that. And they still got played, or at least four of them did. Fifth guy showed up late to the party screaming they were getting pulled into a trap, then sped off into the damn sunset. Who knew what his mission was- There wasn't any word of OZ leaders ending up dead on the news.
And despite that massive blunder, there were still missions. They were still gonna fight down here. Well, it wasn't exactly a surprise. He didn't exactly think G was gonna give up, and same probably went for all the other handlers and pilots. Not with what he did know about Operation Meteor, and it was clear he wasn't given the privilege of knowing everything. Nah, they were here, their Gundams were here, and they were gonna keep going at it.
Least he got something out of this colossal failure. He knew there were five of them now, which was better than being alone. And he had confirmation of the handsome loner's codename. He'd known it already with a little snooping around, but he'd had it confirmed now- Heero Yuy.
Must be one hell of a guy, with a name like that.
"Yeah."
And just as verbose as before. Well. This time he couldn't blame him. Heero had a big weight on his shoulders. It might be all of their fuckups, a real team effort of a shitshow, but Heero had been the one to actually land the killing blow. It was his Gundam getting plastered all over the news feeds. Damn bastards had cameras set up, caught the whole thing. Yeah, this was planned out all right, and they took it hook, line, and sinker.
"... So what now? You gonna find another school to hole up in?" His fellow pilot turned hearing that, giving him an icy glare. "Oh come on, give me some credit. That little lady you had a gun to was Relena Darlan. She was all over the news right before us. Wasn't hard to figure out where she went to school and look at every transfer student in the last six months."
"Hm." Heero looked away, appraising the situation. Or at least, it looked like he was. His face wasn't exactly an open book. But he soon looked back and... Was that a smile? A real faint one, but Duo could swear there was a ghost of one there. "Not bad."
Not bad, huh. Surely he could do better than just "not bad". He'd get this guy's respect. But in the meantime, he could give some of his own, he guessed. "What's not bad 's your plan, actually. Get three meals a day and a bed, don't ya? Bet the food's good at a swanky-ass place like St. Gabe's."
He almost got an entire chuckle from Heero before he answered. "I've certainly had worse."
"Bet I have too, buddy." He definitely had, any food was better than days without, but no reason to get all sentimental about it. "Maybe I'll hole up somewhere like that too. I'm on standby. My handler's gotta plug his leak." Figure out how exactly they'd taken such bad intel. "You?"
"Mm."
Back to the one word answers, huh. But it wasn't a no. Sounded like Heero was in the same boat. "Why don't you hook me up wherever you're stayin'. Might as well watch each other's backs while we're sitting ducks."
Heero's glare had softened with the small talk, but it came back quick. "Do it yourself. I don't need backup."
"Oh come on! By my count, pal, you owe me two now. Not just for Deathscythe, but for me covering your ass back there while you were having your little moment."
"I saved all our lives."
"Then one for Deathscythe."
"I had a mission-"
"And what if I had, huh?!"
"That's not my problem." But for another small moment he saw Heero look away, betraying just the faintest hesitation. So he was at least a bit guilty for gutting his dear Gundam. Good. He could use that. Just push a little less hard. A little more eye contact with those baby blues, hold the stare... Duo held it for a few more seconds, then sighed as if he was giving in.
"Just get me in, bud. It'll take you what, a few more minutes while you're in there already? Those parts you stole were worth at least that much of your time. And I mean it, I'll make it worth your while. Better two than one in enemy territory."
He could do it alone, if he had to. Hell, he could go back to Howard and his boys and not even bother with the whole school thing. But being a transfer student was a good cover for a teenager walking around town and gave him a bed and food. And as crazy as this Heero Yuy was, he was a hell of a pilot. Probably a hell of a fighter too, if he could handle bullets and a broken leg while barely flinching. If OZ did somehow find them... Well, the way he saw it, safety in numbers. Even if that number was only two.
"... Fine. I'll work on it tomorrow. Be ready to move and have your cover story straight."
Duo grinned. He'd won this battle. "Sir yessir! You'll just owe me one, after this!" Heero rolled his eyes, turning away. He'd taken a few steps before another thought came to Duo. "Hey, you gonna be fine on your own? Howard said you ain't welcome on board after your last stunt, sorry."
"I'm capable of evading capture for a night. I'll contact you tomorrow, Duo Maxwell."
And like that, he took off, and Duo let him go. Despite everything, he had a smile and a little spring to his step as he turned as well, making off to let Howard know about his new plans.
Mid-afternoon the next day he got the call from their swanky-ass cover school to come in for a uniform fitting. It was just that easy. Lo and behold, when he went in there was already a familiar someone having the same thing done.
The uniforms were juvenile as hell and he way preferred wearing black over bright orange or green, but the glances he stole in the waiting room told him Heero managed to at least elevate the whole ensemble to a solid passable. Maybe even a not bad, if Heero played nice. He'd think on that one. It was soon Duo's turn, and he looked Heero right in the eyes as they passed by each other.
"Oh, are you transferring here too? What a coincidence! I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell!"
The guy didn't like a scene. He got the twitchy mouth when something annoyed him. It was something others would easily miss, just the tiniest little tug. But a tell was a tell, and Duo could already tell he'd need to watch this guy carefully to figure out what made him tick. Still, he offered a hand back. "Heero Yuy. Class 1."
He liked putting himself in the top class, huh. Interesting. Not the least conspicuous choice Heero could have made. But Duo guessed they wouldn't be here long enough for it to make a real impression. "Aww, this gets better and better! Me too. I'll keep an eye out for ya, buddy." Duo squeezed the hand he was given for just the briefest moment, then let go. Guy was strong, all wiry muscle. Well, he knew that already, he'd seen him in just a tank top before. But feeling how solid he was himself made a world of difference. Heero was probably sizing him up too. Least, he wanted to think so.
From then on, Duo saw no reason not to stick close to one another. It was perfect for their cover story. He may not have ever been to a traditional classroom, but why wouldn't the two new kids stick close? That's how it worked back at Maxwell House- Two orphans coming in at the same time soon had the water of the covenant run way thicker than blood. If they were lucky, they got adopted out together.
Not that many got lucky. But as far as he remembered, it happened more than twice.
That being said, they'd almost, almost not been assigned the same dorm room, and that just wouldn't do. Good thing it was a quick fix. He even did it himself, save his buddy some time. It was good practice anyways, backdooring through an e-mail some clueless admin member really should have been smart enough to ignore and getting into the system backend that way. From there it was a simple matter of changing their room assignment and giving them one with only a single window.
It gave them a great view of both the sea and their future target.
He learned what surprise looked like on Heero Yuy's face when the transfer order came through two days after applying the change. His eyes only widened for a moment, then he frowned thoughtfully, then he schooled the emotion away from his face and looked up to meet Duo's gaze from across the room. He'd winked and given a little wave back. It was total girl stuff, but he wanted to see how Heero would react.
Honestly, his reaction wasn't all that interesting. He only got an eye roll and the tiniest quirk of the mouth before Heero went back to pretending to pay attention to the math lesson the prof was trying to teach them as if they'd be here long enough to need to know any of this stuff. But it was information, knowledge on how Heero responded to situations, and Duo tucked it away at the back of his mind. Just like he'd guessed, Heero felt plenty- He was just good at hiding it.
At the end of the day, Heero didn't ask how he did it, or try to fight getting reassigned. He showed up with a duffel full of who the hell knew what and a laptop in tow, took the other bed in the room without a single complaint, and after looking around the small room and tossing the bag under the bed, opened up his computer.
"Don't go through my things and I'll do you the same courtesy. I'll find out if you do. I'll be using my laptop late into the night. Don't touch it either." He added the last part after a slight pause, like he'd just thought of it.
For ground rules they were easy to follow, though the cynic in Duo wondered if Heero really wasn't going to go through his things anyways. He'd know if Heero did too, he had his ways. But he played along anyway, no need to start an argument. "Fine by me. You don't snore, do ya? If you do I'll have to throttle ya."
"No." This time, he got Heero to emote more, even got him to turn his head and give him a glare. "Do you take anything seriously?"
"Pfft. I'll let you know I give everything the gravity it deserves, bud. Just messin' around. Alright, all you gotta know about me is I'm a talker. Definitely while I'm awake and uhh... Maybe when I sleep, too." No one had really told him either way.
"Noted." And with that, Heero looked away, again wiping the emotion off his face. He opened his laptop, seemingly uninterested in further discussion.
Man, what a tough nut to crack. But the more time he was given with this guy, the easier it would get. He already got a lot out of just a few days in Heero's company. He just needed a good angle to come from. So Duo didn't let himself get annoyed, he grabbed his headphones and laid back, putting on some music to think by. He'd get him.
Just a matter of time, pal.
It didn't even take that long, really.
Rooming with Heero was overall pretty decent. He didn't snore, didn't stink, and didn't go around leaving trash or laundry all over the place. It wasn't always a perfect picnic; there were times he just wouldn't talk, no matter how Duo prodded him. He'd clam right the hell up and sit at his laptop, typing and clicking for ages on end, or flat out ignore him and lay there, eyes closed. Or he'd be out doing god knows what. Not that he was always in either, he took the time to go for a run whenever the weather was good and when basketball tryouts came up, he figured why the hell not. Rules seemed simple enough and it both would keep him in shape and occupy some time. It had been real quiet since their last disaster of a mission. He figured G was being extra cautious about their intel and targets. Or maybe he wanted things to cool down a bit. Either way, he wasn't concerned. He'd go back to being the God of Death when the time called for it.
He was surprised when Heero showed up there, too. He'd figured he'd have to bother him to, guy was so paranoid about standing out or interacting with any of the students unless he absolutely had to. But no, he came on his own, and he could swear Heero gave him a few looks when he thought he wasn't looking back.
It wasn't the first time, either. Before class he had a morning routine; about fifty reps of push ups and sit ups. Nothing special, just enough to wake him up and again, keep him in shape. Heero did it too. But he noticed after those first few days that no matter how many he did, Heero would do more. Just four or five more, one day it was ten, but regardless always a few more reps. And every time, if he thought Duo wasn't looking, he'd look at him.
And then basketball. Heero was competitive, huh.
Even if Heero was just doing it to one-up him, it still made Duo chuckle when he figured it out. In a way, Heero wanting to show him up was flattering. Showed he'd made enough of an impression on his fellow pilot to have Heero feel like he should bother. Meant he was competition. Maybe he needed to step the reps up every day. See how far Heero would go with their little unspoken game.
Plus, it was a look into who Heero was when he wasn't trying to keep himself from getting invested in anything. He was easily annoyed, but quick to calm down again. Duo had learned he was someone who got real focused, real invested in whatever he was doing. Heero didn't really need to care about academics, hell Duo thought he wouldn't bother with homework at all since it was only a cover. But Heero not only paid attention in class, he did his homework perfectly on time. Many a night Duo would come back in from his run and he'd be at the small desk in their room, moving his pencil between fingers on his hand as he considered the questions on the paper.
Sheesh. It made him have to try, too. He couldn't get a reputation as a bum if Heero was trying.
There was one other thing. Heero was checking him out.
It was subtle. Not too obvious. Hell, he might have chalked it up to their whole silent competition Heero wanted them in. He might have. But he'd been around the block long enough to know when someone was staring at him in a certain way. You couldn't let your guard down on the streets. Being good-looking was dangerous. Even Maxwell House had a few bad eggs every so often who needed their wrists or fingers broken before they'd learn. Anyways, old habits and instincts died hard. He could feel when a stare was on him, and he got a vibe when that stare was a little too long. A little too drawn out.
It helped he got that feeling in the locker room shower, when there wasn't really anywhere to hide. Most of the guys kept their eyes to themselves, or strictly above the neckline. Wouldn't want to get called gay. Heaven forbid. But Heero, Heero, Heero... He broke that little rule. Duo felt that stare and low and behold, when he looked he saw Heero looking him over.
He knew he looked good, minus maybe the scars all over him and even then that was an acquired taste he doubted Heero would care about (if anything, Heero had it even worse. He'd done some looking himself). He'd heard it enough on the streets and even beyond when he trained with the Scrappers. Being handsome was another weapon in his arsenal, if used right. No reason to do it yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't have to. Still, of all the people who could be into him, it was this guy, huh?
... Well. Better Heero than some douchebag in senior year he'd definitely have to scrap with to get to back off. His cover would be blown in an instant if the school called looking for his parents and got the pizza place he'd added in their systems as emergency contact info on his profile. Besides, it was cute, how Heero watched him. It wasn't immediately apparent, but it was there; Heero was looking, and his eyes definitely weren't in the not-gay zone. They looked on ass and dick level, actually. Maybe lower back, if he was being generous.
It was tempting to call him out right then and there, while it would be hard to deny it. How would Heero react? Get mad? Blush? Or even admit it..? Shame they weren't anywhere close to alone. After a long look at Heero of his own, Duo let it slide, turning away like he didn't know what was going on. It was some juicy info he'd just gotten and he didn't want to spoil the opportunity for the sake of a joke that would draw both of them way too much of the wrong kind of attention. And hell, maybe it wouldn't even pan out. Just because Heero was looking with those handsome grey-blues of his didn't mean he was gay or bi or whatever. Could just be curious. Or opportunistic. The streets had plenty of those types.
Where had Heero come from, anyway? Ain't no Gundam pilot that had a happy past, that's for sure. Heero didn't exactly give street vibes, unless the streets of other colonies were somehow wildly different to what he'd lived through on L2. But Heero was in no way normal, either. Was he home born, or lab-grown? Did he have family? He could almost see Heero having come from a family of hardcore radicals who taught him from birth. Would explain how he acted. Or maybe not; Heero didn't act like there was anyone for him to go back to.
Every time he figured something out about Heero Yuy, it led to more questions, huh.
His opportunity didn't come right away. He got a letter the next day, seemingly from Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell for their son. Course, no such people existed, which meant it was mission orders. He tore it open and read the simple orders. OZ air carrier coming in for refueling and resupply in two days. Destroy as much of it as possible and kill anyone who saw him. Simple work, really. Nothing too complicated.
As he watched the letter burn, Heero came into their dorm. Predictably, he headed right for his laptop. Duo thought to save him the time.
"We're back on, buddy. Tomorrow night." He wasn't surprised that Heero still checked. But he at least felt safe enough to not go somewhere else to open whatever network he was using to contact his superior. "Say, Heero, your contact isn't an old wackjob, is he?"
Heero turned to look at him immediately. Maybe it was a bad move. He was glaring like just staring hard enough would make him fall down dead. One of his hands was curled on his chair tightly, so tight it was almost as though the wood was straining under his grip. "Why are you asking?"
Duo raised up his hands. "Hey, chill! Relax, pal. No reason. Just curious. Funny how they all launched us at the same time, is all. How we all got here at once even though the colonies haven't been able to talk in, what, fifteen years now? It's one hell of a coincidence that five different pilots got sent from different colonies all at once. Just makes me think."
Heero's frown didn't let up, but his hand stopped having such a death grip on the wood (heh). And after a breath, even the frown went down some. He was silent for quite a while, and Duo thought maybe he was gonna clam up again and not answer the obvious question he'd asked without actually saying the words. But after a long, drawn out silence, Heero finally spoke.
"Operation M."
"Come again?"
"My mission. Operation M. Ring any bells?"
"Sure. It's my mission too."
That frown returned, but Heero said nothing to betray his thoughts. Duo had to fill the silence again. "So. Five of us, all with the same mission. But no idea anyone else was goin' to be sharing with us." He wondered how much Heero knew. If he knew about the original mission objective. Technically he'd 'stolen' Deathscythe to derail things, but was it really stealing when G himself told him to do it and Howard didn't care? "Sounds like this has been in the works for a while, don't ya think? At least since before communication got cut off."
"Mm..." Whatever Heero knew, it didn't look like he wanted to share. And whatever it was, it was bothering him. He stared out at nothing, that frown still on his face as he rested his chin on his hands. His fingers crossed over one another, hiding his mouth as he contemplated whatever the hell was haunting him.
Maybe he did know. It was on Duo's mind to ask. On his lips. He even took the breath to start when Heero stood up, closing his laptop again and shoving it away into his sheets, roughly pulling the blanket over it.
"We're going to be late for the game."
The moment was over. Duo stepped back as Heero walked by him- Dude was pissed, it was radiating off him. Jeez... Yeah, he knew something alright. Not sure if it was the same thing they both knew, but it was something.
Sheesh. He pitied the visiting team. Heero wasn't gonna let up on them in a mood like that.
And he didn't.
He'd never seen Heero so focused on something that wasn't a mission. The other team was better overall. Their guys were bigger, tougher, and faster. Without them there these rich kids would have gotten circles run around them. But hey, playing for the losing team was no stranger to them.
It was what they did best.
Slipping past the visiting team's players, feeling the thrill of just barely dodging their attempts at getting in his way. He felt his braid hit someone and laugh. He bet they wanted to grab it, pull him down, but they'd never get it; they were just too slow. Sneakers screeched, more of their opponents swarmed him, but Duo found openings every time, just barely getting the ball away from their seeking grasps every time. Not every pass was a slam dunk, but hell if he wasn't better than most everyone here at it. He laughed, bad form but he couldn't help it. He was alive, alive and burning off the sweat and adrenaline under the beautiful sun instead of scraping by on L2 trash under artificial light. It was the place, the feelings, being surrounded by chaotic life instead of the silence of death.
Running was a hell of a lot of fun when no one was trying to kill you.
Heero was so fast, so strong. His passes shot through the air like goddamn bullets, ricocheting across the floor. Half the problem was the other guys on the team struggled to catch them; they miscalculated his shots, scrambling to get the ball. When some lucky soul did manage to get it, they always, always struggled to hold it, leaving them vulnerable to getting it stolen from them. They lost a few good passes that way, and Duo could swear Heero was gonna lose it with how goddamn tense he was out there every time it happened.
The coach figured it out in the last half, though. Pair them up together, and only together. 'Cause he could handle it.
Yeah, it stung when Heero tossed the ball too damn hard, and he swore he was gonna have bruises tomorrow after some of his throws. But he'd been trained for worse. He was good with his hands and could run like no one's business. These guys had only run for sports like these. For fun. Because they could. Not to snatch their lives from the jaws of death closing in. Not because there were Alliance pigs chasing them with sticks or knives. Not because there was gunfire and flames all around, promising death wouldn't be pretty, but painful, choking and coughing on blood and smoke. No way in hell they could run like he did.
But it was fun, running for nothing.
Being good was a bonus. It kept him grinning, even as his breath was heavy and his muscles burned. The game was almost over, there were just a few minutes left to fight with. They'd made a big comeback, clawing their way back up to a near tie. But they were still behind, even if only by a hair, and the visiting team had the ball. It was all they could do to defend, swipe at the ball, block their rivals from taking a clear shot. The crowds were cheering before, now they'd quieted to a tense buzz. Waiting. Where was Heero? On the other side of the court, looking ready to spring into action-
The guy with the ball, a dark-haired teen with a middle part and a perpetual scowl, made a mistake. He got impatient and went for a desperate shot at the basket. Bad move, pal! He leaped into the air, his fingers making contact with the ball. It destabilized dark-hair's throw and the ball skidded off, thumping against the ground and bouncing away.
As soon as his feet were back on the concrete he was off. Everyone around was sluggish compared to him. Dark-hair took a moment and that was a moment too soon; he tried to recover, to grab him, but Duo was already gone. He reached the ball just moments before it hit the end zone, pivoting hard to keep his feet over the line. He barely made it, but no time to celebrate yet. They were slow, but even little kids would have rushed for him by now.
He charged forward, heading to the middle of the court, but two more guys blocked his path, trying to stop him...
"Heero!"
His buddy was there, ready for action. They were expecting him to chest pass- Duo slammed the ball down instead. Their outstretched arms were making a perfect pocket and he exploited it. The ball passed right between them, shooting ahead... And Heero caught it. Of course he did. He never had any doubts.
Heero was something else. The guys who'd been in front of him charged right at him. Ha, 'course, they didn't stand a chance. Heero had taken on full-grown soldiers. These chumps weren't gonna be able to do squat. And they didn't. The pilot charged ahead, slamming the ball down too- Except with such force it hit the ground then shot up, smashing against the wooden board around the basket. It shook dangerously, no way it wouldn't have shattered if it was glass. It ricocheted with such force he was able to catch it again, one-handed, and gripping the basket, tipped it in.
Goddamn. He could swear even the basket's ring creaked.
The crowd went absolutely wild. It was a razor-thin game with plenty of action already. An ending play like that was just icing on the cake. Most of the cheers were for Heero, he was the star, but there were some for him too, and man if it didn't make him smile. He wasn't used to that. Weren't many times anyone bothered to cheer him on in his life. Some of the kids back on L2, maybe, then Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Maybe the old geezer, once or twice, when he'd been trained...
Man, to hell with that! He didn't want to think about that lying bastard right now. Later!
"Nice shot, Heero!"
Heero looked lost in thought, or maybe he was ignoring what was going on around him. But when he heard him Heero looked up, facing him, then heading over. He seemed kind of dazed, maybe he was coming down from the adrenaline too. But Duo could swear he was actually cracking a smile. The smallest hint of one as always, mostly in the eyes, but still. For once Heero was kind of looking... Happy.
Sure, he'd laughed before when making one hell of another shot on that Leo sneaking up on him. But Duo still had no idea what the hell was up with that. It had sounded half outta hell, that laugh. This was something better than any laugh like that. He met Heero halfway, and without thinking clasped his shoulder. Man, he really was solid, like a guy twice his size and weight. As the cheers kept going Duo looked out at the crowd and waved. Heero seemed real out of it, he didn't meet anyone's eyes.
"Hey, wave back to them or something, they're cheering for us, Superstar!"
He could feel the tension return to Heero the moment after he said it. It was like he woke up right then, his ghost of a smile fading and returning to a frown. He glanced out at the crowd, but seemed pretty unimpressed... And without another word, Heero turned and walked away, leaving Duo befuddled.
Huh? What just happened? Man. Maybe he misread the situation? Maybe Heero wasn't really in all that good of a mood. He personally didn't see how anyone could be in a bad mood after pulling off a shot like that, but it looked like Heero found a way. He could have sworn he'd been happy, though, even for just a flicker of time.
... Heh. Or maybe he wasn't used to being cheered on either. Was the big bad Heero Yuy shy?
He couldn't really think on it more, though. A few guys from the team came in, clapping him on the back and cheering him on. He wanted to go after Heero, Heero was the only person here he was gonna see long term. A week, a month more at most was all he had, then he'd be gone, just a whisper and a ghost to fade away from these rich kids' minds. But he was a nice guy, and so were these guys. Nicer than most guys he'd met in his fifteen years of life. Some girls were coming down from the stands too, shyly hovering around and watching them messing around. He saw some look off where Heero went, too, but didn't look like any were bold enough to follow that brooder.
"Oh, nah, heh, it was a team effort, guys. Team effort!" He played around, he joined the team huddle and cheered their team name (Falcons, the most generic sports team name ever). This was what being normal felt like, huh. Could he have had this, or something like it, if he'd had parents he could remember more than some hazy heads of brown hair and a woman's laugh? If he'd had more than whatever he could carry and his long, shiny hair to call his?
... Nah. He wouldn't have, even if he'd had those things. Even if he'd had parents, had a home, had wealth, even. He was from L2. The shithole. Even among the colonies it was a known trash heap and gutter and sewage hole that no one, or almost no one, got out of. Not without joining the Alliance and he'd rather have his head put on a damn spike in Treize Kushranada's front lawn than join those pigs for a snowball's chance in Hell at one day seeing another colony, much less Earth. Nah, there was no other path that led him to this life, to what he had now.
And he was gonna blow it all up, sooner or later. Maybe even in a few days. Man.
"Maxwell. Hey, Maxwell!" Oh, oops. The coach was calling him while he was getting lost in the muck. Duo looked up, facing the man. "Go find where Yuy ran off to. Only one he bothers with more than a few words to."
There was a snicker, but Duo ignored it. "Sure thing, Coach! Leave it to me!" It was a tiny little miracle to get to escape. He could see some of the girls were disappointed, and the thought made him chuckle. Some of 'em were pretty. Even good-looking. He could have pushed his luck, seen where something went. But he didn't really want to.
Least, not with them. He wasn't feeling a quick fling.
Duo trusted his instinct, letting it take him off the court and across campus. It was really nice here. The salt on the sea breeze, the wind, the sun's bright orange light- The Earth was an amazing place. He really could love it here. If it weren't full of Alliance and OZ, that is. That was a real damn shame.
He headed to one of the lookout points near the front office, and sure enough, Heero was there, sitting on a bench and looking out at the sea. He hadn't changed out of his jersey and his hair was still kinda slick from sweat. But if it bothered Heero, he didn't show it. Well, duh, no way someone like Heero hadn't been trained and dealt with way worse.
Duo hated being truly filthy. It reminded him of the dark days he'd left deep in space behind him. But this wasn't even five percent of the way there. A little sweat didn't bother him, especially not when it wasn't his own. 50/50 his and Heero's, then add in the salt? There were way worse smells in the world.
"Sooo. This is where you went."
Heero didn't look at him. His sole focus was on his target. Their target.
The air carrier was a bloated mess of black and grey steel on the landscape. A real monster of a ship. And them? They were going to go hunting. Tomorrow night the sky would be glowing with sparks and fire. They brought up a piece of Hell itself onto Earth when they fought, especially a target like this. How many mobile suits would be on there? Howard had guessed 30, maybe 40 Leos at most. No way they'd stand a chance against both Deathscythe and Wing.
Heero didn't tell him to go away, either. Sometimes he could feel a sharp, unpleasant vibe from him telling him when he was testing Yuy's patience. But whatever got him scowling earlier didn't seem to bother him now. Rather than sit down, Duo leaned against the rail, positioning himself halfway between Heero and that nasty thing on the horizon.
"Y'know, that's pretty smart. Changing schools when you gotta move on." And here he was just gonna stick with Howard and the boys. Man, he'd almost missed out. "And after all, it's natural for people our age to be in school."
Heh. Natural. As if anything they did was natural or normal. He was willing to bet Heero had barely done anything normal in his whole life.
He was right in the other pilot's vision. Heero either had to move or talk to him, and for once, he chose to talk. It wasn't like pulling teeth, either, he got right into it. "What's the idea?"
The idea? Oh. The question was annoyingly vague, and in a bad mood he might not feel like answering. But Duo was pretty damn content and willing to guess at what Heero meant in the moment. "Hm. I'm just tryin' to act natural."
"You stand out."
Pfft. Duo couldn't help but laugh. He stood out? More than a grumpy, standoffish heartthrob? Oh come on. "You know, you wouldn't be so suspicious if you didn't act so secretive." He turned to look at Heero, look him right in his eyes to really make his point. "Why don't you chill out and have some fun playing student for a change?"
Yeah, mowing down OZ targets was its own kind of fun. Sure. But it wasn't the same and he was sure Heero knew it. As Heero stood up, breaking eye contact nearly as soon as it was made, Duo smirked. Yeah, he knew it alright.
"Leave me alone."
Typical loner response. Couldn't have been better out of a book. "And stay out of your way, right?"
That gave Heero pause, and he looked back at him. "Hm?"
"Look. We're both going after the same thing here. You can't hide it from me. I can see it in your eyes plain as day, pal." Not that it was hard. Anyone would see it, with Heero staring at that eyesore and glaring bloody murder. He was starting to frown now, but Duo was getting the hang of Heero's frowns- This was a thoughtful one, not a pissed off one or even an particularly annoyed one. He had his attention. Now to keep it.
"Whaddaya say the first one to destroy that ship there wins?"
Heero looked out at the water again, staring past him and at the carrier. He had him. No way would Heero let that slide. He was way too competitive to turn him down. He knew him well enough now to know that. They were gonna do this dumb little contest and he was gonna win, no sweat.
"Who's that?"
"Look at that car-"
"Huh?" Duo looked up, and Heero turned and followed suit. There was a car pulling up to the sidewalk. A limo with the most pink coat of paint he'd ever seen. It stopped right at the edge and the driver came out, opening the door. A blonde girl stepped out, wearing a simple blouse and skirt. It wasn't the school uniform, looked like she came from somewhere else. Another new transfer kid?
She looked familiar. Duo squinted, trying to place the face. "Hey, that's-"
"Relena?"
Heero got it before he did. Guess aiming a gun at a girl made her stick in the mind, huh.
She was serious, a total princess, as she got out of the car and stepped towards them. Well, towards Heero. It's clear that's all she had eyes for. The other students were looking at her, whispering, some about her and others about the car. He swore he could hear someone whistle seeing her. Not a single hair outta place, not a single wrinkle in her clothes. No stains or grease or anythin'. She looked like she came out of a damn commercial. Her face was carefully neutral, not giving anything away.
She had a perfect smile, too, as she greeted Heero. "Heero! I wanted to see you."
"... Wellll. She's not your average chick, wanting to see the guy trying to kill her." He could feel Heero's frown deepen. Something inside Duo felt ill at ease, but he tried to play it off. "You want me to leave you two alo-"
"No."
The answer was so sudden, so immediate, that Duo turned his head to look at Heero. Huh. He was looking away from Relena, refusing to look her in the eye. His fists weren't quite clenched, but his fingers were curled in, and he was as tense as before when the crowd was cheering him on.
He could pull a gun on her, but couldn't look her in the eye. Sheesh. He would have thought holding a gun would be harder than basic social graces.
Awkward... Pfft. Fine. Guess he had to pick up the slack.
"Heyyyy there." Duo stepped forward between her and Heero, offering her a hand like he hadn't seen ever had a gun on her. In his defense, he wasn't trying to hurt her. "We've never met before, right? I'm Duo. You know my buddy Heero here? You guys used to go to school together?"
She finally looked at him, frowning for the slightest moment. Come on, let her have enough brains to pick up what he was laying down. "Funny, he never mentioned a girlfriend."
He could feel Heero's glare on his back, and he could just picture him crossing his arms. Too bad, Heero. You make me improvise, you get what you get. Still, the words didn't sit the best with him either. He didn't like the thought. Relena, however, seemed to finally get it, and took his outstretched hand in a polite handshake with a little practiced laugh. "Nice to meet you, Duo. I'm Relena, Relena Darlian. Yes, Heero and I went to school together. We had quite an eventful time, the short time I knew him."
The hell was that supposed to mean? Was she talking about the dock? Or some other secret time he didn't know about? Now he wanted to cross his arms. He was gonna ask for elaboration, but Heero chose to finally speak up.
"Coach needs us back at the court. Shame you came all this way for nothing."
Duo was sure she wasn't dumb enough to not know he wanted her gone. But Relena just smiled it off after just a brief moment. "Oh. Well, I'll be in town for a while. I'm considering a change in scenery. How are you liking the school?"
"It's a school." Heero stepped forward, and yeah, he was scowling with his arms crossed. "This one's as good as any. Come on, Duo." And surprisingly, the other pilot then reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't want to keep Coach waiting."
"Right." It was an excuse as good as any. Still, now he wondered why Heero was running with his tail between his legs. He was ready to shoot this girl not too long ago. There were witnesses here, sure, but no way that was the whole story. "Take care, Rels."
He felt Heero's grip tighten on his shoulder, enough that he winced for a moment before smoothing it away. If Relena noticed, she said nothing.
"Take care, Heero." And like that, she turned. Heero started walking back towards the court, and Duo followed. But the moment they were out of Relena's eyeshot Heero stopped bothering to pretend he was going back to see their coach. He turned back towards the water and sighed, letting go of Duo in favour of leaning on the guard rail.
"... Wanna explain what happened back there?"
"I don't know." There was a long pause, but to Duo's surpise, Heero eventually continued, just when he thought he was gonna have to take this conversation by the leash again. I... I prevented her death. At St. Gabriel's. OZ launched an attack. I thought my cover was blown, but I wasn't their target. They were taken by surprise. I expected to leave her there, but here she is." Heero was quiet for a few moments, enough that Duo thought he was done, but just as he was drawing breath to speak Heero interrupted him again. "Don't give her a nickname. I still intend on killing her."
"Oh yeah, sure." Riiiight. He'd had the perfect excuse to leave her to die and wound up not going through with it. Sure Heero was going to kill her. But Duo kept the comment to himself. No reason to stir the pot. "... What are you gonna do about it?"
Heero stood up. "Complete my mission."
Oh yeah, the mission! Tomorrow night. He almost forgot, getting ambushed by little miss perfect back there. Man, even her braids looked good. Did she do them herself, or did she have a damn servant do them? Pssh. "You mean my mission. So? Whaddaya think?"
Heero didn't speak. Didn't move. It seemed like the thoughtful kind of silence again, not the mad. But come on, they'd been making such good progress. Heero was so close to taking him up on it, and now he was hanging back again? Goddamn it, Relena had the worst timing! It was starting to piss him off.
You know what? Screw it!
"You win, I'll suck your dick."
It was a stupid move. A really, really idiotic move. He didn't know why he did it. Jealousy, maybe. He didn't want Heero looking at a rich girl who rode in a tacky-ass pink limo. Who the hell rode in a pink limo? Crazy girl thought she was Malibu Barbie chasing her Ken, huh. What a joke. But he'd wanted instant results and he damn well got them. Heero immediately turned towards him, and for once there was no hiding his emotions at all. He was furious, bewildered, and shocked all in one. He saw it all on his face before anger won out. "Excuse me?"
It was a snarl, a threat, a promise of danger if he didn't back the fuck off. The death glare from earlier was back in full force. This was way past annoyed; it was murder mode.
A smarter man might take the clear warning, get the hell out of the dodge. At least play it off as a bad joke. Heero was right up in his face and he knew that right hook or left jab would hurt like hell. He'd just gotten firsthand proof of how strong Heero was on the basketball court. But he wasn't punched yet, and that's the first thing the other pilot could have done to immediately shut down the conversation. But hey, if he was stupid, blame it on him never having gotten to go to real school. And he was in deep now. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they said. The only way forward now was to face the music chest proud like a man. Duo shrugged and stuck his hands in his shorts pockets like it was the most natural thing in the world he'd just said.
"You heard me. You win, you get yourself one ticket to paradise." He left a pause, then smirked. "But you won't."
For all that he thought he knew Heero, he had no idea if his ears going red was a sign of him being flustered or furious. Hell, his ears were warm too and he had jitters in his stomach real bad. But hey. Wouldn't be his first time sucking dick. He'd do it again. As moody as he was, Heero was cute. And had been checking him out.
That is, he'd do it if Heero won. And he wasn't gonna win. So no harm, no foul. Right? As long as he didn't just nuke their budding friendship, anyway.
When Heero did nothing but stare at him, expression still full of raw emotion, he was half-waiting for one of the punches to come and crack either his jaw or ribs real good. That's where he'd aim to really cause some painful damage.
He saw Heero's jaw clench, saw his hands ball into fists. This was it. He'd better brace for it. He couldn't say he didn't deserve to get his shit beat in. But the punch never came. Heero glared at him, and that glare didn't leave, but he finally exhaled sharply and looked away, hands still clenched, ears still bright, and stomped off.
"I don't lose."