Duo grinned, spinning around to see Heero's usual lack of expression seasoned with a hint of confusion and a dash of disapproval. "It's a shopping center. Ordinary people come here to look around and buy stuff!" Heero's expression didn't change a micrometer. He continued standing in place at the entrance to the open-air mall watching his fellow pilots the way a prison warden watches inmates that aren't quite misbehaving.

Quatre pulled away from the group to go back to Heero, giggling. "It's our free time, Heero. This will be fun!" He made an attempt to tug Heero forward to join the rest of the group, though when the other boy remained stationary, he settled for just standing there. Trowa smiled ever so slightly at that, and Duo laughed.

"Come on, Heero! It's not torture or somethin' it's shopping!" The braided pilot was yanking insistently on the arm Quatre wasn't holding, and he yielded to the force, entering the mall by the forward momentum of the other two boys. Quatre released him, laughing, and went to join Trowa and Wufei at the front of an import store showcasing knives, swords, and cheap replicas of various Indian gods. Heero was drug along by Duo, who had yet to release his arm and was soon examining overpriced imitation ivory incense burners and garishly colored velvet posters with the others.

"Why would any of this be of use to me? Why would I purchase anything?" He asked the other four, noting that at the very least Wufei was disdaining the horrible excuses for weaponry displayed in the front window.

Duo rolled his eyes. "You don't actually have to buy anything to shop! You just look at stuff!"

Heero was confused again. "What's the point?"

Duo rolled his eyes again, and his tone took on the air of amused condescension that adults use on overly serious small children. "It's fun, Heero! You look at stuff and think about what you'd do with it, or who it'd make a great present for, or why it's butt-ugly!" Duo grinned again, and drug the other boy over to a display of hideous fiber-optic flower arrangements in colors that will never occur in nature. "See? No one in their right mind would want something like this! It's totally cool because it's so ugly! Can't you imagine opening a gift or somethin' and seeing that?" Duo laughed harder than before, pointing at the eye-offending object for emphasis. "Imagine you saved Relena's life and she wanted to reward you and you opened the box and that, that -- thing -- was in there and you had to pretend you liked it!" Duo was laughing so hard now that Quatre and Wufei had come to stare at the unnatural light-up flora with horrified fascination. Duo was bent double with laughter, and every look at Heero's too-serious face set him off again. He righted himself with an effort but was visibly struggling to keep himself under control at the thought of the Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, being gifted with that god-awful, blinking, neon-pink thing. Quatre was peering at the display with the same look that poisonous snakes and drunken high school girls warranted -- fear mixed with morbid curiosity.

A tiny little voice somewhere in the recesses of Heero's brain snickered. He ignored it.

The five boys wandered out of the store and into the tree-lined walkway, having successfully retrieved Trowa from a group of children fascinated by his juggling abilities in the import store. They probably looked like any other group of teenagers loitering about. Heero tried to digest that. He thought that little voice gave a small, relaxed sigh, but he ignored it.

"Dude! An arcade! Come on, Heero, I gotta play Space Impact Zombies 3000 again or I'll splode!" Duo's outburst startled him out of his reverie and he didn't have time to protest before he was dragged into the cool, dim environs by the insistent pressure of Duo's hand in his.

What?! When did he take my hand? How did I miss that?

That inner voice snickered again. Heero aimed a mental death glare at it and told it to shut up.

He watched Duo plug coins into the flashing, blaring machine and grip the controls, using both hands to obliterate the digital enemies on the screen. He swore colorfully when his last spaceship was destroyed when he'd barely started the Maze of Slimy Doom on level 7. Heero watched the self-proclaimed God of Death put more coins in the machine and glare darkly at the invading Space Zombies, only to be defeated this time by an Ooze Torpedo on level 5. Duo swore again, taking the defeat far more personally that Heero would have thought possible, and came close to kicking the machine before grinning again.

"I guess I've gotten rusty! I can annihilate Ozzies any day but I've totally lost my touch on this game!"

Heero thought about it. "It didn't seem that complex."

Duo's eyes narrowed and he compressed his lips into a tight line. "You win it then!" He reached into his pocket and thrust 2 coins at Heero defiantly.

Heero considered the money for a moment, then shrugged, depositing the coins in the machine and setting his hands on the controls. His mind absently noted the control mechanisms while he thought, with an unfamiliar sense of smug superiority, that his training on the most advanced simulators in the colonies probably guaranteed that he would blow the other pilot's score out of the water.

His last spaceship was destroyed in level 3. Duo manfully refrained from saying anything, but it looked like an extremely difficult feat.

Heero glared at the screen again before putting more money in the slot. He could not lose. At least not until level 4 when an enemy Maggot Burst Gun rained down shock and awe on his pitiful game piece. He heard Duo snicker. He completely ignored the other boy and put two more coins in the game machine, swearing that he would win this round or die trying. Duo watched as he was defeated by the same Ooze Torpedo that downed his own ships in level 5, and after one look at Heero's face, he was howling with laughter. "I never thought I'd live to see the day that the Perfect Soldier was defeated by Slime and Maggots!" Duo wiped tears from his eyes as Heero continued to glare at the game, stony countenance betraying no emotion in the wake of his defeat.

Suddenly the ridiculousness of the whole situation hit Heero, and he was tempted to laugh. He could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and he could just barely make out the little voice snickering over Duo's merriment. They wandered around, playing games ("Have you ever played Neo Blood Bath? Get over here, it's awesome!") until Duo's attention span reached it's limits and they wandered back out into the breezeway.

As they passed a couple clothing stores and an electronics store, it occurred to Heero that they had lost track of the others at the arcade. He craned his neck looking for them, only to be interrupted by an enthusiastic Duo grabbing his hand and pulling him into a toy store.

Heero had never had toys. He'd been an adult the entire 15 years he'd been alive. He didn't understand Duo's immediate fascination with everything in his line of sight. He was thoroughly perplexed by plush toys.

"What do they do? Why would you need one?" He asked as his partner snuggled an enormous purple dog.

Duo looked up from his spot on the floor and smiled. "Well, if it had t'have a purpose, I guess it would be to comfort little kids." He hugged the huge misshapen thing again. "See, kids could hug it and not get hurt 'cause there aren't any edges and it'd be a pet that wouldn't ever die and friend that would never go away." He closed his eyes and held on to the stuffed toy like it was a lifeline.

Heero considered that. He hadn't really thought there'd be a reason in Duo's mind. He felt a strange contraction, akin to indigestion just beneath his sternum. He mentally turned his back on that internal voice's breathy "aaah!"

Duo took in the almost bewildered look on Heero's face, and got to his feet, smiling. He took Heero's hand and pressed a stuffed bear into it. "See? Hug it, you'll feel better."

He couldn't imagine any such thing happening but complied, and thought he heard that little mental sigh again. Heero closed his eyes. He suddenly felt very deprived. He opened his eyes again to see Duo grinning at him. He immediately put the bear down, embarrassed, but Duo had already seen his reaction. "S'okay Heero, I promise not to tell anyone you just hugged a teddy bear." Duo grinned and took his hand again, leading him out of the store.

I had no idea shopping involved so much...interaction and emotion.

He really had to think about this. It wasn't that much different than going to get supplies but seemed to require much more participation, somehow. Like looking at things and thinking about them, and examining merchandise that was totally without use as anything but decoration and considering the merits of the object, but not buying anything. Stopping to play video games. Was that part of "shopping" too? For Duo, it was, apparently.

He came out of his introspection with Duo looking at him quizzically. "Were you listening Heero? There's a theatre here, we should go see a movie."

Was this part of shopping too? Heero didn't think so. But it was obvious that Duo was set on going from the excitement on his expressive face. "Okay."

Duo looked surprised. "Really?! Let's go!" With that he grabbed Heero's hand again and ran toward the sprawling theatre complex.

"Duo! Matte!" Heero had no trouble keeping up, but it was hard to keep your balance when being drug behind an over-eager sprinting baka. "What about the others? Shouldn't we find them first?"

Duo slowed his headlong pace, and stood tapping a finger on his lips, thinking. Heero noticed that Duo made no effort to release his hand, though. He grinned and shrugged. "We'll never find them before matinee starts. They won't leave without us, we can always meet them at the car after the movie."

Somehow that logic seemed flawed, but Heero acquiesced. He really didn't want to roam all over the mall looking for the other three pilots, and deal with Duo's distractions in the process. It was more logical to stay in one place...but if they did that as well, they'd be...never mind. This isn't a mission. He was smiling a little before he realized it.

Duo grinned at him and drug him to the box office, chattering madly the whole time about sneaking into movies he was too young for as a street kid, sneaking in because he couldn't get a ticket, taking an empty popcorn bag to the counter and summoning tears on command and telling the attendant that a big kid pushed him down and spilled all his popcorn to get free food...he really didn't think he should be surprised by Duo's actions anymore, but he'd never heard any of these boasts before. It was hard to decide which was worse -- being taken care of because someone wants something from you, or being on your own but getting a chance to have fun. Neither, he supposed. They'd both had nothing resembling a childhood.

Duo was examining snacks with an avaricious gleam in his eyes. " I love this stuff! You really can't go to the movies without havin' popcorn and candy, y'know, Heero?" He looked back over his shoulder at the other boy and smiled.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been to a movie." Heero didn't think training films counted, and he certainly hadn't had any junk food to stuff himself on while watching them.

Duo's jaw dropped in shock. "Never? I'm sure you went with me an' Quatre when we were staying in a city a while back..."

Heero shook his head. "No, I stayed at the safe house."

Duo thought for a moment, then his face lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah! I remember! I pestered you so much to go that I really thought you were gonna shoot me! You shoulda come, it was fun! Quatre is hilarious at scary movies, he screams like a girl at everything!"

Heero snorted. "Oh, that sounds great." He really wanted to laugh at the visual of Quatre and Duo at a scary movie.

Duo grinned. "So whatta y'want t'eat? I need popcorn, and Milk Duds, I think."

"Need?"

"Oh yeah, I'll die without 'em!" Duo laughed and sauntered to the counter to make his purchases. He rejoined Heero after acquiring an enormous bucket of popcorn, two different boxes of candy, a small lake of soda, and a bottle of mineral water. "For you," he said, handing the water to Heero.

"Thanks" Heero was surprised to feel himself blush a little. Why am I blushing? It's just water! He aimed another mental death glare at the internal snicker. Duo didn't seem to notice, thankfully, and they found the auditorium and got seats at the back.

"This is the best place to sit!" Duo explained, pointing out that in the back they were up higher than the other seats and so more eye-level with the center of the screen. Heero could see the logic in that. Sort of. Duo immediately propped his feet on the seat in front of him, and dug into the popcorn. Heero eyed him questioningly. "Isn't the food for the movie?"

"Yeah, but there's no rule against eating before the movie starts." Duo looked at him and smiled. "Have you had popcorn before? Here, try it!" He shoved the bucket under Heero's hand.

Heero took a small amount with some trepidation. Most of the food Duo ate was pure crap and tasted that way. He caught Duo grinning out of the corner of his eye and wondered what was worse, the way it would taste or Duo teasing him about not trying it. He stuffed the popcorn in his mouth. To his surprise, it wasn't revolting. His face must have made that statement for him because Duo laughed. "You're welcome to share, I have plenty" he said, situating the popcorn between them. The lights dimmed and the screen crackled to life.

"Previews suck," Duo pointed out as the first trailer started on the screen. "I mean, like I care about I'm not going to be watching! Why can't they put those at the end for the people who want to watch them?" Heero smiled at the impatience in Duo's whisper. He estimated that the previews took less than six minutes. They'd sat in the theatre waiting for the movie to start longer than that and he hadn't complained.

They watched the movie in companionable silence, and Heero was relieved that there was actually one activity other than sleep through which Duo didn't babble. Not that he really minded. At this particular moment. He was sure he'd be on the verge of killing Duo again with in 24 hours. But right now, he was, almost, relaxed, and more willing to overlook his partners obvious flaws in light of his good nature and willingness to share popcorn. He didn't notice when Duo leaned against him, or when he rested his arm on the other boy's shoulders. He didn't realize how close they were sitting until the credits rolled and the house lights started to come up. Heero immediately sat up and removed his arm. What was I doing that for? When did that happen?!

Duo smiled. "Great, huh, Heero? I loved the scene with the mutant senator puking toxic waste on the president, it was cool! What'd you think?"

Heero considered that. "It had a poorly written script, minimal plot, and bad acting." He paused. "The effects were good."

Duo rolled his eyes. "But did you like it? It doesn't have to win an award or anything to have a good time watching it!"

Heero tried to think in terms of having fun, a foreign experience for him. Would relaxing enough for Duo to touch me without noticing constitute enjoyment? What about forgetting about missions and objectives temporarily? Is that "fun"? Did I like sitting in the dark watching a bad film and eating popcorn with Duo? The mental voice added, very quietly: Did I like having him against me and my arm around him? He shook his head. "I think I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure."

Duo laughed. "I guess that's a good answer. If you never have fun, how would you know you were having it?" He stood up at that point, and they headed out of the auditorium. "I gotta use the bathroom before we leave, Heero." Duo started off toward the restrooms.

"I'm not surprised with the gallon of soda you drank." Heero almost smiled.

Duo grinned. "It's all part of the movie experience." He disappeared into restroom.

Heero noted with some surprise that it was nearly dark as they exited the theatre. Duo was talking rapidly about absolutely nothing, probably trying to make up for over two hours of near silence during the movie. Heero scanned the crowd and the area, largely ignoring Duo and hoping for a glimpse of the other three members of the their group. To his relief they were seated at a table at a sidewalk café nearby, and looked up from drinks as the other two approached.

"Where have you two been!?" Quatre exclaimed, standing up and walking to meet them. "We wandered all over looking for you! Wufei was threatening to make you walk back!"

Duo grinned, unabashed. "I forced Heero to go to the movies with me."

Heero shrugged at the surprised looks of the other boys. "I told him we should have found you guys first."

Duo shook his head in derision. "Nah, they would have tried to talk me out of it and gone home or something. My way, we actually got to see the movie."

Trowa and Quatre appeared to be considering the logic of that statement, but the Chinese pilot continued to glare at Heero and Duo. They left money on the table for the drinks and headed to the car.

Trowa drove, Quatre riding shotgun, the other three in the backseat. Duo and Quatre were engaged in an animated discussion of the movie Heero and Duo had just seen, in between singing along with the radio. Trowa contributed a comment occasionally, his gymnastic abilities giving him a different perspective on the stunts in the film. Wufei, still disgruntled about waiting for Heero and Duo, criticized Duo and Quatre's singing. Heero blocked it out, trying to organize his thoughts on the day that he'd just had.

He liked things to be neatly arranged and easily accessible, including his thoughts and memories. He couldn't adequately describe the events of the day in the terms available to him. It hadn't been just "shopping" even by the loose definition Duo used, which included mostly browsing and chatting. It hadn't been R&R, despite occurring in downtime between missions. He equated R&R with doing very little besides sleeping. What did one call a trip to an arcade to lose miserably at stupid, pointless games? Going to the movies could be categorized as just that, but this had been considerably more than just a movie. Did the fact that he had spent part of the day with everyone and part with only Duo require additional consideration?

"Hey Heero, we're here, dude." Duo looked at him expectantly. Heero had to get out of the car for Duo to do so. Wufei had already exited the other side and locked that door.

Heero stared at Duo for a moment before opening the door. He stood patiently, waiting for Duo to scoot across the seat and scramble out of the car. "Duo."

Duo looked up at Heero from his perch on the edge of the backseat, one leg still in the car, the other foot on the ground outside. "What?" Heero looked uncomfortable and slightly confused to his eyes.

"What do we call this?" Heero asked, looking at Duo as he leaned into the back of the seat.

"What do we call what?" A car? The lawn? Duo didn't have a clue what Heero was talking about.

Heero paused, and Duo sensed he was gathering his thoughts. "This...thing, we did today. The excursion to the shopping center, the arcade, the movie. Starting out in a group but ending up alone together. Is there a word for it?"

Duo pondered his friend's confusion for a moment before a wicked thought crossed his mind. He immediately plastered an expression of helpful innocence on his face. "Um, a date?" He tried hard not to laugh, and prepared himself for flight, knowing he'd have to be fast to avoid Heero's fist once the word sunk in.

To Duo's surprise, Heero appeared to be considering that in all seriousness. Duo slowly slid out of the car, edging around the door, watching for signs of imminent doom as he did so. Heero suddenly looked at him, and he froze, like a small mammal in sight of a predator. Heero moved closer, and Duo realized he was now between the car and Heero, and would have little chance of escape. Heero moved closer, trapping Duo's eyes with his own, leaning into the other boy until their faces were only inches apart. Duo's heart raced. He only hoped his injuries wouldn't be too painful.

To his shock and delight, Heero pressed his lips against Duo's, rather than smacking him. Eyes wide with surprise, he barely had time to respond before Heero pulled away, blushing.

Duo just stood there for a moment, gaping. His hand came up to touch his lips. "Heero," he breathed. "You kissed me." He continued staring. Heero's focus had shifted the ground, briefly, but he looked up again, not quite meeting Duo's eyes.

"I was under the impression that that was how ordinary people ended a date." He was uncertain. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed, but Duo could tell. They stood there a moment before he grinned.

"Yeah," he replied, and reached out to take Heero's hand to walk to the house. Heero looked at him, and smiled just a little.

"Thanks," Heero said softly, "I had a good time."

Duo smiled back. "Me too. We'll have to have an accidental date again sometime."

Heero laughed. "I knew you were an accident waiting to happen."