The get away plan had gone by the way side though, thanks to Heero getting caught up in a case and needing to be close to a phone in case something went down. In truth Duo really didn't mind; he'd been the cause of canceled plans before so he knew what it was like to have to be the one breaking the news, worried about letting his partner down. Balancing a relationship with a demanding job was always going to making prioritizing a struggle. A quiet weekend at home with an extra day to spend lounging around watching the vid screen or playing basketball was just as acceptable to him. As long as he and Heero were together that was all that really mattered.

His gaze shifted from the parking lot, up and out over the buildings to the horizon, made hazy by the distance. There were times when he wondered if all those people going about their lives had any inkling what it took to keep them reasonably safe and secure. Part of him hoped they realized the sacrifices that were being made and another part was glad that the worries of a still fragile peace didn't intrude in the life of the average citizen. That was what they had fought for, so that other people didn't have to.

A wave of something protective, almost paternal, swept through him and Duo snorted ruefully. He was considerably younger than most of the people he worked with yet in terms of life experience he was light years their seniors. So many of them had never been to the colonies and they'd certainly never fought and shed blood, both their own and others, at home or in a foreign land. Some days the irony amused him and others it was a weight on his soul, stealing his youth.

Still, he wouldn't change his life even if he could. It had taken him time, but he'd come to terms with who he was and what he'd done, the lives he'd taken and the ones he'd saved. Like a train chugging through a tunnel, he'd come through the darkness out to the other side. Life wasn't always sunshine and roses that was for sure. Some days there were clouds and the quickly building storms threatened to pull him back in the shadow. But he had friends who understood and were always there to support him. More importantly, there was Heero whose love and trust meant more than Duo could ever put into words.

Smiling slightly he stood, stretching with one arm raised over his head. It was moving on towards five o'clock and if he got going now he could pick Heero up at the courthouse and still be home in time to cash in the dinner special from the local pizzeria. A little pasta, some bread sticks and a couple of bottles of beer sounded like a great way to round out the week. A snapshot of seeming normalcy in a couple of lives that were anything but.