Archivist's note: Written for Moments of Rapture's fifth anniversary.

Steps or Snapshots
by Kanzenhanzai

The building exploded behind them, thankfully far enough behind them that the shockwave didn't so much hit them, as it did brush against their backs, almost gently, making Duo rock forward and overestimate his next foot-step.

Heero grabbed his arm, steadying him until Duo angrily brushed away the help; "You complete asshole, don't you ever do that again. Ever."

With a roll of his eyes and a lopsided and somewhat pained shrug, Heero walked on ahead. Duo was being more of a jackass than usual if he thought for one second Heero wouldn't again take the next unavoidable bullet he saw heading for his partner.

2.

"Heero, man -- I told you I was worth keeping around."

'Heero man' ducked his head back down towards his laptop to hide the smile he knew was creeping up. "You're adequate, I suppose." He paused as if in contemplation, "though I know for a fact you're the one who's been finishing off all the New York super fudge chunk."

"'S my favorite," came the indignant reply. "Besides -- hey! The only reason you buy super fudge chunk is because I introduced you to it." Heero could practically feel Duo shifting into smug mode -- "Just another way I'm a fantastic friend and partner."

Heero grunted. Duo (rightfully) took that as agreement.

3.

The game playing on the television was ambling pathetically into the final quarter and Heero found himself pretty damn confident that he would not be doing the dishes for the next two weeks. Smirking, he turned to share that thought with his gambling-impaired roommate, only to find Duo already looking at him, an odd little smile on his face.

"We should do this more often, 'Ro."

Heero raised an eyebrow, giving a thought to all the dirty dishes he could bid farewell to; "Bet on sports?"

Duo snorted, "no. Just hang out. Do something that doesn't have anything at all to do with work. We haven't done that in a while, yanno?"

"There's a new Thai place I want to try," Heero turned back towards the game, the crowd in the stands was roaring, though he didn't note the action on the field. "We should go. Tomorrow, maybe?"

Duo punched him on the arm and declared it a date. Heero winced.

4.

Taking a step back, Duo surveyed the damage:

• overturned office chair -- occurred when Heero removed Agent Madsen from it


• papers from the case file the three of them had been working on were now almost finished pouring from the table to the floor -- making Duo extremely glad he'd been adamant about everything being coded


• one only mostly-conscious Agent Madsen; currently making little snuffling noises -- probably as part of an attempt to stop his bloody nose without actually moving


• and one seething Agent Yuy, still curling and uncurling his hands into fists.

Duo pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes a moment and hoped hard that the fact Madsen had technically been the instigator of this mess by deciding that attempting to feel Duo up was appropriate work behavior would keep Une from having Heero drawn and quartered. Metaphorically, of course.

Hopefully metaphorically.

Apparently having decided that Madsen wasn't going anywhere anytime soon -- especially anywhere in the vicinity of Duo's thighs -- Heero gave a full body, shaggy dog emerging from a bath-like shake and finally met Duo's eyes.

And immediately blushed like a little boy. Duo smirked.

"So uh, Heero . . . got something you want to tell me?"