Archivist's note: Wufei POV

"In a bit," he says, taking another drink from his beer. Duo nods, shrugs, and heads quickly down the wrought iron stairs to the dance floor below. Heero and I lean against the metal railing to watch the dance floor until we find him weaving between the gyrating bodies.

I turn my attention back to the drink between my hands but notice my Japanese partner's gaze is still transfixed on the floor beneath us. I chuckle and the sound brings him back to me. "What?" he asks.

"So you look but don't touch in public?" I ask him. "Come on, Yuy," I reprimand lightly, taking another drink from the beer in my own hands.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or leave you high and dry up here," he answers quietly. "Besides," he adds, turning his gaze back to the dance floor, "I like watching him. The only time I see him this free is when he dances."

My eyes follow his gaze back down into the crowd, finding our companion amidst the sea of bodies. His eyes are closed, from what I can tell in the dim light, as he moves in time with the music, lost to the world and utterly content with it.

I never asked Duo about his life before I met him, never asked why he kept his hair so long, or why he cut it up to his shoulder blades about a year ago. I've never asked why and how he can appear so collected and confident in the middle of such a large mass of bodies, the air so thick with smoke and pheromones you can almost taste them. I've never asked why he dances or sings along with the angry Japanese lyrics, when I know full well that he understands every word and knows it's all about death and destruction.

I've never asked, but I have a feeling Heero has, because when I peer at him from the corner of my eye, there's a fascination painted on his face that I could never fully fathom. Merely observing the man below could never fully explain what my partner sees in Duo, could never fully illustrate just how well he fits in this image as Heero sees it, his hair unbound and body sliding under the dark undertones of the music.

Turning back to Heero, I tell him, "You do realize that I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, correct?" Heero looks up at me, still appearing uncertain. Turning to lean back against the railing, I wave my free hand, brushing away his concern. "Go dance."

Taking one last drink from his beer, he leaves to follow his lover. I pivot back around to lean once again on the balcony's railing as I watch Heero weave through the crowd towards Duo. Still oblivious to the world, the latter inadvertently turns his back on Heero, an unconscious invitation.

I watch as Heero slides his hands over the other man, wrapping his arms around Duo's waist from behind. I grin as Duo reacts as I expect he would -- a tense movement in his shoulders and arms before relaxing back against the man behind him. I'm impressed that I can still read lips from this distance and in this light, no less.

Heero...

They dance together and I can't help but feel a hint of jealousy. As promised, they have been exceptionally modest: I've rarely had the opportunity to watch them together. When they first admitted to being together, we were all confused to say the least, but now, as I watch Heero spin Duo around and press their foreheads together without missing a beat, I think I'm beginning to understand.