"Had to."

"Why? Once... but twice?"

"He might have thought that the first shot was lucky. The second convinced him that I knew what I was doing."

"And... he didn't hate you... for shooting him?"

"No, why should he? It's like... like those guys playing tennis over there... someone's gotta win. Someone's gotta get beaten. No hard feelings, ya know?"

"They aren't using bullets."

"Your problem, is that you take things too seriously."

"Because shooting someone is serious. He could have died... stop smiling. I don't see why that's funny."

"I made sure just to hit meat."

"That's... disgusting."

"Well, now, yeah... sitting around a breakfast shin dig, it does seem pretty gross."

"Violent."

"That too."

"He hesitated."

"Huh?"

"I don't think he deserved to get shot. I don't think he would have killed me. It was... unnecessary."

"I didn't know that. You can't be sure either."

"Does he ever talk about it?"

"Why should he?"

"It's when you met."

"Yeah... but, there are better things to remember. I mean, I don't reminisce about him punching me in the gut or him pulling me out of an oz prison. What's the point?"

"What do you talk about... together?"

"That swell party at Quatre's last year. Going all that way to see that meteor shower near Jupiter. The future... good stuff. We've got so much ahead of us... together. That's what I want to talk about, not this stuff, not shooting Heero and who was thinking what at the time."

"Oh."

"You're not going to cry are you? What the hell's wrong?"

"You're good for him. I can see that."

"Uhm... thanks, I guess. Did you think I wasn't?"

"Two soldiers together. Two men who've known nothing but violence. I did wonder."

"Well, most people can't get past the 'two men together', so I guess I have to give you points for that, but... we understand each other, ya know? He wouldn't get that with anyone else."

"I see that, now."

"Okay... Nice chatting with you and all... but... Mind if I go mingle? Not every day I get to be at a rich lady's breakfast party."

"It's not every day that I get to have five heroes at my party. Enjoy yourself."

"Okay, thanks..."

"Don't frown at me, Heero," Relena sighed as she turned to look at the man standing by her table.

Heero looked out of place in the bright sunshine, on a stretch of green lawn, on a well manicured estate. Dressed in a dark turtle neck and jeans, his blue eyes watched the tennis game beyond Relena. He was frowning, though, as if he didn't trust himself to look at her and speak.

"I don't need your approval," Heero finally said in a deceptively calm voice. "Neither does Duo."

Relena Peacecraft bowed her head to hide her pain and nodded. "I just wanted to make sure..."

"You wanted to find fault. There isn't any."

Relena nodded, swallowing hard.

Heero moved beyond her, chasing after a swinging braid and a bright purple eye slid his way. When they stood together, Duo leaned in and laughed at Heero, manner easy and teasing. Heero smiled and his darkness lifted like a cloud. The sunlight seemed to touch him at last, and he became one with the rest of the party, no longer the deadly shadow on the edges.

"And that's why they are together," Relena whispered to herself, knowing that it was something that she could never do, give him the forgetfulness and peace that he found with Duo Maxwell.