"Why? And don't freakin' glare. Glaring is not an answer."

Duo slid a hand along Heero's arm, calloused fingers firmly feeling the man's play of muscles.

Heero's jaw worked and then he demanded, "Why are you here?"

"It doesn't matter now," Duo told him as he slid his hand along Heero's shoulder blade, kneading gently.

"You don't have any reason --" Heero growled.

"No?" Duo's hand paused. "No reason at all to do this?" His hand slid along Heero's spine and then up again. "Are you sure?"

"I wanted to be alone!" Heero snarled, tensing up and hunching over defensively.

"I don't think you did," Duo snarled back. "In fact, I think you very much wanted someone to come along just now. Good thing it was me. Someone else wouldn't have known..."

"Known what?" Heero retorted.

"To do this," Duo whispered in Heero's ear as his hand slid around Heero's other side and pulled him close.

Heero trembled and he didn't say anything, his blue eyes dark and troubled.

Duo leaned into Heero and gave him a small shake. "Let me in."

"It's not... I don't... I'm not supposed to..." Heero couldn't find the words.

"Need?" Duo finished. "Everyone needs, Heero. I do too."

"What do you need?" Heero retorted in disbelief. "You know everyone. Everyone likes you. Life... life comes easy to you."

Duo chuckled and it was pained. "Not so easy, Heero, and... I do need."

"What?" Heero looked at him in patent disbelief. "What could you possibly need?"

Duo smiled. "You, of course."

Heero went wide eyed. "Me?" he replied faintly.

"You." Duo affirmed. "So, for my sake, because I do need you so much, dumb ass, would you please give me the damned gun?"

Heero blinked, looked down at the glock in his hand, and then handed it over. Duo took it and slipped it into his jacket pocket. "I wouldn't have," Heero assured him. "I just..."

"Think about it sometimes," Duo finished, and then added, "I know."

"You do?" Heero was concerned now.

"Yeah," Duo sighed.

They were quiet a long moment and then Heero wondered, "Why do we... think about it?"

"Because, you're 'Mr. Best Agent Ever' and I'm 'Mr. Life of the Party/Crack Weapons Man'," Duo explained. "They're our cover."

"Cover?" Heero wondered, confused.

"Yeah," Duo continued seriously. "We're really 'Mr. Sad and Lonely' and 'Mr. Can't Get Noticed'. The cover wears thin, sometimes, and we get tired of having to use them."

"Can't Get Noticed?" Heero was struggling to keep up with Duo's logic.

Duo smiled tightly, "As in 'Mr. Can't Get Noticed by You' because you're too busy being 'Mr. Best Agent Ever'. You know, If we could get together, we might get rid of 'Sad and Lonely' and 'Can't Get Noticed'. Then, maybe we wouldn't need 'Best Agent Ever' and 'Life of The Party/Crack Weapons Man'?"

Heero worked through that and then asked cautiously, "Are you asking me to... date you?"

Duo grinned, "Yeah."

Heero stared and then managed a small smile. "I would like that."

They slipped down from the large pipes that ran water and heat up to Preventer Headquarters. The basement was a jumble of crates, forgotten equipment, and dubious lighting. Heero looked around them as they started for the stairs.

"Why did you come down here?" Heero wondered.

Duo shrugged, embarrassed. "This is where I hide when Une wants to ask why I needed small nuclear devices, and a full swat team, to get a coke from the convenience store. Some things, she just shouldn't know."