"So, when did you decide that he was more to you than a loud mouthed pilot?" Wu Fei asked.

Heero smiled and replied, "I was standing behind him. He was wearing one of those skin tight, white, body suits, that go under a space suit. He reached back, tugged out material on both sides of his hips, to get rid of any wrinkles, before vacuum. For a split second, I saw the material tight against his perfectly rounded ass, and what was between his legs. He had me, then and there."

Duo snickered. "Who knew that getting rid of a wedgie would change our lives?"

Drabble #12

"Sorry... really... I am so, sorry, Duo."

"Get me more ice for my nose, Heero, and take some kissing lessons. I feel like I was clocked by a shuttle transport."

"Only if...."

"Only if, what?"

"Only if you're the one who gives me the lessons."

"That's blackmail, Yuy.... but a good kind of blackmail."

Drabble #13

"Trowa gave you a dozen yellow roses?"

"Yes, Duo, wasn't that romantic?"

"Red's romantic, Quatre. Yellow is just gay."

"We are gay, Duo."

"Still..."

"What did Heero get you?"

"A life time room mate with perks."

"That's open of him. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Hah, ha, very funny."

"I thought so."

Drabble #14

"Does Heero spend any time with me, Duo?"

"Yes, Relena, all of the time."

"Outside of his job?"

"Hmm... well... I suppose not..."

"Who does he spend all of his off time with?"

"His gun."

"Beside that?"

"His black sports car."

"Duo! Besides those?"

"Uh... Me. That doesn't prove anything, though."

"No? Who else does he let drive his black sports car, except for you?"

"Uhm... nobody, if they want to live."

"Handle his gun, except for you?"

"That would be nobody... definitely."

"Then, Duo Maxell, would you please get your head out of your ass, and realize that he loves you, and not me?"

"Did you just say ass?"

Drabble #15

"Relax, Heero, it's just an official Easter egg hunt, not a drop point behind enemy lines," Duo snickered as he forced Heero's hand off the gun concealed under his jacket.

Behind his mirrored sunglasses, Heero scowled. "It's still highly dangerous. Relena shouldn't indulge in these too public appearances."

"She's found four eggs so, far. That's pretty good considering the competition," Duo noticed. "These people are mercenary. Look at that one... he almost full tackled someone to get that speckled one."

"Which is why it's dangerous for her to participate," Heero argued. "There is a chance that --"

"They're all under five, Heero. How dangerous could they be?" Duo laughed outright and then started as Relena went crawling after a blue egg, on hands and knees, while three small children piled on top of her to stop her. A two year old tottered up to take the egg, foiling everyone, and she delicately placed it into her basket with a wide grin. "On second thought..."

Drabble #16

"This looks bad, Duo."

"It is, Heero. Can you do something about it?"

"In the field, no, but I can stop it from getting worse."

"They were monsters, Heero. I can't tell you how horrible..."

"I know, Duo, you know I've been through it, too."

"They didn't stop, Heero, for hours. It was like... back in the war."

"Duo?"

"Relentless, cruel, and without mercy..."

"There. I think that will isolate it until we get you better help."

"Do you think they'll be open this time of night?"

"I don't know. We could call ahead. Maybe they have an emergency number."

"This is definitely an emergency, Heero!"

"They're experts, Duo. I'm sure they can help you."

"What if they can't? What if they have to... cut?"

"Don't think about it. I'm sure they won't."

"You can't know!"

"I can hope."

"You're both being ridiculous!"

"No, we are not Chang! This is serious!"

"It's only chewing gum, Maxwell! Xian didn't purposefully..."

"He did so! He laughed while he jammed it into my hair, Chang. He chanted, 'Another babysitter bites the dust!' While he did it too. Next time, you want to go out with Sally, you get your next babysitter from special forces. They're used to defusing bombs and working with the criminally insane."

"He's four," Maxwell. "Xao is two."

"Evil preschoolers, that's what they are, Chang! I'm not coming anywhere near them again without a swat team."

"Yuy?"

"I have to agree."

"They will miss their God fathers at Xao's birthday party. I will take vids of their tears at your absence, so that you may revel in their great sorrow."

"...."

"...."

"They're not buying it, Fei."

"I had hope, Sally, love. I guess we had best get used to dining in from now on."

Drabble #17

"What happened to Jones?"

"I believe that he said, 'That Duo has one fine ass on him.'"

"In front of?"

"Yuy."

"He must have a death wish."

"At least he didn't say, 'I got to get me some of that.' like Jenkins. He's still in traction."

"Yuy should put a ring on Maxwell, so everyone knows."

"Knows what? Maxwell doesn't even know."

"Poor, clueless bastard. Someone should tell him."

"Not me. I'm not ending up in intensive care."

"A memo, maybe, sent anonymously?"

"Hm, that could work."

"We are in Preventers to save lives, even the lives of our fellow agents."

"You're right. You send it, then."

"Me? What if Yuy sees it and traces it back to me?"

"Well, I'm not going to do it."

"I'll do it."

"Commander Une?!"

"I am their commander as well, boys. It's the least I can do... for the welfare of the force, and my daily 'accident report'."

Drabble #18

He doesn't know. He never knows. He's talking, gesturing with his strong hands, while he tries to make a point to Une about an upcoming mission. My hand has moved behind his chair, in the shadows, to lightly touch the end of his braid. A few soft hairs against my rough fingertips; fingers used to a gun, and the controls of any number of death dealing machines. They weren't meant for gentle things. It isn't easy keeping those hairs from catching on calluses and scars. I manage it, though, daring, needing that small contact. I touch as long as I can, and then, reluctantly, leave that long braid of hair to its owner again, the man whom I wanted to touch far more intimately. I am darkness and death, though, and he is laughter and life, even though he can be as dangerous as I am. We don't belong together. I know that and firmly remind myself of it as the meeting breaks up and we begin to go our separate ways.

Purple eyes are suddenly before mine, though, serious and questioning, as the others go and leave us alone.

"Just ask, already," Duo begs me.

He does know. He is frustration personified. When I say nothing, he grunts in exasperation, tosses his braid over my shoulders, along with a companionable arm, and drags me along with him out of the room.

"Then I will," Duo says and he does, despite what we are. As he talks, as he tells me how he feels, he draws me into his embrace, and I begin to believe that, maybe, all that I had needed was his light to take away my darkness.

Drabble #19

"They're blue, Heero."

"Purple."

"Nobody has purple eyes."

"Blue can be... purplish, Duo."

"You are not getting out of this one with fancy footwork. Samantha, in payroll, said that you were such a workaholic, that you probably couldn't find where your home was, anymore, or even tell her what your lover looked like. You replied, 'That's ridiculous, of course I know what he looks like.' When she asked you what color my eyes were, to prove it, you told her they were purple!"

"They look purple, in certain light."

"Blue.... plain blue... like the afghan on the couch you'll be sleeping on tonight."

"Purplish blue, then."

"Nope."

"I demand a second opinion."

"Second opinion? I've only had the two eyes my entire life, Heero!"

"Turn around and face the wall."

"This is stupid."

"No, it isn't. Perkins? A question. Do you know what color Duo's eyes are?"

"Hm? Uh... Kind of... purple... I guess..."

"Case closed."

"...."

"You're still mad?"

"You paid him to say that."

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Can I go now?"

"Yes, Perkins.... Did not"

"Did so."

Drabble #20

"Why are you yelling at me?! You're the one who dropped that gyro on my goddamn foot!"

"Why do you have to be, where you're not supposed to, Duo?! Why can't you watch out?"

"I was watching out, Heero! I wasn't expecting you to dump twenty pounds of gyro, though, when the cradle is right the frick two feet away!"

"You should always be aware of what's going on around you!"

"Look, dumb ass! I'm not goddamn psychic, okay? I can't avoid stupid moves from my partner, before they happen! And I still don't know why you're yelling at me, like this is my fault!"

"Because, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you, and I did!"

"Huh? Rewind that. Are you... all choked up about hurting me?"

"I'm not... choked up."

"Then why am I staring at your back, now? Look at me, Heero."

"No."

"Don't clam up! I want answers. God! You are all upset over my foot, aren't you? Look at your face.... Come on, Heero, I can see how red you are and shaking. What gives?"

"I... care, all right?"

"Yeah... Yeah, it is all right."

"...."

"....."

"Really, Duo?"

"Well, the foot isn't all right, I think you broke a goddamn toe, but... it's all right to care about me."

"Good... Thank you. I'm sorry, about your foot."

"Finally, an apology! Get me to the infirmary, Heero, and we'll talk on the way about us and your lame ass personal skills."