Yeah, well, they were wrong about the tension relief. Right about Duo wanting it, though. But there was a war on and little time for things like that. And Heero? Far too focused to have noticed anyway.

Other than Duo's knee bouncing, his expression was of cool detachment as he sipped his soda and watched the outside water feature splashing on cheerfully. He checked his watch. Almost time.

And as if right on cue, a shadow fell across his body. There was no mistaking that dark outline. Heero stood at the end of the bench, hands tucked in his pockets.

Duo looked up Heero's body. It had been five years since the war and they both had done a lot of growing up; muscles filling out, rounding the body into the curves of manhood instead of the soft pliancy of adolescence.

If he thought Heero was hot when they roomed together briefly during the war, as his imagination filled in for many a long night, then he was positively feral now. Duo licked his lips.

"Hey," he said, leaving off the can we go fuck now because goddamned you look good. They hadn't during the war, they lost touch after and it was only a fluke that they were there, now.

Hormones were still chugging away, though.

Heero nodded and gestured to the bench seat next to Duo before sitting. "I was surprised I found you."

"Yeah, well, you know, keeping a low profile." Duo turned to face Heero and picked up the end of his braid, fiddling with it.

"How's business?"

"Good. Picked up a few guys from the war that are good with repairs so we've branched into that." Duo painted over his fingers with his braid end and then tossed it over his shoulder. "How are you? When we lost contact..."

"Worked a little for the Preventers, cut out on my own after that." Heero waved slightly at Duo. "Keeping a low profile."

"It's good to see you, Heero." There was no shame in admitting that. It was the truth in many ways, as his body reminded him helpfully. "I was sorry we didn't stay in closer touch."

"It's good to see you. You look good. Your hair's gotten longer." Heero picked up Duo's braid as if to examine the tie that held it bound together and shrugged. "I don't think things...well, it was probably best we didn't."

"We weren't ready."

"No, we weren't."

Duo lifted his gaze to catch Heero's. "Got anyone special? I heard Relena's getting married. I figured you'd end up with her."

"Relena's happier without me, I think you know that." Heero deliberately placed Duo's braid behind him again, hand smoothing down the plait of hair and further down Duo's back. "And I don't know, yet, if I have someone special."

Frowning, Duo worked through that last bit and tilted his head.

"I mean, I think about them. A lot." Heero pulled his hand away and sat back on the bench. "I didn't know if they thought about me and the more time that slipped away, I figured the less chance I had. So..." his shoulder lifted, "thought I'd take a chance."

Then there was dawning and Duo smiled. So the stampede of butterflies in his stomach from seeing Heero again wasn't just an isolated event. He thought that maybe it was just his nerves, even though it felt like the tension between them was tight enough to snap.

Didn't help to paint his anxiety onto others.

He poked his tongue between his lips and he shifted closer. "Any idea how you think it will resolve?"

And for the first time since he sat down, Heero smiled. "Hard to say."

Another slide closer. "You're a friend, maybe I can help."

"Maybe you can."

"Any ideas?"

Heero's arm lifted and he settled his hand in the center of Duo's back. Slight pressure brought Duo close until he could almost taste the orange juice Heero drank before arriving. "I have a couple."

There was a moment, hung in time, where they simply looked at each other, eyes searching, seeking, finding and acknowledging, all with simple glances over their features. Duo leaned in further until their mouths brushed. "I'd love to hear them."

And then touch, electric, ground-shifting and reality-skewing. Their kiss started simple, just a slight taste of lips to lips. The tension gave way with a heaving sigh and their mouths pressed harder. Tongues tangled and invaded, deeper and passionate.

Hands braced on Heero's thighs, Duo slid them up to catch at the belt loops. He couldn't pull closer unless he tugged Heero into his lap but he telegraphed he wanted more anyway, so there was no mistaking.

Heero's fingers twined around Duo's braid, wrapping it around his fist to keep Duo in place and their kiss fell into another vortex of passion so dizzying Duo swayed in his seat.

Now can we go back and fuck?

Duo silenced his inner voice. There would be plenty of time for that later.