Heero looked down at their intertwined hands, flexing his fingers slightly and smiling. "Only idiots would be out here on a day like this."

He was answered with a chuckle as Duo looked at him and grinned. "Good thing we fit the description."

Idiots? Maybe, but it wasn't due to trying to spend some time together on such a dismal day. No, it was due to letting their lives get so hectic that it was a freak occurrence for them to both be awake at the same time when they weren't working. Heero had hoped that moving in together would've solved that problem, but crawling into bed exhausted and curling up to sleep was starting to become quality time. Idiots? Sure, because they'd let it happen.

The tips of their fingers were cold and Heero felt Duo shiver next to him. He could smell the coming rain on the wind, but he figured there was a little more time before the clouds broke. "Want to walk down behind the trees to get out of the wind?"

Duo nodded, leaning in and pressing a kiss on Heero's cheek. "Lead the way, babe."

With a gentle tug on his lover's hand, Heero turned them away from the point and the churning sea. The wind pushed against their backs as they moved through the grass towards the shelter of trees and thick undergrowth. As soon as the field gave way to trees, Heero led them down a narrow path to the lane running behind. Suddenly the pair was enveloped in silence, not having realized the constant sound of the wind. It was that much darker under the cover of the trees, darker and more peaceful.

Walking hand in hand, Heero could feel himself relax, the past week of deadlines and responsibility bleeding away with every step he took. Sporadic birdsong broke the silence as they walked farther down the lane. Ahead was the looming outline of the last reminder of the grand mansion that had once overlooked the sea. After a hurricane's destruction in 1938 the foundation of the main house had slowly been overgrown with thick vegetation, but the carriage house had remained. Although unscathed by the hurricane, it succumbed to entropy and curiosity until all that was left was a crumbling husk.

"This place is bigger than most houses," Duo said, leading them just outside the large archway. "I think we could fit two of our house in here."

"Probably three," Heero agreed, peering inside. It was much darker in the remains of the building, but after a moment his eyes adjusted and he could see graffiti adorning the walls. He looked around for other signs of teenage vandalism, but didn't see any debris other than windblown dead leaves, no charred remains of fires, no trash or discarded clothing. It felt weird in a way he couldn't put his finger on.

"Do you smell that?" Duo asked softly, leaning into the entryway slightly while keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground outside.

Heero shrugged and inhaled, expecting the smell of decay laced with the odor of stale urine -- the smells of abandonment. His mind was confused for a moment, something in the deep recesses giving a little twinge of unease. Glancing sideways at Duo he noted his lover's almost shocked expression.

"It smells like horses." And it did, the smell of manure and the sweet smells of hay warmed by sunshine. He shook his head and sniffed again. He could still smell the salty tang of the ocean and the coming rain, but underneath it all were the unmistakable odors of horses. With a small shrug he started forward, intent on looking inside when Duo tugged him back sharply.

"Don't! This is freakin' creepy," Duo hissed in a loud whisper, pulling them both a few steps backwards towards the path.

Heero almost made a crack about being afraid of ghosts when he realized that his arms had broken into goose flesh under the warm leather of his jacket. It was creepy. "There has to be an explanation. Maybe someone's using the building?"

With a look of disbelief Duo laughed nervously. "Heero, this place is virtually inaccessible to vehicles and it's falling apart as we speak. Plus, I don't think many vagrants have horses." Duo moved closer and wrapped his arm around Heero's waist. "It doesn't look like a place frequented by vagrants either."

Heero turned slightly and pulled Duo closer. "You're right and that seems a bit weird in itself." He kissed the tip of Duo's nose and grinned. "But what are you saying? Ghosts?"

Not waiting for Duo to answer, he brushed a kiss over Duo's lips. God, it had been way too long since they'd spent any time together. When Duo pulled away he rested his head against Heero's shoulder. "I didn't say ghosts, but I do think it's something ... strange."

"Strange like you?" Heero teased, tightening his arms around Duo when the man tried to pull away in irritation. Duo shot him a disgruntled look and Heero offered a gentle smile. "Let's go back to the car, we have enough of our own ghosts without searching out new ones."

As if on cue the first raindrops started falling from the sky, dotting the dirt at their feet in abstract pointillism. Heero released his hold, took Duo's hand in his, and turned them away from the abandoned building. He needed to give Duo's hand a tug when his lover didn't move from the spot and shot him a questioning look.

"But you admit that there's something there, right?" Duo's tone had a hint of petulance and Heero had to resist the smile that threatened.

"There's something there that's best left alone," Heero agreed, cocking his head down the path. "It's going to start pouring any second, we're going to get soaked."

Walking quickly through the trees, they'd made it to the field just as the skies opened up. Laughing, the two sprinted across the grass and raced towards the car. Once they were safely inside they stripped off their jackets and cranked up the heat, the incident at the carriage house pushed aside.

Leaving the ocean behind Heero drove towards home. Duo was already planning dinner and their activities thereafter as Heero navigated the rain slicked streets. He glanced at the intact mansions as they passed, wondering about what such grand places had been like in the days they'd been inhabited by families instead of tour guides. He thought about the dilapidated carriage house and the lingering scents of life.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Duo asked, resting his hand on Heero's thigh.

Heero took Duo's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Let's just say that there was something back there, maybe not a ghost, but something ... like a footprint." He remembered Duo's uneasy expression outside the carriage house earlier and wondered if he'd be better leaving things alone. Duo nudged his thigh with the back of his hand and he asked. "If it were possible, what scent do you think we'd leave behind?"

"Nitroglycerin!" Duo answered immediately before shaking his head and offering Heero an apologetic smile. "I don't know. I'd like to think it would be more than the smells of gunpowder and blood." Duo turned and stared silently out the window for a few minutes. "The smell of your skin after we've made love. The smell of curry on a rainy day."

"The smell of your hair at the beach. The smell of our sheets dried on the line in the sunshine," Heero added, running his thumb over the back of Duo's hand. "The scents of our lives since we've learned to live are much more potent than when we were trying to die."

"I'd like to think that's true," Duo whispered, closing his eyes.

Heero brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed Duo's knuckles. "It gets truer every day."