"Damn it Maxwell! Fucking pay attention!"

"I am!" I snapped back over the mike at Heero. "I'm in my position -- it's you that's not paying attention!"

"You are -- check your team!"

I looked over my shoulder. Damn rookie. "Stills! Get down!" I rolled my eyes and looked back at the target. "Happy now Yuy?"

"Thrilled."

"If you two are finished chatting," Wufei interjected, "I'd like to wrap this up and go the hell home."

I bit back my next comment. No point in prolonging the argument, especially since going home sounded great to me. What a hellish day -- or rather week -- this had been. Why the hell had I ever thought leaving the junkyard and joining the Preventers had been a good idea?

Heero finally gave the signal -- and we were on our way.

We got through it okay -- a few injuries -- no casualties. That made it a win in my book. Bad guys caught, good guys not dead. I didn't ask for much really.

Une of course, was waiting for all of us when we got back. Never mind that she'd been in on all the transmissions, receiving up to date reports every minute. She wanted every detail -- and of course I was one of the last ones on her list. After I finished my report to her, I headed down towards the garage.

"Leaving already?" Heero asked as I walked by his desk.

"It's 2 am. I've been here since last night. If you were human you'd be going home too."

He just turned back to his monitor with a shrug. Whatever.

The apartment was cold when I got home. I cranked the heat up and turned the shower on. I wanted to sleep, but I knew if I didn't get my muscles relaxed I'd wake up hurting. Since I wasn't planning on waking up for a few days; that would put a crimp in my plans.

My stomach reminded me that it had been a long time since the dried out turkey sandwich some kind soul had given me for lunch, so after I showered I found a carton of leftovers that didn't look too old and tossed it in the microwave.

Fed, clean and flannel clad -- I tossed myself down on the bed, fully expecting to pass out. My eyelids were heavy and I couldn't stop yawning.

But I couldn't sleep.

Despite the shower, despite the warm blankets and flannel, despite the knowledge that there was a heavy deadbolt on my door and a knife under my pillow there was still that part of me that insisted that falling asleep was a Really Bad Idea.

I told it to shut up. We weren't on the streets. We weren't in the war anymore. So we'd had a little party tonight -- it was over and it was safe to stand down.

The back of my neck started to hurt. Tension headache starting up. Right on time.

Damn it.

Throwing the covers back, I headed for the bathroom. Aspirin, maybe some warm milk or something like that -- though hadn't they said that really didn't work? It was all in your head really?

Then again, it was my head that was messing with my sleep.

The milk in my fridge was slightly green. As I dumped it out in the sink, I stared out the window at the parking lot of my complex, noting the filled spaces.

I had told myself I wasn't going to do it again. But... I wanted to sleep.

Grabbing my coat, I walked out of my apartment, locking the door behind me. At nearly 4 am, the place was deserted -- quiet and peaceful.

But the back of my neck was still tight.

Three buildings over, I climbed a flight of stairs and knocked on the door at the top.

Heero opened the door a minute later, pajama-clad, gun in hand, blinking sleepily.

"Can't sleep?"

"Why the hell else would I be over here at 4 am?"

"Locked out? Breakfast? Sex?" He stepped backwards and waved me inside.

The door closed behind me and I followed Heero down the hall.  "I'm never locked out, it's too early for breakfast and yeah right -- you're more tired than I am."

"If I wasn't, I'd take that as a challenge."

"Save it for when we get up."

He slid into bed first, pulling the covers back for me. Curling up beside him, I could feel the tension in the back of my neck start to ease. His fingers slipped under my braid and rubbed gently at the spot.

That did it. The small part of my brain finally shut up. Yawning, I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to Heero's warmth.

"You're so moving in here," I heard him mutter. "Living with you can't be worse than being woken up all the time."

I knew he'd come around eventually... but I fell asleep before I could tell him so.

Part 2

"Maxwell? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I looked up from the report that Une wanted on her desk in ten minutes and frowned at Wufei. "Yeah, but just one. Une wants this damn thing now."

Wufei sat down in the chair in front of my desk and cast a look around. Huh, must be something sort of private if he did that. Most of the other desks were empty -- it was lunchtime after all. My stomach growled a complaint at the thought and I promised it something soon.

My fingers flew over the keyboard as I waited for Wufei to speak. He seemed a little uncomfortable -- I kept catching what looked like fidgeting out of the corner of my eye.

"What is it?" I prompted, hoping he'd spit out whatever it was. Was it another fight with Sally? Hell if I was getting involved again -- Sally had a mean right hook.

"Maxwell -- are you in some sort of financial trouble?"

"What?" I looked away from my screen and blinked at Wufei. "No. Why?" Was he going to try and sell me on that investment stuff that Quatre was always going on about?

"Yuy -- I ran into him the hallway. He said he couldn't take my class tonight because he was helping you move in."

Oh hell. I hadn't really thought about how we were going to explain it to the guys. I had expected a blow-up or two, but... financial trouble? Did he think Heero was paying me to be his live in bed toy?

Not like that wouldn't be the best job ever, but...

I pushed that thought out of my head and focused on Wufei. Who was looking worried for some reason.

"Uh, yeah. He's got the bigger apartment..." I said lamely.

"I know your rent was going up, but surely you could still make the payments?"

"Sure I could --" What the hell was Wufei going on about?

"I just don't think it's a wise idea --"

Was he trying to give me relationship advice? The man who couldn't go a week without fighting with Sally?

"Why not?"

"Maxwell! You and Yuy? You can barely be civil to each other here at work! You'll kill each other if you have to share a space! Why, if you had to move, did you choose him for a roommate? Why not someone you get along with?"

Ah. Right. I tended to forget that most people thought that Heero and I didn't get along. Heero thought it was funny. Myself, I didn't see why anyone needed to know my domestic arraignments.

What to tell Wufei? I caught sight of my would-be roommate across the room. He was standing by his desk, smirking in my direction.

He must've already gotten the Wufei-lecture.

"What did Heero say?"

"He said that you two would each have your own space and that if you got truly obnoxious, he'd tie you up and gag you."

Oh he did, did he?

"Duo!" Une's assistant called across the room. "Is that report done yet?"

"Just printing it out!" I called back. "Look Chang, don't worry. Heero and I won't kill each other. We're Preventers right? We're supposed to stop that sort of thing from happening."

I didn't hear all of Wufei's answer -- something about that was why he was trying to talk me out of this madness now -- the report was due and Une was too cranky of a lady to annoy. I typed out the last sentence, printed it out and sprinted it to Une's office.

When I finished I decided that it was time to sneak out for lunch before something else happened. Wufei had vanished, but Heero was at his desk.

"Lunch?" I asked.

"Sure." He got up and I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Think it's safe? Wufei is convinced we're going to kill each other."

"We haven't done it yet." I rolled my eyes at him. "Though I guess you told him you planned to tie me up and gag me?"

He laughed. "Only if you're good."