Heero checked the readouts on the navicomputer once more, and then settled deeper into the seat of the cockpit. As had become his habit, he began talking to his mecha as he flew. Wing Gundam was, in fact, the only one he ever really confided in. Maybe it was because the gundam was such a good listener. Maybe it was because in the course of their conversations, Heero often discovered something about himself.

"Well, my friend, I'm beginning to realize there have been a couple of serious omissions in my education.

"I don't mean any disrespect, mind you. Dr. J was a good teacher. He made sure I knew the essentials -- piloting, astronavigation, cryptography, engineering, explosives. And Odin taught me about weapons -- taught me how to shoot, and how to kill when I need to. Between them, I learned all the things a good terrorist needs to know. But, Odin died when I was just a kid, and it has come to my attention that there are important topics J never covered.

"Like people.

"I shouldn't say that exactly. The professor taught me just how conniving, dishonest, sly and deceptive people can be, and that knowledge has served me well. I can outmaneuver those OZ drones because of how well he prepared me for their tactics. I can handle those sorts of people. But, J never taught me about people who are ... people who seem to want to be ... nice.

"He didn't teach me a thing about a loose-limbed, gum-racking, loud-mouthed, grinning kinda guy who would shoot you one day, and then turn around the next and risk his neck to save you! What am I supposed to think of somebody like that? Somebody who has no respect for silence. Somebody who watches me when he thinks I don't notice. I've got no information on a guy like him. He just wasn't a part of the curriculum.

"And what about that hair? What's a gundam pilot doing with hair like that? It's totally impractical. Actually, it's a hazard in this line of work. There's only one explanation for it, my friend. Vanity. If he weren't vain about that long tail hanging down his back, he would cut it off and keep his hair short, like any respectable pilot.

"Even so....

"Can you keep a secret, Wing?

"In my sleep, I dream about his hair. Don't scoff at me -- a guy doesn't have any control over his dreams, does he? Of course he doesn't. Well, in my dreams, I unfasten the tie at the end of his braid, and I run my fingers through the long, rippling waves of his hair. It's so soft, and I bury my face in the mass of it, inhaling the smell of him. And then he turns around to face me, and we ....

"Damn. There's something else Dr. J neglected to fill me in on. Arousal. How was I to know I could get all hot and bothered just thinking about a guy like him? "I don't mean to imply that the good professor didn't teach me about sex. I know that Tab A goes into Slot B. But I was taught that sex was a distraction from a soldier's duty. Oh, sure, a guy's body has hormones, and I've had a few one-handed parties in my time, but it never did much for me. J's right. It's better to channel that energy into work and the success of the mission.

"Or so I used to think, before I met this baka Duo. Before I started waking up with a sticky mess inside my shorts.

"Yes, I'll admit it to you, Wing. I've spent a few idle moments wondering what it would be like with him -- to put my tab into his slot. What would it feel like to hold his hips between my hands? To run my tongue up his spine? Would it make him shiver? What would it be like to have all that ceaseless energy focused on me, just for a few minutes? I'm not sure I could stand it.

"But I very much think I'd like to try.

"Okay, since it seems to be time for True Confessions, I'll tell you the rest of it. I've had a sample of his complete attention, even though it was only for a few seconds.

"I kissed him. I certainly didn't plan on it. Maybe his impulsiveness is wearing off on me. That's a scary thought. Anyway, he was blathering on about something -- I really wasn't listening -- but I was watching him. He was waving his arms around, pacing back and forth across the floor of the hangar, his hair flipping over his back, eyes gleaming. He just looked so.... I can't explain it. Something came over me, and I stepped in front of him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and I kissed him.

"It took him by surprise, that's for sure. I could feel the street reflexes kick in and he started to push back and struggle, but I held on and after a second, he kind of ... melted into me. His arms wrapped around me, and he dug his fingers into my back. He has strong hands, Wing. I don't have much in the way of experience at this kind of thing, but he seemed to know what to do, so I followed his lead. His mouth was soft, and warm, and he touched my lips with his tongue. I've never felt anything like it.

"And then he made this sound, kind of like a tiny whimper. Let me tell you, friend, that little noise went straight from my ear to my crotch, and I was almost instantly hard. I realized I was getting in too deep, so I pulled away. He just stood there looking at me, those big blue eyes staring into mine. Doesn't it figure? Just when I need him to actually say something, he can only stand there with his mouth hanging open. I certainly didn't know what to do. What do you say after you kiss a guy for the first time? That wasn't covered in Terrorism 101, neh?

"So, I turned around and walked away. I still don't know what he was thinking, 'cause I left the next morning and haven't seen him since.

"But I've replayed that little whimper in my head, over and over.

"I have a lot to learn, Wing. And I suspect I know just the right teacher."