Disclaimer: This is fanfiction based on the characters and universe of Gundam Wing.


Another Version of Events
by Karan Seraph
Chapter 47


"Aaah, look," Duo sighed.

Heero opened his eyes. He pressed his lips to Duo's stomach once more and then pushed the bedcovers out of his way and lifted his head. Duo's head was lying against the pillows and turned to Heero's left, toward the windows. Heero shifted his gaze to the corners of his eyes. "They put the colony mirrors into Day position."

"Clockwork Mornings, gotta love 'em," Duo sighed, "Still, I think I'd like to see a sunrise on Earth again." His eyes closed. "They were so pretty over the ocean."

"I will be sure to plan for us to see one. There are a lot of places we are going to go together." Heero called up his mental list. "St. Petersburg, eventually, Paris, somewhere in Ireland, somewhere in Hawaii..."

Duo's left hand slid up Heero's spine and then Duo stretched his arms over the bed. His eyes were still closed. "Mmmm, I can almost feel the sun now," he said dreamily.

"It is morning and you still have one piece of clothing on."

Duo turned his head and then opened his eyes. He looked down over his own bare chest to Heero's face. "I guess that means you win." He smiled smugly. "You get to taste me first."

Heero felt that he had won, but he hardly felt like Duo was losing. Either way, it had been entirely pleasant waiting to see who would win their bet. Each of them had been drowsy but neither had fallen asleep. When Heero had felt on the verge of sleep Duo had alternated rubbing his feet and nibbling at his ear until Heero was very much awake. When Duo had been half-asleep Heero had kissed Duo such that he woke up. He would have tried a few other things, but he was trying not to tempt himself to remove Duo's underwear, which was his last garment.

The garter belt had come off first, when the red kimono, which Duo said Sake had called a nagajuban, had only lain open. When had been removed, the right stocking had come next, followed by the left stocking. Much later, Heero had surrendered to the temptation and taken the sleeveless black haori, which Sake had apparently made, from Duo. Then there had been the rosary beads strung through Duo's nipple rings, which had taken some effort to remove, and kept Heero from the underwear laces, though Duo did not count the rosary as a garment. After that, sheer will had seen Heero through to morning.

"Are you going to collect on the bet?" Duo asked.

Heero's hands moved to the laces, but he said, "Koi needs to go out." The dog had been moving about the room quite actively over the last hour. That had told Heero morning was coming, as the animal was now well attuned with GMT, as was all of the S4 cluster. The certainty that morning was coming had helped Heero hold out.

"Yeah," Duo agreed sadly. "It's just a tease you removing the shorts, then."

"I was just going to play a little while longer, but if you would rather leave them on..."

"No! No. It's really not fair that you've been naked all this time, though I did enjoy the strip tease."

Heero smiled as he pulled the shorts from Duo. He had stripped, but it had not been a tease in the sense that music and posing had been involved. He had only removed clothing with consideration for the fact that Duo was watching. It would have been an automatic loss for Duo if he removed his own clothing, though nothing had been said of Heero's clothes, and so Heero had figured it was better he was naked. It would torment Duo more to have Heero naked and not feel Heero against his bare skin than it tormented Heero to have Duo still in clothing, or he had hoped that might be the case.

"When will you collect?"

Heero thought about that. He did not feel up to it now. He probably could do it, but he could not do it as well as he wanted. He was tired and now he was starting to feel quite hungry. If he started, Duo would want his turn, and Heero was sure he would enjoy that vastly more if he had some sleep.

It was not as if the night had been wasted. They had agreed to the conditions of the bet and it had been fun. It had been, Heero thought, something like glorious at moments. He had been sure he was sensing what Duo felt, and it had been a very good experience. Sensing Duo's longing for him had not caused pain, because Heero knew the longing was for him.

"I should walk Koi. We should get breakfast. We could use a shower, and some sleep."

"And when is check-out time?" Duo asked, his fingers stroking Heero's cheek.

Heero lay with his head to Duo's chest. He had fingers on Duo's chest and in his hair. Their legs were tangled together. He thought Duo was contented, even if he was asking about sex. "You tell me," Heero said, "What are your plans?"

"I have work. I have a lot of work to do. I was back this week for exams and I do plan to be around Monday..."

"Mmmm." It did not need to be explained in more detail. This had been discussed. It was usual that Duo was very busy with work. Duo had not said so, but Heero suspected that from the start of the trial Duo had arranged to stop working with the Sweepers. Heero knew Duo had been doing work with them up until the time he arrived, but he did not think Duo had worked with them while they had been together. That probably resulted in a loss of income. And as unfortunate as the leg injury was or Gibson's death, those events had kept Duo off active duty with Preventers. They were probably paying Duo still. He was salaried and had been injured on duty. The delivery work had always depended on Duo's availability, so that had not changed. Duo was graduating, at least from one school. He had said that, on breaks, he took classes at the same school as Hilde, and there he was not on scholarship.

Duo had only had so much time to be with Heero because he'd practically stopped working two of his jobs.

"What are you going to do about school?" Heero asked.

"I was eligible to take college level classes this year, since I had enough high school credits and had scored well on entrance exams, but I didn't have the time or money for classes. I took the few technical courses at Hilde's school and worked out an arrangement to count credits from the school Hilde goes to toward Math, Science and Electives, to make up for the time I wasn't in school, so I had enough credits earned from the placement tests and classes from both schools to graduate from SJC this semester. I don't really know. I think the smartest thing would be to apply to get into a college level certificate program. I could try for some degree in Theory, but that's not practical for the right now."

"You do not really need a degree to understand Theory, but you do often need a certification or a degree to get hired for certain technical jobs. You have the job, Duo, so all you require are specific courses that you feel you need to do your job."

"True, I just thought if I was in a program I'd eventually have something to show for the work, just in case the company goes under."

"Wise, I suppose."

"There are a lot of good schools, and I could take a large percentage of courses over a 'net connection, no matter where the school was based."

"Right."

"What you really want to know about it work," Duo said.

"No," Heero said. It was not technically a lie. He did not want to know, because he already did know. It was what he worried about.

"I can configure cockpit controls to pilot with one leg. Howard and Hilde are both involved with the Sweepers now and in salvage, together actually. They need pilots though, who have basic knowledge of mechanics and space craft. I have to go back to it, especially now, because we want that contract and Howard and Hilde will take more time away from their other work to help me with the Tinman."

Heero knew Duo was just thinking out loud. He kept still, so as to not distract him, except for rubbing braids between his fingers.

"I don't know what will happen with Une." Duo continued, "I know she's working something out, rebuilding the defense squadron or redefining it. We had a gap in our defenses and it was exploited. Whatever she has me do, I'll stay with Preventers. I'll probably even be on duty more hours now I'm out of school. Maybe I do it for the same reason you do that security work. I need to feel like I'm doing something to keep people safe. It stresses me out sometimes and it's tough, but I'd feel worse if I quit and I knew someone else was out there, not that I blame anyone for not taking on the same responsibility."

"I did not quit, I just told Une she better not call me unless she needs me to save the world, because I know I cannot deal with that stuff every day. I need to do things my own way."

"I respect that, Heero, honestly. I am just trying to say, that there's not much leeway where work is concerned. That's three jobs I have to do in order to respect myself. The only other job I do is the delivery stuff, and that's on my schedule these days. I carry stuff when I need to fly." Duo sighed.

Heero felt Duo's breath in his hair. His chest heaved. Heero lifted his head to press his lips to Duo's chest.

"I couldn't respect myself if I cut you out of my life either, Heero. The hours are there. I may have more work, but I'm significantly cutting back on school hours, and I'll be able to rearrange the whole commuting thing, so I have a whole lot of days over there, contiguously, to get work done."

Heero laughed.

"That's funny?" Duo asked seriously.

Heero sighed. "No. You said 'contiguously.'"

"Yeah, so? It means all touching each other without anything else in between."

"I knew that one. They use it in texts on political boundaries. It just amuses me when you use English words... like words they put on tests."

"Uh, yeah, but I was trying to be serious, Heero."

"I know," Heero said apologetically.

"Are the hours I have going to be the same as the hours you have?"

"I do not know."

"Yeah, well, that's the real question, I guess. I know we went through this before and you're probably bored, but it helps me to talk it out."

"I am not bored."

Duo said nothing but rolled so that he and Heero lay on their sides, facing each other.

Acknowledged, Heero thought. Neither one of them wanted to miss this. "If we want time together, we will have to plan it out. Mail your hours to me and I'll work out how many hours we can get together and whether travel will be involved."

"You are serious?"

"Very. You have four jobs, Duo! I want to see you as much as possible."

"I guess I'll send you mail every week."

"It might get easier later. I want to hire some people so I do not have to do field work at all. I need at least a month to find and train the right people. After that, I will still work, of course, I just won't have to worry about where I am staying."

"A lot does depend on whether we get the contract. If we do, it means the company goes into a whole other phase. We might be successful. If we don't get it, I don't know... I might just work for Preventers."

"I am sure you will figure it out."

"Yeah."

"What about today?" Heero asked.

"I flew my own shuttle when I came in last. I told Hilde I would meet her around noon today at the port."

"Oh."

Duo kissed Heero's forehead.

"Monday then?"

"Oh, yeah, I would not pass up my chance to collect a graduation present."

"I will need to rest up if I am to give you your present and settle our bet on the same day."

"Sounds fun."

"It should be. Just remember what you need to bring."

"Letter and uniform."

"Yes," Heero sighed.

"You're such a freak."

"You like it."

Duo laughed. "I am a Space Baby, you know what they say."

Heero smiled. He knew. He pulled himself up so that he could kiss Duo on the mouth. It did not matter that his mouth did not taste fresh, that was how much Heero loved him. He likely tasted the same and Duo still moaned in a good way when Heero kissed him.

"I will put on some clothes and take Koi out. You can use the shower. We can call down for breakfast when I get back. I will not be long."

"OK," Duo agreed. He kissed Heero's face one more time before Heero managed to push himself up from the bed.

Heero walked around the bed to get a change of clothes from his bag. Koi pranced around his legs.

"I am so fuckin' lucky," Duo sighed. He was lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head. "You even look sexy waking up." He smiled darkly. "Your eyes are all smoky."

Heero wiped at the dark smudges that must be on his eyelids.

"You know I think there are people that would kill or put down a whole lot of money to know what Heero Yuy is like in bed."

"Hn. You do not do it because of my name." Heero pulled a tank over his head.

"No. I don't," Duo admitted proudly, "It's still kinda kewl."

"Duo..." Not really fair to lie there and marvel that he'd taken Heero's virginity considering his own background.

"Sorry," Duo said seriously.

"I'm not mad," Heero said honestly, "I would just rather not hear about it." He sighed.

"There's lots of stuff I'd do for you that I wouldn't for anyone else."

Heero pulled up his leggings and then looked up at Duo. "Duo, I would appreciate if you could remember something for me. Even if you had done everything there was to do with multiple partners and in front of an audience, I would still love you. But, accepting everything that comes along with you and loving you does not mean that it does not hurt me when the subject comes up."

Duo frowned and curled on his side. "Yeah."

Heero closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Duo," He opened his eyes, "The trial is over. You and I can say anything we need to. It is true that it hurts, but I am still your friend, Duo. If you ever need to talk to someone, you can tell me anything. You can trust me. I would willingly take pain for you. I was just asking you not to do it casually."

Duo nodded. "Thank you for telling me, Heero. I needed you to tell me. I am still learning."

"Yes," Heero agreed. "So am I. Bend over the bed."

"Huh?"

"Get up and lean over the bed, Duo-chan," Heero said firmly. He watched Duo slowly get up from the bed. He looked in his bag for the hairbrush he had packed. It was Duo's special pet brush.

Duo was standing facing the side of the bed and he leaned forward slightly, with his hands on the top of the mattress supporting some of his weight.

Heero walked back to that side of the bed and stood beside Duo. "Five spankings, because you did not really think about what you were saying every time that you spoke, today and yesterday, and because it was just tacky what you did to Dorothy."

"I understand."

Heero gave a nod. He drew back the brush and then struck Duo's buttocks with the back of the wooden brush. Heero did not use nearly all of his strength. He could have seriously harmed Duo if he did that. The brush did not have a great amount of surface area and he was unusually strong. He did use enough force to make it sting quite a bit.

Heero struck Duo a total of five times, being careful to keep his aim on target and the force moderate.

Duo made no sound, except for a very small grunt that left him involuntarily on the last stroke. He stayed very still.

Heero lay the brush down on the bed and then kissed Duo's shoulder. "You took your punishment well. You deserved that, but it is also true that you pleased me very much last night and this morning. There were many things you said that I could tell were well thought out. I am very happy with you, Duo. You are a very emotional person and it is not wrong to say what you feel, but you must also have consideration for others. Sometimes there is a better way to phrase what you are feeling."

"Yes, Heero. I believe that you are correct. I am very sorry that I hurt you." He sounded very sorry.

"You got your punishment, Duo, you do not have to feel sorry anymore."

Duo turned, arms crossed over his chest, gaze steady. "I am not sorry about how I lived. You know? I did what I needed to get by. I want to change, but I do not regret it. Still, I feel shitty seeing you are hurt. What am I supposed to do? It's always going to be there."

"Stay with me and show me just a little consideration while I deal with my issues. I cannot help that it bothers me, but Duo, it does not bother me enough that I would leave you."

Duo laughed. "Well, I guess we're a real couple. There's something about me that just bugs you. Maybe I'll decide I hate the way you arrange the bottles of shampoo on the shelf in the shower or the sounds you make when you eat."

"What sounds when I eat?"

Duo laughed loudly. He grinned and moved toward the bathroom. "It was just an example, Heero. I have no problems with the way you eat. I was just trying to remind myself that it was OK that we bugged each other."

"You bug me a lot."

Duo slipped behind the bathroom door and peered at Heero around its edge. "And you still love me!"

"Yes, Duo, I love you."

"I don't think I will ever get sick of hearing that!"

Heero smiled and left Duo to take his shower. He took Koi outside the hotel. They ran along Y Street until they came to the sky glass near 3rd Avenue and the park near the glass. Heero let Koi walk in the park as long as he wanted and then they ran back to the hotel and around the block once before going back inside.

Duo was still in the bathroom when Heero got back, though he was out of the shower. He was only wearing a towel. He looked Heero up and down. "You ran?"

"Aa." Heero removed Koi's harness and then ordered the dog into the shower. He adjusted the water controls.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Toast with marmalade."

"Old habits die hard I guess," Duo said, smiling.

Heero shook his head.

"You're blending."

Heero stepped into the shower and started the water. "Just get me what you are eating," Heero called.

When Heero was finished with his shower and he and Koi were dry, he opened the bathroom door. Duo was half dressed in a black tee and changing his cast. Heero could see the difference. The cast he had worn overnight only covered his leg between knee and ankle. The bones took the force of impact from the foot in walking. It was most like a splint. The other cast was shaped differently and included a flexible joint at the ankle and a thin but rigid support beneath the foot. That cast actually transferred the force of impact around the injured bones, through the cast and to the knee. That was how Duo could move around so well in it. To get better Duo would have to start wearing the lighter cast at some point, to be sure the leg was used to the weight.

A strong cast and low gravity would make walking easy on a broken leg, but then a leg might grow back less strong under those circumstances. Duo would need little therapy later if his leg healed under the conditions it would later be used under.

"You could wear the other cast," Heero said.

"I will be traveling today. This is safer. They said the bone knit, and I will wear the other one when I get home."

Heero nodded and got another shirt and some jeans from his bag.

When they were dressed Duo went to the door between rooms and opened it. Heero could see that the other door was open on Relena's side. Duo peeked in and then spoke to someone. "Good reflexes. It's just me. The door was open." He smiled.

"Are they awake?" Heero asked when Duo turned back into their room.

"Only Dorothy. It seems like a bunch of people fell asleep in there."

"Did you call for the food?"

Duo nodded. He looked at the watch he was wearing then. Heero thought that Duo always had the watch with him but he did not wear it when he was on dates. That seemed very appropriate to Heero. One should not seem as if they were counting hours or waiting for the night to be over when on a date. "Should be here any minute now. I got us 'french toast,'" he said, making quote fingers, because the toast was not actually French.

"Isn't that a little unusual for you?" Heero asked. Duo seemed to like meat and eggs for breakfast, or often some bread product with butter or cheese, possibly some combination of those things. He liked smoked salmon on bagels.

Duo shrugged, leaning against the wall in wait for the delivery. "I'm on a diet now."

A diet? "I can't believe your body fat percentage is high, Duo. That is all bone and muscle."

"I never said it was a weight loss diet. I just decided to change how I ate. It was all bread, meat and cheese. I've no moral objection to meat, but I was probably eating an imbalanced amount of red meat. Besides, do you know what's in beef by the time you get it in the Colonies? They have orbital fish farms, but I don't notice any orbital cattle ranches!"

"I do know, actually," Heero groaned. He was aware, in a general way, of what went into getting food to the Colonies. They had hydroponics bays and greenhouses in the outer sections of many colonies where grains, some fruits, many vegetables, edible fungi and roots were grown. There were the sea drums filled with water where fish and seaweed were farmed. In some colonies, they raised breeds of small animals, often birds that also supplied eggs, for meat. What often passed as milk was made from greenhouse soy or rice. Margarine was used instead of butter. Cheese was cheese food. Otherwise, they depended on imports from Earth for supplemental foodstuffs and on trade between Sides for variety. That was why, during the war, when transports between colonies and from Earth had been disrupted, many less affluent Colonials had starved. But even in peacetime, the costs of transporting foods into space were greater than transport between cities on Earth, and fresher foods, most often being heavier, cost more to launch into space. You could get fresh lemons imported from Earth, for example, but what most people could afford was dehydrated or vacuum-packed foods full of preservatives, inside plastic. You could get beef, lamb, or pork in the Colonies but it was very often freeze dried or semi-dehydrated at some point and likely treated with preservatives. It might look plump in the market, but only because it had been pumped full of fluid again.

Heero touched a hand to his stomach. He had eaten an unusual amount of meat over the last week. He did know the process it went through, but he'd likely gotten a taste for it when traveling on Earth. Relena's kitchen staff had the funds to buy the best meat available in the Colonies and Heero generally ate at good restaurants, but the truth was he did not really know what that meat had been through exactly.

"I'm sorry," Duo laughed, not sounding very sorry, "Have you been eating meat or something? It's not that bad, now. It's not like it used to be. I know, I ate some pretty sketchy stuff back in the day. They actually receive rocket-tankers full of milk and cream at Mass Catching now... I don't want to think what used to be on pizza."

Heero swallowed bile as he heard the knock at their door. Duo chuckled as he went to the door. A waiter came in, with Duo's permission, and put a tray on the small table/desk in the corner. Duo saw the waiter to the door and then skipped over to the table where Heero was eyeing the food.

"No syrup?" Heero asked.

"I asked for strawberries and icing sugar," Duo replied in a fake British accent. He lifted a glass of white liquid and tasted it. 'I think this is real, Heero, you taste it."

Heero lifted the second glass instead. It was milk, cow's milk, but he didn't think it was 100%. "I think it's blended with reconstitute."

"Seriously? It tastes pretty milky to me."

"Go live on Earth for a while, you will be spoiled by the amount of fresh food there."

Duo sat down in the small desk chair. He bit his lip then put the smile back onto his face. "Pull up the other chair. It's fitting I sit in this one, since I was recently spanked."

Heero shook his head. "You can have the chair with the cushions, Duo," Heero said as he rolled the armchair to the table.

"No, no, you sit." He drank some more milk. He looked down at the food. "This is not going to be enough. I practically starved myself yesterday."

"Nervous?"

"Yeah."

"Eat it. You can always order more."

Duo took a fork to the french toast. It did look good. Heero had most often seen it served with butter and syrup. It seemed a typical sort of breakfast in the lower portion of the former United States. They had many establishments there that served pancakes and french toast and grits. Somehow, Heero did not see Duo blending in a pancake house any more than he had.

Heero lifted a forkful of toast, strawberry and sugar to his mouth. It was good.

"OK, but the strawberries are local, right? They can't be frozen."

"Probably fresh and local," Heero agreed, "Strawberries are a large crop within S4. Heero listed some crops that he had learned long ago, "Buckwheat, Barley, soy, mushrooms..."

"I want to eat a coconut," Duo said. "I know Hawaii was your idea, but I'm kinda stuck on the idea now. I'll ask Howard what he thinks about it. He's been there. You think you can get time to go this month?"

"Possibly. This month seems like it will be very busy for both of us."

Duo sat with his chin propped in one hand, pondering. It was his left hand. The claddagh really looked good on his hand, but Heero was biased. He had given Duo the ring. "Mm, well, maybe early in June?"

"We could take one trip per month," Heero suggested.

"Where should we go this month?" Duo asked excitedly.

"Moscow was this month."

"Right. OK, then Hawaii in June. Can we go to Paris for Bastille Day?"

Heero nodded. "Very likely. It will be easier to arrange time off work if we have the dates well in advance."

"True, true." Duo took some food and chewed.

"Ireland in August."

"Belfast?"

"If you like. I do not know much about Ireland."

"Perhaps we'll have to make a week of it, or at least several days, to do a tour of cities. Have you ever been to Jerusalem?"

"Cairo, Riyadh, Baghdad... not Jerusalem."

"I have never been there either. Have any interest in the Holy Land?"

Heero shrugged. "I have never been, so I cannot say I would not like it. I might. Egypt strikes me as more interesting, but I have already been there. The pyramids sound large when you read about them, and you think you understand when you see pictures, but, they are incredibly large... and real people built them."

"Well, we can pencil in Jerusalem as a maybe for September. Or, is there some other city you would want to see?"

"I cannot say at the moment, I mean, I do not know."

"What about... New York in October, for Halloween? You want to go to Japan in November?"

"Let's not settle it now," Heero offered, "Let me think about this. You can think about it too. I do not think either of us is sure what we will be doing that far in the future or where we will be. I would have to assume we would still be together, but we could end up doing more or less traveling than that or just changing our mind about where we want to visit."

"OK," Duo said agreeably, "That's fair. I probably was getting carried away."

"No, you were... fine. I just thought we should think about it more. Those were all good ideas you had. I really will think about going to those cities."

"But, we really are going to go to Hawaii next, right?"

Heero smiled, "Yes, I think that is nearly settled."

"Hey," a voice said quietly from behind Heero.

Duo was the one facing the doors and he did not look concerned. "Hey. You can come in."

Heero supposed it was Adin. He confirmed that when he turned his head. Adin was wearing only a kilt, it seemed, and he walked into the room then stopped beside Duo's chair. "You want to share?"

"No, I'm still hungry. You could call down and order us both something," Duo said. "Are you still hungry, Heero?"

"I am fine for now."

"I want..." Duo was trying to think what he wanted.

"Still on your diet after last night?" Adin asked, laughing.

Duo gave him an innocent look as Adin operated the rooms phone. "What's last night got to do with anything? You don't know what you're talking about. The main reason I am on a diet is just to be more healthy." Duo smiled at Heero. "Wufei is always telling me I lack balance." He then folded his hands before his chest and took slow audible breaths. Heero supposed this was mock meditation.

Adin laughed behind Heero, almost giggled. Duo was up to something, but he had not lied. It was obvious he was phrasing the truth creatively.

"Cereal maybe, no, just some toast and jam," Duo said, again in that fake accent. It might actually have been his middle of the Atlantic phone voice. And then, as Adin was ordering breakfast, Duo burst into song. "My gift is my song, and this one's for you," He sang to Heero, "And you can tell everybody, that this is your song. It maybe quite simple, now that it's done. Hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is, now you're in the world..."

"That was nice," Heero said.

"I just felt like some music. I'll sing the rest if you want?"

"You do not have to."

Adin began singing, sort of, presumably to Duo. "As they pulled you out of the oxygen tent, you asked for the latest party, with your silicone hump and your ten inch stump, dressed like a priest you was, Tod Browning's freak you was..."

Duo smiled, laughed. He looked at Heero. "I wonder if Tim Burton read Burroughs. I know Bowie wrote the song after reading one of his books and there is that 'Halloween Jack,' though I haven't read the book... been meaning to, but I hear he uses English even more creatively than I do, Heero."

"That would be a challenging read."

Duo grinned. "He pretty much invented cyberpunk. I bet you thought it was someone else."

"I have heard of Burroughs, but I consider him a sort of Jules Verne in that he nearly predicted certain future technology, but too early to actually be Cyberpunk, in my mind."

"A queer, junkie Jules Verne," Adin said.

"Do we know that Verne was not a homosexual drug user?" Duo asked, no one in particular.

"I do not know," Heero admitted.

"What are you going to do now your out of school too, Adin?" Duo asked. "You will miss my book recommendations."

"Always interesting for the Sisters... and for me."

"Well, I know you haven't planned much over the summer. You want me to give you a reading assignment?" Duo's tone and expression were very sly. He was looking at Adin sidelong.

Adin laughed. "Khoroshó."

Duo gave a slow nod. "I'll read one of the Nova book sand you can read... A Clockwork Orange."

"I already saw the movie."

"Well, so did I, but just treat it as a separate entity."

"Burgess?"

"Correct, you would find him under 'B,'" Duo said with mock seriousness. His eyes darted toward Heero. "Would you like to be in my special book club?"

"Would I?"

"Da..."

"Da."

"What book will you read, Heero?" Duo asked in his fake Russian accent. Adin, at his side, looked at him very strangely, likely for the accent.

Heero considered that. "20th Century possible futures? English Language? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

"That's the name of a book?" Duo asked.

"A title."

"What do you know about it?"

"The movie Bladerunner was based on it."

"Burroughs wrote something called Bladerunner," Adin said.

"They lifted the title of that work to make Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? A movie, because it was catchier. The plots are unrelated. I have seen the movie, but not read the book, like Adin has with A Clockwork Orange. I was aware of the Burroughs connection, that helped me to think of it. It is a story about a man who hunts Androids."

"OK, you can read that!" Duo agreed.

"Are you going to take College classes like Duo and Relena?" Heero asked Adin.

"I don't know, I mean, not immediately. I'm looking for a job."

"Oh. What do you know how to do?"

"Not much."

"I told him he could always join Preventers," Duo said. "He's really smart and he's a Space Baby, so he knows how to pilot various craft and he's got the generally high math and science aptitudes."

Heero knew that many people said that; He did not know if it was true that Colonials were better at science and Math. The First Colonials had mainly been scientists and technicians so there was some small weight to the theory that their descendants would all have inherited a predisposition toward science, but present Colonials were not only descended from the first Colonists, but largely from the later waves of immigration prior to the Alliance being formed. What was likely true was that Colonial Children were all exposed to the use of certain math and science in daily life and so they easily grasped the theories behind the science they already applied in life.

"Do you want to join the Defense Force?" Heero asked.

"I'm not a revolutionary or anything, I rather like the ESUN, but I just don't think I want to work for the government."

"You could work for me."

Adin laughed. "Right."

"I was serious," Heero said, looking across the table to gauge Duo's reaction. "I own Lowe Security. We test and consult companies, organizations and individuals in security matters. We need people who are intelligent and fit and who have not established a pattern in life of going along with the status quo, to do planning and field work. We offer training."

"What do you pay?"

"I have an idea, but I would prefer to consult my partner before giving you the numbers."

"You really are serious," Duo said, smiling.

"Yes. Serious. I told you I was going to hire people. After this month I will need to hire more people, but we could use a little help on the jobs we have now. Then we will safely be able to afford to hire more people."

"Well, it sounds like an option. Should I interview or something?"

"You should submit a resume and letter of intention." Heero looked to Duo, "Is he reliable?"

"When it's important."

Heero nodded.

"Please work for Heero," Duo pleaded with Adin, "The more people he has helping him the more time he can afford to spend with me!" He even batted his lashes. The words were honest, but the delivery was over the top.

"That is not a good reason to take a job," Heero said. He hoped he did find trustworthy people, but taking a job so one's future boss would have more time to date one's friend was a poor reason to accept employment.

"He was mostly kidding. I'll think about it."

"You would have money to take Relena out on dates," Heero said.

Duo made a soft sound of disbelief. He had been avoiding that line of questioning and he was surprised Heero had been the one to bait Adin.

Heero kept his expression neutral. He was mildly curious, not about whether they had sex, but whether they cared about each other as much as he suspected from observing them. He was new to this level of social interaction, but he was certain that a basic ability to read who was attracted to whom was valuable in social engineering.

Adin ignored Heero, or pretended to and addressed Duo instead. "Hey, what is up with Relena, really? I really thought she asked me just because we were friends but she was completely flirting with me. I mean, you saw. She was, right?"

"I was pretty surprised myself. I think Heero knows something about it."

"No."

"But you told me..." Duo started.

"I did make a comment to you based on my personal observations, but I have heard from Relena in this matter, in confidence and I cannot tell you anything more than I already have."

"Hmmm." Duo looked down at the table and tapped his lower lip with one finger.

Heero heard the door and he went to answer it. He let in the waiter and told him to go to the table.

The waiter collected the used dishes and tray and put the present order down onto the table. Duo slipped him some money and smiled. Adin sat down in Heero's former seat and Heero leaned his hip against the back of Duo's chair.

Duo said, "I think I know my analysis of the situation, Adin, but considering Relena is also my friend I do not think I should tell you what I think I know."

"But you have to tell me as my friend, what do you think I should do? You see what's happening? I mean, you know what I'm talking about, Duo, when other guys walk up to you and ask how you can just be her friend, when you know that she's Relena and has all the titles and that she is a very attractive woman, and you explain that she is just your friend, you just think of her as the girl who is your friend..." Adin sucked in a breath, "and she's messing with the whole system!"

"Right, because you already care about your friends, and when your friends start hitting on you..." Duo shook his head, "Well, either you can feel the same way or you can't, but even if you can, you have to wonder if you want to risk loosing them if the new relationship goes bad."

"Thank you! Exactly! I am trying to be... a friend. And she's.. .she's pushing, Duo! You didn't see what she was up to after you left the second time last night. I like her... but..."

"How much do you like her?" Heero asked.

Adin just groaned.

"He's never been with a girl before," Duo informed Heero.

"I thought you were bi, like Duo."

Adin was still busy glaring at Duo.

"He's bi, but he's not quite like me," Duo said. "You know how there's a scale... well, no, I don't suppose you would know."

"Duo, I know. Just because I figured out that I have no interest in having sex with women does not mean I do not understand the theories behind gender preference in general."

"You do understand I was teasing you?" Duo asked. "You are so fun to bait, Heero, do you really want me to give it up just because you are my boyfriend?"

Heero shrugged.

Duo looked up at Heero and winked. "Anyway, Dear Adin here does like girls very much. I like girls too, but I think my particular history would demonstrate that my preferences lie in that 'decidedly male, but not too butch' category; the girls I like all have some androgynous quality, like being boyish or very strong or being able to kick my ass or wanting to fix things all the time." Duo laughed.

"Aa... so, you are saying that Adin is bisexual but that his preferences do lean more toward the female side?" Heero asked, looking at Adin.

"Oh, totally. The boys Adin likes are pretty femme. And, uh, that's why you've seen me confused before... because you do not seem to go for very femme boys and Adin does... and," Duo seemed to pause for effect, "You are both attracted to me."

"Not actively," Adin said flatly, "You know it is more like I find your appearance attractive while I desire to be your friend."

"It's OK. Heero knows we're just friends. You can say you like how I look."

"I think your point is that Adin finds you 'femme,'" Heero told Duo.

"Yeah. And you don't."

"You don't?" Adin asked.

"I do not see it. I certainly have nothing against people who are male being attracted to people who are feminine, and label it as freaky and Colonial if you like, but I find Duo to be a very masculine person, and... I am very much attracted to him."

"Well, there is something to that," Adin admitted. "What is 'masculine' to a Colonial might very well include what an older or Earth-based definition of masculine excluded. The things that make me think of you as a bit femme, I never said very, might be 'masculine' from Heero's point-of-view."

"I never thought of it that way. I just had issues because there were people who called me a girl, but if I really think about it... the things I do, or how I look... there are so many men in the Colonies that are the same as me. Well, not exactly like me, but you know what I am trying to say."

"Then why would you...?" Heero started.

"The Alliance still had some people traveling between Earth and the Colonies, for various reasons. My father was a civilian employee with the Alliance Space Forces, but he was from Earth. I mean, that makes sense. The Colonials were the ones revolting, so they didn't want to hire Colonials if they could help it. He was an engineer and they often moved him around to various resource satellites and tamed asteroids. I guess he met my mother along the way."

"I see, so, only a first generation Colonial on your father's side," Heero said. That influence might make Adin think differently about some things.

"Did you know Heero actually grew up mainly in this Colony?" Duo asked Adin.

"I had heard. I was here as a child, but we still moved around a lot when my father had work. That's how Oder and I ended up on MO V."

Heero shook his head.

"Where Romefeller was building 'Gundams' of their own, even though it was a bit late in the war to make a difference and security was poor enough that two civilian kids managed to steal several of their models."

"Security was not really poor. Though, the people working there were happy to see those Gundams fight to defend the people on the tamed asteroid. Romefeller was collapsing and the White Fang wanted MO V and the factory. But, as much as they disliked the Alliance or OZ or Romefeller, no one there thought joining White Fang would make things better."

"That was kinda my thinking," Duo said.

"Besides, you were just a civilian kid who stole a Gundam, too."

"That I was."

"I did not steal my Gundam."

"Yeah, you just stole parts from mine."

"Well, you were going to take Wing to use for parts."

"You just left it lying there on the bottom of the Pacific. Finders keepers, losers weepers."

Heero glared.

"Hey! When I realized you were the pilot I rescued you and I helped you salvage the Gundam and I would have sold you parts at a really fair price if you had just taken a hint and asked!"

"Sell? You would have sold me parts? I never heard this before!"

"Um..." Duo laughed nervously. "the Gundams wouldn't have been so messed up if you hadn't launched torpedoes at both of them! And it's not like those parts are easy to get. Even if I could have stolen some from Romefeller's factories or Alliance bases, Gundams are not exactly like other mobile suits. Some of that stuff has to be machined. Money helped convince the machinists and techs to help The Cause when the Alliance seemed to have all the power."

"It was selfish of me to try to end it all then," Heero admitted. He felt Duo stand and slip arms about him. "I was not even thinking of The Cause then. Mission failed... I wanted the Gundam gone and I wanted to be gone. You rescued us both and convinced me to keep fighting."

"Glad I did," Duo said.

"I am glad you did, too. Arigato, Duo."

"Mmmm."

"You taste like strawberry jam."

"You don't know what I taste like."

"Monday. I want something to look forward to if I have to let you leave today."

"Call me."

"Mmmm. I will keep my phone with me all the time."

"Me too."

on to chapter 48

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