Chapter Text
"I think you should give up your lease."
Duo turned to Heero, his eyes aflame for a long second before he reacted.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"
"I want to live with you."
"We're on an open mic, you idiot."
They were ducked behind a partial wall, currently in the middle of an exercise at the Preventers training facility. Though they weren't partners at work, they were encouraged to mix up who they paired with for a certain percentage of skills exercises. The idea was to ease agents into working with someone other than their full-time partner. At the moment they were proving on a scoreboard exactly how good a team they made.
And they were a terrible team.
Heero was utterly distracted starting even before the skills test, and his inability to concentrate put Duo on edge immediately. From the very first few minutes of the exercise there was nothing but frustration pulsating off the American. So far Duo had to drag Heero into cover, pull him out of the line of fire, and yell at him multiple times, giving orders to pay attention to their surroundings. Trowa and Wufei were constantly sitting pretty with the upper hand, and Duo, sick of it, demanded to know why Heero's head was in the clouds.
The reason he gave made zero sense to Duo. When blue eyes told him Heero was telling the truth, and he really was distracted by thoughts of moving in together, Duo felt his blood boil. And Heero, true to himself, didn't appear fazed at all by how angry he made his partner. He spoke evenly and softly, with a level of conviction he lacked throughout their war game.
"I don't care if it's an open mic. I know what I want, and only our friends are up in the control room observing at this hour. Besides, I've been shot."
Duo's jaw dropped a notch.
"You think I'm gonna say yes and cohabitate with you because you've been shot during this thing?"
Heero worked his best and most effective wide-eyed stare.
"No, but it's worth a try for that pity yes."
His tactic was unsuccessful. Duo was visibly more annoyed.
"Wow. That's low, Heero."
"I know what I want."
"Yeah?"
"I want to come home to you. And I want to wake up with you. Even when we're having a hard time."
His words earned him another glare from violet eyes. It may have been a trick of the light, but he thought, perhaps, those eyes were softening just a little. He was making progress.
"Open. Mic. Ro."
The way Duo growled his words and tightened the grip he had on his weapon signified maybe he hadn't made a lot of progress.
"The open mic doesn't change what I want."
"Maybe you should want some medical attention. You sure you're not actually hurt?"
They both knew he couldn't be. In training their gear had sensors and the guns had a close approximation to appropriate recoil. The only thing fired were non-lethal pellets that registered a hit with issued body armor. The sick part of the deal was if you over-extended yourself after taking a hit, an unpleasant shock would remind you not to use a certain arm, or to limp accordingly. It was meant to mimic true injury. In reality it was simply annoying, especially to anyone who knew what it was like to actually be shot.
"I'm not hurt. I'm being serious. Move in with me or...."
"Or what? Or else?"
Threatening Duo was not part of the plan. It would be the opposite of productive. He, and everyone he consulted about this moment, knew that.
"No. Or... we can find a place together that we both like."
Duo looked over his shoulder, searching for signs of their temporary enemies.
"What we need to find is a doctor for you. I'm pretty sure based on this conversation that you gotta concussion you haven't told me about." He turned back to Heero. "Did ya fall earlier? I don't see any dilation of your pupils..."
"Move in with me."
That fire was back in Duo's eyes and Heero saw Shinigami peeking through.
"Is that a fucking command?"
"No."
"You say it like a command."
"It's a request."
"And now's the time to talk about this?"
"Yeah. What if I die and you never agreed to live with me?"
Duo turned away, once again anxiously peering over his shoulder for their opponents. He hadn't heard movement since shortly after Heero started their untimely conversation. He hadn't heard shots, either. The silence was unnerving. They were up to something, and it was written all over Duo's face as he checked for signs of Trowa or Wufei how the situation made him feel preyed upon.
"You're not dying, you jackass. You got shot in the arm. In the Preventer's training deck. With a non-lethal pellet. You might, maybe, have a tiny bruise. Maybe. A big maybe!"
With the resistance Duo was putting up to his suggestion, Heero decided to take things up a notch. His voice dropped, and his tone became earnest and serious.
"Please. I love you. I want to build a life with you. Move in with me. Break your lease and tell your perfect landlord you're moving in with the love of your life."
Slowly Duo turned to look back at him, ignoring whatever voice told him an enemy was somewhere over his shoulder, hidden from sight, waiting to strike. If Heero hoped to win him with those words, he quickly found out through Duo's sarcastic tone that it wouldn't be quite that easy.
"The love of my life?"
"Hai."
"You sure are confident with where you stand."
"Hai."
"Are you sure you're not actually hurt and suffering blood loss? Could be internal. Need I remind you that Sally is listening to this incredibly personal conversation? I can request her services."
It was time for Heero to bring out the big guns. While he planned this strike, he dutifully made certain to have an ace up his sleeve. As a child, Odin impressed on him the importance of thorough planning. Later, J would insist he keep some kind of surprise for when he was eventually caught in a bind. His mentors hadn't failed him in this regard. Not yet.
He'd rehearsed this.
He was prepared for this.
He hoped he got it right because he was very much out of his comfort zone.
"Duo. Mi cielo. Eres el amor de mi vida."
He saw his baka totally freeze. There was emotion he couldn't read in those eyes he so loved. It was affirming to know he could still totally take his partner by surprise. A long couple of seconds passed before Duo spoke.
"¿Cómo?"
That breathlessness in Duo's voice confirmed for him his words and gesture had the impact intended. And thankfully, in his copious research, he made a list of all the responses Duo might have. At least the ones he could think of. And then he'd translated them. And memorized them. He hit the mark, and recognized the request to repeat himself.
"Eres el amor de mi vida."
The resolve in Duo visibly crumbled, though his weapon did not drop.
"Fuck, Ro. How can I say no to that, you bastard?"
"You can't."
"Fuck. Fuck! You outmaneuvered me. How did you get the upper hand and when did you pick up Spanish?"
"I'm just that good, and I only learned to say what's important. You said it was probably your first language and I thought you might pay more attention if I used it. So why are you still hesitating to say yes?"
Duo dropped eye contact and stared at the ground. His brow crinkled and his astonished smile curved into a slight frown. He looked pensive. It didn't worry Heero at all to see his partner like that. He was winning, after all. Duo even admitted it. He felt his victory at hand.
"There's a lotta logistics to figure out, if I did somethin like that. Can't up and break a lease."
"Sure you can."
"No, I can't. Thing is... I don't have one."
This was not part of Heero's meticulous planning. And he realized, suddenly, that only an idiot wouldn't think to research if Duo's building was owner occupied or rentals. He had so many thoughts, but none articulated.
"Huh?"
"It's a condo, Heero. Not an apartment. I own the place."
"What? Your perfect landlord is you?"
Duo chuckled, though he obviously didn't mean to.
"Don't sound so surprised. Most landlords are shit. Of course a perfect landlord would be the owner-occupant."
"I just—"
"You know I'm capable of being a responsible adult, yeah?"
"It's not that, I only—"
"Heero. If I agree to live with you, will you shut up and let me get us out of here with our score and rank intact?"
Heero was elated by those words. He was finally getting what he wanted. All the weeks back in October that grew into months of trying to figure out how to bring up the topic were crystalizing into success. It was the happiest he'd ever been. Winning the war, stopping the insurrection later... that was nothing by comparison. Those were successes for the greater good. This was personal. This was setting his life up to be exactly how he envisioned it.
Only when Duo's face reacted to him did Heero realize that he'd lit up into a ridiculous smile.
"So you ARE moving in with me?"
"No, cariño. Because you can't seem to shut up."
At that he snapped his mouth closed. Duo's eyes darted over his shoulder for half a second, still paranoid about their surroundings, before returning to his.
"And I said Iive together, not move in with you."
"You want me to move into your place?"
Duo barked out a hollow laugh.
"Don't be absurd. Where would I even put you in a place that small? But I do like my neighborhood."
A warmth spread through Heero. He wasn't hearing no. Duo hadn't turned down living together, only moving into one of their places. He could work that that. He had a contingency plan for that.
"Your neighborhood is very nice. I like it, too."
"I'll think about living together."
"Don't take too long to think this time."
Duo quirked an odd and questioning grin at him.
"Says who? Mr Falls Off The Grid For Seven Weeks because he needs to figure his shit out?"
"It worked, didn't it?"
"All the more reason for me to have however much time I need. But at least I have the courtesy to tell you what I'm doing instead of droppin off the fuckin planet."
"Like you did for four years?"
It was a cheap shot, and he knew it. Duo shut up, and Heero realized belatedly that while he was right, he was also out of line considering he'd already forgiven Duo for his disappearance. They'd never really move forward if he continued to hold the years he went underground over his partner's head. Forgiveness meant letting the past go and learning from it, not using it as a weapon.
"Sorry, love."
Duo shook off whatever mood he was in and secured his weapon once again. He'd temporarily eased up his guard when Heero hit him with that accusation. His voice, when he spoke, was dejected.
"Yeah, whatever. It's fine. I deserve it."
"You don't deserve it. Not at all. Not after we've worked past it and grown together. Forgive me. I really am sorry."
"Whatever, Ro. We're good."
His tone warned Heero to move to another subject, and he complied.
"You know I wouldn't be asking to live together if I thought you didn't want it, too, right?"
"Weren't you supposed to shut up?"
Heero smiled.
"You love me."
The certainty of his voice softened Duo's eyes.
"Yeah, babe. I already told you that. Baka."
He smiled wider, amused by the turning of tables with that nickname.
"Since when was I the baka, baka?"
"I dunno. If you keep talking and insisting this needs to be decided now, I think maybe the title is yours for good. Maybe we can get Quatre's opinion, since he's also listening to this weirdly personal conversation you feel absolutely must happen right now on an open mic at work."
There was something sublimely satisfying to Heero about the way the open mic bothered his love. As Duo matured over the years it became increasingly difficult to get under his skin and their current conversation was delicious.
"Duo. I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm asking you to move in with me."
He saw how Duo's shoulder's squared, and his posture tensed.
"It kinda feels like you're asking me to marry you."
"Trust me. When I ask you to marry me it won't kinda feel like it. You'll know."
He could almost see the moment Duo's heart skipped a beat. That was also sublimely satisfying and utterly delicious.
"When?"
"When."
"Not if?"
"When."
At long last Duo fully lowered his weapon, stupefied. He let out a breath and leaned his weight against the wall they'd been hiding behind for cover. No small amount of his resistance seemed to release along with that puff of air.
"Shit, Ro. What's up with you today?"
"Move in with me now. Marry me later."
"You sure you didn't hit your head? And who says you're gonna propose to me? How come, in your imaginary future, I don't get to propose?"
"Because I know you. You'll never bring up marriage on your own. I'm not even sure you'd ever really think about it if left to your own devices. One might say you're allergic to the idea."
Anger returned to violet eyes.
"Hey!"
"I'm not wrong. But if you'd like, we can ask Sally and Quatre to chime in."
"No fucking way!"
Giggles sounded in both their earpieces as a familiar voice spoke to them.
"He's not wrong."
Duo turned a shade of red that almost made Heero laugh.
"Oh my fucking god why is this happening? No one asked your opinion, Sally!"
The voice in their ears responded "Heero almost did."
"Are you kidding me right now?" He blew air through his bangs and the hair went flying. "Need I remind you that I'm the only spouse your significant other has? He asked to be my husband, not yours."
"Work husband."
Duo turned to glare at Heero for daring to weaken the point he was making to Sally.
"A work husband is still a husband. How can I be allergic to the idea of marriage when I already accepted one proposal?"
Once again Sally chimed in, this time sounding remorseful in a way that clearly indicated she was anything but. She didn't even try to hide the laughter in her voice.
"Sorry. I wouldn't dream of disrespecting the sanctity of your workplace marriage. As Wufei's piece on the side, I know his heart belongs to you. He'll never leave you for me, and I wouldn't ask him to. Over and out."
Duo's wide and wild eyes pinned Heero in place.
"Fuckin hell, Ro! This is so embarrassing. I know they're in the control tower but I was kinda hoping they weren't, you know, paying attention to our channel." He brought a hand up to run it through his hair. "Oh man, this is so wrong."
"It feels right."
"To you!"
Heero edged a little closer to his partner, not bothering with keeping himself hidden from incoming fire, and Duo automatically pulled his sleeve and positioned him lower. He wasn't even looking, he just absently reached out to make sure Heero was safe. That action didn't go unnoticed, and affection bloomed in Heero's heart. It took him a second to remember what he wanted to say.
"I thought you wanted public declaration of my affection, love."
"Oh screw you, you bastard! You know perfectly well that's not wha—"
"I know, I know. But it's okay, I have it all planned out."
A dark turn entered Duo's voice.
"Is this a joke? Is Wufei in on this? Or is this another bet with Trowa? Oh for fuck's sake are THEY tuned into our channel, too? Did you override the system so they can listen in on us? Is that why we haven't been fired upon?"
A lone shot rang out, and somehow it sounded mocking to all who could overhear.
"Fuckin' hell! Is everyone ganging up on me?"
"Duo, love, no one is ganging up on you."
"Sure fuckin feels like it!"
"As I was saying... I have it planned out. It's a several years long mission to love you and support you enough that you'll want to say yes when I ask you to marry me, because all that reluctance you feel, that byproduct of all your previous experiences, will erode away when you realize I'm really not going anywhere."
For as calm and exacting as Heero's words were, Duo's voice dropped and took on an almost threatening undertone.
"A mission?"
"You know me. It's how I frame tasks."
"I'm a task now?"
"No, you're the love of my life."
Duo squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his temples.
"I always knew deep down you were a little sappy, but Heero 2.0 is next level."
"Duo!"
"Sorry, Ro, but this is kinda a lot. Even for you, even in a move to take the lead in the romance war, this is a lot."
Heero was surprised and a little hurt. From his point of view he wasn't over the top, he was just trying to get a desired outcome. Duo ignored the hints he dropped for several months. So the next step would be an overt, straight on attack. But he never imagined his actions would be construed as a tactic to win their war. It wasn't about being the more romantic partner, it was about taking a step forward in their relationship.
"You think this is a strategic move to get the upper hand in our war?"
"Absolutely."
"Duo!"
"What? You saying you're not the type to create an entire battle plan? For a war, mind you!"
"We joke that it's a war." He didn't hide his unhappiness. "Let's cut the crap. Are you going to move in with me or not?"
"It's entirely unfair of you to put me on the spot like this, with our friends listening!"
"I was tired of you never picking up on my overt hints!"
Duo's face absolutely softened. He looked a little sorry for questioning Heero's motives.
"Listen, first I wanna clarify that I'm not ever accepting another marriage proposal. No fucking way. Once you accept your first, you kinda wanna be the one doin the asking. New experience, and—"
Heero impatiently interrupted.
"You mean you'll be asking me?"
With a tilt of his head, Duo whispered "Never said I've got plans to, just that if it happens, I'll be askin."
That was enough for Heero. After all, the biggest hurdle and variable in his eventual plan to lock down Duo Maxwell was Duo himself. Whether he'd accept a proposal was not something remotely predictable. For all his outward confidence in their relationship, he considered his partner a complete wildcard with marriage. But Duo couldn't turn down a proposal if he was the one proposing.
His mind began shifting gears.
The key to his happiness wasn't getting Duo to say yes, it was getting him to ask for marriage in the first place. He could work with this. Because no matter how Duo asked, his answer would be yes. It would always be yes. It'd been yes for years, even when he was too dumb to realize it. Duo just wanted stability, and marriage was not a requirement for that. They could happily stay together for the rest of their lives without ever signing legal paperwork for it and if that's what Duo wanted, he'd live with that. They didn't need to be legally bound for their love to last.
But Heero discovered, in Duo's long absence, that he wanted everything. And now he realized he should treat a potential marriage the way he should have initially treated Duo's change of employment.
He made his feelings clear. Now he only needed to trust Duo to look within himself and come to a conclusion independent of pressure and guilt. It would be easy to allow that. Duo's prior job scared him, because Heero was deeply worried for his safety. That fear caused him to ask more than once for Duo to speed along his choice, which resulted in tension. Not getting married didn't scare him at all. The idea was disappointing, but not scary. He'd stay by Duo's side either way. He would love him either way.
And that meant no pressure.
The corner of his lips turned upward a notch. Previously he'd not considered being proposed to but he liked that idea. He liked it a lot.
Heero was so suddenly wrapped in his thoughts he almost missed the second part of Duo's answer.
"And as far as the rest goes, I did pick up on at least some of your hints. They weren't as subtle as you seem to believe. Tossing my socks into your hamper? Cornering me about my go-bag? Suggesting I feel comfortable using a drawer at your place? Asking me what I even use my own place for anymore? Complaining when I'm home and not with you?" Heero flinched and Duo caught it. "You know I'm right. You complained quite a lot, maybe not for the average person but definitely for you, whenever I'd leave your place and go to my own. But ya also never came out and said what you wanted so I figured I ought to keep my mouth shut. I mean you're a direct man most of the time. Maybe you weren't even conscious about your overt hints."
That brought Heero back to full attention.
"What?"
"You. Directness. Kinda your thing. Me. Hiding. Kinda my thing."
"But you picked up on it nonetheless."
Duo looked at him like he was the dumbest man alive.
"Of fucking course I picked up on it! But without confirmation it felt like maybe you weren't sure. Testing waters and all."
"When have I ever done that?"
"When you first told me you loved me and didn't use English."
Heero remained quiet. Duo sighed and took pity on him.
"Listen... I know this kinda thing is hard on you, even after all that growth and therapy and shit. So I understand your hesitation. And I'd be lyin if I said livin together wasn't appealing. But I can't be saying yes to that right now, in the middle of this mess. With who knows how many of our friends listening. What if the adrenaline wears off and you change your mind—"
"So you want to."
It was clear that Duo hadn't anticipated being interrupted.
"What?"
"You want to, you just think I don't mean it. That I'm asking because of a chemical reaction happening in my brain during a firefight."
"It's hardly a firefight!"
Heero sighed.
"Duo I've been waiting to ask you to move in with me for months. I wanted you to move in before we even patched things up. When you were missing there were countless days I'd go home and wish when I opened my door you'd be there waiting for me with a bag at your feet and a lock pick set hidden in your hair. I'm asking now because I'm tired of waiting for the right moment, I'm tired of waiting for you to catch on, and I thought you wanted this too." He leaned forward to whisper "And I was right."
After a moment of studying his face, Duo found words.
"Holy shit. You're not lying. You're for real."
Heero nodded.
"You're out for blood in this war to be the more romantic partner!"
He frowned, unamused. And upon seeing that, Duo took on a growing smile.
"You're like... going full Zero System on me! But instead of lookin for your enemies, you're lookin for reasons for me to move in with ya. Are you fucking winning at romance again? Right when I thought I had the upper hand by, you know, growin and junk?"
"What do you think?"
"Fuck. Fuck! You are winning."
"The longer you take to agree, the more you drag this out, the less romantic it is on your end."
Duo nudged their shoulders together.
"Babe, I'm not moving in with you to get some arbitrary upper hand in our romantic rivalry."
Annoyed, Heero didn't hide the hurt in his voice.
"That's right. Because to do that you'd have eagerly agreed the moment I asked, and put in a little effort on your end. You're obviously playing the long game, because if not, it would seem like you don't want this."
"It's not a game, Heero! It's our lives! I mean... fuck this is a game." He gestured around them. "As in what we are literally doin right now in the training deck. But this conversation? Not a game! And definitely somethin we should've done in private!"
"But you still keep score."
Duo glared at him.
"Shut up. Baka."
"Do you not want the same things I do, love?
"I wouldn't mind continuing to not share a bathroom."
Heero frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you never clean the sink at your place and the mouthwash you spit out builds in layers until I clean it." Duo looked up and around them, towards the observation cameras. "Do you hear that, Sally? I know you're still listenin. He's disgusting!"
"That's rich, considering your hair gets everywhere. It's so damn long that each strand is like an entire brush worth. When I sweep you'd think based on the hair caught in the broom I had a pet!"
"If you hate my hair so much why don'tcha just cut it off in my sleep? Give me a reason to hate you, too!"
"I love your damn hair! I never want you to cut it!"
Though their tones were harsh, Duo's eyes were sparkling as much as Heero's. The two of them were having fun together.
In a soft voice, Duo asked "And you really think the two of us, petty as we are, will do well living together?"
"Yes. Immeasurably well."
"How can you be so confident?"
"Because I know you. And I know me. And I've seen how much we've grown. And I'm tired of I missed yous and I want I love yous. And because I'm stuck with you, and I'll always remember that."
Duo raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously? A callback right now?"
Heero nodded once. He saw Duo deflate.
"Fuck. Yeah. Fine. Let's do it. But don't you pull out your phone and start lookin at real estate just yet. We're still, you know, supposed to be gettin shot at by our friends—" he raised his voice "who have conveniently ceased fire the last several minutes. I'm fuckin onto to you, Wufei! Trowa!"
Again, their earpieces activated.
"It was cute."
In a flash Duo was looking back over his shoulder.
"Oh fuck you, Tro!"
"No thanks. I'm very happy with Quatre. Over and out."
Duo whirled back to look at Heero again.
"Do you see what you've done?"
"What exactly have I done?"
"You really did reprogram the comm units! Our opponents damn well shouldn't be able to hear us or talk to us, and they've been listening this whole time? Heero! That means they can't not be involved!"
"I did reprogram the comm units, yes. But technically speaking, Trowa was already involved."
Rage filled violet eyes.
"Are you kidding me?" He whipped back to look over his shoulder, gun back up and ready even though he had no visual on his enemies. Their setup was urban warfare, and all he could see was shells of buildings. "Trowa! Trowa, you son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you in this simulation!"
Heero put a placating hand on Duo's arm.
"Come on, he's my closest friend, my partner, and on top of that he and Quatre succeeded in finding a place of their own that really suits them. Of course I told him I want us to live together."
Through his teeth Duo ground out "But why, Heero, dearest, did you get him and the others involved literally in the middle of this very personal conversation?"
"I just kind of figured you'd resist. When dealing with hostile opposition and a limited window for success, the correct course of action is to call for backup."
Duo slid into a hunched position against the wall, his weapon dropping once more.
"Why's it always the quiet guys who end up doing things the flashiest way?"
"Duo?"
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
Another voice spoke into their ears.
"No, you don't."
Duo shot upright.
"NOIN? Noin is here? When the hell did she get here?"
"Milliardo overheard from Relena—"
"RELENA KNOWS?"
"—and I wanted details. You know how persistent I am. Plus I haven't seen you yet and we're heading back to Mars with your godchildren soon. I figured I'd leave the kids with their father and—"
"Oh my fucking god who isn't on this channel?"
"I just told you. My husband. Because he's with the kids and I didn't want to miss this after I missed everything else that's been going on."
"It was rhetorical, Noin!"
Heero rubbed his hand up and down Duo's arm in a failed bid to comfort the man.
"Don't be upset, love. I told you. Adequate backup for the mission at hand. I simply took precautions."
Anger was all Duo felt. It came in like a typhoon and drenched him to the bone. He was cornered and outnumbered and he did not like that. And for Heero to call this a mission? That cut deep.
"I'm not a mission!"
Noin took that moment to chime back in.
"You're sort of a mission."
"NO ONE INVITED ANY OF YOU INTO THIS CONVERSATION!"
Her voice was sing-song as she repeated Sally's words from earlier. "Heero kind of did."
"EVERYONE JUST GO AWAY!"
Noin didn't sound the least bit hurt by his words. In fact, she sounded quite happy. "Only for a little while. Over and out, street rat. Give Pudding Cup my regards."
A long, loud groan rumbled off of the former Deathscythe pilot.
"Ro, was your plan to embarrass me until I relented?" When Heero remained coy, Duo knew the unspoken answer was an affirmative. He wondered if this was him rubbing off on the Perfect Soldier, or if Quatre had something to do with this newly ridiculous side of the man he loved. It clicked, then, that this was all simply further evidence that Heero changed. He might still use terms like mission and objective, but he was also just a man who was in over his head, reaching out the only way he could think of to get the life he wanted. The life he wanted with him.
Heero... just wanted a life with him.
That anger suddenly evaporated, and Duo sighed.
"Man, this sucks. And I can't believe, on top of everything else, you called me your sky knowing they were listening. It's kinda mortifying."
It was Heero's turn for his brow to crinkle in thought.
"Doesn't that mean heaven?"
"It does, sure."
"Ah. Good."
A short silence fell between them.
"So I'm your heaven?"
"Maybe."
"And the love of your life?"
"Quite possibly."
"How come you're being shy now, when you were so very straightforward before?"
Heero shot him a weak glare.
"I wasn't expecting to be criticized."
"I wasn't expecting you to say anything in Spanish!"
"Did I do okay?"
Heero seemed hopeful, and Duo felt a familiar love warm him.
"You did great, babe. But you have a funny accent."
"An accent?"
"It's cute, don't worry about it."
"Like yours in Japanese?"
"I thought my accent was annoying in Japanese."
"No, it's quite cute." Heero paused in thought. "You know, I can learn more Spanish if we live together."
Violet eyes rolled.
"Oh for fuck's sake I already said yes, you don't need to keep offering more incentives!"
"Just checking."
They sat in a longer, comfortable silence, with Duo temporarily forgetting they weren't alone. Heero took his hand and was met with no resistance. It was a little funny, the two of them in body armor, sitting behind cover in a simulated battle, Duo with a gun loosely held in one hand and Heero's hand in the other. The former Wing pilot had long since ditched his weapon, having orchestrated everything, but Duo wasn't so easy to relax.
"Shit!"
Heero frowned, not at the exclamation but at Duo dropping his hand.
"I just realized Quat's lookin up real estate, isn't he?"
Quietly, Heero smiled and took Duo's hand back.
"No, he's probably just calling his agent."
"Quatre!" Duo was shouting, even though he knew the comm link didn't require more than a whisper. "I know you're listening! Stop right there!"
"Quatre, don't listen to him."
Duo hissed "What?" and Heero glanced around before whispering back.
"We've both seen his new place with Trowa. You can't deny the agent did a great job."
"I'm not paying commission to some agent!"
Quatre's voice suddenly sounded in their ears.
"Don't worry about it, the agent's my sister. She wouldn't dream of charging you, given that you've saved my life a few times over. And she's been looking a few days already. Got started when Trowa told me. Why else would I have asked you what your favorite parts of your current place are? I know what Heero likes, but I wanted to make sure we considered you, too."
Duo's face was red.
"QUATRE! THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!"
"Sorry. But we're not done here, and we'll discuss it later. Maybe over tea? Or doner kabob! Really anywhere so long as you pick the place. Your track record is impeccable. Over and out."
At long last, Duo released his weapon. He turned on the safety with his one free hand, placed the gun softly onto the ground beside himself, and let go of Heero's hand to fully cover his face and hide. The sound of his voice was muffled and crestfallen when he spoke again.
"I give up. Let Trowa and Wufei defeat us. I don't even care about the ranking anymore, or the stats on my record. None of it matters to me. I'm so upset with you. I've never been this embarrassed in my life. And I want to leave. So just invite them to come shoot us and put me out of my misery."
He made a motion to stand, and Heero stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
"Actually... This isn't ranked."
Duo felt his whole world still.
"WHAT?"
"We logged it as a friendly before it began. None of this was ever for rankings. I didn't want to mess with your emotions and your professional standing in one fell swoop."
Dead eyes looked through him as Duo ground out "You're an asshole!" He ripped his hand away. "I'm done. I'm going home."
"Our home?"
"My home, Heero. Let me have a damn evening in peace. Let me sulk over every damn person I know having a grand old time conspiring against me."
The very last thing Duo expected was to hear Wufei in his ear.
"For you, Duo. Not against."
"Fuck you, Chang!"
"No thanks, though half the department legitimately thinks we're married, and thereby fucking, anyway." Duo groaned in agony, only to be ignored by his best friend. "So long as Yuy remembers you're currently my husband, and not his, we'll be just fine. And really? You should be thrilled we all love you enough to take part in this event. It's the closest thing we'll get to a wedding for you two, since you're already married to me, and Sally's right. I'm not about to divorce you. Over and out, sweetheart."
Duo could hear the wink in Wufei's last statement. He still felt cornered, and a lot of other things he couldn't quite place. Most of them weren't good. At long last, Duo stood. Their cover was meaningless. All of it was nothing.
"Can this get any worse?"
Heero grinned at him from the ground.
"Relena could be here."
Duo's eyes flashed with anger, and his entire relaxed stance switched right back into an alert soldier mode.
"She's not, though. Right?"
"I promise she's not." As the tension eased out of Duo's shoulders, Heero ventured to ask a follow up question. "Do you really intend to go home and hide from me? I know this wasn't the best way to breech this topic but I really didn't know what else to do, and I thought maybe a grand gesture—"
Heero's voice cut off when he really looked at Duo.
There was no mistaking the annoyance radiating off the former Deathscythe pilot. Even after giving up his end of whatever semi fight they were in, he was annoyed enough for Heero to understand he'd not get away with his plan without some kind of punishment. Duo was okay with a lot of things, but feeling like his friends were all siding against him always put him close to, if not over, the edge. It was a risky move on Heero's part to recruit their friends but he'd take the consequences like a man.
And Duo? He looked ready to dish out some consequences.
"I intend to leave you here on the ground. I intend to ignore every single person here right now for however long I choose. And I intend to go home, jam my lock so you can't get in, and decompress." His hand flew up when Heero opened his mouth to protest. "AND you are going to leave me alone until I contact you. Because this whole plan of yours sucked, Heero. I played along while letting you know it sucked, I tried to be a good sport, but right now I'm not laughing. It sucked. And I'm gonna say this next part knowing everyone else can hear me..."
Heero swallowed, worried.
"Your whole plan hinged on the idea that if you were up front with me I wouldn't even consider living together. Your plan relied on underestimating me. On everyone, including our friends, underestimating me."
Stricken by the realization that Duo was right, Heero opened his mouth to apologize. Duo's glare, and his hand, kept him quiet.
"If you'd bothered to be direct, I might have been able to tell you that I put feelers out in my own building already. Before I lost all my savings, of course. I learned that a family on the 6th floor with a two bedroom two bath is looking to relocate by the end of next year because their kids are growing fast. And Celia, the nice cat down the hall from me? Her human is going into assisted living soon and her kids want to sell the place to pay for her care. That's a two bedroom, two and a half bath corner unit that needs a lot of remodeling but given we're capable guys I'm sure we could manage if we had to do it all ourselves."
The silence on their comm line was nearly deafening.
Duo's posture changed then, nearly imperceptible but it did. That small movement indicated to Heero that even though his partner was angry, he loved him. The terror inside of him, which started to take a stronger grasp as Duo's increasingly bad mood became more obvious, was held at bay by that little shift.
"Ro, I'm not afraid to live with you. I just wanted us to be in a good spot emotionally before we did. And I wanted this conversation, this intimate and personal conversation, to be private and not used by our friends as a means to make fun of me, or laugh at me, or pressure me needlessly into something I've already been thinking long and hard about, anyway. Back when I had more than adequate financial means to consider this, I was thinking to keep my studio as a home office if we could swing buying a place in the same building."
Heero realized his face must have clearly shown surprise, because the light in Duo's eyes transformed a little, and he elaborated without being asked.
"I've learned I really need a change of scenery when I'm working from home too long. With my place already paid off in full the overhead is negligible, and honestly it's so small they had a real hard time selling it before I swooped in."
"Wait, you own it outright?"
Duo grimaced, feeling the weight of everyone's accusations and assumptions about his finances from before they realized he actually had money. It was still painful when he considered how L2 stereotypes followed him, even corrupting the thoughts of friends who ought to know better.
"Yeah. I bought it cash. Picked a small place that I didn't need to have a loan to buy, something I could swing in a year."
"But how did you manage that?"
The look in Duo's eyes made Heero realize he ought to shut up while he was behind.
"I used to make nearly as much as you, Trowa, and Wufei combined. Is there any evidence I spent my money on frivolous shit?"
"I didn't—"
"After the first year I had more than enough to buy myself that small condo. I found a damn sweet, and largely undiscovered neighborhood. The building had reasonable prices, but the place was so small it may as well have been a joke. I was a single guy making bank, livin outta Preventers' safehouses. It all clicked damn well. My life didn't really have much overhead outside of Elise and the kids. I bought the place so I'd have somewhere to return to. Une said it might ground me to have a home, even if I only showed up a couple weeks a year. She insisted I find somewhere near HQ to root myself, or she'd fire me."
Une told him to buy it.
She forced him to buy a home in the same city they all lived in.
Une.
Heero felt he needed to thank her for that. Though his studio was tiny, it was more than adequate for Duo's single lifestyle, especially because he refused to have a bed or futon. More importantly, he knew that Duo's attachment to his neighborhood was vital in his time alone. He didn't have close friends, but he did grow to form attachments with some of his neighbors. If Une was trying to anchor Duo to one place, she accomplished her mission.
"Sorry, love."
"I'm used to be underestimated, babe."
That hurt. Because Duo was right.
Heero decided to work on making sure no one, not even himself, underestimated his partner again. He couldn't prevent it from ever happening, but he could limit instances. Duo deserved that much. He wanted to say something to that effect, but Duo kept speaking.
"Anyway, if I keep the studio... my work, and the work I do for fun, wouldn't be messing up our place. The specs for my next bike won't litter the dining table for weeks or months on end. Because you know I learned from Howard and as much as I'm comfortable designing digitally I really do enjoy having something tangible to hold onto and sketch on. And it would mean our second bedroom could really be a place for guests to stay, and I'd love to offer Howard a proper bed if he's in town. And if we ever got ourselves a kid, and I'm not saying we're gonna, there'd be space in our lives to fit one without having to relocate again."
In spite of his shock, Heero managed to focus.
"You considered us with a kid?"
"Quatre's not the only strategist in our ranks. When making a big decision it's wise to look down the road and consider all the possibilities. It's no different than setting explosive charges. If you haven't considered escape routes, structural integrity, and ease or difficulty of rebuilding, you're not gonna get an optimal result."
Heero was speechless, and Duo grinned at him wickedly.
"Didn't think I'd be so grown up, did ya? Once again it's shocking to see Duo Maxwell of all people thinking like an adult and actually planning for the future, yeah?"
"Duo, I—"
"I'm real mad ya felt ya had to take somethin as personal as living together, as personal as the very idea of marriage down the line, and make it into a damn comedy."
"Duo—"
"Shut it, Heero!"
He obeyed the command.
"If even one of you thought of me as an adult and not an impulsive child, you all wouldn't have gladly pulled together as a team just to embarrass me and make me feel like shit! I don't even remember the last time all of you got together, so doin it for this? That's low. And it's dirty. And it hurts me."
He wasn't sure what would happen next until Duo moved. It was casual, but Heero knew just as well as Duo did where Preventers observation cameras were located, and he understood his partner just shifted his face out of their line of sight while also blocking him from the cameras. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Duo brought a finger up to his lips to indicate a request for continued silence.
Heero's heart picked up pace in excitement, conditioned to believe only good things came out of Duo making that gesture. This was a game Duo played, one that only ever ended with them getting emotionally closer to each other. No part of him believed anything bad would come next. If Duo began this game now, it meant he was forgiven of his sins. He watched closely as his partner began to silently mouth words for only him to see.
"I'm angry as hell and I want them to feel real guilty."
Heero contained a measured smile. Then Duo spoke out loud in a hard voice.
"Did you really think this was a good idea? What part of you thought your idiotic plan would make me swoon?"
Heero remained quiet, because Duo still held up that gesture, that order. Then he silently mouthed once more.
"Maybe Noin won't punish me with diaper duty if she feels bad."
Heero's shoulders shook lightly, indicating he was withholding a laugh. An evil look signaled Duo was going to use his voice again. He sounded very angry when he did.
"Really? Nothing to say? Silence from you, again? I thought you'd evolved to speak. I thought we were past this!"
Duo gestured for him to say something, and he fumbled with an apology that was equal parts genuine and acting.
"I... I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'd never set out to hurt you. I'm sorry. I only wanted—"
"Shut. Up." Duo's voice was dripping with venom. "I'm not in the mood for excuses."
Knowing the others could only listen and not see what was going on almost made Heero want to break cover and give their friends a sign that this anger from his partner was a front. It was bizarre seeing Duo looking mildly amused while his voice was full of rage. He could only imagine how awkward it must be for their friends who would only hear Duo seemingly rip into him.
The silent words resumed.
"We'll talk tonight. I love you. I'm furious. This is barely funny right now, but we'll laugh about it for years once I'm ready. Asshole."
The way Duo's eyebrows shot up on the word years to emphasize it gave Heero extra assurance they'd be okay. He understood he made a mistake. Duo was right when he said directly having a conversation would've been the correct course of action. But one blunder wasn't going to break them. And Duo was up to something.
Without a sound, Heero formed the words "I love you. More than you'll ever know."
A flicker of affection in Duo's eyes, coupled with a softening of his facial features, spoke volumes. He mouthed the words "Don't pull shit like this again" and received a small nod in reply.
Cracking his knuckles, Duo spoke again with his voice while lowering his hand to signal it was okay to speak freely.
"Don't sulk, Yuy. It's unbecoming. You obviously know you fucked up, even if your intentions were good. But we can't be going around causing incidents of friendly fire like this. Teasing about something silly or in the past, and dog-piling on something serious and in the present, are very different things."
Heero was beaming, but no one other than Duo could possibly know. The use of his surname would raise alerts among their friends that Duo was exceptionally angry. They were now firmly playing Duos' game, but this time with an added goal he wasn't quite certain of. In his mind, there had to be more to this than just making their friends feel guilty for trapping him. If he knew Duo, and he was very certain he did, his baka was making up some kind of plan on the fly. Something that would allow him to move on quickly from his legitimate hurt.
"Lick your wounds and I'll talk to you later. This was a real dick move, and not the type I enjoy."
Then he shifted his eyes to one side and back, signaling where the nearest camera would be, and Heero understood Duo meant to move and place him back into visual range. He shifted his features into worry and guilt, ready to play along for the cameras.
Duo stepped to the side and turned his head to address the area at large, glaring at a camera now in his line of sight. "And none of you traitors better follow me, ya hear? I need time to myself. I love you all, a hell of a lot. I know you meant well and this is all because you care about me. But every one of my closest friends assuming I can't be a mature adult really hurt my pride, yanno? I need time."
As Heero watched and listened, it occurred to him that Duo was telling the truth throughout his game. He acted well, with the rage and pain in his voice, but his words were honest. Still never tells a lie was all he could think. Some things never changed, and for that he was grateful. They'd all grown up a lot, but Duo was still the same wonderful person he fell in love with so many years earlier. More experienced and a lot more weary, but the same, nonetheless.
He resolved to continue his role in Duo's plan and sell their friends on a true argument. He wouldn't go over the top and lead them to think a breakup was inevitable, that would be cruel. He'd just omit the part where Duo forgave him and leave in the part where his love was rightly angry and hurt.
After all, the look in Duo's eyes as he hid them from the cameras told him they wouldn't be left hanging for more than an hour or two.
Duo quietly removed his earpiece and tossed it to Heero. Then he turned and made a show of storming out. It was still early in the day, and he had every intention of guilting Quatre into footing the bill for a large dinner or late lunch with all his friends in attendance. It wasn't often so many of them were in the same place at the same time. He was excited for the memories they could all make together. Something other than the embarrassing fiasco at the training deck.
Noin would have to grab Zechs and the twins because he still needed to meet his godchildren. He wasn't sure where an appropriate venue could be given the children's presence and their young age, but Quatre would solve that easily. Whether he hosted at his estate in the country or rented out an entire restaurant, he'd arrange a perfect gathering. It's just what he did.
Une and Nico would need to be invited as well.
The Director was right when she recently told him how being more separated from his personal life made it easier to for him to talk to her, and he felt it well past time to welcome her into the fold a little more. He could talk to her regardless of how entwined she was in his friend group. Une stood by him faithfully, especially when she broke their contract and refused to extract him from the hospital after Quatre found him. As angry as he was at the time, and as angry as he was that she gave away his personal contact information to the guys without his consent, allowing them to catch him before his escape, her act of betrayal changed his life for the better.
She wasn't trying to hurt him at all. Just like everyone who cornered him in the training deck, she wanted him to have a life again. She wanted him happy. They all did. There was something truly beautiful about that.
For just a moment, with all this scheming, he really was the center of the world.
Duo struggled to hide his smile until he was no longer visible in cameras broadcasting to the control room. He could feel Hilde's presence, laughing at him and telling him that his friends made a liar out of her. It wasn't one of the times that thinking of her made him sad. It was one of the times that thinking of her filled him with love.
How could he stay mad at anyone when feeling loved was the result of their misguided actions?
They were idiots, sure. But they were his idiots.
As he left the building, he thought about Une. He also thought about her order all those years ago to publicly execute him. That order changed his life for the better, too. Without his very publicized execution order, Heero never would have come to kill, and ultimately rescue, him. Seeing his cell door open to reveal Pilot 01 was a total surprise. It was also the very first time he felt maybe there really was something more to the Wing pilot, and that he wasn't just imagining a softer side to the guy.
When 01 didn't pull the trigger, it solidified his tentative partnership with 02 into something reliable and steady.
Duo knew they may still have become close allies without that particular prison break, but as history was written the story of their lives really began the moment Heero looked him in the eyes, changed his mind, and decided to save him rather than kill him. Before that moment, Duo made his intentions clear. He made it obvious that he wanted to be friends with his fellow Gundam pilot. But Heero kept his intentions hidden until he rhetorically asked Duo if his hand was okay, and then tossed him a gun.
Though it was unwitting, Une began 01 and 02 on the road to a true partnership. She deserved to be included when the extended gang got together.
He also decided that he'd quietly invite Relena to this last-minute shindig, for Heero's sake. The odds of him willingly inviting her to any intimate gathering were next to none, but in a bigger group it would be easier to avoid her, and he knew how much the gesture would mean to his partner. He was willing to sacrifice a few things if it made Heero happy.
Plus, there was a silver lining to her. He enjoyed how obvious it was the last time he saw Relena that she desperately wanted his approval. The woman was practically walking on eggshells around him. He terrified her, because she was still convinced if they didn't become friends, it would somehow mean an end to her friendship with Heero. Obviously, he'd never demand something so ridiculous, but what Relena fucking Peacecraft didn't know couldn't hurt.
She'd never win his favor, not a damn chance. The sun would freeze over before that happened.
But he sure as hell would enjoy watching her try.