Title: Epiphany
Warnings: AU, shounen ai, some strong language
Spoilers: None
Second place story in the Moments of Rapture Fall 2003 contest.

Epiphany by Mookie

Prologue

"Sure you don't want any?"

Heero shook his head as he carried his dirty dishes to the sink. His roommate picked up his mug and walked to the window, kneeling on the padded bench as he did every morning.

"Looks like it's gonna be a scorcher," he commented.

"Hmm," Heero agreed, frowning slightly at a stubborn bit of egg on his dish. He scraped it with a soapy fingernail, then rinsed it and placed it in the dish rack on the counter. He walked to his bedroom, digging the dried yellow yolk out from under his fingernails.

"I can't believe you haven't walked into a wall yet," the other boy commented without turning around. Heero couldn't see his smile, but he could hear it, that light teasing tone that was as familiar to him as his own hands.

He'd been rooming with Duo Maxwell since their freshman year of college. Heero had been surprised to discover the name of his roommate that first day, not because it was unusual, but because it didn't match the name that had appeared on his orientation paperwork. Duo had noticed his look of confusion right away and nodded in understanding.

"Ah," he said, "I'll bet you're wondering why I'm not Quatre Winner," he said. "Seems that Winner got into a single, and I'd been on the waiting list for a room in this dorm, so here I am!" he announced.

"Then you're an engineering major?" There were two freshman dorms, one on each side of the campus. Heero's and Duo's was closest to the technical buildings on campus, so it was a reasonable assumption.

"Ah, well, yeah," Duo had said, scratching his head under the dark baseball cap he wore. "Yeah, that's my declared major, at least for now. M.E., to be exact. You?"

"Double major," was all Heero offered. Duo looked at him expectantly, but he didn't offer more than that.

"Any preference on which side of the room you want?" Duo didn't seem bothered by the lack of information.

Heero shook his head, and Duo threw himself on the bed closest to the window, bouncing slightly. "Good!" he enthused. "Because I like the window!"

Heero placed his own duffel bag on the bed nearest the closet, then proceeded to remove his clothing and place it in the nearby dresser.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Duo said. Heero started slightly, having not noticed Duo had even moved.

"I talk," Heero said. Duo raised an eyebrow at him. "When I have something to say, you'll know it," Heero added. Duo laughed. Heero turned toward the sound, and his jaw dropped slightly as Duo removed his cap and threw it on his desk. A rope of hair fell down Duo's back. Heero wondered at the physics of it. How had Duo managed to keep that mass of hair under such a small cap?

Duo turned to him then, but Heero had recovered from his surprise and was methodically placing pencils and paper on his desk.

"I, ah, there's a story behind all this," Duo hedged. Heero shook his head.

"I didn't say anything," he pointed out. Duo nodded in agreement. "No, you didn't," he said.

"It's none of my business how you choose to wear your hair, or why," Heero continued.

"No," Duo agreed. "But most people -"

"I am not most people," Heero said firmly, shutting the desk drawer and turning to Duo.

"I'm glad," was all Duo said, and he grinned.

Part I

Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings.
      --- Jean De La Bruyère 1645-1696, French Classical Writer

Duo, unlike Heero, threw himself into all the mixers that were intended to provide first year and transfer students the opportunity to mingle outside of class.

"C'mon, Heero," he cajoled nightly that first week. "Maybe you'll meet someone."

Heero shook his head. "I am not here to meet someone," he pointed out. "I am here to further my education."

The night of the luau, Duo pointed out that education really wasn't confined to things like mechanical design, material science, and programming languages. Heero looked up from his homework at that.

Encouraged, Duo said, "there's a human element in everything, ya know. All knowledge comes from what people have learned, right? And furthering that knowledge comes from either experience or other people's experiences. No matter what you plan on doing after college, Heero, there will be some people you have to deal with, and isn't it a good idea to learn about them now? Won't some of these folks represent your future peers, customers, whatever?"

"You want me to go with you," Heero said.

"Well, yeah, duh," Duo said.

"I'm not antisocial," Heero said suddenly. Duo laughed again. He seemed to do that a lot.

"I never said you were, Heero," he said, grinning at him.

"Hmm."

"So, has my charm and charisma won you over yet?" Duo threw an arm around Heero's shoulders.

"I have to finish this logic protocol," Heero pointed out.

"Heero," Duo said patiently. "It's Friday. You have all weekend to do that."

"I don't know how long it will take to complete."

"OK, fine," Duo said, throwing his arms up in the air in mock frustration. "Be that way, my pretty, see if I care!" He blew out his breath in a huff of air, but his twinkling eyes gave away his humor.

"Duo," Heero growled.

"You are SO cute when you're mad!" Duo exclaimed, pinching him on the cheek. "Listen, I don't want to distract you. I know you're really trying to get rid of me to meet up with your secret girlfriend. But if you change your mind... " he left the thought unsaid as he grabbed a towel and change of clothes and headed for the bathroom in the hall.

Heero shook his head, not really annoyed with Duo, and returned to his homework.

An hour after Duo had departed, Heero had completed the assignment and started another, but was coming up with results that were physically impossible. He had as many equations as he had variables, so why couldn't he solve for all the unknowns? He rubbed his eyes tiredly. He could use a break. He'd been struggling with the same problem for too long, and he couldn't for the life of him see where he'd made the error.

He glanced at the clock, and saw the flyer that Duo had left on his desk.

Well, why not?

Heero stood up and stretched, and admitted to himself that it felt damn good to look at something besides pages of quadrille paper. Duo was right about that, he thought. It was ridiculous that they were required to use "engineering paper" for all their assignments. It was easily the most expensive paper in the bookstore, Duo had complained.

What had Duo been wearing when he left? He was pretty sure he'd have remembered if Duo wore something in keeping with the luau theme, like a bright Hawaiian shirt or something of that nature.

Heero looked in the closet at his own modest wardrobe and shrugged. Did it matter?

He showered and changed into a pair of worn jeans and a button down shirt. He rubbed at his hair vigorously, and left it. It would do its own thing when it was dry anyway, so he'd learned long ago not to bother trying to tame it.

He slid his student ID and the key to their room into his pocket and headed across the campus.

It was a good hike to reach the quad where the luau was, but Heero didn't mind the exercise. It felt good to get out and move. He hadn't realized how stiff he was from sitting hunched over his desk all day.

It was supposed to be a dry event, but as Heero approached, he saw a couple of kegs hidden rather conspicuously near the trees that edged the quad. Heero debated the wisdom of that, but decided that it would cause quite a stir if every student present were punished for the actions of a few. It would be different if the drinking were confined to a room or a dorm, but the entire freshman class could not be held culpable should campus security discover the kegs.

He took the opportunity to observe the students as they mingled. Mixers. He supposed the name was accurate. Some were already hanging all over each other, although Heero was unsure if it was due to alcohol or hormones. Maybe a bit of homesickness.

Heero wasn't homesick. He hadn't really felt at home in a while. As he told Duo, he wasn't antisocial, it was just that things had started to bore him. He had little patience for frivolity without purpose.

In the short time he'd known Duo, however, he knew that his roommate possessed a balance between purpose and enjoyment. He liked that. If he were sharing quarters with someone who seemed to do nothing more than party all the time, he would probably request a transfer as soon as one was available, but Duo wasn't like that. Duo was already participating in class discussions, and sometimes his comments seemed a bit irreverent, but they were always relevant to the topic at hand. It was interesting that Duo had a technical major, because he seemed to have a very literary bent to his personality.

Heero very much appreciated that aspect of Duo's personality.

He ventured a bit closer to the heart of the party, and noticed a throng of people gathered about a single individual. He automatically assumed it would be Duo at the center, because he could see his roommate attracting that kind of attention, but as he grew nearer, he saw a bored looking blond instead.

"Quatre, Quatre," one of the students was saying, tugging on the blond's sleeve to get his attention.

Ah, Quatre Winner, the boy who was originally slated to be Heero's roommate. He should have made the connection before. The Winner family was known for its largess in the community, and the size of the family. Quatre was the only male, and therefore obviously the family heir. Certainly the type to attract the ingratiating attention that was being showered on him at present.

Heero noted the bored expression on Quatre's face with interest. It seemed as if he was almost unaware that there was a group of students slobbering for his attention. He didn't encourage a single one of them, and yet it was as though none of them noticed his disinterest. Heero found that the most interesting thing of all.

He slipped past the blatant sycophants and surveyed the crowd in search of a familiar brown braid.

"Hi!" chirped a female voice as a slender figure approached him. Heero raised an eyebrow in greeting.

"My name is Relena Darlian," she said, extending a hand. Heero stared at it for a moment and then flicked his eyes back to hers. She didn't seem offended, just dropped her hand and smiled at him.

"A bit overwhelming, isn't it?" she said with half a laugh.

"Perhaps," Heero replied. Then his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Yes," she sighed. "Yes, THAT Darlian."

Governor Darlian was running for reelection this year, and he was making many appearances throughout the state. He had been a guest speaker at Heero's high school graduation. Heero recalled that the man seemed very passionate about his platform, but he was not so rude as to use the commencement as a forum to sell himself to all the newly eligible voters. Heero had respected that, even if he thought the man was a bit naive in some of his views.

"Parties of this size are nothing after you've been to a government function," Relena said almost apologetically. Heero nodded in agreement, but his eyes didn't meet hers.

"Oh!" she said. "I'm sorry! Are you meeting someone here?"

"Hmmm."

"HEERO!" Duo's jubilant voice greeted him. His strides ate up the distance as he strode towards Heero and Relena. When he joined them, he took Relena's hand in his own and bowed over it, then grinned at her cheekily.

"Miss Darlian," he said with exaggerated formality. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Duo Maxwell, at your service." He glanced at Heero. "I see you've met my roommate."

"Yes," Relena smiled. "I have." She looked at Heero meaningfully, then smiled at Duo and excused herself politely.

"It was very nice meeting you, Heero," she added with a wink, just before she disappeared into the crowd.

"Heeeeroooo," Duo said with a suggestive wink, slapping the dark-haired boy on the back. Heero shook his head, the corners of his lips quirking up slightly. Duo laughed.

"I didn't expect to see you here, man," he said. "Come on, let me introduce you to some people... "

Heero had only planned on staying a short time, but Duo had flitted from one person to the next, dragging Heero with him without making it look like that's what he was doing. Heero appreciated that, but even more, he found that he was enjoying himself. Duo was quite entertaining with his rapid speech and humorous observations about campus life and various pop culture references.

Duo nudged Heero's shoulder as a group of people walked by them on their way back to their dorm.

"Don't look now," he said. "It's the Winner Groupies."

"Quatre Winner," Heero said.

"Antisocial little shit," Duo muttered under his breath, but Heero heard him.

"How so?"

Duo stared at him as though he'd grown an extra head.

"Heero," he said, in a tone of voice that implied that he thought Heero's question was ridiculous. "Come on. First, the guy can't wait to get moved to his OWN room, like far be it from him to associate with the little people, right? And LOOK at him," he said, pointing to the retreating gaggle of students. "He doesn't give them the time of day, and they are fawning all over him. What is with him, anyway?"

Heero looked at Duo. A few thoughts were swimming through his head, but finally he just said, "but you are my roommate as a result of his actions."

Duo grinned at him, all signs of disgust gone. "Then perhaps I should send him a fruit basket to thank him!"

Duo was already abed as Heero climbed into bed that night and clicked off the lamp at the side of his bed.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Are you glad you went to the party?"

Heero thought about it then said, "it was a most jumentous occasion."

Duo was silent for a moment. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not saying something very nice?"

Heero chuckled in the dark.

"I'm buying a dictionary tomorrow," Duo grumbled, throwing a pillow in the vicinity of Heero's head before turning over and going to sleep.

Heero looked at the booklet in his hands with something akin to murder in his eyes, and Duo laughed, rolling over on his back and folding his hands behind his head.

Heero favored him with a dark scowl, making Duo laugh even harder.

"Heero, it doesn't have to be philosophy, you know," he said reasonably.

"Yes, it DOES," Heero groused. "Nothing else fits into my schedule that doesn't have a mandatory prereq."

"Ouch," Duo said. "Well, who knows, maybe it will make you into a professional, a regular 'standup philosopher,' by the time you're done."

"You mean a bullshit artist," Heero smiled.

Duo sat up and blinked at him. "I can't believe you actually saw that movie!"

Heero shook his head slightly and returned his attention to the list of available courses for the following semester. He supposed he could take another course in his major, but he really wanted to get the liberal arts requirements out of the way as soon as possible. If the choices were this bad now, who knew what the college might offer in the fall.

He ended up with two electives instead of one, because the course he wanted to take was full, and priority was given to students with the most completed credits. Even the advanced placement courses Heero had taken didn't give him enough, but he was placed on a waiting list, should a student drop the course in the spring. Duo teased him mercilessly about his choosing economics as one of his electives, but Heero had even less of a choice for that time slot. He could have left the slot open, but he wanted to maintain a schedule of five courses a semester. He hadn't taken all those AP courses just to slack off once he got to college.

"Hey, Heero," Duo said from his bed. "What about number fifteen?"

Heero turned the page in his textbook to look at the question Duo was working on. They were studying for their final exam in one of their "Feel Good" courses, as Duo called them.

Heero rolled his eyes as he read the question again. He'd dismissed it as something that was supposed to provoke conversation, which seemed rather pointless in a written exam.

"Challenge the opinions of one of your classmates about any pertinent topic and present your argument using a minimum of three sources," Duo read aloud.

"I thought the same thing," Heero said.

"Does she really expect us to do this question? She did say all the odd numbered questions, right?"

Heero shrugged. "I don't think she is collecting this assignment, because she wants us to have it as a reference."

"Heero Yuy!" Duo exclaimed. "Are you telling me that you are actually going to take advantage of that fact and... "here he held a hand to his heart dramatically, "NOT finish an assignment in its entirety?"

Heero glared at him briefly. "The purpose of this assignment is to prepare for our exam. The parameters of the exam have been provided on the syllabus, and confirmed during the lecture. This question was intended for a full-year course, and is obviously not going to benefit us or further our understanding of the course content."

"And therefore the assignment is complete, as you see it, with or without this question," Duo said thoughtfully. "Damn, Heero, you have the most logical argument for getting out of homework." He noticed the dark look Heero gave him and held up his hands placatingly. "Kidding, kidding!"

Heero nodded. "I am aware of that," he said, closing the book and putting it on the bed beside him. "I think I am in need of a break."

Duo was up and off the bed like a shot. "I'm with ya, roomie. Let's hit the student union before all that's left is ketchup packs and cold french fries."

They managed to get a couple of cold slices of cheese pizza and sat at a rickety table near the soda dispenser.

"So, think you feel more 'ready for the Wonderful World of College' now that you've had the crash course in adaptation?" Duo asked, biting into his pizza and rolling his eyes at the idea.

"I think the university has overly ambitious goals with the course," Heero commented, eyeing the brown cheese with some distaste before deciding it was edible. "It seems similar to a support group for displaced residents."

"I love the way you talk, Heero," Duo said around a mouthful of pizza. "You don't pull any punches, do you?"

"I don't see the purpose in it."

"Aren't you ever afraid that being so... blunt will make it hard for you to make friends? Influence people?"

Heero scoffed. "If someone must be shielded from the truth, then I do not wish for them to be my friend."

Duo shivered. "Ooh, you sound so menacing when you say it like that. You would make a kickass baddy in a movie, ya know. All cold logic, but honorable, ya know?"

Heero blew the paper wrapper from his straw at Duo, hitting him in the middle of the forehead. Duo howled with laughter.

"And you have deadly aim, too! You ARE the perfect villain!" Duo returned the favor with his own straw wrapper, and the two of them settled into comfortable conversation about movies they'd seen and whether or not the final exam was going to take the full two hours, before heading back to their room.

The exam consisted of two essay questions, and Heero could hear Duo's struggle to tamp down on his snickers as he read the second question.

"Compare and contrast heroes and villains in recent media and how they would hypothetically function in this university as students, assuming they adhered to all policies and regulations herein."

Heero thought he might agree with Duo's assessment that their professor was, indeed, partaking of recreational drugs in her spare time.

The semester break seemed a lot longer to Heero than the summer preceding his college enrollment had, and he wondered at why that was until he was back in his room. He was in the middle of hanging his jeans in the closet when the door opened and Duo entered.

"Yo, Heero," he greeted. "Did I hit you with the door?"

"I'll live," Heero said, stepping from the other side of said door and looking at his roommate for the first time in nearly a month.

Duo walked over to his bed and threw his bag on it carelessly. "Want to get a bite to eat?" he asked, throwing an arm around Heero's shoulder.

"I missed you," Heero blurted out. Duo smiled.

"I missed you, too, Heero," he said softly, then gave a brief squeeze before dropping his arm from Heero's shoulder. "Even if you are an antisocial bastard."

The student union was closed, so they were in the cafeteria facing a choice between cold breakfast leftovers and the doubtful breaded chicken patties and lumpy gravy that lay behind glass. Heero chose to play it safe by choosing a variety of recognizable, if lackluster, breakfast items.

"What do you think?" Duo asked, poking at his lunch once they were seated.

"Well concealed meat byproduct and highly viscous condiments. Breakfast of champions," Heero deadpanned.

"It's not just for breakfast anymore," Duo laughed, then shrugged and shoveled a forkful into his mouth. "Well, the crap shoot begins. Let's see how many bits o' gristle I can find in this most scrumptious of meals!" He took another bite before helping himself to an English muffin from Heero's tray. In return, he plopped half of one of the processed chicken patties on his roommate's plate.

Heero shook his head in amusement, and cut his chicken into slices, checking each one for the aforementioned gristle before lifting one to his mouth.

"Hey, look, Heero, there's your girlfriend," Duo was waving to someone with his fork.

"Eh?"

Relena Darlian noticed the gesture and beamed at them. She said something to the tall young man next to her, and the two of them joined Heero and Duo at the table.

"Milliardo," she said, turning to her companion, "this is Duo," she held a hand, palm up, towards Duo, "and this is Heero." She repeated the gesture. "Gentlemen," she continued. "This is my brother, Milliardo."

"Zechs," the taller boy corrected, nodding to each boy in turn. Relena rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes," she said. "I'm sorry. ZECHS."

"Mind if we join you?" Zechs asked, gesturing to the table with his tray. "My sister has a habit of assuming she's welcome-"

Relena smacked him on the shoulder and Duo laughed. He slid his tray across the table next to Heero's and moved to the other side.

"Have a seat, Princess," he said, gesturing to the empty chair he'd just vacated. Relena scowled at him and Zechs laughed as if there was some private joke as he seated himself across from Duo. His sister plopped into the chair Duo had indicated.

"I didn't know Darlian had a son," Heero commented as he lifted his wilted looking toast and took a small bite.

"Aaaah," Relena said, looking embarrassed.

"Oooh, skeletons in the family closet?" Duo said, leaning forward eagerly. "Do tell!" His eyes flashed mischievously.

"Duo," Heero said, shooting a sideways look at his roommate.

Duo pouted at Heero, but leaned back in his chair. "Sorry," he said, looking anything but.

"It's OK," Zechs and Relena said in unison. They shared a look, and Zechs shrugged.

"It's just... complicated," Relena offered.

"I like complicated," Duo said around a mouthful of English muffin. Heero rolled his eyes.

"I SAW that, Yuy!"

Heero's lips quirked up slightly as he suddenly seemed to find his solidifying oatmeal the most interesting thing in the universe.

"So if family secrets are verbatim -"

"Verboten," Heero corrected.

"Forbidden," Duo said firmly. "'What's your major?'"

Zechs laughed. "Does that line work for you?" he said, ignoring his sister's surprised glances.

"It's not as good as, 'hey babe, what's your sign' but it is marginally better than 'come here often,'" Duo said, propping his chin in his hand.

"You're going to put undue pressure on that ulnar nerve," Heero said, gesturing to Duo's elbow with his spoon.

"Forgive Heero," Duo said. "He's a little bit anal."

"And YOU are orally fixated," Heero said, eyeing the straw that Duo had put in his mouth. Duo stuck out his tongue and chewed on the bit of plastic defiantly.

"Let me guess," Zechs said. "You two are taking Psych this semester."

"Last semester," Duo admitted. "Gotta love Freud."

"Political science," Relena interjected, answering Duo's earlier question. She looked almost miffed that her presence seemed to be forgotten.

Heero's ears perked up and he began asking Relena what her opinions were on several presidential campaign platforms. Relena answered each of them succinctly, but her voice had a rather flat tone to it. Duo looked at Zechs questioningly, but received only a shake of the head in response.

There was a lull in the conversation, and Duo shot a glance at Heero and Relena. Heero had finished his oatmeal along the line and was carefully cutting around the rind of his grapefruit half. Relena was spreading jam on an untoasted bagel.

"What happened?" Duo asked.

Heero looked at him questioningly.

"Did you piss her off?"

Relena smiled. "No, he did not. We have finished our discussion on the relevance of religious beliefs on a candidate in a nation claiming separation of church and state."

"Discussion?" Duo's eyebrows rose. "You call that a discussion? You can't carry on a discussion that quickly."

Heero shook his head. "You can if your arguments are logical and succinct," he said, digging his spoon into the grapefruit.

"Ow!" Duo said, slapping one hand over his eye. "I should have you arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, man, that hurt!"

"If you weren't leaning over my shoulder while I eat, you would have been outside the firing range."

"You're scary, Heero," Duo said. He looked at the couple seated across from them. "But really, he's just a big ol' teddy bear inside, aren't ya, Heero?" He leaned toward his roommate, resting his chin on the other boy's shoulder and batting his eyelashes at him.

Heero stabbed his fruit with the spoon enthusiastically, causing another stream of citric acid to land on Duo.

Duo wiped the juice from his cheek and growled at Heero, who smirked at him.

"I hate you." Duo's struggle to keep from grinning belied his words.

"She likes you," Duo said as he and Heero headed back to their dorm.

"Hmm."

"C'mon Heero, you have better conversational skills than that, what'd ya think of her?"

"She's a nice girl," Heero said, digging into his pocket for his key.

"Nice? Heero, people only say that about ugly chicks."

"Duo, I expect more from you than that," Heero chastised, his eyebrows drawing together slightly. He unlocked the door, and Duo followed him into the room.

"I know, Heero, and I'm sorry."

Heero hadn't meant to imply that Duo was shallow. He just didn't like the idea of anyone being judged by their external appearance. He'd had enough of that at his high school.

Duo dropped to one knee in front of Heero, bowed his head, and braced both hands on the floor. Heero snorted at the display of obsequience.

"Still love me?"

"Get UP, Duo," Heero said, a touch of affection in his voice.

When Heero got to the room where his philosophy course was being held, he seated himself near the door, feeling somewhat better knowing he could flee the room if necessary. Not that he'd ever do something as embarrassing as that, but the very thought of participating in touchy-feely discussions made him edgy. He was reviewing the syllabus for his computer aided design course when he felt a familiar presence and looked up.

"Yo, Heero!" Duo threw his backpack on the desk next to him and plopped into the chair. "Oh, cool," he said. "This room doesn't have those desk-chair one-piece ergonomic horrors!"

It took Heero a moment to recover. "Duo," he began, "I thought-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Duo shrugged. "But then I thought, I have got to hear what Heero Yuy thinks of the Great Minds of Civilizations Past."

Heero blinked. Duo had taken the course because he knew how much Heero was dreading it. He had changed his schedule to help him get through this class...

"Actually," Duo said. "The class I was originally signed up for got cancelled. I'm hoping it will be offered again in the fall."

Heero felt that this explanation was less appealing, but he was glad his roommate was there. He was sure that the class wouldn't be as bad as he'd feared.

They parted ways after class, as Heero had a computer lab and Duo had nothing until after lunch.

"Meet me for lunch, twelve-thirty?" Duo said as they stopped in front of the computer science building.

Heero nodded. "Caf or student union?"

Duo rolled his eyes. "As if you have to ask. Just for that, you're buying."

Heero smirked slightly. They both had meals included in their room and board, although Duo's plan only included two meals a day.

Duo caught the tilt of Heero's lips and stuck out his tongue. "Most important meal of the day, ya know."

"Which is why you never miss it," Heero said smugly.

"Not all of us are masochistic enough to forego an extra hour of sleep just to get breakfast, ya know."

"Twelve-thirty," Heero said. "Shall we synchronize our watches?"

"Asshole," Duo said, shaking his head. "See ya then."

The lab was short that day, because the students had not yet had their first CAD course. They did receive their log-on passwords and a pamphlet containing the school's policies on computer use. Heero glanced at it before stuffing it in his back pocket.

He found Duo seated at a small round table in the student union, drumming his fingers on his book bag and looking around. His eyes lit up when he saw Heero approach.

"Dude!" he called. "Let's bail, OK? I thought maybe we'd eat off campus today."

Heero shrugged and waited for Duo to join him. The two of them walked towards a small pizzeria that was just outside their campus. Heero glanced at his watch to gage how much time he'd have before his next class.

"Listen, Heero, I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Dicks," Duo muttered. "Nothing. Well, not nothing, obviously, just... fuck."

"That sums up the situation nicely," Heero said.

Duo gave a bark of laughter. "Would you believe I'm not really sure myself? I just saw... I don't know. I just felt like they were staring at me, and they weren't exactly pleased with what they saw."

"We're freshman, Duo," Heero said. "We are the scourge of the entire campus right now. We will become a bit less despicable next year, and then we move up to tolerable when we're juniors. Our level of 'cool' increases exponentially as we advance through the rigors of college life."

Duo's annoyed expression vanished as he laughed. "Only you, Heero, would reduce the social politics to a mathematical expression."

"You OK?" Heero asked.

"Ya know," Duo said. "I am. I really am."

"So what do you think of Une, Heero?" Duo asked over his slice of pizza, referring to their philosophy professor.

"Scary," Heero said. "Her opening joke... "

Duo laughed. "Noooo... " he repeated the punch line of Une's joke in a deep menacing voice. "No."

Heero shook his head. The joke was bizarre, in his opinion. "Hey, Hilde!" Duo yelled at someone on the other side of the glass window they were sitting near. He banged on the window and she looked up, then smiled and headed for the door.

"Heero," he said, when the girl joined them. "This is Hilde, she's in my chem class." Heero nodded in greeting.

"Hilde," Duo said, suddenly serious. "A masochist approaches a sadist and says, 'hurt me, please hurt me.' The sadist looks at him and says," Heero rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming.

"'No.'"

Hilde's brows furrowed. "What the hell are you talking about, Duo?"

"See?" Duo said, slamming a hand on the table and making the cutlery jump. "She's not normal."

"She?"

"Une," Heero said, reaching for a green pepper that had fallen off Duo's pizza.

"She's back?" Hilde said. "I heard she had some kind of break down last year."

Heero grunted. It wouldn't surprise him.

As Duo chatted with Hilde about their first chemistry assignment, Heero looked across the table at his friend, dressed all in black. The contrast between his skin and shirt made him look pallid.

Duo caught his roommate's worried glance and shook his head, motioning slightly at Hilde. Heero nodded and stood up.

"You have class?" Duo said, and when Hilde started to answer in the negative, she realized what Duo was implying and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Man, you're vicious," he complained, rubbing his arm. "Where were YOU, man?" he accused Heero. "You're supposed to be watching my back."

"She hit you on the arm," Heero said, picking up his backpack.

"I don't get no respect," Duo groused. "And see if I let you copy my notes, missy," he said to Hilde.

"I'll see you later, Duo," she said, laughing as the two boys left.

"We on for dinner?" Duo asked.

"Is everything about food with you, Maxwell?" Heero asked.

"It would be if the food were any GOOD, maybe. It's not about the food itself, ya know. It's the whole eating experience."

"Hmm," Heero said. "Real stimulating ambience in our cafeteria, I see what you mean."

"And THAT is why we avoid the cafeteria whenever humanly possible. Admit it, Heero, eating is just as much a social activity as a means of survival."

"I bow to your superior knowledge of group dynamics and interaction."

"Glad we understand each other. See ya in our room beforehand?"

Heero nodded, and watched as Duo raced across the campus toward his next class.

Heero and Duo had one class together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but where Heero had economics, Duo had calculus.

"How come you didn't test out?" Heero asked as Duo locked their door behind them the following morning.

"AP exams cost money, Heero," Duo said. "Besides, this is good for my GPA. I would have hated to dish out the eighty bucks and end up not even getting a full semester out of the deal."

Heero nodded. He thought it was a shame that someone as smart as Duo was unable to get a leg up on his college credits. His own AP exams had managed to get him half a semester ahead. With his full schedule, he would have enough credits to be considered a second semester sophomore come the fall.

"Economics," Duo snorted. "I can't believe you're taking micro."

Duo had signed up for macroeconomics for one of his own electives. He felt about that course the same way Heero viewed his philosophy class.

"The things I do for you," Duo lamented, "and you couldn't even finagle your way into MY economics course."

It was a moot point by now. The previous semester, as they wrote out their new schedules, they'd actually tried to get a few classes together, except neither of them had realized that the school would offer both micro and macroeconomics the same semester when they both signed up for 'economics.' Unfortunately neither of their schedules would allow them to switch to the other section. The school had realized their mistake, and ended up canceling the course that had fewer students enrolled, leaving Heero in microeconomics and Duo with an open slot in his schedule.

"Maybe I'll get one of the phys ed requirements out of the way," Duo had mused.

"Or basket weaving," Heero suggested.

"Interpretive dance!" Duo said. "That's it, I'm hitting the registrar's office straight away!"

In the end, Duo had taken the calculus course in place of the cancelled macroeconomics. He'd taken college algebra the previous semester, but realized he needed calc as a prerequisite for his physics course in the fall, and without the benefit of the advanced placement credits that Heero had, he needed to take the course. It had taken a bit of persuasion to get enrolled in the second semester class since Duo hadn't taken first semester calculus, but when they pulled his high school transcript and saw the AP course, they gave him a questioning look but allowed him to sign up.

Heero arrived early and seated himself in the back corner of the economics course. He preferred to be in the back for his electives, and a bit nearer to the front of the room for the classes that actually interested him. Therefore he had a full view of the room, and saw the moment Quatre Winner entered the room.

The blond was scowling, and looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. His eyes swept the room as if looking for the best seat, and he scowled slightly as he saw Heero. He eyed the seat nearest the door, then the other empty desks, and finally headed for the desk next to Heero. He shoved his books under his chair and crossed his arms on the desk before dropping his head into his arms.

Other students started to arrive and no one paid much attention to the boy who looked like he was taking a nap, nor to the dark-haired one next to him, who was methodically listing all the books he'd need to buy for the semester.

Heero scowled slightly at the list. Duo had a point, he realized. It did seem as though books were charged by the pound.

The professor cleared his throat to get their attention, and Heero put his list away and opened his loose-leaf notebook, removing several sheets of paper before closing the binder and moving it the corner of his desk.

"Samuel Adams?" the professor began role call. Several students snickered, and Heero leaned back in his chair. He was almost always the last name called, so it would be a while. At least the teacher didn't seem to be butchering everyone's name. He hated when attendance took forever because the teacher kept tripping over everyone's surname. Granted, the varied cultural backgrounds at the university made for an assortment of names, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Quatre-" the teacher began, suddenly realizing who was in his class and pausing. Winner raised his hand in the air without lifting his head from the desk.

"And you must be Heero," the teacher said. Heero nodded. Of course he must be. Everyone else was already accounted for, weren't they?

Quatre didn't seem in any hurry to pay attention to his surroundings, and Heero wondered what the hell he was doing there in the first place if he didn't want to learn. Then again, the first day wasn't much more than the standard "here's the syllabus, this is what we'll cover, buy this textbook, and your grade will be based on this" speech that every teacher, without fail, followed.

When the electronic tone indicated the end of the class, Heero waited for everyone to file out of the room. He stood when everyone had gone, and Quatre finally lifted his head and swept his glance over Heero before picking up his books and leaving the room.

"Laundry this weekend?" Duo asked, throwing clothes from one pile to another.

"Hmm," Heero agreed. "Duo, what exactly are you doing?"

"Exactly? That's a tough one. I'm sorting clothes. You know, 'may get a second wear out of' versus 'wash immediately.'" He picked up a shirt and smelled it, then made a face and dropped it into the smaller pile of clothes.

Heero opened the sliding door to the closet, pulled out the laundry basket, and placed it between the two piles of clothes next to Duo's bed.

"You have no sense of adventure," Duo said cheerfully. "So, wanna throw yours in with mine to save a few quarters?"

Heero considered that for a moment, then nodded and headed for the laundry bag that was on the floor of the closet.

"Oh, wait," Duo said, wincing. "Um, I don't suppose that we should maybe wash our drawers separately?"

"You mean undergarments?"

"No, I mean the sliding things in the desk. You know damn well I mean underwear, geez, Heero!"

"You're worrying needlessly," Heero said, upending the bag and shaking the two pairs of jeans, three pairs of shorts, and several pairs of socks into the basket.

"Yeah, but still, how will we know whose socks are... " he realized what was missing from the pile of laundry.

"Heero Yuy," he said. "You don't let anything between you and your Calvin Kleins, do you?"

"Those are not Calvin Kleins, they are Levis."

"So are mine. So what size are you, so I know whose are whose when they come out of the dryer?" He grabbed a pair of Heero's jeans and a crinkle was heard. "Oooh, what's this, Heero? You didn't empty all your pockets. This a note from your girlfriend?"

"Duo... "

The longhaired man reached into the back pocket and removed the pamphlet Heero had received on computer usage.

"Ah, I see. This is to remind you not to use the 'net to look at young, hot, teenaged love slaves performing acts that should be physically impossible. Think you can keep that in mind, you stud?"

Heero snagged the pamphlet from Duo's hand and tossed it into the nearby wastebasket.

"Methinks thou doeth protest too much," Duo said in a singsong voice.

Heero gritted his teeth. "I'm not protesting at all."

"Hmmm. Wonder why that is."

"Duo!"

"You're fun, Heero. You really are. Just for that, I'll wash and dry 'em, you fold 'em and put 'em away. Let's grab some dinner."

" ...and we are destined to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers. History teaches us well, and yet not at all, for only experience leaves a lasting impression, and even then, we are naive, as a people, to think that 'this time it will be different.' As a result, it would be unfeasible for us to expect a world in which artificial intelligence could serve in a governing body, for, as man is destined to repeat his mistakes, a computer is even more so... "

Duo's mouth dropped open as he listened to Heero's stance on Man vs. Machine. He had certainly not expected Heero to approach it as a societal lesson, even though it was much more appropriate that way.

Une seemed unperturbed; in fact, she leaned forward, licking her lips eagerly as she listened to Heero's impassioned speech, all delivered in his normally calm tone of voice, despite the sentiments behind it. Duo thought that Heero had a politician's voice.

After class, Heero carefully clipped his note cards together and slipped them into a folder in his loose-leaf binder.

"Heero."

Heero glanced up at Duo as he zipped his backpack and swung it up over one shoulder.

"Damn. That was... damn. Man, I think I would love to hear you talk if you were stoned."

Heero frowned at him.

"Yeah, I know, you don't approve of that, Heero, but ya ever wonder what it would be like in your head if you let it free?"

"'Let it free?'"

"Tell ya what," Duo said, clapping a hand to the shoulder that wasn't bearing the weight of Heero's books. "Let me take ya to lunch. My treat. No meal card this time."

Heero shrugged, and they made arrangements to meet for lunch at one. Duo's afternoon class was cancelled, and Heero's class had a library assignment instead, so neither of them had to worry about rushing back to campus afterwards.

Heero arrived first and leaned against the wall, watching the actions of the waitstaff to kill time. He didn't bother to turn toward the doors until he was sure it was Duo.

"Get us a table?"

"They won't seat us until all parties are present," Heero said, pushing away from the wall.

"Well, did you at least put our names on the list?"

"Ah, I see your friend made it after all," a chirpy blonde greeted them. Heero shot a smug look at Duo, who held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Right this way!" she announced, leading them to a table near the kitchen.

Duo ordered appetizers for them to share, and it wasn't until the waitress had brought them their beverages - soda for Duo, water for Heero - that he launched into debate.

"I was thinking about that little speech of yours all day!" Duo declared.

"It's only been a couple of hours, Duo."

"Yeah, but still!" He smiled at their waitress as she set the combo platter in front of them. "Thanks! Hate to bother you, but could you bring a side of hot sauce and ranch dressing?" She smiled at him and assured him it was no trouble at all.

"You're pretty deep, ya know, Heero."

"I thought I was antisocial."

"You are NEVER going to let me forget that, are you? Ya know, you're the one who started it." Duo laughed, eating one of the cheese-covered fries on his plate. "Damn, I should have asked her to bring gravy, too."

"I can hear your arteries closing from over here."

"We all have our vices, Heero."

Heero found himself dipping every other bite into the various sauces that accompanied their appetizer.

"Heero, I am learning more about you every day. Can't believe you're a double dipper!"

"It's not technically double dipping unless I use the same side that I bit into," Heero pointed out, then demonstrated by turning the celery stalk around and dipping the opposite side into the blue cheese.

"OK, I see that you're presenting a virgin side to the condiments, I gotcha. You have an answer for everything, don't you, Heero?"

"Ah."

"That really doesn't count." Duo licked the hot sauce from his fingers.

"Now THAT is double dipping by association."

"What?"

"You licked your fingers," Heero said. "And now you will handle your food. And even if you turn it to 'present the virgin side' to the dipping sauce, your fingers, which have been in your mouth, have now touched the side of the food that will be dipped. Hence, double dipping, albeit once removed."

Duo picked up Heero's glass of water, peered into it intently, then sniffed it. "Yup, it's water," he said. Heero placed a couple of fingers into the glass and flicked them at Duo.

"Is this what you're like at home?" Duo laughed.

"No." Heero's face was completely serious.

"Yeah, OK." Duo wondered if perhaps that wasn't the best comment he could have made.

"So anyway, let me tell you MY little theory on the whole Man vs. Machine angle that Une is working... "

The economics course was fairly simple, in Heero's estimation. He was often tempted to abandon listening to the lecture for working on the assigned homework, but instead he found himself studying some of the other students in class, in particular one Quatre Winner.

Duo had not been impressed with Quatre at that mixer, but Heero had really not formed an opinion one way or the other. Now that the boy was in his class, he seemed to have a personal vendetta against everything, in a passive aggressive way. He slouched or slept through class, scowled if anyone disturbed him, and generally looked angered to be there.

At first Heero thought it a waste, that Quatre was here. Undoubtedly he got away with his behavior because, although disrespectful in a way, it was not disruptive, and his family was most certainly providing the college with generous funds.

However, although his teacher looked disapprovingly at Quatre from time to time, Heero had noticed that look of surprise when Quatre got up to hand in his first quiz, which he'd finished early.

Quatre had gotten an A.

The two of them sat side by side for four weeks before the class was given an assignment that required them to work as partners. The project outline was given, and Heero could see the other students whispering and looking at Quatre, before one of them got a look of determination on his face.

Before he could approach Quatre, Heero turned to him and said, "I would like for you to work with me on this."

Quatre raised an eyebrow just as the other student approached.

"Quatre," he said tentatively. "Mr. Winner, that is." He glanced at Heero, and then back to Quatre. "I would most certainly be honored if you'd agree to work on this with me. Would you?"

Quatre looked straight into Heero's eyes as he answered the eager boy standing next to his desk.

"I already have a partner."

"Quatre Winner? Heero, are you insane?"

Heero looked at Duo, who looked downright pissed.

"What's wrong with Quatre?"

Duo glared at him in exasperation. "Hello, Heero, get a clue. The guy is too hoity-toity for his own good, has a crowd of people at his beck and call twenty-four-seven, and he probably expects you to do all the work."

"He is very intelligent."

"Heero, it's not about smarts. It's about -" Duo bit off what he was going to say.

Heero cocked his head to the side as he contemplated his roommate's state of agitation. "Did you know him before?"

"What? No!" Duo snorted. "Don't be ridiculous! We don't exactly travel in the same circles, ya know."

Heero looked at him expectantly.

"I can't explain it Heero. It's just... he's rich," Duo offered lamely.

"I understand."

Duo looked at Heero. "What?"

"I understand."

"How can you understand, Heero? I don't even understand it myself." Duo pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, looking like a petulant child with his sulking.

Heero moved to sit on Duo's bed. "I think that perhaps you have had the stereotypical 'us versus them' experience in high school," he said. "Probably an altercation or two, either physical or verbal, or both. They made you feel like your worth was measured in terms of dollars, and made it clear that, as far as they were concerned, you were sadly lacking. Whether this made you try harder to prove them wrong initially, I am not sure, but I know that you would not long allow someone else's opinion to sway your own, even about yourself."

Duo stared at him, mouth open, then, just when Heero thought he was going to confess that Heero was right, Duo laughed. And once he started, he couldn't stop. His body unfolded, and he rolled to his side, clutching his stomach.

"I am incorrect?"

"Heero," Duo said, sitting up and wiping his eyes. "I love you. You really get to the heart of the matter, don't you?"

"Hmm."

"Listen. Maybe you're on the right track a little bit with your little Deanna Troi impersonation. I guess I'm being a bit unfair. I'll try to refrain from letting MY opinions influence your own where Quatre Winner is concerned, but I warn you, I won't mind telling you 'I told you so' if I'm right."

"You watch Star Trek?"

Of all the responses Heero could have given, Duo wasn't prepared for that one. He started laughing all over again.

Heero and Quatre were in the computer lab together, Heero seated at the PC, Quatre looking over his shoulder. The little pamphlet that Duo had discovered had warned students that it was against policy to use the computer science departments computers for other coursework, but Heero had no desire to wait for a much-abused computer in the library.

They agreed on the company they wanted to research for their project, and suddenly Quatre said, "why did you want to be my partner?"

Heero didn't seem at all surprised by the question. "You are efficient, intelligent, and hard-working. You may not be impressed with the presentation of the material, but it is clear that you are no slouch-"

"So it has nothing to do with me," Quatre interrupted.

"Pardon?"

"You really wanted to work with me because you thought I'd be a reliable partner."

Heero turned and frowned at him. "Why would I wish to work with someone who would not carry their own weight?"

Quatre actually chuckled. "You intrigue me, Heero Yuy." Heero's intense eyes bored into his own. "Do you realize that you did not even ask if I wanted to be your partner? Everyone else would be crawling all over themselves, begging me to-"

"Quatre."

Quatre stopped his sudden torrent of speech. "Yes?"

"It is irrelevant what others will or would have done. What matters is that I am sure that you and I will work well together."

"You-"

"Quatre." Heero's tone was stern.

He smiled then, and Heero noticed that it lit up his entire face. "I think you are right," Quatre said. "Now do you want to tackle this based on the tried and true supply-and-demand angle, or do something like a creative interpretation of the competitive equilibrium theory?"

"I don't think your roommate likes me very much," Quatre said once Duo left the room he shared with Heero.

"What makes you say that?" Heero had thought that Duo had been the epitome of courtesy, laughing and teasing Heero as he usually did, and smiling at Quatre and inviting him to take part in their banter. Duo was making a concerted effort to give Quatre the benefit of the doubt, and Heero was dismayed to think Quatre felt otherwise.

"Just a feeling I get," Quatre shrugged. "He's been more than pleasant, Heero. And he hasn't offered to wash my car or anything." His eyes twinkled as he said it, then he picked up another paper and made some notations on it.

"Remind me again why we went the creative interpretation route?"

"I believe it had to do with your obsession with not taking the easy way out," Heero said as Duo walked back in the room. He didn't fail to notice Duo's surprise.

Quatre left shortly afterwards, and Heero turned to Duo.

"You expected Quatre to want to have the grade handed to him," Heero said.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Heero? Hey, you know I was being nice to him. I didn't say anything about his minions."

Heero shook his head. "No, you did not do anything that would make him feel unwelcome. Thank you."

Duo frowned as he looked at Heero. It seemed the other boy was keeping something from him.

"Sure. No problem."

"Heero!"

Heero and Duo turned toward the sound. Relena Darlian was waving at them from the other side of the student union. They waited for her to catch up with them.

"I am glad I found you," she told Heero. She turned to Duo. "Nice to see you again."

"Do you have a minute, Heero?"

"Should I leave you two alone?" Duo leered, waggling his eyebrows.

"I just wanted to ask Heero if he'd mind accompanying me to the spring dance," she said, looking at Heero intently.

"I don't dance," Heero said, then turned and walked away.

"He does," Duo said, "but only in his underwear. See ya later, Lena!" He turned and followed his roommate.

"Dude! She is totally into you! It's so cool when a girl does the asking, too, ya know."

"Then you go with her."

"What's the problem, Heero? You were kinda rude, ya know, and that's not like you."

Heero hunched his shoulders a bit and kept walking.

"Oh, man, wait, it's not that you DON'T dance, it's that you CAN'T dance! Heero, a dance is really not about dancing, you know!"

Heero stopped and turned, staring right into Duo's eyes.

"I said I don't dance, and I meant it. I do not dance. Not cannot, do not." He seemed offended that Duo would suggest there was something he was incapable of.

"Wow, well, that's... surprising. Most guys don't know how to dance, you know. We just go with the whole hip action and hope it makes girls think naughty thoughts."

"Duo."

"I know, I know, shut up, right?"

"I have never told you to shut up."

"You haven't? I would swear you had." Heero scowled at him. "OK, OK, maybe you haven't, I believe you. Just seems like something you'd do. But really, you know how to dance?"

The two of them resumed their walk towards their dorm.

"I was instructed on various styles of dance," Heero said matter-of-factly. "Ballroom, swing, salsa-"

"Are you shitting me?" At this outburst, Heero glanced at Duo, frowning again.

"No, really, Heero, I mean, I would never in a million years have pictured you... wait. Do you know how to do, oh, I don't know, the lambada, for example?"

Heero sighed. "Yes, Duo. The only dancing I am unfamiliar with is ballet. Does that satisfy your sick curiosity?"

"I felt bad for Relena before, but now I really feel bad for her. She is missing a good time." Heero sighed heavily.

"I would pay money to see that," Duo commented, almost to himself. "Heero Yuy Performs the Forbidden Dance. Cocktails to follow." He laughed at his little innuendo, then scowled when Heero's hand slapped him on the back of the head.

"Ow, Heero, what's the deal?"

"There was a bug," Heero said, looking quite pleased with himself.

"I'm glad someone has no problem with lying," Duo said, shoving his hands in his pocket. "A bug, he says."

Heero grew alarmed at Duo's uncharacteristic grumpiness. He peered at Duo, looking for signs that his roommate was only kidding. He felt anxiety creeping up on him. Had he hit Duo too hard? He'd been told before that he often didn't know his own strength, but that had been in completely different situations.

He swallowed nervously, then "Duo?"

"I'm not talking to you, Yuy."

"I'm sorry, Duo."

"How sorry?"

Heero knew that he was being led down a certain path, and decided to forego the effort of getting there slowly.

"Fine," he grumped. "I will take Relena to the damn dance."

Duo was bouncing on his heels as he waited for Heero to join him inside the entrance.

"You know, Heero, it's customary for dates to arrive together."

"Relena is not my date."

"Heero, hate to break it to ya, but when you agree to go somewhere with someone, it's a date."

"I agreed to go with you, too, does that mean you and I are on a date?"

"Don't be an ass, Heero."

"Don't be obtuse, Duo."

Duo was saved from replying by the arrival of Relena, who was with her brother. Heero looked at Duo, and Duo mouthed back 'No, they're not on a date either.' Heero coughed to cover a snicker, and Relena put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you OK, Heero?"

"I am fine, thank you for your concern." Heero straightened. "Zechs," he greeted.

"He's here to insure that I behave myself," Relena said, winking at Duo. "So, Duo, since Heero 'doesn't dance,' would you mind?"

Duo held out his arm to Relena, who accepted it, and led her to the dance floor.

"You don't dance," Zechs said in a musing tone. "What DO you do, Heero?"

Heero shrugged, watching Duo and Relena as they danced together.

"If you have any interest in fencing, the gymnasium is available for practice the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, from eight to twelve."

Heero recognized the challenge, and sighed inwardly.

"Nine o'clock?"

"See you then." Zechs left, and Heero watched his long hair swish against his back as he moved regally through the crowd.

He wasn't given much time to consider what Zechs was telling him before Duo and Relena dragged him out to the dance floor, completely ignoring his protests that he didn't dance.

"Well, your ears are still on, your face is unscarred, how'd it go?"

Duo knew about The Duel, as he'd dubbed it, since the night of the dance.

Heero plopped on his bed and fell backwards, his legs dangling over the side.

"He was just playing the part of the protective big brother, is all. As he should. Relena is very naive."

"Yeah, I can see that," Duo said thoughtfully.

Heero toed off his shoes without bothering to get up.

"Hey, Heero."

Heero grunted.

"How is it that I didn't know there was this fencing thing going on? I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of what goes on here, ya know. Or is it one of those underground club type of things? You know, can't tell me or you'd have to kill me? I don't know anyone that actually does things like fencing. Maybe we have a polo team, and a croquet club? I did hear that there is a curling club, actually. Curling. Kinda weird name for a sport. It's like a game that you'd make up if you didn't have any money, dontcha think? Eh, Heero?"

A sound like a snore reached his ears.

"If I didn't know you any better, you'd be giving me a complex, ya know, Heero."

"Doing anything for spring break, Heero?"

"I will be visiting with family," Heero said quietly.

"Oh, well, that's nice. So no big parties, then."

"No."

"Still, it's nice to see family. Families are often underappreciated, I think."

"I suppose."

"Well, I had kinda wanted to do the MTV spring break thing, but that type of vacay costs money. Think Quatre ever does anything like that?"

"Duo... "

"You know I don't mean anything by it, Heero. I have to admit, the guy is wicked polite."

"You say that like it is a bad thing."

"Nah, it's cool. Most folks with money usually have this attitude that their money gives 'em the right to be rude to everyone, or they have this plastic politeness to them."

"Quatre is a good man."

"So are you, Heero. So are you."

"I will miss your presence next week."

Duo smiled at him. "Yeah? Well, I'll miss you, too. It's hard to believe I won't have someone here who actually listens to me. You know I didn't think you actually listened to me, because people do that a lot. They nod and make those little noises to show they are listening, but they are actually making their grocery list or something in the meantime. But you... " he trailed off, then laughed. "Oh, man, geez, I think the next thing is we'll be sitting around with avocado on our faces and drinking wine coolers, discussing our boyfriends. Sorry."

Heero frowned slightly. For some reason, Duo seemed embarrassed, and Heero wondered why he made light of the things that went through his mind. He was always fascinated with what Duo had to say, whether it be about his favorite TV show or the latest policy changes the university instated. Everything Duo said gave Heero greater insight into his roommate's mind, and he liked what he found so far. He really was going to miss Duo, and he realized with a sinking feeling that there would be only a month left of classes left after their spring break.

The two of them sat on their beds, engrossed in their own thoughts, until it was time for supper.

Part II

The rule of friendship means there should be mutual sympathy between them, each supplying what the other lacks and trying to benefit the other, always using friendly and sincere words.
      --- Buddha

And what a delight it is to make friends with someone you have despised.
      --- Sidonie Gabrielle Colette 1873-1954, French Author

"The 'Prodigal Son' returns, eh?" Duo said, nudging Heero with an elbow as he pointed to a brown-haired young man standing in line at the registrar's office.

Heero's eyes didn't leave the transfer student. The brunette thanked the woman at the desk, glanced at his schedule, and tucked it into the folder he was holding. His eyes met Heero's.

Duo looked from one to the other as the new student walked over to them. Heero spoke first.

"Hello, Trowa."

"Heero Yuy, how the hell do you know Trowa Barton?"

They were in their junior year, and had moved to the upperclassman dorm. The difference with these dorms was that there were three bedrooms, a common area, and a bathroom, shared among six students, rather than all students on the same floor sharing one bathroom.

"We were in band camp together," Heero said in a blasé tone.

"Oh, you are so not getting away with that ridiculous story," Duo huffed. "You can do better than that, you know. I'll find out, even if I have to ask Trowa myself."

"Ask me what?"

Duo looked up at Trowa, who seemed much taller in the confines of the sitting room than he had earlier that day. Duo recovered quickly.

"How do you know Heero?"

"Band camp," Trowa answered easily, smiling at Heero.

"No. No, no, no," Duo said, holding his head in his hands. "I don't believe it."

"Believe what?" a third voice chimed in. Duo's eyebrows rose sharply. He looked from the door to Heero, who was not at all surprised to see Quatre Winner dump a suitcase on the floor near the couch.

Duo noticed the sudden tensing of Quatre's shoulders, and Trowa turned to face the newcomer.

"Quatre."

"Trowa." Quatre's voice was cold.

"What, am I the only one here who has never met Trowa?" Duo said, throwing his hands in the air.

"We've never met," Trowa said evenly.

"Then how-" Duo stopped as Quatre turned on his heel and marched back out the door. He looked at Heero helplessly, but his friend only shrugged.

"Damn it!" Duo said, then he stormed out the door after the blond.

"Does he know?" Trowa asked.

"Which one?"

"Either."

"Duo knows I have 'family' but not who that family is. He knows that I have a rather eclectic collection of talents."

"Would that be the ballroom dancing, the fencing, your knowledge of many languages?"

"All of the above, and a few that he doesn't know about."

"Heero, he won't hold your money against you, you know."

"He did when it was-" Heero bit his lip.

"When it was Quatre." Trowa sighed. "Heero, it's nothing. He blames our family for his father's death, because of that exposé Father wrote."

"He's not my father," Heero reminded him.

"Fine, fine. Still, Heero, he tried to do right by you. Our family isn't perfect, but is anyone?"

"No," Heero admitted, bowing his head. "I'm sorry. I did not expect you, otherwise I would not have suggested to Quatre that he try to get a room in this suite."

"I know, Heero. Don't worry about it. We were going to have to have this show down sooner or later. I agree, the magazine never should have published the slanderous article on the Winner Corporation, but you know Father. He always put sales over taste."

"And that is different how?"

Trowa laughed. "OK, I know. Tabloids are, by definition, tasteless. That's why Winner never should have let it get to him. Quatre can't seriously go on thinking that the Tattler is responsible for his father's accident."

"Was it an accident?"

"Heero, I am sure I am going to be dealing with this for the entire semester. I don't need your speculation on top of everything else, just because your mother didn't tell Father she was pregnant before he proposed."

"He should have known!" Heero bit out.

"How, Heero? Tell me that!"

"He had responsibilities!"

"Heero, we all have responsibilities. You sound like Quatre now. People have to start shouldering the burdens that their actions have gained them. I could easily blame you for the way Father expected me to excel at everything. It wasn't easy following in your shadow, you know."

"So how is YOUR little defection any different from mine?"

"It's not, Heero," Trowa sighed. "Look, I covered for you with your roommate. Duo, his name is? But he's going to feel hurt if he finds out on his own."

"Our relationship has nothing to do with Duo."

"Heero, there you go again. What happened to the kid who went with his gut reaction? Damn it, Heero, you used to do things without analyzing them to death. Don't you think that Duo would feel he did something wrong, that you wouldn't want to confide in him? I assume he's the 'best friend' Father told me about."

"It was a mistake to say anything to that man. He hates me."

"Heero," Trowa said, rubbing his eyes and moving to the couch, wincing as his foot hit Quatre's suitcase. "He took you in and pretended to the world that you were his son. Isn't that enough?"

"I never knew my father!"

"What do you need to know? Father could have found out if you'd really wanted to know who Ichiro Yuy was, but you preferred the fantasy to the reality, didn't you?" He watched his stepbrother's hands as they clenched and unclenched, and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hiroshi," Trowa said quietly, causing Heero's eyes to darken at the use of his given name.

"My name is Heero," he said quietly. Trowa removed his hand slowly.

"And just who is Heero Yuy?" Trowa got up and walked toward the door. "I'll be back around nine. I need to get some air."

He heard Heero's fist hit the wall before he'd finished closing the door.

"Quatre! Wait up! Shit, Quatre!"

Duo ran after the blond, who seemed intent on avoiding him.

"Damn it, Quatre, will you please STOP!"

Quatre stopped, but he didn't turn around. Duo grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on? This guy, Trowa Barton, shows up out of nowhere, and suddenly everything is so very wrong."

"He killed my father!"

"What?" Duo sucked in a breath. Quatre closed his eyes and struggled to compose himself.

"Listen, Quat," Duo said. "I think it's time you and I really got to know each other, don't you?"

"Heero, got a minute?"

Heero looked at Duo, then at Trowa and Quatre, who just realized that they were to share a room.

"Where are the others?" Heero said, ignoring Duo's question.

"Do I look psychic?" Quatre spat, causing Heero to blink in amazement.

"Heero, it's kind of important."

Heero looked at his best friend, and his features softened slightly.

"Duo."

Duo glanced at the other two, and said hesitantly, "I was thinking maybe we could go out for pizza, just the two of us? Doesn't have to be pizza, either," he added hastily.

Heero grabbed his keys and shoved them in his pocket, walked to the door, and looked at Duo expectantly.

"You guys gonna be alright?" Duo asked anxiously, looking from Quatre to Trowa and back.

"Quatre and I have a few things to clear up," Trowa said. Quatre nodded slowly.

"Hey, Heero," Trowa called just as he and Duo were walking out the door. Heero poked his head back in the doorway.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"So let me get this straight. You and Trowa are brothers."

"Half brothers."

"So this is the infamous family. Did you really go to band camp together?"

Heero leaned back and smiled at his roommate. Duo always had a way of making light of things.

"I really don't like to talk about it," he said, and Duo knew he wasn't referring to the band camp cover story.

"He must have really loved your mother," Duo said, toying with his napkin and watching Heero out of the corner of his eye.

"What makes you say that?"

"He forgave her."

Heero looked skeptical.

"Heero," Duo sighed. "I don't like to talk about my family much, either, because I really didn't feel I had one. Let me tell you, joint custody sucks. I felt like neither of them really wanted me, but they didn't want the other to have custody. Maybe they did, but that's how it felt when I was growing up. And then my dad moved out of state, and that meant a whole new custody battle. I think army brats got to spend more time in one place than I did. Made it hard to make friends."

Heero's eyes widened, and Duo's face flushed slightly.

"So don't get all puffed up, just because you're my first real friend, ya know. I just wanted you to know that."

"You... you were my first friend, Duo."

Duo's eyes met Heero's, and neither said anything for several moments, then Duo cleared his throat.

"So, the Barton family, who churns out the Tattler, accused Quatre's dad of unscrupulous business practices. In turn, the man gets in his car, red with rage, crashes into a warehouse, and the thing explodes. Quatre blames the entire family, especially Trowa, who he sees as the heir."

"Trowa is the heir," Heero said. "I am not a Barton."

Duo waved his hand. "Doesn't matter, it's what Quat perceives. I'd have hated to be part of that media circus. Man, Heero, this is like some really bad B-movie, ya know. Who would play you in the movie version? Think they'd get anyone to play me? And did you know that Quatre had this slightly obsessive vendetta against your family?"

"Yes, I don't know, most certainly, and unfortunately yes."

Duo counted on his fingers to match up his responses and grinned. "Aww, that's so sweet, Heero, that I'd be part of this movie deal. I think I'd like some creative input to see who portrayed me."

"Duo, it's really not that fantastic, you know."

"Oh, but it is. Tell me you wouldn't think so if you were in my shoes."

"What if Trowa and I were half-brothers and my father got killed overseas, and his father worked in a shoe store, and Quatre's father was accused of infidelity, and he was cleaning his gun and accidentally shot himself in the head. Would this story seem so far-fetched then?"

"Well, no, not really. Damn, Heero, but that's not what happened, ya know?"

"It is, if you think about it. It's just that Quatre's family and mine and Trowa's are wealthy, and therefore of interest to the proletariat."

Duo laughed. "I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing you talk, Heero. Think it's safe to go back?"

"Maybe the mysterious fifth and sixth roommates have shown up by now."

"Well, all that we're missing now is a prince of an overthrown country and maybe a porn star, what do you think?"

"What is your problem?" Quatre was yelling as Duo and Heero returned to their room.

"I don't have a problem," a dark-haired boy they didn't recognize replied. "My roommate backed out, and unless there is someone who requests a transfer, I get the room to myself for the duration of the semester. I would not expect you to give up the room if you were in my place."

"But you don't understand," Quatre was very close to whining.

"If you do not wish to share with him, then perhaps you should have Mommy and Daddy pay for a single for you," the other student sneered.

Quatre lunged for his throat, but was held back by Trowa. "Let GO, Trowa, or so help me, I'll... "

"Um, hello? What's going on?"

Trowa pulled Quatre back and motioned for Heero to move between them and the new boy.

"This is Wufei, he has Room C. His roommate withdrew this morning. Quatre here expects him to move in with me."

"Or with me! I just can't room with you!" He turned to Duo. "Duo... "

"No, sorry, Heero and I go way back," Duo said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "I'm the only one who knows that he sucks his thumb in his sleep, ya know." He looked at Heero apologetically as Heero glared at him.

"Quatre," Trowa sighed. "There's nothing that can be done about it tonight. Unless you want to sleep on that couch."

Quatre marched into their room, slamming the door behind him. Trowa sighed, looked at Duo and Heero, then opened the door and entered, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Uh, I'm Duo, this is Heero?"

Wufei glanced at them both, nodded curtly, and went into his room.

"Just you and me, babe," Duo quipped. Heero rolled his eyes and walked into the center bedroom.

"Oh, shit, TROWA!"

Heero's eyes, which had snapped open as he heard the crash in the next room, widened before he threw himself out of bed and slammed the door open.

"'ro?" Duo asked, blinking at the open door.

"Trowa." Quatre was kneeling on the floor next to Trowa, patting his cheeks and pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Quatre." Heero's voice was like ice. Quatre didn't seem to notice.

"Heero! Trowa, he-"

Heero grabbed him and turned him around then pulled his fist back. Before he could land the punch, Duo was grabbing his arm from behind with both hands.

"Heero! Quat, what the hell?"

"It's Trowa!"

"You did something," Heero growled. "I'll kill you... "

Duo shivered. "Heero, come on, calm down."

"I am calm."

"No, no you're not. You sound calm, but you're far from calm. Come on."

Quatre was back on the floor next to Trowa. "Kill me later, but I think Trowa might have a concussion or something."

Duo sighed in relief as he felt the muscles in Heero's arm relax. Heero joined Quatre next to Trowa. "Flashlight?" Quatre reached into the top drawer of the nightstand behind Trowa and handed him the light. Heero shined it in Trowa's eyes, then flicked it off, then he checked the pulse in Trowa's neck.

"You're lucky, Winner," he growled. Quatre swallowed visibly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Ok, guys," Duo said, placing a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Let's get Trowa cleaned up."

Heero and Quatre brought Trowa's limp body to the couch, and Quatre sat with him, holding his hand while Heero got the first aid kit from the bathroom.

"Thanks," he said quietly, reaching for the warm washcloth that Heero handed him.

"So, Quat," Duo's voice broke the silence that followed. "Care to explain the shiner Tro here has?"

"I hit him," Quatre said, sounding every bit as miserable as he looked.

Duo gripped Heero's elbow slightly and let go.

"I didn't mean to hurt him!" His eyes pleaded with Heero. At Heero's look of disbelief, he said, "I did, but not like this!"

"Let me guess, he fell and hit his head on the nightstand," Duo supplied.

"Yes," Quatre whispered.

Heero ran a hand through his hair. "You're lucky I like you, Winner," he finally said, then returned to his room.

Duo watched Quatre as he patted the cut on Trowa's forehead gently, then noticed that Quatre was still holding Trowa's hand.

"I really am sorry, Duo," Quatre said, looking up at Duo. He looked ten years older.

Trowa's eyes twitched beneath their lids, and Duo caught a glimpse of green.

Duo fought the grin that struggled to surface, and cleared his throat. "Well, Quat, you really should be telling Trowa that."

"I know." Quatre closed his eyes for a moment. "I just... we just... after you guys left... "

The corners of Trowa's mouth started to quirk slightly. Duo might not have noticed it if he weren't so used to Heero's subtle signs of amusement.

"What, did you guys get down and dirty or something?"

"NO! It wasn't like that! I didn't even kiss him!" Quatre closed his eyes again, looking like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him.

"Say no more, Quatre, say no more, I think I'm gonna go to bed now."

"Duo... "

"Stay with Tro and make sure he's going to be alright. Maybe you guys should stay here until he regains consciousness. Heero seems to think he'll be OK, and I've seen people in worse shape after fights, so I'd have to agree."

"Thanks, Duo, even though you probably should have let Heero pound me into next Tuesday."

"Quatre Winner, are you using slang?"

Quatre smiled weakly. "Good night, Duo."

Duo closed his door quietly behind him, and crept to his bed as quietly as he could.

"Why do you look so damn happy?"

"Ah, Heero, I knew you wouldn't be sleeping yet."

"Then why are you creeping around like you broke curfew?"

"I dunno. Habit, I guess. Listen, I think those two will be OK now."

"You know something."

"I don't know a thing." Duo stressed the word 'know' slightly.

Heero grunted. "I don't suck my thumb."

Duo laughed.

A pounding on the wall next to him cut into his laughter. "SHUT UP IN THERE!"

"I will never call you antisocial again, Heero," Duo pronounced, scowling after their new suitemate as Wufei walked away.

"Not everyone wants to partake in school activities, Duo."

"Yeah, but we've lived together for an entire semester. He's the last one to turn 21. We should go out and celebrate that." He glared at Heero. "Of course, YOU turned 21 last year and neglected to mention it."

"You were still only twenty, Duo, where would we have gone?"

Duo blew his bangs out of his face. "Yeah, well... " He brightened. "Hey, Heero!"

Heero closed his eyes briefly.

"If you can't get Mohammed to the mountain... "

"Duo, is there anyone that you didn't invite?"

"It's a small, INTIMATE gathering, Trowa. I know that I'm vastly popular, but this place isn't exactly stadium sized." He eyed the green-eyed boy speculatively. "Ya know, I think I'm liking the new hairdo. You should thank Quatre for belting you."

In an attempt to hide as much of the bruising as possible, Trowa had taken to combing his bangs straight and letting them fall over his brow. Duo had been shocked at how much hair Trowa had, seeing as the other boy normally slicked it back the way Wufei did. "Bangs are a good look for you."

A knock at the door interrupted his harassment of Trowa, and he bounded to the door.

"Lena, babe, nice to see you!"

"We're just friends," Heero said to Trowa. Trowa grinned. Duo had been going on and on all week about inviting Heero's girlfriend to the party.

"Am I early?" Relena looked around the room.

"Nope, it's just six of us, including Wufei," Duo said. "Beer isn't as cheap as we'd like ya know. That's Tro, and you know Heero, of course."

Relena moved to greet Heero, joining him on the couch. Trowa was seated on the armchair, and a couple of beanbag chairs were on the floor.

Wufei scowled when he saw everyone sitting in the common area, and looked at Duo when he saw the cooler.

"Happy Birthday, Wufei!"

The dark-haired student surprised them all by seating himself on the floor and crossing his legs. He grabbed a beer from the cooler and used his thumb to pop off the top.

"Oh, that's so cool! Can you break bricks with your bare hands, too?" Duo said.

"Duo, I am not responsible for any injuries you receive if you continue with the kung fu comments." Wufei jiggled the bottle for emphasis.

"So you're really not changing your major after all?" Heero asked Relena.

"No," she said, looking a bit sheepish. "I actually found that I LIKE poli sci, can you believe that?"

Wufei snorted.

"What?" she said, turning to see what had prompted that reaction.

"Politicians are masters at double talk," he said. "The fact that you thrive in it tells me a lot about you."

"Pray tell, what is YOUR major?" She felt Heero place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently.

"Criminal justice," Wufei said, his eyes narrowing. Relena made an unladylike snort, but refrained from comment.

"If you have something to say, then say it," he growled at her.

"No, I have nothing to say," she said, turning back to Heero.

Wufei inched closer to the end of the couch. "I want to know what that look is supposed to mean."

"'That look?'" she asked innocently.

"Yes," he said between clenched teeth.

Relena patted Heero on the shoulder and turned to face Wufei, leaning her elbow on the armrest.

"That means that you might as well just become a lawyer," she said sweetly.

"So, Heero, some party, eh?" Duo said, tumbling over the backside of the couch to land between him and Relena. He handed one of the beers in his hand to Heero.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Quatre's voice was on the other side of the door. They could hear him fumbling for his keys.

Trowa got up from the armchair and opened the door, then walked back to the armchair. Quatre looked after him, then noticed Duo's smirking at him.

"Well, anyway, I brought refreshments," he offered, holding up a six-pack. Duo was back over the couch in a flash.

"Quatre! This stuff isn't even sold in this state because it's like eight percent alcohol!"

"Nine," three voices corrected him. Duo looked around.

"OK, I see Quatre knowing, but Lena? Wufei?"

"Zechs," was all Relena offered. Wufei just smiled and slitted his eyes halfway. Relena watched this for a moment, mouth agape, then started in on a new argument, this time about criminal lawyers.

Several hours later found Relena and Wufei still trading barbs, their voices slurring slightly. Quatre had taken a seat in the beanbag chair in front of Trowa's chair and was dozing off. Duo nudged Heero. Quatre was losing the battle against sleep, and his head fell backwards against Trowa's leg.

"So, Tro," Duo said. "What do you use to get your hair to stay like that?"

Trowa just smiled at him. "Sure you want to know?"

"Heero," Duo said, affecting a whine. "Tro is... hey. Tro, Ro. Mind if I call you 'Ro from now on?" he asked Heero.

"Mind if I call you 'O?" Heero replied.

Trowa snorted.

"What?"

"Just thinking that it's a great name if you're engaged in... " he waggled his eyebrows. " ...strenuous physical activity," he finished, smiling lazily.

"Oh? OH!" realization dawned on Duo, and he started laughing. "Damn, Tro, you're a closet pervert."

Trowa's smile never slipped, but he stuck out his tongue and touch his nose with the tip.

"They are corrupting my morals, 'Ro!"

"'O?"

"Heero! Cut that out!"

"So what about love?" Relena pressed.

"Love is nothing more than an excuse for one's baser instincts," Wufei scoffed.

"My baser instincts don't need any excuse," Trowa commented from his chair. His hand had traveled down to tangle in Quatre's hair sometime during the night.

"I will never look at you the same way again," Duo said. "Let me guess, you took lambada lessons with Heero here."

"Actually," Heero said.

"Cut the shit," Duo said. "This I gotta see-"

"You're a coward," Relena told Wufei. "Love is... a very frightening thing. It takes real bravery to confront it head-on."

"Ever been in love, Lena?" Duo asked.

"Yes," she said. "Or at least, I thought so at the time." No one failed to notice how she glanced at Heero as she spoke. "But then I realized that there are different kinds of love."

"There's also responsibility," Heero piped in.

"What?" Duo turned to Heero, surprised that his friend was joining this particular conversation.

"What people call love is not dictated by logic," Heero explained. "But responsibility, that can be demonstrated much more easily."

"Responsibility isn't always logical," Duo pointed out.

"Families are responsible for each other's well being," Heero argued. He shot a dark glance at Trowa as the taller boy cleared his throat.

"I agree with Heero," Wufei announced. "Responsibility is more meaningful than love."

"Men!" Relena said, pulling at her hair.

"Hey!" Duo said. "I'm on your side, Lena, don't lump us all together."

"You agree with her?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Duo, that is not logical, you know."

"Cut the logic shit, Heero. And you butt out for a minute, Wufei," he said as he noticed the boy on the floor open his mouth.

"OK, let me ask you something. How does a computer virus work?"

Heero struggled a bit to find the words he wanted, the alcohol making his brain a bit fuzzy.

"It's a little program that carries out a specific task. It piggybacks another program and every time that program runs, the virus can reproduce. Shared files can make the problem propagate, and everyone could theoretically end up with it on their computer... " he frowned, not pleased with his explanation. Duo patted him on the leg.

"Good enough. Now how does a biological virus work?"

"I don't know that, Duo!"

"This from the guy who watches the Discovery Channel every night," Duo sighed. "OK, what makes a virus hard to kill?"

"Which one?"

"Either."

"Containment, I guess."

"OK. Now what do you know about evolution?"

"Eh?" Heero's eyes opened wide. "Ah. Viruses can mutate."

"Bingo!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Wufei interjected.

"The point I'm trying to make," Duo began, only to be cut off by Heero.

"Sometimes no matter what you do to try to combat something, it's capable of changing, making your attack ineffective."

"So the term 'love bug' is pretty accurate, wouldn't you say?" Relena started giggling.

"She's cut off," Heero said, glaring at Duo.

"I win!" Wufei grinned, pointing to the number of empty bottles next to him and then the ones next to Relena.

"You guys were competing to see who could put away the most alcohol? I'm... almost proud of that, Wufei." He elbowed Heero, who had started to growl.

"Some things can't be explained by science."

Everyone turned to look at Quatre. The blond turned and looked up at Trowa, who looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Quatre's hand slowly touched the fingers that had been stroking his hair, and he smiled, then promptly passed out.

"There are no decent apartments in this entire city!" Duo said, crumpling the newspaper in his hand and throwing it on the table dejectedly before walking toward the window.

A presence joined him at the window. "Duo, I'm sure something will become available that you'll be able to afford."

"Not on an entry level position, that's for sure," Duo complained.

"Stranger things have happened," Quatre said softly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Duo glanced at his friend's left hand, where the plain gold band glinted in the sun. Trowa had given it to him the night of their graduation.

"You're more than welcome to stay here until you find something, you know," Quatre reminded him.

"I know, Quatre, but... " Duo didn't want to explain that he felt like he'd be intruding on their honeymoon. They weren't actually married, but they might as well have been. Duo felt a twinge in the region of his heart. Things were never going to be the same.

"You know I couldn't stand you when I first saw you?" Duo asked.

"Yes, I told Heero that I felt you didn't care for me very much."

"I'm sorry, Quatre. Heero was right. He said that although first impressions were often the most important, they weren't always the most accurate. Which is funny coming from a guy who also has a habit of leap first, then look."

"You think Heero is like that? I thought you complained that he overthinks things too much."

"He taught me a lot, ya know," Duo said, touching the glass with his fingertips. "About myself."

"What about intuition? What about gut reaction?"

"Those are valid points," Heero said agreeably.

"Heero," Duo said, taking deep breaths to avoid pulling his hair out. Or Heero's. "You are a walking contradiction, you know. With Quatre, you didn't judge him until you got to know him. Then you were ready to pulverize him when you thought he hurt Trowa. And don't even get me started with Trowa! You guys have a love-hate relationship like no other."

"That is common with siblings," Heero said, a smile twitching on his lips.

"Then you get all philosophical with man's destiny to repeat mistakes, but you lecture me on making sure I learn from my own mother. And Relena! First you complain that she clings to you like Saran Wrap," Heero snorted at Duo's reminder, "and then you two are like best buddies."

"Duo," Heero said, suddenly very serious. "Never doubt that you are my 'best buddy.'"

Duo scratched his head nervously. "Let's not get all sappy now."

"Sap has nothing to do with it. Duo," he said. "What do people think when they first meet me?"

"That you're scary?"

"Duo."

"And antisocial."

"And what did you think when you first met me?"

"You didn't talk very much."

"And what did I tell you then?"

"Yeah, OK, Heero, got it. You showed me plenty of times that you can be quite chatty when a bug bites you in the ass."

"What do you think of Quatre?" Heero persisted.

"What do YOU think of Quatre?" Duo retaliated.

"Quatre is very kindhearted," Heero said. "He was very confused. I think Trowa is good for him."

"That's what I mean!"

"Duo... "

"OK, Heero, how about this one. What did YOU think of ME when we first met?"

"I had not yet formed an opinion about you, other than you seemed to look forward to the school year and the social activities."

"And now?"

Heero looked right at him. Duo felt as though those eyes were looking THROUGH him. He'd never realized how blue Heero's eyes were. How had he known Heero for four years and not even realized the man had blue eyes?

"You hide in plain sight," Heero finally announced.

Duo didn't have to ask what he meant by that. The only people he felt really comfortable around were Trowa, Quatre, Relena, and even Wufei. And, of course, Heero.

"I didn't realize it was so obvious that I was putting up a front," Duo said.

"Obvious? Duo, it's not at all obvious. You seem very genuine, no matter where you are."

"But Heero... "

"Duo." Heero's voice came from the doorway. Duo turned, panic stricken, wondering if Heero had heard them talking about him. Not that they were saying anything bad, but it was always awkward if you were discussing someone only to have the topic of discussion arrive unnoticed.

"I have something to show you." Heero held out a newspaper, folded to one page. Duo took it and noticed it was the real estate page, with one listing circled. He scanned the description and shook his head.

"Heero, there's no way I can afford to buy this condo."

"What if... " Heero hesitated. "What if you had a roommate?"

Duo felt his smile widen, and he thought his face might split in half. "You and me?"

"You've grown on me," Heero said, shrugging.

"Oh. My. God." Duo said, waving the paper at Quatre. "Quat, check this out!" He turned to Heero. "Heero, I could kiss you!"

"Wow!" Quatre said. "This is awesome! It's really not all that much, either, and a condo isn't a bad idea."

"Wait until you see the view," Heero said quietly. Duo beamed at him.

"Just let us know if you need any help moving, guys," Quatre was saying, but Duo was too busy thinking of what furniture might look good in their new home, despite the fact that he'd never set foot in it and didn't even know what it looked like.

Epilogue

Love is friendship set on fire.
      --- Jeremy Taylor

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
      --- Shakespeare

"Think we'll be able to afford it six months from now?" Duo asked, placing his last box in the living room and wiping his arm across his forehead.

Heero grunted in reply as he carried a box to his bedroom. Duo sat down on the floor, his back to the wall, and closed his eyes. Heero stopped in the kitchen before joining him. He threw a bottle of water at Duo before seating himself against the opposing wall.

Duo uncapped the bottle and took a long swig.

"Aaaaaaah," he sighed in contentment. "Man, I could kiss you, Heero."

Heero closed his eyes and took a drink from his own bottle.

"So would you mind terribly if we crashed tonight and took care of the unpacking tomorrow? I know it will probably drive you crazy, but I have had just about enough of this crap today."

"OK."

"Heero, you are so good to me. Let's get married," Duo grinned at him.

Heero threw his bottle cap at Duo.

"That's it," Duo said. "You're definitely sleeping in the wet spot on our honeymoon."

Despite their impromptu break the night before, they were able to unpack everything the next day. Duo broke down the boxes as each was emptied and the two of them brought the folded cardboard to the recycling bin in the complex.

"See, Heero?" Duo asked on the return trip to their apartment. "We got a good night's sleep and we still managed to kick ass and get things done today."

"I didn't say anything," Heero said innocently.

Duo snorted. "Does this ring a bell? 'Move it or lose it, Maxwell!'"

"It's your fault that you broke your suitcase."

"HEY! Garbage bags work just as well, ya know. And I wouldn't have broken it if YOU hadn't decided to try and fix it! Isn't that why you changed majors? 'Cuz I'd hate to see you near machinery, if you can't handle the hinge on a suitcase, ya know!"

"Maybe it wouldn't have slowed you down so much if you'd waited to fill a new garbage bag until after you'd unpacked your 'luggage,'"

Duo laughed. "It WAS kinda funny, eh? I'll bet that was a Kodak moment, huh?"

Heero chuckled. "To put it mildly." He opened the door and they entered the apartment.

The previous evening had found Duo looking in wide-eyed alarm at a bag he held in each hand. When Heero told him to hurry, he'd started wailing that he didn't know which one was the real garbage and which one contained his clothes, until Heero had pointed out that he could set one of the bags down and look into it. Duo had glared at him and accused him of snoring and keeping him up all night. Heero had just smiled at him smugly and suggested that perhaps, considering Duo's wardrobe, there wasn't much of a difference, anyway.

"Cup o' joe?" Duo asked as he reached into the cupboard for a mug. He turned and grinned at Heero. "Always wanted to say that!"

Heero gave a small snort and shook his head.

"I could start buying decaf for you," Duo suggested, spooning coffee grounds into the filter as Heero watched.

"What is the purpose of drinking coffee if not for the caffeine?" Heero pointed out.

"Heh," Duo said. "Well, ya know, SOME people like the way coffee tastes, ya know."

"Ice cream doesn't count, Duo."

Duo stuck his tongue out and leaned against the wall as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

"Well, here we are," he said. "This is it, ya know. The 'real world' and all. We're in that eye of the storm, ya know."

"Edge of the precipice," Heero said.

"Yeah, that's a better analogy," Duo nodded. "Like we're taking this giant leap. I've always said you were a poet at heart, Heero."

The coffee maker gurgled, and Duo poured himself a cup, then headed for the window. Heero followed a moment later.

"I really love this view," Duo said. "I'm glad you agreed to split living expenses, Heero. I never would have been able to afford this place otherwise, and probably would have ended up in some shitty studio with a nice view of a brick wall, overlooking a dumpster."

Heero shrugged, even though Duo couldn't see him. He watched Duo's content reflection in the window for a moment.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced.

"OK. You have five minutes before I flush the toilet, ya know."

"I'll kill you if you do that."

Duo's laughter followed him to the bathroom.

Heero realized he'd grabbed the wrong shampoo after he'd lathered his hair. He frowned. He must be more tired than he'd realized. For some reason the day had taken a lot out of him; it wasn't like him to do something like mistake one product for another. He shrugged as he rinsed the soap from his hair. Duo wasn't the type to begrudge the loss of a bit of shampoo, after all.

He toweled his hair vigorously, trying to get it as dry as he could before falling into bed. He was vaguely aware of Duo in the next room half an hour later, and when he heard the other man fall into his bed and turn over, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Duo was up before him in the morning. He was standing in front of the window, waiting for the sun to come up. Heero went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast for them. When Duo heard the pans rattling on the stove, he joined Heero in the kitchen.

"Want some help?"

"You don't have to," Heero said.

"Nah. There will be other sunrises. I can't let you do the house frau thing, ya know."

"You can cook tomorrow."

Duo didn't bother to answer. He just went to the refrigerator and pulled out the eggs while Heero was melting butter in one of the pans.

Heero had to admit, he enjoyed this. It was their first morning in the new apartment, and it wasn't like when they'd been living on campus apartments. He liked having Duo in the kitchen with him.

Heero was starting his new job on Monday, and Duo was starting on Tuesday, but he had to go in for orientation for half a day on Monday as well. They decided to go out Saturday and on impulse, Heero called Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, and Relena to join them. When Duo saw them at the bar, he wagged a finger at Heero.

"Bad dog, no biscuit?" Trowa said, reaching between them and grabbing a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the bar.

"Bad dog, hear that, Heero?" He grinned at Trowa. "I still can't believe people think you're quiet."

Trowa shrugged, stuck out his tongue, and placed a peanut on it, then curled his tongue around it, hiding the peanut completely, before turning his tongue upside down.

"Quatre!" Duo said, gaping at Trowa. "You are SUCH a lucky man!"

Quatre insinuated himself between Heero and Trowa, and ran a hand along Trowa's spine, removing it when he reached Trowa's belt.

"I could tell you stories," he said in a low, sexy voice.

"Quatre Raberba Winner! I'm telling your sister!" Relena said in mock disgust.

"Which one?" Wufei said. As Quatre pretended to consult his palm pilot to see which sisters were available for the week, Heero slid off his stool and gave Relena a hug. He stepped back and looked at her, then looked at Wufei, and back at Relena.

"Are you...? " he asked in her ear.

"Hmm," she said, beaming at him, then turning her gaze back to the raven-haired man who was on the other side of Duo.

'How did you know?' he wondered.

Relena wasn't looking at him, but at Wufei.

"We complement each other," she said. It took Heero a moment to realize he'd spoke out loud.

"I know it doesn't make sense," she said, looking at Heero. "We have been friends a long time, you know. Not long in the great scheme of things, but still, a while, wouldn't you say?"

Heero nodded.

"It shouldn't make sense, right? Love shouldn't make sense. But Wufei... he makes sense. Together, I think we make sense. Does that make sense?" Relena asked, smiling at Heero as she attempted to explain.

Heero smiled at her, and Relena realized he'd never smiled like that at her before. If he had ever looked at her that way when they first met, she would have fallen madly in love with him.

"Stop making goo goo eyes at each other, guys!" Duo hollered from the jukebox, where he was perusing the selections.

"Please pick something other than this godawful dance crap," Wufei muttered. A pop tune was currently playing.

Heero raised an eyebrow at Relena, and then winked. "Care to dance?"

She laughed, accepted the proffered arm, and the two of them walked to the dance floor.

"Sure you don't want any?"

Heero shook his head as he carried his dirty dishes to the sink. His roommate picked up his mug and walked to the window, kneeling on the padded bench as he did every morning.

"Looks like it's gonna be a scorcher," he commented.

"Hmm," Heero agreed, frowning slightly at a stubborn bit of egg on his dish. He scraped it with a soapy fingernail, then rinsed it and placed it in the dish rack on the counter. He walked to his bedroom, digging the dried yellow yolk out from under his fingernails.

"I can't believe you haven't walked into a wall yet," the other boy commented without turning around. Heero couldn't see his smile, but he could hear it, that light teasing tone that was as familiar to him as his own hands.

By the time Heero had thrown on a shirt over his pants, Duo was sitting on the sill, cradling the mug between his knees.

The suns rays were still climbing, the red haze softening into an orange-gold. Heero moved closer to the bench. His eyes traveled from the window to Duo's head, and he watched as the light was reflected in Duo's hair.

He felt the same stirrings in him that he'd felt on and off for as long as he'd been in college, and his eyes closed briefly. When he opened them, Duo was looking at him curiously.

His eyes flicked down to Duo's lips, and then back to Duo's eyes. He felt more than saw Duo's shuddering breath, and the way Duo parted his lips slightly. Heero thought Duo might have been leaning toward him ever so slightly.

Some things can't be explained by science.

We complement each other.

Don't think about things so much, Heero.

I could kiss you, Heero.

I love you, Heero.

Heero closed his eyes, and let himself fall.

His knee hit the bench, but he wasn't aware of that as his lips grazed Duo's. His hand came up to touch the side of Duo's head, and he felt the warmth of the sun in the hair beneath his fingers.

He shuddered when one of Duo's hands left his mug and cupped his neck. Duo's fingers felt long and graceful as they stroked his skin.

"Duo," he groaned into the other man's mouth, his other hand moving behind Duo's head.

Neither of them noticed that a cloud had covered the sunshine that had warmed them just moments earlier, nor the rain that was now falling on the other side of the glass.

Falling.

"Me too, Heero," Duo whispered, before capturing his best friend's lips with his own again.

~ End ~

(:./mookie/epiphany)