Authors: Pyro and Skeller
see part 1 for warnings, notes
Disclaimer: "This is the Police, we have you surrounded, now put down the bishies and leave the house with your laptops were we can see them... "

Fires + Part 4

What Did I Tell You About My Daughter?

Heero outright laughed when he came back into the apartment. Duo was curled up on the couch with Amaris and the still unnamed puppy, all three sound asleep.

Duo really needed to cure his problems of sleeping with his CEO's daughters.

Or sleeping with girls in general.

He tossed his keys in the dish, grabbed a few blankets and turned off the TV. He crawled between the two and covered them with the blankets. Amaris, blinked open huge blue/gray eyes, smiled a little, and then tucked her blond head against his lap. Duo didn't even wake up, just leaned against Heero, yawned and rubbed his head against his roommates shoulder. The puppy, sniffed, rolled over and yawned before going to sleep.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"I finally asked Zechs out."

"Oh."

"He said yes."

"Cool."

"So you get why we can't see each other?"

"Yeah, it... it wasn't permanent or anything. Good luck Wufei."

"Thank you. Best of luck with Duo."

"Hn."

So now he was without a fuck buddy, he could probably get another one, or just go through a string of one-night stands. Just to take the edge off...

Man that would suck though. Keep getting stress relievers when he really wanted to just tackle his roommate.

WHY did he have to be straight?

He shook his head, life was the way life was, and you dealt with it. He would find somebody for him eventually.

Man, but would be awesome if it were Duo.


Crash and Burn

"Hilde and I broke up today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She uh... she's moving to Alaska."

"Hn."

"She wanted me to come with."

Heero looked up and blinked. "You didn't?"

Duo shrugged "I've got a good life here. You and the puppy, Quat, man it feels weird talking about my ubber boss like that, Trowa... you know? I don't really want to pick up and move."

Heero grinned and drank his coffee. "Nice to know you care."

Duo shrugged "I haven't seen 'Fei for awhile, what's up with him?"

"He hooked up with Zechs three weeks ago."

"What? What didn't you say something." Duo demanded

"Didn't matter. It was a temp thing anyways."

"Well yeah, but you guys seemed pretty close."

Heero shrugged "My heart wasn't in it, his wasn't either."

"Oh. Well yeah, but... wait, where the hell was yours?"

Heero raised an eyebrow and went to clean out his dishes.

"Oh Hee-chan has a crush. Anyone I know?" Duo grinned and poked him in the side. Heero often suspected Duo had a very selective memory.

"I've already told you." Heero responded patiently and stared at Duo.

Duo blinked and then his face cleared. "Oh. I...I"

"Stop being awkward Duo."

"You keep telling me you like me Yuy, how am I not supposed be awkward?"

"Accept it and move on." Yuy sighed and bent to pet the still unnamed puppy.

"My roommate STILL has a crush on me, how am I supposed to move on? For the love it Yuy, you're my friend and I wish I could help, but I... "

"I know Duo." Heero said quietly and tossed his hair out of his face. "Don't worry about it."

Heero turned at the hand on his shoulder and then leaned into the hug he found himself in. Duo was the kind of person who needed contact, and a lot of it. "I'm sorry. I can't change who I am."

Heero nodded and shrugged.

The puppy barked and waved it's little bony ass to go outside and shit.

"I'll get it." Heero offered before Duo could and grabbed his coat and the pup's leash before picking the dog up and going outside. It was freezing, winter and nighttime. Heero was a great friend, no doubting that.

"I just wish I could help him out." He muttered.


Dog Days

Girls apparently weren't made to be both anti-consumers AND dateable. Duo leaned against the door and slid to the ground. Gobbets ran down the hall, skittered on the hardwood floor and slammed into him.

"Did it go well?"

"SHE DOESN'T BATHE!"

Heero was there, suddenly, with a spatula dripping cake batter and a confused expression. "She what?"

"She doesn't bathe. Ever. I thought I was going to faint, dear god that was terrible." He covered his eyes. "I can't take much more of this." He looked around "Where's Joe?" Duo scrambled a bit to remember Heero's blind date's name.

Heero snorted "Off rutting someone's shoe I suspect. Here, I'm making cake."

Gobbets was licking the cake batter off the floor and Duo slowly got up.

"I'm going to go take a shower, then I'll be down." He shuddered "I feel dirty... Her hair was so... ugggg... UNCLEAN!" he shouted as he walked to the bathroom "I AM UNCLEAN!"

"You had a bad date, not leprosy." Heero called back.

"I'M CURED!" Duo yelled and looked down "Amazing."

Heero sighed and went back to making cake. Gobbets stared up at him and Heero addressed the ugly little thing "Why he named you after pieces of human flesh washed ashore after a shipwreck is beyond me."

"Ruff."

"Agreed. Cake?"

"Ruruow."

"Good dog." They sat down to lick the batter off the mixture-attachment-thingies.

Duo came in rubbing his hair in a towel by the time the cake was done. They talked over stuff and Heero handed him his coffee the way he liked it. He ate a bit of his favorite cake, and laughed down at the little dog that was skittering on the linoleum trying to get crumbs.

Duo stopped eating suddenly and looked at his watch.

"I've been living with you for eight months."

"Yeah, so?" Heero shrugged. Points of Duo's existence were everywhere. His few books in the bookshelf, coat on the rack, food in the kitchen, clothing in the laundry hamper, hair ties scattered around. He had his shampoo and conditioner in the shower, they both used his hand-made soap. His pet projects littered the floor.

"I only really meant to live here until I got a job." Duo poked at his cake.

Heero froze and put his milk down. "Do you want to leave?" He was amazed his voice stayed so calm.

"... no... "

"Then what's the problem?" His insides were doing the cabbage patch out of joy.

"It's just... I... I dunno. You just did so much for me, and I've done jack for you."

"You make soap." Heero pointed out and then grinned "You also brighten the décor nicely."

Duo rolled his eyes "For the love of it, Yuy, you know what I mean."

Heero shrugged and went back to eating cake. "You made a flour grinder, we have herbs growing in the window boxes, we cut our water and electricity bill by half because of the rewiring and improvements you made on the appliances. If it makes you feel better I steal your shampoo on occasion."

"I just feel like you've done a shit load for me and all I've done is-"

"I'm going to get sappy on you if you don't stop being angsty. Do you want me to be sappy?"

Duo blinked. 'What?"

"I've told you. I like you and I like having you around a lot more than I like not having you around. You stay, I have your dog." He picked up Gobbets to show his point.

"Well... "

"And only I know how to make this cake."

"Are you bribing and blackmailing me?"

"Is it working?"

Duo laughed "Yeah."

"Then yes, yes I am. Eat, shut up and stop going out with girls you meet online."

"Yessir!"

"Good."


Choc(olate) Full of Fun.

"Duo?"

"Yes Ubber Boss?"

"You just slipped two cards into your sleeve. That means you fold."

"I did not slip two cards in my sleeve."

"How many did you slip in then?"

"Four. So I only have to fork the cards back."

He fanned the four cards and put them back. Quatre rolled his eyes "Why did we decide these rules?"

"Because otherwise you always win and Trowa and Heero just sit there."

Heero tossed chocolate in the pot and added "And you'll distract Trowa with your foot and I'll have to defend against you by myself."

Duo's eye twitched and in retribution ate a dark crumble from Heero's pile.

"Hey!"

Duo grinned and drank some milk. Heero stole his chocolate, and Duo got the other two involved. Soon there were snatching chocolate from each other and then yelling and shouting, the card game forgotten.

Once again Duo and Heero ended up in the same bed. Duo didn't complain or try to change it this time. He just kind of accepted it, and after he'd fallen asleep, went to enjoy physical contact. Heero sighed, closed his eyes and went to sleep.


Decision Revisions.

Duo looked at his planner and suddenly realized he had a date tonight. It was with a friend of a friend, who he knew had nostril capacity and a decent sense of what Duo tolerated.

He blinked and then looked up at Heero, who was talking to one of his coworkers and laughing. He and Heero had informally planned to spend tonight and the weekend repainting the guestroom in a color that didn't clash so horribly with Duo's optical nerves.

He looked down at his day planner and then back up at Heero.

Date with pretty girl or painting room with Heero?

Date with pretty, single, girl or getting paint in his hair, getting sweaty and sore with Heero while they tried to keep Gobbets out of the room?

Date with pretty, single, interesting and clean girl or getting high off paint fumes, having a headache tomorrow and having to sleep with Heero because they had to pulled everything out of his room to paint?

...

He picked up the phone and dialed the unfamiliar phone number. "Yeah, hey is Kathy there? Yeah hey, it's Duo. Listen, we have to reschedule. Yeah something kind of important came up... "


Hide and Pink

"Have I mentioned I detest suits to the very lowest depth of hell, so far even Dante feared to consider shut a horrendous place?"

"Not in so many words, but yes. Have some cheese."

"That isn't cheese. That is a strange mixture of spices and money masquerading as cheese. It's oozing Heero."

"Hn. Crackers?"

"I'm fairly sure that cracker was worth more than an entire package of Ritz."

"Mmm, excessive waste of wealth. Steal some food and we can feed it to Gobbets and video tape the irony."

Duo looked thoughtful and moment and Heero rolled his eyes.

"Why are we here again?" Duo went closer to Heero while some overly perfumed; gaucy woman Pearl Harbor'd the snack table.

"Quatre is scared of these parties and the fastest way to get him out of here is for his poor friends to think of some devastating disaster he has to take care of at the office, and he can't use Trowa because no one believes him anymore."

Duo muttered unflattering things about the local wildlife to himself and Heero chuckled as he sipped his champagne.

Duo suddenly froze and then hunched down, looking very much like a rabbit that just spotted by a vindictive hawk.

"What's wrong?"

"Lying harpy ten o'clock."

Heero actually looked that direction and then when that froze pointless, he followed Duo's gaze.

Ah, Relena. The person he almost loved because she had been stupid enough to let him have Duo. Not that he had Duo, but he was a damn sight closer than she was. So neh.

Duo did the honorable and brave thing and dived under the snack table.

Heero blinked and Relena was suddenly there.

"Um, hello. I don't believe we've met. I'm Relena." She held out her hand and he shook it.

"Heero." He responded.

"Ah, um, was there a braided man just here? Violet eyes, really cute- I mean... uh... " She blushed a bit then looked around.

"I think he went that way." Heero point to the direction Duo was and she looked out through the balcony doors. There were a few shadowy figures and she smiled. "Thank you. I hope you enjoy the party." She slipped away and after a moment, when Duo didn't show up, Heero inconspicuously joined him.

"Is she gone?"

"Yes Duo, the bad lady went away." Heero said and settled down. There was actually quite a bit of room down here.

Duo nodded and looked down at the floor. "I don't know what she wanted. It's not like... " He bit his lip and focused on the red tablecloth.

"Not like what?"

"Not like she wants anything to do with me, I mean... she was the one who lied and was a hypocrite and everything, but she hasn't called or anything."

Heero nodded. "Right. Not to mention she tried to make it so you'd be unemployed by the world."

"Exactly, so what's she doing... sniffing around here?" Duo didn't manage much anger into his statement and sighed. "Do we have to get out from under here?"

"No." Heero shrugged. "Maybe we can get Quatre under here too and play a game of poker."

"Good idea." Duo grinned and peeked under the cloth a moment. He snatched out a hand and something thumped.

Heero nodded, then in the middle of the game, he escaped to the 'bathroom' and caught up with the girl.

"What do you want with Duo?"

She jerked and turned around "Heero? What... you know Duo?"

"Yes. What do you want with him?"

"I... " She flushed "I miss him."

"You should have thought about that before you lied to him. He takes the truth very seriously Relena, and I would thank you to leave him alone."

She flushed angrily "What do you know about it-"

"I'm his friend, I know plenty. He doesn't let things go unless he doesn't need them anymore. What he doesn't need, he doesn't want. You are out of his life, and if you have any affection for him at all, you will allow him to find happiness."

"I-"

"And you should consider these things before you make it nearly impossible for him to get a job. Reunion or revenge, not both. Have a good day Miss Relena."

She stood silently for a moment she he left and then ran down the halls and to her car, sobbing into her 1,500-dollar gloves and wishing for old jeans and Overkill Beaver's t-shirt, and a few conversations back.


Nightmares: Cliché as all Get-Go.

Duo's room still reeked of paint (Heero had suddenly decided that sponge painting would be a great idea. It, of course, had nothing to do with the fact that the four-or-five layers would take about six times as long as just painting it, which meant Duo slept in his room for an extended period of time.)

Heero woke up a soft whimpering. At first he thought with was Gobbets needing to go out and pee, then he felt the weight of the on his ankle. He looked around then down at Duo, who was clutched around his waist and shaking.

Heero blinked a moment and then immediately went into make-Duo-happy mode.

He petted, soothed and babbled about nothing. Just those mindless comforting things you say, but it's really the tone of the voice that matters. Duo struggled a bit, then gently his frown eased and he snuggled into Heero's shoulder.

Heero planted a kiss on Duo's head, once again hoping it would bloom into some sort of fruitarian of his feelings, but shoving the thought to the back of his mind. He struggled and shuffled bit (much to the annoyance of one blind dog) and eventually got them laid down.

This obsession with his roommate was going to drive him crazy, or to have a sex change operation, which would just be creepy. He assumed the later would be a product of the former, but it could happen the other way. Ug. It was bad enough they had put Gobbet in neutral; they did not need to remove any more masculinity from the area, thank you.

He turned his head to look at the sleeping boy. The line that had furrowed his brow was gone, and now he was relaxing, slowly. As he relaxed he snuggled more.

Damn it. Heero sighed and tucked the braided head under his chin and for one blissful second, he fooled himself into believe all his dreams had come true.

He knew how Duo felt about lying though, so he fluffed his pillow, snuggled down, and tried to get back to sleep.

[part 3] [part 5] [back to Singles l - z]