Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The D.C. Saga ❯ The D.C. Saga, Part Twenty-Seven ( Chapter 27 )

Title: The D.C. Saga, Part Twenty-Seven

Rating: PG-13-Duo's a potty mouth and they're on their first date. Wahoo!

Oh. FYI, you all know the saying "Potato, potato", right? Poh-tay-to, poh-tah-to? I'm not going to spell it out like that because it looks stupid, but I expect you'll get the gist of it. ^^

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"Dinner's over," Heero commented, drying the last dish and placing it in the cabinet. Duo was nervous as all hell and he could barely swallow the knot in his parched throat.

"Yeah. It's over."

Dark blue eyes pierced him right through. "Can we still go out?"

"Yeah, sure-let me go get changed, though. I can't very well wear black when I'm going to be outside in the heat."

"Aa. I'll finish up in here, then." And he began wiping down the cabinets. Duo scowled.

"You're changing too. I will not be seen in public with you dressed like that."

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" he questioned, a bit sharply.

"Spandex, Heero. No way. They have to go. Go put on some shorts or something." And before Heero could respond, Duo was out of the kitchen and halfway up the stairs.

Sighing, he finished with the cabinets, made sure everything was in its place, and swept the kitchen floor to stall. He was starting to get nervous. Maybe going on a date-date wasn't such a good idea...

He went up to the room that he and Duo shared and found that he wasn't there. Shrugging, he changed his clothes and found a pair of shorts (not the shredded ones) that fit well enough. He'd bought them nearly a year ago for something at school, he couldn't remember what. It was for cover, was all. They were khaki, a little baggy, but he didn't mind them. A shirt, however...he didn't really have anything other than tanktops and plain t-shirts.

Quatre's duffel bag caught his eye and shrugging again, he rummaged in until he pulled out a black t-shirt with the words Less Than Jake inscribed on the front. He didn't know what it meant and he really didn't care, but it fit and that was that. Sliding into the sneakers he used for exercising, he went downstairs to wait. His mind was racing and his heart began to pump a little faster before he thought to consciously regulate it. He wondered if Duo was feeling the same way.

*

Duo was panicking. He was literally freaking out, and while Quatre tried to calm him down in the small upstairs bathroom, nothing could be done.

"Duo, it's just you and Heero-he's your best friend! Why are you getting so worked up?"

Duo glared at him. "I know it's just Heero. But I-" He bit his lip. How could he tell his little blonde friend that Heero had caught his eye more than once...and as more than a friend? "I don't know..."

"You two are just hanging out, right?"

"Um...yeah."

Quatre narrowed his sea-green eyes. "Duo. There's something you aren't telling me."

"Nuh uh!"

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"TELL ME!"

The American glowered. "I'm always amazed that you have the loudest voice out of all of us." He sighed when he got no response except for an expectant silence. "All right, fine. But...please don't hate me, all right?"

"Hate you?" he asked, puzzled. "Duo, I could never hate you. You're...Duo."

He received a slight smile. "Thanks, Quat. But...I'm really confused about this and I'm not sure what's going on, but...I think...I think I might like Heero." He held his breath, waiting for the accusations, the name-calling, but Quatre merely blinked.

"Is that all?"

"Wait, what?" He shook his head, eyes wide. "What do you mean, `is that all?'"

"You like Heero? No big deal. I have a crush on Trowa." He shrugged. "I think he's cute."

Duo nearly fell over in shock. "You have got to be KIDDING me! You really don't care that I like another guy?"

"Um, wouldn't that be a little hypocritical of me?" He winked. "Duo, do what you feel is right. If Heero is right for you, go with it."

"And what about you and Trowa?"

"Oh, nothing will ever come of it," he said breezily. "We're just really good friends. I just think he's handsome and he looks good shirtless, that's all."

The braided boy was flushed up to the roots of his hair. "That's not helping, Quat..."

"Sorry," he said unapologetically. "So. What are you going to wear?"

"Well, it's a date, so-"

"IT'S A DATE?!"

"Shut up!" he hissed urgently. "Don't say it so damn loud!"

The blonde giggled. "Oops, sorry. So what are you going to wear?"

"I don't know," he blushed. "I was just thinking of some pants and a shirt."

"What kind of pants?" Quatre persisted.

"Um...ones that cover my ass?"

"You know what I mean." He rolled his eyes. "Smart aleck."

"Fine. Maybe the gray ones? My cargos?"

"And the shirt?"

"I don't know!"

"I'll find you something. Give me a second-I'll get your pants, too."

Duo thought he'd have time to think while his little friend was out, but he was wrong-Quatre was back in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, he was in his gray cargos and a white baseball tee with gray sleeves. He thought he looked a bit strange-he was hardly ever in something other than black. Or occasionally red. This was very new indeed.

"You look good," Quatre commented, inspecting him from all angles. "Put on your black sneakers."

"Which ones?"

"Converse. These pants will look great with those." Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Have I ever told you that I like punks?"

"Punks? Um, no."

"If you were Trowa and you were dressed like this, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Now get going, he's probably waiting for you."

And before Duo knew it, he and Heero were outside and walking down the street, the sky darkening from light blue to a pale rose.

I am on a date. I am on a date with Heero. I am on a date with Heero, the one person I seem to have romantic feeling for. What if he tries to hold my hand? People will look at us funny! What if he tries to KISS me?! I don't think I could really handle that...

Heero bumped him with his hip. "Stop looking like you're going to a funeral. Is being with me that bad?"

"No! No, I like being with you. I'm just...thinking. I guess I have a lot on my mind." Duo glanced at him. "Hey...that's not your shirt, is it?"

"No, it's Quatre's."

"You stole it?"

"No. I borrowed it."

"Does he know you borrowed it?"

"No."

"Then you stole it."

"No, I borrowed it without his knowledge."

"...Heero, that's stealing."

He shrugged. "Potato, potato."

Duo laughed, feeling a little lighter. His and Heero's banter was always fun and light, and he preferred that to the deep thinking he'd been doing. He was starting to get a headache.

They strolled down the dim street, hands occasionally bumping but not fully grasping, and Duo was starting to like the excited tingle he was getting. He wondered if anyone else in the world gave him that feeling. It seemed that it only happened when he came in contact with Heero.

"Where do you want to go first?" Duo asked. Heero shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Um...this was your idea, you know."

"What, the date?"

The American flushed nearly uncontrollably. "I...I guess. But...I mean, is it really a date?"

"What would you call a date?"

"Um...hand-holding, dinner and just...hanging out."

"Oh." Heero reached out and took Duo's hand casually, glancing around to make sure that no one was around. He knew how skittish his braided counterpart was.

He was right. Duo nearly jumped out of his skin, but not knowing how to break contact, he fell silent and tried to enjoy it. It was sort of nice, feeling Heero's warm palm pressed against his, their fingers half laced together. Prickly, in a good way. Almost electric.

"We already had dinner," Heero said softly, "so should we get some dessert?"

PLEASE DON'T LET HIM MEAN WHAT I THINK HE MEANS! "What kind of dessert?" Breathe, Duo, breathe...

"Ice-cream, maybe? I thought I saw a Ben & Jerry's shop in the New French Quarter. Does that sound good?"

"Oh...oh yeah. Sounds fine." He tried to control his blush. "Ice-cream will be good."

So they set off. When people came into view, Heero dropped his hand quite easily. Duo felt a wave of relief wash over him. He understood-Heero actually understood.

So what now? We both obviously have some sort of feeling for one another. How does he feel about me, exactly? I wonder...

Heero glanced at him. "I like that shirt. It...it looks nice on you."

"Oh...thank you." He looked at the Less Than Jake shirt and shook his head. "Did you know Quatre likes punks?"

"Ah, no. I didn't."

"Oh. Well, he does."

"That's interesting."

"...You're smirking at me. Asshole."

"I learn from the best."

Duo shoved him playfully. "Asshole."

"You already said that." He bumped Duo again with his hip and Duo bumped back, laughing.

Nope...this isn't bad at all. Not in the least. In fact...it's kind of fun...

Maybe dating Heero wasn't a bad idea after all.

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