Excerpt:

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CHAPTER 1

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DUO'S POV

I'd be damned if it wasn't one hell of a year after the destruction of our gundams. I went back to L2 and started the salvage business with Hilde. And after Heero took over Relena's security and ended up married to the woman, I hadn't really seen a point in refusing Hilde's offer either. Living in the same house with her was weird to say the least.

I'd only hacked the Preventers system a couple of times. Only when Heero and Wufei had seemed to disappear. They were partners after all, and that meant something was up as far as I was concerned. It wasn't like I could deny my feelings for Heero, and Hilde was well aware. That's why we had separate rooms at the house. Never actually married. Just moved in to save on the bills, and it wasn't like I needed the privacy for any surprise visits from him.

Though that was only a few more years. We'd finally agreed that it was kind of pointless to even continue living together. She deserved a chance to find a companion that would want to be with her and share her love. And I was just a third wheel and not helping the prospects any. We both knew that, so I set about finding my own place once more.

It surprised us both when the place I ended up wanting to be was on Earth. I had to hear about the concerns of my being so far away and alone. I insisted that all the guys had settled on Earth by then, and I was sure Trowa could use some company while Quatre was busy with work. He was a rather busy man after all.

I even started working for Preventers. Not in Heero's department, but still for the same company. Une was still a damned intimidating force when she wanted to be, but she seemed more balanced. Though my opinion might be tainted with the memory of an execution that almost happened...

I would have found another job, but I rather didn't want to risk not getting the apartment I'd found. It was the best damn place I'd seen, short of the Winner and Dorlian places. I'm sure Wufei probably had a place just as nice, and it wasn't like every one of us hadn't earned the right to live in a damned nice place too.

Once I got all settled in my new place, life became mostly a pattern once again. Work, house work, meals, sleep. Day after day, same old thing.

You realize that's when things change, right? When something goes wrong and turns your world upside down? Good. That means I don't have to tell you just how much the change in the boring pattern was something I had wanted, just hadn't expected what the change would be.

“Duo?”

“Yeah,” I answered looking up to find Heero walking into my office on the floor below his.

Now Heero walking into the office really wouldn't be that big a change. It wasn't exactly common, but it happened at times. A consult here, an appointment there. Hell, the 'are you going to so-and-so's for dinner' question even. Though the odd request of the day was interesting.

I've had Trowa ask to stay over when Quatre was out of town, but never Heero Yuy.

“Running away from the crystal palace?” What can I say? I don't really like Relena's place. It's just too fancy and over the top.

“I guess...in a way,” he answered.

Now the tone was a bit off for Heero, and I had it in me to ask for more details, but if he really wanted to tell me, he would. Still... “Disagreement?”

He nodded.

“Shouldn't you try to work it out?”

“Not really. It's not something of that nature,” he answered, and I could tell in the tone that it was time to change the subject for the time being.

“Well if you don't mind the lower grade accommodations, you are more than welcome to stay,” I answered with a bright smile. It was not exactly the brightest idea I'd ever had. I mean you don't just have the man you are drawn to staying in your home for an extended period of time without some strain. And I was just welcoming that strain on my nerves with open arms.

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“Welcome to Chateaus de' Maxwell,” I said as the door swung open. I wasn't ashamed of my home at all. As I said, it was a really nice place. But I couldn't help but wait for his reaction to see if it was going to be up to par with his standards.

“It's very nice,” was all I got from him as he stepped inside and toed off his shoes.

How he realized that I did that myself I didn't ask, just stepped in behind him and followed suit.

“This way please, good Sir,” I said with a bright smile in place and leading him down the hall toward the guest room.

He followed, and it wasn't until his stuff was settled, and we were setting down for dinner that he began to say much of anything.

“I would have asked Chang, but this weekend he and...” he just kind of petered out on that.

“I don't recall complaining, or even really hesitating to say yes.”

“You don't understand,” he started, but then stopped looking at his dinner like it was fascinating.

“Might if ya told me,” I countered and then took a bite, keeping my eyes on my plate so he didn't feel like he was being watched.

When he didn't pick up the conversation, I figured I'd pushed too far. I left the offer there on the table though, left it open while we ate.

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HEERO'S POV

This separating had been a long time coming. Relena and I had been discussing it. It had mainly been delayed because of her not wanting it to turn into a media frenzy. As head of her security, it was my job to protect her, and as her friend, I took the job doubly so in trying to keep her personal life out of the media as best I could. I didn't want either of us dealing with the crazed calls that would occur or the cameras that would be going off twice as fast to twist with their own warped thoughts on the matter.

I had intended on staying a few days with Chang to find a course of action that would be suitable. However, that was thwarted quite quickly with his soft smile and announcement of taking off for the weekend with Sally for a little quality time. I could not begin to even utter a word of my weekend planning with that kind of news. He was my partner and brother and his plans would have been canceled because I'd needed him. I couldn't allow that. Couldn't ruin what I knew would be something good for the both of them.

And knowing that Quatre would be upset over the matter if he were to find out, I went to the only place I could think of to determine what would be a suitable plan on my own. Duo would let me stay if he didn't have plans. I'd never asked, but I was sure that he'd not turn away a friend.

“Running away from the crystal palace?”

I don't know why he started calling it that, but it was rather fitting at the parties I guess, and that was about the only time you could get him in the place. I was sure he only came then out of duty for work. I'm sure he knew he was welcome to just visit. Relena even made it clear several times, insisting he come back and spend some time without all the extra people.

“I guess...in a way,” I answered quietly.

I was surprised when his only response was, “Disagreement?”

I nodded.

“Shouldn't you try to work it out?”

“Not really. It's not something of that nature,” I said hoping my tone would impart just how I wasn't about to talk about it. Especially at work.

“Well if you don't mind the lower grade accommodations, you are more than welcome to stay,” Duo answered with a bright smile.

It was in me to protest his implications of his own place not being good enough. Hell it was in me to protest the implication of my being so accustomed to the Dorlian Estate that I couldn't handle anything less. I found her home far over the top myself.

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“Welcome to Chateaus de' Maxwell,” he said as the door swung open. He watched me and seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

“It's very nice,” was all I could manage before I stepped inside and toed off my shoes. It was a relief when he stepped inside behind me and did the same. It was something I was used to doing at Chang's, and this was probably a little bit nicer place than his. It had just seemed polite.

“This way please, good Sir,” he said leading me down the hall toward what I assumed to be the guest room.

It wasn't until we were sitting down for supper that I felt I had to say something. “I would have asked Chang, but this weekend he and...” I just kind of petered out on that. I didn't want him thinking he was merely a last resort. I value his friendship more than anything, and I was afraid he'd think I didn't with the way that was going to come out.

“I don't recall complaining, or even really hesitating to say yes.” And he hadn't. There was a moment of shock on his face where I'm sure he was wondering if he heard me correctly, and then the little banter that told me he was fishing for things to disprove what he was sure his ears had heard with the agreement turned into an offer.

“You don't understand,” I started, but then stopped looking at my dinner like it was fascinating. I couldn't ask him to listen to something that might just hit a bit too close to home. I would not put that weight on his shoulders. It wouldn't be right.

“Might if ya told me,” he countered and then took a bite, keeping his eyes on his plate.

I knew he was giving me that bit of privacy so to speak to think it over. And it was a damned tempting thought. I wanted to tell him, but at the same time was afraid to do so as well. I needed to know I wasn't the only one that ever felt this lost and confused, and yet knew damned well what I wanted at the same time. I wanted to let him turn it into something we could laugh at rather than something that was weighing on me as if I'd betrayed my friends by keeping it to myself.