Fragile Hearts
Part Three




Duo kept himself interested in physics for a good thirty minutes. After that, his curiosity for the brown-haired boy seated next to him got the better of him. He stared at Heero intently while Heero continued explaining a problem, and the only thought that ran through his head was how beautiful Heero was. It was no wonder the girls at school couldn't stop talking about the transfer student; everything about Heero was perfect. His tousled brown hair, his deep, cobalt eyes ... even the perpetually despondant expression. Duo was smiling to himself, until he realized that Heero was frowning back.

"Are you listening?" Heero asked, though from his tone of voice, it was obvious he knew that Duo was not.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Duo asked, still grinning. Heero's frown was immediately lost, and his eyebrows seemed to shoot skyward. "Huh?"

"Do-you-have-a-girl-friend," Duo repeated. Heero stared at Duo for a minute. Most people didn't ask him those kinds of personal questions, besides the girls who followed him around at school, that is. And when they did, Heero's glare that promised violence was enough of an answer. Heero tried that glare on Duo now.

It didn't work. In fact, it made Duo even more persistant. "Well? I'm waiting, Heero Yuy."

Heero sighed and gave up. "No, I don't."

"Have you ever?"

"No," Heero said, sounding a little annoyed.

"Even with all those girls following you around? I would think you'd have had a girlfriend by now."

"Why are you asking me these questions?! We have to finish this problem for tomorrow's class!" Heero said angrily, slapping a hand down on the physics book. Duo just smiled at Heero's little outburst. He leaned in suddenly and pressed his lips against Heero's.

At first, Heero was too stunned to react. He sat there, staring, as Duo ran a hand up his arm. When that hand touched his cheek, Heero was pulled from his trance. He shoved Duo off of him roughly, his hands holding Duo's shoulders at arm's length as if fearing that Duo might lunge for him again. "What are you doing?!" he asked angrily.

Duo smiled hopefully. He hadn't really thought of the consequences when he kissed Heero, but now he was feeling the rejection, and it was a little harder than he thought. He looked into Heero's darkened blue eyes imploringly. "I like you ... is ... that okay?"

Heero wanted to hurt Duo. He wanted to punch him, or scream at him, and kick him out of his apartment.

But he couldn't.

Instead he sat there, staring into Duo's hurt violet eyes, and Heero found that he couldn't hate him. And the realization hit him suddenly.

He liked Duo too.

Heero stood from the bed and went to the window, his arms folded. "I think you should leave," he said to Duo, but there was no longer any anger in his voice.

Heero could see Duo's reflection in the window. That same, pained expression was on his face, though Duo was actively trying to fight it by smiling. He heard Duo laugh softly, but there was only sadness behind it. "You hate me now, don't you?"

Heero suddenly felt like a real jerk. Duo had taken a chance with their new- found friendship, and now ...

"I don't hate you. I just ... think it'd be best if you left."

"But ... why ...?" Duo asked. He was scared of what Heero might think of him now, and despite what he was feeling for Heero, he wanted them to be friends above anything. Duo looked now to Heero, hoping for any explanations.

Heero turned around to face Duo. Duo was a little shocked by his expression. He had expected anger, or confusion, or even that emotionless scowl that Heero usually wore. Instead, Heero's cobalt eyes seemed to be almost sad.

"Because ... it isn't right."

Those words would have torn at him, but the look in Heero's eyes at that moment made it perfectly clear to Duo. Heero wasn't telling him. He was asking. Duo stood and moved in front of Heero, and very carefully placed his hands on Heero's cheeks, waiting at any moment for Heero to push him away again. But Heero didn't. He looked into Duo's eyes and waited for an answer. Duo could feel Heero's warmth only inches away. "But doesn't this feel right ... Heero?"

With that, he leaned in again to capture Heero's lips. This time they were warm and pliant, and after awhile, Heero began to kiss him back. The feelings that shot through them were electric, and soon, Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's shoulders and pulled him closer, their bodies touching.

When they finally broke the kiss, both boys were breathing faster. Duo smiled when he saw Heero's reddened cheeks, and he kissed them impulsively.

They stayed that way for awhile, both holding each other, until Duo saw the darkening sky over Heero's shoulder. "I should get going," he whispered, pulling away from Heero regretfully. "It's getting late, and they close the dorms after sundown."

Heero nodded silently. They didn't speak another word, but the smile on Duo's face when he left the apartment was more than enough for the both of them. After he shut the door, Heero's knees gave way beneath him and he sank to the floor, his back to the wall. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Duo ..."


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The next day was the same as the last, but Heero Yuy had never been more excited in his life. Outwardly, he seemed just as stoic and detached as he always was, but Trowa and Quatre noticed a tiny difference.

As they sat in homeroom, Heero was working on his physics homework, which he had never finished, while Quatre and Trowa were idly talking about something else.

"Oh, Heero! I saw Duo this morning! He said you guys had a great time last night." Quatre said happily.

Heero nearly snapped his pencil, but he was quickly composed. Quatre kept going, oblivious. "How do you like him? Do you two get along?"

"Yeah .. he's nice," Heero muttered, before going back to his work. Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Praise indeed ... from Heero, at least," he said sarcastically.

Quatre turned to Trowa again. "I always like making people friends. I have a knack for it, ne Trowa?" Trowa nodded, amused. Again, Quatre turned to Heero.

"Ne, Heero, are you busy this afternoon? Trowa and I have band practice today. You can come by, and we'll get some coffee afterwards, huh?"

Heero looked up at the two boys. "I'd like to, but I think I should finish unpacking today ..."

"No problem. Some other time then?" Trowa asked. "Aa," Heero replied.

Just then, a commotion made the three boys look towards the door of their room. A large group of girls, many of whom Heero recognized from his female following, were standing in a circle discussing something. He was about to ignore it when he noticed that they were looking at him while they talked. Then, a girl who was in the center of the circle came forward and made her way towards Heero.

She stood in front of him, her chin tilted slightly upwards in a confident manner. Her honey-blond hair was incredibly neat, along with her pressed uniform. The first impression Heero had of her was that nothing was out of place.

"You're Heero Yuy, the transfer student," she asked. Heero nodded. The girl smiled. "My name is Relena Peacecraft. On behalf of the Student's Political Forum, I'd like to welcome you to Romefeller."

Politics, Heero thought. No wonder.

"I'm the president of the SPF," she said proudly. "Would you like to join? It's one of the largest clubs here at Romefeller, so I'm sure you won't feel out of place."

Heero wasn't even remotely interested in joining an afterschool club, not to mention a political one. He shook his head. "I can't. I'm busy after school," he answered flatly.

The girls in the circle nearby gasped. No one had ever turned down a personal invitation from Relena Peacecraft to join her club. They waited for Relena's reaction.

Surprisingly enough, Relena gave Heero a pleasant smile. "That's too bad. I had hoped you would have. Please tell me if you change your mind," she said warmly, then walked back to her circle of people. They clapped when she returned, and followed her out of the room.

Heero, annoyed with the distraction, went back to his homework. Quatre and Trowa were blinking at eachother. "Wow, Heero! You were invited by Relena Peacecraft to join the SPF!" Quatre said excitedly.

"So?" Heero asked.

"Relena's the most popular girl in school! Most people would kill to join her little group!"

"-Except Quatre and you," Trowa answered. Quatre turned to him and stuck his tongue out. "Hey! That's not fair!"

"She asked you too?" Heero asked Quatre. "Well, no," Quatre admitted," but I was asked. I turned it down because it coincides with band practice, and I just couldn't give that up," he said, smiling.

Heero smiled, shaking his head. "Well, whatever. I don't feel like joining some snobby group like that."

"Ohh, that isn't true Heero ... I'm sure they're just as nice as everyone else, once you get to know them ..."

"You put too much faith in people, Quatre," Trowa commented. "We all know how contemptable Relena Peacecraft is. She talks about people behind their backs all the time," Trowa sighed. "It's truly hard to believe she's going out with someone as well-liked as Duo-"

*SNAP*

Quatre and Trowa turned to Heero. "Uhm, Heero .. your pen-"

"Duo?!" Heero asked, his eyes wide.

Trowa nodded. "Yeah. I guess it was kind of inevitable, the most popular guy in school, with the most popular girl ..."

"He didn't mention it?" Quatre asked. Heero was silent, staring incredulously at his broken pencil, half of it rolling slowly on his desk, while the other half was clenched tightly in his fist.

"Hey, I know it's hard to believe. I mean, you barely see them together, though I hear they spend lunch with each other, but ..." Trowa shrugged again.

Heero's mind was spinning. Duo knew how he felt about him. They were kissing in his apartment, for crying out loud! He suddenly became scared that it had all been a terrible joke, that he had become the school fag without even knowing it. What was he supposed to do now?



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