the_goldenpath | (no subject)

Title: We dream the same dream
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairings: to be established Heero & Duo
Genre: angst and a little bit of fluff
Summary: Heero has been courting Duo for a while, but Duo doesn’t seem to want to take their friendship to a new level. When a more-than-friendly colleague of Duo appears, Heero knows he has to face this competition or loose Duo forever...
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Shotsu, Sunrise and Bandai.
Author’s notes: (unbeta-ed) christmas gift fic for

shinigami2174. ^___^

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Heero Yuy didn’t hate Christmas, but wasn’t fond of it either. He was one of the few who planned his Christmas gifts and grocery shopping beforehand, avoiding the crowds, the carollers and the corny media and marketing assault of everything for “this special time of the year”.
However, this time he did want to make it special. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to accomplish it, but this Christmas he would confess Duo his love and await his answer; risking rejection... or gaining a lover.

Over the past year, Heero had carefully increased the intensity of their friendship by inviting Duo over and taking him out to the movies, theatre shows and exhibitions. He knew Duo was feeling comfortable in his presence, but he could never muster the courage to confront the American directly about his own feelings and hopes for more than just friendship. On the other hand, Duo had never showed anything more interest than just the friends they already were. Heero knew better than to push, but he had to talk about it to Duo sooner or later. He shuddered at the cheesy thought, but Christmas was probably the best opportunity to approach Duo.

He already had been planning how to ‘come out’ and to coerce Duo into more specific ‘dates’, when a certain name started slipping into their conversations. Unbeknownst to him, Heero’s lips turned into a snarl. The name of a certain Dylan, some guy Duo met at a convention for advanced engineering, and turned out to be his new colleague. Heero didn’t like this Dylan, even though he hadn’t met him in the flesh. Somehow, he made Duo smile and laugh more, more than Heero could. That was something he really hated.

Maybe it was time to confront Duo about this Dylan, and asking point-blank what the guy meant to him. Heero reminded himself to be careful. He had learned from experience that his blunt approach didn’t work well too often with others. He didn’t want to scare Duo away or anger him- nothing was worth angering Duo and consequentially loosing his friendship, even if he ended up with this Dylan. Heero realised that he had to accept this colleague no matter what; he had to stomp this ugly jealousy and this nagging voice in his head, taunting him that maybe Duo would announce his relationship with Christmas. So much for this special time of the year.

“Heero! Over here!”
Heero had walked into the bar he’d agreed to meet up with Duo, and to go out for dinner. He carefully put away his earlier thoughts, intent to make this evening a pleasant one, for the both of them. His heart plummeted when he saw the man next to the one he loved.
“Heero, this is Dylan Jennings. Dylan, this is Heero,” Duo introduced them, oblivious to Heero’s sudden stony expression and stiffened posture.
It didn’t help much that Dylan Jennings was a handsome male, with shoulder length, curly dark brown hair, a dazzling smile, and the build of a surfer who worked out a lot- and dressing exactly to stress every line of his body.

“What an honour to meet you, Heero,” he said, voice sounding pleasantly low. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I heard a lot about you too,” Heero answered lamely, accepting the offered hand and squeezed a little bit too hard. Dylan didn’t comment and Duo was quick to intervene.
“I hope you don’t mind me inviting him, Heero. He’s staying at my place while he’s searching for an apartment, and I didn’t want him to stay alone tonight.”
“He’s staying with you?” Heero said, mentally cringing at the rising tone in his voice with every word. Duo had never invited him over.
“I’m looking for a nice apartment in the neighbourhood,” Dylan answered, sipping his damping hot coffee. “Duo’s been great helping me. He knows his way around town. I had to move for my job, and I didn’t know a single soul around here.”
“I see,” Heero said. He wanted to suppress his jealousy and his irritation, but barely managed to feign interest for the man next to ‘his’ Duo.

“You work closely with the Queen of the World, don’t you?”
Heero snapped out of his thoughts and answered Dylan curtly. “Yes, I work with Relena Peacecraft. Just bodyguard services, that’s all.”
“Heero, come off it,” Duo said, meanwhile passing him his favourite drink- cappuccino. “He’s practically the Head Minister of State Security, you know.” He leaned a little bit to the side when he said that, face dangerously close to Dylan’s. The hand of Duo’s colleague slid forward and rested on Duo’s knee.
Heero had to hold back forcefully. He longed to smack away the offending hand and to wipe away the smile on the man’s face. His mood even soured more when he realised that at least Dylan was trying to strike up a polite conversation, while Heero himself fell back on short, one-syllable answers.

“Well, which movie will it be?” Duo held a flyer in his hands - to Heero’s relief, he hadn’t put his hand over Dylan’s -, and started to study the program. “How do you feel about an action movie?”
“An action movie sounds great,” Dylan said before Heero could comment, “did you know they’re showing those Lethal Weapon movies again? A big hit before colony time.”
“What would you know about that?” Heero could’ve slapped himself in the face. Both Duo and Dylan looked a bit shocked at the vehemence of his words, but it was too late to apologize.

“About movies or about colonies?” Dylan said.
“Heero..” There was a warning in Duo’s voice that told him not to elaborate, but Heero didn’t want to back paddle.
“You probably know about the background Duo and I share,” Heero pointed out. “We’ve both fought for a better world, for the colonies.” He ignored the irritated look on Duo’s face. He was not going to walk away from this- but he knew he was losing points fast.
Dylan stood up from the barstool. “I didn’t fight, if that’s what you mean. I was one of those who fled with family and friends to Sanq Kingdom to seek shelter. If you think I’m a coward, that’s your opinion and I don’t care. Not everybody had a glorious mecha to fight and kill.”
“Stop it, both of you,” Duo said, sounding as irritated as he looked. “Dylan, get back here. Heero, you stay here too. We have to decide about the movie and forget this conversation ever happened.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Dylan said, ignoring Duo’s command to get back and waved through the crowd inside the bar, almost immediately disappearing from sight.
Brownie points for you, Yuy. Heero winced when he saw Duo look at him.
“Why did you attack him? Heero, he’s a good guy.”
“I didn’t... attack him. It wasn’t the wisest choice of words, I admit... but...”
Duo pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and started counting money for the drinks. “I thought you knew better. Don’t tell me I’ve misjudged you, Heero.”
He smacked the bills on the counter and slid off the stool, making his way towards the exit.
“Duo!” Heero called after him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Duo called back, searching for his coat. Heero pushed people out of his way until he reached Duo. He was putting on his jacket and flicked his braid over his shoulder.
“Is.. is he coming to the Christmas party as well?”
Duo snorted. “He doesn’t know a single soul in town, Heero. You heard him; he had to move here for his job. Do you really expect me to leave him alone, at Christmas night?”
Before Heero could answer, Duo had turned and left.

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The clock ticked, louder with each and every passing second. Heero checked his watch and decided to call a cab. The Christmas party was held at one of Relena’s country houses, as Quatre had been the host for last year’s party- and still recovering from it, too. Heero snickered at the thought how five ex-Gundam pilots really could thrash a party- even Wufei had been so drunk he had participated in a loud off-key karaoke-carolling contest.

He had made his ‘battle plan’ for tonight. First, he would apologize -his teeth grinded already- to Dylan about his rather indelicate remark, then he would butter the guy up to find out what and why Duo liked so much about him, so he could implement it into his own approach. Last, he would corner Duo this Christmas evening and ask him The Question.
“I’m not going to loose,” Heero said to himself. He wasn’t going to make the mistake to treat Duo as some sort of mission- he was up to some competition, and he knew he had it in him to beat this competition. He tried to straighten his hair. For some reason, the unruly mop of dark brown hair looked like a ragged broom compared to the shiny, bouncy curls of his adversary. Crap.

Arriving at the Christmas party, Heero scanned the room for Duo’s presence. He saw the rest of the pilots, greeted politely Milliardo and Lucrezia - specially returned from the Mars colonization work for the party - , nodded at some Preventers hot shots and spotted Relena, who had spoiled herself with a brand new dress, preferably Versace. Even the Queen of the World had her quirks.
Heero turned around and almost smacked right into Dylan, holding two flutes of champagne.
“Heero, good evening,” he said, smiling weakly.
“Dylan, nice to see you,” Heero retorted, pushing himself to get it over with. “I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.”
“Ah, I see.” He motioned towards the east side of the room, where Duo already stood, engaged in conversation with Sally Po. Heero refrained from gritting his teeth. He didn’t want Duo to be a witness of his knee fall towards this guy.

Sally had already left when Heero and Dylan reached Duo and the American smiled exuberantly.
“Heero! I didn’t see you! How long have you been here?”
Just that smile... something to wake up everyday to. He quickly composed himself.
“A few minutes. What a coincidence that I already met Dylan... I wanted to offer my apologies for my remark, yesterday.”
“It’s okay,” Duo answered, and looked at the frowning Dylan, who immediately perked up when he noticed Duo looking at him.
“It’s okay,” he repeated, “Duo told me about you and your past.”
Heero could’ve killed him on the spot- he wasn’t sure he wanted to kill Dylan for his hypocrisy or Duo for his blabbing.

The party was in full swing and Heero had lost sight of Dylan and Duo. He had seen them dance together, but Duo had also danced with him -and with the other pilots, and Hilde and Sally and whoever was close to him on the floor-, he had seen them at the buffet where Duo explained the courses to Dylan, and he had seen them touching, though it was Dylan doing the touching, and only on the arm and the knee.
He rubbed his temples. The crowd, the loud music, the heat in the room, it was good for a hell of a headache and he still had to corner Duo and ask him... confess to him. Once again he scanned the area for Duo- and saw him, his face dangerously close to Dylan’s, and... leaning into him... lips subtlety open...

He lost. Heero turned around, averting his gaze from the scene, and suddenly panicking. It couldn’t be! How could he loose? Duo was his... they shared so much, they had an unbreakable bond! The dates... the time they spend together, always laughing when it was funny and always sharing when it was difficult. This competition... had proven to be too much for him. Heero left the room, looking for the wardrobe. Relena had insisted that every guest at the party was also invited to stay over for the night, but he didn’t want to anymore. He was not going to spend the night in the same house with this happy loving couple, despite his good resolutions of remaining friends. He was not going to cry in front of anyone else.

He ploughed through the pile of jackets in search for his own and was about to take any coat because he couldn’t find his own, when a voice behind him froze him in his tracks.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Why did he sound so angry? “Home,” Heero answered snidely and cringed.
“Why?”
“Why not?”
The silence that followed was very, very uncomfortable. Heero kept ploughing through the jackets and finally managed to locate his coat. He pulled it out of the pile, straightened himself and turned around to face Duo- who proceeded to grab his coat out of his hands.

“What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you think you’re doing? Relena wants her guests to stay for the night!”
“I don’t want to stay. I’m... indisposed.”
“Bullshit.”
“Don’t you have something better to do?” Heero snapped. “Like kissing?”
Duo seemed confused and opened his mouth, when it suddenly dawned him. “I don’t believe it! You’re jealous!”
“Yes I am, are you happy now?”
“No, I’m not,” Duo said simply. Heero looked at him.
“What?”
“I’m not happy that you’re jealous,” Duo answered. “There’s no reason to be jealous, Heero. What’s gotten into you? I don’t know you like this- and you know how well I know you.”
“Obviously you don’t know me well enough,” Heero said and lowered his head. The disappointment made him want to cry, and he didn’t want to cry in front of Duo.

“Why don’t you allow me to get to know you better,” Duo said and Heero heard rustling of fabric. When he looked up, with blinking eyes, he saw that Duo had discarded his jacket and outstretched his hand, towards him.
“What... how do you mean?”
“I think you know,” Duo said, hand not wavering.
Heero didn’t hesitate for a second and grasped Duo’s hand, pulling him close immediately.

“I’m dreaming,” He whispered, looking at Duo, searching for confirmation. He received a brilliant smile.
“We dream the same dream.”
“But... Dylan?”
“A very good friend... and I’ve broken his heart,” Duo sighed. “I hope he still wants to work with me, but this was a big blow to him. Poor guy- he really deserves someone to love. I like him, but I figured he had this infatuation with me because he was all alone in the city, and I was the first person to take him in tow.”
“I really was an ass to him.”
“Yes you were.”
“I wasn’t looking for your approval.” Heero mock-pouted.
“No, you were looking for your coat. Do you still want to go home?”
“No. I want to go where you are going.”
“Spare me the clichés, Yuy.”
Heero stroked Duo’s hair. “Whatever you want.”
“Let’s get back to the main room. I want to dance until my feet come off. Hey, do you think we can get Wufei drunk again this year?”
“Why don’t we go to see for ourselves?” He squeezed Duo’s hand, and immediately received a firm squeeze in return, making Heero Yuy a very happy man. This time of the year had proven itself right.

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