Chapter 12

6 Months Later

Duo chopped onions with mechanical precision, the juices no longer effecting his eyes after getting used to the sting for so long. He wore a stained white apron and a white shortsleeve shirt. His hair was kept out of his face by a bandana wrapped around his head. Next to him was a boiling pot of gumbo ready to be served and around him, his sous chef gave a garnish order to a junior cook.

After Heero left the Maxwell estate, Duo decided it was time to get his life back on track. He reopened his restaurant and of course brought Trowa back as his sous chef. He handled the books himself now, which was a lot more work for him, but it was better then the alternative. He knew he would have to find someone to do them soon, but until then, he wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly.

His family had been happy that he had started his business again, but also worried about him. He didn't see why. He was back home and happy(ish) and his restaurant was back in full swing. He didn't see anything for them to be worried about.

His mind went back to that week six months before. Of when he spent countless hours with Heero and drove through half the country with him. He didn't want to admit that the time he had spent with the man had been the happiest he'd been for a long time. He didn't want to go as far as say he fell in love with the man, but the problem was that after that day, Duo couldn't get him out of his head.

Who was he kidding? He was in love with the man. He didn't expect to fall in love with anyone after Alex, especially not after knowing them for a week. He didn't really know when it happened. Somewhere between the Poe house and Heero returning to California, Duo had fallen head over heels for him. He didn't really believe in fate, but he now believed in Uncle Eric's words six months ago. Love had no time limit.

And what did he have to show for it? Nothing. Heero went back to be with his successful, super model girlfriend and his successful job. He had found the answer to his journey, and Duo had ended his. There was nothing else to do but get his life back in order.

A yell brought him out of his musings and he turned to see a junior chef had set his pan on fire accidently. It was an occupational hazard in a kitchen, but the chef was panicking on how to get the fire put out without burning himself. The chef was just out of culinary school and was still learning ways around a kitchen and Duo decided to take him under his wing.

"Out of the way," said Duo, using a towel to grab the pan, dumped it all in a sink and doused it with water. He turned back to the frightened chef with a smile. "Got to get used to fire if you want to be in a kitchen. Just make sure you don't flambé yourself, okay?"

"I'm sorry, chef," said the chef embarressingly. " I don't know what happened. One second I was searing the chicken and the next..."

"Too much oil," said Duo. "You got to be careful of the flame next time, okay."

"Yes, chef."

Duo turned back to his station, and saw Trowa looking at him with a smile, which was a little weird since the man rarely smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm just happy to see you in your enviroment again," said Trowa.

"I'm in my enviroment right now," said Duo confused.

"Now yes, but that wasn't what I meant."

That confused Duo more.

"Trowa, what are you getting at?"

"Duo, I'm saying this because I'm your friend, and you're Quatre's friend, and we're worried for you. For the past few months, you have been a total zombie. You're going through the motions of living, but you weren't alive. The only time you even see a spark is when you're in the kitchen. And you pull the craziest hours. You're the first one in and the last one out."

"I do not!" said Duo defiantly, and not very well.

"I saw the alarm records, Duo," said Trowa. "They're deactivated at six in the morning and then reactivated at twelve midnight. That tells me you're trying to ignore something. Or someone."

"Leave it, Barton," said Duo angrily before turning to his station. He hated how he was an open book to his friends.

"How can I when it's eating you up like this? You love him."

"What does it matter? He's gone. He's back in California with his perfect job, his perfect girl friend, his perfect life. I'll never see him again."

Trowa watched sadly as a tear rolled down Duo's face. He used a tissue from his pocket to wipe away.

"When you ended things with Alex, I knew you'd eventually find love again, because that's who you are," he said. "You can't help but care a person. When you were with Heero, you were happier than I had seen you in years, even with Alex. I thanked Heero for that, and I wished that he did stay, but you know it's wrong to keep a person when they have their own journey to finish."

"Only problem is, it's not with me."

They were interrupted when one of the waiters, Tony, walks in with confused look. He walks over to Duo and sets a plate on the counter.

"A customer asks if we have any job openings," he said.

"We don't," said Duo chopping green bell peppers. "You know that."

"I do, and I told him, but he said he has a degree in law and accounting. He wants to know if you can hire him to do the books."

"Just get him to pay his bill and leave."

"I tried that too, but refuses to leave until he spoke to you."

Duo groans as he tugs off his apron and heads toward the dining room.

"I don't have time to deal with con men wanting to steal more of my money," he said as he walked out, completely missing Trowa's smirk behind him. In the dining room, Duo put his hands on his hips and looked around the room.

"All right, which one of you bastards wants to work with me?" he said, making all conversation in the room stop and the diners look at him in surprise. For a couple of seconds, the whole room was silent.

"I do."

Duo's heart stopped in his chest and he turned to see Heero standing in the corner of the restaurant. He looked the same, except for the faded flannel shirt and blue jeans he wore. Duo was frozen on the spot as Heero walked up to stand in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" said Duo, finally out of his shock, sort of.

"Well, I was hoping for a hello," said Heero with a laugh.

"Hello, now what the hell are you doing here? It's been six months."

"Yeah, I know," said Heero sheepishly, which was cute but Duo kept his focus on the man in front of him. "I had a lot to think about."

"Is Relena with you?"

Heero looked up in shock.

"What? No. We broke up, six months ago. I had been on the road until today."

"Why? Why are you here and not..." Duo took a breathe before speaking again. "With her?"

"When my sixty seconds came around I realized I had everything I ever wanted... but nothing I really needed. And I think what I need is here. I had my whole life planned out before I met you, and to find out that there could be something better confused me, and I knew only one person could help me. And i came all this way to see if you maybe think so too. If you do, well... I don't really have plans past that, which is new for me. I don't believe in fate, but I'm starting to believe that maybe there is something pulling us to where we're supposed to be.

"And so, Eric Maxwell, here is my proposal; I propose we not make plans, I propose we give this thing a chance and let it work out how it works out. So what do you say, do you wanna not make plans with me?"

Everything in the room was silent as they watched the interaction between the two men. Heero could feel sweat gather on the palms of his hands as he watched Duo stare straight at him, not that they weren't sweating before. For six months he had been driving all over America, trying to find the acceptance that Duo had in his life. When he thought he found it somewhere between Niagra Falls and Washington DC, he went to the only place he felt he belonged, even if it was only for a few days.

He hadn't wanted to admit it to anyone, but in the week he had known Duo, he had fallen in love with the man. He had hoped that Duo had felt the same by the looks he had been trying to hide from Heero and the kiss they had shared. Looking at the man now, he didn't know if he had made the right decision or not.

Duo turned and walked back into the kitchen. Heero's heart plummeted to his stomach. Drawing a shaky breath he nodded.

"I guess that would be a Southern no," he said and left the restaurant.

Heero drew another breath as he walked down the street. The summer air was humid, nothing like he was used to in California, but he came to like it anyway.

He actually didn't have a plan after this. He didn't think Duo would have said no. He had no plan for this. He thought Duo felt the same way he did, but he guessed he was wrong. He wasn't usually wrong, but he had been learning a lot the past couple of months. He couldn't be right about everything. Maybe Duo had felt nothing but an instant attraction to him. It was in the realm of possibility. That could have been all it was.

"Heero Yuy, where do you think you're going?"

Heero's heart went to his throat at his name coming from behind him. He turned around to find Duo panting as if out of breath and his hair free from the bandana that had been covering.

"Why did you walk out?" asked Duo.

"You said no," said Heero.

"I didn't say anything."

"You walked away."

"I left to get this."

Duo held up a his hand and Heero saw the Maxwell family ring.

"I went to get this," he said. "I don't wear it while I'm at work. Afraid I might drop it in a pot of sauce or something, so I keep it in the office safe. I swore that I would never give this to anyone again, but after being with you, I couldn't think of anyone else I would give it to."

He stepped up to Heero and took his hand, pressing the ring into it.

"Heero, I don't want to not make plans with you. I want to make plans with you. I want us to find out way together and hopefully more. So, I accept your job offer."

"Thank God," said Heero laughing and grabbed the back of Duo's head to pull him into a kiss. Duo laughed into the kiss as he returned it.

Heero didn't realize how much he had missed Duo by just one kiss, but now he knew. After years of feeling confined, he finally felt like he could breathe, and Duo was the reason.

When they pulled apart, Heero placed his forehead against Duo's as Duo slipped on the ring. It was a perfect fit.

"Did you have this altered?" he asked.

"No," said Duo. "We must be the same size."

"Fate," said Heero, earning a laugh from Duo. "So, where does a guy have to go to get a good meal around here?"

Duo laughed.

"Oh, I know a great place, but I warn you. The chef's a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to his cooking."

"Sounds perfect, " said Heero.

They started walking back toward the restaurant hand-in-hand with bright smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Heero, I was thinking of taking another trip," said Duo as they walked. "What do you think about Europe?"

"Well, I was hoping to finish our trip around America again, but I think we can do Europe," said Heero. "Or both?"

Duo smiled at the idea.

"I like both," he said.

THE END