Notes: So, I'm starting my next story. This is my reworked version of Keeping the Right Road. Along the same idea, just a little different. I really don't think this one is going to last as long and Last Name, probably a matter of a couple of chapters, but I'm going to put my best into it.

Warnings: 1=2 Not much. This is going to be a pretty sweet and clean little story. Maybe PG. Oh wait. There's a fair amount of Relena bashing in here. Yes, there is yaoi, but you should have gained that from the pairing listing…

"They call it 'yowie!' for a reason." –Scott McNeil on 1x2.

Disclaimer: There is no profit in this. I do not own the GW boys. I just borrow them to play with when I get restless.

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Prologue

Like Hot Molten Lava

The road beneath his tires seemed to be made of nothing but ice as tired skidded and slipped over the black pavement. He could barely see where he was going, trying to blink away the traitorous tears threatening to fall, a few rebellious drops sliding down his freezing cheeks like hot molten lava. He couldn't even remember why he was crying…

Sure, his day had been hellish. It had started off with him waking up to his girlfriend screaming at him from the bedroom doorway to wake up. "Heero Yuy! Would you get up? My brother is going to be here in an hour and you need to go shopping, now!"

Heero had dragged his limp, almost life-less body out of bed and dragged random clothes over his head. Relena had been perfect… in the beginning. Then she had moved in with him and became possessive, demanding, and downright wretched. She screamed constantly, accused him of being with other women, and griped that he didn't care enough.

Heero did care, or at least he had, at one time. But then the magic went away, along with most of his will to fight her anymore. When she would go off on a tangent he would just sit and listen and maybe grunt a little to make her think that he was listening. He would watch her and try to remember the woman he'd fallen in love with. She's been young and vibrant and had done everything in her power to get him to notice her.

He'd worked in a high scale art gallery in the city, trying to get an in with other artists to help his own artwork. She'd come to the gallery every day and would fawn over the artwork there and how expertly he'd arranged everything. At the time she'd been witty and cute during the times they'd gone out dancing or anything. It just changed when he'd asked her to move in with him.

She'd been more than accepting of his proposal but had said his apartment was too small for the both of them. So, Relena had moved all of his stuff into hers and thus had begun her tyrannical rule over his life.

It had been almost six months since he'd moved in and now her brother, Millardo, was flying in from London to have a big dinner with him. Relena said it was something about him bringing really good news and something that should help them out. They weren't drowning in bills, but they weren't exactly living the high life… which Relena was used to. Her family was dirty rich and she often griped about how Heero wasn't doing enough to help her live the way she used to.

The day of Millardo Peacecraft's arrival Heero was put to work running Relena's errands for her because she needed to direct the hired help about how to clean the apartment. Heero usually did the cleaning because Relena was far to proper to ever stoop to cleaning, and they normally didn't have enough money to pay for servants and maids, but this was Millardo and his presence demanded the best they could offer.

Heero went shopping and took his sweet time, knowing that Relena would be mad, but he didn't want to have to deal with her just now. He chatted with the butcher of the price of pork loin and talked with a few of the produce stalkers he saw on a regular basis. He also got a really good recipe for a nice dinner and red velvet cake from the lady in the bakery.

He returned home after five calls from Relena and ignored her as she shrieked about how late he was. Heero just sighed and handed off the groceries to a maid and went to lock himself in the shower and take an extra long shower. By the time he got out Relena was pampering herself in their room, so he was able to avoid her for a while.

When she finally left he only had to stand three minutes of her griping his messy looking hair before the bell clanged. He grimaced as she called a shrill, "Hold on a moment." Then she turned to him.

"If you're getting a headache, take some Tylenol. I won't let your migraines get in the way of my night."

He grimaced. She always forgot how he couldn't take Tylenol, it made him sick. He hated how she could forget these sort of things.

Immediately she grew charming and sweet and squealed girlishly as she motioned for a maid to open the door and she flung her arms around her brother's neck.

Millardo was a gorgeous human being with beautiful, long platinum hair and eyes as sharp as diamonds. He was gracious and kind, sometimes. Other times he could be ruthless. That night he'd appeared to be on his up swing. Appeared is the key word here.

"Good evening Millardo." Heero said graciously.

Millardo smiled at him and moved farther into the apartment, holding his sister tight against his side. "Heero. The apartment looks wonderful."

Before Heero could respond Relena took over her job as hostess. "Thank you darling. You know I try so hard to make this into a wonderful home. Would you like a tour?" He nodded sweetly and they wandered away, leaving Heero behind, not that he really cared. He wandered into the kitchen to help out the maids.

Relena found him thirty minutes later, complaining about how he wasn't being a good host. She refused to let him apologize and grabbed him and forced him into the living room where her brother had draped himself over the couch and was daintily holding his martini.

Heero took the seat next to Relena on the other seat and listened dutifully while they chatted about who knows what. None of the questions were directed at him so he didn't really care. Instead Heero took to looking like he was interested while he thought about the painting he was working on.

The project had been started long before he'd met Relena. It was still rather abstract and not going anywhere. Relena refused to have it in her house so he kept it at his old storage unit out in the country. Someday he'd finish it, but it was still a little while away.

A maid interrupted his thoughts by announcing that dinner was ready and everyone moved into the dining room. Heero took his regular spot next to Relena's side and the atmosphere was pleasant until after the main course had been finished.

Millardo slowly set down his knife and fork and wiped at his mouth before turning to Heero. "I hear that you are still working at the gallery." Heero nodded. "That must not bring in a lot of money."

Heero was slightly taken aback, "Um, not much, but I really enjoy it."

Millardo frowned deeply, "This is what I came to talk to you about Heero. You and my sister have been together for a long time and it is natural that you two will most likely be thinking of marriage."

Heero stiffened and he heard a soft giggle at his side and caught Relena looking at him coyly out of the corner of his eye. She'd planned this. "I doubt that you are planning on leaving my sister with a bare ring finger for long, but I don't think you'll be much of a match for Relena if you can't match her financially."

Heero opened his mouth to respond but Millardo stopped him with a hand, "This is why I've created a position for you at the bank. It's rather cushy and you really won't have to do much so I advise you really think about this." And then immediately after that he transitioned back to talking with his sister.

Heero had no idea what to do. He just sat and thought for the rest of the dinner and remained silent until Millardo was out the door. Relena was holding his hand tight in hers, and Heero noticed how her hand was so soft and cold. Freezing cold.

The second Millardo was out the door she turned on him. "Why did you hesitate when Millardo brought up our marriage?" She demanded.

"Because I haven't even considered marriage with you!" Heero growled back.

Relena looked like he'd hit her. "How can you say that? We're perfect together! My brother is just trying to help make a better life for me, for us!"

Heero glared at her and saw her visibly flinch. Without another word he grabbed his coat and stormed from the building, tugging it on the best he could in his fury. He wanted to get away from the apartment and not deal with her, not deal with life.

After fruitlessly tugging at the arm of his jacket and not getting anywhere he tugged it off and threw it in the back of his old clunker. Relena was always telling him to get rid of it, but he loved the stogy thing. It was reliable and always turned on, even in –3 degrees weather.

Ruthlessly Heero turned on the car and started out into the darkened street, not wasting a glance back at the brick building. He knew Relena would probably be on the phone with Dorothy, her best friend… if you could call the harpy that, telling her about how horrible Heero had been to her. But, you know what, Heero didn't care anymore. Let her mope and groan.

Heero didn't know how long he drove, all he knew was that he'd been driving long enough his car was burning hot, even in the negative temperatures outside. The suburban landscape had turned to rolling country that would last for a few more miles before turning into another suburban town.

Heero suddenly slowed the car enough that he could turn off on a dirt road a little ahead and down to an old storage unit. He pulled up in front of number 01 and dragged his key from his glove compartment. Blowing on his hands he fumbled with the frozen lock and pushed up the door.

There wasn't much in there, a lot of his books that Relena claimed they didn't have the space for. He kept most of his art supplies at the apartment, not wanting them to freeze, but there were a few that stayed in his car.

Rifling through the boxes and pushing them to the side he went to the back where his painting spanned the entire back wall. He pulled the blanket covering the canvas off and stared at the background. It was made of blacks and purples and blues. That was all. Just dark shades and nothing else. He'd really had nothing to inspire him to work on it.

For a while Heero sat there on a box staring at the painting, trying to think of anything to put on it. This had become a ritual for him, praying for inspiration and not finding it. He'd almost gotten to the point that it no longer bothered him… he was sure that some day he would finish it… someday.

His watch dinged at him telling him it was midnight. He needed to get moving again, not back home… but somewhere… What was that saying? There was always somewhere else to go? That was it.

With a groan he got up, rubbing at his forehead. His heart ached, but he didn't know why. He always felt that way after looking at his painting. Maybe it made him think about his relationship with Relena or maybe it was just his frustration about how being able to work on his painting.

Relena… God, why did she always have to come into his mind at the worst times?

That's when he felt the tears beginning to freeze before they left his eyes. He scrubbed at them angrily before slamming the door down and rushing back to his car, breathing heavily. The car was still warm so he was able to warm up quickly.

He started out of the parking lot and back onto to the main road. Instead of heading back to his suburb he went farther on, into the next town, left it and on for another fifty miles before he came to an heavily wooded town where the only thing that showed where the houses were located were little breaks in the trees where a road would stretch away from him.

There was a little Bed and Breakfast that he could stay at for the night, he just couldn't remember where.

Heero's eyes strained against the darkness, looking for a sign. He was tired and angry and disoriented and not in the best state to drive. His tires began to slide a little more and then the sliding grew to dangerous proportions. Heero struggled to regain control but through his tear fogged eyes he could barely see the road.

The next few seconds were filled with dead silence as his care went off the road and slammed right into a tree. Heero felt off center as the air bag employed and pushed at his body, but he really didn't feel the impact.

His mind kept moving a million miles per hour. God… he was going to die. And what had he done with his life? Get pushed around by Relena? What he would give to be happy, have a better life, maybe find someone he could have been happy with, truly happy with. Maybe he would have had a home… and a cat and dog… maybe even a kid.

Heero's eyesight was beginning to swim and his thoughts slowed to the singular idea of how beautiful the snow that had just begun falling was.

Somewhere in his mind he registered that his driver's side door was being flung open and his body pulled against a body. Two blistering hot hands grabbed at his face and forced it to look up into twin orbs of violet staring at him. They swam slightly as he watched and he could hear a voice calling his name but he couldn't respond.

Slowly his world plunged into darkness but the feeling of warmth lingered with him a moment longer. It felt like molten lava on his skin, it felt heavenly.

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I've decided that Scott McNeil, who is-of course-the English voice of Duo Maxwell, is far too much like his character. I've been watching panels and interviews with him all week and he's hilarious. I love his sugar cravings! Be expecting a few various quotes in here from him.

I wanted to thank everyone who gave me some amazing support for Last Name. I'm glad it's over but I'm also kinda sad. But I'm looking forward to this little one.

Also... I've been wanting to do some one shots based off of challenges from readers. I was thinking maybe off a particular word or maybe a phrase or simple idea. Those seem kinda fun... I have one from my good friend, Nicki, who wanted a one shot with an older Duo and a younger Heero and based off the word "Friction". So, we'll see how I can do with that one. If anyone has any other ideas you can give me a holler!