Playing Perfect
by kebzero
Duo crashed down on his dorm room bed, rolled over on his back, folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling, casually and quietly starting to trace lines and patterns in the panels above. Seven famous faces, several naughty words and one Gundam caricature later, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Finding something in nothing was only so much fun.
He tilted his head to the only other sound in the room. Over at his end of the small dorm, Heero was busy typing on his archaic laptop computer again, sitting rigidly at his work desk, his profile against Duo.
"Another mission report?" Duo asked, already knowing the answer.
Heero knew that much too, and barely bothered to give a slight nod in reply, wanting to finish up the report before dinner.
Duo began another search for the hidden mysteries of the ceiling. "Yanno, I don't get why you bother... I mean, it's been quiet for a few days, and we still haven't gotten any new targets... What could there possibly be to report?"
"Just that," Heero answered flatly. "If they know we're going idle, perhaps they'll come up with suggestions." He paused his typing, glanced at Duo. "But I think they want us to lay low for a while."
Duo snorted, arched his back, pushed his chest up briefly only to collapse back against his bed. "Well, I guess that's okay, too... You know, you should really take a break from your permanent stand-by attitude, Heero - we're playing students here. Might as well take advantage of it, and live a little."
Heero made his fingers busy again. Dinner was fast approaching. "You do what you want, and I'll do the same."
Chuckle. "Great... deal, pal." He dug his head back into the pillow, closed his eyes. "Maybe I'll do just that... this place is full of pretty girls - perhaps I can convince one of them to some quick action before we're given new orders." He grinned. "Or if I'm really lucky, two girls."
Beyond a quick grunt, Heero gave no signs of listening, still typing away.
Duo tilted his head and looked at Heero again. "Not for you, huh? I bet some of those girls would do anything for you, if you just acknowledged they were alive..." He waited for Heero to comment, but got nothing. "I guess you only have eyes for your princess..."
The sound of typing ended abruptly. Heero glared at his roommate, his stern gaze lingering, waiting for Duo to continue. Silence descended. A tense minute later, Heero returned to his typing.
Duo sighed again, utterly bored. "She looks good, though. Relena's not quite a dream babe, but she's pretty nice."
Again, Heero paused. "Dream babe?"
Half a nod. "Yeah, dream babe. Like, the girl of your dreams. The one you wouldn't mind giving an arm or a leg to be with." Broad grin. "Figuratively speaking, of course. You kinda want all your arms and legs to enjoy her, if you know what I mean..."
Heero gave him a dismissive glance.
"Your ideal girl - the one that's too perfect to exist. That's your dream babe." Pause. "What, don't you have one?"
"Do you?"
"Well, sure - What guy hasn't? You have one too, right?"
Hesitation. "Maybe."
Duo's grin came close to a leer. "Okay, this I've got to hear. Tell me about her."
"Tell me about yours first."
Duo stared at him, silently daring to back down of that promise. Somewhat satisfied, he looked up at the ceiling again, closed his eyes to better see what his mind's eye pictured. "She's about our age - perhaps a year or two older, but no more than that. She's got full, soft lips, deep dark eyes and a small, delicate nose. When she smiles - she's always smiling - she does it with her whole face, sometimes her whole body." He took a relaxing breath, lost himself in the mental image. "She's a brunette - rich, dark brown. She keeps her hair fairly short." For a moment, Duo broke free of his fantasy, opened his eyes to give Heero a glance. "Longhaired blondes are too stereotyped, anyway."
Heero offered no comment, waited for Duo to go on.
Closing his eyes and relaxing again, Duo did. "She's a bit taller than me. That's okay, I'll probably grow to match her. She's got long, slender legs, strong thighs..." He paused himself, drew a quick breath. "She's not thin - not like those stick-figure models in the magazines. Want to have something to love, right?" He grinned, picturing her perfectly. "Her belly is almost flat, a plain in contrast to her bosom." Duo chuckled. "Okay, so she's not carrying melons. Her breasts, like her over-all self, comes in moderation. Anything more than a handful really is more than a handful."
"...and you know this because...?"
Duo looked at him with mirth, as if Heero's soft accusation only amused him. "Hey, unlike you, I have tried to socialize a bit... Not just here, either."
Snort. "Claiming experience?"
Duo gave a nervous chuckle, scratched his right upper arm. "Well, more than you, I think..."
Another grunt. Heero did not wish to contend that fact.
"Anyway, that's my dream babe, I think. Not too unattainable, but still more the stuff of daydreams than reality."
Pause. "I see... That's the sort of girl you'd like to be with the most, then."
Duo sat up, pushed his back against the wall and crossed his legs. "Yeah - but like I said, that's fantasy."
Heero nodded, glanced at the laptop. Dinner time was fast approaching, and the report still wasn't done. Curiously enough, he was in no mood to finish it now.
"Okay, your turn."
"Hm?"
Duo frowned softly. "Hey, don't give me that - we had a deal. I showed you mine, now you show me yours. What's your dream babe like?"
Heero hesitated. "I... Don't have one."
Snort. "Don't lie, Heero. Now, come on. Close your eyes and picture your perfect lover." Duo all but stared him into obedience. "...good. Now, tell me what you see."
Heero's lips quivered towards a smile, then abruptly vanished as he opened his eyes. "Duo, this is stupid."
Quick wave of dismissal. "Come on, humor me."
Glare.
"Close your eyes, Heero."
They had the briefest of staring contests. Heero finally gave in, and with a sigh he closed his eyes again.
"Do you see?"
Nod.
"Okay - now, describe her. What's she like?"
Heero whetted his lips, struggled to say anything, tried to tell what he pictured. "About... our age."
Pause. Duo waited, then gave a muttered growl in frustration. He was obviously going to have to guide this conversation, pulling out every word. "Okay, describe her face, then."
"I..."
"What's the first thing that strikes you?"
"Eyes," came the quick reply. "Really strange eyes. Blue, but with this faint hue of violet in them. Those eyes both smile and condemn me at the same time..."
Duo stared at him, then grinned. The expression on Heero's face was unlike anything he'd ever seen on the Wing pilot. It was so relaxed, Duo was close to thinking Heero was asleep, having a good dream. "Anything else? Nose, mouth, freckles?"
Heero shook his head. "No freckles. Thin nose, with a barely perceptible scar across."
"Beauty flaws - nice touch."
Secretive smile. "Lips... soft, I think. Inviting, but beyond hope..."
Duo had to snicker at that. "Hey, she's your dream babe. Hope is the only game here, pal. Don't put her on a pedestal, or you'll never be able to reach her."
Heero cautiously nodded, acknowledging that.
"Okay... what about her hair?"
"Long... really long," Heero breathed out, then sighed. "Dark brown, neatly kept, but a bit coarse."
Chuckle. "Yeah, long hair has a bit of a tendency to roughen and split."
There was a twitch at the corner of Heero's mouth, the only sign he was close to panicking. He wanted to stop there, before-
"And... her body?"
His eyes still closed, Heero shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the question. "Uhm..."
"Come on, man. Don't be embarrassed. If you like hiking in mountains, just say so."
Heero coughed, smiling nervously. "Uhm... no. No mountains. The opposite."
Duo cocked his head to one side. "What, flat-chested?"
Hesitant nod.
"Like... an A-cup?"
"No. Smaller."
"Seriously? Double A?"
Heero shook his head. "No, I-" He cut himself short. "Is there anything like a triple A?"
Duo broke out laughing. "Yeah, but I don't think even they could salvage a chest that flat... I mean, even training bras would-" He shook his head. "Never mind. You have your tastes, I have mine. Fine. No Barbie, then. What about the rest of her?"
"Scrawny," Heero offered at length. "Wiry muscle, narrow frame." He gulped. "Slim hips..."
Flagging a brow, Duo straightened up again, trying to picture this woman in his head. "That's some girl you've got there, Heero."
Smile, quick nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I suppose..."
"I mean, it's almost like-" And at last, realization struck him. "Wait... that's not a girl..."
Heero opened his eyes, looked a bit to the side of Duo, all but whispered a "No..."
Duo frowned deeply. "You're describing me, aren't you?"
Quick glance, cautious nod.
"I don't believe-" He glared at Heero, resisted the urge to cross the room and punch him in the jaw. "Here I tell you one of my most private dreams, expecting you to share yours, and you're just making fun of me! And to top that off, as if I didn't hear it often enough from others - you're calling me a girl!"
Heero shook his head, got to his feet. As he walked closer, he said "No. I'm calling you my image of perfection. My idea of a perfect lover."
Duo felt oddly paralyzed at that, no more than he would have been had an anvil been dropped on his head. "What-"
Heero sat down next to Duo, leaned in closer, smiling. "Perfect..." he repeated, breathing the words against Duo's lips - and gave in to temptation. The kiss was soft, brief, very much one-sided.
And finally broke Duo out of his reverie. "You're... gay?"
Slight grunt. "Something like that..."
Uneasy, Duo resisted the urge to scoot away. "...and... you think that I'm-"
Another negative headshake, deep sigh. "No... Duo, I'm sorry, but... You wanted to know who I long to be with - what the one filling my daydreams is like. Now you do."
Duo's jaw worked, chewed air, but no words came for a long time. "I... You're serious?"
Heero glanced at him, smiled serenely, then studied the floor again, leaning forward. "What do you think? Didn't I already kiss you?"
Hesitation. "Not... really..."
Heero turned to look at him, silently asking what he meant.
Duo struggled to put on a semblance of mirth again, was partially successful in forming a trembling smile. "I mean... We just brushed..." He shook his head, not sure what the heck he was saying anymore.
Heero had heard all he'd needed, though. He leaned in against Duo, cupped Duo's cheek, tilted his head and closed the distance between them. He crushed their lips together, lingered, sent his tongue out to touch the tip against Duo's lips, relented just a bit only to push close again. Breathless moments passed.
And it ended.
Heero leaned back, his body remarkably tense, fearing the almost certain outcome. Still, the parting gift had been nice, and-
"You are serious..."
Gleam of hope, even under Duo's dull stare. "Yes."
Pause. "God, Heero - why didn't you tell me-"
"I just did. And I didn't know myself until very recently."
A soft snort and a muttered "...damn," was all the answer Duo could think of.
"Duo... I'm sorry if this bothers you. I promise you, I won't-"
"Is it okay," Duo cut in, "If... if I change my dream babe just a little?"
Heero looked at him expectantly, his heartbeat growing slightly irregular. "Uhm, Duo - you don't have-"
Lopsided grin. "Right, I know. I don't have to. I think I want to, though. At least... give it a try?"
The smile on Heero's face seemed to know no bounds, extending well beyond his lips. Duo had never seen Heero's eyes quite like that. He'd never looked at them that closely. Now... he had the strangest urge to.
"I warn you, though... This sort of thing is new to me."
"Me too," Heero quickly answered, trying to put as much reassurance as possible into his voice.
Duo broke out in a chuckle. "I guess it's a good thing we're adventurous, then..."
Heero nodded in agreement.
For a few tense moments, they merely sat there, on the edge of Duo's bed, both of them uncertain of what to do next, how to act. Utter passiveness did not suit Duo, though. He reached for the back of Heero's head, curled his fingers in the dark messy hair, slid down a bit to hook Heero's neck. As Duo leaned back, stretching himself out on his bed, he pulled Heero down after him, closer, let their lips meet again.
The adventure of a lifetime - or rather, two - was just beginning.
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