Title: #35 Lonely
Arc: Life With Heero
Author: Calic0cat
Story Completed: Feb. 8, 2003
Genre: Shonen Ai/Yaoi, Angst, Domestic, Friendship
Pairing: None yet
Rated: G
Warnings: AU, OOC
Archives: At Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.

Notes: The arc begins between one and two years after Endless Waltz. Heero POV in this story.

'Thinking'
"Speaking"
************ Time passing or scene change

Author's Notes: See earlier fics for notes on the arc as a whole. Feedback is appreciated.

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Heero placed the bucket and mop back in the closet and shut the door. 'So much for killing time by cleaning,' he thought with a wry glance at the clock. Dusting and either mopping or vacuuming every room in the house had only taken only one evening. He had hoped it would stretch to fill up two.

The salvage job Duo had gone on was running well over schedule. He had been gone for nearly two weeks now. Heero was almost to the point of wishing Relena, Wufei, and Zechs were still staying there. *Almost*.

It was obviously going to be a while before Relena would be ready to handle being friends. She was still hurting too much right now and simply being in his presence was uncomfortable for both of them. Heero hoped that eventually she *would* be able to just be friends with him. He had enjoyed her company when he was guarding her - until she'd pressed for more than friendship, that is.

But right now, Heero wished he had a few more friends. He'd called Quatre for a chat earlier that week and had talked to Trowa at the same time. And Wufei had called *him* two nights ago to let him know that Relena was still a bit sad but seemed to be feeling a little less depressed. He was even seriously debating going to Arnold's later in the week on the off-chance that some of the Sweepers he knew might happen to show up. 'You're pathetic, Yuy. You got along just fine without friends for *years* and now you can't handle being on your own for a lousy week or so.'

Though that wasn't entirely accurate. Even during that first week, while Relena and her guard had been staying there, he'd been a little bit lonely. It wasn't just "friends" that he missed having around. Though having more friends would certainly help, it wouldn't completely solve the problem. 'I miss Duo,' he admitted silently.