Abroad

It was only eight thirty, but everyone was exhausted. Jet lag was working its spell over the students and they were dropping like flies. Duo had finally finished unpacking his suitcases and decided to shower. In a pair of pajama bottoms and a towel over one shoulder, Duo grabbed his shower caddy and padded down the cool hallway for the bathroom.

He turned on the shower, undid his braid, and stepped under the spray. Working shampoo into his hair, he started thinking back on the day and he remembered the stranger in the grocery store. 'What a hot shot you turned out to be today Duo! Getting' on real well with the natives, huh? Hell,' Duo paused his mental tirade, 'was he a native? He looked part Japanese, but maybe he is an exchange student around here. Maybe not. If he was an exchange student he would be staying here in the dorm. This is the only university in the area. Maybe he is just a regular student here. Then he must live close. Probably just picking up some groceries for his mom or something. Wonder who is parents are. He's obviously not fully Japanese. Wonder if he gets crap for it. Would the Japanese people be prejudice about something like that? What would they be racist about,' his brain started off into another tangent.

After a relaxing and steamy 30-minute shower, Duo dried off and wrapped his hair up in the towel. Walking out to the sink area of the bathroom he saw his favorite buddy was at the sink brushing his teeth again. Grabbing his own toothbrush out of his caddy, Duo started brushing his teeth. Just like the night before, he felt Milliardo looking at him again. Using the mirror, he saw Milliardo looking into his shower caddy. Duo looked back into the mirror to look at himself and noticed he still had faint circles user his eyes. Wiping under his eyes, as if wiping would make them go away, he saw Milliardo using the mirror to look at him again. Quickly spitting out his toothpaste he turned to look at him. "Okay, what!?!" He brandished his toothbrush at him fiercely.

Milliardo started to shrug his shoulders. "Oh no! Do not say 'nothing' again," Duo interjected. "I know it's something! What is it," Duo said taken a step towards Milliardo with his toothbrush leveled at his face.

"You really want to know," Milliardo asked looking at Duo insouciantly.

"I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't," Duo glared.

"Fine. I wanted to know what hair products you use."

"Hair products?"

"Yes, because I am having a hard time with split ends."

"Split ends?"

"Yes and I noticed that you don't have that problem."

"Noticed?"

"On the plane. Your braid landed in my seat and I noticed you didn't have many split ends so I wanted to know what you used."

Duo paused to gather himself. "So all this time you just wanted to know what I shower with?"

"That about covers it."

"Shit man! Why didn't you just ask. You were creepin' my shit out with all the staring and Quatre thought you had the hotts for me." Duo huffed and Milliardo looked amused until they both started laughing. "Why didn't you just ask me in the first place," Duo questioned repositioning the towel on his head as their laughter died down.

"Truthfully you looked rather pissed off anytime I am going to ask you. Would you want to deal with a pissed off you," Milliardo said gesturing to Duo and the now lowered toothbrush.

"No I guess I wouldn't. Although I don't know how threatening I look with this towel on my head and a toothbrush as my weapon of choice. So comm'ere and I show you all my little secrets," Duo said capitulating to Millidaro and pulling out his bottles. "Now you gotta start with Dove shampoo," Duo started his speech. Ten minutes later, both boys left the bathroom much happier.