17-Apr-2001
Title: Chasing the Crown, an Extended Family Fic
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com
Diane Davis - fenwyck@radiks.net
von - sablexo1@yahoo.com
bonnejeanne - bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
*Special Guest Writer! Nixie the Pixie!*
Nixers - Nixerchan@aol.com
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: NC-17 for now, that will change
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz, Mission: Arcadia
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners.
Kenny, Duan, Wufan, Tryan, Carter, Jack and the Ripper, and everything relating to Rip & Jack's universe are ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
WARNINGS: AU (Alternate Universe), Original Characters, LEMON in some sections. Kiddie-Angst.
Heero glanced back at Duo, then nodded at the young woman Relena sent to fetch him. He remembered her well, Dorothy Catalonia. For a moment, Heero wondered what her angle was.
"I'm sure he can find something to entertain himself with, Heero Yuy," she said wryly as she led him down the hall, "It's a large estate, after all."
Heero paused a step and scowled deeply. Target acquired, he thought idly, as he moved down the hall behind her.
"Miss Relena has been quite busy over the last year," she observed, turning to cast a curious look over the Japanese youth.
"I am sure she has. So, what are you doing here? The war is over," Heero said.
She smiled and resumed walking.
"Yes. Times of peace have alighted upon us after all of our struggles. We thought that once before, as well," she said, her voice drifting off almost dreamily before she came back to herself, "I but serve as Miss Relena's companion in these interesting times. What of yourself? How does the great Heero Yuy fare in this new era of peace?"
Prussian blues narrowed marginally. "You're just waiting for the next war, I see." he said.
"What an ugly accusation. I see words are still not your forte," she retorted, turning down another hallway.
Before Dorothy could advance down the hallway, Heero grabbed her arm and pushed her against the nearest wall. "I haven't changed and neither have you," he said, quietly.
One eyebrow arched delicately, nonplussed by the rough handling, "Bravo, Mister Heero. I'd wondered about your domestic facade. But you are correct. The war *is* over. Tell me... what is it that you fight now?"
Heero looked into the strangely colored blue eyes. He relaxed his grip on Dorothy's arm. "My privacy," he answered. "What is your function?"
A strange, almost sad, smile crossed her face.
"A pity. Even in peace the world needs its heroes. Perhaps, especially during peace," she said cryptically before pulling from his grasp and turning to continue walking, "I'm just the guide to Miss Relena's office."
A frown creased Heero's features for a moment and then he took a deep breath. Feeling himself calm, he looked up at Dorothy. "I'm just trying to learn how to live," he said, quietly. "Gomen, that was rude."
She didn't pause, but her voice floated back to him, "That's funny. So am I."
Heero closed his eyes for a moment, then moved to catch up with the young woman. Mentally, he marked another tic in the loss column.
Relena was sitting behind an ornate desk that was piled with papers, disks, books and other paraphernalia. She was talking to an official-looking older man on a vid screen as the door opened, saying firmly, "I'm sure that will be fine, no, I don't think the pilots will have time to do autographs on the front steps this time. I really have to go now, Mr. Secretary. I'll touch base with you tomorrow."
"Miss Relena... Heero Yuy to see you," Dorothy said politely, standing beside the open door to usher the pilot past.
Heero moved past Dorothy into the room and stood a step ahead. He glanced up at Relena.
"Oh, Dorothy!" Relena turned, her face lighting up. "At last! Thank you!" She sighed, punching a button on her desk indicating that she was occupied and could not take calls. "Are you staying? Or could I beg you to talk to Mr. Schmitzengast? He's driving me out of my mind with questions about arrangements which I thought we had gone over and worked out weeks ago!"
"I'll take care of it, Miss Relena," Dorothy replied with a somewhat wicked glint in her eyes, "And leave you and Mister Heero to catch up with each other without me distracting you."
"Don't be silly, Dorothy, you are never a distraction," Relena said happily. "But I think if you can get that man out of my hair, I will find some way to buy you that new car you've been wanting. You'll deserve a medal!"
"That's quite all right, Miss Relena. I'll speak with Mr. Schmitzengast," she said, dropping into a polite curtsey before excusing herself and shutting the door behind her.
'I'm in hell,' Heero thought, then looked up at Relena.
Relena left the desk and came around it as the door closed. She walked up to Heero and looked into his eyes for a moment.
"Hello Heero," she said quietly. She looked a moment longer and then said, "I was hoping to see you look happier. Will you... will you tell me what's on your mind?"
"Relena," Heero said, and found that he had no words to say. "Hn," he remarked. Then, "You sent for me."
The blond Vice Minister frowned slightly. "I asked to see you. I..." she sighed. "Let's sit," she said, and pulled him over to a divan at the side of the spacious office. Sitting beside him, she studied his face. "How's Duo?"
Heero stiffened slightly, hearing Duo's name spoken by Relena. An image of the braided pilot sprang to mind and he wished that he was with Duo or that Duo was here. "Duo's fine," he answered.
Suppressing a sigh, she continued to study him. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"
Heero frowned again, then looked at Relena once more. "I.. don't belong here, Relena. This party, this house... Dorothy was correct. I'm still not good with words, either," he said, then felt himself relax a little. "How are you?"
She smiled slightly. "I'm fine. I'm harried, I'm busy... I'm tired. But I'm fine. I have lots of help. Heero... you don't have to 'belong here'. Just try to relax and be yourself. I don't want you to be anything different. What other people think is not important. Just... enjoy the house." She looked down for a moment and then back up. "I was hoping you wouldn't hate it, at least not all of it."
Heero watched Relena as she spoke and sighed. Reaching up, he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "I'm tense and I think I'm going insane," he said, "Other than that, I have five super kids I'm looking after. I make no guarantees concerning behavior while we're here. I have no real feelings about this house at all."
Relena shook her head slightly. "I'm not worried about 'behavior', Heero." She watched his eyes. "You're upset about something. But you're *not* going insane," she said firmly. She gave a little laugh. "Insane is what I get here all day, every day. Now tell me... five... children? How did you manage that? Are they... war orphans?"
Heero chuckled. "You could say that, yes," he said. "Just not our war."
Relena tilted her head. "How curious," she said. "Will you tell me about it?"
Heero thought about the question for a moment. "I would, but you wouldn't believe me if I did," he said.
"Of course I would believe you, Heero," she said. Then she smiled slightly. "Perhaps later then. Your face lightens when you talk about them. That's more what I was hoping to see. I'm glad they don't seem to be the cause of whatever is bothering you. Will you tell me about that?"
Heero sighed again as a scowl appeared on his features. He searched for a way to back out of the conversation, but knew that Relena was as relentless as twenty OZ mobile dolls when onto something. "I'm worried that I'm not living up to my end of things," he said, finally.
She leaned back, tapping her bottom lip with her finger absently. She was quiet for a moment or two. "Civilian life?"
"That too," Heero said. "At home, for the most part though. Behind the controls of a Gundam, I'm fine. In a house, with people I love, I'm not so on target," he said, wondering how she managed to get things from him.
The young Vice Minister smiled slightly and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "People you love..." she repeated. Then she nodded. "Thank you, Heero. That is what I wanted to hear." She released his hand, knowing he'd be uncomfortable if she kept it in hers. "So you have five... five children, that you and Duo are taking care of. That's amazing, Heero. In fact, it's wonderful. I'm not surprised you feel stressed, it must be totally new territory for you. But I am certain it will be worth it. And what about Wufei... I know he came with you, did you meet to share the trip? What has he been doing?"
"Wufei lives with us all. There is another woman, Sallah. She's Wufan's mother. We all share a house. It's not like ...It's hard to describe. The kids aren't ours, but we did rescue them. They aren't average kids, Relena," he said.
Relena blinked and then her eyes took on an expression of intelligent curiosity. "I see," she said. "Tell me about them."
Heero sat up in his chair. "You'll have to meet them," he started. "When you do, I suggest you avoid saying 'Where did you find these kids'. They don't like it, because it dehumanizes them. I would also avoid the statement, 'They look like you' for the same reason. Wufan is Chinese-American. He's very, very smart, polite, traditional. Translation... he'll ask you a million questions and you'll answer them because he's polite. Carter. Blond, sensitive... translation, he'll have you eating out of his hand in two seconds flat. Tryan, Carter's friend. Green eyes, sharp, quiet when he wants to be, loves animals. Translation, don't let the quiet deceive you and don't mess with Carter... Duan. He's a charmer. Tons of energy and can spot a lie at fifty paces. My advice, be straight with him. Watch the braid. Then, there's Kenny," Heero said, then paused. He looked down for a moment, then back at Relena. "Kenny is ... a soldier," he said, softly. "He misses nothing. He... really is the whole reason we have the rest of the kids."
Turning to Relena, Heero then said, "Kenny's been hurt. He had to watch over his mother as she died. Then, by the time he was found, he wouldn't talk. I wouldn't suggest you mess with Duan. Kenny's already decked a girl at school for hitting his friend. I don't think you'd want an incident at the party."
Relena listened to this recital with a growing sense of delight, while doing her best to cover it. She could never remember having heard Heero talk like this about anything. It was... a miracle. As he talked about Kenny in particular, she felt her heart squeezing a little with the things he was saying, as well as his obvious involvement. She was thoughtful by the time he finished, but still carefully hiding a sense of amazement.
"I'll be careful," she said, smiling slightly, to his last remark. She watched him for another moment, and then said, "I am very, *very* glad you brought them. I look forward to meeting them tonight at dinner. This evening will be informal, at least as informal as we can manage in this place. The ceremony is tomorrow and the party is tomorrow night. So you have time to settle a bit before it gets too crazy. Heero, if you need anything, for yourselves or the children, just tell Pargan, I'll make sure he knows to check with you. Although I suppose you'll be leaving the day after, please consider staying a few extra days. Are the boys colony? Have they ever been to Earth before?"
A slight smiled pulled at the corners of Heero's mouth. "Yes and no," he answered. "What did you have in mind?"
"I was just thinking if they hadn't, you can stay as long as you wish, if you and Duo would like to show them around," she said, filing away the evasive answer. "All right." She smiled with a touch of dry humor. "Interrogation over. Thanks for being so polite about enduring it."
Heero did smile at the last statement. "I'll ask," he said and then stood up.
Relena stood as well, and leaned forward, giving him a very quick kiss on the cheek, before moving away. "I'll see you at dinner then. Give my love to Duo until I see him."
Heero nodded, thinking of another meaning to Relena's words. "Hai," he replied, then turned to leave. Turning back, briefly, he reached out and hugged Relena. "Thank you," he said, then moved to the door.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and as she watched him leave, a tender smile stretched her lips. "Why, Heero..." she said softly, after the door closed. Then she shook her head, still smiling, and returned to her desk. As she sat down, a thought struck her and she laughed. "Oh.... poor Milliardo!" she said out loud, with an irrepressible grin, and then she pulled a stack of papers towards her and began going through them.
One slipper clad foot tapping with faint impatience, Duo knocked on Wufei's suite door for a second time. Still not receiving an answer, he tried the knob, a surprised look crossing his face as the door swung open. With his braid bobbing merrily behind him, he sailed into the room and shut the door firmly behind him.
Across the wide area of the main suite room, Duo saw the figure of Wufei, standing in front of a tall window, looking out. His arms were folded over his chest and his face was creased with a slight frown as he stared unseeing at the beautiful gardens outside.
Without turning, he said, "What is it, Maxwell?"
"Sifu, I'm here for my daily butt kicking," Duo replied cheerfully, crossing half the room to stand with his hands on his hips and a typical grin plastered on his face.
Wufei turned, eyebrows raised. When he saw Duo's workout attire, he scowled slightly. The he sighed. "I don't think... Maxwell..." he wrestled with himself for a moment, training and principle scuffling with inclination.
"Please? Relena's kidnapped Heero, and the kids are off on the tour... If I don't do something to keep me occupied, I'll get bored..." he let his voice trail off, his tone somewhere between wheedling and warning.
Wufei rolled his eyes. He glanced around the plush suite filled with expensive furniture and objects. "Not in here," he said grudgingly. He suppressed a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was wander around the estate in search of a place to practice. After a moment of indecision, he began pushing the furniture back towards the walls, a bit roughly. "If something is broken, you are paying for it."
"What about outside? The gardens are quiet and open," Duo offered, "Plus it's a nice day out. Don't get much blue sky out there."
Wufei looked out the window again, but something he'd seen out there... he shook his head. "Open and not private," he said. "I suppose you want the entire population to see you fall on your ass?"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Duo agreed with a merry shrug, "But here's fine, and yes... I'll pay for it."
Wufei snorted softly as he finished moving furniture. He removed his jacket and tossed it over a chair, and stretched a little. He bowed formally to Duo and then said, "Is there something else on your mind?'
"Why is it you think there's stuff on my mind every time we spar?" Duo tossed back with a smile as he stretched.
"Because there usually is," Wufei answered dryly.
Duo paused as he was taking up his position across from Wufei, and clutched at his chest dramatically. "Struck to the quick, Sifu!"
Wufei answered the joke by advancing and beginning a lightning-fast attack.
Duo, having expected something like that, parried neatly and slipped out of the way, firing off a quick jab of his own.
The jab was blocked, and they exchanged moves for a while in silence.
Duo had sharpened his skills considerably since they had been working together, and the boy had a wealth of natural talent and street moves to begin with, so the exchange would have been exciting for any spectator had there been one. Wufei found that he could not allow his concentration to drift as it wanted to do. Feeling slightly impatient, he pushed himself a bit further than he had done before with this 'student' and used one of a small number of stances that he never taught to anyone, legacy of the Dragon clan's own school.
As a result, Duo found himself flying through to air to land with a solid thump on a luckily thick carpet.
Standing, Wufei waited for the braided boy to collect himself. "I think that's enough for today," he asserted.
Duo climbed back to his feet, shaking his head a little as he did, although the grin on his face was wide and quite happy.
"That was new," he said, mainly to himself as he turned to face Wufei and bowed, "Thank you, Sifu."
"You've improved, Maxwell," Wufei said. "You could easily qualify for a belt of reasonably high degree if such a thing were appealing to you. But your concentration slipped at the end."
"Really?" Duo asked, the grin slipping into something more calculating, "I thought my concentration was flawless." As he came up from the bow, he produced a small holographic picture viewer with a flourish of his hand and a wicked smirk on his face. "Look familiar?"
Wufei's face registered shock as his hand reached for his now-empty pocket, and he crossed the space between them and snatched the object from Duo's hand. For a few seconds he looked very angry before a mask shuttered over his features. He took a deep breath. Then he walked away from Duo as if preferring the distance. After a second he said, "Very... cute. Try that again and I will give you a real lesson."
"My normal response would probably be something like, 'Really? Why Wu, I didn't know you were into that sort of thing!' But I'll tell ya what... I'll quit being a smartass and drop my masks, if you'll set yours aside for a little while and talk to me," Duo replied calmly.
Wufei's back stiffened. After a moment he turned around and his dark eyes seemed to search Duo's. The braided boy might have been surprised to see something... a flash of what almost looked like guilt, quickly suppressed. After a moment, he turned, and held the viewer up, pressing the tiny button with his thumb. A three dimensional picture of a young girl, perhaps fourteen, her hair pulled into two pigtails, her expression determined, yet hinting at a lighthearted inner side.
"My wife," Wufei said quietly.
Duo's eyes widened in shock for a moment before he covered it by busying himself with opening up his workout top to cool off a little. "Your wife?"
Wufei looked at the picture for a moment and then turned off the viewer, placing it back in his pocket, from which Duo had so deftly picked it during the exchange. "Meiran. She thought she could fight... she took the mobile suit to defend our colony... the same one I refused to pilot. She used to tell me... that she was Nataku, a god-hero, that she would fight to bring justice. She died trying, from her first battle. That is how I became the pilot of Shenlong."
Duo digested that for a long moment, for once remaining silent, as he sank to the floor cross legged. He finally looked up at the Chinese youth across the open space, something in his eyes hinting at a deep understanding of loss.
"Saying that I'm sorry for your loss seems so... stupid. But I am," he said quietly.
Wufei closed his eyes for a moment and then said, looking directly at Duo, "No, it isn't stupid, Maxwell. I believe you." He took a deep breath and let it out, glancing towards the window and back. "I think about things I've done... and I wonder what she would think. But," he shrugged. "I don't know if it really matters." He didn't sit, but leaned on the edge of a table. "Wufan..." he shrugged, unable to put his thoughts into verbal form.
"We all have someone riding us," Duo said quietly, "It's the ones who don't, the ones who have no one within them to justify themselves to, that muck the world up. But.." he glanced away, his expression distant, "But sometimes the hardest lesson they can teach... is that... they're specters of the past. And... and you have to live... for the future."
Wufei's eyes shadowed. "I tried that once. I made a terrible mistake. I thought I was doing it for the future."
"Not a broad future. Sometimes you have to... sometimes you just have to be selfish. Sometimes you just have to figure out that... it's time to focus on a future more close to home," he said, finally glancing back up, "To family."
Wufei's mouth tugged at the corner. "Teaching me now, sifu?"
"Can't be," Duo replied, a ghost of his own smile teasing his lips as he held out empty hands, "No kite."
Wufei snorted softly. He regarded Duo for a moment. "*Did* you have something on your mind?"
Duo's expression turned thoughtful, and he almost seemed to be searching for the words to say. "I love Heero, ya know... But.." he broke off, turning to glance out the window towards the blue sky beyond, "You... You're part of my family, too. I.. I don't have to... joke all the time. I can listen too... If.. ya know, if you... want to?" His vice trailed off uncertainly.
Wufei looked at Duo, his expression reflecting a moment of confusion, and then a little bit of shock. He swallowed, looked away - towards the window - and then back at Duo. His hand slipped into his pocket and closed around the viewer.
After a moment he got up, walking with suppressed energy to the window, looking out, as if searching for something. Not seeming to find what he was looking for, his expression cleared a bit. He looked back at Duo finally.
"Xie xie, Maxwell," he said quietly. "Thank you. I..." he looked down and then up again, struggling with something and not hiding it so much any more. "I don't know everything there is to know about you, and you don't know everything there is to know about me. And there are some things..." he stopped, shook his head and then went on, "There are some secrets that might change things. Things I'm not... free to tell. Maxwell, I.... I won't allow any harm to come to the children, I swear on my honor... no, I swear on my life. I wish I could tell you the rest but right now I can't."
Duo looked back up, his amethyst eyes flashing with inner fire. "Glad to see we're in agreement about that," he said, meaning the children. He looked away then, back out the window before quietly replying, "I trust you, Wufei."
Wufei took his hand out of his pocket and rubbed his palms absently on his pants. "I'll try and make sure you never regret it," he said quietly, his eyes flickering away and then back. "Not... this time."
"Is that part of what you can't tell me?" Duo asked, turning back to look at Wufei, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.
The Chinese boy hesitated. "When we get closer to... what we're looking for. I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."
"Is he still alive?" Duo asked, his voice almost inaudible.
All the color went out of Wufei's face and his eyes widened. He spun around and picked up his jacket and crossed to the door, opening it, and closing it behind him.
A moment later the door opened and he came back in. He threw the jacket on the floor and looked at Duo. "Yes." He stared at the braided boy as if challenging him to say something, anything.
"Aa," Duo replied his expression calm, "I trust you, Wufei."
The Chinese boy shook his head, incomprehension written on his features. He stared at Duo for a long time. Then he threw himself at a chair and put his head in his hands.
"Baka," he said in a slightly muffled voice.
"Why?" Duo asked simply, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his cheek on his knees.
Wufei threw a glare at Duo but there was no heat in it, only exasperation and old guilt.
"I've always known you were smarter than you pretend to be, Maxwell," he said, his voice oddly strained. "I thought... I didn't think I was making the common mistake of underestimating you. You like jokes, that one's rather funny." He scrubbed his hands over his face and then leaned back, crossing his arms and looking at the ceiling.
"He told me about the... the object. I agreed to help him find it," he said in a low voice.
"So that's why you were looking for Epyon before," Duo said to himself, "Why is he trying to get it back?"
"To destroy it," Wufei said. "We were going to send it into the sun."
"No wonder we didn't have to work too hard to convince you to join our little misadventure," Duo replied wryly.
Wufei snorted. "They never said as much... but I have always suspected that *they* knew." The reference was obscure, but Duo sensed he was talking about the two from the other world.
"I'd be surprised if they didn't," the braided pilot agreed with a slight shake of his head, "I'd be surprised if there was much that they didn't know."
The Chinese boy threw an irritated glance at Duo, but the irritation wasn't for the braided boy. "You seem to trust them. Heero... seems to change his mind about that sometimes."
"I really don't know..." Duo's voice trailed off for a second before he turned and gave Wufei a slightly sardonic look, "They aren't human like us, or so they claim. I keep that in mind now... They're different, but when it comes to finding and destroying It, yeah. I guess I trust them. Heero... is afraid, I think. He hasn't quite figured out yet that he can't pry me loose even if he tried."
Wufei looked at Duo. "There's more to it than that," he said. "Isn't there?"
Duo looked away, seeking the open sky again as he rolled one shoulder absently. "There's always more to Heero than the simple answer."
Wufei looked for a moment as if he were going to say something and then changed his mind. He got up and paced the room for a moment.
"Say it," Duo spoke, still staring out the window.
Wufei glanced sharply at Duo. He pressed his lips together. "Was Wing Zero ever salvaged?"
Duo's head jerked around to pin Wufei with a perplexed look, "Wing Zero? I... I don't know... I didn't think it would be... Why?"
"The cockpit system... helps," Wufei said quietly. "At least, that's what... *he* says."
Duo blinked rapidly, a frown of concentration creasing his brow. "The cockpit system..." His expression cleared for a moment. "Howard might know. He might be able to..." Duo bit his lower lip and then focused on Wufei again. "It helps?"
Wufei glared at the violet-eyed boy but again, there was no personal heat in it. "I've said enough. You need to talk to... I'll... I'll see if I can arrange it."
Duo nodded, his expression lightening a bit in thanks before a shadow crossed it once more. "I- I think it wants him back, Wufei... He.. He told me... He made me promise to protect the family, no matter what..."
Wufei looked back, his dark eyes unflinching. "It can't have him," he said. He closed his eyes and opened them. "Or anyone else. Not if Chang Wufei has anything to say about it, and I *will* have something to say about it."
Duo bowed his head, lowering his eyes. "Xie xie," he said quietly, stumbling a little over the pronunciation of the unfamiliar words, "Sifu."
Wufei closed his eyes. "Duo Maxwell," he said softly. "That title sits uneasily on my shoulders these days. If we are still partners, after all this time and all that has happened... it's enough."
Duo rose to his feet and crossed the distance between them. His violet eyes filled with relief, understanding, and something more intimate than mere camaraderie as he quickly embraced Wufei in a tight hug. "It's enough," he said before releasing the Chinese youth and backing away a shy step.
Wufei was stiff for a brief moment but then he returned the quick embrace, letting his arms fall as Duo stepped back. His face had regained the color he'd lost earlier in the conversation, and perhaps a slight shade more.
Duo cleared his throat, his own face a tiny bit more flushed than usual as his habitual grin resumed its normal place. "I bet the tour is pretty close to being done by now... And something tells me I'd probably better go try and rescue my other partner from the clutches of Mistress Pink before bodily harm ensues somewhere," he said wryly, "Unless there's anything else for now..."
Wufei snorted softly. "Help me move this furniture back, before you run off and leave me trying to explain to Sallah." He turned and began pushing the chairs and end tables roughly back into their places.
"One last quick question," Duo said as he started on the other side of the room, "Does blondie know?"
Wufei stopped, his jaw clenching. "No."
"Fair enough, Partner."
Wufei made a soft sound of exhaling breath. He threw a glare at Duo which turned into a reluctant smile before smoothing into a more neutral expression. "All right, it's sufficient," he said, glancing at the room. "Go rescue Heero from the Vice Minister's clutches."
"Just can't wait to throw me out on my ass," Duo sighed with a dramatic pout, "Fine... I see where I'm not wanted. I'm going." He bounced to the door, cheerfully, pulling his tunic off as he opened the door. "You know where to find me if you need anything, Partner," he said pleasantly before skipping out the door and shutting it softly behind him.
Wufei stared at the closed door for a long moment, before sitting down, his face showing a series of expressions from secret appreciation, to shock at what had transpired, to reluctant relief. He realized he was completely exhausted. After sprawling bonelessly in the chair for a few moments, a pose that no one among his partners had ever seen, he pulled himself up and went to take a shower.
Three steps away from Relena's door, Heero took off running towards his room.
Heero ran down halls, ignoring any strange looks from the staff as he careened around corners. Primal instinct moved him away from the female influence and towards a more male dominated environment. A door opened in front of him and suddenly, Heero saw Duo in his path. It was too late to stop the forward momentum as he crashed into the braided pilot.
Duo slammed to the hallway floor in a tangle of limbs, a startled exclamation bursting from him as he hit. His violet eyes widened into huge saucers as he looked up and finally recognized Heero sprawled across him. With a sigh of relief, he vanished the gun again, since it had materialized in his hand the moment he went down.
"What happened? Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly and already plotting mayhem against Relena if she popped into the hallway in pursuit of the Japanese youth tumbled atop him.
Breathing hard, Heero blinked. "Gun?" he asked, with a slight scowl, then attempted to right himself. As he did so, he noticed that Duo was half naked. "Hn," he remarked, standing back a little to allow the braided pilot to stand.
"I didn't know it was you until it was already in my hand," Duo explained with a slightly sheepish grin, "And Wufei and I were just sparring, so my adrenaline's up a bit... What happened? You didn't answer if you were okay. The way you were running, I was expecting the hounds of hell to be on your heels or something." Duo popped up to his feet, stooping to snatch his tunic up off the floor.
Heero peered down the hall, then back to Duo. "Almost," he said. "Women." Prussian blue eyes quickly scanned Duo's body, then Heero turned to leave. "Sparring with Wufei... Hn," he remarked.
Duo followed in Heero's wake, heading for their suite across the hall. "I've been workin' on Wing Chun with him. It kept me from breaking anything while everyone else was busy," Duo replied. He cocked his head and cast a searching look over Heero as they entered the suite. "What are you thinking about, koi?" he asked softly.
For a moment, Heero closed his eyes. There was one of those questions again. He turned, grateful that it was Duo and not Dorothy or Relena. "I'm glad you're not a girl," he answered.
Duo blinked. He opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again with an audible clash of teeth, his eyes something between poleaxed and amused. After a moment, he finally found his voice again.
"So am I... Any particular reason?" he asked innocently.
"Relena sends you her love," Heero said. "She plans on giving it to you personally when she sees you," he finished, watching Duo's reaction.
Duo's eyes widened a little, his brows shooting into his hairline with surprise. "Ah. Um... Okay." He shook his head once before fixing his violet gaze back on his lover. He could see the tension still humming in the Japanese youth, and once again berated himself for letting the strange women drag Heero off without backup. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms firmly around the other pilot.
Heero's eyes widened a little as Duo wrapped his arms around him. "Now you get why I was running?" he asked.
"Yeah," Duo replied, his arms still around Heero, while his hands rubbed soothingly along Heero's spine, "I'm surprised you weren't flying, actually."
"No wings," Heero replied, relaxing a little. "So, while I'm facing down Dorothy Catalonia and Relena, you're playing with Wufei," he added.
Duo stiffened and drew away, heading into the bedroom to change. "I'm sorry. I won't leave you without backup against those two again."
Heero's brows drew together in a deep scowl. He followed the braided pilot out the door. "What?" he asked.
"I should have been there with you. She... gets to you. I'm sorry."
Heero crossed the distance between them and looked into Duo's eyes. "I don't need backup. Duo, they're just girls. So, what is this?"
Duo sat down on the bed, looking up at Heero with a tiny frown creasing his brow. "If they're 'just girls', then why were you sprinting like your life depended on it?"
"Hn," Heero said. "I was relieved to be done with the conversation and looking forward to seeing you."
A warm smile lit up Duo's face, his eyes brightening as he stood and walked up to stand almost shyly before Heero. "Really?"
Heero nodded. "Hai," he said, quietly. Reaching out, he slid his arm around Duo's waist. "Gomen, Duo. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just being... foolish."
Duo reached one slender finger up and laid it against Heero's lips to silence him. "No apologies. There's no need. Be foolish. Be impulsive if you wanna. It's... nice. I'll work on getting better."
"It's not you," Heero said, then looked down. Moving his arms all the way around Duo, he hugged the other to him and sighed.
Duo snuggled into Heero's embrace for a long moment, a sigh of his own escaping him. "So. Relena sends me her love, huh?" he asked, his voice amused, and colored with an edge of wicked mischief, "Hmm... Shall I pay her court? Or is that court her? I forget..."
Heero looked at Duo again. "Do you want me to arrange it?" he asked. "I seem to have an in with her. All I need to do is make a call to her assistant Dorothy and I'm sure she'll see you right in."
Duo grinned widely, his arms tightening around Heero for a moment. "That was good! You're getting really good at this!" he exclaimed cheerfully.
Heero scowled at his partner. "Hn," he remarked.
Duo shook his head, and then backed up a step, drawing Heero with him. Another couple of steps brought them both to the bed, which Duo scooted up onto backwards, drawing Heero with him. The braided pilot settled himself against the pillows, all the while keeping Heero's hands in his own. Once settled, he tugged on the hands in his own, drawing Heero down next to him. He pulled the Japanese youth down beside him, wrapping his arms around Heero's shoulders, and tucking his partner's head down on his chest.
"Love you," he said soothingly.
Heero took a deep breath, then settled against Duo's chest. "Hn," he remarked. "Thanks... this is nice."
Duo smiled tenderly, his expression soft and unguarded. "Thank you. For letting me."
Looking up at Duo, Heero moved his arms around Duo's slender body again. "You were sparring with Wufei?"
"Yeah. He says I'm getting good," Duo replied, shifting a little, just to feel Heero's arms against him.
"How's he doing?" Heero asked. "I haven't talked to him much. I should have."
"Better now, I think. This is... tough for him, but he knows we're here with him now, so he's better, I think," Duo replied, closing his eyes and relaxing against the pillows behind him, although his grip on Heero never slackened.
"I need to talk to him," Heero said. "Make sure he's ok. He's our family now, too," he added, readjusting his arms around Duo. When he got very still, he could hear the muted thump of Duo's heart. That was comforting somehow.
"I'm glad you think so too," Duo replied softly.
Heero was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, "I need to tell him, Duo. It's been so strange that I was blocking him and other things out. What's he uncomfortable about?"
"He sided with Mariemaia and the Bartons a year ago, Heero... Against us and the Preventers and Zechs... What do you think he's uncomfortable about?" Duo replied with a hint of amusement in his quiet voice, "It's got to be weird for him, ya know? Even though you convinced him in the end... He still thinks what happened was a mistake. His mistake."
"So, how did I convince him? I didn't want to do this party. That's why I don't like these things. It's a mask, Duo. On the outside, it looks good. Lift the mask, and it's all pain and hurt. So, he made a mistake. We all made mistakes. None of us should be here," Heero said. Then, "So let's go home."
Duo lifted a hand to stroke through Heero's bangs, while the other hand busied itself with caressing tense shoulders. "Do you regret saving the world, koibito?"
"No," Heero replied. "But it was like my job, Duo. I just happened to be the one who could do it, so I did. It never made up for taking the lives of those who wanted peace. The whole thing could have ended right there. Wufei, that wasn't a war. What made the whole thing bad was that it was done for someone's own ambitions. Wufei is a Gundam pilot. He didn't need to prove anything to anyone. He'd paid his dues." Heero chuckled a little bitterly at the memory. "The ironic thing about it is, without Wufei, the Earth would have ceased to exist. He brought the buster rifle."
"You're right. We have all made mistakes. We have all paid our dues. But the important thing is... When it counted, we made a difference. The tricky thing about mistakes, though, is that they're in the past. And there's a real fine line between remembering them to learn from, and dwelling on them and letting them choke the life from us... That line... It's not so easy to see when it's your line. When you're inside looking for it," Duo said, one fingertip stroking along Heero's brow unconsciously.
Heero took a deep breath. "I'm shooting the first person who even looks at him wrong," he said.
"Relena's gonna get pissed if you wipe out her brother," Duo remarked casually.
Heero looked up at Duo with one eyebrow arched. "She'll get over it," he said.
Duo smiled and dropped a kiss on top of Heero's head. "I wasn't necessarily just talking about him, ya know," Duo said softly, his amethyst gaze seeking Heero's depthless blue eyes.
"Then it becomes even simpler," Heero said, "We leave. No pilots, no shame. We can drop off autographed copies of our pictures as we go."
Duo's smile widened as he shook his head. "Thanks, but no... I don't want half a million whack jobs out there with your picture. I'm an open kinda guy, but that generous? No way. I'd like to limit my sharing to as many people as I can count on my own digits. Once," Duo replied with a chuckle.
"Oh, I get it," Heero replied. "I'm limited to twenty."
"Oh yeah... I *do* have feet," Duo quipped back, "Well, if that's what you're into..." he added with a leer.
"So, how many is your personal limit?" Heero asked.
"Guess that depends on who you're willing to share me with," Duo replied with another grin, closing his eyes once more as he leaned back against the pillows again.
"The kids, Sallah and Wufei," Heero replied.
"Greedy," Duo admonished playfully, "Here I let you set my limit..." he sighed dramatically, "Even after I give you a whole 20. No fair, I say."
Heero scowled. "Hn," he remarked. "You never stated the rules."
"Rules? There's rules now?" Duo asked with mock surprise, "Well, damn. Missed that too."
"Is this how it's done?" Heero asked. "If so, then 20 for both, I guess."
Duo chuckled, embracing Heero tightly again, before reaching up and running his hand absently through his lover's messy bangs once again. "You make me happy. Know that? Aishiteru, Hee-koi."
Heero hugged back, thinking hard. "So are you saying that you have twenty available?"
"I normally keep twenty people hidden in my bag for just such an occasion," Duo replied dryly, "What do you think?"
Heero was silent for a long moment. He moved back slightly to look at Duo. "I don't think you have a bag that you keep twenty people in," he said, "But, I do think you might have more than one." Heero looked down. "That's it, isn't it? I guess I'm a little what... pitiful? I've only got you in mind."
"Pitiful? What do you mean?" Duo shook his head, his expression growing serious as he held Heero's shoulders in his hands, "Listen to me... I love you, Heero Yuy. You're stuck with me till the day we both go out together. Got it? I wish I knew more languages to say it in, but all means the same thing. I want you. With me. If any part of you is pitiful, then so am I, because you've got all the best parts of me inside you now. Have for a while."
Heero listened carefully, then nodded. "You never lie. I believe you," he said, feeling one of the things he'd been grappling with for awhile rising to the surface. "But, I am not all you want or need," he said, quietly.
"You're right," Duo agreed softly, "But if you were, then what would be the point of having the rest of the family?"
Heero moved back and stood up from the bed. He looked down at his partner and shook his head. "No," he said, "It's not the rest of the family, Duo. I'm not talking about the kids or Sallah. Haven't decided about Wufei yet, but what I mean is on a... personal?" Heero shook his head, grasping for the right words. "It's physical and emotional. You want Ripper... too, right?"
"I lust after really cute movie stars too... Doesn't mean I'm going to throw myself into their beds," Duo replied, sitting up and pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees defensively.
"Not movie stars," Heero said, "Too far removed. I'm talking about what's available."
Duo sighed softly, almost wearily. "Do I think Rip's hot? Yes. Do I love him? No. Is that what you want to know?"
Heero thought about the question. He looked back at Duo on the bed. "To be honest, I don't know what I want to know, Duo." he said. He moved closer to the bed and extended his hand down towards the violet eyed pilot. "Come on," he said, quietly. "We've got to get the kids."
Duo looked up at Heero, glancing down at the extended hand before meeting Heero's eyes again. His arms unclenched slowly from around his legs and he carefully took the proffered hand. "Yeah," he said, his voice assuming a hint of it's normal cheer, "I'm sure Zechs would appreciate the rescue. Just gotta get dressed."
Still holding on to Duo's hand, Heero pulled the braided pilot against him. Leaning over, he kissed Duo deeply. After a short while, he moved back, looking into the wide violet eyes. "I don't care about Zechs. He deserves what he gets. Who knows, maybe they'll get him to loosen up some. I do care about you, though. I love you, Duo." he said.
"That's good... Cause the feeling's mutual," Duo replied, leaning into Heero's embrace again.
"Hn," he said.
Duo pulled away finally and walked to his bags. "I'll be dressed in a couple of minutes," he said, grabbing up his old familiar priest's outfit, "The we can find the kids."
TBC
End of Part 14
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