05-Sep-2000
Category: Adventure, Romance, Emotional Angst
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4+5 (Combinations there of.)
Rating: PG
Dislcaimer: Not mine, no money being made or sought with this endevour, just
enjoying playing in the sandbox.
NOTES: Little breather for everyone after the heaviness of Parts 7 & 8. Bonne (bonnejeanne@yahoo.com) is the puppeteer for Heero here and I'm responsible for the (un) Braided Wonder.
Duo fidgeted.
He couldn't help it. The large house was just too damn quiet. Quatre had left that morning, headed back up to space. Trowa had retreated to his rooms and closed the door, a sure sign of *keep away*. To top it all off, Wufei had appeared early that morning, crooked a finger at Heero and the two of them had left for the day.
Duo had tried to read Horatio Hornblower... put it down. Played some solitaire basketball for the exercise... that helped for a while, he liked physical activity. Still, the shower was lonely afterwards which just got him wondering again. He felt Heero's absence keenly even when the Japanese boy just went down to the market. Having him gone almost the entire day was nerve racking.
So, Duo fidgeted.
It was late. He didn't even attempt to go up to the room he shared with Heero. It would be a waste of effort. Instead he settled in the kitchen. Trying once again to get caught up on the high seas with Lt. Hornblower and sipping on a soda.
About eleven in the evening, the front door opened and closed. A few minutes later, Heero appeared in the kitchen. He was dressed in street clothes, which for him meant jeans and a white shirt. He had a package under his arm. He placed the package on the table next to Duo's soda, then went to the refrigerator and pulled out stuff to make a sandwich.
Duo hadn't bothered with braiding his hair after his third shower of the day. He was so clean he probably squeaked! The long chestnut curtain fell across his back and a few strands were wrapped over his shoulder, tickling his fine boned features and making his eyes an even larger violet then usual.
He looked at the package, curiosity written on his face, then he looked towards Heero's back. His stomach perking at the idea of food for the first time that day.
"Hey." Duo said quietly, when what he really wanted to do was ask where Heero had been but he felt strange... like he would sound... paranoid or clingy.. so he didn't vocalize the question.
Heero came back to the table with two sandwiches and put one down by Duo. He sat and began eating. In between bites, he said. "Open the package."
Duo perked a little and set his book off to the side. Pausing a moment to take a bite of the sandwich... Heero always managed to get just the right balance of mustard on the bread... he carefully tore into the package.
The package had three items in it, each wrapped in some paper. The smallest one was a very well-made, expensive item... an ebony-handled switchblade. The next item was a pullover shirt made of dark plum silky material and the third was a book. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe.
Duo thoroughly inspected each item. Testing the edge of the switchblade, the balance. Studying the handle as well as the craftsmanship with a wide eyed wonder and a soft whistle of appreciation. He made an approving noise about the shirt, rubbing the soft material against his cheek. It was a small throwback to childhood for the Deathsycthe pilot. He liked to feel soft or soothing materials against his cheek, like a child cuddling a blanket. Then he moved on to the book. His eyes again going wide and he squirmed in his seat in pleasure as he flipped it open, running his fingers along the pages, forgetting that he was supposed to have a *facade* when it came to books.
"These are wonderful Heero. But..." Duo looked up at his partner with a little bit of confusion.
"But?" Heero said, finishing the sandwich neatly, leaving barely a crumb.
Duo blinked, "But... what are they for? A mission?" With the exception of Deathsycthe, he'd never been given anything as a present before. Even Quatre, for all that he made available to his teammates, didn't cross the barrier in giving gifts. Even though it was in the little blonde's nature to do so. So, Duo was a little confused.
"Someone told me recently that a person doesn't need an excuse to give something to someone they care about," Heero said. "I thought I'd try it out."
The American pilot couldn't have looked more stunned then if Heero had grown a second head. The pole axed expression lasted for a few seconds, then it slowly bled away, leaving behind a sort of innocent wonder and joy as Duo looked back at the gifts. He touched each one gently then he did something very rare for him, especially with the reserved Heero.
Duo bounced up and gave into the urge to hug his lover. Throwing his arms around Heero's neck and squeezing in silent gratitude.
"They're beautiful." He whispered next to Heero's ear.
Heero placed his arms around Duo in return, accepting the hug and returning it, if in a somewhat more reserved way. "I'm glad you liked them. I couldn't make up my mind which was best. Then I figured out it would be simpler to get them all."
Duo hugged Heero once more then released him, knowing that the Japanese boy didn't exactly like to be hung on. Turning back to his seat he once again picked up and studied each item, grinning like a maniac as he triggered the switchblade, feeling the perfect response and balance in the small weapon. The shirt he folded with surprising care, careful to smooth out any wrinkles. Then he went back to the book, flipping through it his eyes widened.
"My grief.. Heero.. this is a first edition. Oh wow!"
"I got it for the pictures - the other copies didn't have them," Heero said, leaning over to flip a page to a plate that showed a full-page engraved illustration that was monotone but extremely detailed. "I don't know a lot about books... but I know you like that one about the old ship. This one has a ship but it gets wrecked and this guy has to figure out how to live on the island - he has to make everything he need to survive from scratch using materials from the wreck and what he finds on the island." Heero explained. "He spends a lot of time making everything and getting a pretty decent life and then he realizes there's one thing he can't make, without which he is going to go crazy."
Duo's long fingers traced over the plate with reverence, the grin seemed to be beaming at full wattage, his eyes flickering between the book and Heero's face as Heero spoke. Slowly the flickers became less and violet eyes settled on his lover's features. Duo found himself enjoying listening to Heero... well... tell him a story.
"Yes.. yes??" Duo asked with the same expectant eagerness that the small children had flooded Wufei with when the young dragon had paused for dramatic effect in his story telling at the orphanage.
"Another person to talk to. Someone to share his life and all the stuff he's made to make it better." Heero said, looking into Duo's eyes.
Still caught up in the story, it took a moment for the full impact of Heero's words to dawn on Duo. Heero could watch the violet eyes through every step of the realization process. Duo still wore many of his masks but somehow when it was just the two of them, those masks just.. slipped away, leaving behind young, inquisitive, bright, loving violet eyes.
Duo's eyes reflected clearly the way the dawning clue affected him. Which was.. of all the many emotions ... humility. The simple humble realization that this wonderful, wary creature needed him.
"Oh..." He squeezed out breathlessly.
Heero gazed into those eyes, seeming quite content to simply look into them. Some people thought of Heero as impatient but he felt little desire to be anywhere else at the moment. The warmth those violet eyes held for him was his own private miracle and he simply stayed there.
Duo... opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. There was... nothing he could say. The words were just too.. weak. Instead, he grabbed the book, placing the knife and the shirt safely back under their wraps. Then leaving his sandwich and soda behind, he took Heero's hand and lead him out of the kitchen towards the private den that was one of his haunts.
Not quite as grand as the study, it was a bit of a wreck room, with basketballs, swords, wooden rattans and other items spread around. Two large couches and a couple deep chairs sat around a large vid set. Duo nudged some papers off one of the chairs and then pressed Heero down into the chair before crawling onto his lap.
Curling up so that he could feel the beat of his love's heart against his upper arm, Duo opened the book. Clearing his throat... he began to read.
Heero held Duo on his lap, listening to his voice as he read and simply enjoying the sound, scent and feel of his lover. Duo slipped happily into the world the book provided, with Heero's arms around him to keep him warm and grounded as he read. At the end of the first chapter, Heero reached over and closed the book gently. Then he kissed Duo, a kiss of gentle passion promising more, soon... very soon.
"I need to talk to you about something." Heero said.
Duo blinked a little as the book was closed, having to come back to "earth". The kiss helped. He returned the same gentle passion. His head tilting to the side a bit with the words. Words like that, at one time, would have struck the fear of God into him but he trusted Heero and though his violet eyes flickered a bit, he merely straightened a little and turned his focus on Heero.
"Of course koi."
"I've agreed to accept a long term assignment and I would like you to work it with me." Heero said.
Duo stiffened a little and he broke eye contact, looking around. In that time his mind worked very quickly, running over... many things that had been in his heart for a long, long time. Turning back, the tension slipped from his body and he nodded.
"Yes."
Heero looked into Duo's face, watching his expressions. "Good," he said. Then the very slightest of curves turned the corner of his mouth. "Want to know what it is?"
Duo's expression showed that he didn't care if it was ice fishing in Antartica... as long as he was with Heero he'd take whatever came their way. But then he caught that slight little facial expression that usually meant.. something mischievous was going on in the Japanese boy's mind and he cocked his head at Heero, violet eyes answering with a sassy little twinkle.
"Yyyyeeeeesssss??"
"I've agreed to accept the responsibility for protecting an important person who is currently working on the project to rehabilitate L2." Heero said.
Duo had long ago let go of any lingering apprehension or ... jealousy he felt towards Relena and the hold she had on Heero. Still, he made a slight face before he could stop himself. It wasn't that he had any problem with trying to protect Relena.. but she moved in some of the dullest circles... in Duo's not so humble opinion.
"The person's name is Quatre Raberba Winner." Heero finished.
Duo had taken a breath to make a long suffering comment about watching Relena. That breath wooshed right out of him and had it not been for Heero's hold on his waist the American would probably have fallen right off the other boy's lap so startled did he rear back.
"Quatre??"
Heero nodded, the curve becoming a slight smile. "Yes. It might be boring but it could actually have some moments of interest... the subject can be ... stubborn and challenging when the mood takes him."
"That's putting it mildly Heero." Duo grumped a little, flashing back to the incident in the woods and the wild ride in the Aston.
"Now you see why I decided to get help with this one." Heero said deadpan.
Duo groaned a little. "Oh geeze. I think I would rather guard Relena. At least she understands the concept of what security is there for."
Heero nodded. "That's true, she does now," he said, remembering vividly the girl who had stood unflinchingly as his Gundam had come very close to hitting her, missing by inches and never moved a hair. "If you want, I can have that be your secondary duty. Most of the time people will think that's what we're doing anyway."
Duo reached up and brushed his hand through the long silky curtain of his hair. "Heero, love, I 'guarded' small, blond and cute for less then 10 hours, one day and it was almost too much for one person. I don't think I'll have time for secondary duty. The concept of self-preservation isn't one he's overly familiar with. Who hired you for this? WEI? Sally?"
Heero shook his head. "Wufei."
Duo suddenly looked alert. "Did he give you a piece of jade?"
Heero looked at Duo curiously. "No," he said. "But he did say that if I wanted you to be involved, he approved. He said you knew how to keep the honor intact."
A lot of the playful horror Duo had been feigning leaked out of him with those words. Leaving behind the committed and serious young man who had defended his colony and all the colonies with a driven devotion. Duo nodded then.
"All right then. We heading up to Space tomorrow? Catch up with Quatre?"
Heero nodded. "Yes. And we are on our own. I'll be taking a leave from the Preventers and since you are with me, you will too. We'll be operating on our own discretion and answering only to each other."
"And Wufei? Wait.. will Quatre...*know*?"
"I'm quite certain he will know," Heero said. "But we won't be answering to him, we'll be protecting him. By any means we deem necessary. Those were Wufei's instructions. This is not a baby-sitting job. Wufei believes him to potentially be in danger from certain parties and having seen some of the background material I agree. Under normal circumstances, Wufei would take care of it. But he's going to be doing something else."
Duo went silent for a long time. His brows drawn together showing deep thought. "Quatre's not going to like that." He looked up into Heero's eyes. "So.. proactive measures as well as reactive?" Meaning they would be actively looking and pursuing the danger, not just waiting to see if it showed up coming towards Quatre.
Heero nodded again. "As proactive as when I protected you on the 4th."
Duo sobered a little more. Any time he was reminded of that time on the 4th the American tended to go rather quiet. He nodded then and gave a little bit of his manic grin. "Sounds like a challenge worthy of a couple of Gundam Pilots."
Heero stroked Duo's cheek gently. "Yes it does." He paused and then said, "At one time I would have taken it on myself. It would not have occurred to me to ask for your help. But I've learned how much stronger I can be with you at my side and my back. And I know how strong you are on your own. I believe this is important. It's... it's the biggest test of peace since Mariemaya. If Relena and Quatre can solve this problem, then the peace will last. If they fail, then everything we did was for a dream that has no chance to exist in the long term. Relena has all the Earth Sphere, the Preventers, a powerful organization to support and protect her but Quatre is as important to this as she is and he only has us."
Duo turned his face into the soft touch of Heero's hand. He grinned a little. "Only? You and I kick ass lover mine." Duo's grin widened, then he went serious once more, turning to lay his head against Heero's shoulder. "I'm... glad you decided not to do this alone. I think... that is one of the greatest gifts you could have given me."
Heero took Duo's hand and kissed his wrist lightly. "No," he said simply. "It's a gift you have already given me. The gift of understanding that we... that I need you. That needing you doesn't make me weaker... or if it does, it gives me extra strength to compensate. And if this isn't enough responsibility," Heero added, his mouth quirking slightly, "There may be other things we'll have to do. From time to time one or both of us may have to back up Wufei and Trowa and still make sure Quatre is safe."
Duo exhaled sharply, snuggling closer to Heero. His violet eyes were serious now, deep in thought. "This.. will be a challenge. I think it will be one of the toughest we've faced since the war."
"Yes." Heero said simply. He watched Duo's mind work over the situation. His own eyes and body held an almost undetectable sense of relaxation that had not been there before. The burden of feeling as if he were useless or wasting precious time doing things of little value, had been lifted.
End Part 9
Laekin
Please send comments to: seregill@aol.com or bonnejeanne@yahoo.com