Duo slipped into the darkened hospital room where Heero was staying. Relena drifted in only moments behind him, finally catching up with the fast moving boy. But before she could do anything to catch his attention, her eyes were drawn to Heero Yuy himself.
He had little more apparatus attached than a single IV tube running into the vein atop of his right hand, and a small nasal canula. Otherwise he looked, healthy, bored and vaguely pissed off. As the nurses soon found out, Heero was not a good patient.
"Well?" Heero asked, glaring at Duo where he stood in the shadows of the doorway, his face unreadable.
"Mycoplasma pneumonia." Duo said simply, as if it cleared up everything.
*What's that?* Relena asked, momentarily forgetting that the world was deaf to her. Fortunately, Heero seemed unused to the term as well for he raised an eyebrow and motioned for Duo to elaborate.
Duo advanced on Heero's bed, the image of pure, determined self-composure. "Walking pneumonia. It's a nasty bugger too, you generally don't even really feel bad with this strain until it's way too late."
Duo began to tick off the progression on his fingers. "They figured you started out with a cold, ignored that, it went up to bronchitis, you ignored that, so now you've got this sneaky bastard. They say we're really lucky we caught it early. They also say you'll likely be outta here in a week. But it's going to be a bitch of a week."
"You're pissed off." Heero stated, regarding Duo calmly.
Duo paused mid rant for a moment. "Yeah, a bit I guess."
"You shouldn't be."
"I shouldn't be?" Duo's face twisted up with anger, but his voice was mild. On the ever-cheerful Duo, it equated to blind rage. "Heero, from what I'm hearing from the docs, if you had gone on ignoring /this,/ it would have gotten really damned deadly really fast. You may be able to leap off buildings, but I don't think even you could survive a heart fulla water. And if I have to drag your pretty spandex covered ass back from the land of dead I will, and what's more I..."
"I take it back," Heero interrupted.
"Huh?" Duo blinked twice, completely derailed. "Take what back?"
"You're not pissed," he elaborated. "You're scared."
Duo gave the idea of covering it up with anger momentary consideration (he had his pride after all) but quickly dismissed it as being too close of kin to lying for his comfort. He sat down heavily on the side of the bed instead.
"You know," he grumped at Heero. "You're annoying when you're observant."
One of Heero's hands wrapped around the end of Duo's braid, heedless of the discomfort from the IV needle. "I'm not going anywhere," he said quietly, but firmly.
"Hai, hai. I know. You are harder to kill than even me, and that's saying something." Duo gave something akin to a real smile. "But that doesn't mean I can't worry."
The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while, broken only by the beeps of the monitors and gadgets cluttering the room. Surprisingly, it was Heero that broke the tableau.
"How was Relena?" Heero felt Duo stiffen slightly and gave the braid a good tug. "Don't be stupid."
Relena, who had until that point only been listening with the vaguest of interest perked up slightly.
Duo turned halfway around to shoot Heero an irritated look. "As well as can be expected I guess. She's out like a light, but doesn't look too badly hurt, all considering."
"Guards?"
"Hai, Wufei's there right now. Anyone who tries something stupid will probably get six inches of Wu-chan's sword straight up their arse." Duo stopped to ponder that for a moment, a grin sliding over his face.
Heero gave a mock, exasperated sigh and tugged on the braid again, this time with gentle fondness. "Hentai. Be serious."
*Wufei, so that's the Asian boy's name.* Relena mused, filing away the info. She wrinkled her nose a bit a Duo's crude remark, but had no choice but to let it slide. After all, he hadn't been raised in polite society, and also wasn't aware that he was in a lady's presence. Not that THAT would stop him, Relena thought, with a touch of a smile.
Duo stuck out his tongue. "No fun. Anyway, Zechs is flying in to take the next shift later tonight. Don't give me that look Hee-chan. They've had their differences, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. Besides, from what I hear, if Une hadn't given him the ok, he'da gone Epyon and kicked all our asses."
*Oniisan...* Relena paused. *Wait a minute.... Hee-chan??* Relena simply stared, her mind drawing a blank at the idea of petnames and Heero. Cute and the perfect soldier just didn't add up properly in her mind.
Heero gave a non committal grunt. "And?"
"You're impossible. Anyway, it looks like Une's only settling for the top Preventers to guard Sleeping Beauty herself. Don't blame her really. The media is going nuts. I'd expect Quatre and Trowa will be here too, but I haven't heard anything yet."
"I should be there."
*No, don't blame yourself. I was the fool.*
Duo's anger returned in full. "No. You shouldn't. You are going to lay right there until the docs are damned sure every trace of that is out of your body. You got that soldier?"
Heero's eyes narrowed, reflecting something difficult to identify. After a long moment of thick silence, he nodded. Duo relaxed, the anger draining out of him as swiftly as it came.
Duo grinned suddenly, shifting moods like quicksilver. His eyes narrows slightly and his lips quirked mischievously. "Besides," he said, leaning over the bedside. "We have unfinished business, ne?"
Relena had always had her suspicions, buried deep and floating under her thoughts and daydreams. But there was a vast difference between suspecting and knowing for sure. As long as Heero was untouchable, asexual, enigmatic, she could live content. If Heero didn't have anyone, it was all right that she didn't have him. She could function.
But here was the proof, undeniable, beautiful, breathless, leaning in for a gentle brushing of lips.
*I don't care. I don't care.* Relena said, unheard. Her fists clenched at her side. *But don't do this. Don't show me. Don't do this in front of me. PLEASE.*
Duo smiled down, draped over Heero almost lazily. "Maa, we have to loose those weird nose tubes. They get in the way."
Heero reached up to remove them, with a slight smirk.
"Stop it." He said firmly.
*Stop it!* She echoed, wishing her eyes would close, that she didn't need to talk to Duo, talk to Heero.
"Heh don't give me that look again, Hee-chan. Just think," Duo grinned mischievously. "When you get better, I can rip that bloody phone out of the wall, turn out the lights, and..."
Relena, having enough, tried to pull Duo off the bed. *SHUT UP!*
Duo instantly gave a full body shiver at the ghostly touch, his eyes wide. "Oi Heero, please tell me that it just got really cold in here."
Heero looked at the braided Preventer measuringly. "Not that I noticed."
"Damn, this is too freaky. I KNOW I don't get sick. Even G said it was physically impossible for me to get so much as the sniffles. He tried out every damn disease he could get a hold of on me."
"Maybe it's something new then?" Heero offered, scowling deeply.
"God I hope not. Can you imagine what the world would be like with BOTH of us laid up?"
"Safer?"
Duo blinked a few times before giving a full laugh. "Maaa Heero. Just when I get to thinking you couldn't be more straight laced if you tried, you go and surprise me with a sense of humor."
/Forget it Relena./ She berated herself. /This is too important. Pettiness later!/
Frustration gnawing at her psyche, she leaned as close as she could, purposefully putting a hand on his shoulder before screaming, *DUO, LISTEN TO ME!*
Duo shuddered again, this time looking a little pale.
"Perhaps you should get checked out, just in case." Heero said, his brow furrowing tightly above his eyes.
Duo nodded slowly. "Yeah, now I'm even hearing things. Not even fun things either. I'll be back in just a bit, ne?" He waited for Heero's terse nod before shakily turning and pushing out of the room and back into the crowded, bustling hallways.
/He heard me!/
*Oh no you don't! Not when I'm just starting to get through. DUO!* Relena put both of her hands on Duo's shoulders, intending to spin him around... the sensation of falling overtook her, and everything went black.
"Cinnamon? Why Dorothy-san you surprise me." Quatre paused, the teacup halfway to his lips to inhale the aroma as much to discern the brand as to check for any unusual scents.
He was confident that Dorothy would never put anything deadly in his tea, especially with Trowa here, but she wasn't above giving him a "gentle" reminder about the nature of their weekly sparring matches.
Dorothy gave him a pleasant smile. "I thought it was appropriate. It's Relena sama's favorite."
Quatre put on a matching smile, his hand touching Trowa's beneath the cover of the table top. He was more uncomfortable than usual. His uuchi no koroko has been twinging at him all day, and for some reason, his normal visit to the Catalonia residence simply made it worse, when normally it would calm him.
The subtle gesture between the two didn't escape Dorothy's sharp eyes. She turned to regard Trowa, while still addressing the blonde, a deliberate slight.
"Now, Quatre-san, you surprise me. You've never brought your ... friend along."
"I thought it was appropriate." Quatre returned, his voice unfailingly sweet. "As we are passing through on our way to see your ... friend." Quatre put the same gentle emphasis, slightly disappointed when the implication failed to visibly ruffle the blonde woman, even though he know the hit scored true.
"A pity isn't it?" Dorothy sighed, taking a demure sip of warm, cinnamon-flavored water. "And at such an inopportune time."
"True, it seemed like those differences would have finally settled."
"Oh, I disagree, Quatre-san." Dorothy smiled over the rim of her teacup. "They are too expansive and too militant I believe. Any peace achieved through paper and ink would have been fragile at best."
"A fragile peace is better than none at all."
"You are a tactician, and a fine one. So tell me. Given the choice between a shield of iron and one of glass, no matter how they were forged, which would you chose to live behind Quatre-san?" Dorothy leaned back slightly, a knowing smile.
"Are you so eager to see blood?" Trowa asked, speaking up at last in the defense of his lover.
"You underestimate me, my dear Barton-san." Dorothy purred over the name. "I am not the warmonger I'm commonly thought to be."
"Oh?" Trowa challenged quietly. Quatre squeezed Trowa's hand below the table as a gentle warning.
Dorothy set her cup aside gently and leaned over the table, whispering as if to reveal some deep secret. "I'm after the same thing you are, Barton-san." Dorothy brought one slender finger up to cross her smiling lips. Her odd blue eyes glittered with amusement. "Shhhh. I try not to let it get out."
Quatre spoke up, attempting to regain his footing in the conversation. "It's our methods that are the fatal difference I'm afraid."
Dorothy nodded, conceding the point. "Another cup of tea?"
Outside the Catalonia residence, Quatre stopped, his face pensive. Trowa watched patiently as his lover composed his thoughts.
"Something doesn't feel right, does it?" Trowa asked gently. The blonde nodded.
"Last night I had a dream. There were three triangles, interlocked, a war within, a war without, and a war with all...."
"You're worried then?"
Again Quatre nodded, leaning into Trowa just slightly as they walked, unconsciously brushing against him for the warmth he provided.
"To the hospital?"
"Agreed."
Maxwell-san!
Relena groggily tried to fish her way to consciousness, following the concerned voice.
Maxwell-san, daijoubu desu ka?
/Maxwell?/
Relena slowly cracked her eyes open, blinking kittenishly up at the worried face of a heavyset male nurse.
"Thank god, Maxwell-san. You had us worried there for a while."
"What happened?" Relena asked. She started slightly in the man's arms. Her voice... and he was calling her Maxwell? Panic and adrenaline surged through her veins, as everything started to make a confused sort of sense.
"You passed out in the halls. The doctors looked you over briefly, but they couldn't find anything wrong. They are going over some blood samples now that we took. They figure it was just stress and exhaustion though. You really should relax, Maxwell-san."
"Aa... um, thanks." Relena shook her head dazedly, too much was happening, too soon. She was Duo? The loudmouthed American... the one who stole her Heero... Heero! She still had to tell him! "Yeah, thanks. Am I allowed to move around?"
The nurse gave her a funny look. "If you feel up to it, I'm sure there's no problems. But stay in the hospital, just in case the blood tests show something. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to go on break."
The orderly puttered around the room for a few minutes, making sure everything was in order before bustling back down the hall. Relena made sure the door was closed and no one was on the other side of the curtain before attempting to stand.
She felt at the same time, lighter and heavier than she was used to. There was no doubt in her mind before that Duo was stronger than the average person; all the gundam pilots had to be, just to survive the most basic maneuvers their mobile suits required. But this?
It was like suddenly being made of steel and balance. On top of that, there was a steady, heady feeling constantly buzzing in the back of her mind, like a slow, persistent adrenaline rush, that shown no signs of fading.
/So that's where he gets his energy. Now, I'm amazed he was so calm. I feel like I could bounce off the ceiling if I just let go a little bit./ Relena bit down the urge to giggle hysterically.
Walking was another matter. Relena looked down doubtfully, the riding pants effectively concealed any .... anatomical differences, but she could FEEL them.
"This... could take some practice. No, no time for this, I'm not going to be here long." In the back of her mind, she could already feel the real Duo beginning a slow stirring, waking up from whatever stun she had delivered upon her entry.
Determined, Relena walked out of the room, ambling something akin to a gunfighter from some overdramatic spaghetti western from ancient times. Sweatdropping mentally, she just hoped everyone would mistake it for Maxwell's usual swagger as she made her way back to Heero's room.
The orderly wandered back into the nurses station, immediately turning to the vidscreen with only a tired wave to the other off duty nurses. "Hey Paul, Hitomi."
"Hey Tom," Hitomi replied almost absently, thumbing through a worn historical romance novel. "How's the rounds?"
Tom grinned slightly. "Famous people popping off like flies to today, got to catch a gundam pilot before he kissed the ground."
Hitomi winked and leered slightly. "You have all the luck. They're all pretty cute ya know."
Tom shrugged. "It would have been more interesting if I swung that way. What's on the tube?"
"A feature about one of our celebrities." Paul mentioned, turning up the volume.
"And in our latest news, Former Queen of the World, Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft was admitted to TriMercy Hospital in the Sanq Kingdom earlier today. According to our sources, she was involved in an automobile accident, reportedly affiliated with the group known only as the Devolutionists.
"The Devolutionists have never been linked with any terrorist activity before, being mainly a political force known widely for it's vehement opposition to Ms. Peacecraft's pacifistic policies. The leader of the Devolutionists, Karla Grey has yet to release a public statement. She has issued her condolences and disappointment at the falling through of the peace talks.
"Relena herself is in stable condition but informants say that she has been unconscious since she was admitted. There was one witness to the accident, but he is, as well, unconscious. His name has not yet been released by the authorities."
"Do we have him too?" Paul asked.
"Yeah, that's Mr. Lubbock next to ..."
"Will you two shut up! I wanna hear this!"
"...ther news, a new youth recreation center has been erected in the city, considered to be the largest and best funded yet. The founding ceremony commenced late yesterday evening. In attendance were such notable names as..."
"Damn! I missed it."
"It wasn't my fault."
"Oh well, they'll probably play it again. You know how those news channels are. Anyway, I'm up for my rounds. See ya guys."
"Yare, yare, back to work I guess."
"You're back. That was fast." Heero propped himself up a little more against the small tower of pillows that had been stacked up on his bed. "What did the doctors say?"
"Exhaustion and stress," Relena replied honestly, still a little unnerved, hearing Duo's voice to her words. She stepped closer to be at Heero's besides. "Heero, this is going to sound really crazy but..."
Heero's eyes widened slightly, almost imperceptible, but so obvious to someone like her who knew Heero's expressions so well.
Worry? It spoke volumes. Concern? Yes, that was there to. Affection? Warmth? Love? Relena paused, her mind violently denying it as the same time she drank it up. She'd dreamed to see that, and now it was for her. Just for her. Heero was looking at HER like that.
"Nevermind," she whispered softly. Dorothy, the Devolution, Duo, the whole crazy chaotic world that she longed to escape for so long fell away, drowning in teenage love and a pair of intense, cobalt blue eyes.
TBC
Nixers
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