Author's notes: This is a 1x2, with some 'guest appearances' of 4. Beside that it's a pretty mushy story and inconsistent with the Gundam Wing timeline. Gomen nasai!

I took some liberties with the medical stuff in this story, the treatments administered here would never happen in the real world. But, hey, they can build gundams, sooo...... ^_~

Oh, and this story is YAOI, with some citrusy parts later in the plot, so anyone who is bothered by that should stop reading now (but of course I know you aren't!).

Surprisingly - as my fav character is Heero - there'll be mostly Duo in the beginning, you'll see why! That said - have fun!

Disclaimers: Gundam Wing and all related characters belong to Sotsu Agency, Sunrise and TV Asahi. No copyright infringement is intended, no money made.

Many thanks to Chaos Angel who beta-read the story for me, arigatou gozaimasu!!

C&C craved!

Set Me Free by Ricci

Part One

It was all happening too fast. The sky was exploding; torn by the gunfire which flashed like lightning. One moment Heero had everything under control, his senses on the battle, dancing the lethal waltz of destruction with the attacking mobile suits; the next moment his vision exploded with pain; horrid, immediate pain that set his nerves aflame. He opened his eyes, trying to see in the darkness that surrounded him. Panic flooded his senses for a moment - am I blind?? - before he fought it down to assess the damage

Obviously he was still in the cockpit of his gundam, though it felt cramped somehow. Something smelled funny, and there was a dead weight on his legs. Trying to move his arms, Heero screamed at the white-hot jolt of pain that tore through his body. A squeaking noise registered in his brain, and he felt the structure around him shift. In the nanosecond before something heavy crashed into his torso, when he could feel the air shift, he screamed.

"DUUUUOOOO!!!!"

Duo swallowed heavily as he stared through the glass window in the Intensive Care Unit at the prone form of his friend; lying in a sterile hospital bed, in a sterile hospital gown, surrounded by white sterile walls. A whole arsenal of machines were set up around his bed. Cables and tubes, some vanished under the white sheets covering his chest, while others attached to needles invaded his arms. With the respirator tube down his throat... Heero looked incredibly pale and fragile.

Duo knew without looking that both of Heero's legs were in casts, the appendages bulky under the thin sheets. What shocked him most though, were the cables going inside of Heero's head. He had heard the word 'brain damage' in the hallway and it had shocked him to the core. He couldn't imagine an impaired Heero who wouldn't be anything more than a vegetable.

How could this have happened to the 'perfect soldier'? Once again, Heero Yuy had proven that he indeed possessed the proverbial nine lives of a cat. Only this time, Duo had the suspicion that death would have been a mercy.

One of Heero's doctors headed for Duo; carrying some papers in his hands.

Duo tore his gaze from Heero and looked anxiously at the man in the white coat.

"Konnichi wa. You must be Maxwell-san, I assume?"

Confused, Duo nodded and opened his mouth to ask how he could possibly know.

"Winner-san told me I'd find you here. My name is Kitamura, Yuy-san's doctor."

Duo nodded again in apprehension, gulping nervously as Kitamura looked down at his papers.

"I take it Yuy-san has no family. You are listed as the one to contact in case of emergency." He eyed the nervous young man with the long braid. "Is that correct?"

"Hai." answered Duo in a small voice. Kitamura regarded him again, watching how Duo squirmed under his scrutiny.

"Fine, then. I need to talk to you, in my office preferably. It's just down the hall." Duo nodded his consent and followed the doctor after glancing at Heero one last time.

They sat in Kitamura-sensei's office; the room had PURPLE plush seats, Duo noted to himself, faintly amused and yet at the same time shocked at his amusement. Kitamura cleared his throat.

"I guess you don't know much about brain injuries, so I'd like to give you a short explanation of what we are dealing with." He waited for Duo to nod before he continued. "It is not very difficult to understand. When the brain is injured, it will swell. The swelling is caused by leakage from nearby blood vessels. This wouldn't normally be life-threatening, but because it is encased within the skull, this swelling will cause parts of the brain to compress, which in turn decreases the blood flow and oxygen to parts of the brain.

This causes further swelling. So we have to find a way to maintain the blood flow and oxygen to all parts of the brain in order to minimize the damage. Do you follow me so far?"

"Does that mean you have to operate on his brain?" Duo asked numbly.

"I have yet to see the results of the scans, so I can't tell yet. At the moment we have Yuy-san on very strong medications, which helps to draw fluid back out of the brain and into blood vessels.

However, if this doesn't help, we'll have to remove some of the pressure surgically."

Duo looked so shocked that Kitamura wisely refrained from telling him that they would remove brain tissue that was damaged beyond recovery in order to release the pressure inside Yuy-san's brain.

"And... and how - how long..."

Kitamura sighed. "I don't know. At the moment we have to monitor him around the clock in order to avoid intra-cranial pressure. We inserted IP monitoring devices which measure the pressure within the brain and immediately alert us if it increases, and a ventricular drain to drain off excess fluids." Kitamura paused as he saw that the young man wasn't listening to him anymore, obviously in shock.

"Maxwell-san?" he called softly.

"Please... call me Duo." whispered Duo and stared at his hands. His vision was blurring with tears.

"I know this must be a shock for you, Duo-san, but it may look worse than it is. Many patients we have treated have recovered completely, so we have to wait and see. From what I see from his papers, Yuy-san is strong-willed and determined; plus he was in perfect physical condition. That will be extremely beneficial now."

At Duo's desolate expression Kitamura got up from behind his desk and patted Duo's shoulder reassuringly. "And he needs you now."

A shudder went through Duo's body. When he looked up again, a fierce determination burned in his eyes.

18 months later

Duo fumbled with the keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open as it got stuck again.

"Tadaima!" he called out to the unmoving figure by the window.

In his day-dreams Heero turned his head and scowled at him, his glare softened by the tiny smile playing around his lips as he replied "Okaeri, Duo."

In reality, however, only silence greeted him. Duo heaved a sigh and sat his backpack down at the door to the kitchen, stepping closer to Heero's bed and kicking his heavy shoes off in the process.

The last rays of the evening sun cast a golden honey glow on Heero's serene face. He looked warm and alive; perhaps he was sleeping with pleasant dreams. Duo swallowed.

"I hope you have nice dreams, koi. I hope you're in a warm place where the sun always shines and there are no guns, no blood, and no pain."

He cringed when he realized how corny he sounded. His voice sounded so loud in the room, as he watched the dust motes dance in the dying sunlight.

Heero remained unresponsive, as usual, though his eyes were moving under their lids. Duo cleared his throat and got up; going to the kitchen to put the vegetables he'd bought that day into the fridge. "Man, I had a hard day!" he called out to Heero. "Hazegawa-san was bugging me about those reports again; I told you about this, right? He didn't even listen to one word I said.

Guess it's easy to just blame the newbie." He kicked the door of the fridge shut. "God, sometimes I hate him."

Duo looked around searching the kitchen; the bowl of cereal he left on the counter that morning had to be somewhere.

"But on the other hand, I got to meet Junako again when I had to go to Hazegawa-san's office. I really wonder how she can keep her good mood when she's gotta be around him all day." His search over, Duo spotted his bowl of cereal. "Ah, found it. Eww, the milk is warm. Anyway, she's really nice. She even asked me to go out with her, but..."

Duo made his way to the living room again. He flipped the TV on and turned the volume down, so it merely chattered in the background. Anything to alleviate the heavy silence.

He sat down beside Heero on the soft blanket that covered Heero all the way up to his chest. The mattress creaked once, the only other sounds besides the mindless chatter of the TV and the slurping sounds of Duo wolfing down his cereal.

"Ya know," Duo said around the spoonfuls of cereal in his mouth, "I came really close ta telling her about ya today." He swallowed the food. "Dunno why. Maybe because she's so nice and I kinda feel lonely..." He trailed off as he realized what he'd just said. A frown creased his forehead. " But it's not your fault." he told the silent figure on the bed. The cereal had lost its appeal suddenly, and he just stirred the milk with the spoon and watched the little waves that erupted around it.

With a heavy sigh he rose once more, placing the bowl on the low table beside the bed that was littered with pills and syringes and all kinds of medical supplies. Duo knelt beside the bed and took Heero's limp arm. Raising it and draping it around his shoulders, he closed his eyes and let the warmth of Heero's arm sink in. Duo lowered his head and rested it lightly on Heero's chest, which rose and fell with each slow breath. "Dai suki da," he whispered softly.

The TV droned on and on in the background.

With a sigh Duo rose and pulled down the blanket. He listened to the TV as he methodically bent Heero's legs and arms, providing the minimum level of exertion the muscles needed in order not to degenerate.

When he was finished, he propped Heero up on a pillow that supported his spine and checked the catheter. Heero was flinched, and it appeared as if he was making a sound deep in his throat. Duo had been told that this was normal and was to be expected. However it still unnerved him sometimes, because it only heightened the impression that Heero was just sleeping, that he could simply wake him up. As it was, Heero only reacted to pain stimuli, and it was unclear if that was merely a reflex or a very low level of consciousness.

Later that evening Duo decided to go to bed early for once. After he had finished watching one of the more popular sitcoms and munching on potato chips while chuckling at the jokes, he cleaned up the mess he'd made on the sofa. Upon his satisfaction of cleanliness (as scant an inkling he has on the concept anyway) Duo went to brush his teeth, shedding his clothes on the way to the bathroom. When he emerged again, he was wearing his pajama bottoms and carrying a plastic bowl with water splashing in it.

"Time to get you squeaky clean!" he announced to the still figure of Heero. He sat down the bowl beside the bed and drew back the covers, careful not to disturb the IV line. A few minutes later Heero was naked and Duo set on the task to wash him.

He did it with a clinical detachment, thinking back to a time when he'd been embarrassed to see his friend nude. He smiled at the memory.

"You know, you're getting soft, Heero. I think it'd be a good time to wake up now, before all your famous stomach muscles turn to jelly." Duo said and poked said stomach with a finger. For some reason tears were suddenly stinging his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"Damn,Yuy. Now I'm crying like a lovesick teenager." Duo's voice was a whisper and his hands trembled as he continued to wash Heero.

Duo's task at last completed, Heero's skin was chilled and clammy to the touch. The braided boy hurried to dress his love in a fresh shirt and wrap him in the warm blankets once more. Then he filled a syringe with a clear liquid from one of the many vials on the table and injected it into the IV line.

"You know," he said quietly, "sometimes I feel like just drowning all those pills with a nice burning glass of whiskey and end it all. But..." Duo's hand reached for Heero's cheek and brushed it softly. "...don't worry, I won't leave you alone." He bent down and pressed his lips to Heero's unresponsive ones. "I'll be here for you when you wake up again."

Sighing, Duo discarded the needle and tossed the syringe into a small basin filled with disinfectant.

The light from the street lamps filtered through the drawn curtains, silvery, silent as Duo made his last trip to the bathroom that evening to empty the contents of the catheter bag into the toilet. He kept a small amount of the liquid in a vial that he would drop off at the hospital first thing in the morning. He finally sat down on his own bed, unbound the braid and began brush his hair.

"That's another daydream I have." he told the other boy. "Where you sit behind me with your legs beside me, and run your fingers through my loose hair." Involuntarily his eyes fell on the long slender fingers of the young man in the other bed; willing them to twitch, knowing they wouldn't.

"One day I'll ask you to do it for me." Duo gently put the brush on his nightstand and lay down, bringing the sheets up in one swift movement.

His head rested on one bent arm as he watched Heero silently.

"Oyasumi, koi."

His eyes were liquid pools of moonlight in the darkness.

"Tadaima!"

"Do you always do that?" Duo nudged the door open and motioned for Junako to enter.

"Yah. You never know, maybe he wakes up when I'm not home. But... oh well. Come in!" Junako's eyes fell on the bed near the big window and the figure of a young man lying on it. She hadn't known what to say, when Duo had told her about his... friend; she hadn't believed him at first.

To think the doctors would leave a comatose patient in the hands of a nineteen, no, he must have been barely eighteen years old then. But here he was. "You want something to drink?" Duo's voice tore her from her reverie.

"Not that I have much to offer! Let's see..." Junako followed him into the small kitchen and leaned against the stove. "There's orange juice, milk, tea if you like, but I don't know how old it is, and some beer." He looked at her quizzically. "I don't suppose you want beer..." She grinned and shook her head.

"No. But orange juice sounds just fine," she said. Duo rummaged in the fridge and produced a bottle of juice.

"Ta-DA!! And it's even nicely chilled!" He got two glasses out of a cupboard and poured orange juice into them, handing her one.

"Doesn't it feel strange?" asked Junako after a while, resting the cool glass against her cheek.

"What?"

"Him." she nodded in the direction of Heero's bed. Duo's smile faded and his gaze was absent as he stared into his glass.

"No, it doesn't feel strange. I'm... used to it, I guess. But..."

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to." Duo chuckled softly, though Junako was aware of the trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Oh, but I want to talk about it!" He put his glass aside. "Come on! I'll introduce you!" Junako smiled again at his enthusiasm and let herself be dragged along.

Heero was pretty. No, pretty seemed to be the wrong word. He was beautiful. Dark ruffled bangs spilled onto the pillow, gleaming in the sunlight that streamed in from the window. Long dark lashes rested against smooth cheeks, pale and delicate in their appearance. Heero's hands were at his sides, on the light blue blanket.

"He's beautiful when he sleeps." Duo whispered at her side. Junako shot him a quick glance, not surprised to see him stare adoringly at his lover. Her eyes swept over the low table with its load of medical stuff back to Heero again who was as still as a marble statue.

"So when will he wake up again?" she asked Duo. He sighed and shrugged.

"They... they said..." There was a short pause when Duo lowered his gaze to the floor. "They weren't even sure he will, ever." Junako felt ashamed for asking.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Duo gave a short laugh that sounded very false and raised one hand to rub his neck.

"Don't worry! I know for certain that he'll wake up, even if it's only to shut me up!" Junako had to smile at that.

"I'm sure he will be happy that his lover waited for him." Duo's face fell a bit.

"Ano... we're not lovers... at least not officially. I mean..." She blinked at that.

"But I thought..." There it was again, the bitter chuckle.

"He sort of went out and fell into a coma before I could tell him."

Junako resisted the urge to blurt 'He doesn't even know???' in disbelief.

"You're full of surprises, Duo-san." Her gaze dropped to Heero again, noticing how shiny his hair was and how clean the sheets were. "You're taking good care of him. I imagine that it must be quite hard to take care of another person like that." Duo shrugged and went over to the kitchen.

"No big deal." He came back with their glasses, offering her the couch with a gesture. She sat down and took the glass from him.

"No, really. You have a full-time job. What will you do if he wakes up and you're not there?" Duo extracted the keys from the pocket of his black jeans and threw them to her. She caught them in surprise and looked at them.

"See this metallic tube kinda thing? There are sensors attached to him that monitor his heartbeat and blood pressure. If something's wrong, this thingie starts beeping like crazy and also calls the hospital. It's pretty neat; I got it from Kitamura-sensei, Heero's doc. You can program it to call eight different numbers, but I think the only important one is the hospital." Junako stared in wonder at the small tube. One could mistake it for some sort of laser pointer or something like that.

"But how do they get in when you're not here?" she asked.

"Oh, I gave Kitamura-sensei a key; it was part of the deal when I took Heero in." Junako nodded slowly, tossing the keys back at him.

"I've been wondering about that," she admitted, "How did they allow you to take Heero home with you? I mean, you were just eighteen, weren't you?" Duo smiled ruefully and leaned back in the soft cushions of the couch.

"Yeah. It nearly didn't happen! But for once my big mouth was good for something. You see; the people were still recovering from the constant war, and it wasn't like Heero had a good insurance willing to pay. They didn't wanna keep him in the hospital, because they couldn't do anymore for him. He would have just been transmitted to a long term facility." He paused and drank some more juice. "And those facilities are expensive as hell!" Junako nodded again understandingly, and for a short moment Duo contemplated telling her about Relena, how close he had been to begging Relena for money, but then he decided against it.

"Anyway, they didn't know what to do with him, so I suggested I take care of him." When he didn't continue, Junako prompted

"And they just let you take him like that?" Duo shook his head, staring at the blank TV screen.

"Oh no! No way. They put up quite a fight, you know, all this crap about close family and blah blah blah. But Heero has no one-" Junako heard the 'except for me' hanging in the air

" So there wasn't much they could do. I was willing to take care of him and I was the legal age, - barely, but who cares - Plus they knew me from all the time I spent there with him. Kitamura-sensei had a long talk with me, 'bout all the risks and psychological stuff, then the nurses showed me what to do... Then I had to get a job and an apartment that matched their requirements; and here we are." Duo inhaled deeply and turned his violet eyes on her. Junako felt the butterflies stir in her stomach.

"Why don't you tell me something about your life? We're talking about me all the time," said Duo, attempting to change the subject. She grinned.

"Not much to tell. My brother got me the job at Hajousei. He worked there for a year. Since then I've been enduring Hazegawa-san." Junako earned a sympathetic smile for that. "What else? I have a cat and an old piano and four big boxes of stuff I can't bring myself to throw away. Like I said," She sipped on her juice. "Not much to tell." There were many questions on her mind about Heero, about his condition, and also about Duo himself.

She sensed that he had constructed a cheerful mask that was firmly in place for the rest of the world. Only this time she had seen the tiny cracks in it.

However, she said nothing.

The silence was heavy and oppressive. Her gaze stole to the body on the bed again, and suddenly she was anxious to get out of there, away from it:

Duo seemed to feel her uneasiness. He stretched, a few joints popping.

"Say, I've been wondering, would you like to go to the movies with me?

They're having reruns of some old movies this weekend." Junako nodded her consent eagerly, relieved to have a chance to escape the strange atmosphere.

"Sure! If it isn't too much of an inconvenience for you..." Duo made a dismissive gesture.

"Nonsense! It's weekend! I have all the time in the world, ne?" He winked at her with those incredibly beautiful violet eyes and she felt her uneasiness melting, vanishing.

They left the glasses on the table, grabbing their coats on the way to the door. It shut with a resounding click behind them.

Silence fell on the small apartment again.

After fumbling for a while Duo finally managed to open the door and stumbled in, not bothering to turn on the lights. He staggered to the bed and collapsed in front of it.

"Can you believe it?" His words were slurred. "She tried ta kiss m'. I fuckin' told her 'm gay an' she tries ta kiss me!" He clutched Heero's arm with both hands. "Wake up. Ya hear me? Wake up!"

Heero didn't respond and the seconds ticked away.

"Why... Heero..." Duo's sight blurred with hot tears, some of them coursing slowly down his cheeks to fall on the pale blue bed sheets. "I love you." he managed without slurring the words together and cried even harder. That night he crept under the covers and pressed himself against Heero's warm body.

"So how are you doing, Duo-san?" asked Doctor Kitamura when he saw the young man picking up the amount of weekly supplies for his patient. Duo was joking with the head nurse as she gathered them for him.

"Kitamura-sensei! We're fine, thank you." Duo grinned at him broadly, flashing a V-sign at the nurse who giggled. Kitamura smiled when he noticed the 'we'. He was very fond of Duo who had taken on such a heavy burden and carried it without complaining once.

Of course that was the problem, since he suspected that Duo's cheerfulness hid underlying pain. He knew that Duo was keeping it all down, trying to ignore it so it would go away. The doctor also knew that this would break the young man in front of him if he didn't find a way to relieve him of at least some of the stress.

"Would you come to my office with me, Duo-san? I'd like to talk with you, if you have time." Duo nodded and followed him, tossing some dirty joke over his shoulder as he went which sent the head nurse into giggles again.

"What is it you want to talk to me about, Kitamura-sensei?" Duo asked once they were inside Kitamura's office.

"Sit." Duo obliged and sank down in one of the ridiculous purple plush seats. "You're taking good care of Heero-san." Duo smiled softly.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Duo nodded.

"Maybe some outside stimulation helps," said the doctor, "You never know, and..." Duo looked up at the strange tone of voice. He knew that Kitamura was up to something, probably some 'psychological stuff' again. He was right. "Are you alright, Duo-san? No problems sleeping or eating?" Duo sighed mentally. Of course.

"Yeah, I'm fine, sensei, no need to worry." Kitamura eyed him.

"You know you can talk to me about everything. I'm a good listener." The young man didn't meet his eyes.

"There's... there's this girl..." Oh, Kitamura thought, female trouble. Duo seemed to debate whether to talk or leave. "She works at Hajousei, too, and she's nice..."

When Duo didn't continue for some time, Kitamura gently said "Go on." Duo sighed deeply.

"I invited her to come over last weekend. I mean, I had already told her about Heero 'n... Heero and me. But she still was kinda edgy all the time. And then... we went to the movies and to a bar after that and she..." He blushed suddenly. "She kissed me." he said quietly.

Kitamura raised his eyebrows. "And now I don't know how to talk to her. I don't see her every day, only if I'm called up to Hazegawa-san's office. But still..." Kitamura waited, but Duo seemed to be finished.

"You like her?" Duo nodded once, a tiny nod.

"Yeah. That's... kind of...the problem." He looked up at Kitamura, and there was unveiled despair in his eyes. "I can trust you, Kitamura-sensei, right? I mean..." Sympathy rose in Kitamura at Duo's forlorn look.

"Yes, Duo-san."

Duo leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, bowing his head and staring at the ground.

"I-I love Heero." When he didn't hear a gasp of surprise he dared to look up again, meeting Kitamura's eyes.

"I know." answered Kitamura calmly. "It is obvious from the way you treat him. There's nothing wrong with that." Duo let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Really?" he sounded dubious.

"What did you think I would do?" asked Kitamura. "Take him away from you?"

Again that tiny nod. Kitamura smiled. "Duo-san, I think what you are doing is very honourable. I don't know anyone your age who would be willing to take over a responsibility like that, and if your love for Heero-san only serves to deepen your devotion I can't see anything wrong with it." Duo blushed furiously.

"But you know... I told Junako, the girl, about my orientation and still..."

"Duo-san, you're a good-looking young man. It's no wonder a woman feels drawn to you."

Duo scowled. "But she kissed me! How can she kiss a guy who's gay?" His cheeks reddened further at the blunt way in which he said it.

"Perhaps she was confused," offered Kitamura. Sighing Duo leaned back again.

"I finally thought that there was someone I could talk with." He shot a glance at Kitamura and hastily continued, "I mean, someone my age, someone to hang around with." He exhaled sharply again and tousled his chestnut bangs with a hand. "I guess I have to think this over for a little while." Kitamura sensed the walls coming up again, and he was right. A ghost of Duo's enigmatic smile flickered over his features as he got up.

"Gomen nasai for monopolizing your time like that, Kitamura-sensei."

"You bet!"

When he got home, his answering machine was blinking, signaling that someone had left a message. Duo unpacked all the supplies and listened to the message.

"Moshi moshi, Duo-kun! It's Quatre. I'll be in town next weekend, that is the 23^rd, and thought I'd drop by if you don't mind. Give me a call, you can reach me at the company. Ja ne!" Duo, smiling with surprise, paused his unpacking, and turned to Heero.

"Oi, did you hear that?? Quatre is coming! Man, it's been forever since I saw him... ne, Heero?" His thoughts went back, remembering happier times, but he shook himself mentally. "I'm thinking about the old times waaaay too much." Duo sat down on the bed and checked Heero for any small sign of consciousness, but as he had already guessed, Heero slept as peacefully as he had when Duo had left. "You know, I really wonder where you are right now, koi. I mean, can you hear me? If you can... Or maybe it's like having a real long dream, a nice one hopefully." Duo sighed and took Heero's hand between his. "You're so warm, so alive. It's like I just have to shake you and you'll wake up. Glaring at me with those blue eyes of yours. I miss them you know."

Depression lurked in a corner, ready to cloud his mind once more, and Duo cursed loudly. "Shimatta!! I won't let it... Heero, we're going out for a walk."

When he went to the closet to get some clothes for his friend, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

"And don't you think it won't be in spandex shorts!"

With some effort he got Heero dressed, disconnecting the IV line but leaving the hollow needle inside of Heero's hand. After all, he'd have to get him on the IV again later.

The wheelchair was under the bed, gathering dust, where it had been stored during the winter and early spring. Duo crinkled his nose in disgust at all the dust that was whirling around in the room now.

"When you wake up Yuy, I'll be the perfect housewife." He hoisted the other boy up and toted him in his arms. Once more he was shocked at how light he was, Duo lowered him into the waiting wheelchair. Another blanket from the closet, this one a heavy quilt, went around Heero's waist and legs.

"Done. I think that'll be warm enough." Duo knelt in front of the wheelchair and lifted slender fingers to touch the other boy's face. There was no difference in his serene expression.

Duo set on the task to adjust the backrest, so that Heero's head wouldn't roll from one side to the other. He scrutinized his work from a distance and, satisfied with the results, pulled on his coat.

The elevator took them the short trip to the first floor, then they were finally outside. Duo inhaled the fresh air deeply. It tasted faintly like rain and he looked up at the sky to make sure there were no clouds. It was in the middle of April after all where the weather was as unpredictable as a capricious cat.

But the skies were a clear greyish blue, not a trace of any dark clouds bearing rain. "It's beautiful, ne, Heero?"

He pushed the wheelchair gently and headed to the park nearby. There were close to no people there, only a few joggers and some people taking their dogs for a walk. It was early afternoon; surely most people were either working again after their lunch break or at home, having lunch. A soft breeze came up and ruffled Heero's dark bangs.

"About time we cut your hair, man." said Duo, realizing how long those bangs were. "Or maybe we should let it grow? Hey, wouldn't it be fun if you woke up and had a braid just like me? Kawaii!" He grinned as he imagined Heero's shocked face.

"But I'm afraid that's out of the question. No offense, but long hair is a bitch to maintain and just takes more time." A bitter smile crept on his face. "Mmh, maybe I should take my own advice. No can do that! Or you won't recognize me at all!"

Duo wrinkled his nose. Yeah, if -no, WHEN Heero woke up again there'd be a lot of surprises. Besides all the political stuff going on. Duo was quite tall now, having filled out nicely, with broad shoulders and lean long legs. He'd kept his braid at hip length, one time when he had been really depressed, he had considered dying it black, but thankfully he hadn't acted on that idea. His voice had deepened to a light baritone. He wondered what Heero's voice would sound like. Surely it had changed, too, hadn't it? Along with the rest of Heero's body. He didn't know for sure of course, but he guessed Heero would be about the same size as he was, though he was even more slender than he used to be as a teenaged boy.

That of course would vanish with physical therapy and a proper diet.

"I bet Relena would love ta be the one taking care of you." Duo murmured as he stroked some stubborn bangs out of his eyes. On impulse he bent down and hugged Heero, the wheelchair's backrest between them.

"But I won't let her, koi." He noticed the strange looks passersby gave him and straightened again. "I won't let her."

One week later

"Quatre!!" Quatre smiled as Duo embraced him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

"Oi, Duo, let up, I can't breathe!" he laughed and entered Duo's apartment.

Immediately his eyes fell on Heero, but he turned to Duo instead.

"I'm sorry that I can't stay the whole weekend, it's not like I didn't want to, but..."

Duo waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, that's okay, I'm happy you came at all. So how's it going with Trowa?" Duo grinned cheekily at Quatre's blush.

'Trust him to know how to embarass me!' Quatre thought silently.

"We're fine, really. Trowa is working quite a lot with the security team of the company, so we meet quite often at work. And after the company hit the stock market, I've been wading through paper work, so there's not much free time. But I like it."

Duo smiled as they sat down on the sofa. "That's good to hear."

"What about you? I heard you work for Hajousei now," asked Quatre.

"Yeah, though it's really boring sometimes. Except for Hazegawa-san, head of department, mind you, everyone is really nice, though." Quatre nodded slowly.

"And how's Heero?" There, he had gotten it out, the dreaded question.

Duo shrugged and gazed over at the prone form.

"He's okay. His vitals are where they're supposed to be and Kitamura-sensei says he's dreaming sometimes. You can see his eyes moving. I've been taking him out for walks the last couple of weeks, maybe that helped." Quatre saw through the nonchalant way that had been said.

"And what about you, Duo? How are you holding up?" Anger shimmered in Duo's eyes as he regarded Quatre.

"Why's everyone treading around me on velvet paws? I'm okay! Why shouldn't I?" His voice broke on the last word though, and to his horror he felt the familiar sting of tears.

"Oh Duo." said Quatre quietly and was suddenly right next to him, taking Duo into his arms. Duo wanted to struggle. He tried desperately to cling to the cheerfulness, but it fled through his fingers, as a hard sob wracked his body. Quatre's arms were strong and steady, and they provided a warmth Duo had been hungering for. "It's okay to cry, Duo," whispered Quatre softly right beside his ear and his embrace tightened. Duo closed his eyes and let it all go, all the anger and despair and disappointment.

His voice broke again and again as he cried those questions asking why.

Why Heero didn't wake up? Why he loved him so much? Why at all? Quatre said nothing, only rocked him gently like you would a frightened child.

Finally Duo's sobs died down to sniffles and he withdrew slowly, his eyes downcast.

"Gomen nasai, Quatre."

"Iie," said Quatre firmly. "Don't feel ashamed. I suspected you'd be bottling it all down like that and... it's not healthy. Besides, I'm your friend. I can't concentrate on my work if I keep worrying about you, ne?

So next time just call me if you need someone." Duo couldn't express the gratitude he felt at those words, the relief filling him. He reached for a tissue and blew his nose before answering.

"Thank you, Quatre. I guess I just didn't wanna be a bother. But I-I needed that." He paused, before grinning weakly. "Ch', just look at me, crying like a damsel in distress when you're finally here! Shall we go out and grab something to eat? There's a nice Italian restaurant at the end of the street." Quatre pointed at Heero with his chin.

"Is that alright with him?" Duo snorted.

"It's not like he will protest, right? No, don't worry, as long as I carry my beeper with me and we don't end up too far from here it's okay. And I think I need to get outta here for a while." Quatre nodded and went over to the bed while Duo vanished in the bathroom.

"You don't know how lucky you are, Heero. Better hurry and come back from wherever you are, before Duo breaks. He loves you, you know?"

He pressed Heero's hand shortly and bid his good-bye to his still friend.

"I met with Relena-san last month." said Quatre when they were seated at a table in the 'nice Italian restaurant'. Duo's eyes widened.

"You did? When? How?" Quatre shrugged and swirled the red wine in his glass with a movement of his hand.

"Yes, I saw her. There was a formal reception at the estate of one of our customers, and I was invited. She was obviously a friend of his family. And she--" Quatre looked at Duo and smiled. "--She announced her engagement to a certain Raya Torsequan." Duo's eyes were wide like saucers, and he looked so shocked that Quatre was afraid he might fall off of the chair.

"Engaged?" squeaked Duo.

"Yes." repeated Quatre, frowning a little. "You DO know who Torsequan-san is, ne Duo?" Duo managed to look shocked and embarrassed at the same time.

"Uhh... you see, I avoided watching news somehow..." Quatre shook his head wonderingly.

"He belongs to a noble family who lived in the Sanq Kingdom, they kept hidden during the war. In the last year he got popular for being totally devoted to the principle of absolute non-violence and he won the Nobel Peace prize for literature for his work 'Transcending Nature'. His face was everywhere!" Duo raised his eyebrows.

"So Relena found herself a little pacifist, and from the Sanq Kingdom to top it off. Wow. Does that mean..." He trailed off meaningfully.

"I think she has overcome her infatuation with Heero-san," agreed Quatre.

Duo stared into his wineglass.

"I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy or not." Quatre frowned.

"Why is that?"

"Remember when I told you about that rehabilitation center who was willing to take Heero?"

"Yes." Quatre remembered only too well. "You didn't want to accept any money from me." Duo gulped.

"That's right, because you were about to found that little company of yours, and you needed the capital." He shot Quatre a meaningful glance. "I was real close to asking Relena for money then." Quatre just stared at him.

"Relena?? But-but--"

"--Why accept her money and not yours? Well, first of all she HAS everything she could possibly need and more. And second, I figured it would fit into her plans quite well, if she could demonstrate her nobility and all by supporting one of the Gundam pilots. Of course she would've done it because of her li'l ol' 'infatuation' as you call it, so I'm absolutely sure she would've done it."

"And why didn't you ask her in the end?" They both leaned back when the waiter appeared and set down the plates with their orders in front of them.

Duo reached for his napkin and unfolded it.

"Because she would have taken him away from me, I guess." Quatre never ceased to be amazed at the depth of Duo's feelings for his fellow pilot.

It had been quite a surprise for all of them when Duo had demanded he be the one to take care of Heero. And to see all that he had sacrificed just to be with Heero, who probably would never wake...

"Have you seen Wufei lately?" asked Duo, interrupting Quatre's thoughts.

The blonde shook his head.

"No. The last time I saw him was last year. I hope he is fine, because he looked awful back then. I tried to keep in touch but he just vanished again."

"He can take care of himself. Always could." answered Duo and dove into his spaghetti again.

"Let's hope so." Quatre smiled again, though his smile was tinged with worry. They finished their meal talking about times long past, laughing or sharing companionable silence. Before they knew it, it was near midnight; Quatre excused himself.

"I have to go now, Duo. We have to do this more often, I feel wonderfully relaxed."

"Aw, and I was sure only Trowa got that reaction!!" Duo laughed heartily at Quatre's embarrassment. "S-sumimasen! I couldn't resist! Anyway you're right, this evening was fun. Glad you could come!"

They hugged.

"Take care of yourself, Duo." whispered Quatre into Duo's ear before he let go again. Duo nodded solemnly.

"I will. Thank you, Quatre." Quatre waved as he hailed a cab that would take him to his hotel. He would board a shuttle to L2 the next morning to go to some convention. Duo turned and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, heading home to his apartment and Heero.

For some reason Duo didn't feel like sleeping, so he settled on taking a long soak in the tub instead. He lit two candles in the bathroom that cast a calming, golden glow over the white porcelain. The two dark green ferns Duo liked to keep in the bathroom looked like mysterious living beings in the flickering candlelight. Duo had gone totally slack in the hot water, his hair like a shampoo covered turban on his head, resting against the tub.

One of his favorite fantasies replayed in his head, where Heero was with him in the hot water, in a large tub of course, and sitting between Duo's legs.

Duo sighed softly and imagined Heero's seductive glare when he would hold Duo's hips in the steely grip of his hands and raise them out of the water, like a worshipper offering a sacrifice to his good. Duo's length would be hot and erect and directly in front of Heero's mouth.

Duo sighed again and shifted in the tub, sinking deeper into the water as his fingers curled around his erection, pumping slowly up and down.

Heero's lips would close around the tip of his member, his tongue swirling over the little slit on top of it, teasing it. Then his fingers would dig into Duo's hips, the water splashing as Heero would move his head up and down, exerting just the right amount of pressure, and then...

'Oh yesssss...'

Duo's back arched, his mouth opened in a silent cry, as he came violently, his seed drifting like a cloud in the water. His hand continued to pump, as he eased himself back down from the heights of the orgasm. When he opened his eyes and saw the mess he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

'Eww.'

Duo let the water out and took a quick shower; rinsing the shampoo out of his hair and applying conditioner, which got rinsed out some minutes later as well. Still naked he went into the living room again; he'd left his pajama on his bed that morning. After checking on Heero and giving him his nightly thrombosis shot, Duo curled up beside him.

"I had a lot of fun with Quatre tonight." Duo said while his hand played with a lock of Heero's hair. "I'm sorry we left you alone... and I'm also sorry you had to hear me bawl my eyes out like that. I wish you could have come with us. Maybe next time..." He stroked Heero's warm cheek. "I love you, baka. Come back to me."

End Part 1

(:./ricci/free1)