Title: Start Me Up -- 12/?
Author: tkmaxwell777
Category: Shonen Ai/Yaoi/Shoujo Ai/Yuri
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5, HxR
Rating: R
Warnings: Angst, Language, and Sap
Archived: Yep! Thanks Lev :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. I don't even own the plot bunny! It's just staying with me for the duration of the story, and will then go back to live with Nebula-Omega :)
Heero smirked as he went to the inside; he was closing in on Zechs. The blond driver had held the lead for a few laps now, but that was about to change. Hilde had been in second place before they had pitted, but Heero had managed to pass the dark-haired girl when getting back on the track, and Wing's speed was helping him to cut fractions of a second off his time with each turn. He'd won Darlington the last time he'd raced here, and he wanted to do it again. He already had a song picked out to sing to Duo at the bar and grill. He could still hear the conversation in his mind that they'd had right before the race.
"You gonna serenade me tonight?" the braided mechanic had teased, violet eyes gleaming.
Heero had snorted, trying to look put out. "Last time wasn't enough?"
Duo had frowned at him. "I want you to sing something to me that you mean."
"I did mean it," Heero had countered, fighting to keep the smirk off of his face.
"Well that's not very comforting to hear," Duo had huffed out. "And besides, that's not what I meant, koi. I want something... nice... sappy even."
"For you ooh-ooh-ooh, there's nothing that I wouldn't do ooh-ooh-ooh," Heero had sung softly, making the other boy's eyes widen before a sheepish expression had found its way onto his face.
"Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that part."
Heero had smiled and then leaned forward, kissing his lover lightly on the lips. "I meant every word, but I'll see what I can do about tonight," he'd promised huskily.
Duo had kissed his nose in response and grinned. "Okay, 'Ro, can't wait. Now get out there before they start without you!"
Quatre's voice coming over the mic brought Heero out of his recollections. "You're coming up on some lap traffic, Heero, keep an eye open."
"Roger that," Heero replied, looking ahead for any sign of difficulty. He passed a couple of cars that let him go by without any problem. He was going inside again to get around another car when he saw two others in front of him rub and then spin out of control. One of the vehicles turned sideways, blocking his lane, and before he could avoid it, he clipped the tail end. Heero felt his right front lift a little and knew that he was going to flip. He braced for impact just as he heard Quatre yell, "Oh no!" before another familiar voice screamed across the mic, "Heero!"
The feel of metal hitting track wasn't pleasant, and all Heero could think was that he couldn't die like this or Duo would never recover. He felt his harness strain against his chest painfully, but it held, and he thanked God for it as his car rolled over more than once before coming to rest on its roof. Upside down, Heero began unbuckling the harness then pulled the safety net down. He could feel heat from the back part of the car and instinctively knew what that meant. Twisting around, he managed to pull himself partially out of the window before pain lanced down his arm and across his chest. Using his legs for leverage, he pushed himself free of the car, rolling onto his knees to attempt to get up. He was in the infield, and his eyes flicked to the track in enough time to see a figure running towards him, long braid whipping behind him.
"Heero! Fire! Get the hell clear!" Duo was screaming as he reached him.
Heero grunted as the other boy grabbed hold of him, the safety crew arriving with fire extinguishers a split second later. Heero let Duo lead him a few paces off before stopping. "I'm all right... I'm all right..."
"The hell, you're all right!" Duo yelled, hands frantically running over Heero in an attempt to discover injuries. "Just stand still. The EMT team is almost here."
"I'm all right, Duo," Heero repeated, looking into scared violet eyes. "I can walk back to the pit area. I hurt my wrist and I have some bruises, but other than that I'm in one piece."
Duo choked back a sob, his hands not stilling. "There could be other injuries. Just stay still." He scanned the track. "Where the hell is the fucking ambulance!"
"Duo," Heero said evenly, turning the boy's attention back to him. "It's okay. My harness held and my helmet protected my head. You have to calm down."
Duo looked back at him, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "I couldn't do a damn thing but watch. I didn't even have time to tell you how much I love you..."
Heero reached out and pulled Duo to him, holding him close until the trembling in the braided mechanic's body began to ease. He felt his ribs protest and wondered if he'd cracked one, but pushed concern for himself aside. "I'm sorry. It just happened too quickly for me to react in time."
"S'okay," Duo mumbled against his neck. "I'm just glad you're alive. Heero... I couldn't have..."
"I know. I know," Heero replied, pulling away as he saw the medics arrive. They watched as two men quickly exited the ambulance. Duo took hold of Heero's hand to pull him towards the vehicle.
"Okay, let's get you checked out, Mr. Yuy," a blond paramedic said as they approached, motioning for Heero to sit down on the bumper.
"Take a look at his wrist," Duo told him quickly.
Heero glared at his lover, but his tone was amused when he spoke. "Duo, I'm not unconscious. I think I can tell him where I hurt."
Duo flushed but didn't back down. "You're holding your ribs, 'Ro. I thought you said your harness held."
"It did," Heero smirked back at him. "It pulled hard enough to make me lose my breath."
"We'll check for bruising then," the blond's brunet partner replied.
It didn't take long for Heero to be diagnosed with a sprained wrist and two bruised ribs. The paramedics made him slide on into the ambulance, telling him that they wanted to take him to the hospital to do some x-rays just to be sure everything else was all right. Duo hopped in beside his lover without any hesitation. Heero lay back on the gurney and was surprised when Duo reached out and took his hand. The brunet medic was sitting on the other side of him, but his lover didn't seem to notice. Heero could see the fear in those violet depths staring back at him.
"It's going to be all right, koi," he said softly, tightening his own grip on the fingers intertwined with his.
"I could have lost you," Duo almost whispered, not caring who heard him at the moment. "I could have lost you today and I just found you."
"Duo, you can't keep people from dying sometimes, no matter what you do," Heero replied gently. "Most of the time, it happens during the most mundane activities, like walking the dog or washing the dishes or even sleeping." He brought Duo's hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles, refusing to let a stranger's presence keep him from comforting Duo. "You can't let fear keep you from dancing in thunderstorms."
Duo gave him a puzzled look. "What?"
Heero smiled slightly. "When I was little, I used to love to go outside when it rained, especially when it was storming. It would drive my mother to distraction, and she would fuss over me every time I came back inside wet and cold, but she never told me that I couldn't do it." The Japanese boy sighed. "She understood that even though it was dangerous, it was something that made me feel free, and there wasn't much in my life at the time that did that. She knew that her little boy needed to laugh at the wind, and yell at the thunder, and whisper to the lightning." Heero looked down at their joined hands. "Racing is like that for me now, Duo. It gives me the same feeling inside that dancing in thunderstorms did then. Out there on the track, I can leave behind all of my insecurities and just focus on being the person I really am inside. Out there, I'm free, and no one else can make me be something I'm not. Out there, it's just me and fate. It's dangerous, but it's something I need."
Duo stared at him for a moment, considering the other boy's words carefully, and then nodded. "I... think I understand," he said softly. He took a deep breath and let it out, seeming to finally settle down.
"Good, because I can't let your fear keep me from being who I am, Duo. As much as I love you, that would destroy me," Heero warned, needing to make his lover understand, needing Duo to get past this.
"I know," Duo breathed before leaning over to kiss him tenderly. When he pulled away, he noticed their audience and blushed until the medic smiled at him, his brown eyes filled with understanding. Duo nodded at him in thanks and for the rest of the ride rested his head on Heero's shoulder.
Quatre ran towards the pit area from his lookout post. He saw Howard on the radio, obviously trying to get the status of their driver. The older man turned to meet him, pulling off his headset and unzipping his jumpsuit quickly.
"They're taking him to the emergency over at Memorial. He seems to be okay, but I'm going on over."
Quatre nodded. He knew how much Heero had come to mean to Howard and he didn't blame the man for wanting to be there for the other boy. "I'll make sure everything is taken care of here. Just go."
Howard nodded, and the blond watched as he hurried away. A few minutes later, he heard Trowa and Wufei getting the car into the garage from the rear and walked back to survey the damage. He gasped.
"Not exactly in good shape, is it?" Trowa remarked when he saw him.
"Howard headed over to the emergency. He'll let us know what's going on," Quatre informed them before taking a closer look at Wing. "Damn. How did he get out of it?"
"Very carefully," Wufei replied, respect in his eyes for the driver who had managed to walk away from an accident that had done this much damage to the car.
The passenger window was completely crushed and all of the body damage was along that side as well. Quatre had to thank God that the impact had been absorbed there and not on the other side where Heero had mostly been. The thoughts of losing his Japanese friend made the blond's heart clench in his chest.
"I just hope Duo is doing all right," Trowa said softly, causing Quatre to pull his gaze away from the twisted hunk of steel. Their eyes met and understanding passed between them. This was not going to be easy for the braided mechanic to get over, and Quatre was suddenly worried for him.
"Maxwell is stronger than even he gives himself credit for," Wufei said calmly. "He'll be okay."
"I hope so," Quatre replied, looking at the other two members of his team. "For Heero's sake."
Heero had been taken straight to the emergency room for x-rays as soon as they had arrived, leaving Duo to sit in the waiting room. There were only a couple other people there at the moment, and Duo was grateful for that. About twenty minutes later, he saw Howard rush in, eyes scanning the room for them. Duo couldn't help but feel comforted by the sight of his uncle and waved to him to get his attention.
"Oji!"
Howard relaxed when he saw Duo; Heero had to be okay for the braided boy to be so calm. The older man could tell that Duo was upset still, but there wasn't the same desperate look he'd had when he'd ran for the wreck. Howard said a little thank-you prayer as he made his way over to his nephew.
"How is he?" he asked as he sat down.
"Sprained wrist and bruised ribs," Duo replied with a sigh. "They're making sure nothing else, but it appears he managed to avoid any serious injury."
"Good," Howard sighed in relief. They shared a look that spoke of the memory they were both reliving.
Duo shook his head. "Howie, I can't keep him from doing what he loves just because I'm afraid he'll get hurt. I remember how it felt to lose that hunger, and I won't do that to him just to ease my own mind."
Howard raised an eyebrow. "Already had that conversation?"
Duo nodded. "Yep, and he's right. I can't expect him to change for me, or he wouldn't be the person I fell in love with. I just have to learn to come to terms with the fear."
Howard blinked. That was the first time Duo had ever admitted to being in love with anyone. He smiled. "Well, I'm glad I don't have to talk some sense into you. Seems like Heero beat me to it."
Duo grinned sheepishly. "Guess 'Ro just understands me and knew what needed to be said."
"Guess so," Howard responded, tugging on Duo's braid before he settled back into his chair to wait.
Relena listened to the announcers as the race continued. Her heart lurched as they replayed Heero's crash and what had happened directly following it.
"Yuy's mechanic seemed to be quite upset," one of them said as they showed Duo running to Heero.
"But not about the car," the other replied with a chuckle. "Look at that embrace!"
"Well, the mechanic is Duo Maxwell, brother of Solo Maxwell, who died at Daytona a couple years ago. I guess he has reason to be upset when it comes to a crash like the one his driver was just involved in."
"Yes, but he climbed into the ambulance like he was family," the second announcer muttered. "Of course with Mr. Winner's announcement a few weeks ago, a closer relationship between Yuy and Maxwell is a definite possibility."
"Right you are," the first one agreed. "Yuy has been rather shy of the media. Perhaps this is why."
Relena turned away, throwing her headset down so she didn't have to hear anymore. She walked away from the screens, running right into Dorothy Catalonia, the owner of Sally and Noin's team.
"Miss Relena! Are you all right?"
Relena looked up into light gray eyes and sighed. "Does the press know about Sal and Lu?" she asked.
Dorothy shook her head. "No. They wanted to keep it private."
Relena bit her lip. "I think Heero and Duo are getting ready to have to face the music."
"Well, Mr. Maxwell certainly didn't show much restraint in his actions today," the platinum blonde replied in all honesty. "Maybe it's time they did. It's not like they're just having a fling."
"I know," Relena admitted, "but they've been so careful..."
Dorothy patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Duo and Heero can take care of themselves. Hell, if this keeps up, you can all make an announcement and shock everyone." Dorothy winked.
Relena blushed. She and Hilde hadn't kept their relationship a secret among their friends, but it still was new to them. She had to smile at the idea though. "True. Quatre was certainly brave enough to do it."
"Yes, Mr. Winner has got a lot of courage," the other girl said with a sigh. "If he wasn't so happy, I'd be jealous of his mechanic."
"Oh, did we have a crush on the young man?" Relena asked, grinning.
Dorothy smirked. "Let's just say I would have loved to have gotten my hands on him and leave it at that."
Relena laughed, feeling her mood lightened considerably. "Thanks, Dorothy. I needed that."
"Not at all, Miss Relena," the blond replied. "Now let's watch the rest of the race, shall we?"
Relena nodded and together they made their way to where they could do just that.
After waiting for a couple of hours, Duo and Howard were relieved when the emergency room doors opened and Heero walked out. His wrist was in a support brace and his chest was obviously wrapped since he was moving more stiffly than usual. The braided boy was up in an instant.
"So?" he asked, sliding his arm carefully around Heero to offer him support.
Heero smiled. "No concussion, no broken bones, no internal bleeding. I'm fine, except for the wrist and the ribs." He tightened his hand around the other boy's shoulder. "Sorry I scared you over nothing."
"It's all right," Duo replied, gripping his waist in response. "Like you said, I can't keep on being afraid of losing you. I just have to make sure you know how much I love you while you're here with me."
"And how much do you love me?" Heero asked, his tone teasing to banish those dark thoughts.
Duo's eyes sparkled. "Enough to let you get out of singing to me tonight since you're injured?"
Heero laughed. "Oh, that much?"
Duo leaned over, resting his head against the other boy's. "Yeah, that much."
Howard cleared his throat, reminding them that they weren't alone. Heero flushed slightly and Duo ducked his head as the older man chuckled. Howard then pulled Heero into a partial embrace. "Glad you're okay, 'Ro. You scared the shit out of me."
"Gomen, Ojisan. I'll try not to do that again," Heero said softly, feeling warmed by the older man's concern. It was nice to have people who cared about him now. Very nice.
Howard let go and gave the Japanese boy a pointed look. "We need to get you back to the hotel to rest."
Duo nodded, looking at his lover. "Yeah, 'Ro. Even though you're not seriously hurt."
Heero sighed. "All right, but I want to go to the bar and grill first. I want everyone to know I'm okay."
Howard gave him a considering look. "Well, you do need to eat..."
"I promise to take it easy," the dark-haired boy bargained.
"And I promise to make sure he keeps his promise," Duo added in a wheedling tone.
Howard shook his head at both of them but smiled. "All right. Let's go then," he conceded as they headed out of the emergency area.
"Wufei!" came a familiar voice and the black-haired mechanic turned away from the wreck of their car to see Zechs stalking towards him. The blond looked too upset to have just won the race, even if he had.
"Is Heero all right? Have you heard anything about his condition? How's Duo holding up?"
Wufei blinked, stunned at the other man's concern. "Howard called after he got to the hospital. Heero has a sprained wrist and a couple of bruised ribs. He and Duo are just fine."
Zechs leaned against the side of the building, his relief evident. "Thank God. I was so worried."
"Apparently not worried enough to lose," Wufei said, wincing at his own biting tone. He hadn't meant to be so cruel, but seeing Zechs care for someone just made his own heart ache. He was trying to give the blond another chance, but sometimes he couldn't help the anger and hurt from coming out.
"Heero has been a good friend to me," Zechs explained, knowing what his former lover was thinking. "I didn't want anything to happen to him, but Heero would have been angry if I'd let his accident interfere with my driving. That didn't mean I didn't care. Racing is my profession, not my life, Fei."
Wufei stiffened at the pet name. "That's not how it used to be," he replied roughly, looking away. His eyes sought out Trowa and Quatre. Hilde and Relena were currently asking them about his teammates, and he could see Noin and Sally walking toward them as well. Why was it so hard to believe that Zechs was just as worried as the rest were? Was he just letting his own hurt blind him?
Zechs stepped closer, placing a hand on Wufei's shoulder, ignoring the flinch his touch evoked. "No, it's not, but I'm trying to change, Wufei. I'm trying to do the right thing now. You gave me that second chance with everyone. Remember? Please don't take it away from me before I can prove myself to you."
Wufei looked up into warm blue eyes and felt his heart soften. "Don't," he whispered. "I can't. Not yet."
Zechs gave him a sad smile. "I know, but I can hope," he said softly before letting him go and turning.
Wufei closed his eyes, unable to watch the other man walk away.
As soon as Heero and Duo walked outside the hospital's main door, cameras flashed. Heero had never been the one to deal with the press; Quatre had always done the interviews after races. Now it seemed he was going to pay for that.
"Mr. Yuy, how are you feeling? That was some wreck to walk away from," a tall dark-haired man said.
Heero glared at him but then forced himself to relax. Bad press would be detrimental to the team's image. "I have a sprained wrist and a couple of bruised ribs," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Anyone could see it was a frightening experience," a raven-haired woman with glasses began. "What were thinking about when it happened?"
Heero remembered his exact thoughts at that moment but opted to revise them a little. "That I didn't want to die like that," he responded, feeling a tension headache coming on. How did Quatre do this?
"It's apparent that you and your mechanic are very close from the way you both reacted," a bearded man stated then went on. "What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Maxwell?"
Heero felt Duo stiffen beside him. They had never even thought about how their actions would look to others, and not only had the fans and media at the track seen them, but everyone watching via satellite and cable as well. He looked over at Duo to see his lover giving him a frightened searching look. They had agreed when they'd begun their relationship to keep it low profile, but since Quatre and Trowa had made theirs officially known just weeks before, would it be so bad for him and Duo to let everyone know they were a couple too? They deserved to be able to express their affection as openly as anyone else. What he was thinking must have shown on his face, because Duo suddenly gave him a beautiful smile before turning to look at the reporters.
"First of all, it's really none of anyone's business," the braided boy said evenly, making the press corps begin to protest for a moment before he raised a hand, grinning. "But since you asked so nicely..." he continued, taking a deep breath and Heero's hand in his own at the same time. "Heero and I are involved in a physically romantic relationship. We're best friends and lovers."
Heero couldn't help but smile at Duo as the other boy spoke. How had he ever gotten so lucky? Duo was everything he could ever want and more. He finally turned to look at the surprised group in front of them, the soft expression for the braided mechanic still on his face. A few cameras went off to capture the moment. "Team mates and soul mates. A partnership on and off the track."
Duo nodded then smirked. "In the garage and in the bedroom."
"Duo!" Heero couldn't keep from exclaiming and several of the group began laughing.
"Now if you'll excuse us," Howard cut in smoothly, "Mr. Yuy needs to rest."
"One last question, please," came the voice of a blonde woman, directing her words to the older man specifically. When she received a nod of agreement from Howard, she proceeded. "Since you're Mr. Maxwell's uncle, how do you feel about their relationship?"
Howard snorted. "I've never seen my nephew happier, and after the losses we've had in our lives, being happy is a rare thing. These two young men are like my own sons, lady, and I love them. Them loving each other just makes it better. Now if you'll excuse us."
Heero and Duo let Howard lead the way out of the crowd. When they got inside the waiting car, both boys sighed in relief. Heero turned to look at Howard and smiled at him warmly. "Thanks, Ojisan."
"Yeah, Oji, you damn near made me cry, old man," Duo added, eyes shining with affection.
Howard shook his head at them. "You two are just sappy. Get a grip," he said gruffly, although his eyes were suspiciously bright.
Duo looked at Heero with a mock frown. "Did you hear that? He said that we were sappy? He just told the world that he loved us!"
Heero nodded, his brows furrowed as if he was considering something important. "Hai, he did." He looked over at the older man who was regarding them with an amused expression. "I think he should handle all press releases from now on. I'm emotionally stilted, so I need a little more sap in my life."
Duo couldn't keep the laugh from escaping him, and soon Heero was chuckling right along with him. Howard just sighed in a long-suffering manner, struggling to keep the smile off his own face, as the sound of mirth from his boys filled the car -- and his heart -- with joy.
End Part 12
(:./tk/start12)
