Hanging On

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. Leave me be.

Duo stumbled into the safehouse in early morning, blood leaking from a gash starting above his left eye and ending on his right cheek. Streaks of red ran down his face like some grotesque tattoo. The bags under his eyes were dark and long, making him appear almost ghost-like in the pre-dawn gloom. Closing the door as quietly as he could, he tripped his way into the next room, not having the energy to make it up the stairs into his room. He settled for collapsing in a bloody, disheveled heap on the floor by the couch, falling into merciful blackness almost before he hit the floor.

Duo's POV

I awoke to a huge amount of pain in my head. Opening my eyes, I glanced around for a moment before squeezing them shut against the onslaught of light. It was then I noticed the series of bandages that followed a facial wound and ended gently encasing a large bump that must have been bleeding profusely, judging by how wet the bandages felt.

And then I realized I was lying in my bed. Ignoring this seemingly odd circumstance, I rolled onto my side, wincing at the violent pain that shot along every nerve on that side of my body. Quickly, I rolled back over onto my back, keeping my head tilted off of the bump as best I could. Trying to recall what happened to me, I realized something.

I couldn't remember what happened to me. This was my bed, I was sure of it. I knew it, somehow. And then I heard footsteps, and the door opened to reveal a gentle-looking blonde boy with clear blue eyes. "Oh, Duo, you're finally awake!" he said, coming over and sitting next to me on the bed. "You've been asleep for nearly two days now, we were starting to worry!"

"We?" I asked. "Who are you talking about? And who are you? What are you doing in my room, and why are you calling me Duo? Is that my name?"

The boy stared in wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock. Once he regained his senses, he seemed a little flustered. "Now, listen, Duo, none of your jokes now. You got seriously injured on your mission and need to rest."

"Listen, um, sir, I have no clue what you're talking about," I said, starting to get a little frustrated. "Now would you mind telling me who you are and what the hell is going on?"

It was then that three more boys, about the same age as the blonde-somewhere around 16-came into the room and circled the bed. I was starting to get more than a little peeved by now, since the blonde still hadn't answered my question yet.

"Who the hell are you people?" I growled, temper plainly in view, but not caring. I wanted an answer, dammit!

The tallest of the four with spiky brown hair that pointed over half of his face looked at me oddly with his one visible eye. "Duo…are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The blonde stood next to him, his crystal eyes wide. "I think he's lost his memory, Trowa."

The Japanese-looking one looked me up and down, staring at the bandages on my head. "He has suffered serious brain trauma." He was beautiful with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

"He's just weak," muttered the Chinese kid next to him. For some reason, he annoyed me. His ebony hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and his dark eyes seemed very strict.

"Wufei, you shouldn't say things like that!" the blonde said, scolding him. "You know that Duo couldn't have done anything about it!"

They were really starting to annoy me, talking over my head like that.

"Quatre, are you sure he's lost his memory?" the Japanese asked.

"Um, people…" I started.

"I'm almost positive, Heero! With a lump that size on the back of his head and all the damage to it…" the blonde trailed off.

"Then what do we do? Any ideas?" asked one-eye.

"Hello?!" I tried again.

The one called Heero shrugged. "We're supposed to dispose of anyone who's a liability."

I couldn't take much more of these people talking about me like I wasn't here! "Could you please just-"

Quatre gasped. "No, Heero! I won't let you kill him!" Kill me? What was I missing out on, here?!

"Well, someone's got to think of something," 'Wufei' said noncommittally. "While I admit it might be fun to leave him weak like he is now-"

"No," Heero cut in sternly. "He'd endanger our missions."

I decided to try one last time. "What mis-"

"Then someone's got to take care of him and teach him everything again," Quatre said decisively.

"And quickly," added Trowa.

This cinched it. "Would you mind too terribly if I asked you to stop talking over my head and tell me what the hell is going on?!"

All four of them stared at me dumbly. Then Quatre seemed to regain his senses and smiled, half apologetic, half pitying. "Sorry. Let's start out slow, then. Do you remember us, Duo?" he asked.

"Is that my name? Duo…" I whispered, trying it out to feel the flow of the word.

"Yes, it is. If you can't remember your name, though, I doubt you'll remember me," he sighed. "I am Quatre Raberba Winner. Pleased to meet you." He held out his hand with a smile that reminded me something of an angel's face.

I shook it carefully with my hand, wincing at the blood stained bandages wrapped around it.

Quatre looked expectantly at the others, and finally Trowa nodded slightly to me. "Trowa Barton," he said simply. They both stared at the other two.

The Japanese boy stared at me. It was then I realized just how beautiful he was. Deep, chocolate brown hair framed his pale face and Prussian blue eyes peered out from beneath his bangs with a curiously dangerous glint to them. "Heero Yuy." It took me a minute to notice that that was his name, and that I was staring. I looked away, a blush hinting at my cheeks. I could just barely feel the heat from it.

"Wufei Chang," the Chinese one muttered.

I merely blinked for a moment before smiling weakly. My face hurt too badly to do much more. "Nice to meet you all."

Quatre smiled back. He was going to be a good friend to me, I could tell. He was a kind boy, and had a distinct motherly quality. "Well, Duo, I'll let you sleep, since you look really exhausted. Come on, guys-"

"Could-Could one of you get me something to eat? I'm really hungry…" I asked hesitantly. After what Quatre said was almost two days of sleep without food, I was feeling ravenous.

For a minute, they just stared, and Quatre smiled, ushering them all out. "Of course, Duo. I'll send Heero up with some soup for you."

"Thanks."

I waited for what I guessed to be about ten minutes. The room I was in smelled like cleaning products. It was obvious they had sterilized the room before I was put in it. Probably so none of my wounds stood a chance of infection. It didn't matter, really; I didn't care. I just wanted my memory back. I felt helpless alone in that room. It was quiet, and nearing dark, because I could see the sun going down in the window across the room from my bed.

I tried rolling over again, but decided against moving more than necessary when pain shot through my body like a wave. I sighed as the door opened, allowing Heero to come in with a tray of steaming food and what looked to be a glass of water. He pulled a chair over and sat next to the bed, setting up the food on a TV tray he had brought up with him. I sniffed slightly, trying to smell what it was he'd brought for me to eat.

He must have known what I was doing, because he said, "Its just some chicken broth and water. I don't think you can take solid foods yet."

Damn, but his voice was just too sexy for words. It's deep, and persuading, and liquid-y, and I loved it. Heero just shouldn't be allowed to exist, I thought, it's unfair to the rest of the human race. He seems like the type that's too cold and quiet and calculating and sexy and-and-and…

And I'm rambling. In my own head, no less. It was then that I realized that I had known Heero for approximately 15 minutes, and I already had a crush on him. Did I move that fast before I lost my memory?! I should hope not.

"Duo?"

I shook my head, and winced. That hurt. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah, Heero, except for the huge lump on the back of my head, the gigantamous cut across my face, what feels like a few broken ribs, little holes in my body that I'm guessing are bullet wounds, and unbelievable pain whenever I so much as twitch a finger, yeah, I'd say I'm okay," I said, maybe a little too sharply because Heero drew back slightly. I didn't mean for it to come out sounding like that, I was just annoyed and in pain and frustrated and lonely. I didn't like to feel any of those, let alone all of them at once.

"Look, I didn't mean to anger you, so don't snap at me," he said, his voice low and almost a growl. I immediately felt worse.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out quite so angry."

He made a sound halfway between a grunt and an acknowledgement, something that sounded like 'hn' as he sat down and looked at me. "Can you sit up?"

I tried, winced, and fell back as gently as I could manage. It still hurt like hell, though. "No," I said with a frustrated sigh.

Then Heero did something I didn't expect. He stood up, and bent over me, pulling me up into a sitting position without hurting me. "There. Try eating."

I moved my arm over to the tray just off to my right with a conscious effort, and gripped the spoon full of hot broth. My hands were shaking horribly, and by the time I got the spoon to my mouth, there was only a few drops left in it and more on my comforter. I sighed, and gently put the spoon back in the bowl. "So much for that…"

Heero just took the spoon and dipped it in the broth, moving it over to my mouth slowly, waiting for me to let him feed me. I kept my mouth closed tightly, not allowing him to do anything of the sort. It was childish of me, I know, but it was embarrassing to be fed by him. He put the spoon back in the bowel, and glared. "Duo…"

I simply turned my head away from him, still childish, and folded my arms despite the pain that coursed through my body.

"Duo, stop it," he growled, and I could tell he was mad. Or maybe frustrated. It didn't matter; I was not going to let him feed me!

"Duo if you don't turn back and face me right now, I'll force you to."

I really didn't want that, because it sounded like he would do it with no concern for my health, and so I turned to face him, my lips still tightly pressed together.

Once again, he held the spoon to my lips, and waited. "Duo, don't make me force feed you. I will. And you won't like it."

I stuck out my tongue. "You sound like my mothe-"

Before I could finish, Heero had stuck the spoon into my mouth. I swallowed the broth quickly after he pulled the utensil back between my lips.

I glared at him. He glared back. Sighing, I let him feed me.

Once he was done, he took the tray, the bowl and now empty glass and left. I was alone again. Though maybe that was for the best. I didn't want anyone to see the tears that ran down my face from pain, injured pride, and a sense of feeling helplessly lonely in the world.

I fell asleep soon after.

Well? What do you think? Like it? I hope so. If you like it, review! Even if you didn't like it, review anyway, and tell me why you think it sucked horribly. And yes, I know that Heero is slightly AU. I've never written him with so much dialogue that wasn't broken by huge moments of silence. It's fun.

KuroTsubasaNoTenshi