Disclaimer: I own nothin'

Pairings/Warnings: 1+2, confused boys in war, minor angst, fluff, snuggles

A/N: I wasn't going to upload my fics from 1x2x1 Week over on tumblr but I decided I might as well as I'm not writing much Gundam Wing anymore as I focus on my Free! multi-parts (link to my AO3 account on my profile for anyone who is interested!)

Something That Remains

It was a strange habit to Heero but he'd noticed throughout the war that Duo created spaces for himself in whatever temporary location they were in. Whether it had been the schools, the brief periods together undercover, or now aboard Peacemillion, Duo always made a space, a niche that was "his". In the school it had been done by posters, by weird objects he seemed to collect that made Heero wrinkle his nose – stuffed animals, action figures – things that were pointless and useless.

Things that Heero didn't get.

Deathscythe was the same. The cockpit of Duo's Gundam having small taped pictures and newsprint, jewellery and some stuffed bear. Heero had poked his head in a few times since they'd been aboard Peacemillion, mainly out of curiosity and he frowned when he saw those things. It seemed childish for someone who killed hundreds of men every day.

Peacemillion was overcrowded – too many support personnel, engineers, fighters all vying for space so finding somewhere quiet and peaceful was an issue. Heero had started spending an inordinate amount of time in his Gundam but that was not comforting, his fingers feeling the controls, itching to take off when he was in that environment, even when he closed his eyes Heero would see stars and mobile dolls, explosions behind his eyelids so he tried to spend his time elsewhere.

Even if that meant being among the hustle and bustle of the mess hall or in the small room that all the Gundam pilots could share. But Heero had wanted to avoid them – all of them wanting to ask questions of him and expecting him to lead. Heero wasn't their leader. He never had been. Neither did he want to be. He needed to discover a "place" – somewhere he could hide and relax, breathe. And he discovered one – to find it had already been taken.

In one of the engine rooms, Duo had created a bunk under some pipes, using a blanket as a makeshift curtain, a small rolled out sleeping bag as a bed and covered the small area around it with mechanical drawings, old worn photographs and even a rosary. There was a small stuffed toy on the pillow, a penguin, threadbare and stained, and Heero picked it up, scrutinising it for a moment.

"I can get you one, you know."

Heero turned to see Duo there, who without any other words, bypassed him and crawled into his space, lying down and putting his hands behind his head.

"I don't…"

"It's okay," Duo said with a shrug, "you found it though. I wondered when someone would find my little escape. Gotta get some quiet around here, right?"

Heero dropped the toy, Duo huffing in annoyance at his treatment of the stuffed penguin and grabbing for it, securing it on the pillow beside him.

"You can join me… I'm just going to nap."

For a second, Heero started, his eyes widening at the idea but then he glanced around the engine room, the roar of the machines in his ears and he looked back to Duo, his body relaxed. And he remembered that they'd done this before – beaten and broken, napped together, and he didn't hesitate any longer, crawling into the small space, using the blanket to black out the world as he found a spot in the small space beside Duo to get comfortable.

The place smelt of Duo and Heero could feel his residual warmth as he lay down beside him, taking in all the things that surrounded them in this small area of Peacemillion that was uniquely Duo's.

"Why do you have… stuff?"

Duo snorted and turned onto his side so he could look at Heero. "Because I've never had anything and I want to hold onto things…little things, you know? Things that say I was here and I touched something."

Heero frowned and he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, on the bare skin not covered by his tank top.

"I just want some space that was mine… something that remains of me, I guess."

Unsure still, Heero nodded, his tongue feeling too big in his mouth and he reached to tentatively touch Duo, feeling his arm as he moved closer, laying his head beside Duo's. Drawing closer, feeling body heat, Heero closed his eyes as an arm wrapped around him, as lips pressed against his forehead.

Around them, the war still raged, Peacemillion still working but in the small space they were away, separate, and if they were found all anyone would see was too teenage boys wrapped around each other, holding each other loosely.

"What will remain of me?" Heero asked softly when he was sure Duo was asleep.

"You can have the penguin," Duo answered sleepily, burying his nose into Heero's hair and there were no more words between them and even if it was only a little stuffed animal, Heero still took it, held it in his fingers, something that could remain if he didn't survive.