Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

by the Quiet Minstrel

He had never meant to hurt Duo, had never meant to ruin his only chance at a life of his own.

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

The Quiet Minstrel

Disclaimer: I do not own the song, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood; it is a product of Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus. Nor, do I own Gundam Wing. Also, I've read slightly different versions of the song lyrics; this one was the most pervasive on the internet and sung by The Animals. So, I apologize if some of the lyrics are not as you might remember them yourself. But, please; read, enjoy, review and repeat as desired.

(O)(O)(O)

Baby, do you understand me now

Heero had been in perfectly polished, steel cells before where the sound of your own breathing could be torture enough. He had been chained to moldy, rusty walls. On occasion, he had even been brought before a leader in his office. Yet no place in which he had ever been interrogated had attempted to look so soothing and comfortable. Psychology. The study of the mind. In his opinion, it lacked too much science to be exempt from philosophy. Looking at the woman who sat across from him he tried to narrow down what approach she lived by: Jung? Rogers? Something along those lines. Truthfully, if the ex-pilots had any hope of appearing normal they were going to need a Freudian psychologist present so they could just blame their problems on their mothers and be excused. Most psychologists at present would agree that biology and sociology play a role in the development of an individual. Genetics and environment. Even with such a forgiving compromise, the young men looked fucked up beyond repair. There was no way to win.

"I know what you must be thinking right now, Heero," the woman began. "But, this is not a test. There is no right answer."

"Of course there is. Without assurance that I'm not going to snap and massacre innocent people there is no way I will get my citizenship. Which is why I'm confused, doctor, since I've already 'snapped' on record and I've killed innocent people."

"And, do you feel regret, remorse…?"

"Unfortunately, I have and I do. The problem with those emotions is that they get in the way when it comes time to kill in order to survive. One cannot hesitate when staring down a barrel, so to speak."

"Heero, what you did while under orders is not something I am required to ask in order to sign off on your citizenship approval form. We need to speak about your nature when you were off the clock. It has been made clear to me that you are in a relationship with Duo Maxwell."

"That's what you want to talk about? You're not going to like what you're about to hear."

"My job is to know about interpersonal relationships and most of the time what I do hear is not the romance-novel, chick-flick rundown." She sat back to get more comfortable with her notes. "Describe the relationship to me, Heero. Is it romantic, sexual, comfortable…?"

Heero was quiet for a long moment, finding it almost impossible to speak to a virtual stranger about such touchy subjects. This was indeed torture of the worst kind.

"It was a necessity," he finally concluded. "When the suits powered down, we didn't. We found that despite our training, it wasn't so easy to just 'leave everything at the door' and try to function normally. At first, Duo and I just fought—physically, verbally…"

(O)(O)(O)

Sometimes I feel a little mad

Heero closed his eyes as all went quiet and dark in the suit. He hated the feeling that came over him when everything inside him was screaming, tearing, gnawing and everything around him was calm and quiet. It was the worst feeling on earth. No physical pain could compare. No mental torture could damage more. He knew he had to act civil the moment he opened the hatch but he knew he was not in control and what he had to do, he couldn't. Also, he knew from experience that no amount of waiting and breathing in the dark would soothe the horrendous creature that tore him to shreds from the inside out. It was physical as well as emotional and mental. It was sheer agony. The only time he was free from this torment was when he returned home too injured, too drained of blood, to be coherent. He prayed for those battles at fifteen. He prayed for the end.

But don't you know that no one alive

Duo stumbled out of his suit, ready to kill the next thing that dare look him in the eye. He knew he and Heero would be sharing a room that night and he relished the idea of those unyielding fists laying into him, giving him a pain he could focus on and thusly control. He still wore a few bruises from their last brutal encounter. He and Heero were careful to remain in separate rooms as they ate, showered and logged the damage to themselves and their suits. Duo would have spent more time letting his hair dry before throwing it into a braid but it hurt more when the strands were wet and pulled into a loose semblance of a plait. With a stomach fairly empty of food, a freshly washed body and a fortunately small data entry, Duo laid his body on the bed and waited. It hurt to close his eyes. The best way to describe it was motion sickness. The eyes see one thing and the body feels another and, as a result, the most primitive part of your brain panics—promptly throwing the body into a physical reaction of sweating, nausea and the most unique nervous pain. This was similar but what Duo experienced was on such an amplified scale.

Heero walked in and took his turn at the computer. They both knew the routine. Duo would mouth off first. Heero would criticize Duo's mistakes in battle. Duo would in return taunt Heero and then the fight would begin. They only verbally fought to assure themselves that beating each other to a pulp was justifiable and normal, like what they had seen in movies. That is what society had taught them. Scream first and everyone understands why the punches fly.

Can always be an angel

Heero glanced over his shoulder for a moment, curious as to why Duo had remained silent for so long. Watching Duo had become a strange pastime for him lately. With each new person Heero met, he realized more and more how unique Duo really was. At fifteen the boy was slightly ethereal and effeminate but he was a soldier and built with power in every fiber of his being. He had perfect skin, odd but alluring eyes, a full mouth, and a voice that sounded like he was on the verge of arousal.

"See anything you like?" Duo asked quietly.

Heero just huffed quietly and turned back to the computer.

"I've got nothing tonight, Heero…I don't know what to say to get what I want. Who are we yelling for anyways? Is it just some sick way of telling ourselves we're normal? Because we're not and we'll never be…"

When things go wrong I seem to be bad

Logging off, Heero tried one last time to reign in the entity. He closed his eyes, inhaled, exhaled and repeated.

"Oh, come on already," Duo growled as he watched Heero try to fight it. There was no controlling it. You could fight it until it killed you, or, you could give in and assuage the sensation for a brief while.

Duo's voice cut through the haze Heero was trying to create. Teeth grinding together, he stood, the force sending the chair tumbling backwards, and walked to the bed with a stride that demonstrated how thin his control really was running. With a grace only Heero could possess, the pilot of Zero-One slid one knee up on the bed and sensually, casually even, placed the second knee on the other side of Duo; effectively straddling the braided youth. A moment of clarity cut through and, Duo and Heero found themselves looking at the same situation in an entirely new light. At fifteen, sex was understood but not conceived of. The first twinges of lust were always felt during violence. During times, like these. Duo shifted, though he was not sure if it was out of discomfort or enticement. Yet, he had no time to ponder his deeper, hidden emotions, for Heero ticked his head just hard enough to pop his neck and throw the first solid punch to Duo's jaw.

A battle ensued. Sheets tangled on the floor. A chair broke. Blood smeared the wall. The occasional grunt, swear word, and laugh created a serenade that soothed only them.

(O)(O)(O)

But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good

"So, you two started dealing with this sensation by beating each other into a pulp, which then led to…sex?"

Duo sat back and assessed the woman for a moment. "Look, I know that my citizenship is going to be denied, so if you want the truth—here's the truth, just be sure you really want to hear this fucked up shit."

"That's why we're here, Duo."

Duo nodded and casually folded his arms behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling, his mind far removed from office he was currently sitting in. "If there was one thing normal about us at fifteen, it was our sexual development. We all had our signals that we needed to be left alone. We all had our places that we went. Every colony or city we stopped in, girls began to catch our eyes…"

"Girls? But, you and Heero?"

"Heero is an exception to all my preferences. Under any other circumstances, I would hate him. I'm not gay, truly. I'm just attracted to him. If it's not him, it would be a girl."

The therapist sat forward a bit, thrown by her misjudgment. Duo smiled knowingly.

"At first it began with awkward moments, like if he ever caught me up against a wall when we were fighting, or if we collapsed on a bed. We were able to write it off as just a hormonal misfiring due to the adrenaline in our systems. We were addicted to it already by then. We needed it to function. To this day…" Duo died off. "Well, we're never going to be normal, so today is like any other day before. No amount of romance is going to do it. I need a gun to my head or a broken nose. Either way, like I said, it started out as small occurrences and then…there was this one OZ mishap…"

(O)(O)(O)

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

"OZ had gotten a hold of Duo and of course being who he is, who we are, the threat of death to ourselves, even our allies is hardly a threat at all. So, someone in OZ got creative. They shot Duo up with something that would send him into overdrive. We were only sixteen. I managed to get Duo out of there; we got back to the safe-house and…" Heero looked up at the therapist, deciding he might as well just tell her. What did he have to lose now? His citizenship? Hell, they weren't going to grant that. The five of them were circus sideshow freaks—Duo and Heero being the most disturbing of them all. They just wanted a good story before they denied them. The therapist wanted the truth? Well, fine, she was going to get it. "I didn't want to have sex with him. I didn't even want to touch him that way. I just…walked into our room and he was bent over the bed. I had never seen him that shaken up before. I tried to be gentle at first but…"

(O)(O)(O)

"Harder, Heero," Duo panted as he let his head fall back against Heero's shoulder. Both boys sat between their twin beds, the floor uncomfortable and unrelenting to their partially reclined position. Heero gripped the rigid length more firmly and slammed his hand down a little harder on each downward stroke. "Harder," Duo hissed, bucking his hips and gnashing his teeth as he fought two battles within himself. Still feeling out of sorts and unsure of exactly what was transpiring, Heero attempted to perform the task at a more vigorous rate but, "God damn it, Heero. HARDER!"

Heero wanted to spit all kind of obscenities back, but it wasn't his style to compete for colorful vocabulary with Duo. Preferring to be a man of action and not words, Heero was at least comfortable with acting on anger. He grabbed a fistful of Duo's hair and abruptly shifted their positions so Duo's face came into sharp contact with the floor. As Heero continued to run his closed fist along Duo's length, he repeatedly lifted Duo's head off the floor only to smash it back down again. A groan of appreciation slipped from Duo's lips as he felt his first real ascension towards release. Abruptly, Heero snapped Duo's head back and held him in an arched position until Duo came violently.

Both teens now panting, they sat in stunned silence, realizing what they both had just done and how impossible it would be to go back to the reality they were used to. They were in an entirely new situation now, with new rules and new norms. Heero looked down at the bulge in his pants in utter disbelief. Duo noted the state of their common anatomy and then both men looked at each other.

(O)(O)(O)

Holding back a heavy sigh the therapist focused on her next question, realizing her lack of analysis or even comment was highly unprofessional and evasive but, she lacked the ability to even conjure up a response in her mind, let alone an appropriate one. "So," she tried, reading over her questions again. "Tell me about the good times now."

"The good times?" Duo asked skeptically.

"The times that seemed happiest to you," the psychologist tried again.

Duo shrugged. "I'm not a depressed kind of guy. I'm a fatalist—the next minute could be our last. Some guy out to avenge a brother or a political cause could bomb this building right now and we'd all be gone in an instant. With that in mind, it's hard not to enjoy the present. Yeah, we had some pretty good times, especially around the Mariemaia incident. We were all a little more settled into our routines and I think, just like living with a disease, life just seems easier when you have a system that contains the symptoms and that system is normative in your life."

(O)(O)(O)

Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree

Duo's eyes were closed as they traveled at top speed through space. Still, it would be hours before they reached their destination. Though Heero kept his eyes on the controls, he was merely acting out of habit. The ship would drive itself should he choose to rest as well. Heero sat back and closed his eyes but he could not bring himself to fully rest. Two years after meeting Duo, he found he had grown protective over the slightly smaller man. Though the logical part of Heero knew those feelings were only a way to give meaning to his mission-less life at the moment, another part of him knew that he couldn't stop feeling the way he did, even if he wanted to. Life was about as good as it was ever going to get. Duo and Heero traveled and lived together. It was a given that they came as a unit. It had been months since the Gundams had been shipped up and sent off towards the sun. It was not so strange now for them to cook a meal and eat over a movie that was playing on TV.

Life was good except for the small detail that Duo and Heero were yet to hash out how sex was supposed to play a part in their lives now that they had things under control. Heero feared that with each passing week, their bond grew stronger and the need they felt for each other had nothing to do with the fact that they needed a punching bag. Though their exchanges were still rough, unforgiving and harsh, there was a decisive shift in the experience. The desperate, frantic feel that had once ruled their sexual lives was now a feeling more like impatience and desire. Though most of the time they began in their usual way, arguing over some minor issue, which escalated into a few punches, which then transformed into colliding kisses. Heero looked over at Duo and sighed, unable to deny that there were also times when they simply came together, in silence, in understanding, in comfort even.

(O)(O)(O)

"Tell me about those times, Heero, when fighting was not the catalyst."

"You want to solely discuss my sex life now?"

"Your sex life is a portion of your entire life, Heero, it's open for discussion if you are still willing to cooperate."

There was a long silence and Heero again found himself looking around the room feeling that though he was cooperating and he knew he could leave at any moment, there was still the sense that he had to confess that which he'd rather keep to himself.

"You just want a single example?"

"Did it occur on a regular basis?"

This threw Heero for a small loop. "Regular?" he managed to echo.

The psychologist frowned, unsure of what landmine she had just stepped on.

"Regular basis? Nothing in our lives ran on a regular basis. Like I said, we were just chess pieces, moved around to where we'd do the most damage. I used to dream about the phone ringing just because such an ordinary sound brought such radical change…I cannot offer you any example of regularity. All I can say is that it happened enough times to not be an unexplainable phenomenon." Heero's throat hurt. He doubted if he had ever spoken that much in such a short amount of time. It was strange to hear himself speak with any form of emotion in his voice. Even when Duo got the better of him, it was uncommon for his tone or pitch to change. It was just…God this whole situation was wrong! They were not going to get their citizenship, yet Heero was being forced to bear what little of a soul he had. Was he ever going to get a break?

"I apologize, Heero, that was ignorant of me to say. Please, give me an example of just one of the times where fighting did not have to serve as the catalyst."

(O)(O)(O)

With a joy that's hard to hide

In retrospect, it was the eye of the storm. Yet, as far as the pilots were concerned, they were done. The Gundams gone, they no longer had a purpose in the greater schemes of politics and revolution. Heero sat on the couch, watching two politicians talk out a new policy, liberal and conservative clashed in a hardly polite debate. Tired of all the fast talk and slow action, Heero lifted the remote and pushed the button. It was amazing what significance a button had to a Gundam pilot. Each had been given their own self-detonation device consisting of one button. Live or die. There was so much gravity, so much power in just one button. Each time Heero lifted the remote, a nerve in his jaw ticked, a small idiosyncrasy he had picked up somewhere along the line. Yet, the power to decide what politicians he had to listen to and which ones he didn't was a satisfying feeling. The general public took for granted the fact that their TV sets could be turned off on a whim and they could disregard every word they had heard.

A small but genuine smile lifted the corners of Heero's mouth as he set the remote down and realized how menial but how profound such a simple act, like turning off a TV, could be. There was joy and satisfaction to be found in life. There was hope yet. Duo came into the living room and sat down, staring at the dark TV. "They could lie to us now and we'd be none the wiser. In my short life I am sorry to say that I've indeed learned that ignorance is bliss…" the braided man observed.

Silence passed between them and they each counted the beats of their hearts, the rate of their breathing. There was no tension in the air, no anticipation of danger. Duo looked over at Heero and Heero turned to meet his gaze. Deep blue met deep violet.

"I've wanted to do this for months now," Duo admitted, as he leaned over to demonstrate what 'this' really meant.

Their lips met in a slow caress that lingered and warmed them in all the right places. Heero let his eyes close to take in the full impact of what a kiss was supposed to feel like. It wasn't a bad experience, it did have merit. It wasn't getting him hard but it felt…nice. Another leisurely exploration and Duo pulled back. This time, their eyes looked questioningly into each other's. Duo shrugged, Heero tilted his head sideways as his shoulder lifted to express his ambiguity. A draw then. Not unbearable but nothing that set off fireworks.

Duo laughed and sat back. "It was worth a try."

"It's comforting in a way," Heero tried to analyze.

"Yeah, it is…" Duo murmured. "It felt comfortable."

Abruptly, Heero reached out, grabbed Duo's hair by his scalp and yanked him back so that the man fell into his lap, staring up at him with a sharp hiss. "That's better," Duo admitted and groaned when Heero's teeth sank deep into his bottom lip. "Definitely, better."

(O)(O)(O)

And sometimes it seems that all I have to do is worry

Duo knew he was shrinking back into his chair. This was turning into a nightmare. He never spoke intimately about Heero. To him, his relationship with Heero was the remaining part of his soul. It was the only redeeming quality about him was that he served a purpose in Heero's life. He stabilized a valuable person. His fingers twirled the bottom of his braid that pooled in his lap and his eyes could no longer find the psychologist's.

"Why does this make you uncomfortable, Duo?"

"You're a stranger for God's sake! I mean, Quatre is my best friend and we don't even talk about this topic."

"I promise to keep the specifics off the record."

Duo scoffed. "If I'm in this room, it's bugged, I can promise you that. I'm sure ninety percent of my conversations since I've been fifteen have been recorded on some device."

"And yet you're speaking to me…" the psychologist prompted.

Duo's scoff could not contain the biting laugh that ripped from his throat. "I have more to fear if you leave your evaluation blank or comment 'uncooperative' than if I just expose what is left of my soul to you. At least then I can argue that I tried and hope someone else has mercy on me."

(O)(O)(O)

Then you're bound to see my other side

"Let's try this," the therapist admonished. "Memories aside, how does Duo make you feel, what does he make you feel now?"

Somehow, the question, originally intended to get away from intimate subjects, felt so much more private than discussing his past. "I guess," Heero sighed, trying to pull safe, generic words out of his mind. "Secure, calm, worthwhile."

"Worthwhile how?"

"We're Gundam pilots who no longer have Gundams to pilot. We do not have proper educations, occupations, a family. We're kind of just left to figure out what to make of life. So far, he's my only reason for carrying on until the next war in which he'll go back to helping me cope."

"So, he's just here to tide you over?"

"No," Heero answered quickly, his first immediate response in the interview. "No, he is the only constant in my life. He is like my center of gravity…" Heero tried to explain, though any worthy analogy failed him. "It's more like, a distant landmark to keep me from getting vertigo…" even that didn't sound close. He frowned. How did Duo make him feel exactly?

A small smile touched the woman's mouth and she bent her head to write something. When she looked up, Heero looked more disgruntled than before. She could only imagine what it was like to experience a profound emotion in the presence of a stranger. If she had learned anything from the other three pilots she had already screened, it was that they all valued privacy. But, this was a huge breakthrough, one that could turn Heero's denial into approval on his citizenship evaluation. He was not so one-sided as everyone thought.

(O)(O)(O)

But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

(O)(O)(O)

Behind a two-way mirror the psychologist met with others on her team. In the lobby, where they could see, Duo sat, hands folded between slightly parted legs, head down. She looked down at her notes and then sighed heavily.

"I honestly do not know what to say," she started. "It's undeniable how damaged they are developmentally. Crucial years have come and gone, they may never adjust. Especially if they are called into active duty again—it would only reinforce their violent behavior. But, anyone in their positions would be this damaged. Yet, it is people like us—doctors, who sent these kids in to become the ultimate weapon, the ultimate soldier. They are a product of a power play. Can we truly condemn them for trying to cope the best they could?"

"All their interviews indicate that Duo and Heero only ever used each other to recover from the stress of war," another indicated for their case.

"So, what if one of them dies? Leaves the other? We are looking at a time-bomb here and then fingers will point at us when they go on a massacre. They are dangerous, plain and simple," the eldest said. "When we deem someone a hazard to themselves or others, they get locked up."

(O)(O)(O)

If I seem edgy I want you to know

To anyone, Duo would have looked defeated but Heero knew better. The interlocking of Duo's fingers, the lids closed over brilliant violet eyes…he was close to a panic attack. Walking up very slow to Duo, he sighed, feeling ever responsible for where they were in life. If not directly associated with Heero, Duo would have definitely gotten his citizenship. He was a people-person and regardless of what he considered to be his sins, people readily forgave and accepted him. Everything about Duo now in the aftermath of the wars seemed to be in relation to Heero. Feeling as though he was being watched but for once not caring, Heero pulled up a chair so that he sat almost forehead-to-forehead with Duo. In silence, he took his companion's hands apart and started the usual routine that always helped Duo relax and back off from a panic attack. He started on Duo's right pinky finger and rolled his thumb and index finger all the way down the digit before moving to the ring finger and repeating the same, slow, rolling motion.

"Duo…" Heero started tentatively feeling that he had to speak now in case Duo received his citizenship and Heero did not.

That I never mean to take it out on you

"I am sorry if they deny you because of me. I'll try to find a way to fight this."

"I'm just as messed up as you," Duo whispered, his voice shaking precariously. "I'd rather be with you anyways."

Life has its problems and I get my share

Heero continued to work in silence and ignored the tear that dropped onto his hand. Duo wouldn't want him to point it out, regardless. A long moment passed. "I'm just so tired," Duo sighed, his head finally falling against Heero's.

"I know," Heero murmured in a low voice, wishing truly that they were alone so no one had to see his lover's vulnerability. It angered him on some protective level but he was too concerned with Duo staying calm at the moment.

And that's one thing I never meant to do

"I don't want this for you," Heero confessed. "I fought to free us, to free you…each battle…I told myself that was one step closer to getting us out of this whole mess. That last shot I took down in Mariemaia's bunker, all I could think was that finally…" Heero's voice died down into the barest whisper. "Finally I could look you in the eyes and say that everything would be okay."

Because I love you

Another tear fell onto their combined hands and Heero tilted his head just enough to press a kiss to Duo's forehead. "I love you," he mouthed against Duo's skin, not able to say the words aloud when they meant so much.

(O)(O)(O)

The four doctors stood, in shock.

"That looks like a pretty healthy, supportive relationship to me," one of the females muttered.

"There are plenty of normal civilians that would lose their minds if they lost a loved one, yet we don't take them off the streets. Anyone is dangerous with a gun," the psychologist argued.

"They're soldiers," the younger male sighed. "They helped us and now we have a responsibility to help them. We'll sign the citizenship papers under the condition that we work with them, what? Once a week, maybe? For starters?"

The eldest male sighed and watched the couple. "Duo was showing signs of a panic attack coming on and Heero's managed to just reduce it to tears and exhaustion. I don't know how much there is for us to help them with…separately. I think we're just going to have to treat them as a couple and work with them together. I'll sign the approval."

(O)(O)(O)

Oh, Oh baby don't you know I'm human

Heero and Duo stood abruptly when a door to the lobby opened. Heero felt the sinking feeling one has when confronted by an executioner. The finality of the moment was undeniable. Their fates were in the hand of the man standing across the room. Heero tried to keep his hand gentle and assuring on Duo's lower back but his stance was protective and defensive. He had no idea how he was going to survive being separated from his other half. Nothing had ever meant more to him. Duo was the only thing in life he had to lose…

Have thoughts like any other one

Heero took a moment to try to hash out quickly how he was going to deal with the news. Shut down quickly, that was the first step. He'd have to step away from Duo and shut down all his emotions and thoughts. The next step was to stay floating on that haze until they could physically remove him. He'd have to come clean and admit to needing restraints and monitoring to keep him confined in whatever space they put him in. Then, when he screamed and fought it out, he'd have to reduce himself to begging to be able to write Duo or maybe even talk to him on the phone on occasion.

Sometimes I find myself long regretting

God! This was all his fault! All he could do was try to spare himself now. He had utterly failed Duo. When they received their separate fates, Duo would be left to face a world that had rejected him once already. He had no family and his closest friend, Quatre, was constantly with Trowa. Maybe Wufei would help him. That was it; he would have to contact Wufei when he finally became coherent again. It was the last possible thing he could do for his only loved one.

Some foolish thing some little simple thing I've done

He felt so helpless, so utterly helpless. Was there any way that this could have been avoided? The answer felt like a resounding, no. They had given their young lives to a cause that had turned its back on them. Bitterness was hardly an emotion Heero could feel at the moment. He was too sad, too desperate to feel such a hardened form of sorrow.

"Gentlemen, after much review and debate, the decision on your citizenship forms has been decided."

Duo inhaled sharply and pressed back against Heero's hand.

But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good

Please! Heero's mind screamed to anything out in the universe that could hear him. For Duo's sake, please, have some kind of mercy on them for once in their pathetic lives! He had never meant to hurt Duo, had never meant to ruin his only chances at a life of his own.

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

"We have decided to grant both of you your citizenship under the condition that you attend a counseling class together, with us, once a week."

The doctor's decree did not set in until Duo collapsed into Heero's arms. Out of habit, he brought his arms up around Duo and when he realized that his lover's grasp was not out of refusal to be separated, but out of relief, Heero looked up at the doctor, eyes wide and unbelieving.

The doctor just nodded and offered a small smile. Heero looked back down at Duo and for the first time in his life, he felt his eyes well to the brink with tears. He blinked them back furiously, one of his hands straying to pull and keep Duo's head tight against his chest as he mouthed the words, 'thank you' to the doctor.

Yes, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

"It's going to be okay," Heero murmured to Duo. "It's over now. We can go home now. Duo, it's okay."

"We'll send in the papers. You can pick up your social security and identification cards on Monday. Counseling will be every Wednesday at nine in the morning. We will see you then."

The doctor excused himself with a small nod left the couple to show themselves out.

Yes, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

"We've done the right thing…right?" one of the doctors asked when all four of them were sitting down for a coffee break.

"I've never seen men with better intentions, honestly," the eldest doctor sighed heavily, recalling the look of fear but of mature resolution upon their faces when he had come to them with the decision. "They faced me like men, both of their minds reeling with how they were going to deal, silent and stoic like the soldiers they are…but their minds were never once on the citizenship forms. All they could think about was the well being of the other."

The youngest girl murmured, forcing back tears of her own as she lowered her head to sip her coffee, "Lord…so misunderstood…"

(O)(O)(O)

AN: Okay, so, after having an exceptionally rough week I wrote this to blow off some steam and take a slightly more emotionally draining approach to writing. I would really appreciate feedback and constructive criticism to help me grow from this experience. Thanks!!!