Everybody Loves Duo

-Symbols: means a flashback *** means a break in the action

How did it happen to him? He didn't ask for it, he didn't even want it!

But it happened....

And it started, strangely enough, with Wufei....

They were hiding out in a safe house together, which wasn't the highlight of Duo's life at the moment. He was stuck with Mr. No-Fun-Justice-Freak. Even being stuck with Trowa was better because Trowa didn't talk. Not that Wufei talked much, but when he did, it was usually something strange or boring.

However, Duo couldn't really complain. The last mission was pretty tough and he was injured pretty badly and Wufei had helped him manage to get through, so he stuck with the nonsense he spewed as he wrapped him up in bandages.

"Yeah, I know Wu-man, I made a stupid move, sorry," Duo replied for the hundredth time that night. "I don't see why you care so damn much anyway. You're the one that wants to fight alone and all that jazz! What's it matter if I did?"

Wufei knocked him upside the head and muttered, "you're as bad as Heero."

Duo growled, angry that he had called him suicidal and angry that he'd said something bad about his secret crush.

"You didn't answer my question, Wu-man," Duo spat.

"Don't call me that."

"Why do you even care? I'm nothing to you or anyone else and I might as well die anyway. I was the one captured, remember? Wasted time."

Wufei set down the bandages and tilted back Duo's face, brushing his thumb over his cheek and staring deep into his amethyst eyes.

Duo was shocked and a little afraid. What was Wufei doing? He suddenly became waaay too sweet to match his usual fierce personality.

Leaning down, Wufei brushed a kiss over his forehead, then turned around and stared at the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sometimes, Maxwell, a person means more than they can even fathom."

It was safe to say that wasn't the best night ever. Duo kept trying to avoid the topic because he didn't love Wufei and well...he couldn't. He didn't want to have to say anything at all.

That was two weeks ago now....

Duo hoped Wufei had gotten the idea.

Then it was Quatre.

Duo and Wufei had made it to Quatre's palace with relative success. They weren't on the best talking terms, but they managed pretty well.

He walked into Quatre's parlor where he was sitting alone, sipping tea and reading a book.

"Hey Quatre. What's up?"

His affectionate friend had jumped out of his seat and ran over to him, wrapping his arms firmly around his waist and giggling a little. Duo returned the hug easily.

"I'm so glad you've made it.... I heard that you were injured badly."

"Aw, nothing I can't handle," Duo replied, trying to smile. Quatre hadn't yet let him go and it was freaking him out, what with Wufei's now declared emotions.

"Oh Duo...." he whispered, hugging him tighter yet.

"Quatre...? You okay? What's in that tea anyway?" he asked, trying to crack a joke while trying not to fall apart.

Quatre giggled a little. "It's not the tea.... I love you, Duo."

Duo tried not to let his jaw hit the floor.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up a minute!" he cried, trying to detach Quatre from around his waist. "What about Trowa?"

They *were* a couple. What Quatre just said had totally nullified all their kissing and holding hands. What was Quatre doing, going out with someone he didn't love like that?

And poor Trowa...? What would *he* say?

"Duo," Quatre pouted, pulling away a little. "Who cares about Trowa? Don't tell me you like him more than me."

Duo wanted to scream.

Instead, he just kind of fainted.

Quatre blamed his sudden lack consciousness on his recent wounds and Duo was avoiding him since and finding he was doing a pretty damn good job of it.

That was a week ago....

A week ago, also, when he talked to Trowa....

Duo felt it was Trowa's right to know about Quatre's true feelings.

So, against his will, he went up to Trowa's room to talk to him.

"Hey, Trowa, I have to talk to you about Quatre," Duo opened from where he sat on his bed, Trowa staring out a window blankly.

Whoever could love him was beyond Duo. At least Heero had some personality. Trowa was like a wall.

"Go on."

"I feel you need to know something.... Um, he told me he loved me."

Trowa didn't say/do anything.

"Aren't you even a little upset?" Duo asked, surprised.

Was Trowa really a wall?!?!

"A little." Trowa replied, turning around and walking over to Duo. "But only because he possibly has a better chance than I do."

With that, Trowa leaned down and planted a kiss on Duo's cheek.

Once more, Duo fainted.

He felt like he was in some kind of perpetual nightmare.

Everybody loved him but the one person he wanted most in the world!

It just wasn't fair! Wasn't fair at all!

But there was nothing he could do about it.

He had seen Heero today. He came in after his own mission. He didn't speak one word to him. Barely a glance in his direction.

It was hopeless.... Hopeless....

Especially since he never had any time to be around the other. He was hiding 24/7 from his co-pilots.

Well, not completely 24 hours. Right now it was about eleven p.m. and he was sneaking out of the room for his nighttime snack.

He barely ate at all, but for what Quatre had sent to his room. Even then he didn't eat much of that because Quatre usually placed a little love note on the tray, which made him feel sick.

He snuck into the kitchen were he dug out some potato chips. Good old potato chips. Even billionaires had potato chips.

He chowed the bag, chugged some soda, trashed it, and after feeling satisfied with his meal, made his way back upstairs.

When he got into his room he was pushed back against the wall, his wrists pinned to it.

His breath caught and he couldn't make his throat work as fear took hold of him.

"Tag," a familiar voice whispered and this did nothing to lower his fear.

It was Heero.

"Heero--!" he cried. "What are you--?!"

His words were cut off by Heero pressing his lips roughly in inexperience to Duo's.

At first Duo was scared and his mind reeling and it didn't click that his crush had him pinned against a wall and was trying to kiss him. It was hard to believe it was true.

Heero was nervous about his unresponsiveness and almost drew back in defeat, but at the last second, Duo's lips came grasping and sucking on Heero's lower lip.

Duo had more grace and finesse and Heero was trying to follow in his footsteps.

As Duo slid his tongue into Heero's mouth, Heero felt the others breaths become more ragged and he moved his hands to his thin waist, his hands sliding into the perfect, gentle curves of his body.

Their tongues jousted lightly and Duo clutched Heero's shoulders, needing such a thing so badly, not wanting it to disappear.

"I love you, Heero," Duo panted into his mouth. "Why do you ignore me so...?"

"I was afraid...." he replied. "Afraid of my love."

Duo tried not to laugh. "Afraid?" he replied, pulling away a little.

Heero rested his head alongside Duo's neck.

"You would be too.... I'm not good with emotions or words, Duo...." he struggled out, halting after each sentence. "I'm good at electronics and death.... That's what I know. I don't know...love."

Duo realized how this could be true. People were always afraid of what they didn't understand. People are afraid of death because they don't understand it. People are afraid of sex because they don't know about it. People can be afraid of love, if they don't know about it. Especially people who are control freaks, as Heero is.

Duo managed to hug him and kiss his cheek. "I understand...."

Heero began to kiss his neck, sucking on it.

"I've been in love with you so long...." he whispered, almost as if he couldn't control the words that were coming out of his mouth and was scared of them, like a demon had possessed him.

A demon with the name of Love.

"Help me," he cried.

Duo smiled and pulled him over to the bed, laying down on top of him and kissing his cheek.

"I'll teach you everything I can, if you.... If you promise to protect me."

Heero lifted his face between his hands and, using his fingers, brushed away his bangs.

"I can do that. I would do that without bribe."

"Then you already know something about love."

The next morning was not a happy time for Duo. It started off like heaven, but quickly went downhill.

He woke to find himself curled up around Heero in his bed. He yawned and blinked at the sunlight streaming through the windows, a smile drifting on his face as to the activities of last night. He knew he'd feel the full affects soon enough, but right then, he didn't give a damn.

He turned to Heero and smiled a little wider.

'He's so beautiful when he sleeps....' Duo thought to himself, brushing the bangs out of his face and kissing his forehead. 'He's sweeter than he thinks he is.... So afraid of hurting me.... I know he must be everything I need.... Mother would be proud....'

"If she were still alive," he growled softly. But the innocence of Heero's sleeping face made him smile once more and go back to his thoughts of last night.

'So inexperienced.... I had to tell him what to do....' Duo giggled a little and kissed Heero's nose. 'But he did it well.... I hope he doesn't wake up and realize he made a mistake or something.... Oh.... What if he does?'

Heero's eyelids fluttered and a light smile came over his face when he found Duo's wide violet eyes peering into his.

"Good morning," Duo murmured.

Heero kissed him lightly on the mouth and pulled the blankets up closer around them.

"Let's stay like this a while," Heero whispered back.

Duo moved closer and wrapped his arms tight around Heero's waist.

"That's fine with me...."

If he would've known the disaster of going down stairs, he would've begged they stay there forever.

When they did venture down stairs, three angry, hurt faces stood before Duo.

Duo cracked a smile and tried to wave at them, but he wasn't stupid.

"I can't believe you Duo!" Quatre wailed. "How could you break my heart like this?!"

"Don't think we didn't hear you," Trowa added quietly.

"In *my* house!" Quatre sobbed.

"They least you could have done was given us a definite answer, instead of left us guessing," Wufei spat, his eyes hurt.

"I thought you loved me!" Quatre cried.

"Duo...."

"Duo...!"

"Duo...."

"Duo...."

Duo screamed, then his eyes snapped open and he realized that he was in bed, it was still dark out, and that Heero was shaking his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Heero asked, kissing his cheek. "Another war dream?"

Duo was shaking and clung to Heero helplessly.

"I...I dreamt about when you said 'I love you'.... But...but after Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei all told me they loved me.... And I was trying to avoid them.... And they heard us that night.... And they were all yelling at me.... And they were hurt...."

Heero rose an eyebrow, but hugged his lover to his chest as Duo rocked back and forth in his arms.

***

"I hate running night shift," Joe told his co-worker Karl as he swept up the floor of the town's mental asylum.

"I'd hate this job even if I did have day shift," Karl replied, flicking his cigarette ash into a tray.

They passed Stev White's cell.

"He's the creepiest," Karl spoke, jerking a thumb in the direction of the man rocking back and forth on the floor, hugging the air, his lips moving as if he was kissing someone.

"You know the story behind that one?" Joe asked, turning his head from the pathetic figure.

"Nope. I don't like to get too personal," Karl answered, turning to look at Joe.

"He was a rich guy. Real powerful. War affected him real bad. Thinks he's the ex-Gundam pilot Duo Maxwell."

"One that ran off with that Yuy guy and disappeared?"

"Very same."

"No wonder he's babbling about the pilots," Karl shuddered. "Just die if I was crazy...."

***

"Heero!" Duo cried, running into his arms.

"How was work?" he asked, kissing his husband of now four years.

Duo shuddered. "Boy, Heero, I think I'm going to quit. Especially with this guy named Karl we have. He's so scary...."

"Well, yes, you work in a mental asylum."

"I know! But he thinks he works in one and is watching someone else who's crazy pretend that they're me! It's very hard to take.... Even in the daylight...." Duo murmured, giving Heero and extra tight hug before breaking away and holding his hand as they walked to the car.

"Well, if you want to quit, you can. No one will care and I can support us."

"I might.... But I will find another job. I can't take you being away all day and having nothing to do."

"We could find you another job."

"Yes.... That would be nice...."

"Where do you want to eat, then?"

-Owari-


Okay, so that was totally out there. It didn't take me long and anyone reading it can tell. @_@** I always wanted to end a fic like that, but I think I went a little overboard and this wasn't the right fic.... Aheh, aheh....