Disclaimer: I don't own Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. That honor belongs to someone else. I'm making no profit off of this fic.

AN: Rated K+ for language. This story is based completely off of the amazing artwork and headcanon below that of hasuyawwn, found here: hasuyawwn . tumblr .com (slash) post (slash) 88453511043. Everyone should go check out hasu's art!

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Letting Go by luvsanime02

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Part I - Staying Hydrated

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There he went again, walking past Duo.

He'd never seen a lifeguard constantly patrol the swimming pool with the same unwavering attention that this man did. Duo admired that focus, even as he wondered how the heck the man wasn't exhausted from walking constantly around the pool's edge. In fact, Duo had never seen him actually use the lifeguard's chair. Instead, he kept moving, watching the kids and making sure no one was in any danger.

His feet were always bare too, even though the surface he was walking on was boiling hot. Duo would know. He was sitting near the edge of the pool himself, watching Leon swim with some of the other kids. Duo made sure he was positioned back far enough that the lifeguard could walk in front of him around the edge of the pool, but otherwise, he was as close as possible to the water.

Unfortunately, where Duo was sitting, there were no stray splashes of water. Just hot, dry concrete, and it burned him even through his shorts and the towel he was sitting on. He could easily sit in one of the lounge chairs further back instead, but he felt better staying closer to the water's edge, just in case Leon needed help.

Clearly, Duo had no room to talk about the lifeguard concentrating too much on the kids' safety.

Duo couldn't help it, though. He didn't know if he'd ever get over his bone-deep relief at seeing Leon safe and happy. Didn't know if he'd ever stop feeling that gut-wrenching twist at the empty spot next to him, where Hilde should have been.

He'd lost her, and he'd almost lost Leon at the same time, and no, Duo really couldn't blame the lifeguard for being so intently focused on doing his job. Duo was always watching the whole pool too, even if his eyes mostly followed his own son.

At least Duo didn't actually spend all of his time walking. He didn't know how the lifeguard's feet weren't cracked and red and blistered from the heat, but a glance down showed that they were perfectly healthy. Nice, even.

Okay, so the guy was actually really damn attractive. He had this short, messy dark brown hair that fell forward into his blue, blue eyes, and he obviously kept in shape for his job, which Duo could see very well, since the lifeguard was only wearing swim trunks. His skin was a golden tan that looked natural, not spray-on.

Duo realized that he was staring again, and forced his eyes back onto his son, both embarrassed and ashamed at letting his attention wander. Not that the lifeguard had noticed. Actually, he didn't seem to be aware of any of the appreciative looks sent his way. Duo wasn't the only one whose eyes wandered whenever this particular guy was patrolling the pool. In fact, he was pretty sure those blue eyes and impressive build were why the majority of the women in their young-to-mid twenties ventured out and braved the heat. They sure never swam in the pool with the kids, preferring to spread out on lounge chairs dressed in very minimal clothing, even for a pool.

Leon waved at Duo suddenly, even though the boy's attention had been somewhere else a second before. Duo waved back enthusiastically. He didn't much like the local pool, but suffered it for Leon's sake, and tried not to think about how many germs were coating them both by the time they got back home. He always made Leon take a bath right afterwards. Duo did a quick rinse too, in the shower, since it wasn't like he was ever actually in the pool himself. No, considering the long braid down his back, Duo didn't think soaking in chlorine would do him any favors.

The lifeguard's whistle emitted a short, sharp noise, and even though Duo was looking right at Leon and could see that he was perfectly fine, his heart started beating out a fast, panicked tempo. What if something had happened to him that Duo hadn't seen? What if-

What if the lifeguard was just telling two girls who were older than most of the others and should know better not to run along the edge of the pool. Duo took a deep breath, and then another, forcing himself to relax a little. He made himself watch Leon having fun, and told himself that everything was fine, that he didn't need to march over there and demand Leon get out so that they could go home right that second, so that Duo could lock their front door and wrap his son up in a big blanket and keep him safe forever.

He didn't. No matter how much he wanted to, Duo didn't move. He sat there, and focused on his breathing, inhaling the overwhelming scent of chlorine. It was almost enough to block out the scent memory of wet rust.

A shadow suddenly fell over him, and Duo looked up, startled. He was even more surprised when he saw that it was the lifeguard standing over him. Duo craned his neck up to try and see the man's features clearly, even though the sun was behind him, but just then he squatted down in front of Duo so that he could finally view those blue eyes in detail. They were even more amazing than he'd thought, ringed by a blue so dark that it looked almost black, with every other color of deep blue expanding inward. They were damn gorgeous, and way too close.

"Are you okay?" the man asked. His voice was quiet, but firm, and sounded concerned.

Abruptly, Duo felt himself flushing, and cursed his lighter complexion for making it so obvious. The lifeguard must have seen Duo freaking out and came over to make sure that he was all right. Geez. "I'm fine," he said, reassuring the man.

In response, he leaned forward and gently laid his palm against Duo's forehead. Duo was caught off-guard by the gesture; part of him wanted to point out that he wasn't a kid and could take care of himself, but the rest of him was too shocked to move. The touch was casual, nothing intimate implied, practical, but it still managed to send a slight shiver down Duo's back, despite the heat.

"Your face is flushed and your skin feels warm, and just now you were also breathing very heavily," the lifeguard said, abruptly. Duo blinked. "Wait here."

Well, Duo hadn't been planning on moving anyway. Not until Leon was done playing, which should actually be soon. So he watched the lifeguard walk around the pool's edge, still keeping an eye on the kids, and then over to what was obviously an employee building. He came back out a few moments later with a small towel and a bottle of water.

By the time he came back over, Duo was feeling a little less like an idiot and more mildly amused than anything. "I'm really okay," he said, but let the man wet the towel and press it against the back of Duo's neck, and then hand him the water bottle to drink from.

"Drink that," was all he said in response. It should have sounded like an order, but it didn't, somehow. Duo, not seeing what harm it could do and honestly being thirsty, started drinking. The water was ice cold, and the towel on his neck was cool. They felt fantastic. Even though Duo was sure he hadn't been suffering from heatstroke, even a mild case, he felt better afterwards.

"Thanks," he said, after he'd finished. The lifeguard was crouched down beside him, eyes scanning the kids in the water but still glancing back at him occasionally.

"Sure," he said, nodding at Duo. To his surprise, the man then proceeded to sit down cross-legged next to him instead of continuing his patrol. "You're here often on the weekends."

Duo shrugged lightly. "My son, Leon," he said, a simple explanation, pointing him out just as a young girl snuck up behind him and launched onto his back. Duo snorted lightly. She was so tiny that she couldn't even dunk Leon, just clung to his back like a monkey.

Looking over, he saw the other man smiling at the scene, just slightly. It was a beautiful smile, Duo admitted to himself.

"My niece, Millie, comes here a lot too," he told Duo, and pointed out a pretty girl a few years older than Leon chasing some other kids and splashing around wildly. "She's why I started lifeguarding here, actually."

"Oh?" Duo asked, interested. He'd wondered, since the other man was older than the typical lifeguards found at the public pool.

The other man nodded. "She insists on coming here too often for her parents to bring her. I keep telling her all of that chlorine is going to bleach her hair."

Duo laughed. "You're definitely right about that," he agreed, knowing from experience. He stuck out his hand. "Duo Maxwell."

There was that little smile again. "Heero Yuy."

Another lifeguard was blowing a whistle, and Duo looked at his phone quick to see that it was indeed closing time for the pool. Heero stood up, and Duo handed him back the towel. He'd throw the empty water bottle into the recycle bin when he got home.

"Nice meeting you," Duo said, even though he felt slightly awkward saying that to someone he'd technically been seeing a couple times a week since late June.

Heero nodded. "Yes," he replied, and then walked off to help corral the kids out of the pool, and the adults from the lounge seats around the enclosure.

Duo shook his head. Heero seemed slightly awkward, he thought, like the man wasn't used to frequent social interactions with other adults, but he seemed nice.

And okay, he looked very good walking away in those swim trunks too, Duo considered fairly, though his attention was quickly diverted by a wet and gleeful Leon racing towards him, ready for Duo to take him home.