"That's not real friendship, Heero."
That's all Heero ever heard these days. First it was from Winner, scolding him as he helped pull glass out of his skin. Then later from Chang as they stitched his flesh back together. Barton never said anything, but the look of resignation and disapproval spoke volumes at what he thought as the taller boy wrapped his arm.
Even Relena has started telling him that, the last time he had dinner with her. She said that having friends shouldn't hurt, that friends should make life easier to live, not harder.
But Duo said that they were friends, that their friendship was real. He was Heero's first friend, after all; who would know better than him?
"That's not what friends do, Yuy."
There was no rules explaining friendship, or what was and wasn't allowed. Heero would know, he spent months researching and trying to find the answers the first time Duo told him that they were friends. Best friends, even. The rules on that area were even blurrier.
Winner thought that Duo was using him, the blond protesting much of Duo's treatment towards Heero. Chang didn't approve of Duo much to begin with, so even more harsh comments and criticism came from the L5 survivor. Barton would grip his shoulder tighter when Duo would head toward them, as if to stop him from leaving. But it never mattered in the end.
Heero always went to Duo; even if he didn't know what was coming. They were friends, after all.
"Friends don't treat each other like that, you know."
Heero could guess that much on his own. He didn't get pushed against walls by Winner, his lips captured by Chang, or find bruises left by Barton. Relena never made his body feel overheated, ready to overtake his senses and leave him wanting to scream out in pleasure.
Only Duo did that to him, made him feel helpless and wanting. He knew it wasn't normal, but it was Duo, and it was hard to deny him anything.
"He's not good for you, Heero. This isn't healthy."
What of their lives were healthy? Was not expecting to live past the age of fifteen healthy? Was fighting in a war at his age healthy? Was being engineered and trained for that same war considered healthy? Heero couldn't claim to know the first thing about being healthy, but what Duo gave him was a sense of peace, a sense of pleasure that he never found elsewhere.
Their fights were violent and cruel, their sexual encounters even more so. Their existence was so dependent on each other, that Duo being upset caused Heero to be upset, and vice versa. No matter what anyone said, what anyone claimed, or what anyone else believed, Heero wouldn't have it any other way.
After all, he is Duo's friend. And Duo was his. He wouldn't have it any other way.