Healing Love

Healing Love
By Sakura

Duo sat at the window looking out, but not seeing anything. Quatre had put him there with as much care as possible. The blond boy sat across the table. He was thinking, for a conversation with the longhaired pilot was impossible. All Duo did was sit and stare blankly into space.
'Poor Duo. It's been two months now and still no change. The doctors don't know if he's ever going to get better,' Quatre thought sadly. A lock of hair had come undone from Duo's braid and he leaned over to brush it out the other boy's eyes. A slight flicker appeared on Duo's face, but disappeared as quickly as it came. 'Whatever Hiro did must have been terrible for this to happen to Duo.'
"Still no change?" Trowa appeared in the sanitarium room bearing a bouquet of fresh pink lilies, Duo's favorite flower. Actually Duo loved the white Easter lilies they used to have at Maxwell Church, but Trowa and Quatre had thought them to be inappropriate due to the Shinigami pilot's current situation.
"Iie Trowa. He just sits there, doesn't move or anything," Quatre said taking the flowers from the brown-haired boy and replacing the wilting lilies on the table with them. "It's so sad. Oh Trowa!"
With that the blond boy wrapped his arms around Trowa's slender waist and sobbed. "Shh, little one. Hush now." Never able to bear seeing the smaller pilot crying, Trowa held him to him like a mother would a frightened child and began to stroke the sun gold hair.
"I don't think I can take it anymore Trowa. All this time and he still hadn't said anything. Not even the slightest sound."
Trowa glanced at the immobile form of Duo. Seeing the once jovial pilot like that tore his heart apart. He wanted to kill Hiro. Both he and the other two pilots knew Duo and Hiro were an item, but never said anything respecting their wishes for privacy. However, for Hiro to do something to someone who loved him, making him turn out like this was unforgivable.
"Perhaps this is not the best of environments."
"Huh?" Quatre asked uncomprehending.
"Let's take Duo with us. Take him home."
Quatre thought Trowa's proposal over. It was obvious Duo hadn't changed in over two months. Not since he and Trowa found him by his gundam. In all that time Duo had spoken only one word. A name. His name. Hiro. Then all was silent. He had gone completely comatose.
The two had brought him to a sanitarium on a nearby colony at Sally's insistence. What good could a catatonic pilot do as a preventer? Quatre had thought with help from the doctors plus daily visits form his friends, Duo would get better. However, nothing had changed, not in two months. If the doctors and sterile environment did nothing, perhaps the warm loving atmosphere of one of Quatre's many homes on Earth would.
"Duo always said he like the Earth." Quatre went over to the longhaired boy. "Let's take him home. Let's go home Trowa."
Trowa nodded. "I'll go get the doctor," he said before leaving the room.
"Did you hear that Duo? You're going to see the Earth again. You're going to stay at my place with Trowa and me. Would you like that?"
No response, though it looked to him as if his eyes were suddenly brighter than before. 'Must have been a trick of the light,' he thought.
"Shall I take these with us?" The blond pilot gazed at the delicate pink lilies Trowa had brought. 'It'll be a shame to leave these here to die. Perhaps one of the other patients will like them.'
Trowa had returned with a doctor who immediately began to examine Duo's eyes. "There is some reaction, whether it is instinctual or not is difficult to tell. I would advise that he'd stay, but it has been two months and no real sign of any progress," she began. Quatre nodded gravely. "Your friend tells me you believe a more familiar environment may help Maxwell-kun's recovery." Again another nod from Quatre.
"We'll agree with whatever you decide doctor," Trowa said gently placing a hand on the blond boy's shoulder.
"Like I said before, I'd advise against it, but in all this time nothing my staff and I have done is working, so I can't see any other alternative. You may take your friend home as soon I fill out the proper paperwork."
"Arigatou oneesama!" Quatre said giving his sister an enormous bear hug.
"Anything to please my charming little brother," she said smiling. "Ano, Quatre-chan, the sooner you release me, the sooner I can release him," she said as she tried to extricate herself form her brother's sudden death hold.
Blushing, Quatre immediately let go of her, much to Trowa's amusement. "Let's get him ready," the brown-haired boy said moving to the small footlocker across the room.
"Hai!" Quatre ran to his silent friend and began to redo the braid. "See, Duo? I told you, you were leaving here," he began exuberantly, "You must really be bored. On Earth we'll have lots to do..."
He trailed off as Trowa began to pack Duo's meager belongings, which didn't take long. Then he sat on the bed listening and watching as Quatre talked and braided Duo's hair.
Soon it was time to leave. Quatre gave his sister another bear hug followed by a kiss on the cheek and promises to keep in touch. Trowa bade the doctor farewell and helped his lover lead their fellow gundam pilot out the door and hopefully towards recovery.

Meanwhile, inside Duo's head, the same scene replayed itself over and over again as it had for the two months Duo had been in the sanitarium.

Duo had been exhausted by the time he and Hiro had gotten to their room. The war between the Treize faction and the White Fang was finally over. He and the other gundam pilots had been celebrating at Relena's and only just now had the partying ended.
"Man I'm beat!" Duo plopped down on the bed and began removing his shoes. "That was some party, ne Hiro?"
The other pilot said nothing as he too began removing his tuxedo.
"Oi! What's wrong with ya man? You've been avoidin' me all night." Duo really didn't want to pry, but Hiro's sudden coldness toward him was worrying him.
"Duo we need to talk," was all the short-haired boy said, sitting on the bed beside him.
'Uh-oh. That didn't sound too good.' Duo started playing with the end of his braid. "Um, what about Hiro?"
Hiro tentatively placed a hand on Duo's shoulder. "I'm leaving Duo. Tomorrow. I've already packed."
"Nanda to?! (What did you say?)"
"I said I'm leaving," he repeated.
"I know what ya said, Hiro. But why?"
"The war is over, Duo. There is no need for gundams."
"I know that ya baka! That's no excuse for runnin' out on me! Kisama! I though ya cared about me! Guess the joke's on me, ne?" Hiro just sat there shocked at Duo's last words. "Hiro how could you?!" Duo slapped the former Wing pilot. Hiro reacted instinctively and punched him on the face. He stared at the blood leaking from the other pilot's nose.
"Duo... I..." Hiro just couldn't get the words out.
"Get the Hell out, you bakayarou!" Duo pulled Hiro off the bed with such force, that they almost fell over.
Hiro quickly grabbed Duo to keep him from falling. For an intense moment, neither boy could say anything, then Hiro tried again. "Duo... forgive me... I..."
"Just get the fuck out! Here's your shit and there's the door!" Duo said throwing Hiro's duffel bag at him. Hiro caught it on instinct. Before he could say anything more, Duo had opened the door their apartment and shoved him outside.

Duo's life ended with a door slamming behind a lanky, short-haired boy dressed only on a white shirt and tuxedo pants. He hadn't expected that. He had hoped and wanted Hiro to yell, pound on the door and break it down. To yell at him, beg him to forgive him and show that he really did love him. He wanted him to do anything, but not that. Not just walk away without a single word, no goodbye.
Duo listlessly trudged back to the bed after staying by the door for an hour praying Hiro would return. He put on his pajama top and lay down to cry himself to sleep.
Duo had changed overnight. He completely ignored all calls from the others and started to pack. Without sending word to anyone, Duo snuck into where they were temporarily hiding the gundams and took off in Deathscythe.
Trowa and Quatre had found him weeks later on a remote colony beside the gundam rocking back and forth repeating Hiro's name over and over. Then as if someone had flipped a switch, Duo went completely silent and would remain silent for the next two months.

On the Earthbound shuttle, Quatre slept, his head on Duo's shoulder. Trowa smiled as he watched the two pilots sleep beside him. 'Quatre is really adorable when he's asleep,' he thought.
Suddenly a noise drew him out of his reveries. Next to him, Duo began whimpering, tears streaming form his closed eyes. 'Why now? Why would he make a noise after all this time of silence? Has he finally decided to come out of that shell he buried himself in?'
Duo's mouth began to move. "Hiro... Don't go..." Trowa almost jumped out of his seat when he heard the boy speak. Duo had started tossing and turning, waking Quatre. Trowa quickly shushed him indicating Duo was still asleep.
"A nightmare?" He nodded. Trowa gently drew Duo to his chest and held him tight, lest he hurt himself or Quatre in his thrashing.
"Hiro.." Duo sighed. Quatre stared in shock at the longhaired boy's sudden speech.
"Shh, little one. Let him sleep. Let him dream on for a little longer," Trowa said.
"It'll be all right Duo. We'll make it better," said Quatre brushing the hair from Duo's eyes. "Ne, Trowa?"
"Hai. We're here for you, Duo."
Duo calmed a few moments later and slept peacefully for the rest of the trip home.

As the weeks passed by, Duo slowly began to recover. He began to speak again, though only enough to get by. In fact, he said just about as much as Hiro ever did. However, Quatre was happy and relieved his friend talked again, no matter how little it was. Trowa was also glad, but also pained to see the longhaired pilot acting like a shell of his former self.
Duo and the other two pilots had gone sightseeing as soon as Duo began talking again, but Trowa could sense Duo's delight was only a show for him and Quatre. Trowa resolved to get to the bottom of it and he also wanted to comfort the obviously pained boy. Trowa was never really able to see any creature in any kind of pain, especially his Quatre and now Duo.
He went to Duo's room and stood nervously at the door hesitating to knock.
'Why am I so nervous? I just want to talk to him, to make things right,' he thought forcing himself to knock. No answer came.
Gently opening the door, Trowa walked in "Duo?" he called.
The room was dark, all the lights were turned off. Moonlight, the only source of light, streamed through the windows. On the bed sat Duo, knees drawn up to his chest and arms around them.
"Duo, what's wrong?" Trowa asked reaching for the light switch.
"Leave them off," Duo said in a weak voice. Trowa could see the telltale streaks of tears glistening in the moonlight. That did it, his heart wrenched in pain at the sight of the miserable boy crying in the dark. He left the switch and sat next to Duo on the bed.
"Tell me. What's wrong, Duo. We're here. I'm here." He wrapped an arm around the other boy's shoulders drawing him closer.
"I-I miss him," he said letting himself be pulled closer to the taller boy.
"I know." Trowa knew Duo had meant Hiro, the one who had turned him into a lifeless doll. He wanted nothing more than to seek him out and kill Hiro for what he'd done to his friend, but decided what Duo needed more was someone who truly cared for him not someone like Hiro who took what he wanted and left without a single farewell. "Duo, Hiro is gone. He won't come back. If he was going to, he would have come back by now."
"I know that, Trowa. But it's just too hard." Fresh tears fell on top of the already drying ones.
"I can't be him for you, Duo, but Quatre and I will always be here for you. You'll get over the pain eventually. Just try to move on, Duo. Things'll get better, you'll see."
Duo played with his braid trying not to cry anymore and failed. He turned and sobbed against Trowa's chest. "I miss him so much Trowa. He broke my heart and left me without even sayin' goodbye, but I can't stop loving him," he somehow managed to get out between sobs. It was the most he'd ever said in over two months.
Trowa rubbed Duo's back soothingly while recovering from the shock of hearing Duo say so much. "It's all right Duo. You have me now."
'Where'd that come from?!' Trowa thought. He had meant to say 'You have us now.' He loved Quatre not Duo. Didn't he? Was it possible for someone to love two people at the same time? He had kept his emotions locked away for so long; he had almost no experience in manners of the heart.
"N-nani?" Did Trowa say what he thought he said? Duo looked up at the other boy's face, eyes blurry from tears. Was Trowa blushing? "I-I thought you and Quatre were-"
"We are," Quatre said from the doorway, blushing. He turned on the lights.
"Quatre, how long have you been there?" Trowa asked, feeling guilty.
"It's all right Trowa. I know you have feelings for Duo. I-I have feelings for him too," he said blushing even redder.
"You too?" the taller boy said not believing they had the same feelings for the longhaired pilot. Quatre nodded then joined the boys on the bed.
"I don't mind sharing, Trowa. I know you still love me. I still love you too, but I can't deny what I feel for Duo anymore."
Duo was truly flabbergasted. Both of them were in love with him?! 'This has gotta be a dream. No way could they both be in love with me!' He suddenly found himself in a fierce hug from Quatre. "Oi! Quatre, I can't breathe!"
Quatre blushed then released Duo. Trowa chuckled, knowing what it was like to be a victim of Quatre's bear hugs. Quatre snuck a look at the Heavyarms pilot and was glad Trowa didn't mind sharing either.
"You guys are jokin' right? You're trying to cheer me up, right?"
"We're serious," Trowa said placing a hand on Duo's cheek wiping away what tears were left.
He flinched. "I don't think I can handle another relationship."
"We're not forcing you to, Duo. We can wait until you feel you're ready," Quatre said.
"Just remember we'll always be here," Trowa added.
Duo looked from one pilot to the other then said, "Geez, you really are serious." They both nodded.
"It's late I'm going to bed," said Quatre rising from the bed. "We're always your friends, Duo. No matter what happens we'll always be here for you. So cheer up, ne?" Quatre flashed him one of those smiles that Trowa always loved.
"I-I'll try," replied Duo.
After Quatre left and closed the door, Duo turned back to Trowa. "Trowa, I don't remember the past few months so well, but I kept getting this memory of someone holdin' me and tellin' me everything'll be O.K. Was that you?"
He nodded. "On the shuttle from the sanitarium, you had a nightmare. I was sitting next to you, so I did what I thought would stop it."
Duo smiled, a true smile, the first in all this time. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," Trowa said, blushing.
"Trowa, ya think you can hold me again? I'm tired. I-I'd like someone to keep those damned nightmares away." Now it was Duo's turn to blush.
Trowa's heart stopped. Did that mean Duo was willing to give him and Quatre a try? "If it's what you really want," he said looking at the still blushing pilot. Duo nodded.
Trowa gently laid Duo down on the bed next to him. "Get some sleep, Duo," he said wrapping his arms around him.
Instinctively, Duo pressed back against him, letting Trowa's body warm him. 'This feels so like Hiro,' he thought closing his eyes. 'His arms, feel just as strong and gentle as Hiro when he held me like this.' Before what he knew was doing, Duo rolled onto his side and pulled Trowa into his arms. With his eyes closed, he placed a light hesitant kiss on the other boy's lips. "G'night Trowa."
Trowa smiled once the shock wore off. Duo was finally on the road to true recovery. The love of his friends and his newly discovered love for them would help speed the healing process. Soon Duo would be his old self.
Trowa tightened his grip slightly and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, Duo peacefully snoring away in his arms.

When the doorbell rang, Duo rushed to answer it, expecting Wufei. The Chinese boy had disappeared like Hiro shortly after the war, still pretty shaken over having killed Treize. Just as suddenly, he had contacted Quatre. He had missed his former friends and wished to drop by for a visit.
The longhaired boy had been fidgeting all day and jumped at every ring of the telephone or doorbell. When it had failed to be Wufei, he would plop back down on his seat, dejected. Trowa and Quatre tried to make their fidgety friend feel better, but once Duo got his mind set on something, it was virtually impossible for him to sit still.
"Oi Wu-man, it's about time ya got here! We've been waitin' all morning!" he said as he opened the door. he froze when saw the figure standing on the front porch.
"Hello, Duo," Hiro said only to have the door slammed in his face yet again.
Upon hearing the door slam, Trowa and Quatre ran to see what was wrong. Duo just stood there, face pale as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Duo are you all right?" Trowa asked, wrapping his arms around the former Shinigami pilot. No response came from the longhaired boy. "Duo?"
Quatre not one used to being impolite, opened the door to apologize to whoever had their face smacked with a door. All four boys stood still. Duo was still in shock while Trowa glared at the dark haired boy and Quatre tried not to hit him.
Hiro winced seeing that he wasn't exactly welcome. He had no idea what had happened to Duo after the breakup, but judging by his former lover's reaction it wasn't pretty.
"What are you doing here?" Trowa asked, definitely not too happy to see the former Wing pilot.
"There's trouble," was all Hiro said, noticing how the taller boy was holding Duo protectively in his arms.
"You show up here and expect me to take you back just because we're needed?!" Duo yelled, finally getting over the initial shock.
"Duo, I'm sorry," Hiro started.
"Well, I'm not! You're the one who wanted to break it off!"
"Duo --" Quatre started to say, wanting to prevent a fight breaking out on his doorstep.
"Leave," Trowa warned. "If you still need our help, contact us the way you always have, through email."
Hiro was shocked. Trowa had never once said so much since he'd known him. "Aa," he said not willing to fight his friends. "I'm really sorry Duo," Hiro said before turning to go, "I hope you'll forgive me someday."

A few miles from Quatre's home, Wufei shook his head not believing he'd just seen Hiro Yui sitting on a park bench typing at his laptop, a tear falling from his eye onto the keyboard. He would have gone and asked him what was wrong, but he was late enough as it was. Besides it wasn't any of his business anyway.

Once Duo had calmed down a little and stopped crying, Trowa carried the emotionally exhausted pilot back up to their room and lay him down on the bed. "'rowa?" the longhaired boy asked sleepily.
"Daijoubu, Duo. Just try to get some sleep." The taller boy brushed the bangs from Duo's face.
"Why did he have to show up? I was just getting used to having you 'n' Quatre around and now --" Duo's slender body began to shake from the unwanted sobs.
"Shh, it's all right," Trowa said gathering him into his arms and rubbing soothing circles on his back. "We're not going to let go Duo." The former Heavyarms pilot sat there for several more minutes until it seemed the violet eyed boy had finally fallen asleep. He was about to leave the room when Duo called from the bed as he drifted off.
"Aishiteru, Trowa."
"Mo aishiteru," he whispered back, blushing slightly. "I'll let you know when Wufei gets here." Trowa then silently closed the door leaving the longhaired angel of a boy get some much needed rest.

~Owari~