Summary: Duo comes home sick and Heero wants to help him get better.
Dedication: To my dear friend TKMaxwell, in hopes that you too get well soon!
Get Well Soon
"Heero?" Duo hoarsely called out as the bedroom door quietly creaked open, even the minute sound sent searing pain through his fevered head and he shielded his eyes from the light that poured through the door from the hall.
Duo had come home feeling a bit strange. His throat was a bit scratchy but he wrote it off as just being tired from a long days work. As he threw his keys on the kitchen counter, though, a dull pain started in his head. Heero had looked up from his place at the table that sat off to the side in time to see the braided boy wince. He slowly restarted tapping away at his laptop but kept and ever watchful eye on his partner.
Since the war had ended; both Heero and Duo had joined the Preventers in hopes of finding a place in the world. Having no family to speak of, it was only natural that they moved into an apartment together, between being partners at work and best friends to boot. Living together of course brought it difficulties such as whenever Heero would decide to go on a cleaning spree or when Duo would bring home some strange man from another club that Heero refused to go to.
For some reason it always pained Heero to hear the sounds that came from the former Death Scythe pilots room late at night when he was most definitely in the arms of a strange man. Many times he would quietly leave the apartment and walk around the block a few times, continuing his circuit until the stranger's car was gone. On many occasions he wondered why it bothered him so much but no matter how close to an answer he seemed, it always remained elusive.
Now as he sat typing; he was well aware of Duo's failing condition. The boy looked pale, his eyes hallow with dark bags under them and when he sat down at the table and proceeded to tear open a granola bar; Heero could feel the unusual heat pouring off the braided boy. When Duo let out horribly guttural sounding cough, Heero closed his laptop.
"You ok, baka?"
"You sure know how to sound concerned," Ah the mighty Maxwell humor, even when he was under the weather he was sharp.
"Why don't I make us some soup," Heero stood and crossed to the cupboards to start digging out a can of chicken noodles, the perfect cure for any cold, "Go relax on the couch."
"But I have a report to type," Duo weakly protested, "HQ wants it by tomorrow."
"They will just have to wait then," Heero stated matter-o-factly, "Now move it before I have to drag you outta here."
Not having the energy to argue anymore, Duo stood and trudged into the living room of their small apartment. He had always loved the fact that no matter what, Heero looked after him. Duo was known to push himself too hard and, surprisingly, it was the former 'Perfect Soldier' who told him to relax and recuperate. The braided boy loved so many things about his best friend and roommate, the only thing he didn't love was the fact that, as compassionate as the brown haired boy had become, he still didn't show any signs of loving him back the way Duo wished he would. He always heard Heero sneak out whenever he'd bring a stranger home with him. The braided boy would quickly lose interest after that, thinking that the reason Heero left was out of disgust, thusly dashing his hopes of the possibility that the stoic boy would one day be the one making him utter such sounds.
Grabbing the afghan Quatre had given them as a house warming gift off the back of the couch; Duo decided his head hurt too much to turn on the television. Instead he settled on listening to the muffled sounds of Heero as he filled a pot with the canned soup and heated it up on the stove. The braided boy had nearly dozed off when Heero came in bearing two steaming bowls of Chicken Noodle soup.
"Eat up," The former Wing pilot smiled as he handed Duo one of the bowls. He made sure Duo had at least four spoonfuls before he too began to eat.
When the two had finished, Heero took the dishes out to the kitchen and returned with two glasses of orange juice and some blue pills which he handed to Duo along with one of the glasses. Duo swallowed the pills and chugged the juice, its acidy burn feeling good in his scratchy throat. Feeling the need to sleep suddenly overtake him, Duo made to get up but quickly fell back onto the couch, suffering from slight vertigo.
Heero caught him as he fell back, "Duo?"
"Sorry, He-Chan," Duo tried to smirk but it came out more like a grimace, "Lost my balance is all."
Upon trying to stand again, he found the result was no different and again the braided boy crashed back down onto the couch, "Guess I'll just sleep here then."
"Oh no you don't," Heero reprimanded him and quickly scooped the frail looking Duo up in his arms so as to give the other boy no time to struggle.
Even if he had wanted too though; Duo didn't have the energy or drive to fight the strong arms that wrapped around him. Instead he lazily wrapped his own arms around Heero's neck so as to help support his weight as the cobalt eyed boy navigated towards Duo's bedroom. Upon finding the room impassable due to the mess however; Heero quickly made a sharp turn and ducked into his own bedroom, gently laying the braided boy down. He helped Duo pull off his shirt as the boy kicked off his pants, complaining about the heat. After seeing his friend finally resting; Heero snuck out and quietly shut the door.
Duo's head was swimming with fever and he tossed and turned amidst dark dreams. He could smell Heero all around him, that warm smell that the brown haired boy had to him permeated the air and Duo tried to recall the feeling of being held by those strong arms. He tried to imagine them fighting off the nightmares and wrapping themselves around him so as to protect him from any harm. Suddenly he was cold, though his body had been on fire moments before. He missed the warmth and wanted his body to be pressed into Heero's warming presence. Duo's fever was spiking and his head was pounding, he couldn't help but whimper the first word that came to mind, pleading for release, for sanctuary.
Heero had sat out on the couch deep in thought. Carrying Duo and laying him down on his bed had brought back those nagging thoughts that hovered around him whenever he would go out walking alone. For some reason it felt so right to be so close to the braided boy. As he mulled over these strange thoughts and feelings; he was suddenly jarred into awareness by the sound of Duo tussling around and pitifully crying out his name. Something snapped in the stoic boy, some realization had just occurred and he jumped up to see to his friend.
"Heero?" Duo hoarsely called out as the bedroom door quietly creaked open, even the minute sound sent searing pain through his fevered head and he shielded his eyes from the light that poured through the door from the hall.
Heero quickly shut the door behind him so as to keep the light out, "Yeah it's me."
"I'm cold."
"Well get under the blankets, baka," Heero was attempting to scold the braided boy but couldn't help but smirk and thusly pulled back the sheets so that Duo could crawl underneath.
As Heero was tucking in his sick roommate, he felt the heat from Duo had increased dramatically. Sitting down on the bed quickly; the brown haired boy placed his hand onto the braided boy's forehead and nearly tore it back, the heat was so intense. Duo, however, took the opportunity to curl up against Heero in a fevered attempt to drive away the pain he felt. Heero worriedly looked down at the former Death Scythe pilot as he burrowed under the blankets and halfway into Heero's own lap. His answer, though, had come to him and this wasn't it. As he pulled away, Duo moaned in complaint.
"I'm not going anywhere," Heero reassured him as he peeled off his own shirt and, undoing the button that held them up, let his pants fall to the floor.
Lifting up the edge of the blankets, Heero slid underneath and pressed his body firmly against Duo's. After a few moments sweat began to form on Duo's skin signaling the fever was beginning to break but still Heero did not pull away. Instead he lay there, his arms wrapped tightly around his friend, fending off the cold that came not only from without but also from within.
When Duo stopped shivering, he turned his head slightly, "Why do I have to be sick our first time spooning?"
"Shut up," Heero smirked and leaned down to kiss Duo, but the braided boy recoiled.
"Don't," he protested, "you'll get sick too!"
"Well then you can take care of me for a change," Heero smirked and, with Duo's unspoken consent, leaned down and closed the gap between them.
The room was hot from the heat that had poured off of Duo in his fevered state. Both boys had sweat and aside from the slight smell, they were sticking to the sheets as well as each other. But none of that mattered. The kiss was pure, filled with realization that Duo loved Heero and, to both their surprises, Heero loved Duo back completely. As they ended the kiss and continued to lay close together, body's melding in the lovers spoon, Heero whispered softly into Duo's ear.
"Get Well Soon."