Okay! So maybe college life ate me for the last.. 9 months? okay.. maybe 10, I dunno, either way, here I am with a little bit more for you at last! And as my Exams and lessons areall done I might actually be able to get some posts up more regularly! lol

Well, here's to hoping anyway! Whee!
Hope this chapter is enjoyable! Standard disclaimers apply! Plot mine! The characters, sadly not! Ah well!

It was around one in the morning when Heero finally finished his letter. It always took him hours to compose a fitting letter to Relena. It was not a task he particularly enjoyed. But any mission, even one he had set himself had to be completed, with perfection.

Folding the letter neatly, he tucked it safely away into a brown envelope, and pealed away the layer that protected the gum, and folded the seal down. "Done." He muttered to himself, tucking the letter into his laptop case, he would post it on his way to work the next day.

Running a hand though his hair once, he got to his feet, stretched and made his way across the living room, out into the small hallway, and over to Duos door. Carefully, and silently he opened the door and stepped into the room, closing the door just as silently behind him. He remained still and silent, just on the inside of the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness that was Duos room.

Thick black curtains covered the window, and the walls and ceiling had all been painted black as well. Even the carpet was black. It was a very eerie room when no one was home, with all the lights off you could barely see an inch in front of your nose.

Even with Heero's 20/20 and then some vision, it still took him a minute to adjust. When he was finally able to see clearly, he sighed and shook his head… He'd done it again.

Three long strides and he cleared the gap between him and his target. One Duo Maxwell, who was slumped asleep on the floor, by his mirror. And there was blood on his arm again.

Heero frowned. Duo didn't know that Heero came to check on him every night, but it was something Heero had always done. Every time they stayed in a safe house together, every time the slept in the same outside camp, and every night since the end of the wars, he snuck into Duo's room every night, just to make sure all was safe and well.

With great care, Heero leant down and slipped his arms under the crumpled form of the sleeping ex-Gundam pilot, and lifted him up off the floor, cradling him carefully against him. "I'm sorry Duo-Kun…" he murmured, just standing and holding the light form against him for a while, "I know I make you hurt. I know this is entirely my fault. I just want you to stop loving me… I need you to stop loving me, because then I will have no reason to love you Duo, I cant love you. I do, but I cant, why can't you understand that…"

There was desperation in Heeros tone as he laid Duo carefully down on his bed. But of course, the sleeping man would never answer him, because, unless Duo was asleep, Heero found himself totally unable to ask him, or talk to him about anything.

Duo groaned quietly, his head shifting out of the pillow as he rolled his body fully over. There was an obnoxious ray of sunlight that, no matter where he moved just wouldn't allow itself to be moved away from his face. It seemed utterly determined to wake him up, and with a sigh escaping the slightly down turned lips of the ex Deathscythe pilot, it finally succeeded.

"Goddamn Sun." He muttered as he pushed himself up again, his arm was throbbing painfully as he moved, and as usual he regretted his actions the night before, but at the same time he thanked anyone that happened to be listening for the stinging sensation, as it still served as a reminder that he was still there, holding on to life. It was a bittersweet realisation, but a realisation none the less.

With a deep sigh Duo finally hauled himself up out of the bed, groaning quietly again at the aches in his legs and back. Oh well, that's what he got for falling asleep on the… floor… wait a second. He was absolutely certain that he remembered falling asleep on the ground in front of the mirror… how had he gotten to bed in the end… unless.

Would Heero really have moved him? What would he have been doing in his room? Was there actually any chance that Heero would actually have done that for him?

He wasn't so sure.

But that was really beside the point wasn't it? He had things to do today, like having a shower, washing his hair and then getting dressed, all very important and totally necessary things. He also had to work out just what he was going to be doing for the next twelve days… Hire a suit and work out exactly what he was supposed to do as best man.

He felt another pang inside at the memory of what he had agreed to do the day before. He was going to be Heero's best man, and he really needed to know what he was going to have to do, as if he was going to do it, he was going to have to do it right. He couldn't let Heero down, there was just no way he could risk letting him down.

Duo took his time in the bathroom, when he finally left he was fully washed and groomed, and the bathroom itself smelt very strongly of peppermint. It was a rather nice smell in Duo's opinion, fresh and clean, and altogether not a bad thing to smell of really. He made his way back to his room with his black towel tied around his middle, his hair twisted up on his head in a rather unexpected pastel green towel, it was one of those towels that you aren't really convinced you actually bought for yourself, and your roommate insists he didn't buy either… and you cant really be sure if any of your friends who have crashed before would actually confess to owning it either, particularly with the lovely pale pink flower pattern that ran all along one edge of it... But oh well. When you have long wet hair, any big towel will do.

A while, a few minutes surfing the net and a short entry in his diary later Duo was finally out of his room and heading down toward the kitchen, and the phone.

He yawned as he walked, he felt hungry, but he didn't really feel up to eating. He'd not really been eating well recently, just a little bit here and there, as he'd been feeling almost permanently sick; it had been that way since Heero had told him about Relena. It was probably just a reflex, like the one that makes you gag. He'd lost a fair amount of weight thanks to it as well, but his baggy choice of clothes kept it hidden.

Heero was in the kitchen when Duo got in there, and he looked over at the braided man with a raised eyebrow.

"Relena's coming over in about half an hour." He said, and Duo had to restrain the sigh that he felt…
"Wonderful." He managed to reply… he'd have to wait to call Quatre and Trowa then. Oh well. Sacrifices would just have to be made.

"She said she wanted to talk to you about being the best man or something, something about making sure you knew what you were doing."

Duo shook his head slowly.

"I'm not a dumb-ass Heero. I know what I'm doing. I even made a list alright!" He seemed awfully offended by the fact she thought he didn't know what he was doing.

"I gotta make sure I have the ring, I gotta make you have some lucky charm, I gotta make sure you don't go back to the house after you've left it… not that you'll be coming back here again after you've left it…"
Heero felt his insides curl up slightly at the look on Duo's face as he said that, He hated what he was putting the American though, he hated the looks of pain on his face… he hated what he knew Duo would be doing after he went to bed tonight, crying and hurting himself. All he wanted to do was take him in his arms, tell him everything was all right and tell him he really loved him. But he couldn't do that, he just had to keep things level, he couldn't go changing the way he behaved, and being with Duo would do just that.

Duo himself had just carried on talking…

"Gotta run your stag do, gotta go to the parties, gotta wear a suit like you're wearing so that… ah it said something about keeping the evil sprits confused… oh, and I gotta help you and… Relena out with anything you need before the big day, you name it... I'll help you out with it." He looked up at Heero, his eyes oh so sad, he couldn't help it, and he couldn't keep the pain out of them. It was just how he felt.

"But no sweat." He added, "I'll play nice." With that he turned again, and decided that he'd just go wait in his room until Relena got there. Being around Heero was just too painful.

Heero watched as Duo left again, walking steadily back down the hallway and he fixed his eyes on the floor. Why did he have to feel so guilty? He'd never felt like that before, and it just affirmed his point that he and Duo… well, Duo was just able to change the way he was so… drastically that he really couldn't let that happen. He wasn't used to this new life, this quiet life where things were easy, and he couldn't risk getting so used to things, letting his guard down and then having things fall down around his ankles because he wasn't prepared. No. He just couldn't. And keeping Relena around him would help to keep all the walls up fairly easily.

"And that's what I need you to do for me Duo!" Relena trilled happily as Duo sat opposite her at the small kitchen table, looking absolutely, well, dazed.

Relena had just informed him that with a grand total of eleven more days to go until the wedding she hadn't managed to get more than half of the necessary invites out, or even written, and desperately needed his help in doing so as quickly as possible.

They also needed his help in two days time, for three days in a row to work as a waiter at the three wedding parties they were having, and as the requirements of being the best man only meant that he had to be at the party, and working there would work just as well!

She also requested that he pop across town to book them a car, oh, and while he was there could he please pick up Heero's suit and her dress, but make sure not to let Heero see the dress!
Duo nodded mutely, yeah… he'd seen this coming, and she'd waited until Heero had gone out to pick up the cake until she started asking him for things, and she knew that he wouldn't ask Heero about it either.

"Sure Relena. I'll get it done for you." He sighed, Relena smiled.

"Oh and Duo?" He looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Could you help us out with the Table plan as well, I think Heero's handling that so I'm sure he wont mind you helping him out a little… being his… best friend and all, and the best man."

At that point Heero came back home, and Relena was up from the table like a shot, and attaching herself to Heero again. Duo found himself leaving the kitchen and heading for the sanctuary of his room. He needed a break; this was more than he could bear, he did however make a point of snagging the cordless phone off of the hook in the kitchen and taking it with him, at least he could call the others.

He really needed to talk to them right now, or he might do something he'd really regret.

Three hours later Duo heard a quiet knock on his door. He'd called Quatre, and thusly Trowa as well seeing as the two had proved to be more than inseparable and he'd told the small blonde everything, literally everything. And Quatre had of course been mortified and had vowed that he had Trowa would come and visit as soon as they could, and promised they'd try to think of something that could be done to help him out. A later call with Wufei had produced similar results, along with a copious use of the word 'injustice'.

He did however sigh, and call out a "Come in," at the knock on his door, lounging out on his bed. Heero opened the door a moment or two later, and it sung open with a low creak, Duo really needed to remember to put some oil on the hinges at some point.

He sat up at the sight of his friend however and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ne Heero? What can I do for you?" he asked quietly, looking up at the Japanese man slightly. It was so hard to just see him like this all the time.

Heero smiled slightly
"Thanks for today." He said quietly.

"I know… you wont every get along with Relena but, thank you for trying…"

Duo just sighed.

"Its nothing Heero. Its really nothing at all." He looked down at the floor to the side of his bed,

"I mean, you are my best friend after all, so its to be expected that we ask each other favours now and again." He smiled, waving a hand at Heero, trying to keep a happy smile on his face.

"I'm just gonna get some sleep now I think, talking to Quat tired me out." He grinned at tossed the phone at Heero.
"Shut the light off for me Hee-Chan…" He rolled over and half smothered his face in the pillow, trying to hide the face he was about twelve seconds away from tears..
"Night…" He croaked.

Heero shook his head

"Night Duo." He mumbled, he wasn't entirely sure what he had gone in to do really, just to see Duo he guessed. This wasn't exactly easy on him either, but he knew his own problems were not a patch on Duo's.

With a flick of his hand he turned the light and stepped out of the room, easily able to hear the muffled sobs through the door.

"Shit." He muttered as he walked away. This was a horrible mess.

Rawr! I Hope you all enjoyed that!

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