After getting Duo settled down as well as she could, Elizabeth headed back to the school dorms. She took a deep breath, wiped away the remnants of her tears, and knocked on the door to Heero and Duo's room.
Heero opened the door a crack. "What do you want now?"
"I came to pick up Duo's stuff. You know, clothes, hairbrush, that sort of thing."
"Why?" Heero looked unconvinced.
"So he can take a goddamn shower and have clean clothes to put on afterward! Just the basics are enough for now, I can always come back later." Anger, she thought. At least it's better than crying.
Heero threw open the door and grabbed her arm. "What? Where is he?" His eyes were desperate.
Ow. She yanked her arm away and rubbed at the sore spot. Maybe he does give a damn. "It's none of your business where he is. You didn't seem to care so much a couple days ago, I don't see why you should start now. Just give me his stuff. I still have to stop at the pharmacy on the way back." Elizabeth pushed past Heero and went into the small dorm bathroom. "If you don't tell me which stuff is his, I'll just take it all."
"You will tell me where he is." It was a command.
"Fine. I'll tell you, and you pack up his stuff. Deal?"
Heero glared at her.
"He's at my parents' place. They're gone most of the year, so it's completely empty," Elizabeth said, "There, I told you. Good luck finding it. They don't even have the same last name as I do. Now show me his stuff."
Heero continued his glare.
Elizabeth started to pale. Facing that glare was worse than facing his gun a few days ago. "Look, I'll take you there, if he wants to see you. Right now, he needs to get cleaned up and have his injuries treated. Please?"
Heero finally relented. Elizabeth quickly threw together an overnight bag, with all essentials and a couple changes of clothes, and left.
Heero stared at the door in silence for a few moments, and then quietly followed her out.
Duo slowly woke up from a drugged sleep. "Heero….Heero, where…?"
"Shhh." A hand stroked his forehead. "Lie still, your ribs are still healing."
Duo reached to touch the figure. "Heero…Heero! When did you grow boobs?"
"I'm not Heero, Duo. It's Liz."
"Oh, okay." Duo tried to make his sluggish brain remember what was going on. That's right, it was Liz that got me out of that base. But…"Wait!" Duo tried to sit up. "Ow! Dammit! How did you…?"
"Don't hurt yourself worse! Lie back down, and I'll tell you." Elizabeth explained her hobby, how she had found out about him being captured, Heero's refusal to help her, and how she had hacked into the system at the base to get him out.
"Where is Heero? Is he okay?" Duo looked worried.
"He's probably at the school, and he's fine. Not a scratch on him," Elizabeth replied bitterly. "I don't know what you see in him, all I see is a selfish, uncaring bastard." She sighed. "Are you hungry? I could go make some soup or something."
"Sure! I'm always hungry!"
Elizabeth smiled and headed off towards the kitchen.
Duo lay back among the pillows and tried to take stock of the situation. He was clean, and his burns and scrapes seemed to all be bandaged and healing. His chest was wrapped up to support his broken ribs. He was wearing one of his pairs of black silk pajamas. His hair had been washed too, brushed, but not re-braided. He didn't come for me. Tears welled up in his eyes. I know why, but…it still hurts. He heard a click from across the room. Duo managed to turn his head far enough to see the window open. Someone slid in through the now-opened window. He couldn't see the figure's face, but the overall shape was utterly familiar. "Heero? Is that you?"
"Duo?" The figure rushed over to the bedside. "Duo," Heero said, looking as concerned as Duo had ever seen him, "You're okay."
"Ow, careful please, broken ribs," Duo gently wiggled out of Heero's embrace and settled back against the pillows. He looked up into Heero's eyes. They were brighter than normal, full of worry, love, and unshed tears. "I'm okay, really. Just don't squish me," Duo said, smiling.
"I wanted…I wanted to come get you, but…"
"I know. The 'Perfect Soldier' still can't put love in front of duty," Duo's voice dropped, and he looked away. "I understand. You don't have to explain."
Footsteps sounded down the hallway, and then Elizabeth walked into the room carrying a tray. She stopped when she saw Heero. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I followed you," he said.
She glared at him. Heero glared back. Duo interrupted. "Okay. No killing each other today please. I'm hungry, tired, and in pain. How about I eat my soup, take some more drugs, and then when I wake up, both of you are still alive? That sounds good, right? Humor the injured one."
When Duo woke up again, the room was empty. "Heero? Liz? Anyone there?"
Elizabeth walked in. "Hey there. How're you feeling?"
"Well, you know. Still hurts, but better than I was." Duo frowned. "What about you?"
"Same. Couple new nightmares, but I'm better than I was."
"Is Heero still here?"
"No. He said he had a mission."
"Oh." Duo looked crestfallen.
"Duo, I don't get it." Elizabeth sat down on the edge of the bed. "He was going to leave you there. I thought he was your friend. How could someone abandon a friend like that? You're not even angry with him, are you?"
"We're both soldiers. A good soldier cannot put love before duty. And Heero's never been anything but a soldier. He doesn't know how to do anything else."
"What about you?"
"Hey, I never said I was a good soldier, did I?" Duo smiled. "I don't know if I can explain it any better than that. Can I have some more of that soup?"
"Sure." Elizabeth brought him some more soup. As Duo ate, she brushed out his hair and re-braided his it. Duo relaxed into it. Mmm, it feels so nice. Normally he wouldn't let anyone but Heero touch his braid. Well, it's not like I can do it myself right now, he thought. Besides, it takes my mind off the pain.
"There you go!" Elizabeth finished off the braid. "Feeling more like yourself now?"
"Yep. Thanks."
A couple weeks passed. Duo's burns were completely healed, and while his ribs were not, the pain had at least started to ebb. The house was a small pocket of peace and safety, and he could almost pretend the rest of the world did not exist. He and Elizabeth sat outside, enjoying a pleasant afternoon. The spring sun was warm, but a cool breeze still held the last taste of winter. They rested beneath a tall oak tree next to the back porch. Duo sighed and leaned back against the trunk. He closed his eyes as the breeze played through his bangs. He glanced over to where Elizabeth sat, arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees, the wind pushing her hair away from her face. Her glasses had slipped down to the tip of her nose again. He had a sudden urge to push them back up.
Duo crawled over and sat in front of Elizabeth. She looked up and smiled. He reached forward and took her glasses off, setting them down in the grass. Duo looked into her puzzled eyes, for the first time able to really see them. Brown. He tapped her nose with one finger and grinned. "You lied," he said.
"What?" She looked even more confused.
"When we met, you said you weren't pretty. You lied."
A flush spread across her cheeks. "No, I'm not," she said. "The are tons of girls-" She stopped as Duo ran a hand across her cheek, tucking her hair behind an ear. He leaned forward, and when she didn't pull away, gently kissed her. He moved back a few inches to see her face. He saw surprise, confusion, but no anger. Her blush was even brighter.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"No, that's alright. I mean, um," she stammered, "I've never been kissed by a guy before, that's all."
"Well then, I suppose we'll have to fix that," he flirted, and began to lean forward again.
The phone rang from within the house. Duo paused. It rang again. And again.
"I guess I'd better go answer it," Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, I guess so," Duo sighed, and sat back down. He watched her as she got up and walked back in.
She didn't recognize the voice. "Hi, is Duo there?"
"Umm, hold on a minute."
"Okay."
Elizabeth set down the phone, and walked out onto the porch. "Hey Duo," she called, "It's for you."
"Really?" Duo got up from under the tree and came in. Elizabeth sat down and listened to his end of the conversation
"Hello?....Oh, hey Quatre, what's up buddy?....Really?....Yeah, I should be okay….As long as I don't get knocked around too hard….Is he?....Yeah, sounds like him, alright….Okay, meet you there then….Bye."
He looked over to Elizabeth, sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. "Well, looks like I've got to go."
"Why?"
"Got a mission. The guys need me."
"But, Duo, your ribs, you're not healed yet. How can fight like that? You'll get killed!" Her eyes filled with tears. "Don't you want to stay here?"
He reached down and wiped a tear off her cheek, and looked around at the place that had been his safe haven for the last few weeks. So innocent, he thought. So beautiful, but so innocent. "I would love to stay here with you," he said.
She looked up.
"But duty calls." He laughed, short and bitter. "I guess I'm a better soldier than I thought."
"I don't understand."
"I know." Understanding would destroy that innocence. It's too precious in this world. I do not want to be the one to destroy it. Even if I could stay here… "You deserve better than Death, anyway." He sighed, and kissed the rest of the tears off her cheeks. "Don't cry, I'm not worth it." Duo smiled. "Besides, you should be glad to get rid of me! Look what a pain in the ass I've been! You save my butt, and how do I repay you? Getting guns pointed at you, moping around in your house, eating all your food, making you miss classes. I mean, come on, I'm a pest!"
Elizabeth laughed. "I suppose that's true."
"See now, that's better."
"Promise me you'll be careful?"
Duo nodded. "I will. And you be careful too. Don't get caught with that hacking stuff. I'll give you a call if we ever need some good inside info." He winked.
Duo packed up his stuff that afternoon. Elizabeth watched him. "For what it's worth," he said as he was getting ready to go, "I'm really sorry. I wish…"
Elizabeth cut him off, "It's okay. I know I don't really understand, but…I can almost see it. And it's a part of you, so, you go on. Do what you have to do." She playfully tugged his braid, and smiled. "Just give me a hug before you leave."
He did.