Happy summer vacation to everyone! Time to write fics and time to make your readers happy! That's what summer vacation means. And of course you can't forget all the cons in the summer! Cons and festivals and Larps! I love larping!

Yes, I'm back so soon with yet another chapter. I got on a computer and thought that why not? And why not, I ask again. This fic is fun to write!

This time we meet Sally Po, the trusted, and only, doctor in Stonebridge Town. Please love her as much as I do. She'd be an awesome mother!

The Prince, the Hero and the Mystery of the Falcon

Chapter 9: Unanswered question

Heero was about to turn around and return to the living room once he had Duo secured to the bed, but a delicate hand reached up and held him back.

"Stay for a while, please?" Duo's huge eyes were open and Heero was sure he would drown into them if he'd keep staring into them even a while longer. He still couldn't deny Duo what he had asked so he sat down on the bedside.

"If I recall correctly, you were supposed to be unconscious." He didn't have the heart to be mad at the boy. After all, he was only relieved that he was okay, for now at least. Duo winked coyly at him.

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't", he chuckled, before shifting into a better position to look at his older companion. "Tell me something, Heero..."

"Hn?"

"I've been wondering this ever since I met you. What color are your eyes? Are they black? Or brown?" Heero shook his head, but surrended under the adorable pout he received.

"Blue."

He closed his eyes when Duo's hand reached to trace over them. When the hand fell down on the bed again he had to squash his disappointment.

"Wow", Duo whispered in awe. "They must be amazing..."

Heero allowed himself to smile. Then he too took a more comfortable position.

"When I was little, my mother used to say I was lucky to have eyes like that. She said I had a whole universe in my eyes. Shetold meshe saw an ocean in them, with sapphires glittering on the bottom of it, and a touch of summer sky."

Duo stared at the man with wonder. The eyes that were usually so avoid of emotion were suddenly ...deep and full of ...something, even in their black and white state. He suddenly prayed even harder that he'd get them out of the book. He wanted so badly to see Heero in the colorful world... Heero blushed when he took in the boy's look.

"My mother wrote poets. She was a bit like you, all open and happy."

"Heero..." Duo started, but closed his mouth. What could he say to that? The hero of the book referred him to his mother.

They sat in silence for some time, before (surprise, surprise!) Heero broke it.

"What about you?" Duo was startled out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"What color are your eyes?" It was Heero's turn to trace his fingertips over those eyes that he was afraid to look into from time to time. They closed at the contact before opening again.

"Violet." His eyes widened. Surely the boy was kidding?

"That's not logical", he frowned. "No one has violet eyes."

Duo burst into laugh. Heero's face was so hilarious at the moment.

"Who said anything in me is logical?" he asked pointedly. "But I have violet eyes. Maybe you'd say they're some weird shade of blue if you really went down to the core. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. But I still like to think I'm some weird mutation, you know? One of a kind. A boy with purple eyes!" He winked. "Hilde hearts them."

Heero froze at the name. Suddenly he felt ...jealous? No, there was no way he'd be jealous of Duo!

"Your girlfriend?" he asked expressionlessly. Duo stared at him, before laughing again.

"What? No! She's my best friend." Duo stack his tong out. "She's really not dating material."

Heero couldn't suppress a sigh of relief.

"Do you have one?" Duo crossed his eyes.

"No, I don't have one." He smiled funnily not looking at Heero. "Still waiting for 'the one' to fall from the sky..." He shot a little embarrassed look to the man on his side and started fiddling with his braid. "Speaking of Hilde... I'm pretty sure she has the book now."

Heero grew dead serious.

"What makes you think so?"

"Remember Cathy downstairs and the 'Doo-di-di-Duo?'" Duo grimaced. Heero nodded. "That was Hilde's doing. I think she's somehow writing to the book." Heero frowned.

"Are you sure? Cathy does have a habit of saying things like that." Duo shot him a glare.

"I'm sure. No one, and I repeat no one, pisses me off this badly." Heero smiled. Duo kept playing with his braid. "Heero..." he murmured.

"Hn?"

"Why did you kiss me yesterday?"

Heero choked and opened his mouth to say something. Unfortunately, the door was pushed open at the exact moment, revealing a tall woman in a doctor's outfit.

"I'm Here!" she announced in Broadway fashion, winking like the flirtiest actor. Then she paused to take in the room and its two occupants. "Oh, hi Heero."

"Hn."

Heero was shocked by the question. He literally escaped the room to keep watch outside.

"A man of many words as ever, I see", the doctor smiled before turning to her patient. "Hello, I'm Sally Po, the only doctor in this crappy town. Nice to meet you."

Duo took the offered hand, his eyes remaining on the door that had closed seconds ago.

"Duo Maxwell, and I'm not a girl", he murmured distractedly. The doctor laughed merrily.

"Oh, I can see that. Give me some credit, will you? I'm a doctor and a woman!"

Duo grinned suddenly his whole attention on the woman. "You're a gift from Heaven, a lifesaver, a true saint, doctor Po!" he announced. "I thought I'm doomed to be mistaken as a girl for the rest of my life! It was a nightmare!" He paused, giving the woman a playfully considering look. "Are you married?"

Sally chuckled.

"No, but you're not my type." She winked at him. "And I'm not your type either, am I right? I think Heero's more your type. I understood you fell off the stairs?"

"Yeah, Cathy made me walk in high heels. I'm telling you, guy's are not meant to be walking around in women's shoes." Duo let the woman help his shirt off. "What do you mean Heero's more my type?"

He felt a little cold in the room but said nothing about it.

"I saw the way you were looking at him. Take a deep breathe, please." Sally pressed something cold to his back. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something by bursting in like that. I didn't expect him to be here." Duo blushed but shook his head then sadly.

"It wasn't anything important." He sighed. "I don't have a chance with him. I don't even know if I wanna chance with him. It's all so confusing..." He paused.

"Either way, he likes me because I look like a girl. I wish I didn't, it would stop him from staring at me like he was starving or something. I wish he'd just ignore me if he can't ...like me as a boy, but then again, I'd seriously go insane if he suddenly did that. Or maybe I already am insane. I've never liked guys before."

"That's just normal", Sally smiled at him. She returned in front of him and he sighed in relief; he hated it when people were behind him and he had no idea what they were doing. He pulled his shirt back on gratefully. The doctor bent down to examine his legs.

"Love isn't logical. For example, I'm a doctor and I've never wanted to be anything else, but I love an assassin, a person who kills people for money. So, you love our mystery man, who cares? At least you won't be bored."

Duo sighed yet again. Maybe Sally was right? Maybe Heero didn't have to like him like that for Duo to stay by his side while they were trapped in this book. Who knew books could give you advice in life? Duo would stay by Heero's side. Heero had asked him to stay, after all.

"An assassin, huh?" He took the first thing that had stuck out of the woman's words. "What's his name?" Sally chuckled.

"Chang Wufei", she told him with a fond note in her voice.

Now, that was a name Duo recognized. He smiled.

"Where I come from, there's a dojo around the corner. It practices sword fighting and kung fu. A man called Chang Wufei keeps it. It's a funny coincidence, isn't it?" Then he sighed sadly again. That was something else he missed in the real world. Seeing Master Chang teaching those kids who had money for the lessons...

"I've stopped there couple of times, just to watch. It's a family business, you see. They moved from China couple centuries ago and founded the dojo to teach their culture to the Western people. The people who go to that dojo are polite to the point it gets irritating, but it's amazing still. I wanted to learn there, but I never had the money. However, master Chang let me come in and watch. It was truly an honor, you know."

Sally chuckled. She really liked this kid. She let go of his leg and he pulled it back under him on the bed.

"Open your mouth, please", she said and Duo complied. "Say 'aa'..."

"Aa", Duo waited patiently as the woman stack things down his throat.

"Wufei's skills are exceptional. Better make sure you don't get too much in the rich people's noses. If they pay for him to kill you, you're dead." She moved to his ears and Duo swallowed as reflex; his throat was dry.

"Is he better than Heero?" he asked unsurely. Was Heero even good? Then he realized that he didn't know all that much about what Heero did, or about him generally.

"Oh, you shouldn't rely on others that much, Duo. But to answer your question: No. I don't think he's better than Heero. Heero has some ...weird ways in getting what he wants. Wufei and he never jump on each other's faces. Mutual respect, I think." She took a mini flashlight from her pocket.

"Look over my right shoulder."

"Heero'll protect me anyhow. Not that I can't protect myself. He's just a bit stronger than me." Duo was a good boy and did what he was told. The whole process reminded him of the ones done to him in the psychological hospital.

"And older", Sally pointed out. Duo bit his lip.

"You just had to remind me. How old is he anyway?"

"26, don't ask me how I know." Duo stack his tong out.

"How do you know?" Sally laughed, again.

"He told me by himself after years of persuasion. I'm a doctor, you see. I need to know."

Sally took in Duo's sad eyes and stopped her examination for a while. "How old are you?"

"Ask me again after few years." Duo grimaced sadly, before shrugging. "Seventeen."

"I thought you were older", the kind doctor lied feeling sorry for her new patient. She got everything ready and stopped to admire the boy. He was a piece of remarkable beauty. Like an angel in some carefully drawn artwork. (Yes, she is a poet at heart) Long hair, big eyes, beautifully built body...

"You know, Duo", she started hesitantly. "Maybe I should tell you to stick very close to Heero. There are so many perverts in this town who really don't care if you're a boy or girl, willing or not. Even the police."

"Thank you. Sal", Duo whispered. Sally waved it off.

"It's okay. I have another patient waiting, so I take my leave now. Please, tell Heero to pay my fee at last, and you, stay away from stairs. You got away with just bruises this time, but you might not be so lucky next time. Just, get some rest. The dizziness should pass soon enough. If it gets worse call me, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll call you." Sally disappeared out of the door.

Heero came back in after few minutes.

"Are you okay?" the man asked worriedly. No matter what Sally said...

"Yeah, come here." Duo pat the bed with his hand. Heero complied. "You didn't answer my question, Heero."

Heero shook his head helplessly.

"I know, but I don't know how to." Duo bit his lip again, drawing unintentionally Heero's attention to them.

"The reason you don't want me..." Duo started quietly. "Is it because I'm too young, or is it because I'm not a girl?"

Heero almost choked again. What was it with these questions? What was Duo trying to say? Heero wanted a time-out. He needed a time-out.

"Can I answer that question later?" Was that disappointment in Duo eyes?

"Of course." The boy looked away. "I know I shouldn't have asked that anyway. You don't have to answer at all, you know? I don't know why did I-"

Heero bent down on instinct, turning Duo's face back to him and sealing those soft lips with his own.

TBC……………………

Author Notes:

Eh… Heh heh… I'm evil. Do they have a happy life ever after? Nope. There are some bumps on the road. To assure you guys… even my beta-reader hasn't gotten as far as where Heero admits his 'weird' feelings.

In this chapter we met Sally and we heard about Wufei for the first time. Yes, I intend to keep this pairing. I like it. They fit together. And I know lots of people will have the 'ah-ha' –reaction to Duo's "Oh, I know a guy called Chang Wufei in my world." I will not comment to that, it all comes clearer later, so don't be depressed if you don't get it yet.

Do you think it's possible to fall in love with your own characters? I'm so totally in love with the brats that come later…