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By Complexly Simple Kiddo

Genre: A shounen Ai AU, with romance, adventure, and a whit of spice, shaken, not stirred. ;P

Rating: hmmm. Let's stick with an overall M just to be sure.

Parings: 1x2x1, 3x4, and my number 5 stays inside an interesting wrestling of wills leaded by very strong characterized people :D (You will see, believe me)

Warnings: hmph. Language, lime or lemon, bits of sap, angst, all in doses you will usually see in real life, nothing to be scared off…

Unless you don't like Shounen Ai. In that case, run!

Disclaimer: Hahahaha….naaaah, don't own'em. Wait. Do you? O.o

Author's note: Ahhhhh one exam less in my mind, so there's more space to write. Hopefully :D Sorry for the delay, I wish I could write and post faster, trust me, but real life's evil like that. Though you would be suuuurpriiised how fast I write with lovely reviews :winkwink:

Chapter 13: Dust in the Wind II

"Duo, what happened?"

Trowa walked down the corridor of the hospital to where Duo was sitting, a small waiting area with soft, comfy couches. A few windows letting in the night view, and a low, discrete light to illuminate the inside. All things Duo noticed without real care. He looked up to see his friend's tired expression. Trowa probably came back from completing all the information that might be needed, and Quatre was probably arranging everything now. On the hall that opened to the right, behind one of those numbered doors, Heero slept.

Trowa sat down in the couch next to him, and rubbed his hand over his eyes. It was the first time they actually had time to stop and talk for more than half a minute.

"We were practicing the death spiral, the first two times, it went ok, but the third one didn't. I don't exactly know what happened, to be honest", he sighed, and threw his head back to rest on the quilted seat. "All I know is that Heero's hand wasn't where it was supposed to be at the right time. I don't really know who was late" He snorted without much feeling into it "probably me, considering all" he imitated Trowa without realizing it, rubbing his tired eyes. As an after thought, he absentmindedly added, mostly to himself "he always has perfect timings, you know?" Trowa smiled sadly

"I know. The doctor said it's only a concussion, so he should be ok by tomorrow, but they want to keep him for two days at least, just in case. I need to go back with Quatre to the hotel, do you mind staying here this night?"

"Nah, I was planning to stay anyway. You both go ahead, I'll try to convince a nice looking nurse to give me a blanket or something" his treacherous smile was obviously forced, but at least it calmed down Trowa enough. If he was worried enough to force a smile on us, it was ok. When Duo didn't try to mask his feelings, that's when it actually scared Trowa.

He offered Duo a smile of his own, and stood up to leave the place. Waiting for the elevator to arrive, he turned to Duo again, his brow furrowed.

"By the way, Duo, how did you notice today's practice?"

Duo looked up and frowned at Trowa, confused.

"It was ok, we did progress on the spins. Heero was a bit sloppy today, but it was probably because he had to change skates. He didn't remember where he put his white ones, and the arena ones he borrowed were a tad little for him, I think. Quatre pointed us a few mistakes on the spirals, but we managed to cover most of them before this happened, and we also managed to correct the part in the song where the timing didn't match." Trying to think something else Trowa might think important of today's practice, he came up with nothing else. "Why?"

Trowa's frown deepened, but he shook his head. "Just checking how it went. See you tomorrow"

"See ya", Duo mentally shrugged. He was worried with other things to notice Trowa's antics.

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'Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind'

"Right, right, steady now. Slow down slowly, Duo. Solo, the hand. Right. Perfect!" Quatre's voice rang along the wide arena, and the last chords of guitar died down. A far clapping sound was heard from where Trowa was standing, in one of the higher seats. Duo stood up from where he was, crouched in the ice, half hugging, half covering a kneeling Solo. He reached down his hand to help the blond stand up, all the while smiling like a lunatic.

"Wasn't it perfect this time!? Wasn't it?!" He said, barely resisting the urge to jump up and down. Quatre would never forgive him the dents in the ice if he did.

"Perfection is imperfect, kid." At Duo's pout, Solo laughed and conceded "But it did went on nicely. Congratulations"

Duo shrugged trying to appear nonchalantly, but his cheeks puffing with the wide smile gave him away.

"I just have to push you around, not that complicated. Being the wind is a fairly easy job" He blew on Solo's face, joking, which made Solo laugh and complain at the same time.

"You spitted on me! Wind doesn't spit, you brat!" He tried to catch Duo's braid but the boy had already escaped, laughing out loud.

"What are ya gonna do, huh?"

"I'll put a grain of dust in your eye so you can't see!"

"boooo, watch me shake from fear"

"I'll show you fear, all right!" and with that, he speed up to catch his already flying partner and brother, the background of Quatre and Trowa's laughs echoing in the stadium.

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It was 2 am, according to Duo's watch. The visit hours had long passed, but they let him stay in the waiting area. One nurse was even nice enough to bring him a blanket, a pillow, and asked him if he wanted to eat something. Now, it was eerie quiet. The eventual heeling of some nurse walking down a corridor would stir the silence, but not much was going on. After all, it was a fairly calm wing. Having woken up from his uneasy sleep an hour before, Duo made up his mind. It took him an hour to figure out a pattern, but finally, he discovered a how. After all, he had been known in the streets for his stealth.

He reached the room without problems, albeit some forced stop here and there to avoid being sighted. He closed the door behind him carefully, and turned to face the room.

It was completely dark, except for the indirect light of the moon outside, entering through the window in the form of a halo. It illuminated enough to outline the silhouette of Heero, sleeping in the bed.

He walked closer, careful not to make any loud sound, and sat down in one of the bedside chairs. He leaned forward, his nose almost touching Heero's. Letting the low, steady puffs of air from Heero's breathing warm his lips, his shoulders relaxed. Resting his head in the bed, taking special care in staying at reach from Heero's deep breathing, he finally fell asleep again.

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'Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky'

His skates came to a sudden stop after a swift and sudden turn, little shreds of ice flying, his head bowed, arms hanging loose to his sides. All the stage was in silence. A soft dreamy music started and Duo lifted slowly his left arm, extending his hand as in invitation for someone to take it. His head turned to the same side of the hand, a small smile in his lips. The black shreds of clothes waved with the movement, but then stayed still. The music picked up, and Solo started to skate towards him. His speed picked up with the music, his white attire blending in with the white ice. He also reached out to grab Duo's hand, the white shreds of cloth waving madly. Duo looked him in the eyes, but Solo didn't look back. His eyes looked glazed, misty. Unfocussed. Duo opened his mouth to comment, but it was almost time to start. Solo was about to skate past him and grab his hand, making him spin and taking Duo with him to circle the arena once, before they parted and the performance continued as it was meant to.

All he saw was a blur of white passing him by, and immediately after, a loud, ominous sound of someone falling down and hitting the low walls surrounding the ice. His hand trembled in place, still raised in the air, expecting. He was afraid to turn around and see.

He heard Quatre screaming, also rushing past him. He saw Trowa, staring at him and behind, petrified in place, just like he was.

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Fingers brushing over his damp cheeks woke him up. He opened his eyes, slowly, and tried to blink the darkness away. It took him a while to remember where he was, and when he did, he sat up straight, looking at Heero's worried gaze.

"Why are you crying?"

He both hated and loved how direct Heero was. Considering lying was out of the question.

"Because I'm afraid, I guess", he whispered. Hospitals always made him want to talk low, even if it was not necessary at times. He smiled at him, but Heero's worried face didn't fade. It made him lower his gaze and hide his eyes from Heero's view.

" About what?"

"About you disappearing", he answered, without much thought. It wasn't needed.

" I wont"

"I know"

"It was just a concussion, the doctor said I could probably leave tomorrow", Heero reached out and placed his hand over Duo's.

" I know".

"Then why are you still shaking?"

Duo didn't answer. He slowly moved forward and placed his forehead over their intertwined hands. Heero felt the renewed dampness warming his skin.

"Duo", he whispered, his words barely brushing Duo's ears. Silence followed, and Heero thought he wasn't going to get an answer. Duo's shoulders shook almost imperceptibly.

"Brain Tumor"

The words left Duo's lips in a contrasting strong way, compared to his whole self. The room was still dark, the moon having long left the sky. Heero fixed his gaze on Duo's head, wishing he could see his eyes. It was the first time he understood the expression of deafening silence.

"He knew, you know? Knew it all along. I didn't." He snorted, but it somehow ended choked in his throat.

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He kept his eyes opened with his whole strength. He wanted to see blue. That loved violet blue.

"I just wanted to pretend" he said, his voice rasped. It was a greater difficulty to even move his mouth and make his chords sound. But he wanted to hear the voice too.

"We were living a lie", he answered, his voice torn between anger and despair. His hand clenched painfully Solo's one. Solo didn't feel it at all, his limbs being numb long ago.

"And yet-" Solo answered, trying his best to smile. The same old smile where happiness and sadness got along perfectly fine. Duo didn't want it to be like this, when he finally figured out Solo's cryptic smile.

"What a lovely lie we lived"

Unconsciousness finally claimed him.

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"I could only be mad at him, Heero", his voice shook in that bizarre mixture of laugh and cry. " His fucking last moment and I could only be mad at him. But how could I know? He lied to me. He lied all along."

Heero reached out and placed a hand over Duo's head.

"Was it really wrong for him to lie?" He asked. Duo looked up. His eyes were clouded over, all the different emotions swirling inside in an unidentifiable way.

"No" he said, shaking his head. Heero's hand slid down to his neck and up to his cheek. He leaned at the touch, finding immense comfort in the mere fact of it being warm. "It took me a week to understand it. Watching him in bed, without being able to wake up, I understood at the end, he didn't want me to remember him like that. It wasn't like him, you know? I think it was a relief for him when that week was over. I bet he wished he could've died sooner" his face clenched saying those words, but it was the truth. That's how Solo was. That's why he had lied to him, to live a lie, as much as he could make it last. Duo wished he understood it sooner. The room stayed in silence, Heero's thumb stroking softly his cheek. Duo had closed his eyes, tired. Heero was wide-awake.

"Do you think he heard?" Duo mumbled, drowsily. "I told him I wasn't mad anymore, I smiled at him. D'ya think he saw?" Heero smiled at his sleepy lover, still siting in the chair, his head resting next to his, in the bed. He must've been terribly tired to be able to sleep in an uncomfortable position like that.

"I think he can hear and see you forever". Duo smiled. When Heero thought he had fallen asleep with the smile still in his face, he proved him wrong a minute later, when the smile morphed into a smirk.

"That would make sleeping with you terribly uncomfortable." Heero snorted, softly.

"Moron". Duo laughed soundlessly, and shifted so he could get more comfortable. He reached out, grabbed Heero's hand and placed his over it. His thumb was softly placed over Heero's wrist veins, a movement that looked nonchalant but was absolutely deliberate.

"He would've like you. He always said I need someone even more stubborn to put up with me"

"Thank you", he said mockingly, but Duo could hear the truth behind the sarcasm, as well. A few more minutes of silence passed by, the room was getting slightly clearer.

"Heero?"

"Hmm?" He snuggled his head closer, his lips brushing over Duo's forehead.

"Don't ever lie to me?"

Heero smiled, knowingly.

"I'll do my best"

Duo sighed.

"That would do"

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When he stepped outside of the room, the door closing behind him felt incredibly wrong. The room itself had felt incredibly wrong. It was too silent.

On the seats that were close by, he saw Trowa, holding Quatre in his arms. For a moment, he thought the blond was asleep, but then he saw his shoulders shake, and he knew better. Quatre's arm lay limply at his side. In his hand, he held loosely an opened cell phone.

'It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy'

He looked up to see Trowa looking at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the arena" he said. Trowa's face didn't change at hearing this.

"How?"

Duo smiled, tiredly.

"As a pair. He picked the song, I'll perform to it"

Trowa returned the tired smiled.

"Then I'll play the flute to it"

Quatre stirred. His roughened, tiny voice spoke up.

"I'll play the violin to it"

Duo's smile widened, and a portion of it even managed to reach his eyes.

"I think we'll get disqualified"

Trowa returned the smile again.

"Let it be so"

'All we are is dust in the wind'

Title song: Dust in the wind, by Kansas.

Songs on this chapter: Also Dust in the wind, by Kansas.