Title: As Long As You Follow
Author: WickedGame
Archive: No Rest For The Wicked, my LJ
Rating: PG
Genre: Angsty fluff
Pairing: 1+2
Warnings: Not beta read.
Notes: For HostileCrayon (prompt: Heero comforting Duo with fluff) Story title comes from Fleetwood Mac.
They walked back into their apartment and shut the door. Heero watched as Duo hung up his suit jacket and toed off his dress shoes.
Words were useless. Heero could see the myriad of emotions that were running through Duo right now: regret, sadness, anger, disappointment, and all those feelings were tearing at Heero. He didn't know how to make it better. He didn't know how to tell Duo it would be okay. He didn't know how to tell Duo a lot of things.
Most of all, he didn't know how to assure Duo that there was still a place in the world for him after being dismissed from Preventers.
"I'm gonna to go take a shower." Duo moved toward the bathroom and closed the door. Heero heard the shower come on and he sat down at the kitchen table to contemplate what to do next.
Their last mission had been completed but not without incident. Duo had been infiltrating when someone came upon him with what looked like a gun. Duo had shot in defense but when the dust had cleared two things were evident that Duo had not known: one, the gun was a fake. Two, the person holding the gun had only been sixteen. Duo had broke down and had cried right then and there before being relieved of his badge and weapon and being put on paid leave while the matter was investigated.
In the end Lady Une and Sally had agreed it would be best if there were a tribunal. Heero had sat there in that courtroom and had listened as they dismissed Duo from duty permanently. Duo had said nothing in his own defense.
It had hurt Heero so badly to see Duo like that. Duo was his best friend and Heero loved him. He loved Duo more than anything but had never told him that. He didn't know how to say the words he guessed. They had been roommates for years and neither one of them had been big on dating and Heero just thought that maybe Duo would develop similar feelings someday.
But none of that mattered now. Duo was hurt by the actions he took and by the Preventer agents he considered friends.
Heero walked over to the vid screen and dialed a number.
&&&
When Duo walked out of the shower the small fireplace was going and something was being burnt. Duo walked over in his robe and looked at what was burning. "Heero! Your badge is in the fireplace!"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Who the hell else could ever put up with me as a partner?"
Duo felt a tear begin to form in the corner of his eye and he blinked to dismiss it. He sat down on the couch and stared at the melting metal. "Why did you do this? You didn't shoot that kid."
Heero sat down next to Duo and grabbed his hand. "Every time we're on a mission something like that could happen. It could've been me, or even Wufei. It was you though, and I'm sorry that had to happen."
Duo sat back and Heero followed. They both watched the fire and then Duo noted suddenly that their hands were still joined. "You can let go if you want."
Heero shook his head and smiled softly. "No, I don't think I will. We're free now. Where do you want to go? We can go anywhere you want."
Duo thought about it and then leaned his head on Heero's shoulder. "We?"
"Yes. We."
Glancing at their joined heads and Heero's content smile Duo suddenly knew his answer. "Anywhere you are."