Thanks to Wings (its out, and Wufei will be in the next part), Duo's Angel (Thanks, i am), LuminaryFae (i am, lol), *Kat*Chan* (dear god, ive been reviewed by *Kat*Chan*... *faints*) And Myst (The next part will be out soon!)



Chapter 3

Duo's Story

A few minuets after they had finished their succulent rabbit breakfast, they were still sitting in a companionable silence. Heero still studies Duo, his memory etching every last detail about him in his mind. Even if they ended up parting, wich Heero would not do easily, he would never forget. The stillness is almost perfect. Heero watching Duo and Duo watching everything else. Heero didn't even care if Duo caught him staring. He thought that might get things moving. He would not have to be bold if Duo 'knew' but did not 'know'.

*Hn. Maybe some conversation.*

"...Duo.." Heero realized at that moment that it would have been wise to have something to talk about. *Hell, I never was good at-* His thoughts abruptly stopped when Duo turned his gaze to him.

Duo's heavy gaze shifted from his eyes, to his forehead. His eyes did not stop there, they seemed to physically touch every part of Heero before once agian returning to his face. A flicker of amusement in his eyes when he saw Heero's slight blush. He stopped his work on the rabbit skins and half crawled, half scooted, over to Heero. He leaned over Heero's lean chest, his black clothing dropping onto the heated skin, to get some medical supply's.

He pulls back, clearly amused. And looking over Heero's body, noticed that he had missed a small gash on his chest. It was more in the lower rib area, on his side, the side opposite to where Duo was now. And quite close to the pants line, some of it went below. Duo grinned at Heero, hoping to unnerve him. But the stoic mask kept its place. Duo leaned over Heero's chest to reach the offending cut, but Heero stopped him. Duo looked at him. Heero looked at Duo. Heero opened his mouth to speak, but no words came to him. So Heero conceded and let Duo continue.

After Duo had seen to his cut and a few other small things needed around the camp, he returned to his skins. He pulls out a bone needle and some thin string like strips of hide. He proceeds to sew the carefully cut and cleaned rabbit hide into a water-skin. From what he could see there were no seams from the outside. It looked as if it had been naturally created.

"Your very good." Heero couldn't believe he had just said that! It seems Duo didn't ether, for he squinted his eyes at Heero and nodded his thanks.

Heero couldn't take the sudden admittance and went to get up, he had been playing off his injuries to long anyway.

Duo is suddenly above him pushing him back down.

"You need to rest, you were on the death bed yesterday, you aren't allowed to get up went, sorry Heero." that was the most any of them had talked during there whole time together. Heero decided he should tell Duo now, before he found out for himself.

"Duo, I don't-"

"No, listen to me, I know what im doing. I've been healing all my life. You need to stay down."

"But Duo! I-"

"No." with a slight push, he had Heero pinned to the ground with his hand on his chest. " If you stay down, ill tell you a story." Heero stayed where he was and made no move to move himself, or the strong hand.

" alright, I've never told any one this particular story." he pauses for a breath. "A long time ago, there lived a small boy. He lived with a wandering medicine man, not with a mother and father, or tribe. He was an orphan because people were scared of him. If someone, anyone, saw him, they would know him for the monster he was. He was Different, one of the spirits in the land that had been blessed with power from Fugimino's. Although he had rarely ever used it, somehow, the more he used it, even in secret, the more people noticed. Then one day a prophet from another tribe came along and shattered the tribes he once lived with. He told them that a Different among you is going to destroy you." Duo stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts. Heero could feel the emotion rolling off him, and at that moment realized that this story was about him.

"So that night, some of the tribes men went off to kill the orphaned boy. They found him out side of the current campsite near a stream. They crept up on him silently to attack. They jumped, then they were dead. There spirit had been shoved out of there body by a force thrown out by the boy. He was crying when he turned to look at them and he got up very slowly to bury them. But he did, all of them. There were 12 in all, now all buried in separate graves in the muddy side stream."

"When the boy returned to the camp. Everyone was dead. Slaughtered. There were burning trees, carcasses were strewn about and body parts were attached to limbs of those burning trees. The smell of burning and rotting flesh hit him hard, etched in his mind forever. He stood there for what seemed an eternity. Rain had started to fall, putting out the fires, and somehow pushing the smell of the dead down. From out of the smoke and mists walked the medicine man that had first brought him here. He seemed unsurprised at the bloody view before him. He looked at the boy then began to walk away, the boy turned to the man and silently followed."

"After they had stopped at one stationary tribe village, the man took sick. Nothing of his own medicine could cure him. And one sunny day he died. After that, the boy went out to set arrangements for a grand ceremony. But when the first person he met saw him, he was immediately surrounded. When ever some one saw him, when he was sad, they immediately wanted to kill him. And try as they might, they could not do it. He would not die, through all the beatings. Poison had no effect. They never thought to use metal on him though, and he survived. One night they realized what would kill him and they died shortly after. They all died without blood shed, there spirits were forced out of there body by the power of this boy. He had wanted to die, but the power inside him would not allow it. It wasn't his fault, but he could never allow himself to get over it. His guilt and hatred toward himself ate him up for the rest of his life. He could never go into public or see anyone unless he was smiling and never let on he was depressed or sad, or even tired unless he made a joke out of it."

" You might ask why he didn't just stop seeing people all together and not have to worry about it. Well, he craved people, he craved friendship. And so he would make friends that did not know the real him. But there was a down side. If they became close enough to see that he was sad, others would suddenly want to kill him, and his power would once agian protect him. He did not hold it against his power, he knew that it did not have a mind of its own, it was just his subconscious. But his guilt never left him. And he still wanders today."

Neither moved as Duo finished his story. There seemed to be a fragile existence in the air and if they did anything at all, it would break. There gazes were locked. Suddenly Duo looked down and it broke. Heero still laid there spellbound, staring at Duo. Duo chucked at his expression and Heero could not help but break from the spell at the sound.

Heero agian made move to rise. Duo pushed down agian about to say something when he found himself gently but firmly held down by his arms on his back. He laid shocked for a moment that any one could move that fast besides him.

Heero was straddled above him, holding his arms down. He looked into the depths of the blue eyes and glared. He pulled at his hands and Heero let them go.

"Take them off." Heero ordered.

"WHAT??"

" The bandages, Baka."

"Oh." With that, Duo moved his hands and eyes tentivly to Heero's chest. He glanced back up to Heero's face for a moment before untying a bandage. Once fully undone, duo was left staring at nothing but smooth tan skin. Not a scrape.

" Your not the only Different one around, Baka." Heero said with what Duo swore was amusement. He was still in shock as he watched Heero untie the rest of the bandages. There wasn't a scrape on him. The stomach wound left a strange shaped scare, but besides that, they were all healed.

Duo snapped out of his shock when he realized that he was still laying on the ground. He sat up and watched Heero for a moment.

"So, I've told you about me, what about you?"

Heero seemed to wince when he opened his mouth, and he shook his head instead.

"Ill tell you some other time. And I swear to not tell yours... its strange though.."

"What? You mean you feel-"

"Comfortable around you." Heero finished for him.

"I feel it to. I've never had that before. Would you like to .. uh.."

"Travel together? Yes."

"Whew.. Good. I was hoping you would say yes, your the first person I've been real around and hasn't tried to kill me, although you kinda threatened..." Duo chuckled.

" What?"

" When you were sleeping you kept saying 'im gonna kill you' and 'Omae o kissu' (1)or something, whatever that means, must be your native tribe tongue."

"Hn.." Heero looked at him strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing.."

"Awwwwww.. Comoncomoncomoncomon! Tell me!"

"Hn, Baka."

"And while your at it, what does 'Baka' mean?"









(1) I shamelessly stole this from 'From far away" by Akuma, Im sorry!! But I just had to put that in there! Please forgive me!

As always, review!