Cherry Princess: Well, this isn't really a big change, but it is a slight change. I have made the fourth chapter, this one, the end of the fic. Thank you for your support and I would love it if I can get more reviews. Though I don't think I will write another fic with such wonderful characters. They are too wonderful to work with, in fear of them getting out of their character. Which I can clearly see Heero has. A failing of mine. Thank you for reading. I sincererly hope you have enjoyed The Rise of Emotions.

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Love, cherry Princess....

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The sun was shining in his eyes, causing the drowsiness of sleep to draw away from him sharply. He didn't know whether to be glad for it, or not. His head was pounding, as if he had been hit over the head, but he knew better. His body was filled with wounds, truly, but he knew for sure that there hadn't been any incidents when his head had been hit. He was sure.

Opening his eyes the best he could, against the brightness of the sun, he saw what was heavy against his arm. First he had thought it might have been just the loss of feeling in his arm, but he saw clearly that it was actually a loudmouthed braided boy, more or less using his arm as a pillow, coupled with his arms as well.

For a moment, he debated on whether to wake him up or not, but decided against it. Looking around him and from the fragments of memory he could gather, he saw that Duo would need the rest. The boy was probably up all night. After all, from what he could remember, the extreme heat in his body and the feverish thoughts that ran thought his mind, Duo would have tried to cool him down.

He looked down at the closed violet eyes and just watched. He just sat there, observing every little twitch, mumble and even the strange movements of limbs Duo made in his sleep. But it was a sudden word that snapped him out of his trance. The sound of his name in Duo's lips. It was faint at first, but it started to grow louder, Duo just calling his name, it was a painful cry though. As if…

Heero never got to finish his thought as Duo screamed and he decided on waking the boy up. Despite the pain in his arm, he used it to shake the boy, calling his name. "Duo!" The final shake was strong enough to bring Duo out of his dream, with tears in his eyes. "Heero!" Duo cried out again, as he had been doing in his dream and flung himself at the Perfect Soldier. Confused, but unable to push away, Heero just allowed Duo to hold him and cry into his chest.

"Duo! What's wrong?" Heero tried asking, but found no answer as the boy didn't stop shedding pitiful tears. "Promise me that you won't die." Was the only thing Heero heard from him. As if it was some sort of a prayer Duo was offering. "I…" For some reason or another, Heero could not. Simply could not say, 'I can't.' Which was on his mind. It seemed like the wrong thing to say. After all, his mission for that little moment, was to stop Duo from crying…ne?

"Duo, tell me what's wrong." For once, Duo thought he heard something like concern in the voice of his comrade, but he was unsure, after all, he wasn't thinking very sanely. He was worried. The dream had been enough to tell him that what had happened could very well come true in the real world. The one he loved could die. Just leaving Duo to grieve afterwards.

Heero didn't know what was going on, but he felt the tears that was quickly soaking through the bandages, touching his skin and that the boy was shaking badly. Duo wasn't the pilot he was used to seeing. It was more like a human Duo. Without his masks. Duo was always wearing a mast of happiness, as Heero wore the mask of deadliness. Behind it all though, there were feelings and for once, Heero was getting to really see the whole content of it. And it scared him. More than he could admit.

"You died. You went on a mission and you didn't come back." Heero couldn't help but run a hand down Duo's long braid and down his back, repeating the soothing motion. It was awkward. Something he had never done before. Comforting wasn't one of the lessons he had learnt in order to be the Perfect Soldier. But it was human nature.

"I can't promise I won't die. You know that, but I promise that I'll try. That's all I can give you." Duo nodded slowly, his tears slowly running out. He felt stupid. He shouldn't have cried like that, buried his face into Heero's chest. He sighed as he pulled away, his hands rubbing the tears away from his face as Heero looked down at him, with worried and gentle eyes that it surprised Duo. "Will you promise the same?" The question sounded foreign to his own ears. It was strange to think that he was asking such a question. It was out of his character, out of his personality, but what was all that in front of the one you loved? Nothing at all…

Duo smirked as always and nodded, though his look was spoiled slightly with his tears, Heero nodded and tried to slip his mask back into place when a surprise question was popped by Duo. He tried to think clearly for a moment at least, but the question had stunned his brain out of the thinking line. He was unable to even remember what he felt, let alone what he should do in such a place and time. Duo's eyes were glittering with the left over tears, with the hope shining behind them all. Heero was also amazed that one simple question as the one asked could stop everything as it did.

"Heero, do you love me?"

Duo looked at the boy, noting that his eyes were quickly filling with a look of pure shock, surprise, you mention it, and Heero went slightly pale as well. It was a stupid question to ask, Duo decided as he tried to fight the tears as the hope diminished within himself. He couldn't stand the idea that Heero may hate him, after the question that had been asked. After all, Heero wasn't like that. He couldn't.

"I don't know."

Heero finally answered. He wanted to say yes, but he knew better. It would change too much, too fast. He just smiled his first half smile at the boy and watched as the hope that had drained away before quickly returned. 'I don't know' meant that there was at least half a chance that he could be loved by the stonic boy. At least he had that. At least.

"You better get some rest. Forget about what just happened, ok?" Duo's voice was trembling, but that was slowly steadied as he smiled bravely and walked out of the room and into the bathroom. After a moment, Heero heard the shower running, but curiously enough, the steam that should have followed a warm shower being even turned on, wasn't there. And if he was correct, there was a sob that had escaped the sound of water. Damn! The Perfect Soldier cursed. He had made Duo cry.

What was he to do though? He was a soldier, in a war. He couldn't go and fall in love like that. And if he did fall in love, unfortunately, than he shouldn't do anything about it. The missions. And the fights. Love can only get in the way. But…

Biting his lips almost to the state they were to bleed, Heero stood up and walked to the vidphone in place at the corner of their room and quickly dialled a number that popped to his mind first. "Trowa, I need some help." Trowa's green eye shone out from the screen as he looked at his friend. "What can I do for you? Is this about Duo?" Noting the faint surprise on Heero's face, Trowa nodded without emotion on his own face.

"Don't ask how I know. But he's in love with you as you are with him. Quatre saw the whole thing coming from the moment he saw all of you. Anyway, just go and talk to him. And don't even think about giving excuses about missions and the war going on. The whole world is not going to accommodate you two, but it's not going to stop functioning just because of you either. Trust me. Love doesn't get in the way that much. If I lost Quatre, it would hurt, but I would be glad, because we at least had some time together."

Heero's eyes were wide by the time his friend had finished. Trowa had got to the point a lot quicker than he had ever thought possible, and he had pointed out all the things that had been worrying his mind without a single word from himself. "Thank you." Heero said as he shut the phone off, still a little shaken. Was Trowa starting to get powers like Quatre or…

Heero smirked slightly. Quatre must have been next to Trowa, and read the feelings of the two pilots before the phone had been answered. After all, the little blonde had connections with all of the pilots emotion-wise.

What to do…

Heero slowly undid the bandage that had been wrapped around himself to see how bad the wound was. It wasn't as bad as they felt, he decided as he left the bandages on the bed and walked into the bathroom. It would do him good to have a shower anyway, he decided. And give Duo a surprise while he was at it too…and make sure that the boy stopped crying was another priority.

Without knocking, the Perfect Soldier opened the bathroom door and walked in, quickly feeling the chill from the cold water and it didn't take him long to find his depressed friend, leaning against the wall of the showed, with his braid undone, and his hand slowly flowing around him, even as the boy sobbed quietly a he could, unaware of Heero's presence. Heero's heart broke at the sight of the braided baka in such a way.

Slowly, as if not to frighten a lost puppy, Heero reached in to touch Duo's limp shoulder with gentle hand. Duo was startled out of his trance, but as he looked up, he noticed that his surprise wasn't over yet. His eyes closed as warm lips covered his own cold ones. Warm arms wrapped around him as the kiss was deepened.As Duo pulled Heero closer and held tight, Heero had to fight back a wince of pain with the wound flaring with all it's little might.

"So…I think I just answered that question for you."

Duo couldn't help but smile and pull the boy into his arms and kiss him, slightly more aware of his wound than before, as his happiness had calmed down a little. "But what is the answer?" Duo asked slyly, fighting back the shiver that ran through his body both from the cold and from the warmth that was coming from the one he loved. Sweetness was all that had been needed to draw him out of his trance and Duo was getting plenty of it.

"Well, the answer was rather simple, I thought. I love you." With that came a small kiss on the nose of Duo. Though Heero wasn't smiling, Duo knew. That someday, some time, some moment in their lives, he would make that stoic boy smile if his life would hang on the line. A mission, if you like. Another mission for Duo to take on. And he never failed missions. Never.

"I thought so too." Duo said as he buried his face into Heero's chest, relishing in the sheer warmth that was his new boyfriend. Sweetness, gentleness and the strength of a fighter all rolled into one. Duo couldn't help but feel that moment that he would be happy to die. It wouldn't matter, because he was in Heero's arms. And happy as he had ever been to be in the muscled arms.

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Thank you! Please, feel free to point out any short comings. They are welcome as long as they are constructive. Thank you so much!

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I don't own Gundam Wing. I say it for all writers!
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