Title: I Wonder What They're Doing Now
Warnings: Er..stuff =D *blinks* Find out for yourself ¬¬
Disclaimer: I do not own the pilots or anything related to Gundam Wing ¬¬ *mumbles about injustice* If Duos Pikachu plushie were to suddenly appear somewhere in this fic, that is mine ^^
Approximately half a year passed since that day in the physiotherapy hall. And to everyone's amazement, Heero was improving. The nerves in his leg were starting to respond again, and his muscles were returning to their former state, or at least a feeble reflection of what they used to be. But it was improvement. They were fitted with metal braces that allowed him some movement without his wheelchair.
As often as he could, Duo forced him outside, and his pale skin took on a golden color. Often it was in his wheelchair, seeing as he was still too weak to walk far on his own. He let Duo take the job of wheeling him about in the cursed thing without protest. But only Duo. If anyone else so much as OFFERED to do it, he gave them the infamous Yuy Death Glare and hissed something nasty in their general direction.
Duo hauled himself out of bed at five every single morning and ran full speed to Heero's house in time to watch him wake up. It'd been odd to begin with to Heero, seeing a smiling braided man grinning down at him whenever he opened his eyes. But he'd gotten used to it, and no measurement would accurately capture how appreciated it was.
Surprisingly, they never said very much to each other. Most things were built on silence, very much contrasting times during the war. Events had taken that course, they supposed. And words weren't needed. They simply came in the way of what was really said, between hearts.
Duo opened the door to Heero's apartment slowly, greeting Shinigami with a grin as the cat rubbed against his leg in a frenzy of purring. He tiptoed up the stairs and stole into Heero's dimly lit room. Heero was still asleep, as he usually was at five in the morning, lying like a polished China doll in his bed. He hadn't moved since Duo had tucked him into bed the day before. Silently he crept up to the side of the bed and peered down at the sleeping face nestled deep into the soft pillow.
/=/ So peaceful…/=/
He ran his finger down the bridge of Heero's nose, causing the sleeping ex- pilot to twitch slightly, and slowly force his eyes open. It was Duo's favourite thing to see. Heero looked completely void of all masks when he woke up, for the first few seconds of wakefulness.
"Mornin' Sunshine." Duo grinned playfully at the grumpy glare he received for the comment as Heero stretched his aching limbs and shot a glance at the alarm clock. 5:10 am. He never got to sleep properly…but then again, waking up wasn't a bad option. He allowed himself to be helped with getting dressed, and was glad to be wheeled downstairs for a quick breakfast. Duo always seemed to be smiling pleasantly. And it was very contagious. Halfway through tidying his hair up slightly and settling into the wheelchair, a small smile was starting to twitch itself into existence at the corners of Heero's mouth. And the sun shone with warming rays of gold. The grey was gone.
*
"Heero?"
"Hn."
Duo simply smiled, and turned the corner into the green-tinged park. They'd been coming here almost every day. Heero seemed to enjoy the serenity, having been cooped up in his house for months on end. Even though he chose that to begin with.
"What?" He didn't bother to turn in his wheelchair. Duo toyed with the short hair at the back of Heero's neck momentarily, contemplating whether or not to talk. Silence had built up to be their means of communication. It didn't get much across, but that was in essence the whole point. The question was left unanswered.
/=/ I wonder what they're doing now…/=/ Heero's mind was swimming with thoughts. He dared not admit it, but he missed the old days. Sure, Duo was with him now. But even he was different. It was as if a part of Duo was with the other three pilots. A necessary part, something that would complete him. Puzzles usually consist of more than 2 pieces.
It's funny how life seems to sometimes, in the rarest moments, pay attention to your thoughts. And rare still, is when it takes into account what they mean. And rarest of all, is when it makes a reality out of longing and dreams. Duo's eyes widened slightly, and he drew to an abrupt halt.
"Duo?" Heero turned around this time, and seeing Duo's jaw having dropped a good centimetre or two. He didn't reply.
"Duo…?" Heero tried again, frowning slightly. Duo raised a hand and pointed shakily at the three figures walking ahead of them. Quatre's blond hair was shining softly, and Wufei had his hands shoved into his pocket. Trowa was walking in the middle, as graceful and seemingly silent as he'd always been. Life was cooperating with them both. In the strangest of ways.
Shinigami, who'd been resting on Heero's lap, abruptly leapt off and went off at high speed to catch up with the three pilots. Upon reaching Quatre, he was picked up and fondled, hugged and cradled like a baby. He cast a purple eye back to watch Heero and Duo both remain frozen and pawed lightly at Quatre's ear to get attention. As if it was his purpose to melt the ice that had built up in the four-year-old ice age.
And a long silence reigned. Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei turned around and stared dumbfounded at Duo and Heero. Duo's eyes had grown to the size of plates. Heero was shifting uneasily in his chair, wanting to stand up tall and strong but not having the energy to do so. A mass of conflicting feelings and opinions seemed to rise into the air like the steaming breath of soldiers on a war front. The atmosphere was that of battle, but no battle was to take place. It was only the ghostly feeling that one took on before attack. The tension.
A loud and somewhat annoyed 'meow' on Shinigami's part snapped the cord off with one high note. Duo blinked rapidly, clearing the non-existent fog in his eyes. Heero remained as silent as ever. As it had always been, for as long as any of them could possibly remember, Quatre was the one who found the courage to speak, setting Shinigami down in the process.
"Hi…guys…"
Silence slowly parted from the group, allowing them freedom of speech once again. But they remained deadly quiet. In a rewind and freeze version of time, but with so much changed. They didn't look the same. They didn't appear the same from the outside. Everything had changed drastically over the past four years. And here they were now, barely five steps from each other. And they did nothing.
But Shinigami made a last desperate attempt. The small feline slithered to the ground, and bounded over to Wufei with a mission set clearly in his mind. Sharp canines found their way to Wufei's leg, biting down hard. Mission completed.
"INJUSTICE!" Wufei cried and started hopping around on one leg, cursing madly. Four grown men stared at him in disbelief as he proceeded to chase Shinigami crazily around a tree. Four grown men look at Wufei, and back at each other. Four grown men, couldn't help but biting their lower lips in a futile attempt to suppress grins. Four grown men, Duo, Heero, Quatre, and Trowa, burst out laughing.
Five grown men, turned into children again, caught up in the tangle of a massive hug.
*
"MAXWELL!" Wufei hissed angrily at Duo, who was in full show of devouring all that was left on the dinner table. Heero chipped in with a trademark "Omae o Korosu".
"Come on guys, you're going to start a war!" Quatre pleaded from his corner of the table, clutching Trowas arm. Trowa was the only one who was calm, chewing idly on his vegetables and watching Heero and Wufei try to deathglare Duo into submission. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near working, as always. It almost seemed as if things were back to normal. In fact, they were. What change can time do to a group such as theirs?
"I WILL start a war if that baka doesn't stop EATING!" Wufei yelled, grabbing at Duo's braid. Quatre hid behind Trowa at being snapped at, while Trowa was calm as can be.
Nothing had changed.
Quatre, in his hiding place behind Trowa, spotted a worn old camera lying on the bench behind him. Oh he remembered that last time it was used. He still had the photograph too. It was right before Heero's…accident. Right before they fled in different directions. He looked at the old camera in silence, and finally resolved to snatch it off the bench and hold the cold plastic in his hand. An idea formed in his mind, and he whirled around brandishing the camera.
"PHOTOGRAPH!"
Massive déjà vu. Apparently all five of them felt it, because a session of rapid blinking followed. Duo dropped the chicken leg he was stealing from Wufei onto the Chinese's head, and laughter erupted from the table again.
"Come on guys, we need a decent photograph. You looked as if you had sat on a needle in the last one!" Duo joked, grinning at the snarl he received from the general direction of Heero.
Quatre busied himself with setting the camera up on the edge of the table, working quickly to position it adequately on an empty plate. Luckily, there was a good new roll of film. Trowa stood up and took Wufei by the arm to prevent him from tearing Duo to bits and led him up to the front of the camera. Wufei immediately sat down on the floor, followed by Quatre who bounced over to the 'photography area' a few seconds later, readying himself to hold up two fingers behind Wufei's head as was his custom in almost all photographs. Trowa shook his head and smiled weakly, standing behind them with folded arms.
"Come on Heero, pleeeeeeease?" Duo whined, getting down on his knees beside Heero's chair, and making irresistible puppy dog eyes.
"No."
"Please please pleeeeeease?" He whined again, and somehow managed to make his eyes take on a glassy exterior. Heero bit his lip and tried not to look at the very cute-looking face that was begging him.
"No…no…oh, FINE!" He snarled, and Duo did a victory dance around the table, while Heero hoisted himself out of the chair and stood quite balanced on his braced legs. He took a cautious step forward, and slowly, stiffly, made his way to stand beside Trowa. He stood well on his own, and had it not been for the metal braces helping his legs stay upright, no one would have noticed his disability.
"Duo! Come on!" Quatre was itching to get yet another funny photo taken, and was musing over what kind of reaction he would get from Wufei once it was developed. Chinese bunny, once again.
Duo walked over to stand beside Heero, and draped an arm over the Japanese mans shoulder, nuzzling his neck. Heero shivered slightly at the contact of breath with his skin, ticklish as he was, and put a steadying arm around Duo's shoulder, having slight trouble standing up on his own. Duo smiled happily and let Heero's weight lean on him. Quatre started the ten-second countdown for the automatic camera.
Duo leaned over slightly and put his lips to Heero's ear.
"Heero…are you happy?"
Wufei and Trowa joined in the countdown, which was currently on five. Heero let a small grin play across his lips. It slowly formed itself into a full- hearted smile, reaching from ear to ear, with a radiating glow of contentment. He hugged Duo's shoulder tightly and said in a voice barely over a whisper.
"I'm happy, Duo."
And the blinding white flash of the camera went off, to seal that second of time in immortality.
Owari ^^
A/N: I finally managed to finish this fic…o_O Took me long enough! ^_^ I like this fic, actually. A bit slow, but still. It's not half bad. Long too..o_O ^______^ Hope ya liked it!
Warnings: Er..stuff =D *blinks* Find out for yourself ¬¬
Disclaimer: I do not own the pilots or anything related to Gundam Wing ¬¬ *mumbles about injustice* If Duos Pikachu plushie were to suddenly appear somewhere in this fic, that is mine ^^
Approximately half a year passed since that day in the physiotherapy hall. And to everyone's amazement, Heero was improving. The nerves in his leg were starting to respond again, and his muscles were returning to their former state, or at least a feeble reflection of what they used to be. But it was improvement. They were fitted with metal braces that allowed him some movement without his wheelchair.
As often as he could, Duo forced him outside, and his pale skin took on a golden color. Often it was in his wheelchair, seeing as he was still too weak to walk far on his own. He let Duo take the job of wheeling him about in the cursed thing without protest. But only Duo. If anyone else so much as OFFERED to do it, he gave them the infamous Yuy Death Glare and hissed something nasty in their general direction.
Duo hauled himself out of bed at five every single morning and ran full speed to Heero's house in time to watch him wake up. It'd been odd to begin with to Heero, seeing a smiling braided man grinning down at him whenever he opened his eyes. But he'd gotten used to it, and no measurement would accurately capture how appreciated it was.
Surprisingly, they never said very much to each other. Most things were built on silence, very much contrasting times during the war. Events had taken that course, they supposed. And words weren't needed. They simply came in the way of what was really said, between hearts.
Duo opened the door to Heero's apartment slowly, greeting Shinigami with a grin as the cat rubbed against his leg in a frenzy of purring. He tiptoed up the stairs and stole into Heero's dimly lit room. Heero was still asleep, as he usually was at five in the morning, lying like a polished China doll in his bed. He hadn't moved since Duo had tucked him into bed the day before. Silently he crept up to the side of the bed and peered down at the sleeping face nestled deep into the soft pillow.
/=/ So peaceful…/=/
He ran his finger down the bridge of Heero's nose, causing the sleeping ex- pilot to twitch slightly, and slowly force his eyes open. It was Duo's favourite thing to see. Heero looked completely void of all masks when he woke up, for the first few seconds of wakefulness.
"Mornin' Sunshine." Duo grinned playfully at the grumpy glare he received for the comment as Heero stretched his aching limbs and shot a glance at the alarm clock. 5:10 am. He never got to sleep properly…but then again, waking up wasn't a bad option. He allowed himself to be helped with getting dressed, and was glad to be wheeled downstairs for a quick breakfast. Duo always seemed to be smiling pleasantly. And it was very contagious. Halfway through tidying his hair up slightly and settling into the wheelchair, a small smile was starting to twitch itself into existence at the corners of Heero's mouth. And the sun shone with warming rays of gold. The grey was gone.
*
"Heero?"
"Hn."
Duo simply smiled, and turned the corner into the green-tinged park. They'd been coming here almost every day. Heero seemed to enjoy the serenity, having been cooped up in his house for months on end. Even though he chose that to begin with.
"What?" He didn't bother to turn in his wheelchair. Duo toyed with the short hair at the back of Heero's neck momentarily, contemplating whether or not to talk. Silence had built up to be their means of communication. It didn't get much across, but that was in essence the whole point. The question was left unanswered.
/=/ I wonder what they're doing now…/=/ Heero's mind was swimming with thoughts. He dared not admit it, but he missed the old days. Sure, Duo was with him now. But even he was different. It was as if a part of Duo was with the other three pilots. A necessary part, something that would complete him. Puzzles usually consist of more than 2 pieces.
It's funny how life seems to sometimes, in the rarest moments, pay attention to your thoughts. And rare still, is when it takes into account what they mean. And rarest of all, is when it makes a reality out of longing and dreams. Duo's eyes widened slightly, and he drew to an abrupt halt.
"Duo?" Heero turned around this time, and seeing Duo's jaw having dropped a good centimetre or two. He didn't reply.
"Duo…?" Heero tried again, frowning slightly. Duo raised a hand and pointed shakily at the three figures walking ahead of them. Quatre's blond hair was shining softly, and Wufei had his hands shoved into his pocket. Trowa was walking in the middle, as graceful and seemingly silent as he'd always been. Life was cooperating with them both. In the strangest of ways.
Shinigami, who'd been resting on Heero's lap, abruptly leapt off and went off at high speed to catch up with the three pilots. Upon reaching Quatre, he was picked up and fondled, hugged and cradled like a baby. He cast a purple eye back to watch Heero and Duo both remain frozen and pawed lightly at Quatre's ear to get attention. As if it was his purpose to melt the ice that had built up in the four-year-old ice age.
And a long silence reigned. Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei turned around and stared dumbfounded at Duo and Heero. Duo's eyes had grown to the size of plates. Heero was shifting uneasily in his chair, wanting to stand up tall and strong but not having the energy to do so. A mass of conflicting feelings and opinions seemed to rise into the air like the steaming breath of soldiers on a war front. The atmosphere was that of battle, but no battle was to take place. It was only the ghostly feeling that one took on before attack. The tension.
A loud and somewhat annoyed 'meow' on Shinigami's part snapped the cord off with one high note. Duo blinked rapidly, clearing the non-existent fog in his eyes. Heero remained as silent as ever. As it had always been, for as long as any of them could possibly remember, Quatre was the one who found the courage to speak, setting Shinigami down in the process.
"Hi…guys…"
Silence slowly parted from the group, allowing them freedom of speech once again. But they remained deadly quiet. In a rewind and freeze version of time, but with so much changed. They didn't look the same. They didn't appear the same from the outside. Everything had changed drastically over the past four years. And here they were now, barely five steps from each other. And they did nothing.
But Shinigami made a last desperate attempt. The small feline slithered to the ground, and bounded over to Wufei with a mission set clearly in his mind. Sharp canines found their way to Wufei's leg, biting down hard. Mission completed.
"INJUSTICE!" Wufei cried and started hopping around on one leg, cursing madly. Four grown men stared at him in disbelief as he proceeded to chase Shinigami crazily around a tree. Four grown men look at Wufei, and back at each other. Four grown men, couldn't help but biting their lower lips in a futile attempt to suppress grins. Four grown men, Duo, Heero, Quatre, and Trowa, burst out laughing.
Five grown men, turned into children again, caught up in the tangle of a massive hug.
*
"MAXWELL!" Wufei hissed angrily at Duo, who was in full show of devouring all that was left on the dinner table. Heero chipped in with a trademark "Omae o Korosu".
"Come on guys, you're going to start a war!" Quatre pleaded from his corner of the table, clutching Trowas arm. Trowa was the only one who was calm, chewing idly on his vegetables and watching Heero and Wufei try to deathglare Duo into submission. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near working, as always. It almost seemed as if things were back to normal. In fact, they were. What change can time do to a group such as theirs?
"I WILL start a war if that baka doesn't stop EATING!" Wufei yelled, grabbing at Duo's braid. Quatre hid behind Trowa at being snapped at, while Trowa was calm as can be.
Nothing had changed.
Quatre, in his hiding place behind Trowa, spotted a worn old camera lying on the bench behind him. Oh he remembered that last time it was used. He still had the photograph too. It was right before Heero's…accident. Right before they fled in different directions. He looked at the old camera in silence, and finally resolved to snatch it off the bench and hold the cold plastic in his hand. An idea formed in his mind, and he whirled around brandishing the camera.
"PHOTOGRAPH!"
Massive déjà vu. Apparently all five of them felt it, because a session of rapid blinking followed. Duo dropped the chicken leg he was stealing from Wufei onto the Chinese's head, and laughter erupted from the table again.
"Come on guys, we need a decent photograph. You looked as if you had sat on a needle in the last one!" Duo joked, grinning at the snarl he received from the general direction of Heero.
Quatre busied himself with setting the camera up on the edge of the table, working quickly to position it adequately on an empty plate. Luckily, there was a good new roll of film. Trowa stood up and took Wufei by the arm to prevent him from tearing Duo to bits and led him up to the front of the camera. Wufei immediately sat down on the floor, followed by Quatre who bounced over to the 'photography area' a few seconds later, readying himself to hold up two fingers behind Wufei's head as was his custom in almost all photographs. Trowa shook his head and smiled weakly, standing behind them with folded arms.
"Come on Heero, pleeeeeeease?" Duo whined, getting down on his knees beside Heero's chair, and making irresistible puppy dog eyes.
"No."
"Please please pleeeeeease?" He whined again, and somehow managed to make his eyes take on a glassy exterior. Heero bit his lip and tried not to look at the very cute-looking face that was begging him.
"No…no…oh, FINE!" He snarled, and Duo did a victory dance around the table, while Heero hoisted himself out of the chair and stood quite balanced on his braced legs. He took a cautious step forward, and slowly, stiffly, made his way to stand beside Trowa. He stood well on his own, and had it not been for the metal braces helping his legs stay upright, no one would have noticed his disability.
"Duo! Come on!" Quatre was itching to get yet another funny photo taken, and was musing over what kind of reaction he would get from Wufei once it was developed. Chinese bunny, once again.
Duo walked over to stand beside Heero, and draped an arm over the Japanese mans shoulder, nuzzling his neck. Heero shivered slightly at the contact of breath with his skin, ticklish as he was, and put a steadying arm around Duo's shoulder, having slight trouble standing up on his own. Duo smiled happily and let Heero's weight lean on him. Quatre started the ten-second countdown for the automatic camera.
Duo leaned over slightly and put his lips to Heero's ear.
"Heero…are you happy?"
Wufei and Trowa joined in the countdown, which was currently on five. Heero let a small grin play across his lips. It slowly formed itself into a full- hearted smile, reaching from ear to ear, with a radiating glow of contentment. He hugged Duo's shoulder tightly and said in a voice barely over a whisper.
"I'm happy, Duo."
And the blinding white flash of the camera went off, to seal that second of time in immortality.
Owari ^^
A/N: I finally managed to finish this fic…o_O Took me long enough! ^_^ I like this fic, actually. A bit slow, but still. It's not half bad. Long too..o_O ^______^ Hope ya liked it!