The cold chill of evening stirred Heero from the calm of sleep. How long had he been out? His internal clock said it was evening, but it had been evening when he fell asleep, so it must have been for an entire day. Fell asleep...something was strange about that. Shifting slightly, he froze as he felt the weight beside him. And against him. Another little shift and...yes, apparently somewhat on him and at least partially around him...? Risking a glance, he peeked open sleep-shut eyes and looked down to find a mass of chestnut hair draped across his stomach, along with one pale arm, a beautiful face, and...half a leg. The other was tangled in with his. He tried to sit up, but the faintest movement hade his head spin and he fell back onto the bed with a grunt, the sword which was in the bed beside him falling to the floor with a loud clatter. Once more he froze, but the sleeping figure barely stirred, muttering something beneath its breath before drifting back off to sleep with a low purr. Heero swallowed a lump in his throat as his mind raced; what had happened last night? He remembered another nightmare, but this time Duo was out side his bedroom door beaten and dirty...and hungry. Hungry....oh shit! Heero jerked suddenly and sat up despite the ringing in his head and the faint grunt of protest from the sleeping Duo, who merely rolled over and drifted back off to dreamland. Leaning over, he scooped up his sword from off the floor, barely catching hold of it before a loud knock shook the door.

"Heero...?" It was the princess. Of course. "Heero, I heard something fall. Are you all right in there?" The latch jangled as she tried the locked door - when had it gotten locked? He didn't remember locking it... - and then clicked as she slid a key in. "I'm coming in, Heero!" was the only warning he got before the door burst open with a slightly happier-than- normal Relena standing on the other side. With a muttered curse Heero slid back onto the bed and roughly shoved Duo off onto the floor with a thump, the protesting "Whazza?!" slightly muffled by the blanket scraped down on top of him. Catching only the last few seconds of movement from the soldier, Relena's eyebrows arched as she entered the room. "Heero...? Are you okay? I heard a loud noise and I thought you might have been hurt."

He glared at her a moment, then muttered, "Sword fell."

There was a giggle; it sounded innocent, charming, and at least a bit air headed. "You sleep with your sword? Aren't there much better things to sleep with?"

"Hn."

"Well I for one can think of one thing better to sleep with than a piece of steel," she added with a smile as suggestive and coy as she could come up with.

It was obvious Heero had thought about reply with the usual, but this time a slightly more cutting remark blurted itself out unbidden. "And I can think of many things more frigid to sleep with."

She stopped, head tilted as the statement settled in. A frown crossed her dainty features and she turned on a heel, huffing as she smoothed out the night robes. "As long as you are well, sir, then I'll see myself back to my room."

He didn't even blink as the door slammed, but he turned quickly at the protests from behind the bed. "Wha.....huh? Dammit...." The blankets rolled and wrestled for a bit, then finally Duo crawled out from beneath the barrage of cloth with a yawn, muscles tensing in unison with a long, luxurious stretch that sent a few joints popping. Flopping back down onto the bed he gave Heero a lazy grin, the dirty and torn leather from the previous evening laid out on the floor to dry and Heero's own leather jerkin gracing the slim body - though only just barely in some places, particularly coming up short on the thighs. "Sleep well, Hee-chan?" Prussian blue eyes narrowed and he stood up, drawing the sword once more. He rested the tip on the bed next to Duo's smiling face. "Get out."

The smile contorted in a pout - an expression almost as alluring - and he sighed, eyes focusing past Heero's to the ceiling above. "I thought you wanted me here. You didn't seem to mind last night," he added, with a hint of a grin.

"My judgment was clouded. You'd done something to my mind; I don't appreciate your kind and I'd never have let you in if my mind wasn't being controlled," he grumbled as he shifted his stance.

"Oh, bullshit," Duo hissed as he sat up, the shining eyes flickering with just a trace of yellow-green. "I was too weak to even walk; you let me in here because you wanted me in here!"

Heero kept his face as stony as possible despite the war raging in his conscience. What really did happen? Why did he let that....thing in here? He was obviously being stalked; what did he care if it died?

"For the gods' sake, talk Heero! Please!" In the corner of his eyes crimson tears were welling up, the blackish-red blood streaking down his cheeks slowly. "I've been searching for you for years and you're no where, and I finally find you and you act like you accept me then throw a sword in my face...what's wrong with you? Don't you remember? You've been having those dreams too, right?" Recognition flashed across the soldier's features and Duo pointed excitedly. "You have! I knew it! It's you!" Clambering off the bed Duo glomped Heero, nearly knocking him to the floor as he pushed the sword away, positively giggling with excitement. "I knew it...I knew it! I knew I'd find you; I've been looking for you for so long!"

"How long, then?"

"I knew when I saw you back in that town months ago," Duo prattled on, squeezing Heero so tightly around his chest he was having a bit of difficulty breathing. "I said, 'Duo, that's the guy. You get him, you're set.' Been searching forever, and you're finally -"

"Duo."

"Qua....huh?"

"How. Long."

"Er...." There was a moment of silence as Duo seemed to be counting on his fingers, then he held up seven fingers, grinning manically. When Heero stared at him blankly Duo muttered, flicking his nose. "Seven hundred, something like that."

Heero nearly choked, pushing Duo off him as he stared at him shockedly. "You're seven hundred...." his voice trailed off. "Well, no, I've just been searching that long. I mean," Duo shrugged, "I'm well over a thousand-and-something, or near it. I stopped counting. I'd found you a couple of times, but you kept escaping; I'm not gonna let you go this time!" Heero let out a little sound much akin to a squeak-toy as Duo administered another bone-squelching hug, nuzzling him, and he purred happily as he slumped against the faintly-struggling boy.

"Why are you looking for me?" Heero wheezed, pushing at the long-haired assailant before adding, "I can't breathe...."

With a sheepish grin Duo relaxed his grip a little and smiled, sliding a cool hand against Heero's cheek. "Because you can save me, my angel...I know you can."

As soon as the grip relaxed he shoved Duo back a safe distance. Sitting down on the bed he glared at the swaying figure before him, rolling his eyes. "I'm not here to save anyone. Especially not you."

"Ah...not true, though," Duo teased as he braided his hair expertly, and Heero did his best not to notice as the hem of the jerkin raised a few inches as the arms went up to pull the hair back. "You're concerned about your prince, aren't you?"

"That's not the same."

"Oh? How so? Seems much the same to me," he laughed, sticking out his tongue as he closed the distance between them by a few feet, hands on his hips. "He's you life, right? You live to protect him and help him accomplish his dreams. But what happens when your mission is over? He's going to die someday, y'know." Hands went up defensively as Heero shot him a glare, and he shook his head, "No, that's not a threat, I just know it's a fairly common trait among humans, y'know? They tend to die after a given length of time." Again that luscious smirk crossed the delicate features and he reached out a hand again to touch Heero's cheek. "But I'm telling you now, you're *my* life. I've spent forever waiting for you...you're all I've got."

Despite the hardened face he put up, Heero found his resolve melting; something was strange. What had he said, about finding him before? That was a load of nonsense, but it seemed completely accurate. This time he didn't flinch as the pale hand brushed against his face and he closed his eyes. "I can't help you."

"You can...and you will," Duo whispered, sliding down onto Heero's lap and leaning against him. The slender thighs hugged Heero's hips and he nuzzled against his cheek, clinging to the warmth offered by the contact. Heero pushed at first, but finally gave up resistance and curled his arms around the boy's waist uncertainly, his breath occasionally breaking from its normal rhythm. He could feel Duo's lips brushing against his ear as he spoke, "I know you will...you don't have to try. You'll know what to do...please save me..."

Heero could feel the burning in his stomach, the tingle of nerves down his spine sending shivers through him. Holding Duo close he wiped away the half-dried tears and brushed his lips against the pale, cool tiers, nodding slowly. "Mission accepted..." he muttered before pressing his lips in. They held tightly to each other as the kiss lingered on for eternity, Duo's sharp nails pricking t Heero's back through the cotton tunic as Heero's calloused hands gingerly pulled the braid loose, ignoring the burning ache for air in his lungs....

.....until the door pushed open with a slam and Trowa, WuFei and Relena burst in, all three awakened by the voices arguing earlier....