5. Cry of the Watcher


I padded into the living room with a sigh. Then, I leaned against the wall and hit my head
against it for a second. Duo was hurt... Duo was badly hurt. Badly hurt. My baka. My..?

"If you're going to take your frustration out on something... why not go fix his Gundam,"
Wufei snorted from the couch.

"How is Winner?" I asked, glancing at Wufei as I turned around. I stood, shirt covered in
Duo-snot, looking for all the world like I was still on a mission. Duo was my mission.

"Fine. Trowa's icing his cheek. It's a good thing that Duo couldn't-" Wufei stopped.

"Be careful," I said slowly. "You don't have anyone to ice your cheek."

Wufei glanced at my face momentarily and then returned to his book. That look brooked
no arguement. None whatsoever.

I walked up to the bedroom and slid into the bed. Duo was sleeping uneasily and I slid on
top of the sheets and tucked a pillow under my chest for leverage. Then, I grabbed my
laptop from the side of the bed and turned it on instantly beginning to type my resquest.

From Pilot 01:
02 has been permanently blinded after torture with enemy agents. Both Gundam and
Pilot have been recovered with minimal exposure. Request E.W.D. to be installed on
Gundam Deathscythe. If not, 01 and 02's resignations are attached and the Gundams will
be destroyed.

I nodded. That covered it, but... why had I put the last bit in? In fact, why had I attached
the resignations at all...? How much did he mean to me... to make me act against the
mission? I didn't need to think about that right now. E.W.D would be installed and there
would be no problems.

Yet... even with E.W.D. he wouldn't see much. The program barely gave visual and was
more for... aid to those with slow reactions. Duo... liability? The two words didn't
compute. Beside me Duo stirred and wrinkled his nose. I said nothing and he continued to
flop all over me, legs tangling with mine until those sightless eyes opened and he stiffened.

"Heero?"

"Aa," I said simply.

"I was afraid you were someone else. How mad are they at me?" he continued. "I didn't
mean to hit Quatre. I really don't know what happened to come over me like that."

"..." I murmered in acknowledgement before I realized that he couldn't read my eyes
anymore... he needed me to say something.

"Barton handled it," I responded.

"Oh, that's good. They make good lovers. I wish I had a lover like that. Don't you?" there
was a wistful sound in those words and I held my breath. "Not many woman Gundam
pilots are there Heero? Maybe better that way. You'd get them all." Then, I almost felt my
hair stand up. "HEEE-ROOOOOO, where are you? I love you Heerrooooo! I found you
again Heero!"

I whacked him with a pillow.

Duo didn't like men. He liked women. Of course. Stupid, Yuy. Only 10% of the
population was typically homosexual. Five Gundam pilots. TWO of which are
homosexual. It is altogether beyond likely that Duo would... enjoy men.

"Have you sent in my..."

"..."

"Heero?"

I felt his legs wrap around my waist as one foot slipped under body and he tugged.

"Heero?"

"HEERROOOOO!"

"Omae o korosu!" I said.

"Jeez," he muttered and I mentally slapped myself. It can't ever be like it was again. He
can't see that you don't mean it.

"I'm trying to get E.W.D installation requirements," I snorted.

"Eww?"

"E.W.D. Echolocation-based Wave Device. It'll allow you to pilot your Gundam. I hope.
It will input images directly to your brain and allow you to locate targets. It will make
Deathscythe slower however. It's no little installation," I finished. "It works similar to-" I
babbled on. That behavior was unusual for me and I stopped it.

There was silence and then I found myself tugged into a tight embrace and it didn't seem
like Duo was planning on letting go- at all.