Part 3... Day 1 (Two days before Christmas Eve)
Duo woke with a start the next morning. He didn't really remember falling asleep on the bed though. His last coherent thought was missing Heero and passing out on the couch. He quickly came back to the present, a small bit of hope slipping through his barriers.
Duo sat up suddenly and frantically searched the room for any traces that Heero might have been there.....
Nothing.
The room looked exactly like it always had. That small bit of Hope crumbled away painfully as he fell back onto the bed. He layed there for a few minutes when he heard an extremely quiet noise, which, had he not been a Gundam Pilot, he would've missed completely.
He quickly got out of bed, and went down the hall towards the kitchen, not even bothering to throw clothes on over his boxer only clad body, and not even making a sound. He looked into the kitchenette...... and gasped.
Heero was at the counter getting their breakfast together, when he sensed, more than heard, Duo come out of the hall. When he heard the gasp he turned to him.
'Duo?... What's wrong?... Why are you so pale?'
Duo was in shock, to say the least, he didn't move, breathe or talk... he just stared.
/Hee-chan... but he.... here..../ He couldn't compute the information into his mind.
'Duo?' Heero put down what he was working on and went over to him. 'Are you feeling well?' He placed a hand on Duo's forehead.
That action seemed to break the spell. He took the said hand off his head and placed it over his heart. 'Your.... here....' Duo was still mystified.
'Du-mphfo.' His question was again unanswered, but this time because he was being frantically kissed. He pulled away when the smell of buring eggs filled his senses. When he turned back to the stove, Duo wrapped himself around him from behind, with his head resting right on top of Heero's.
'Your real... Your here!'
'Where else would I be baka?' Heero's innocent slightly joking, but still confused answer brought back the memories of the accident to Duo's mind. Including that weird conversation he had with the.... locksmith?.....
'3 days!' He suddenly let go of Heero and started pacing.
'Hmm?' Heero turned from the stove and watched the peculiar behavior of his other half. 'Why are you acting so strangely?'
Duo stopped pacing and came right up to him, 'Let's take a vacation, go anywhere you want.'
'What?'
'No, I'm serious. When was the last time we've been on a vacation.'
Before Heero could answer the phone rang. Duo made no move to answer it.
'Shouldn't you get that?' It was Duo's work line.
The phone kept ringing..... 'Duo... what's wrong?' He always answered that phone, no matter the time.
Heero moved to answer it, but Duo suddenly moved faster and picked it up, 'Hello?..... Oh... Hey Hilde...-' Heero was getting more and more confused. Duo's behavior was extremely strange.... even for him...
'...No..... No I'm OK.... yeah... So why'd you call?.... Really?' Heero noted that something was off about his voice.
'L1?... Now?'
/Oh... that's probably why. He's gonna cancel ag-/ Heero's thoughts saddened.
'I can't go.'
/WHAT?/ He mirrored Hilde, not even realizing it.
'...No... You can take care of it... Then make him wait until AFTER Christmas....'
/Duo NEVER does that.../ Heero's confusion heightened another notch.
'Look, I have to go. Tell me about the details to whatever you decided... AFTER Christmas.... Bye Hilde.' Duo hung up and turned off the ringer. At this point completely, utterly, and totally perplexed didn't even BEGIN to describe what Heero felt.
'Well Hee-chan? Where'd'ya wanna go for vacation?' Heero just stood there looking at Duo like he'd grown a couple extra heads. 'Who are you and what have you done with the braided baka Duo?'
Duo noted that he didn't say [MY] Braided Baka, giving him an idea as to how much he needed to do to make things right between them. 'It's still me Hee-chan, see?' He kissed him thoroughly, pulling him close.
'mmm,' Heero pulled out of the kiss slightly out of breath, 'Why are you acting so strange Duo?'
Duo was slightly hurt by that but didn't show it, 'When was the last time we ever went somewhere, just the 2 of us? Pick anywhere on the Earth or Colonies that you wanna go, and we're there. Just you and me. Whatever you wanna do for as long as you want.'
Heero noted that he was avoiding the question, 'Anywhere I want to go?'
'Yep this Christmas, everything is yours.'
'No matter what?'
'If you wanted to go Sky Diving in the Artic, I'd go get a plane right now.... I hear Mars is nice this time of year... Maybe we could even go visit Zechs and Noin... see how they're doing.'
Mars was also the farthest you could get away from Earth without going into Deep Space for months on end. Heero also knew that Duo wasn't to fond of Zechs and Noin, although he couldn't figure out why... maybe it was cause they were related to Relena... But it could of been anything.
'Ok... I just have to make a quick phone call.... why don't you pack some of our stuff.'
Duo was curious to what Heero had in mind, but didn't question him.
---3 hrs. later on a train----
'Hee-chan.... Why'd you have to pick HERE of all places?' Duo whined. Where they were going was the LAST place he wanted to be.
'Didn't you say ANYWHERE? I wanted to go? Or are you going back on your word?'
'NO!!.... I... I mean....' Duo sounded strange again... 'I want to take you somewhere... Away form the apartment ya'know?... Just you and me....So I can show you how much I Love you.' He had been saying that all morning.
'......Aa...' was his only reply.
-----
'Heero! Duo! How are you? Why the sudden change of plans?' Quatre and Trowa met up with them at the station. The original plan was for them to go visit them at their apartment, but Heero had called them asking if they could change the plans. Quatre noticed something was wrong with Heero, but didn't ask him about it over the phone. He would tell them if anything was wrong later when they had a minute to talk. Heero didn't like talking about personal stuff over phones, if it could be done in person. Some things never change.
Trowa nodded in greeting to them.
'Will you be staying at the Estate with us? There's plenty of extra rooms, and the little ones will be so happy to see you.'
'NO!' Duo was getting jumpy again, 'I... I mean... not that it wouldn't be nice, but we have reservations at the bed and breakfast. So we can have more private time.'
The 'little ones' Quatre was talking about, were the orphans from the local orphanage. Ever holiday Quatre and Trowa invited them to the Estate for a big celebration. They also send out presents to other orphanages that were farther way.
Duo's sudden reply caught Quatre off guard. He usually loved seeing the children when they came to visit. Even though said visit were few and very far between. Quatre sensed something was definitely off about Duo, but he couldn't quite put his hand on it. He was much to frantic about something, although Quatre couldn't figure out why.
'Well at least let us give you a ride up there.' Trowa also felt something was off and it might help if they could get it out in the open, or at least figure out what it was.
The ride to the bed and breakfast was.... different...
It started out with just friendly catch up, but whenever it got to something about what was going on with Duo and/or Heero, Duo quietly steer the conversation way from that subject. After a bit Heero just stopped listening to what was being said, and turned his attention to the window. If any of them noticed, they didn't comment. The rest of the ride was spent in a slightly uncomfortable silence.
-----
'Duo, you didn't have to be rude to them you know. They only offered for us to stay with them.' Heero was sitting on the edge of the bed as Duo hurriedly arranged and rearranged all his clothes, trying to find something to change into.
'We made these reservations though. I didn't want to have to change them again. I didn't mean to be rude Hee-chan. I'm sorry.'
'It's not me you should be apologizing to.'
/If only you knew how wrong you were Hee-chan/ 'And I will when we see them for dinner tomorrow night. I Promise not to be rude either.'
Heero looked at him for a long moment before nodding.
'What would you like to do for dinner tonight Hee-chan? There's a nice Japanese Restaurant not to far from here.' Heero noted that Duo was efficiently changing the subject.....again...
'Actually, I'd like it if we could just stay in tonight. Have a nice quiet dinner with just us. A small fire going.... If that's ok....'
'Hey remember what I said Hee-chan. Whatever you want.' Duo made the call to room service, then got the fire going in the fire place. he found a lite classics station and put that on for background. It reminded Duo of something important.
'Dance with me Hee-chan?' He held his hand out for Heero. Something flashed in Heero's eyes, but it was quickly hidden. Duo wasn't even sure if it was a trick of the light or if it was real. He gracefully excepted the extended hand, with the smallest glint of a spark in his eye.
They started their dance at the proper distance apart, Heero's arms around Duo's neck, but he was slightly tense. Duo had his hands gently hold his waist. As the songs progressed they became closer together, their bodies barely moving. With a small sigh Heero relaxed completely against Duo and placed his head on the junction between his neck and shoulder. Duo placed his head over Heero's and his hands completely encircled him from behind, gently rubbing his back and sides in a relaxing gesture.
But while Heero seemed to be relaxed on the outside, on the inside he was running on over drive. Most of his thoughts were trying to figure out what Duo was up to, and most of his theories had dark conclusions. He didn't want to bring up the subject again, for fear of Duo getting angry(ier?) at him, and avoiding the question. He either did that or said how much he loved him, then changed the subject completely.
/Why was Duo doing all this? Was he trying to redeem himself for always being away?
Had he finally tired of having me around and the business trips were just an excuse to be away?
Was he trying to see if he still has feelings for me?
Did he do something wrong and is now doing this to feel less guilty?
Who is he trying to convince when he says the 'You know I love you right's?' Is he trying to convince either himself or me that there might be hope for a second chance?
Did I show to much disappointment when he went on the business trips for days/weeks on end?
Was it not enough?
Did I not keep the house clean enough .... was it my cooking?.../
Heero managed to stop his train of thinking before it got tot he point were he would cry. He never showed that much weakness, especially in front of Duo. He didn't need more reasons for Duo to....
Heero sighed and relaxed. If Duo wanted to tell him he was leaving... or worse... then he would enjoy this last bit of time with him, while he could.
Besides... he didn't know how much time he would have left.....
-----End part 3------