Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

Heero sat on his bed, his eyes unfocused, as he stared at the handgun in his hands.  He kept tilting it to study all aspects of it while his mind raced.  'This could end all of the fear, the memories, and the shame…' Heero thought as he turned it over.  He heard a knock on the door and quickly hid the gun.

"Heero?" Duo's voice asked quietly through the door.  Heero sighed and glared at the door as it opened and Duo poked his head in.  "Whatcha doing?" Duo asked with a smile.

"Hn…" Heero said trying to will the braided boy into leaving.

"I just got a call from Relena," Duo said sullenly as he watched for a reaction.  Heero visibly tensed and he gave do a hard stare.

"What did she want?" Heero asked carefully not really wanting to deal with her.  His temper with her had visibly shortened to those who saw them together, and Duo was happy of that.

"She wants to know how you're doing and if you want to attend a party she's holding," Duo relayed.

"I'm fine, and no I don't want to attend a party," Heero stated before turning away from Duo.

"Heero, you're going to have to face the world again sometime," Duo said laying a hand on Heero's shoulder.  Heero flinched away and Duo began to become annoyed.  "Damn it Heero!  I'm just trying to help you!" Duo shouted, his voice choked with unshed tears.  'Boys don't cry!' was the only thought that kept him from breaking down.  Heero turned back startled as he stared at Duo who had his head bent in hopes that Heero wouldn't notice.  Heero remembered the times in which thoughts of Duo had helped him last through the time he had spent with that man.

"I…" Heero started and reached out a tentative hand resting it lightly on Duo's shoulder, a display of affection he wouldn't have performed even before he had been captured.

"Heero?" Duo asked looking up at the Japanese pilot.

"I'm…" Heero tried again and began shaking.  Duo knew he had to seize this chance and he gently pulled Heero into a tight embrace.  Heero tensed up at first, memories of his time in that place flooded back to him, however Heero quickly banished them as he felt somehow right in Duo's arms.

"Sh… don't speak," Duo whispered as he pulled away slightly so that he could look into Heero's eyes.  "Heero… I love you…" he whispered.

"I… I think… I love you too…" Heero said softly and Duo tenderly caught Heero's lips.  Heero quickly found the difference between the man's hard, crushing kiss and Duo's soft, loving one and quickly found himself returning it.  All too soon for Duo's taste he heard a knock on the door and was forced to break away from Heero leaving him dazed on the bed.

"Yes?" Duo asked sullenly as he answered the door.

"That was hardly the welcome I was expecting," Quatre said blinking a few times.

"Sorry… it's just… you caught us at a bad time," Duo said as he stepped aside allowing the three other pilots entrance.

"And why is that?" Quatre asked slyly.

"None of your damn business!" Duo shouted turning bright red.

"Well… I can take a guess at what you were doing," Wufei stated.

"It's not what you think!" Duo said quickly whirling around to face Wufei.

"How do you know what he thinks?" Trowa asked reasonably participating in the torture of Duo.

"Well…" Duo began but was cut off by the other's laughs.  "You guys are so cruel!" Duo said with a fake pout, "so… What brings you here?"

"Well… it's about the guy who captured Heero…" Quatre said uncomfortably.

"What about him?" Duo asked growing concerned.

"His body's disappeared," Trowa stated and Duo gaped at him.

"What do you mean, 'its disappeared'!  What happened to it?!" Duo shouted agitated.

"Nobody knows, all of the other people in that place have also disappeared.  All that's left is that one girl, Roku's, body…" Quatre said slowly.

"Then either they took it away or…" Duo began and Wufei finished the sentence for him.

"He's still alive…" Wufei stated his face darkening with anger.

"That's impossible!  I made a perfect shot, and we all saw him die!" Duo shouted trying to convince himself.

"Although… don't you admit that it was a bit too easy?" Wufei asked and Duo fell silent.

"Let's not tell Heero about this, he needs to recover first…" Quatre suggested and the others nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't matter what you plan…" a shadowy figure said gleefully outside Duo and Heero's house, "it won't make any difference to me.  No matter what you do you will never defeat me…"