CHAPTER TWELVE

Rain…

Heero was woken the following morning by the sound of light raindrops on the bedroom window. He remained lying still on the bed as he listened intently at the pitter of the soft drizzle blended somewhat melodically with the sound of Duo's breathing next to him.

He recalled his ordeal the night before, and shuddered slightly, but the painful recollection was quickly pushed out of his head as the memory of Duo's comforting gestures came through. He lifted a hand to his lips as if he was trying to feel the lingering sensation of that last kiss. He sighed blissfully and turned to the figure beside him.

Duo…Duo…Duo…

Duo's back was facing him, Heero propped himself up on one arm and leant over the sleeping figure to get a glimpse of his face.

His eyes were closed, but his lashes fluttered ever so vaguely, indicating perhaps a not-so-restful sleep, his mouth was slightly open, and his hair, for once out of that braid, fell in a wavy pool around his face.

For a long time, all Heero could do was gaze upon that face in fascination and run his fingers gently through the long brown locks. Finally, he succumbed to the urge that had been building and leant down quickly to plant a kiss on Duo's earlobe.

Upon contact, Duo's shoulder twitched, sending a rush of excitement through Heero's nerves system, he grinned, licked his lips and was about to go for it again when a different impulse hit him, instead of kissing him again, Heero blew softly into Duo's ear.

"Mmmm…" Duo moaned and twitched again, his eyes squirmed for a moment but they remained shut.

Heero held back the inclination to laugh, and, leaning even closer, he blew again.

"Whoaaaaa……!!!"

He didn't know how it happened, but suddenly Heero found himself sprawled out flat on his back, with Duo leaning over him, his hair falling in a rippling cascade around Heero's face.

"Darest thou challenge the great Shinigami to Blowing-in-the-ear?" Duo growled as he bent over Heero "For that Thou shalt endure the consequences!!!"

"Duo!" Heero gasped "I…I thought…"

"You thought I was asleep?" Duo grinned teasingly.

"Err…well…" Heero blushed with embarrassment at being caught "Something along those lines I guess…"

"Well you must hence take the punishment I have in stall for such actions!" Duo announced dramatically "Prepare yourself Heero Yuy!"

"And what may they be? Oh great Maxwell?"

Duo drew closer and whispered "Let me show you…"

                  *                                  *                                  *

Quatre sat solemnly at the breakfast table, poking at his breakfast, somehow he just had no appetite this morning. His behavior didn't go unnoticed by Trowa.

"What's wrong Quatre?"

"Hmm?" He glanced up, and sighed softly, pushing his plate aside "I'm worried"

Trowa frowned "Still?"

"Yeah" Quatre nodded "I can't stop thinking about what you said last night, about Heero and Relena and everything…I mean…" He searched for a way to word it "I'm a bit concerned for Duo, I guess…"

Trowa took a seat beside him "Why are you always like this?" He asked, touching Quatre's cheek with adoration "You worry about everyone's problems but your own"

"I don't have anything to worry about for myself, not right now" Quatre leaned towards Trowa "But it's taken so long for Heero and Duo to get this…relationship underway and sorted out, I'd hate to see anything that might break it apart…"

"Duo's not worried" Trowa reminded him "Then there's no reason you should be"

"Even if he was worried he wouldn't show it, you know that"

"He trusts Heero, and that's all that matters"

"Perhaps that's how it is right now…but…" Quatre started to protest "Oh, I don't know, Heero has amnesia, Relena doesn't know it, and she doesn't know what's happening between them…everything's just so…unstable…"

"Does that mean…" Trowa held Quatre's shoulders and turned him so he was facing him "…that if it was us in that situation you wouldn't trust my heart to stay true to you?"

"Trowa!" Quatre exclaimed, alarmed "You know I trust you, under any circumstances!"

"Even with amnesia? Even if there was a chance that I may not know who you are the next day?"

"I know you will return to me someday" Quatre placed an arm around Trowa's neck and pulled him closer "I know you will…"

Trowa smiled and pressed his forehead against that of the smaller boy "I'm sure that's how Duo feels about Heero now, and with equal certainty, you don't have to worry about either of them getting hurt, whatever the situation is"

"Trowa…" Quatre wasn't entirely convinced, but he didn't want to protest any further, not when Trowa seemed just about to…

Yes…his lips were drawing near, Quatre closed his eyes and waited with anticipation.

"Already!? It's not even seven-thirty!"

The two lovebirds spurng apart in shock, as absorbed as they were in each other's company they had failed to notice the entrance of Wufei.

"Ahem…" Trowa coughed, and stood up "How…how long have you been there?"

"Just long enough to catch the important moment" Wufei replied as he brushed past "Sorry to break this atmosphere, but if I don't get some food into my system I may fall into some kind of coma and I assure you that wouldn't be pretty, besides…" He added, nodding towards the clock "It is only seven twenty-five, you guys should save the energy for later"

Quatre blushed; Trowa suddenly became extremely interested in a loose hinge on one of the cupboards.

"Well anyway, I heard you guys mention Duo and Heero's little dilemma" Wufei went on as he sat down with his food "Personally I think we should order Heero to stop seeing that girl after tonight"

"Come on, you know we can't order him to do anything, it's not right" Quatre resumed in poking at his plate "It's only been two dates, including tonight, how much could possibly happen?"

"She took over the world practically overnight" Wufei picked up a slice of toast and examined it before taking a bite "Don't expect it'll take too long for her to take over Heero"

Trowa sighed "Wufei, stop it, I only just got Quatre to come out of the worry-mode, don't put him back into it…"

"Hey I'm sure you'd have a great time un-worrying him" Wufei smirked "You should appreciate the opportunity"

Trowa lifted his eyebrows, since when did Wufei tease? "Have you been hanging around Duo lately?"

"You know exactly who's been hanging around Duo lately" Wufei replied with a slightly sour tone "Ugh! I don't want to be around tonight while he's in his little wound-up-fretting mood, once was more than enough for me"

"Wufei…" Quatre started to say something, but was interrupted by…

THUMP!!

The three of them glanced simultaneously at the direction of the sound.

Duo's bedroom.

"Man, what's with today?" Wufei shook his head "Everyone's going in for it early!"

                              *                                  *                                  *

Duo grumbled as he struggled to climb off Heero, who was giggling helplessly form beneath him. He wasn't sure how it came to be, but one minute they were on the bed, the next minute they were practically underneath it.

"So much for that" He muttered as he helped Heero back on to his legs "What a way to kill the mood"

"What was that?" asked Heero.

Duo sighed "Nothing…" As funny as the incident may have seemed to Heero, it was slightly disappointing for him. He glanced at the mirror that hung on one of the walls, and groaned at his own reflection.

"Oh man! I look like one of Trowa's lions!" He ran his hand through his hair a few times, only succeeding in giving it the back-brushed look "That's the last time I sleep with it out…what was I thinking anyway?!"

 "You make a very pretty lion" Heero commented as he pulled Duo over to the window and sat him down.

"What are you doing?"

"Grooming my lion of course" Heero grinned down at him. He somehow managed to locate a comb among the clutter on Duo's desk, and proceeded to run it through the long locks.

Duo sat in wonder. Heero Yuy was playing hairdresser…this promises to be an interesting experience indeed…

He gazed out the window, lost in thought, at length, he sighed.

"What is it?" Heero's hand stopped in mid-motion.

"The rain…" Duo pointed "It just made me think …"

Heero resumed his combing, listening intently.

"It makes me feel as if the world is crying…and in the midst of this war and everything…" He sighed again "Someone once told me that the raindrops are tears from the heavens, the heavens are crying because of the lack of justice in this world…"

"At least…" said Heero "If it seems like the world is in tears, then if you're in the rain, no one would be able to tell if you're crying"

Duo craned his neck to look at him "I hope you never have a reason to cry"

Heero smiled "Not as long as I have you" He placed the comb back onto the table and started to braid Duo's hair.

"Hey I have an idea!" Duo suddenly exclaimed "Why don't we go to the cliffs again?"

"In this weather?" Heero asked disbelievingly "The others'll think you're crazy!"

"So what else is new?" Duo didn't seem to care "Besides, they don't have to go with us, I was thinking just you and me!"

"Oh…" It sounded awfully tempting "Why today in particular?"

"It's this weather!" Duo explained "The last time we were there it was still winter, and it was a clear day. Now it's spring, and that place takes on a whole new look in the change of seasons…and this hazy drizzle…" He gestured "Trust me, it puts in a totally different atmosphere, it's wonderful, really!"

Heero drew a breath, the idea was alluring enough. A day with Duo all to himself in such an environment as just described…

"I guess we could…" He started, but then suddenly remembered "Oh hang on…wait …I can't…"

"You can't?!" Duo cried with disappointment "Why not?!"

"I…have to go out with Relena tonight…remember?"

"But…that's only at night, you still have the rest of the day!" Duo protested.

"She…she said that she'll be picking me up around mid-morning…" Heero twisted a strand of Duo's hair between his fingers nervously, feeling as if he was confessing to a terrible crime "We're…going somewhere I think…"

"What?! Where?!"

"I…don't know…"

Duo crossed his arms and sulked, the look of disappointment unmistakably plastered on his face, magnifying Heero's feeling of guilt.

"Come on…it's just this once…there'll be other rainy days…" He tried "And…and… I'll bring you back a present! How about that?"

Part of Duo wanted to laugh at that, Heero trying to bribe him out of been angry, not something he himself hasn't tried before.

He sighed as Heero wound an elastic band around the tip of his braid, what was the use? It's nearly impossible to stay mad at that guy anyway.

                  *                                  *                                  *

That night…

"Trowa…?

"Yes Duo?"

"What time is it?"

"Exactly one minute since the last time you asked that, it's eleven fifty-three"

"Oh man…" Duo slouched back in his chair "Seven more minutes to go and I'll be greeting Heero good morning when he gets back! What on Earth could he be doing?"

"Considering her idea of a 'walk' is twelve hours" Wufei put in "I don't really want to know how long a 'dinner date' would last by her standards"

Duo stood up and paced around the living room.

"Oh great, not this again" Wufei groaned "Duo, distract yourself okay? Go to bed or something!"

"Bed? But Heero's not…I mean…" He hastily bit back his tongue "I'll wait till midnight, then…I'll go take a shower to freshen up…"

"Freshen up at midnight?" Quatre looked up "What the…"

"So I can keep waiting without turning into a total vegetable" Duo retorted.

The four of them waited in silence, casting occasional glances at the wall clock. Finally, it reached midnight.

"Okay, that's it! Clock's struck twelve, Cinderella's still not back from the ball so I'm gonna go and…do my thing…"

The others blinked after him for a moment, then turned to face one another.

"It's starting, isn't it?" Wufei began "I just knew this would happen"

Trowa shook his head and sighed "I didn't think it'd happen so quickly…I mean, they've only been out on one date…if you wanna call it that…I didn't think it'd directly lead to…this…"

"Yeah well…"

"Seriously though, what do you think they are doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wufei rolled his eyes with a disgusted expression "They went out for dinner, she probably got him drunk, it's past midnight…I think we all know what they're doing"

"Wufei!"

"Well you asked for my opinion" Wufei glared at Trowa "Do you have any other suggestions?"

"I…" Trowa backed up a little, he didn't believe for a second Heero would all of a sudden go that far with a girl he didn't remember, nor did he think that he would betray Duo like that, but then again…

An image popped into Trowa's mind…a rather disturbing scene that he had hoped never to witness again.

Heero…in Catherine's pink and purple performance outfit, draped over Duo's arm, blind drunk.

"He…does have the tendency to get tipsy easily…heh?" He shuddered.

"…"

Trowa sighed "Quatre, what do you think?" He turned in his direction "Quatre…?"

The blond boy didn't reply, he had long since fallen asleep on the couch.

"Told you you shouldn't have used up all your energy in the morning, now look at him, how do you plan to pass away the rest of the night now?" Wufei grinned devilishly at Trowa.

 "I…"

Before Trowa could respond, the front door was opened and Heero entered the building.

"Hey" Trowa greeted him, relieved to have a distraction from Wufei's comments "Didn't hear you guys pull up"

"Relena wanted to take a walk…" Heero replied as he sat down beside the sleeping Quatre, which did nothing to wake him up "Umm…guys…can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Okay, I know you guys said I never really talked to her before…but, like, are you sure about that? I mean…like…maybe you guys were just never sure of it? Or did I do things without any of you knowing…or…" He couldn't stop stuttering.

"What kind of things?" Wufei frowned.

"Oh well, like…were we…I mean, me and…Relena…were we ever…involved?"

"Involved? What the…?"

"Like, were we ever a couple? Or did we go out or anything like that…or…or…" He wrung his hands in frustration "I don't know! Anything?!

"Arr…" Trowa glanced at Wufei, he had no idea what to make of the question.

"You and her?" Wufei sneered "In her dreams maybe…"

"But…but…" Heero tried to argue "She's so…nice to me and everything, too nice, that's what's freaking me out, she acts like…well, I'm starting to think I must've…been with her…at some point…"

"Did she tell you that?"

"No…I'm just guessing here…" Heero sighed "But really, tell me…what was my relationship with her like before anyway?"

"In brief" Wufei replied "You threatened to kill her and she stalked you…"

"Oh come on" Trowa interrupted "She only stal…followed him three times or something…"

Wufei glared at Trowa disbelievingly "She followed him to Antarctica! Don't you think that's taking an obsession just a little to the extreme?!"

"Uh…guys?" Heero spoke up again "Can we get back to this?"

"Trust me Heero" said Wufei "You two were never…together, I don't know how she ever saw it, but from our point of view you guys were never an item"

"But then…why is she so…nice? Does she have a thing for me?"

"She sure seems to like you, that much is definitely true" Trowa confirmed "But that doesn't mean anything…Unless…"

"Unless…?"

Trowa looked him straight in the eyes "Heero…" He began in a serious voice "Do you like her?"

"Huh?" Heero was taken aback "I…guess, I mean, yeah…I think so, but, she was freaking me out tonight, getting really close and all that, a little too friendly perhaps…it was all so…intimidating…"

"So you like her, just not in the 'involved' sense?"

Heero shrugged helplessly "I…guess, what other ways are there?"

"As long as you're sure about that part, don't worry about anything else, okay? Just make it clear to her you want to stay as her friend, and she'll drop this attitude" Trowa reached over and patted his shoulder "Now, why don't you go and get some rest? It's really late…or early…whatever…besides, Duo's been a frantic wreck worrying about your whereabouts, go and calm him down okay?"

"Oh yeah!" The look of anxiety disappeared from Heero's face as it lit up in a smile "I promised him a present! I'll go and give it to him now, that'll make him happy! Right?" He stood up and happily bounded down the hall.

"Well it doesn't take much for him to stop worrying does it?" Wufei commented to Trowa "Anyway, now that everyone's accounted for, I'm going to bed too, see you tomorrow…or later today…" He stood up and yawned "Goodnight" Before making his way back to his own room.

"Hmmm…" Trowa gazed at Quatre, still dozing off soundly, lightly clutching a cushion "I wonder…"

He went over and knelt down beside the sleeping figure "Hey…Quatre…" He shook him gently "Quatre…time to go to bed now…Quatre!"

"Mmmmhmmmph…." The boy groaned and hugged his cushion tighter.

"Come on Quatre!" He shook a little harder.

"I don't have any mouthwash left Trowa…can I use yours?" came the mumbled response.

Trowa stood up and sighed "Perhaps I should just get him a blanket and let him sleep out here…or maybe…" A thought entered his mind, and he grinned "Why not?

With one swift scoop he picked up the boy in his arms, allowing Quatre's head to rest against his shoulder.

"Score one for me!" Trowa whispered as he carried his catch of the day back to his room.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

By the time Duo had returned to his room, Heero had already made himself cozy on the bed.

"Heero!" Duo was caught off guard "When did you get back?"

"Just a while ago" Heero replied "Come here! I wanna show you something!"

Duo sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him suspiciously "What is this?"

"Close your eyes"

"What the…"

"Just do it!"

"But why…"

"I promised you a gift remember? Come on! Cooperate!"

Duo sighed, and did as he was told. But instead of having something shoved into his hand as he was expecting, he suddenly felt Heero nuzzling against his neck.

"Whoa…" His eyes opened in shock "Heero! What's with this sudden…"

"I missed you!" Heero continued to playfully nibble at his neckline "It's been a long day!"

"Yeah…it has…"Duo murmured wistfully "So, what, was that the present?"

Heero laughed "Actually no, it's this…" He reached over to one of the bed side stands and picked up a box "I saw it and it so totally made me think of you so I just had to get it!" He opened it and showed Duo its contents "Tell me you like it!"

It was a large, silver cross, plain and smooth, hanging from a sturdy looking metal chain.

"It's…" Duo reached out and touched the pendant "It's beautiful Heero…"

"I thought it just went with your priest getup, I mean…" He shrugged "It reminded me of you so…now you have something to remind you of me by!"

You think I need reminders to think about you Heero?

"Thank you…I'll treasure it…" And he meant it.

Heero grinned, he reached into the box, picked up the piece of jewelry and hung it around Duo's neck, the cross dangled in front of his chest.

"See? I knew it! It suits you so well!"

Duo fingered the cross "You think so…?" He had wanted to ask about Heero's activities for the day, to find any details which may have been the lacking, but at that moment, he lost any urge to interrogate him, he just wanted to…

 "Heero…" He leaned forward and cupped his face in his own hands "Don't go leaving me again for so long…I missed you…"

Heero nodded repeatedly "Same here…I mean Relena's great and all, but I miss spending time with you…"

Relena…

That name brought upon a jolt in Duo's heart, but it hardly got a chance to do any damage, Heero had started to pull him down onto the bed.

"Come on Duo, we have a lot of catching up to do!"

Duo leant forwards; he could feel the warmth of Heero's body beneath his own.

You're so real, you're here…yet, why is it I feel this is all so unrealistic? Like this whole thing may just be an illusion? He gripped one of Heero's arms. I don't want to seem like I don't know what's happening Heero, I know you rely on me to know…but sometimes I wonder, how long will this last? You promised you'd feel this way forever…but then…

How long is this forever anyway?

Heero…?