Title: Catching Duo

Author: Mistress Tsunami

Rating: R

Warnings: AU, OOC, school-fic, angst, 1x5 LEMON in part five, limey in part six (cont. from five), drug-use, Duo-torture (no NCS or BDSM, though), yaoi, shonen-ai, het, get-together fic (is that a warning?).

Opportunity knocked. My doorman threw him out.
-Adrienne Gusoff-

Heero awoke several hours later safely nestled within the arms of Wufei, and he was surprised to find himself still buried inside the other Asian. Gently brushing his hand along Wufei's face, he called out gently to wake the other up. Smiling peacefully, Wufei opened his eyes, looking like a kitten just waking up from his nap.

"Good afternoon, 'Fei," Heero softly murmured, not eager to disturb the mood. "You didn't slide me out..."

It was more a question than a statement, and Wufei answered quietly, almost shyly, to the unasked question, "I didn't want you to leave me."

Heero suppressed a sigh, wondering when his partner would overcome his problems. "How many times have we been through this, 'Fei?" He asked, sounding slightly hurt. "No one's going to leave you out there all alone."

"I know," Wufei sighed, nuzzling the top of Heero's head where it rested on his chest. "I can't help it, I just like feeling secure. And having you in me makes me feel secure."

"It's okay, 'Fei, don't worry about it, but I need to get a shower now. Would you care to join me?" Heero offered, knowing that the water would help ease the other teen's tight opening and lessen the pain.

Wufei smiled in understanding and nodded. "Yes, please."

Heero carefully stood, carrying Wufei with him into the adjoining bathroom. He stepped into the shower, careful not to move Wufei too much, and turned the water to a slightly warm temperature to ease their sore muscles. The steam rose from where the water hit their bare skin, clearing their heads and making their bodies moist. Carefully and slowly, Heero lifted Wufei up and off of him, setting him down on his feet on the tiled floor. Wufei, standing awkwardly, grabbed a towel, and, knowing that Heero wouldn't want another round for a while, if ever again, proceeded to wash his teammate, not teasing him in the least. Once he was finished with his task, Heero returned the favor, and they shut off the water, leaving the room as their clean and refreshed selves, even if Wufei was leaving his legs a little wider than normal. Heero wasn't worried. No one would comment because this had happened before.

Not having any clean clothes of his own in Wufei's room, Heero borrowed some of the other boy's - which didn't fit quite right, but were close enough to suit his needs - and then headed down to his own room to check up on Duo.

The boy was awake, and looking around in a slightly confused and almost panicky manner. Heero praised himself for his good timing, it looked like his braided classmate had just woken up from his nap. "Good afternoon," he called, drawing the attention of the boy in his bed, "did you sleep well?" Duo nodded, not quite trusting his voice to speak yet. He had definitely NOT meant to fall asleep, and most definitely had not meant to fall asleep in Heero's bed. He wasn't quite sure what to make of things just yet.

"That's good," Heero commented, slightly annoyed that Duo wasn't speaking to him, but not willing to push anything too far lest he scare the other boy away. Duo was responding, after all, and that was better than nothing. "Are you hungry?"

Duo slowly nodded. "I should get going anyway," he told Heero, slowly and cautiously. "I need to get home before Helen worries too much about me."

"Helen?" Heero asked, worried that he might have to fight another girl for the right to chase after Duo.

"My mother...sorta," Duo replied, answering and yet not at the same time. He wouldn't explain further, looking away and signaling dismissal of the topic. "Can I go home now?"

"So eager to leave? Why not call her and tell her you're spending the night?"

"Because I don't spend the night with complete strangers." It was final, brooking no argument. Duo would not be staying the night.

Heero frowned. This was not going according to plan, but at least he had not just been openly rejected. He had just been...delayed slightly. Yeah, that was it, delayed. It was time for a strategic retreat, and he would come back to claim his prize later, when it was willing to be claimed.

"Okay, would you like to call her and tell her you'll be late, then? You can eat with us, we're just going to go to a small café to hang out, maybe dance a bit," Heero offered, and then thought it best to give Duo an out, if only so that Heero's pride wasn't hurt so much. "Or you can just take the sandwich and leave and I'll see you tomorrow?"

Duo didn't like the options Heero had given him very much. He needed to go home, not just because of Helen, but because he also needed to think. And he had a lot to think about. Maybe he could invite Quatre over, if only so that he would have someone to listen to him besides his cat, and he wouldn't feel like a complete idiot. "I'll just take the sandwich, thanks," he finally said, feeling like he was choosing the lesser of two, well, technically three, evils. "I don't know if I'll see you tomorrow. You don't either. I have some thinking to do, and I have to feed my cat." Duo, obviously thinking the conversation was over, stood, taking the sandwich and heading for the door that he had seen Heero enter from, hoping that he could find his way home without having to resort to using a pay-phone or asking someone.

He was surprised when he saw the 'gang,' as he called them, of one Heero Yuy sitting in the main room to the apartment. Nervously taking a bite out of the sandwich, he made his way to the door as quietly as he could, hoping to escape their notice.

He knew it was a lost cause when he felt the gaze of all four of Heero's friends on his back, and he decided that it was simply not meant to be. "Maxwell," Wufei called out questioningly, "are you leaving us so soon? You haven't even been introduced to everyone yet."

"Obviously. Maybe next time, if there is a next time," Duo answered, his back to them.

"Duo," Heero called out gently, and Duo thought he could hear a slight hesitation after that, as if Heero was afraid of the answer. Duo denied it, why would Heero care whether or not he wanted to be in his...circle? "Will there be a next time? Will we see you...tomorrow maybe? Or the day after?"

"I don't know. You just made one Hell of a mess outta my head and now I gotta clean it up. Without you interfering," Duo answered honestly, not having the will to lie to someone, even someone he hated as much as Heero and his friends. Duo's hand was on the door handle, so close to leaving, so close to escaping wanting something that seemed to be so wrong, so close to escaping Heero's tempting gaze and all that it promised.

"Duo, if I don't get an answer soon, I WILL come back after you."

Duo didn't answer, didn't comment, just opened the door and walked away, shutting it softly behind him and hoping beyond hope that no one had noticed had badly that statement had shaken him. He wasn't so certain that he DIDN'T want Heero to come back after him.

Back in the apartment, Heero sighed dejectedly, drawing the gaze of those within back to him. "Well, that went well," he commented dryly, a sneer on his face. Immediately four pairs of hands were comforting him, leading him to the couch as they shut off the tv to play quiet, soothing meditation music and Heero pulled the closest warm body - Alexia - close to him, just for someone to hold. Alexia let him, hugging his middle and resting her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes of comforting silence, the pain of near rejection ebbed away enough to ease the high-strung hopes of those in the room. Heero finally eased the tight grip he had on the girl in his arms and hesitantly broke the silence. "So, what are we going to do tonight?"

"Sit around and watch sappy movies?" Alex offered, looking hopeful.

"Read books aloud?" was Alexia's suggestion. A doubtful look crossed her face; it was rare that anyone enjoyed the same things that she did.

"Play strip poker?" Meiran asked, a suggestive glint shining in her eyes.

"Lay around and do whatever you feel like doing," Wufei added, making sure to get his point across to their sometimes too compliant leader.

"Strip poker, then stories, then sleep to sappy movie?" Heero compromised, not really up to thinking too hard.

"Sounds good," Meiran agreed, noticing everyone's nods. "I'll get the cards."

"Are we skipping after lunch tomorrow?" Alexia asked, truthfully curious.

"Depends," Heero answered. "I might not if Duo doesn't mind me being there too badly. He seems to really want to study, believe it or not. I already know half the things in those books, and we'll always catch each class at least once a week to make up tests if we always go in the morning, so if you want to skip, I don't mind. Just don't flunk out on me, Lexia."

The blonde girl smiled, but it wasn't very reassuring. Only her words soothed the look on her face, and then not by much. "Of course not, O brave and fearless leader!" Mock saluting, she went to go put on her pajamas for a night in, and probably a few extra layers of clothing as well. Wufei was already exiting his room in what seemed to be a lot of clothing for a summer night, including his earrings, which would count as one piece of clothing each during their game of poker. Alex followed his sister to their joined rooms and, sighing, Heero followed their example.