Disclaimer and warning on first page
Dedication: Lynds/ WhiteWolfSearching . . . . SATURDAY! And don't you forget! Also: Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Lynds
Happy Birthday to you
(October 7)
****************
CHAPTER 27
After some time, Wufei convinced all the conscious occupants of the room to leave. He ordered a pizza, put it in an unused office and made them stay in there and chill for awhile. It was an awfully considerate thing of him to do, he didn't usually do such thoughtful things. But the tension in the air, if you had taken a knife out and sliced vertically, you would have heard the sound of tightly strung cords snapping.
The Asian man shivered. He devoted hours every day to calming him self. Everybody's strained expressions, worried airs, and even the occasional sniffle. The man wasn't dead yet. They way they were acting he wouldn't be surprised if they lit incense and brought in some priests to pray over the dead.
Then there was the man sleeping in the chair, curled up in the oddest way. Wufei sat down, officially his shift was over but he had no where else to go. And at the moment this room was the least depressing of the others. Despite the dying man lying in bed. His eyes scanned over the braided mans body.
He didn't appear to be in the best of shape, he had a protruding belly, probably a beer belly. Oddly enough, that appeared to be the only part of his body that was out of shape. Some people just grew different, he supposed. He wondered what about this man had Yuy and him in such a close relationship. It was obvious the braided man cared deeply for Yuy, and he wondered what Yuy's feelings in return were. A relative perhaps? Or maybe a friend from the war. The haunted look in the braided man's eyes when he walked in and saw Yuy on the bed expressed more than words could.
~*~*~
For some reason, he didn't seem able to move his arms. Nor his legs. In fact it didn't feel like he had any control over any part of his body whatsoever. Even his breathing was measured out for him. Forcing himself to keep calm, he forced an eye open. The room was quiet, he could hear the sound of people breathing. Two people. Flicking his eye back and forth, he caught sight of a long braid trailing over the edge of the chair.
He relaxed. All his senses had told him he was captured, but that wasn't right, he was in a room. Duo was next to him. So he was safe. He was almost certain he was safe, if Duo was nearby. Frustrated at his inability to move, he let out a low groan, hoping to catch someone's attention.
Someone moved. Unfortunately it was the second, unidentified person. Heero opened his other eye and let it roll around. A severe looking Asian man. Yes, Chang Wufei. He was the bodyguard he had hired recently. A very trustworthy man. He had stolen him from the Preventers. Obviously, he had started right away. Sifting through his mind, he tried to remember exactly why he was here.
Oh yes.
The assassin. They had been at the press conference when he heard the bullet whistling through the air. He had been able to prevent it from hitting Relena, but only by stopping it with his own body. It had to be done, it was his job. So were the other two bullets raining down onto him. Hopefully he had completed his job before losing consciousness. Hopefully.
Unsure, and needing to know, Heero struggled to make his body cooperate. Despite the breathing mask, he was able to make a sound of protest. He heard Wufei stand, and felt the mask being taken carefully off. Wufei's eyes watched Heero carefully, to make sure he could handle the responsibility of breathing. In and Out. Heero's chest rose and sank. The lungs expanded and contracted all on there own. Satisfied, Wufei looked down at him. He saw the urgent questioning in Heero's eyes and responded.
"The assassin was killed, quite successfully, by you," He continued blithely. "Miss Darlian is, unlike you, physically well." Heero blinked. Wufei smirked. "Perhaps you should rest, there is no one here who requires your conscious opinion at the moment." Wufei turned on his heel. "Now if you don't mind, I think I will go inform the others of your. . . . recovery." He walked briskly out the door, leaving Heero lying there.
Slowly and without little pain, Heero turned his head so he could better face Duo. He was wrapped in an odd little ball. His eyebrows were turned upward, in an uncharacteristic troubled expression. He moaned a little and twisted in his seat. His arms moved to wrap around his stomach. To Heero, Duo looked uncomfortable. Heero hated being unable to move. Only able to watch as unpleasant emotions flittered across Duo's face.
"Duo?" Heero croaked, his voice dry from disuse. Duo's eyebrows crinkled in concentration before opening slowly. He looked around blankly for a moment, then the events of the past day seemed to catch up to him.
"Heero!?" Duo knelt to the floor, his hand clutching Heero's. "You're awake!"
~*~*~
Relena walked into Heero's room quietly. Duo was lying next to him on the bed, an arm wrapped gingerly around the wounded man's chest. They were so close and so sweet. Duo's protectiveness of Heero was indicative of a strong emotional tie. And she'd never seen Heero so happy in her life. She hadn't actually talked to him yet, as it seemed more appropriate that Duo and Heero had the time alone together first. Then she had heard about the quarantine the building had been put under just because she was here. Well, that was lifted almost immediately. It seemed Wufei was only waiting for her assent, and the orders were swiftly carried out.
Relena sat down primly on a plastic molded chair. Duo was so sweet, though admittedly a bit odd. He was so loud and outgoing, and though it appeared he just talked without thinking, Relena had a feeling he knew exactly what he was saying when he was saying it. She was the same way. A small smile fell upon her lips. It was too bad that couples like them weren't allowed to do anything but be with one another. Though technically they could live with one another, they couldn't have the intimate title a marriage would lend. They couldn't adopt any of the thousands of war orphans and homeless children littering the Earth and space. Relena sighed, she wished she could do something about it. But for all she knew, it didn't matter and it was just her romantic female heart talking.
~*~*~
21 weeks
Heero had insisted on being allowed to go home today. The doctors had tried to refuse him, but Heero found that he could be very persuasive when angry. He'd only been there a week, but he couldn't take it anymore. Duo had been spending inordinate amount of time with him. The hospital wasn't exactly the most romantic place. Somehow spending time with Duo, when surrounded by dying and ill people didn't twinge the old heartstrings.
So here he was leaving. At least a week earlier than he was supposed to, but what could they do? This wasn't a jail, they couldn't keep him against his will. Duo had brought him a change of clothes and carefully helped him dress. An affair that had gone a little farther than the innocuous action would imply, leaving Heero quite frustrated and stir crazy.
Leaving was a grand affair, that several news stations felt the need to publicize. Heero was quickly ridden out in a wheel chair, pushed by Duo, who kept his hair hanging loose to cover his face, and was rushed into a waiting car. Once inside the tinted windows gave them adequate privacy.
The arrival home was much less eventful, Quatre had sent over some of his most trusted men to guard his house til Heero was up and running again. Heero was grateful, but thought it quite unnecessary. Try telling that to Quatre, the guy would turn his gigantic-guilt-inducing-teal orbs onto him and Heero would feel like the worst man ever born. So he accepted the help in his normal manner, a nod and a gruff grunt of assent.
Duo helped Heero inside, taking Heero around in his wheelchair. He threw Heero's bags on a couch and sat down. "Wow, that was exciting, ne?" Duo grinned at his proper usage of Heero's language.
"You could call it that. I call it a nuisance," Heero grinned to lighten the words. "At least I'm home now. And no one else can walk in and poke me whenever they want." Heero leaned back against his wheelchair. "How late are you staying Duo?" He asked, thinking to invite him to stay for dinner.
"Actually,"
Duo stood and moved next to Heero. "I was thinking of staying
until you were healed."
Heero looked at him shocked, but
he saw the slightly mischievous set to Duo's stubborn expression.
"Well, the doctors say it could take quite a while for my body
to heal completely. . . ."
Straight-faced, Duo
replied, "Not to mention all the emotional damage you might
have, it could take weeks to heal. Months!"
"Years! Even." Heero kept a straight, stolid face.
Duo nodded, "Yea, who knows if I'll ever be able to leave."
tsuzuku
****************
(gomen for when i put tsutsuku. . . that means poke, my friend and i commonly use it)
Thanks SOOO much for reviewing! I appreciate it more than you know! Getting reviews is really what makes me write! Thank you!!!
Uber thanks to Utsubame for making me work on this so much.
~Annie
