AN: Life has gotten busy on Thursdays so for now updates will be on Fridays... it will change again when my job(s) start. Sorry.
Companions of a kind – Interludes of a year 2
62 days until discovery –
"Its time we start warning the planets of the voidus failing," Quatre stated. "There are only a few more months before the calculated date and we need to start patrolling the border when that date comes."
"I agree, but we must do it in complete neutrality," Wufei stated. "Which means that no planet can be favored with the information first."
"We already screwed that up, 01's known this entire time!" Duo exclaimed.
"I do not believe that 01 has any interest in starting the war over, and so will work with us to help keep that a secret if needed," Trowa stated. Duo watched hopefully as Quatre tried to look Trowa in the eye but it was no use, Trowa would not. Not even in a stupid meeting that had nothing to do with their personal lives.
"That's it! I can't concentrate with all of this!" Wufei suddenly bellowed. "Heero we are going to spar, Duo you take the bridge. Quatre and Trowa, if you come out of this room before this is worked out one way or another I will personally tie the two you together in the brig... we do have one. Don't you concern yourselves with that. Duo, march."
"But I want to watch you get your ass pounded," Duo wined as he winked at Quatre. Quatre was white as a sheet, and looked like he was going to pass out. Duo looked away before his heart could tell him to help his friend. This was getting ridiculous, both Quatre and Trowa were acting like scared Teenagers.
Duo walked out the door and the minute he was out he dashed for the bridge. Not two seconds later his staff was seated in the staff hole that Wufei had invented to add several magical weapons and gadgets, including one that let any of the five magic users hear anywhere on the ship.
Trowa... silence, Duo sat down with his feet on the consul in front of him.
Trowa, I've missed you, Quatre's voice, sad but calm. Have you missed me?... I guess not. If it makes any difference, I truly am sorry. I could use the excuse that I wasn't in control and it would be valid but that won't help you trust me again.
Silence, for a moment Duo thought that they had both died or something. He could have heard a pin drop.
Why? That was Trowa's voice. Although it was still its usual monotone, there was a slight barely audible waver in it.
Because I wanted to help you... I want to help you. I just, I care about you so much that I didn't know what to do. And everyone around me was hurting and I thought that of anyone I could help you, because you mater more to me that any of the others. I just... wasn't thinking clearly. Duo felt tears sting the corners of his eyes and his grabbed his braid and put it in his mouth. Quatre was putting his heart on the table here and it was Trowa's to sooth or kill.
Trowa I love you and I want you back, will you give me another chance?
The silence started again and Duo strained to hear what was going on; the scraping of a chair, the hissing of a door then the soft crying of someone. Duo was even faster getting back to the meeting room and his arms were around Quatre before anyone could blink.
"Its Ok Q, its gona be ok. He just needs sometime to think," Duo soothed. Quatre's crying only got harder and Duo felt a few sympathy tears slide out of his eyes.
62 days until discovery –
Trowa didn't know why his feet took him to the bridge but he immediately regretted it as Quatre's soft cries filled his ears. Trowa's heart tried to lurch to this throat but he wouldn't let it. He fell into one of the chairs and dropped his head into his hands. His head filled with Quatre's sadness and his own self loathing.
What had Quatre really done? Tried to look at something Trowa had specifically told him to leave alone. Trowa had trusted Quatre in his personal space, he had wanted Quatre in his personal space, but it had gone so wrong.
Was it really what Quatre had done that hurt? Or was it that the hurt of old had come back to haunt him. Trowa felt a bitter laugh rip from his throat. Then suddenly an arm wrapped around his arm and painfully dragged him up. Quatre's cries were suddenly gone as Wufei pulled Duo's staff out of the staff hole.
"Man the Bridge," Heero dead panned. Trowa absently nodded until he realized that Heero was pulling him out of the bridge and the comment was meant for Wufei. It felt like eternity before the arm stopped its tugging and Trowa found himself in his and Heero's quarters.
"Get a hold of your self," Heero stated. Trowa looked up at Heero, as he looked the man over he saw the bruises and cuts that covered his half clad form. Then he remembered that Wufei had been standing and had apparently walked to the bridge. "Quatre was worried about you and broke Wufie's mental barriers to make us stop and check on you... the first good idea he's has had sense the two of you started arguing," Heero stated. Trowa was surprised to hear a hint of anger in Heero's voice.
"I," Trowa said. Suddenly his thoughts were having trouble making sense as they circled in his head. "I don't know if I can try again," Trowa stated, sadness trying to break through his stoic mask.
"Then talk to Quatre about why you can't," Heero dead panned, his voice once again under control.
"Quatre would have no interest in me if he knew my past," Trowa stated sadly.
"Get out of your depression; we need both you and Quatre to finish this mission! Just talk to the man! He will understand, there is nothing Quatre won't forgive your for... if that is what you are looking for," Heero stated. Trowa looked up and met his good friend's eyes. That understanding and companionship suddenly filled part of the aching hole in his chest, and Trowa felt his mind regain control of its flying emotions.
"I have been acting stupid, if he doesn't understand I am not stuck here, I can always go back to my own planet," Trowa reasoned, but for some reason that idea hurt more than loosing Quatre. This was his home, his friends, his life and his love. Trowa loved Quatre, he just was afraid of the emotion.
Trowa didn't remember hearing Heero leave but the soft knock at his door brought him back to reality.
"Trowa?" Quatre's horse quiet voice questioned. "Heero said that you wanted to talk to me."
Trowa looked down at his hands... had he said that? He couldn't remember now.
"Come in, I would like to speak with you," Trowa stated. His voice was dead, his body tired of all the emotions that had been running through it. Quatre seemed so small as his red blotched face tried to sneak into the room to sit on Heero's bed, across from Trowa. Trowa knew that he needed to start this conversation but all of his words left him.
"Quatre, there are things that you don't know about me and I am afraid that you will not want to be with me if you know them. I don't have the ability to trust, so I need your patients. But if you will give them to me, than I would also like to try again," Trowa said very slowly, tasting each word before he said it.
Quatre seemed hesitant for a moment but slowly got up and sat down next to Trowa, not touching, just next to.
"I will have as much patients as you need," Quatre said quietly. Trowa felt as if a weight had lifted from his chest and he moved closer to Quatre and put his arms around the blond to hold him tight. He had missed this feeling, god he hopped to never miss it again.
59 days until discovery –
"So we will use the Gundams," Quatre stated. He meat each of his friends eyes around the table. "Duo will remain at the ship while we take the news to each planet at the same time except 01, because they already have it."
"This is so not fair fore me!" Duo complained.
"Duo you can stay and practice flying Deathscythe here, we will even leave you things to blow up and practice using the weapons on," Quatre said coaxingly.
"It's still not fair," Duo stated.
"Duo, you are the only one of us no one has ever seen and you carry a staff with necromancy as your primary power," Heero dead panned. Duo turned to him and glared. Heero ignored him.
"Than it's settled," Quatre stated. "When the ship begins to orbit the sun each of us will go out with the necessary information, keep your staffs with you and if anything happens keep in contact. Duo will act as – absolutely if there is no other way to save your skin - back up."
"Hey, you don't have to rub it in Q-jerk!" Duo growled.
"Alright get your Gundam's ready then, we will be in the sun's orbit within the day," Quatre said, ending the meeting. Duo wrinkled his nose but followed Heero out of the room and into bay five and a half. It looked much better than when they had first found it.
Quatre and Wufei had organized and cleaned out the entire thing. Next to the supply bins was a list that ever time some one needed something they wrote it down and the list was turned into Cassandra every three days. Except for every three days, 'lists days' as he had started calling them he often times forgot the woman existed. Oh and except when Quatre made one of his faces that meant Heero was talking with the bitch.
Duo turned his attention to the Gudnams. The five giant structures took up the entire room, luckily there was a door that let them out, they didn't have to blow another hole in the wall. The Gundam's were based on human form, but with more Egyptian features, the block's giving more flat surface area for spells to be written and stored.
Technically the room wasn't big enough to store the giant machines, but with a little magical creativity and the five of their powers combined the room was not so easily spelled to fit what ever they wanted in it, don't ask about the physics... its magic!
"Need any help," Duo asked Heero as he came over.
"I don't want anyone touching my Gundam," Heero dead panned as his hands worked at a mini computer that was hooked up to the machine.
"I was just wondering," Duo muttered. He slowly moseyed over to his own Gundam and began checking him over, with out thinking about it Duo started talking to Deathscythe. He was the best listener after all.
"Hey, could you keep it down over there?" Heero's voice called out after a time. Duo's face went red and he looked up from his sitting position at the sky, as if asking for divine help. He wasn't backing down this time.
"No, I can't. You won't talk to me, so I'm gona talk to Deathscythe... he has more personality!" Duo exclaimed. Heero was over and kneeling over Duo faster than Duo could blink, both of their staffs were seated in their Gundams, the staffs being both the main weapons and power source.
"Really," Heero dead panned, his face right in Duo's. Duo didn't know weather his body shivered in fear or because Heero was practically on top of him.
"Y, ye, yes," Duo stuttered. Heero looked deep into Duo's eyes, making Duo's insides melt. Then suddenly Heero was leaving, his body moving off Duo's. Duo panicked, Heero had seen something in Duo's eyes, but Duo wanted to make sure it was the right something. With out a thought to his own safety Duo grabbed Heero's arm and gripped Heero's lips fully in his own.
Heero's lips were reluctant at first but then they began participating, moving slightly with Duo's. Duo felt the moment Heero's brain caught up with his emotions as his body went sailing through the air and pain laced through his side. Duo smiled as his world turned to black, Heero wanted him. Heero just needed to know that.
Duo groaned as his eyes opened to the bright lights of the infirmary.
"Good your awake, you and Heero are both on cleaning duty for the next week," Quatre's voice said, full of relief. "Here drink this," Quatre said as he handed Duo a steaming mug of bitter smelling herbs.
"No," Duo stated at the smell. His head ach was not that bad.
"Drink it now Duo! We are running behind because of your actions and I need you on the bridge now!" Quatre said desperately. Duo suddenly noticed Heero's presents out of the corner of his eye, with out a word he chugged down the stuff and sputtered at its taste.
"Water," Duo mooned. "It's burning, oh it burns!"
"Get to the bridge," Quatre firmly said as he gave Duo a glass of water. He had already prepared it; this wasn't Duo's first time taking medicine. With that Quatre shoved Duo out of sick bay. "Heero make sure he gets there," Quatre said as he headed in the opposite direction. Duo coughed his last mouthful of water and almost dropped the cup. Heero didn't make a move to help Duo with his predicament.
"Yo, He-san," Duo said once his coughing fit was done.
"Hn," Heero responded. If one could classify that as a response.
"You don't have to sound so enthusiastic," Duo said sarcastically. He paused for a moment gathering his thoughts; he was not going to back down, in-fact he was going to go for the gold! "Heero when I kissed you back there... you kissed me back," Duo stated.
"Hn," Heero grunted to show that he was listening.
"Well, you did. I felt it," Duo defended. He waited for Heero to speak but when he didn't Duo continued, his voice a little annoyed. "Look, I think you are sexy as hell and I want to kiss you again and more often and even go further. But I don't want our every encounter to end with me in sick bay... do you understand?" Duo asked. His voice got a little shy at the end. His mind kept telling him that it was better to just keep thinking that Heero wanted him and not to bet it all... but Duo was a betting man.
"Hn," Heero grunted. Duo stopped and turned his whole body tense.
"I open my heart to you and all you have to say is Hn?" Duo imitated. He looked into Heero's slightly narrowed eyes, trying to guess what was going on in their blue depths.
"I don't know how to respond," Heero finally dead panned. Heero suddenly began walking again, Duo couldn't remember stopping.
"Follow your emotions," Duo stated. He wanted to put his arm around Heero, but the youth's posture said that Duo would regret that action.
"I don't under stand that form of data. I was trained to be the perfect soldier, the feelings that you inflict upon my body are new and unwelcome," Heero dead panned. Duo felt his heart fall as his feet began dragging.
"I see, thank you for being truthful with me," Duo very quietly said. He was surprised when Heero dropped back to his pace. "I just thought that sense you reacted I had a chance... maybe a little one. It's more than just your looks; something about you just draws my attention. Its like looking in a mirror and having your complete opposite look back at you. But still understand you in some small way. Jeez I am babbling again," Duo said. He started to bring his hand up to his face to wipe away the tears that he was trying desperately to hold back. Before his had could reach Duo felt and saw Heero's light brown one come up and wipe the tear from one of his eyes.
"You cry easily," Heero stated as he studied the tear on his finger.
"Ya, I bet you would to if your heart was broken... I know you have one in there," Duo mumbled.
"I have cried," Heero dead panned as he wiped the tear on to his pants. "I don't remember the emotion, only the fact. When I was taken from my parents," Heero stated. Duo looked up in surprise just as the doors to the bridge hissed opened. "I will return with in the next few days along with the others. Each of us are leaving communication devices on each planet but they will all be tracked through this ship. If any are urgent contact one of us," Heero ordered. He turned to leave but Duo didn't want him to go. Heero had opened up to him.
Duo rushed Heero's back and leaned against it. He didn't hold on, he didn't want Heero to feel too threatened. Duo felt Heero's body flinch under him as Heero's muscles started to react but they were quelled. Duo wished the moment could last forever as Heero stood still, letting Duo soak up his warmth. But it didn't, and without a word Heero walked forward, leaving Duo alone on the bridge.
Duo watched Heero go and then starred at the empty space where he had been until Quatre's voice in his head reminded him that he had a job to do.
Duo, you need to open the outer doors for bay five and a half. Everyone is in there Gundam's and ready to go.
Yes sir!Duo responded.
Duo, I just want to make sure you will be ok while we are gone... when I come back we will have time to talk....Quatre trailed off.
I'll be fine, Q-ball. Just bring back some good news!Duo asked. He hoped his mental voice was cheerful. His emotions seemed to be unable to tell weather he was sad or happy or depressed or hyper or what.
I will try, Sanrock outQuatre said. Duo went to the front window and watched as Trowa's Gundam, Heavyarms, zoomed in front of it... on its way to 03. Duo checked out the ship and powered it down so that he could go talk to Deathscythe.
"I'm so confused," Duo said to his Gundam once seated on the opening to the cock pit. "In one breath he tells me to leave him alone and in the next he tells me stuff about his past. No one here talks about there past... except Cat, and sometimes I joke about it."
Duo looked at the back of the cock pit. The smooth metal was covered in lines and crevices leading to small storage compartments, the main computer, the operating system's storage and the millions of other hardware things it took to run the machine.
"Heero isn't running on a full deck," Duo suddenly laughed. "You know what he said to me... you were there so you couldn't here, I'll tell ya. He said 'I don't under stand that form of data. I was trained to be the perfect soldier, the feelings that you inflict upon my body are new and unwelcome.' He said exactly that! 'I don't understand that data," Duo said in mock monotone. Duo brought his legs into his chest, it hurt to have someone you really like reject you like that. His mind played Heero's words over and over in his head.
Duo suddenly jumped up as a light bulb went on in his head.
"But wait! Buddy," Duo suddenly said excitedly, using the special name he reserved for Deathscythe. "He said 'new and unwelcome' in the same sentence, as if they were connected and then tried to understand my feeling by relating to me. Oh man... but that's why I am so confused. Damn it all!" Duo kicked the air in front of him. And now the son of a bitch along with all his accomplices left him alone on a big scary ship to dwell. "Damn it all!" Duo screamed. His words echoed through out the bay, there heated emotion going unnoticed by the one they were directed at.
54 days until discovery –
Heero arched his back, stretching it, as he jumped out of his Gundam, the room's half gravity let him land softly on the metal ground. He did not want to think about Duo or the mission he had just returned from but it seemed like he was out of luck on both accounts.
"He-man! You're the last one to come back, Quatre as called a meeting right away," Duo said excitedly as he frantically waved his hands.
"Hn," Heero responded. He followed Duo to the appointed meeting chambers and easily took as seat. His clothing was dirty and he smelled like he hadn't bathed in the five days he had been out... probably because he hadn't.
"I'll make this quick," Quatre stated, looking at Heero in sympathy. "Our plan as of yet it not working, none of the planets have contacted each other, only us. And 01 had told us that they will only speak with the other planets if we act as go betweens. Everyone else seems to be ignoring the situation."
"We need to give them more time," Trowa stated. Wufei nodded in agreement.
"Let's wait and see, it might take some time for them to digest the information," Wufei elaborated. With reluctance Quatre agreed and the five split up, Trowa went back to bridge duty with Quatre on his heals.
Heero felt Duo's presents as he followed Heero to his room. Heero didn't state the obvious as he walked into his room, and then paused as Duo followed after.
"Wow, it's like no one actually lives here," Duo said. "I mean the beds are made and except for a few computer parts there isn't a thing anywhere..." Heero tuned out Duo's running commentary of his room as he walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. It only took a few minute to shower before he came out feeling clean and warm for the first time in days. A towel was the only thing wrapped around his slim but muscled hips.
Duo whistled in appreciation as Heero walked into his room and scowled.
"I'm not gona lie it's a pretty sight," Duo said and as he nodded and racked his eyes over Heero. Heero didn't move, he had never been nervous around a person like this before and he didn't really know what to do. "And I think that those emotions you were feeling were only unwanted because they were new... so were gona fix that."
Heero stiffed and looked at Duo, his eyes narrowed as if ready to defend himself.
"Chill out, I'm not gona jump you," Duo laughed. "Just be ready, because those feelings that you claim are unwanted... your gona get used to them!"
Heero's training began to fight with the emotions that Duo was brining out. In the end his training won and Heero, once again at ease with the world around him, easily slipped jeans on under his towel before letting it slip to the ground.
He wasn't exactly sure what had passed between him and Duo but over then next few weeks he was bound to find out.
30 days until discovery –
"There is no communication... the planets are not interested in becoming allies," Wufei stated.
"Than we need to make them understand," Quatre started to add.
"No, that would break what little trust they have in us. We must start patrolling the borders and hope that action will be enough to get them moving," Heero dead panned.
"I told you all that this was a bad idea from the start!" Duo stuck in.
"It was not a bad idea. Because of us, the planets are more balanced and easer to live on!" Quatre stated. Duo just wanted to argue... he had been in that mood for the last few days. Apparently things were going at a snail pace with Heero and Duo just realized what he had got himself into. Quatre felt Trowa's hand on his arm.
"I agree with Heero," Trowa stated. Quatre looked into his lovers eyes and nodded.
"Head for the border then, we must always have some one on the bridge while on patrol and have assigned stations if the ship must go into battle."
"I'll be at the helm and Heero will be in engineering," Duo stated happily.
"I will take the starboard weapons panel and I would guess that Trowa will take the other," Wufei put in.
"That leaves me the captions seat... I guess I already fill that position but I just wanted to be sure," Quatre said. He meat each of his crew's eyes before letting them rest on Heero.
"What of Cassandra?"
"She will remain where she is," Heero dead panned. Quatre whished that he would give more information but left it be. Cassandra had only helped them; the least they could do was leave her alone sense that is what she seemed to want.
mtc