The Past Returns

by Aqua

Relena doesn't give up so easily, and Duo's past once again comes back to haunt him. (Please read my profile before any author notes, thank you!)

Author's Note: I actually wrote this a while back, but it was deleted from when they changed their rating warnings. Now I can post it again. You MUST read A Soul Returned and Desperate Attempt for this to make any sense.

THIS FIC HAS NOT BEEN EDITED AND CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT AND DARK SUBJECTS.

Thanks!

The Past Returns
by Aqua

Part 1: Joe Lin

Relena Peacecraft was lying in bed, sleeping peacefully, when something jarred sharply into her ribs. She groaned, ready to ignore it, when the jab came again. "Oi, get up, you lazy woman," an unfamiliar voice muttered.

Startled, her eyes flew open and she was confronted by a large set of blue sapphires. The sapphires blinked, then became amused as Relena made an eeping noise and sat up in bed while pulling her blankets up. Not that she needed to worry. The intruder was a woman, as was quite obviously shown by her skimpy clothing and generous figure, and she didn't appear to be coming any closer.

"Nani? Who are you?" Relena exclaimed, relieved that her voice remained steady. She didn't want to let this person know that she was frightened.

The woman standing before her studied Relena, a speculating light in her eyes. Then she sat down on a nearby chair. "My name is Joe Lin."

Relena waited for more, but received nothing. "All right then, Joe Lin. Tell me what you are doing in my bedroom. And I recommend you make it good. We might be peaceful, but I am still highly guarded and I don't think this will be taken lightly."

"Of course. With the friends you keep, you would have to be on guard, Relena-sama," Joe Lin stated.

Relena's eyes widened unconsciously. "What do you mean?" she asked, pretending she didn't know. After all, if this woman was after her Heero, then she had to keep him safe. Besides, it could mean big trouble if this Joe Lin decided that Relena was the way to get at the pilots. Heero was the only one who would ever consider saving her, and Relena knew it too.

Joe Lin snickered, flicking some of her long black hair over her shoulder. "Don't play stupid with me, Relena-sama. I know all about your connection to the Gundam pilots. You should believe me. After all, how many people could have gotten all the way to your bedroom without being caught? Especially considering it is now eight and the sun is shining."

"You've made your point." Relena kept her expression guarded. She didn't know what this woman wanted, and wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Joe Lin nodded, her full lips stretching into a satisfied smile. "Perhaps I should have given you my full title then. I am Joe Lin, the Midnight Shadow. I am a soldier, but I fight for no side. I am a mercenary who will kill anyone for a certain price. I am very skilled at fighting, spying, and prying for information. That is how I got to you in the first place."

Shivering, Relena tried to cover her instant discomfort. She'd been able to tell that something was different about this woman the second she'd seen her. From the ninja-style clothing to the probing blue gaze, this woman spelled trouble. She kept her weapons, a large amount, in plain view and her body looked as though it could react just as quickly as a shadow, as she claimed.

"Well then, Joe Lin, what do you want with me? And keep it brief. I was hoping to get a little more sleep before having to take care of my duties," Relena stated, allowing Joe Lin to see the threat that was behind those words. Sure, she was throwing her title around, but what else could she do in this situation?

Joe Lin pulled a small dagger-like knife from out of her boot, using it to clean under nails. "You want the facts? Well, first off, I know of your... obsession with Heero Yuy. He is a Gundam pilot, and called the 'Ultimate Soldier'. He saved you, numerous times. You've convinced yourself that you love him and that he is pining for you just as much, although secretly," she stated with a cool, no-nonsense tone.

Relena blushed a little. Heero... the one person she could truly depend on. She loved him like nothing else, and was certain he shared these emotions. True, Heero had never actually made any move toward her, but she knew how difficult it was for him to express his emotions. He was probably just waiting until the right moment to tell her. She smiled a little, replaying a constant dream she held where Heero admitted his love for her.

Joe Lin saw her expression and smirked. "Don't look so star struck, Relena-sama. The reason he doesn't seem interested, my young woman, is because he isn't. Yuy already has a lover. One he seems very attached to." The last part was said with bitterness, and Joe Lin's eyes narrowed.

Her eyes going wide, Relena's jaw dropped and she missed the contempt showing in the woman before her. "Nani? Heero? Already has a lover...?"

Joe Lin nodded.

Seeing red, Relena clenched her fists. "Tell me her name! I'll rip the little slut's hair out," she exclaimed passionately. The thought of anyone in bed with HER Heero was enough to turn her into some jealous beast.

Snorting, Joe Lin shook her head. "You won't be able to tear HER hair out, because Yuy's lover is not a her. It's a him. And his name is Duo Maxwell!"

Relena froze, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. Heero and... Duo! Her beloved pilot and that... that... that braided freak? That dirty little street thief? "Iya! No way! You're mistaken! Heero would never lower himself like that! Maxwell is just a scruffy American boy. And my Heero isn't gay. He can't be..." she trailed off, hoping that her screeching voice wouldn't bring anyone running. She needed to talk to this woman.

Her face twisted in anger, Joe Lin shook her head. "I am not lying. I met Duo four years ago and we became very good friends. Then, one day, he suddenly up and left. I never saw him again. After a while, I began looking for him. And I found out that he was a Gundam pilot! So I began spying. They never knew of my existence. I noticed a lot of things about them, following them everywhere. I was hoping to find something that would help me to get Duo back. But I soon discovered that he was not interested in leaving. He'd taken a shine to Yuy, liking this cold man very much. I never understood why. Then, suddenly, three months ago they became lovers!"

Relena felt like she was choking. Lovers? Her Heero? She refused to believe it! Turning, she glared at the woman in front of her. "Liar! You are a liar! Heero would never be that disgusting! Never! Get out of here and leave me alone! I don't know why you're telling me this!" she screamed, ready to lurch out of bed.

Faster than she could see, Joe Lin was suddenly standing. The dagger was pressed against Relena's throat, cold and hard and sharp against her pale skin. The woman holding the dagger was just as cold, hard and sharp, her face a mask of fury.

"Shut up and listen to me! I don't know how it happened. Even though I'd been spying on them for such a long time, I never saw it coming. Even now, they act as though they are nothing more than fellow pilots when they are in public or during the day. Yuy never acknowledges Duo unless in private or if necessary. He punches and kicks my Duo, sometimes even making him bleed! Yet, foolish as always, Duo always comes crawling back for more. I'm sick of seeing it!"

Shocked beyond words, Relena could only watch the woman who had been calm up to this point with slightly frightened eyes.

"Yuy's face never expresses emotions. I don't think he feels them. But he always pulls Duo towards him, always doing little things which keep Duo at bay and hoping for more. It is just some sick game he's playing."

"Quit saying such mean things about my Heero," Relena pouted quietly.

Joe Lin suddenly seemed to compose herself, dropping Relena back to the bed and putting her dagger into her boot where it had come from. "Anyway, I came here for your help, Relena-sama. I've got a plan that can get both of us what we want."

"What we want? What do you mean?"

"You want Yuy. I want Duo. They are together... but I'm sure we can break them apart. All we have to do is play out this simple little plan that I've made. Then you can have Yuy to yourself and Duo will be left to me. What do you say?

"... all right ..."

Part 2: Three Months

Heero was worried. No one could tell he was worried, but he was worried. The only clue to his inner feelings was the constant pressure of his foot against the floor of the car. The passenger's side of the floor, where the brake wasn't. He loved to drive fast, passing cars, and disobeying the driving laws (he wasn't even the proper age to drive yet). But he wasn't behind the wheel and the vehicle was not under his control. It was driving him nuts.

"Oi, Duo... Why are we taking this thing again?" Quatre questioned from the back seat, referring to the brand new sports car that was taking them flying down the road. Red, shiny, and fast. Exactly the kind of car one could picture Duo driving.

Duo turned, momentarily taking his eyes off the road, and gave that impossibly huge grin of his as he sped up even more. "We were told to use it because this place is under heavy guard and our Gundams would have been noticed easily," he replied.

Nodding slowly, Quatre grimaced. "Then why do we have to go so fast?"

Turning back to the road, Duo got them around a curve with ease, staying perfectly between the lane restriction lines. Heero was still scared, even if Duo did seem to have good control. One never knew what to expect with Duo, especially when he was in a seemingly good mood. He could hurtle them into the nearest building and no one would see it coming.

"We don't HAVE to go so fast, but we should get this mission over as soon as possible. The day has already been wasted enough, just getting there. Once we get those stupid blueprints and destroy their computers, we can get out and enjoy the rest of the day!" Duo exclaimed, pushing back some of the thick bangs that rested on his forehead.

Sighing, Quatre leaned back.

"Who taught to you drive, anyway?" Wufei questioned, sounding only slightly sarcastic for once.

Duo shot him a grin as well. "No one. I taught myself. Pretty good, ne?" he replied. Everyone stared at him, and Duo shrank back slightly against the door with the heat of their looks.

"Nani? You don't know how to drive, and you're expecting us to just sit here and enjoy the ride?"

"Oi! I learned to drive by watching one of the best!" Duo exclaimed.

Heero rolled his eyes slightly, just enough that no one would notice, and turned back toward the window. Duo no baka! So that was one of the reasons why Duo always insisted on coming with him so often. The little braided brat had been teaching himself to drive by copying Heero's skills.

Although Heero really had no problem with discovering that Duo had been paying such close attention, it was slightly discerning to find out that this was how he himself drove. No wonder Duo was the only one daring enough to come with him! If he hadn't had so much self-control over his emotions, there were a few times when Heero would have screamed and flinched, fearing for his life.

"I don't care if you did learn from the best. At least slow down," Trowa stated, sounding only slightly less calm than he usually did.

Duo pouted. "But then it will take forever. I don't want to be sitting in this stupid car all day," he whined in the way that only Duo could.

"Why is having this day free so important to you?"

"... No reason. I just don't want to be sitting in the car all day. It took me forever to convince you guys to let me drive, and I'm going to take full advantage of it while I can!"

"Duo, you just contradicted yourself. If you wanted to drive so badly, then you would be taking a longer instead of a shorter time to get there."

"... ano... right. Oops. Anyway, we have to hurry."

The three pilots in the back seat suppressed groans and leaned back, knowing that Duo had his heart set on this and there was nothing they could to stop him.

Heero easily bit back a slight smile when he saw Duo's expression as the American realized he'd finally won an argument. His entire face was lit up with delight and that damn too-cute grin was stretched from ear to ear. It was strange how Duo could keep such a cheerful attitude in the midst of the war and Heero admired him for that. There was much he was learning about this American pilot that many overlooked, and all of it simply sweetened the sixteen year old in Heero's eyes.

He knew the reason why Duo was in such a hurry. And why he was so tense, although none of the others could tell as much. It was gnawing at him and it had been all day, giving him a headache and keeping his concentration from completely focusing on their new mission.

Flashback

That morning Duo had told Heero that he loved him. It had been like a ton of bricks slamming into his head. After exactly three months of being secret lovers, Duo had delivered that statement almost right after Heero had woken up. Duo had looked up at him with his purple-colored eyes, his chestnut hair mussed up from sleep and... Then he'd blushed and looked away from Heero's intense gaze.

"You know, Heero, this is our third month anniversary from the very first time we slept together. It was on this day that we first... ano...," he'd stammered.

Heero had given him a rare and genuine smile, charmed by the uncharacteristic shyness that Duo expressed when they spoke of such things. While seemingly always outspoken, Duo was amazingly shy and unsure of himself when it came to his sexuality. Heero had pulled Duo closer, inhaling the clean and musky scent of the thin figure he knew so well.

"Aa. I know, Duo," he'd replied.

Again Duo had blushed, looking almost... pretty. Heero had barely suppressed the urge to join their mouths together, trembling with the effort. Then Duo had said it.

"Heero... ai shiteru."

Heero... I love you.

Shocked, Heero had simply gawked at him. Duo was tense in his arm, his eyes huge. The silence had grown to the point of being nearly suffocating, but Heero had been too surprised to break it. Duo loved him? No one had loved him, ever! Was Duo just saying it, or did he mean it? Could it be that Duo truly cared for him, even if he was so cold and solitary? His own feelings were so strong for this young man; one could call them love; but he was so unsure if it was true...

Then he realized he was taking too long to reply. His eyes focused on Duo's face, seeing the panic and pain there that his silence had caused. It tore at him, seeing Duo in such anguish because of his own insecurities and he knew that he had to put the American's fears to rest.

But before he could stop him, Duo had pulled away. "Gomen! Gomen nasai, Heero. I... I shouldn't have said such a stupid thing," he'd stammered, then launched himself out of the bed and into the bathroom.

When he'd fled, Heero had remained in the bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking. The shower turned on and he resisted the urge to go and see Duo. Surely he would not want to see Heero now! Heero wanted nothing more than to comfort Duo, to give him something! But what did he have to offer? A life filled with pain, anger, and war? A heart that may not see another day? His soul, which was so battered and bruised that it could not be worth more than a penny? No, he had nothing to offer. But he couldn't leave Duo like this! Duo...

The shower had turned off shortly, but Duo never emerged from the bathroom. Heero figured he'd gone out through the other door. After a short while, Heero got ready as well and headed from the bedroom. Sure enough, Duo was in the kitchen with Quatre and Wufei, talking a mile a minute, as though nothing were wrong.

Flashback end

It had pained Heero immensely to see that Duo had gotten over it so quickly, his grin in place and his eyes sparkling. But then he'd noticed that Duo wouldn't meet his eyes. He wasn't laughing, and even his smile looked strained. And he'd been unnaturally tense for the rest of the day.

Even now, flying past the other vehicles on the road, Duo seemed to be slightly distracted. Heero wished he could pull them over and speak to Duo, but knew he couldn't. The others were there and he didn't want them to overhear such a private matter. Besides which, Heero really had no idea what he would tell his lover. What could he say? How could he say it? It would be best if he kept his mouth shut.

Part 3: Mission Accomplished

Duo slowly walked down the street, following Heero. Wufei was bringing up the rear while Quatre and Trowa were walking behind him. He'd already parked the car off at a distance where it wouldn't be too obvious but accessible. Then they'd decided to head on in quickly, not wanting to waste time.

But Duo's mind wasn't on the mission. It was on the silent figure in front of him, whose intense blue gaze was focused on the upcoming building. Heero... oh why? Why did he have to be so damn stubborn? Heero had said nothing to him all day, not even acknowledging what Duo had blurted out that morning. He hadn't meant to. He'd thought that Heero would react in the way that he had. Shock and disgust. Sex was all right, but no strings attached. It hurt Duo beyond anything else, but if those were the conditions he would have to stick with in order to keep Heero, then he would, and he would not allow himself to complain!

Even if it was eating him inside out.

"Oi, minna, listen up. It would be best to split up. There is a front entrance and a back entrance. I'm sure there is also one on the roof, according to what we were told," Heero stated, pausing with them in front of the average looking business place. Duo rolled his eyes. Of course - the only time Heero put more than two words together was during a mission!

It was after hours, but three offices were still being used. The lights in the windows was proof enough of that. Obviously, these were the target rooms.

Wufei nodded, his eyes already focused on the building with their usual predatory gleam. "I'll go alone and find the third entrance," he stated.

Heero nodded, knowing that Wufei would be the best one to send for that part of the mission. After all, he was an ex-spy and always worked best by himself when it came to this type of situations.

The second Wufei departed, Duo felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. Although they tried to keep it hidden (and not very well at that), everyone knew that Quatre and Trowa were deeply in love with each other. For them to work separately on a mission was unheard of, unless necessary. Which would put Duo and Heero together. Normally, Duo would be ecstatic for a chance to be alone with Heero, even if the mission was the only thing on his lover's mind, but now things were different.

Sure enough, seconds later he and Heero were heading for the back entrance of the building. "Make sure your gun is ready," was all that Heero said as they easily approached the back door. It was locked, but that was quickly taken care of and the two of them slipped into the building. They were let into a hallway that branched off in three different directions.

This part of the building was dark, and Duo was relieved. With the black clothing that they were all wearing, it was less likely they would be seen. Although if Quatre sneezed like he had last time, they could find themselves in more trouble than they'd originally planned for. Reflexively, Duo tightened his grip on the familiar form between his fingers. War was a strange thing. Many would wonder how he could kill without remorse, especially since he managed to keep his cheerful outlook. But killing an enemy was different from killing the innocent and Duo knew that difference. One may not see him as much of a soldier on the outside, but it took a lot mentally and not just physically to be prepared for the situations one found oneself in.

"This way," Heero muttered tonelessly, and the two of them started toward the right.

They had to get to the fourth floor. Elevators were usually rigged with video cameras, so the two Gundam pilots opted for the nearby staircase. Now they were hurrying, running up the many flights toward the top with silent steps. Heero was leading the way, as usual, his gun poised and ready to use. Duo was more relaxed, focusing on the figure in front of him and the feel of his hair as it moved against his back.

They came to the fourth floor quickly. Heero peeked through the window of the door, then turned back to Duo. He communicated through his hands as it would be very dangerous to try and talk. They would go ahead without the others. Heero would go left of the office doorway and Duo would go right. Heero would keep them at bay while Duo looked for the blueprints. The other offices were up to the others if they showed up. If not, then they would take care of the other two offices as well.

Abruptly, Quatre and Trowa appeared behind them. They'd come up with a similar plan, so the four of them quickly set into action.

Duo ran to the right side of the doorway, Heero to the left. Quatre and Trowa ran to the other office and took a similar positions. Then, at the same time, the two pairs threw open the doors and jumped in.

Adrenaline pumping, Duo instantly focused on the four men in the room, his gun pointed at the largest of them with a steady hand. Heero came in beside him, his face cold and expressionless, his own gun already cocked and ready to fire just in case.

"Who the hell are you?" the man questioned, obviously angry.

Duo grinned at him, knowing he was sneering, but unable to help it. "Doesn't matter. We're looking for something that you've got. You're going to listen to us or you won't have enough brains left to contemplate the words later on," he warned, dressing up the death threat as much as possible.

The four men looked furious but with a few motions from Heero's gun, had moved toward the corner of the room. Heero nodded in Duo's direction.

Quickly, Duo sped over to the desk. He was smart enough to be wearing gloves, as all of them did, so didn't worry about being careful. After a quick search of a few minutes, Duo realized that the blueprints were not in this desk. But the computer was on.

He took the disk that Heero had given him earlier out of his pocket and slipped it into the computer. Even if Duo didn't know much about computers (Heero wouldn't let him even TOUCH his) he had been given a detailed explanation of how to download the file into the computer. It was a very powerful virus that would wipe out the entire system, standalone or networked.

Setting it to download, Duo then moved over to the filing cabinet and sifted through those papers as well. The men were becoming restless, but Heero easily shifted them back into place with his eyes. They could tell by simply looking into those cobalt depths that he would not hesitate to shoot.

Finished with his search, Duo turned and shook his head. "They don't have the blueprints. Probably in one of the other offices," he stated as he ejected the disk from the computer; it was a quick loading virus.

Heero nodded, then slowly backed towards the door. Without being told, Duo quickly moved up behind him to leave first. It was the usual procedure, as he no longer held his weapon posed and ready, and he would check the hallway so that Heero could keep his eyes on the men.

However, the second he stepped through the doorway, something rushed at him. Duo started, caught off guard. "Oi!" He had just enough time to cry out before something slammed over his head with great force. Stars danced before his eyes as pain slashed through his skull. Then his eyes rolled back and he started to fall.

Hearing the loud cracking noise, Heero spun his eyes to the door he was now standing beside. Duo was in the process of crumpling to the carpet and he reacted instantly, reaching out and breaking the other boy's fall. He dropped his gun and Heero knew he would regret it later, but Duo was the first thing on his mind as they both fell to the ground, the American pilot in his arms. He couldn't seem to find the damage, although Duo's completely limp body was a sure sign something was very wrong.

The person who'd attacked Duo stepped into the doorway, a satisfied smirk on his face as he showed Heero the fax machine in his hands. The edge was cracked and caked with blood. Alarm shot through the Japanese pilot with new force. Looking down, Heero then saw that Duo's hair was starting to turn dark red and that a thick substance was staining the too-pale face as well as his own coat.

That man had caused Duo to bleed! And the injury looked very bad. "You fucking bastard," he cursed at the man. "I will kill you." He said these words often, but the underlying fury turned the words into more of a curse than just a threat.

"With what, ignorant baka? You dropped your gun and I've already kicked it away. Besides, that young man in your arms looks pretty bad. And he must mean something if you'd readily drop your only defense to help him out," the man sneered.

Looking around, Heero saw that one of the other four men was now walking toward the gun. He cast them a withering glare, but it didn't seem to have the same effect as before. So instead he moved himself so that Duo's limp body was somewhat shielded by his own.

The man with the fax machine smirked again. The kid had spunk, he'd give him that. Unruly hair fell across cold, angry eyes. He'd been very surprised when this boy had dropped his gun and run to the other's aid. Either they were very unprofessional, which he doubted, or they had a strong connection. The latter was more likely, as the young man was now clutching his partner to his chest as though to protect him from further harm. He was about to hit the other kid as well, when pain suddenly slashed through his gut.

Heero heard a startled grunt and watched as the fax machine was dropped and the body fell heavily to the ground. Wufei stood there, his face calm as he put his sword back where it had been at his side.

"Wufei," he said, acknowledging the other pilot to show his thanks.

Nodding, Wufei regarded the startled men across the room. "I've got the blueprints. That happened to that fool, Maxwell?" he questioned.

"That guy bashed him with the fax machine," Heero growled, pointing to the unconscious man on the floor, pleased when he saw the pool of blood.

Wufei snorted in response, muttering something about unprofessionalism and not being on guard. Heero chose to ignore the comments.

Trowa and Quatre appeared in the hallway. "We came as soon as we could. Had to take care of some people. Let's get going," Quatre exclaimed, his cheeks pink. Beside him Trowa was calm as ever, though his eyes were sharp as they quickly surveyed the room.

Nodding, Heero jumped to his feet, clutching Duo's limp body to him. Then the four of them quickly ran from the room.

"Security!" one of the men in the office screamed.

They bolted down the stairs as fast as possible. Trowa still held a calm expression as he led the way. His blond haired lover was beside him, excitement making his pale cheeks flush. Wufei held a determined look as his long strides hit with expert balance. His own face expressionless and cold, Heero regarded Duo. The braided brown-haired pilot was very pale and the gash in his head was bleeding seriously. Cursing under his breath, Heero picked up his pace.

They were just reaching the second floor when they heard the third floor doorway fly open. There were numerous shouts, then footsteps started running down the stairs after them. It sounded like there were at least six people, although Heero couldn't be absolutely sure.

Luckily these men were out of shape and no match for the strong muscles of the boys rushing ahead of them. The pilots hit the first floor easily, then started down the hallway toward the front door, where Trowa was leading. Too preoccupied, Heero didn't protest at their too obvious escape direction.

The officers caught up with them here, all pausing at the doorway and shooting. The pilots dove behind a large reception desk to their left, ducking behind it. Trowa and Quatre started firing back, landing a few lethal shots.

"Heero, see if Duo has any of those grenades on him. We'll throw it and make a break for the doorway," Wufei said, watching as the other two pilots struggled to hit the four remaining men.

Duo, of course, had an entire arsenal of explosives hidden on his person. Heero found a simple light grenade easily. "Cover your eyes. When it explodes, we'll make a break for the door," he exclaimed, then pressed the detonator and chucked the grenade in the direction of the security men.

It exploded, and the four pilots launched themselves from their hiding place towards the doors. They broke free of the building, moving as fast as they could down the streets. Startled people gawked at them as they tore past, but most were too plastered or tired to care for very long. The four security men were slowly recovering and, by the time they got to the doorway, the four pilots had already piled into their rental car and were peeling away.

In the Building

Swearing, the head of security slammed his fist into the wall beside him.

"Sir?"

He turned to see one of the businessmen. "What is it?" he muttered darkly.

The man held up a gun by a Kleenex. "The short-haired one carrying the body dropped this. And we've got some names," he stated.

Smiling, the officer took the gun. "I've got some calls to make," he said with a satisfied look, staring down at the specially designed weapon.

With the Pilots

Inside the red sports car, with Trowa driving and Wufei in the passenger seat directing him, Heero was holding a cloth against the wound on Duo's head. Quatre pulled out some bandages from wherever he managed to find them, wrapping them around Duo's head.

"This looks pretty bad," the Arabian pilot noted.

Heero stared grimly at his unconscious lover. "I noticed," he replied, hoping his words didn't sound too harsh.

Quatre turned to Trowa, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Go as fast as you can. We need to get some medical attention to Duo. He isn't doing very well," he said.

Trowa nodded and pushed down on the accelerator. Heero continued to study Duo's face. Then he sighed. "Ninmu kanryo," he murmured, holding Duo closer. Sometimes he hated this job.

Part 4: Unexpected Invitation

Trowa walked into the room and came to Quatre's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. With a worried expression, Quatre looked up from the tray in his hands to the tall Frenchman. It relieved him to see this familiar face after watching his other two fellow pilots looking so unlike themselves, the calm expression soothing him slightly. Duo with no smile, pale, and limp. Heero, intense as always, but also pale and with dark smudges beneath his eyes.

"How are things?"

"Duo is still unconscious, but is doing better. Heero still refuses to eat," Quatre replied, his worry evident in his tone.

Shaking his head, Trowa looked at the Japanese pilot sitting ramrod straight in his chair beside Duo's bed. "Heero, you should eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Blinking, Trowa was caught off guard by the strain he could hear in Heero's voice. Was he truly that worried about the American pilot? He'd always thought that Duo annoyed the hell out of Heero; that Heero couldn't stand Duo's endless talking and teasing. Even he occasionally became irritated by Duo's bottomless pit of energy, even if he sometimes did find it sort of charming. But he could hear the feeling that was barely restrained below Heero's tone.

"You should eat, Heero. Starving yourself isn't going to affect Duo in any way. It will bring your strength up and it looks like you need it. You look like hell, Heero."

"Do I give a shit? I am not hungry so I'm not going to eat. If you're going to keep pestering me, then leave!"

Again Trowa blinked. Quatre nudged his shoulders and gave him an I-told-you-so kind of look. Sighing, Trowa pulled some of the fruit off the tray and started eating it. He wasn't going to let Quatre's food go to waste.

Suddenly Duo groaned, his face twisting into a grimace. Heero leapt to his feet, clutching Duo's hand. Apparently he no longer cared if Quatre and Trowa were in the room to see this lapse in his control.

"Duo?"

Quatre shoved the tray on the other bed, quickly coming up to Trowa and grabbing into his arm with excitement. Duo continued to groan, then he slowly opened his eyes. The purple depths were fuzzy at first, then slowly focused on Heero, who was leaning over him.

"Oi... Heero. Did you catch the license plate of that bus?"

Trowa couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. He heard Quatre laugh from beside him and could tell that Heero was holding back his own grin. Duo, right down to the large grin on his face, was looking and acting fine.

"It was a fax machine," Heero told him, quickly composing himself and returning to his cold personality.

Duo didn't seem to mind and his grin widened, only slightly grimacing as pain jabbed through his skull. "Itai. Must have been a pretty damn hard fax machine. I can't seem to see straight. What happened after I was hit?"

"I caught you before you hit the ground. Wufei grabbed the blueprints and stabbed the man that got you. Then we escaped from the building, taking down two security officers on the way," Heero replied quietly.

Making slow nods with his head, Duo slowly sat up. Heero helped him, and he lifted a hand to the bandage bulging off the side of his head. "Feels like someone blew my head open."

"Nearly did. You've got a deep gash in your head. Luckily, we don't think it affected your brain. Or lack thereof," Heero commented.

Duo stuck out his tongue. "Look who's talking, Mr... Mr..." Duo trailed off, trying to think of some kind of comeback. Not able to think of one, he simply stuck his tongue out again.

Heaving a sigh, Trowa grabbed the tray from where Quatre had put it. "Since Heero was refusing to eat this, it might as well not go to waste. You've been out cold for two days now, Duo, you must be hungry."

As the tray was placed in his lap, Duo visibly drooled. "Mmmmmm, food!" then he calmly started eating. However, he stopped before his second bite. "You weren't eating?" he questioned Heero.

Sending a venom-filled glare at Trowa, Heero sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, refusing to say anything.

Trying to keep an amused grin from appearing, Duo held out some of the well-prepared food. "Here," he said, shoving it into his startled lover's hand. "Eat!"

Looking like he had a few choice phrases, Heero was ready to throw the food at Duo. Then he changed his mind and started eating. Trowa and Quatre exchanged knowing glances, then turned to leave the room. However, before either of them could get very far, Wufei appeared at the doorway. The Chinese pilot looked extremely angry about something, his eyebrow twitching.

"Hi there, Wu-man!" Duo called, waving. "I'm all better now, see?"

Wufei stalked into the room, a newspaper in his hand. "I've got some news. Relena has sent us a message. Since Duo was hurt, she's offered us a vacation at a new cottage that she owns where we can relax while his wounds heal. Said we can even bring the Gundams if we want. She's waiting for our reply."

"That's odd," Trowa commented.

Duo nodded. "Why would she offer a place for me to stay while I recuperate? Heero I could understand, but not me." His tone was well disguised, but they knew of his severe dislike of the woman. Mostly because of the fact that she was so obsessed with Heero, constantly at his side and grabbing his attention no matter what Heero tried to do to avoid her.

"How does she know you're wounded in the first place?" Quatre added.

"That the second part of it. She saw this," Wufei said, then threw the newspaper onto the bed.

Since he was the closest, aside from Duo, Heero picked it up and started reading out loud:

"We all remember the theft of the OAK 5 plans that were stolen recently. Two security officers and one of the hard-working businessmen working there were killed, and there is an estimate of four million dollars worth of information destroyed in the computers. Two out of five of the boys who broke into the RVC's building last Monday have now been identified. The gun that was turned in at the time had fingerprints that identify Heero Yuy as one of the terrorists. His companion, who was reported to be injured in the fight, has been identified as Duo Maxwell. A Chinese boy by the name of Wufei was also seen, although his last name is still unknown. The others have not yet been identified, but they are being researched even now. Some people speculate that they may have some connection with the strange Gundam events that have been taking place, but more information has not been released on that issue."

The article also had three pictures with it. A close up of Heero's face, glaring at the person holding the camera with daggers in his eyes. The other picture was of Duo, looking over his shoulder with a large grin on his face. The final one was a picture of the gun Heero had forgotten to retrieve before they'd left. At the very bottom was a telephone number where one could call in order to give any known information.

"Nani? It can't say that, can it? Heero, this had better not be some trick!" Duo exclaimed around a mouthful of fruit.

Silently, Heero handed him the paper and Duo quickly read it over, having to squint his eyes and hold the paper very close in order to read it. "K'so!" he cursed once he'd finished, looking up at the four pilots that surrounded his bed. "He wasn't fibbing. Shit! What are we going to do about this?"

There were a few seconds of silence. "We could accept Relena's invitation," Wufei suddenly said.

Everyone gawked at the Chinese pilot, not one having expected HIM to come up with that reply. He hated her just as much as the others, didn't he? "Are you feeling alright, Wu-man?" Duo questioned, natural concern in his voice.

Casting him an annoyed glare, Wufei then addressed everyone. "It would probably be the best place to hide out. I'm sure you'd all agree that it could be dangerous to stay here as it is easily possible that someone has spotted us by now. Relena has stated that her cottage is out of the way, and only a very select few know it is there. We can stay there for a while, until this story blows over, then come up with a plan of action for finding a new place to hide out," he explained.

"So you are capable of saying more than two sentences at a time," Duo commented, trying to say it without being insulting.

"Wufei has a point. As much as it is going to put a cramp in our usual lifestyle, we have no real choice. Duo is injured and needs a place to stay. And with this newspaper, we can't go anywhere where we might be seen. I think it is a good idea," Quatre stated.

Duo bit his lip.

Heero clenched his fists. He hated Relena, especially since he knew that Duo felt unsure of his position whenever the blonde was around. He knew that Duo feared that Relena may sway Heero's interest away from him, and Heero had not been able to put those fears to rest. God knew he had feelings only for the American pilot, but he couldn't bring himself to say so. Even now, after all that had happened. But what other choice would they have than to accept her offer? He couldn't take the chance of them getting attacked at their present home, especially since Duo was suffering from a mild concussion and wouldn't be able to shoot right. He would be defenseless, and they would probably be outnumbered.

"I think it is a good idea too. We wouldn't have been able to stay here for more than another week anyway," he found himself reluctantly saying.

Shooting a startled and quick glance in Heero's direction, Duo bit his lip again. However, he was careful to keep his reaction hidden. Did Heero want to see Relena again? His heart told him no, but part of him kept nagging. Could Heero really be holding a torch for the Queen of the World after all? Was that the reason why Heero hadn't told Duo that he loved him? Because he -truly- loved Relena?

"As long as I can bring Deathscythe Hell," he muttered, briefly letting his mind dawdle on chopping that annoying woman to pieces with the scythe, then broke into a wide grin. "I wonder if we'll get a chance to play poker, like last time. That was awesome. If my memory serves me, Wufei had dressed in a pink skirt at one point!"

Glaring, Wufei sputtered a few vowels. "Keep your mouth shut, Maxwell. It is your fault we're in this mess. You should have been watching where you were going!" Then he composed himself. "I'll tell Relena that we're heading out tonight. I'm pretty sure you don't want to stick around here. The police will probably discover our location soon."

The four young men behind him nodded.

Part 5: Travelling Troubles

A few hours later, Duo was sitting in a truck next to Heero. They had used this truck with a popular soda pop logo on the sides so that no one would look at them too oddly. After all, the truck was large enough to fit two Gundams!

They were going to be traveling separately. Heero and Duo would go first, taking the main road with their Gundams hidden in the truck. Heero would be driving, of course, as Duo's eyes hadn't righted enough to focus correctly. Then Trowa and Quatre would come on a back road, also hiding their Gundams in a truck. Wufei hadn't told them his mode of transport, but he'd said that he would wait half an hour after Trowa and Quatre had left.

With everyone on the lookout for them, they didn't want to take any chances.

Seeing Duo's glum expression out of the corner of his eye, Heero felt guilty. He still hadn't told Duo that he shared his feelings. Why was he hesitating? It would be so easy just to pull over and tell him now. But Heero knew he wouldn't, couldn't do that. The truth was... he was frightened. Duo had told him his feelings but if Heero said his, would Duo suddenly realize exactly what he was getting into and want out?

Instinct told him no, but his thoughts kept pointing it out. He couldn't bear to lose the long-haired pilot. No matter how loud he was, no matter how annoying, or frustrating, or messy, Heero would never be able to deal with losing Duo. It took a lot for him not to force Duo to stay home when they went on missions, where he could be sure that Duo wouldn't be harmed. He knew that Duo... Death was an amazing pilot and a skilled killer, but he couldn't stand having to worry that he might not block the next shot.

Finally Heero couldn't take it any more. His thoughts were driving him to the brink of insanity. "Duo, I... Duo, what's wrong? You've been depressed all day today and yesterday," he questioned. Shimatta! Why couldn't he say it?

Duo blinked a few times, the startled expression that had appeared on his face when Heero had said his name, which had strangely caused his cheeks to redden, slowly fading to a soft smile. "Nani?"

"What's wrong?

"Nothing. I'm just feeling a bit hungry. And I have to go to the bathroom," Duo replied, giving him a wider smile.

Heero frowned. "Why didn't you tell me? There was a gas station back there where we could have stopped," he muttered.

Flushing, Duo shrugged. "I didn't think it would be a good idea. After all, it is only two more hours until we get to Relena's cottage," he said.

Nodding, Heero looked forward again. But this was troubling him. Normally Duo would have been complaining loudly and excessively until Heero found a place for him to go to the bathroom. Or he would have tried to con Heero into letting him have some of their backup food that was hidden beneath the seats.

As they drove on, Heero soon spotted an off-road facility. It was a gas station and a convenience store. Checking to make sure the roads were clear, Heero pulled into the parking lot.

Instantly alert, Duo sat up. "What are you doing, Heero?"

"You have to use the bathroom. And you're hungry. Two hours is a long time. Now hurry and go before we're spotted," Heero replied, pushing open his door.

"Hai!" Duo cried, leaping from the truck and running toward the store. Heero was following more slowly, but was very careful to keep Duo close. The weight of the gun under his coat was reassuring, but he didn't want to take any chances with curious people.

The man behind the counter smiled and welcomed them, directing Duo to the back. He seemed very curious about the bandages around the young man's head, but didn't say anything.

Heero quickly took in the looks of the store. The man held a gun behind the counter was something he noticed right away, although he probably thought he had it well hidden. And the man was giving him strange looks. Probably because of my shorts and thick coat, Heero figured, then set out to find them something to eat.

He grabbed a few of the chocolate bars that Duo loved so much, and chocolate chip cookies, since they were his favorite. Then, to cover up his choice, Heero also picked up his favorite's. Finally, he grabbed a few healthier articles of junk food, had them microwaved, and bought two pops.

"Will that be all?" the man behind the counter questioned kindly.

Grabbing some beef jerky off of the counter, Heero threw that down. "That's all," he said, then glanced back to where Duo had gone. He was taking a long time in there.

"Is your friend all right? Looks like a nasty wound," the clerk questioned with genuine interest. Obviously not much happened at this out-of-the-way store.

"Not really," Heero said, then placed all of their food into a bag.

"Looks like a pretty big truck you've got there. For pop, you say? Never seen a drink truck that big," the clerk commented lightly.

Heero cast him a cold look and the clerk backed up a step. "There is a lot of pop in there," he replied, then looked back at the bathroom door.

After a few minutes, which the clerk had decided should be kept in silence, Duo still hadn't come out. Heero stormed over to the bathroom, bashing his fist against the door. "Duo?"

Silence.

"Duo...? Duo?"

More silence.

Worry shot through Heero and he reached down for the knob. Luckily, Duo was smart enough to have kept it unlocked. He shouldered open the door, coming to a halt when he saw that Duo was leaning over the sink, his face caught in a fierce wince.

"Duo?"

Duo looked up at him briefly, and Heero could see tears in his eyes. Quickly Heero came forward, pulling his lover close to him, supporting his weight. "What happened?"

"Hit my head... on the... mirror," Duo whispered, his voice hoarse. "Every... thing is... spinning."

Heero felt Duo's body go limp in his arms and sighed. "Come on, baka," he muttered. He was more trouble than a fire in a timber mill in the middle of June!

He felt Duo's brief nod, then slowly helped him from the room. However, once they'd stepped out of the bathroom, Heero came upon the store clerk. The man now held his gun between his hands, focused on Heero's face. There was a panicked but sturdy look in his light-colored eyes -- he knew how to use the gun.

"Thought I wouldn't recognize you? Heero Yuy, the one with the face of ice. And Duo Maxwell, the boy with the hair and eyes of a woman. I've heard a lot about you. That truck looks big enough to hide a Gundam. I turn you in, and I won't ever have to work again. Now, tell me where your friends are," the man said.

Feeling Duo's hands clench onto him tighter, Heero glared at the man. "You are obviously not a professional," he stated.

"Nani? How can you talk about professionalism when I'm holding a gun to your head?" the clerk stammered.

Duo's head shifted, looking up at the man with a pained expression. "Because Heero could easily take your bullet, or knock your gun away. Talking while fighting can distract you," he replied.

"You never shut up," Heero remarked.

Duo stuck his tongue out then suddenly went pale again, clenching onto Heero even harder. Seeing the distress his lover was in, Heero quickly turned to the clerk. "Listen, Duo is seriously injured. We're trying to find a place for him to rest. Is money really worth the pain he's going through?"

He felt odd saying so much to anyone. But he didn't want to risk Duo getting even more hurt. And the compassion he saw on the clerk's face was genuine. Hopefully he could talk his way out of this. It wasn't his strong point, but with Duo hardly able to walk, what else could he do?

The clerk kept the gun up, but his eyes glanced down at Duo. Without having to act, Duo was pale and his face drawn up in pain. Blood was starting to show through the bandages, and Heero knew he would have to change them as soon as possible.

"Sir, if you hand us over to the police, Duo will end up being killed and I'll been thrown in jail for the rest of my life. He needs to get where we are going and I have to take him there. It is the only chance he's got," Heero said.

Again the clerk looked down at Duo, then sighed and put his gun down. "You're right, kid. He does look pretty bad. Tell you what, I'll let you go and I'll give you some free, clean bandages for that wound," he said.

At first Heero couldn't believe it. Then he nodded slowly. "Arigato," he said, then followed the man to the front of the store. He remained on guard until he saw the clerk throw his gun underneath the counter again.

Duo was placed onto the back counter and Heero held him up while the clerk rummaged around for the clean bandages. He came up with a first aid kit, showing it to Heero proudly.

"You really are a kind person," Duo said with a smile as Heero unraveled his bandages. "Most people wouldn't have let us go. I probably owe you my life in that sense and - itsu! Nani k'so, Heero, that hurt!"

Heero frowned, taking in the freely bleeding gash. "I only removed the cloth. Jeez, Duo, we've got to cut your hair off. It is getting in the way," he muttered.

"Iya! No way! You are not cutting off my hair!"

"Snip snip..."

"Do it, and I'll never talk to you again."

"And that would be bad why?"

"Shimatta! But then what would you grasp onto when you want to kiss me? I thought you liked that convenience!"

Heero glared at Duo, seeing the clerk's eyes bug out of his head. "You're lovers? But you're both boys!" the man exclaimed, his cheeks starting to go red.

Blushing a fierce shade of red, Duo twiddled his fingers. Heero simply kept his mouth shut as he finished putting on the new bandages and cloth. The clerk sputtered a few vowels, staring from one to the other with a shocked expression. Then he shook his head and grinned. "Figures."

"Figures?" Heero exclaimed, turning to him with daggers in his eyes.

The clerk went red, laughing guiltily. "Well, I suppose. I mean, you were being so protective of him. And I'm certain that you picked some of his favorite foods, considering that you kept looking at the bathroom door every two seconds when picking them out. And that icy look in your eyes changes when you look at him," he stated.

Heero was appalled that he was so easy to read. He'd always thought that he was impossible for someone to pick up impressions from.

Holding an astonished look on his face, Duo blinked a few times. Then he flushed deeply, looking down. Heero glanced his way, curious as to his expression. Was he embarrassed to have someone know they were lovers? Was he ashamed that his lover was male? And, on top of that, that he was Heero?

Then Duo smiled gently, glancing over at Heero. "We should get going before they wonder what happened to us," he said softly.

Heero nodded, scooping Duo into his arms easily. The clerk watched with a slight shake of his head as the two of them walked from the store.

"I bought you chocolate chip cookies."

"Honto? No kidding?"

"No kidding. You can have them in the truck."

"Arigato, Heero!"

With Duo grinning his head off and Heero looking relatively annoyed, they made a very cute couple. The clerk hoped nothing would come between them.

Part 6

This chapter has been deleted because of it's simularity to someone else's fic. ; It was mostly a little pwp chapter anyway, so you're not missing anything.

Part 7: Crafty Switch

Relena stood at the front doors of her cottage, impatiently tapping her foot. Where were they? The young servant she'd sent to await the arrival of her first two guests had come back a good ten minutes ago with news of seeing a huge truck turning down the road. The truck had driven into the garage but the pilots had yet to appear. What could be taking them so long?

Lovers.

The word haunted Relena, but she refused to allow herself to believe it. She had only Joe Lin's word that it was true and would have to see for herself.

Heero and Duo were supposed to be the first two to come. Which they had. So what the hell was taking them so damn long? She had plenty of servants who could retrieve their bags, so she knew it wasn't that. Duo was wounded, but a head wound doesn't make someone walk slowly. Well, most of the time anyway. So what could it be? Were they...? Iya! No way! Not her Heero! And not in her garage at that!

Relena was thinking that she should go and check on them when she spotted two figures emerging from the garage. Her eyes immediately went to Heero. So handsome and sexy in those skin tight spandex and his green tank top. His face was icy as usual, but she knew he had just as much emotions as others. He had to love her! He had to!

Then there was Duo. A large clump of white was wrapped around his brown hair, showing he was just as wounded as he was supposed to be. He had a little wobble in his footsteps, needing Heero to hold him up. And she saw he was pale with little red spots on his cheeks. Despite all this, though, he had an immensely happy expression on his face and was wearing that ridiculous grin.

"Konnichi wa, Relena!" he called out, waving widely. The wave threw him off balance and he nearly planted his face into the ground. He was only saved by Heero's strong arm around his waist that did not stray for a second.

Relena saw that arm and would have ignored it before. But now it seemed like it had just smashed into her face. Yet she wouldn't allow herself to judge. It could just be for balance.

"Konnichi wa, Maxwell," she said, then quickly turned her eyes back to Heero. He remained silent. "Konnichi wa, Heero," she said. His blue eyes bore into hers but he was still silent.

They came up to her, Duo grinning like a maniac. Heero glanced at him as Duo blinked a few times, trying to focus on Relena's face. Then he finally turned to Relena. She held her breath, wondering what he would say to her.

"Duo's tired. Where is his room?"

Relena struggled to hide her reaction. "I'll show you the rooms first, if you wish, and you can get settled in. Once the other three are here, I'll show you around the cottage so that you can find things easily," she said.

"This place sure is big," Duo commented as Heero helped him follow Relena. He continued to state obvious facts, never quite shutting up for more than three seconds all the way to the third floor where the bedrooms were.

"This one is yours, Heero," Relena said, pointing to the first one on the right. The second one on the left was hers, an easy place to keep track of any midnight visits. "Duo's is the third door on the right. Trowa is between you. Wufei is the first one on the right, and Quatre gets the one across from Duo."

Heero nodded with a blank expression, but Relena thought she could detect a little disappointment in Duo's eyes. Then the two of them disappeared into Duo's room.

Sighing, and having no excuse to follow, Relena waited in the hallway. The door didn't close, and she could hear Duo's continual speech as he marveled over the room. Heero made a few discreet grunts in reply, not seeming to be paying much attention. She hoped they wouldn't notice the absence of expensive things. Duo's room was the only one without them, since she didn't trust that thief one bit.

"Supper will be at seven," she then called out, realizing she couldn't just stand there in the hallway and eavesdrop forever but desperately wanting an excuse to do so. Briefly she remembered already telling them that she would see them at the tour and hoped neither would remember this.

Duo peeked his head out of the room with a grin. "Food," he said, then grinned wider. "We'll be there!"

Relena sighed, turned, then slowly walked down the stairs. She could hardly stand outside the door and continue spying, especially since she'd already announced that supper was being prepared. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, one of her servants was waiting for her. Most of her servants did not approve of the fact that she kept such delinquent company, so she could tell by the look on his face that he had news about one of the boys.

"Relena-sama, a second large truck has been spotted coming up the designated roadway. It should be here in fifteen minutes," the man said.

"Arigato," Relena replied with a sharp nod. "See to it that supper is being prepared and that Heero and Maxwell's bags have been brought up."

The servant nodded. "Hai, Relena-sama," he said, bowing then abruptly spinning on his heel and walking away.

Relena sighed again, then jumped slightly when she spotted a figure standing in the doorway of the dining room. "What are you doing here?" she gasped, storming up to Joe Lin.

Joe Lin smiled a little sarcastically. "I came with Duo and Yuy," she stated smugly. "I've been spying on them since I left you. Obviously, you still don't believe that they really are lovers."

"I told you that I won't believe anything until I've seen it for myself. And I'm not about to ask either of them outright," Relena replied with a snort.

Rolling her eyes, Joe Lin pushed herself off of the wall. "Well perhaps you should make up your mind. They've been getting very cosy with each other, to the point of having sex in the driver's seat of that truck they drove here."

Giving a strangled sound, Relena's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Nani?" she managed to gasp.

Giving a sharp nod, Joe Lin started playing with her dagger again. "I'm not lying," she said, her voice hardening. "Duo practically had to force himself onto Yuy to get any attention. Then, once he had it, Yuy simply took his pleasure. Duo could barely walk afterward, but Yuy didn't even apologize for what he'd done."

Relena could barely concentrate on her words. Heero and Duo had... in the truck; in her garage! She was going to be sick!

Joe Lin's eyes flashed dangerously, anger appearing on her face. "Strange things have been going on lately, things that could put an end to both my Duo and your Heero. Make up your mind as soon as possible, Relena Peacecraft. I'm not going to wait forever."

With that, Joe Lin turned and strode away. Relena was too stunned to follow her. In her garage? They'd had sex in her garage? No wonder it had taken them so long to show up. Dammit!

Relena shook her head, composing herself. No, that couldn't be it! Surely not! There had to be a different reason. Joe Lin still had no proof of her words. It was probably just a coincidence. Duo had probably klutzed out, as usual, and hit his head against something and Heero had been gallant enough to wait for him instead of leaving him there. They were partners in this war after all.

Taking a deep breath, Relena pasted a smile on her face. Yes, that was it! What Joe Lin had said was not true. Heero was not gay and still loved her immensely. Death, as Duo liked to call himself, was not knocking on Heero's door yet.

Someone knocked on the door.

Relena started, spinning around. One of her servants came around the corner at the same time, quickly opening the door for her. Quatre and Trowa stood there, smiling. Well, Quatre was smiling. Trowa looked just as solemn as usual, eyeing the house quickly before stepping inside.

"Konnichi wa, Relena," Quatre said.

"Konnichi wa, Quatre," Relena replied, knowing full well that Quatre held a powerful title. Perhaps not as high as her own, but he was fellow royalty all the same. HE deserved her respect. Unlike a certain street thief who would never amount to anything more.

Relena then turned to Trowa. "Konnichi wa, Trowa," she said. He gave her a slight nod, but remained silent. She didn't expect anything more from him. Sure, Trowa talked more than Heero, but Heero was like a mime. Anyone talked more than he did.

"Have their bags fetched as well," Relena told the servant. The servant bowed, then quickly went off to fulfill this order. Relena turned to the men at the door. "I'll be showing you your rooms first off. Then, after everyone has had a chance to unpack and get settled in there will be a small tour. Then, at approximately seven, supper will be served."

Quatre smiled again, his fair looks complemented by the constant uptilt of his lips. Trowa was pretty much indifferent, although his one visible green eye was fixed on Quatre.

Relena knew they were a couple. This pairing, however, did not bother her at all. They were a sweet couple and so perfect for each other. Quatre, the violin player who was gentle and kind. Trowa, the silent flute player who was more harsh, but tender. They may both be men, but they were suited for each other as though they completed the other person. Their pairing was a wonderful thing.

But Heero and Duo... That was just sick!

She brought them upstairs and showed Trowa his room in between Duo's and Heero's. Then Relena showed Quatre his, which was beside her own. At first she'd thought that she should give them the same room. But then Relena realized that she could be wrong about them, or that they could be embarrassed by mentioning it, so she'd changed her mind. She could see the faint blush that overtook Quatre's cheeks, but he didn't say anything. They were still very secretive about their connection, as neither wanted the other in danger.

Moreover she'd needed a way to keep Duo and Heero separate from each other, and this had been the easiest way.

She wouldn't be surprised, however, if one of the two newcomers left their room at night. And she wouldn't mind it either. It was Duo she was keeping an eye on. Heero couldn't possibly go to Duo's room! If, and it was a big if, they were really a couple, Relena was certain that Duo had tricked or forced Heero into it somehow.

Feeling satisfied that she'd done all she could with the sleeping arrangements, Relena smiled to herself and started back down the stairs.

She didn't see Heero slip out of Duo's room and knock on Trowa's bedroom door. Didn't see them exchange a few short words, Trowa blushing deeply. Then Trowa's nod as he picked up the bags that had been left and switched rooms with an incredibly bright red Duo.

Part 8: Fun With Food

Supper came around all too soon. Relena had made the seating arrangements earlier and had planned them well. They would keep Duo and Heero away from each other, but close enough that she could keep an eye on both. She was at the head of the table, Duo on her left and Heero on her right. Beside Duo was Trowa, then Quatre, then Wufei.

Heero walked slowly into the room, his stomach churning. He had not wanted to come down for supper at all, but knew that he would regret it once his stomach started churning. It was a vacation, after all, and he didn't want to go hungry if he didn't have to. She was waiting there at the head of the table, a brilliant smile on her face. The smile left him cold and he barely flickered his eyes in her direction before focusing on Duo. His Duo, who had been immensely embarrassed when Heero had suggested he and Trowa exchange rooms. He was the only reason Heero would able to tolerate this meal.

There were a few speculating glances at the jeans he was wearing, everyone having expected his usual spandex shorts. He'd run into Quatre upstairs a few minutes before supper. The Arabian had blushed, smiling slightly. Then he'd thanked Heero for suggesting the room trade.

Heero had simply shrugged. Quatre had then pointed out that he might want to put on some jeans unless he wanted Relena gawking at him over supper. These shorts left nothing to the imagination and with Duo injured, having him be jealous was probably the last thing they needed.

The thought of Relena eyeing the part of him that was for Duo only had caused him to turn around directly and fish out a pair of jeans from his lover's dresser. They were different and comfortable, but he still liked his spandex better.

The braided boy was wearing a black shirt tucked into black jeans, his ever present grin on his face. Wine had been poured out, but Duo was not gulping it back like he usually did in Relena's presence. No, he seemed almost radiant.

Like he'd been when Heero had suggested the exchange of rooms. At first he'd blushed scarlet, just as astounded by Heero's suggestion as Heero had been himself, then he had given Heero a lopsided grin. "I suppose you said that so that Trowa will have a shorter distance to walk to get to Quatre's room," he'd stammered.

Heero had stared at him silently. Then his lips had quirked, he had not able to help it. "Actually I was thinking more along the lines that if Relena thinks you are Trowa, then you can easily sneak into my room and there won't be any problems," he'd replied.

"Heero, I'm so glad you could make it for supper," Relena cooed su

ddenly, her shrill voice breaking into Heero's thoughts.

His eyes didn't even shift in her direction as he was now staring nonchalantly at the wall. Hopefully she would take the hint and shut up. He didn't feel like talking to her. He didn't feel like sitting here at this table. He felt like kissing that adorable braided boy across the table from him who was busy making faces with Quatre at Trowa in hopes that the French pilot would laugh.

Trowa didn't laugh, but simply stared at them as they stretched their faces in weird angles. Wufei, who had mysteriously joined up with them a little earlier without so much as a clue as to where he'd put his Gundam, quirked an eyebrow and continued to sip his wine.

Of course, Relena failed to notice his lack of response.

"We were just waiting for you to come. The first course should be coming soon. It's a simple soup that came from Japan, you know. I figured it would be nice for you to have something from your own country, considering how much time you've been spending in space lately," she said.

"..."

Duo now held a slight grimace on his face, and had shoved his fingers into his ears. "Do you have to talk so loudly?" he questioned.

Her eyes widening at his words, Relena gawked at him. Duo simply grinned back at her. Then he suddenly jumped to his feet and spun around to face Trowa. He pulled his lips back, bugged out his eyes, and stuck three fingers up his nose... somehow.

Unable to help himself, Trowa snickered.

Seeing this, Quatre instantly tried to copy Duo's expression. In his mad dash to shove fingers up his nose, he managed to trip on his chair and went sailing to the floor. He landed with a small thud. Trowa jumped from his chair, reaching down for the Arabian pilot who looked absolutely stunned. Large blue eyes met calm dark green eyes. Then the two of them burst out laughing.

Duo was waving his hands in the air, congratulating Quatre on finally getting Trowa to laugh. Even Wufei cracked a grin, rolling his eyes at their antics. Heero would have smiled, but that would be lowering his guard and he wanted it up when dealing with Relena.

As for the Queen of the World, she blinked a few times, looking as though she'd missed something. Obviously she'd been too busy gawking to notice.

A servant came in with their bowls of soup and they resumed their seats, digging into the food quickly. It was very delicious, Heero noted to himself, but Duo could make canned American soup taste better. He remembered the last time Duo had made soup, the pinnacle of his cooking abilities, and had feed it to him. Nude.

Remembering a rather messy ending to that supper -and he wasn't referring to the soup!- Heero nearly choked on the warm liquid in his mouth.

Quatre and Trowa were in their own little world, communicating with slight motions of hands and eyes. Wufei was focusing on his soup as though it were an OZ soldier, demolishing it just as quickly. But both Duo and Relena glanced over at him.

"Gomen, Heero. Is it too hot?" Relena questioned.

Heero shook his head. "It's fine." Since Duo was giving him such a worried glance, he sighed. "I'm fine as well. I was just remembering the last time I had soup," he stated flatly.

Duo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, but he quickly composed his expression. There was a slight reddening of his cheeks, though, and he was now paying special attention to the vegetable-filled noodle soup in front of him. It did look a lot like the soup that he'd had before, though it lacked a certain flavor that could make his mouth water any day.

Her own expression confused, Relena simply stared at him for a few seconds more then resumed eating.

The silence lasted only a few seconds.

"So, what have you got planned after supper? More touring of your grand estate -I mean, cottage?" Duo questioned, a teasing note in his voice as he criticized the size of the building.

Relena sighed, rolling her eyes at his childishness. "Well, I figured you could do whatever you wanted. But, since you're on the mend and the others are vacationing, I made sure there would be plenty of relaxing things to do around here. There are some new movies that I've bought that I thought at least one of you would be interested in, and there is a big screen television in the main room.

"Movies!" Duo said, grinning.

Heero rolled his eyes at his lover's enthusiasm. Duo never made it through a movie. He always fell asleep right before the most exciting part. Which was one of the reasons why he liked them so much, since he'd never seen the end and always wanted to.

"You guys wanna watch a movie?" Duo asked, turning to the other three sitting at the table.

Quatre smiled at the idea, his hands still in the process of walking across the table to snatch a bun from Trowa's plate. "That sounds like a good idea. A nice romance movie," he said, blushing.

Looking appalled, Duo blinked a few times. "Iya, Quatre! You take all the fun out of it. We should watch some huge science fiction movie about aliens or monsters or something!" He gave an evil laugh, clapping his hands. "With big guns and lots of blood!"

Again Heero rolled his eyes. Duo was squeamish when it came to movie blood. When he was Shinigami, piloting Deathscythe Hell, Duo could kill anyone easily. Blood never bothered him then. But watching movies... well, he'd thrown up more than once, usually hiding in Heero's shoulder when the murder scenes came up and huddling against him in fright when the hideous creatures made their appearance.

Come to think of it, a movie might not be a bad idea.

Wufei suddenly seemed to perk up. "Did you rent "Once a Bug"? It's the latest horror fic, but without all the gore. It's supposed to be really good."

Relena thought for a moment. "Aa, I think so," she replied.

"How about that one? It has romance and aliens."

Quatre and Duo looked at each other with enthusiastic smiles, then laughed evilly. Heero shifted uncomfortably. Quatre usually spent all his attention on Trowa, as Duo did on him. But when they got together...

Heero suppressed a shudder of fright.

The bowls were taken away and the main course was brought. Relena had gone out of her way. This dish was Japanese as well, although used on a global basis. At least she wasn't being TOO obvious about it. Although she was wearing a snug green dress and constantly leaning in Heero's direction. He knew that she was trying to grab his attention, and had been steadily ignoring her. Luckily, he had an excuse not to reply her attempts to a conversation and conveniently made sure his mouth was stuffed full. After all, no one talked to their hostess with their mouth filled with food, now did they?

They were halfway through the main course when he felt something brush against his left leg. Just a feather touch, causing the denim to brush against his leg. Then came another touch, stronger this time. The toe of someone's foot moved slowly up his calf before lowering again.

Heero's eyes snapped open in surprise, but he quickly fixed his expression. She couldn't be doing this, could she? If she was, he'd break her damn foot!

But Relena was calmly eating her food, a slight frown on her face. If Relena wasn't, then...

Heero's eyes fixed on Duo. The sixteen-year old was presently engaged in a conversation with the wine boy, questioning him on highlighters for some strange reason. He felt the foot steadily moving up and down his leg and kept his eyes fixed on Duo.

After a few seconds, violet-blue eyes shifted over to him. Heero glared at him, shifting his leg slightly. The foot paused by his knee and Duo broke into an even wider grin. There was a slight tap against his knee, although Duo's body did not move at all. After a few seconds, Duo resumed talking to the wine boy and rubbing his foot against Heero's leg, all the while shoving food into his mouth.

Heero was contemplating pulling his leg away. Then he noticed that the table cloth was very low and he'd naturally sat very close to the edge. No one could see underneath and almost his entire lap was out of view. With a shrug, he resumed eating and kept his leg exactly where it was.

As he started cutting through his halfway finished meat, Heero felt the pressure against his left leg cease. For a few moments he was disappointed. Of course he didn't show this. But the rubbing feeling had been relaxing, comforting, reassuring. And stimulating.

Then something rubbed against the inside of his thigh and Heero was forced to pause in his eating for fear of choking again. He looked up at Duo with a glare. Duo simply looked at him innocently, shoving some potatoes into his mouth. His tongue slipped out to catch some of the white food that had missed the area between his lips. Unable to help himself, Heero watched as Duo licked his full lips, biting them slightly.

When the foot against his thigh showed no signs of moving, Heero figured it was safe to eat again. He swallowed the meat and picked up some of his own potatoes. They had just entered his mouth when the foot moved further up his thigh, brushing against the semi-arousal between his legs, the seams of the denims making an almost harsh indentation into him.

Heero choked, again.

Duo grinned, again.

"Heero, are you alright?" Relena questioned instantly.

Glaring at Duo with his "Yuy Glare of Death", Heero slowly nodded his reply to Relena. That little bastard! Why the hell did he have to do this when Heero could do nothing in return without being obvious. What he WANTED to do was leap across the table and teach that devious little brat a lesson, a very, very long lesson. But he couldn't. He had to sit here and endure this bittersweet torture.

Duo brushed against him again, his eyes gleaming when he realized that Heero was now hard. His foot moved, small little caresses that were driving Heero absolutely mad. It took all of his strength to keep from reacting outwardly and even now his hands were trembling from the effort.

Duo was watching his reaction closely, calmly talking to Relena about the other movies that she'd rented. Everyone else was completely oblivious to Heero's present state and he was damn glad about that! This was not the place to be seen with a hard-on.

He wanted Duo to stop doing this to him before he lost all control. He wanted to pull away and stop this torture before he did something he might regret. But he didn't. Instead, he simply sat there, leaning over his plate, trying not to groan out loud as Duo's foot made another pass over his manhood. He felt his hips jerk reflexively, such a small reaction that he was certain no one noticed. After all, Relena kept on talking with Duo and the others were focusing on their meals.

Determined, Heero kept his body still.

"Are you not hungry?" Relena suddenly questioned, having obviously not been paying much attention to Duo after all.

Heero glanced her way. "Not anymore," he barely managed to bite out, then let out a whoosh of air that he hoped sounded like a sigh. Duo had suddenly pushed on him more firmly and he'd leapt to attention, his nerves sizzling and his muscles tense as he tried not to betray any more reactions.

"That's too bad," Relena said, sounding disappointed. She missed the husky tone in his voice.

"But I'm still hungry. Don't worry. I'll just eat Heero's part of the meal!" Duo said, his tone showing that he was enjoying himself thoroughly.

Heero cast him another glare, but this one was half-hearted. They both knew that he was loving every minute of what Duo was doing to him under the table.

"I don't think Duo should have any more sugar," Trowa commented quietly, suddenly adding to the conversation.

Quatre grinned, casting Heero a look before setting his teasing eyes on Duo. "It seems to me that he has enough energy to last him for quite a while already."

Duo pouted, looking disappointed. Little tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he firmly pushed against Heero again. Heero's breath hissed silently from his lips and he jerked, a little more noticeably this time. At least everyone was looking at Duo and no one had seen his reaction. He might make it through this yet!

Then Duo's foot was gone. Heero blinked a few times, surprised and disappointed. Then he composed himself and glared at Duo again. Duo winked, mouthing 'later' to him. Then he paused and added 'many, many times'. Heero rolled his eyes and started eating.

Wufei poked him. "Hentai. Both of you," he stated, careful to keep his voice low.

Heero looked at him sideways. "Nani?"

Wufei snickered at him, tilting an eyebrow. "You were practically purring, and Duo nearly drooled while watching you. And I'm sure you weren't rubbing against the table," he replied sarcastically.

Glowering at him, Heero felt his cheeks burn slightly. "Shut up, Wufei," he muttered, then started eating again.

"Hentai," Wufei muttered again.

Heero was going to get back at Duo for this, make no mistake about that. It was obvious he hadn't been as discreet as he'd hoped he would be. Right now he had to get his hormones under control again. He'd take care of Duo later.

Later.

And many, many times.

Then the servants took their dishes away, quickly replacing them with dessert. Heero took one look at the ice cream covered in syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries and nearly groaned in complete frustration. He could remember the last time he had ice cream too. Or rather, Duo had ice cream. At first the American had been very shy and slightly embarrassed at this outgoing act, but he had quickly lapped up the ice cream from Heero's chest with his tongue once he'd realized exactly how much his lover liked it.

And now here he was. Heero Yuy, the Ultimate Soldier, trembling with barely suppressed desire, a fucking steel bar in his shorts, ice cream in front of him, and a certain sexy American pilot across from him doing interesting things to the ice cream on his spoon with that delicious pink tongue of his.

This was going to be a very long meal.

Part 9: Watching Movies

Duo was feeling very smug. Very smug indeed. He'd been feeling satisfied since the garage, happy since swapping rooms, but now he was absolutely giddy. He'd been watching Heero's reactions closely and, although they'd gotten him so hard that he was in pain, had loved every minute of it.

So had Heero.

They both knew that.

The denim pants had made everything even more interesting. Heero was probably relieved that the material would keep his erection from showing, but Duo was a little disappointed. He liked to feast his eyes upon Heero's body. It was just so sexy!

They moved into the living room after supper, deciding to watch the movie right away. One of the servants was preparing it while the others sat. Wufei took the only single seat in the room. Trowa was sitting on a twin couch, Quatre sitting close beside him. Relena sat down on the triple couch, obviously hoping that Heero would sit there as well.

He did.

Duo fought down a strong wave of jealousy, nearly demanding that Heero sit somewhere else. Then he caught the cold cobalt gaze that was welcoming him over and realized there was plenty of room in between them where he could sit. Did he dare to defy Relena's obvious plans of a movie seduction?

He did.

With a huge grin, Duo bounded over to them. "Have you ever seen this movie before, Heero? I haven't, but I've heard it was good," he said, plopping down between them.

Relena was glaring daggers, but he ignored her. Heero shook his head in reply. Duo sighed, leaning back. "They say the star of the movie is dreamy!" Now Heero was glaring daggers, and Duo stuck out his tongue. Relena had lifted a skeptical eye. "But I know some people that are better looking. Don't worry, I'm not going to drool all over her during the show."

Heero looked away. "Why would I care if you drool over her? You already do while you're sleeping. You snore too," he stated.

His jaw dropping open, Duo gaped at him. "I do not snore!" Everyone glanced in their direction, speculating on exactly what this argument was about. Duo glanced over at them. "Heero's complaining about having to share rooms with me! He says I snore, but I don't!"

"Hai, you do." Heero's reply was quiet but slightly amused.

Duo shook his head, then nearly crossed his eyes from the pain that pierced his skull. He put a hand on the bandage. "Oh, right," he stated. Then he focused on Heero again. "You snore."

Heero blinked.

Duo broke into a huge grin. "You sound like this!" he exclaimed, then proceeded to snore loudly with a slight whistle.

"Iya, I do not," Heero stammered. He knew for a fact that he slept silently.

Nodding, Duo grinned even wider. Someday Heero was going to wipe that grin right off of that face! "You do so! Heero snores! Heero snores! Snoring! Snoring!" By this time Duo had his face pushed up against Heero's, taunting him while laughing his head off.

In that situation, Heero did the only thing that he could do. He punched him.

Duo slumped to the couch. "Itai!" he wailed, rubbing his nose.

The servant took that moment to interrupt. "Ano... Relena-sama, the movie is ready," he said.

Relena was surprisingly calm. She nodded. "Aa. Turn off the light on your way out," she said, then started the movie. They were plunged into darkness just as the government copyright warning came on.

The movie started out with a couple having sex.

Wonderful, Duo thought, rolling his eyes. While he loved what he and Heero did, he hated to watch such things on television. It was a private thing between two people and it always made him feel uncomfortable to see it. Sure, he was a pervert. Who wasn't? But he didn't like to watch other people.

Luckily, it didn't last long. The couple were attacked, right when things had started to get more serious, by a swarm of glowing bugs. The bugs started digging viciously into their flesh, crawling around under their skin with little bumps. The man and woman were screaming in pain, but couldn't escape the millions of little yellow bugs.

Wufei was watching with a sarcastic gleam in his eye as the couple fought clumsily against their attackers, obviously thinking that he could have gotten away. Then again, knowing him, Wufei probably could.

Trowa was taking it calmly, having watched more disgusting movies. He had his arm around Quatre, who had hidden his face in Trowa's chest the second the first bug had penetrated the skin. His arms were wrapped tightly around the tall pilot and he kept asking, "Is it over yet?"

Heero held the same uncaring expression on his face, as though it was nothing. The images were shifting quickly, showing the scrambling couple. It was nothing he hadn't expected of this movie, which was about people being infected by insects and a couple who were brought together while trying to find something to kill the bugs.

Relena looked disgusted by the show, but hadn't bothered to look away. It wasn't that bad. Besides, it was just effects created by a man who worked on the movie.

His own stomach reeling, Duo turned and hid his head behind Heero's shoulder. "Uck!" he exclaimed. "That's gross. I don't think I want to watch this movie anymore." Watching little bugs decapitate two human beings alive was not exactly what he could put up with directly after eating. He'd hoped for blood, yes, but not this!

"Wuss," Heero whispered, just loud enough for Duo to hear.

Duo stuck out his tongue, feeling it brush against Heero's skin accidentally. Heero twitched and Duo grinned. He did it again, but stopped when he felt Heero's muscles tighten up.

"Omae o korosu," Heero growled, still keeping his voice quiet.

Grinning, Duo backed up slightly. "What would be the fun in that?" he asked, managing to keep his voice down to a whisper.

"Just keep your perverted hands to yourself, Duo Maxwell," Heero snapped.

Duo felt a flash of hurt. It had been an accident, and he didn't like actually being called a pervert. The little dig hurt, though he knew Heero didn't really mean it. "That wasn't what you were saying earlier," he teased.

Fixing his cobalt eyes on Duo's face, Heero sent him a cold glare, hoping that the American could keep his hormones under control. And that he could keep his own down. It didn't help with Duo licking him!

"This isn't earlier. Now watch the movie or I'll sit somewhere else," he muttered.

Not able to help himself, Duo pulled back and moved over a few inches, though he was closer to Relena now. Heero could have answered that in a different way, instead of insulting him. He knew he was probably overreacting but he really did feel hurt this time. He always became possessive of Heero when Relena was around.

For the rest of the movie, the two of them sat distinctly apart from each other. They didn't talk again, and Duo constantly found himself trying not to hide his eyes in Heero's shoulder whenever some new person was decapitated. The movie went on and on for almost three hours. But it was good, even though Duo was too upset to really enjoy it. All of his energy was focused on the person beside him, who was ignoring him completely.

Once it was finished, everyone agreed it was very good. Romantic enough for Quatre, who had rave reviews. And with enough action for Wufei, who took Duo's argument instead. Which was a good thing, since Duo could not have held up his part of the romance/gruesome argument anyway.

They decided to have an early night that night, though no one moved right away. Relena went to the upstairs bathroom, leaving the servants to clean up. Wufei said he would check on his Gundam first, then retire. Trowa and Quatre both went straight to their own rooms, though Duo knew it would only be a matter of time before one moved to the other's bedroom. Heero disappeared upstairs as well.

Duo thought that he shouldn't join Heero that night. That would teach him to treat him like some dirty little pervert! He smiled a little, knowing perfectly well that he'd already forgiven Heero and that he would be joining his lover later. He couldn't stay away from him, no matter what. He loved Heero with all of his heart and could forgive him anything.

He got a drink from one of the servants, who treated him with as much disrespect as Relena, then headed upstairs as well. He found Heero waiting for him in the hallway with some bandages in his hands.

"Relena is downstairs. Come to the bathroom, and I'll change the dressing for you," he stated.

Duo nodded, following him. He found himself chattering aimlessly about the movie, discussing its good and bad points as though nothing had been exchanged between them. Heero didn't ask him if he would be coming that night and he didn't say if he would. Duo thought it was pretty obvious that he couldn't stay away, but wondered if Heero knew that. Well, the Japanese pilot would find out!

Relena was standing the hallway watching them as Heero dressed Duo's wounds. Duo was talking a mile a minute even though Heero didn't say anything back. She didn't know what had happened, but could sense tension in the air that had been there ever since they'd started watching the movie.

But she couldn't help noticing the way Heero's hands seemed to caress Duo's hair. The way he tied the bandage so that it was secure but comfortable, an almost tender look hidden within his cold blue eyes. He maneuvered around Duo's head with ease, not seeming to mind Duo's talking.

Again, she realized that they acted a lot like lovers. As though they loved each other. But she pushed that thought back. It couldn't be! She still didn't have any proof, and couldn't imagine Heero with Duo. They were good partners, concerned for the other's safety, but that was it!

Once Heero had secured the wounds, he left the bathroom. Duo closed the door, announcing that he had to pee. Relena rolled her eyes. Like they needed to know that. Heero spotted her and paused. "What do you want?" he questioned with a cold tone, the tender look in his eyes gone.

"I just wanted to say goodnight," she lied easily, not wanting to let her suspicions be known. If Heero ever found out that she suspected he was gay, he would hate her even more. No one ever liked to have such a suspicion directed at them.

Unless they were gay.

Relena pushed that thought aside. Heero was not gay! And even if he was, he would pick someone better than Duo to be gay with. He was hers anyway, and she intended to have him. She just needed him to realize that he did have feelings for her, and to approach her.

Heero walked past her.

Part 10: Night Passion

After Relena had walked into her room, Heero opened his own bedroom door. Duo would be coming shortly and he wanted to make sure Relena was in her own room before the American joined him.

If the American joined him.

He wasn't even sure if Duo would after what had happened during the movie, but found himself hoping. He had known that he'd hurt Duo's feelings, which was easier to do than most would believe, but hadn't been able to apologize for it then. Not properly. So he'd kept his mouth shut. He liked having Duo around him whether they were having sex or not. He was like a drug that Heero could never get enough of, whether in small doses or in huge slams. He wished Duo would understand what he hadn't been able to say and would come.

He didn't bother to turn on the light as he shut the door behind himself. He didn't bother to lock it either, though he would if Duo came after a couple of hours. He didn't like anyone besides his Shinigami pilot in his bedroom, and servants had a habit of coming into the room at early hours to see if he was awake enough for coffee or something. Especially with Relena breathing down their necks to treat him to everything.

Quickly, Heero discarded his tank top and his borrowed jeans before crawling into the bed. It was a hard mattress, which he liked, and the sheets were deliciously cool on his skin. He laid there on his back for a while, staring up at the ceiling as he waited.

A few minutes later his door opened, and a head peeked through, a slight blush on his cheeks and a braid dangling from the back of his head. Duo walked in, closing the door and locking it behind him. Heero watched his dark outline as he came closer, grin plastered on his face. Hands reached down and pulled the black shirt off, discarding it carelessly on the floor. It was quickly followed by black pants. Then the rest of Duo's clothing aside from his underwear.

"Hi," Duo said as a greeting when he came up beside Heero's bed, clad only in his boxers. Black with yellow smiling faces on them, as usual.

Heero nodded, giving Duo a soft smile. Duo was the only one he smiled for. Reaching out with his arm, he pulled the other boy into the bed with him, wrapping them both with the blanket. Duo held on to him possessively, arms round his waist and snuggled his face up to Heero's chest. He made a pleased sound when he discovered that Heero was very naked, his hands already moving to the other boy's chest.

"Are you sure you're recovered enough for this? We don't have to," Heero questioned, placing a hand gently against the bandages on Duo's head. He didn't bother to ask why Duo had come, or if he was forgiven. His beloved American was here now and that was all that mattered to him.

Smiling, Duo nodded. "You're the best medicine for me. You can make all pain go away," he replied.

Heero leaned forward and pressed his lips against Duo's. Warm and firm, but so soft. And tasting so good. As they kissed, Heero ran his tongue against Duo's lips, tasting him. Then his tongue slipped into Duo's mouth and they kissed fiercely, tongues touching and battling as they clung to each other.

They broke apart for a second, gasping for air, then quickly started kissing again. Heero trailed his mouth down Duo's jaw, down his neck, and across his shoulders. Duo moaned his pleasure, not even able to shut up during this, and moved to allow Heero easier access to the different parts of his shoulders. His Japanese lover trailed his hands down Duo's chest, fingers scraping against his nipples and feeling them harden. He brought his mouth down to that particular part of Duo's chest and the other boy groaned, arching slightly. It felt so damn good! Heero's hands worked their way down across his hips and he broke away so that he could pull Duo's boxers off of him, throwing them somewhere across the room.

Duo managed to recover some of his scattered wits during this and, as soon as Heero focused on him again, attacked his lover in all the pleasure spots he knew. His face was a big one, and Duo kissed him everywhere with tender little touches. Then he flicked out with his tongue, causing Heero to give his own groans. Then he started nibbling. Once finished with Heero's face, Duo moved down and lavished the same attention to his lover's chest as had been lavished upon his own, teasing Heero's nipples with his hands and mouth.

He kissed his way down to Heero's navel, swirling his tongue within the dip and feeling Heero arch slightly. He really liked that spot. Then he moved even further down, kissing his way across the tops of Heero's thighs. Heero was hard, sticking out and swollen. But Duo simply brushed his hand across that absently before kissing the inside of Heero's legs, leaving his manhood alone.

"Duo," Heero growled threateningly, wriggling his hips to let Duo know exactly what he wanted.

Grinning, Duo leaned over and took Heero's throbbing length into his mouth. Heero gave a deep groan, arching as Duo's lips and tongue ran up and down his arousal. He felt something brush against his ass, then a finger penetrated him. His breathing came out in a hiss as a second finger entered into him, causing him to lose whatever rational thought he might have possessed. He moved furiously, close to coming.

Then Duo pulled his mouth away. Heero groaned, missing the heated contact, but couldn't stop moving against the fingers planted into his backside. Suddenly, they were gone too.

"Duo," he growled again, having nearly been tipped over the edge. If Duo left him like this much longer, he would pounce on the other boy and return the favor, injured or not.

His lover was giving him a very self-satisfied smirk and Heero jumped up, grabbing Duo and throwing him against the bed. "Do you have any idea what that does to me?" he snapped.

Grinning up at him, Duo nodded. "That's why I do it, silly. To bring you pleasure. Don't you like that, koibito?" he questioned with a taunting note.

Heero's eyes gleamed and he pulled Duo onto his knees. Duo was just as hard as he was, ready for what was to come. But he was disappointed, though not for long. Heero shoved his own fingers into Duo's backside, not very gently. Duo gasped, crying out into the pillow as both pain and pleasure erupted through him. Then Heero's other hand wrapped around his stiff arousal, pumping hard. Heero moved his fingers strongly, thrusting into him and Duo pushed back, unable to help himself.

When Duo was on the brink, Heero pulled his hands away. Duo whimpered at the loss and he grinned. "You deserved that for making me have to wait," he stated, then clamped his teeth down on the flesh of Duo's waist.

Duo groaned as a pain shot through him that was strangely arousing. He knew he would have a nasty bruise there, probably in the shape of teeth, but didn't really care. Heero sucked on the skin slightly and, though it still hurt, it felt really good.

Soon Heero's mouth disappeared and Duo shivered. He knew what was happening next. Heero then grabbed onto Duo's hips and thrust his hard arousal into Duo's awaiting anus.

It felt good, having Duo's tightness around him. Heero loved this connection between them, loved the feel of the young man that he had straddled. Nothing else felt so right. Duo was moaning, and Heero knew it wasn't from pain.

He began thrusting strongly, in heavy strokes that sent Duo jerking forward against the pillows. Duo pushed back against him, barely managing to refrain from screaming Heero's name over and over as spiral after spiral of pleasure shot through his body. He felt Heero's hand circle around him again, pumping his heat. There was nothing but Heero, passion, and pleasure. His delicious scent filled Duo's nostrils and he felt himself hit the brink and tilt over it.

Heero gave a groan deep in his throat as he pressed against Duo, his seed bursting from him. At the same time he felt Duo shudder and push against him just as strongly, a tell-tale substance suddenly jutting down his arm.

He pushed a few times more, weakly, as he finished emptying into Duo's heat. Then he pulled out and fell to the side, gripping Duo strongly to him. They were both gasping for air, sweat slicked, and very much pleased.

Duo looked up at him with a happy expression in his eyes, clutching onto Heero harder. Their breathing and pulse rates slowed down after a few moments and Duo felt a sleepy happiness come upon him. "I love you," he sighed almost absently, his voice slightly slurred. He didn't even realize that he'd said it out loud. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Smiling down at him with a tender expression on his face, Heero kissed the top of Duo's head. He couldn't say it yet, not even now after such a wonderful coupling. But he loved him. Heero Yuy loved Duo Maxwell with all of his heart. And he had the feeling that Duo knew it, even if he couldn't say it.

Duo's breathing was deep and relaxed, showing Heero that he'd already fallen asleep. He was exhausted, Heero noted with a bit of concern. Usually Duo would chatter on for a few more seconds before either falling asleep or leisurely caressing Heero again until they were ready for another round. But this time he'd dropped right off. Heero shook his head, sighing. Then he smiled again, closed his eyes, and held Duo closely as he fell into a deep sleep.

In the Morning

"Psst. Heero. Where are my boxers?"

"Huh?"

"My boxers. You threw them across the room and I can't find them in the dark."

"Then turn on the light, baka."

"But that might wake someone up, and I have to get out of here without being seen."

"Oh... right. I had forgotten where we were for a second."

"... Well? Where are my boxers?"

"Uhn. Wear a different pair when you get to your room. I'll give back your other ones later."

"Hai, hai. But don't forget. Those are my favorite boxers!"

"So was the pair that I ripped, but you didn't seem to mind."

"Beeeda!"

"Omae o korosu."

"Ha! I'll see you later, Heero. And... thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Huh. You're welcome, I suppose."

"Ja na, Heero."

Heero watched the door for a long time after Duo left, sitting in darkness. The bed suddenly seemed huge without Duo in it. A lot colder too. But they couldn't take the chance of someone spotting Duo as he left the room. Relena would have a fit if she found out, and the servants would definitely tell her if they saw.

A minute ticked by.

K'so! He missed that annoying braided pilot already!

Part 11: My Swim Trunks!

Relena woke up late in the morning for once. She muttered a little curse that was very uncharacteristic for her. Her plan had been to get up early and make sure she did see a certain braided pilot taking a trip from someone's room. Not that she could believe that Heero was gay. It just wasn't right. He was in love with her, so it just couldn't be possible.

After getting dressed and stepping from her room, she ran into one of the servants. He had been standing outside of her bedroom, as though to share some news with her.

When he opened his mouth to speak, she wasn't really surprised. "Maxwell-san has already woken up and is presently having breakfast with Barton-san and Winner-san. Yuy-san has been in his room all morning, though we brought some breakfast up for him a few minutes ago. As you have requested, Satoshi-san has been following Maxwell-san around to make sure he doesn't steal anything. But Chang-san has yet to be found. He came home late last night and disappeared early this morning," the servant informed her, just as he was being paid to do.

Relena nodded, thinking. Heero was still in his room and Wufei was missing. Duo, Quatre, and Trowa were already having some breakfast. Things could be worse, she reflected.

"I would like the cleaning woman to clean the empty rooms as soon as possible and take care of the bed sheets as well as the linens," she stated.

The servant nodded. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he coughed into his hand. "I think that you may be curious to know that Maxwell-san's bed was not slept in last night. There was not one wrinkle in the sheets," he stated quietly.

Her stomach suddenly reeling, Relena forced her expression to remain impassive. "Arigato," she whispered in return, then dismissed the servant.

Duo hadn't slept in his own bedroom. Then where...? Iya! Masaka... Had he slept with Heero last night, despite everything she'd been doing to keep them separate from each other? It was odd though, since she hadn't spotted anyone in the hallways. Not even Quatre or Trowa, though she suspected they hadn't even bothered to pretend to go to different rooms.

Something had to be done! Relena knew it was a long shot, but she had to figure out something.

A hand clamped on her shoulder and Relena spun in shock. Joe Lin was standing behind her, nearly hidden behind her bedroom door. Giving her a dark look as she walked into the room, Relena turned on the light and addressed the young woman.

"What do you want now?"

Joe Lin smirked. "Do you believe me yet when I say that they are lovers?" she questioned.

Relena scowled at her. "Just because Duo wasn't in his room doesn't mean he was in Heero's," she stated.

Shrugging, Joe Lin sighed. "I suppose you're just having trouble contemplating this. My Duo and your Yuy, in the same bed and having sex on top of it. Well, I know the time will come when you'll have to accept it for the disgusting fact that it is. But that doesn't mean we can't still change some things."

Becoming curious, Relena lifted her eyebrow.

Her smile becoming huge, Joe Lin leaned closer to Relena. "Are you a good liar?" she questioned. "Because I have a plan that will probably tear them apart really well. Whether you believe me or not, if you go along with this I'm almost certain that Heero and Duo won't even talk to each other anymore, much less share the same bed!"

There were a few seconds of shocked silence. Then:

"What do you want me to do?

Later that day

Duo spit out the mouthful of water he had taken in, then grinned. "Sugoi! It's been so long since I've been able to go swimming!" he cried out, then dipped his mouth in again to spit out more. He couldn't get his bandages wet, his hair was like a lead weight, and Heero was so damn sexy in a bathing suit it took actual physical restraint to keep from touching him, but he was having fun anyway. The water was natural hot spring water, but he knew it was clean enough as long as he didn't swallow it.

Relena had let them do what they wanted that morning, remaining just as discreet as Heero. Then she'd suddenly appeared, asking them if they wanted to go swimming. Even Heero and Wufei agreed to come, wanting some exercise and refreshment. It had been a long time since they'd had a chance to relax like this.

At the present moment, Relena was sunbathing in rather obviously flirty positions. Apparently she was trying to catch Heero's eyes, but he never glanced in her direction as he swam lap after lap, only occasionally pausing to gulp back something to drink or catch his breath.

But he had looked at Duo! They were quick little glances that lasted a very short time when no one else would notice, but Duo could feel Heero's eyes upon him. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that the pilot of Wing Zero was just as distracted by him as Duo was when he looked at him.

Quatre and Trowa were in their own little world as usual. Honestly, Duo thought while rolling his eyes, you would think that no one else existed. Though he supposed that, in their world, no one else did. The two of them were so deeply in love with each other that it made Duo feel very out of place when the three of them spent time together.

He felt the same way about Heero, though he still wondered if Heero really did share the same feelings for him. After being wounded and constantly insulted by Relena, Heero still didn't seem to feel any need to tell him that he loved him. And Duo was too insecure to ask again. His heart had already taken a thrashing from Heero's recent silence. He couldn't put up with it again if Heero didn't answer.

The feeling of his swimming trunks being slipped down his legs broke Duo out of his thoughts and he jerked in surprise. Spinning around, he saw Heero smirking at him, successfully holding up a pair of black swimming trunks.

He screamed, his cheeks heating up as he gawked at Heero. At least the water was dark enough to cover up his ... uh ... Heero-enticed body. "Hey!" he yelled.

Heero's smirk got wider. "Oi, Duo, are you missing something?" he taunted, then took off through the water. Duo stared after him for a second, sputtering, then took off after him. He was careful to keep his head above the water, and luckily was a strong swimmer.

Everyone was staring at them as Heero managed to keep just out of the naked Duo's reach, yelling taunts in his direction. Duo, with a face that resembled a tomato, pealed after him in a vain attempt to get his shorts back.

Finally he ran out of energy and stopped. "Heero," he whined, pouting. Heero paused and glanced over at him. Then the black article of clothing snapped sharply against Duo's face, sending him flying back against the wall of the pool.

He pulled the shorts off of his face, looking over at Heero who was waiting for his reaction. He put his shorts back on, then put a dark scowl as his expression. "Omae o korosu," he muttered.

Heero blinked. "Are you mocking me?" he muttered, sounding oddly a lot like Wufei. Luckily the Chinese pilot was nowhere near them and couldn't pick a fight. Relena was staring though, a slight gleam in her eyes. Trowa and Quatre were still in their own little world.

"Hai, hai, I'm mocking you. Now, shut up Heero!" Duo replied, then burst into a fit of laughter to make sure the words weren't insulting. "And I owe you for that shorts snagging trick! I'll get you for that one," he threatened.

Heero's eyes gleamed at him. "I certainly hope so, although I don't think tonight would be a good night. You shouldn't exhaust yourself so much, Duo," he replied.

Duo blushed.

Then he heard a shrill voice calling his name. Too irritated to ignore it, he looked up to see Relena approaching them. The strangest part of it was that she was calling his name, his first name, instead of Heero's. She paused next to them, blushing when she caught a look of Heero's sculpted chest, then turned back to him. "Can I talk to you a moment, Duo-kun?" she questioned.

Relena bit back a satisfied smirk when Duo nodded his head, looking a little wary. "Sure, I'm right behind you. Talk to you in a second, Heero," he said.

Heero was staring at her with a strange expression in his eyes, as though he didn't trust her motives. Relena blushed, realizing that he was probably staring at the flaunting two-piece bathing suit she'd chosen. It was dark blue and flashy, revealing a lot of her good figure. He had glanced her way a few times and she was certain that he couldn't be gay. Not if he was looking at her.

(Although she didn't know that Heero had glanced her way to see if she was still there. He had been watching Duo swim around near naked and needed to grope him out a few times, but couldn't do it with her watching him like a hawk.)

She had to admit that all five pilots were very fit. All muscular and harboring only a few scars, their bodies were trim and slender. Even Duo, which surprised Relena. She had not been expecting him to be as fit as the rest of them considering how much junk food he porked back. But it was Heero that she'd been staring at to begin with. He was a gorgeous figure to behold, especially clad in clinging swimming trunks.

They reached the end of the pool quickly and stepped out of the water. Relena frowned when she saw the bruise on Duo's side. It looked almost like he'd been bitten by something...

"Oi, Duo-kun, where did you get that nasty looking bruise?"

Duo looked down, grinned, then shrugged. "Who knows? What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he replied, but his cheeks had gone a bit pink.

Sitting down on her beach chair, Relena hesitated. She wasn't really sure if she had the guts to go through with this. But she had to admit, her jealousy had gotten her this far, so she might as well continue. She'd been watching Heero and Duo's little swimming match to get Duo's trunks and hadn't been able to keep down her raging jealousy when she saw Heero smiling. He had never smiled at her, or laughed with her. But he was laughing with Duo. With Duo!

That drove her to start talking. "Ano... Duo, you are Heero's best friend, right?"

Duo practically glowed as he nodded, a huge smile on his lips. "You could say that, I suppose. Why?" he replied, a brief flash of sarcasm in his eyes that quickly died into curiosity.

Forcing a blush into her cheeks, something she was good at, Relena stammered a few things as she had been told to, then looked away for a second. "Well I need to know something about him," she managed to get out.

"Nani?" Duo questioned, his tone suddenly a little guarded although he kept his grin and curious tone.

"I-I need to know what his favorite food is," she said.

Blinking a few times, Duo stared at her. "His favorite food?" he questioned.

Relena nodded, then forced a huge blush into her cheeks. "I know I shouldn't say anything but since you're his best friend, you probably already know anyway. Heero said that he wanted you to be his best man," she stammered.

Duo pulled back sharply. "Best man?"

Not giving him a chance to digest that, Relena nodded and looked down. "Heero and I are getting married. He proposed to me this morning when I was with him in his room. That's why it took me so long to come downstairs. We agreed we wouldn't say anything until the war was over, but I felt like I was going to burst and I know you will keep it a secret," she stammered out quickly. She looked up at Duo's face, nearly gasping in shock.

His face was completely blank, his smile frozen and his eyes glazed over. She'd never seen anyone so pale. Not even people in hospitals, wounded from battle and dying, looked like this. It was as though someone had suddenly ripped part of Duo away from himself. Like paper... like a ghost. You're winning. This was the plan, a voice yelled at her. Relena blinked a few times, pretending not to notice his reaction, then continued to say the words she and Joe Lin had planned together.

Part 12: Why Won't it Stop Hurting?

Duo couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. All he could do was sit there and listen to the blushing bride-to-be as she spoke.

"Remember that day three months ago when I found the two of you at that school? Before you had gotten to the room, Heero and I had been talking. I asked him why he couldn't be my lover and husband. He told me that it was none of my business, but I pressed the issue. Finally he told me that he had some personal matters to take care of. Something had been bothering him for quite a while and he would not do anything until it was satisfied. But we made love that day. You nearly walked in on us."

Relena blushed even more red, her hands going to her cheeks. Duo remained silent, keeping his smile in place all the while he was dying inside. It was like someone was ripping out his heart and stepping all over it. That was why Heero was so uncomfortable when he'd showed up. That was why Relena had been so red. He had interfered.

Heero didn't care for him at all. He had simply been lusting after him and needed to get Duo out of his system.

"I don't know why I'm telling you. I suppose it's because I haven't liked you for such a long time. I was jealous because you got to spend all that time with Heero while I had to stay in the background. But I wanted to tell you so much. Heero said that it was thanks to you that he got his problem under control and could marry me. I owe you so much thanks."

Got rid of his problem by sleeping with him, that was. Soothing his ruffled hormones. No wonder Heero hadn't replied with an ai shiteru a few days ago. Because he didn't love him. He loved Relena and was going to marry her. He'd simply been used for Heero's satisfaction.

God, he was going to be sick!

Abruptly, Duo got to his feet. "H-Heero likes ice cream," he muttered absently. At least he had all those times Duo had made Heero eat it off of his chest.

"I knew that already," Relena stammered, then blushed even more red so that Duo couldn't miss her meaning.

Duo's stomach lurched and he ran for the cottage. The world tilted dizzily around him, sending his strides in all the wrong directions. Relena and Heero were getting married. He held no place in Heero's heart. He had been used for the sex that he'd given freely.

Why did it have to hurt so much? What else had he been expecting? Everyone always left him.

Duo reached the downstairs bathroom just in time to catch the toilet before emptying his stomach. It felt horrible and tasted gross. For a second Duo thought he was sick. But he knew it was a physical reaction to finding out the truth.

The truth... about Heero and Relena.

Once that was finished, Duo slowly pushed himself up and flushed the toilet. He stumbled over the sink and splashed water on his face, rinsing out his mouth. He couldn't tell if it was cold water or not.

He'd gone completely numb.

The name Black Fire echoed in his thoughts.

There was nothing in him anymore. His heart had been ripped from his chest. His soul had been destroyed. Heero was gone from his life, Heero had been using him. He'd been a 'personal problem' in the Wing pilot's eyes. It was like everything inside of him had been hollowed out, leaving only an empty shell. The only good part of his life had vanished, ripped away by a horrible truth that Duo had never wanted to see.

And, Duo realized as he walked up the stairs to his room, he still couldn't hate him. Heero had used him, but he couldn't hate him. He just meant too much for Duo NOT to forgive him. His soul belonged to Heero always and Duo couldn't hate him even if his life depended on it.

Duo snorted at that thought. His life was pretty much over. Heero was not his any longer. But Duo at least wanted Heero to be happy. If Heero loved Relena, then Duo would pick up the pieces of his life and live on. He would recover.

No he wouldn't. Duo snorted again as he collapsed on top of his bed, wet swim trunks and all. He would never be able to recover. Heero would always be the person he loved, the person he would die for without a second thought. He had always assumed that Heero returned his feelings. That was obviously incorrect. The proof had been shoved right in front of him.

Suddenly Duo remembered what Relena had told him. They'd made love that day. The same day that Heero and Duo had, just a short while later. Duo hadn't been his first, as Heero had said. Relena was.

A picture of Relena and Heero entwined passionately came to Duo's mind and his stomach reeled again. Luckily there was a bathroom connected to the bedroom and he ran for that, letting loose the remainder of his food. Once that was done, he flushed the toilet again, shutting the lid. He put his head down in his arms. The numb feeling was gone now, though some of it still remained. Now he felt hot, as though his entire body was burning. There was so much pain in his chest that it hurt to breathe. He felt so tired that he could sleep for days. His body just wouldn't move. His eyes were stinging.

Iya! He would not cry! If he cried, then Duo would have to admit to his losses and Duo Maxwell never lost. After all, besides sharing Heero's bed, he had never really had Heero. He would not allow himself to cry over this.

There was a knock on the bedroom door that he ignored. It was a loud pounding that lasted a few seconds before Duo heard his bedroom door slammed open.

"Duo, are you alright?" Heero's voice called out. He knew that Duo was in his bedroom. After Relena had taken Duo away, he'd watched them very closely. He'd seen her blushing as she talked, then had noticed that Duo's face had gone very pale. Heero had seen his motionless body, his frozen expression, and the betrayal in his eyes. He'd known something was wrong. Especially when Duo had suddenly gotten up and run off.

Relena had looked stunned for a second, staring after him. Heero, worried, had taken off after the boy and ignored the woman calling his name. Duo had disappeared inside and Heero had slowed down, knowing that the youth would have gone to his room. Duo, when feeling sorry for himself, always hid in his room until he could put up his cheerful expression again.

The room was empty, but the bathroom door stood open. Heero walked over to it and wasn't surprised to see Duo sitting inside. But what did surprise him was how pale his lover was, how bleak his expression appeared. His eyes were filled with unshed tears and it looked like he was being torn apart.

"Duo, what's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Duo knew he couldn't say anything. He'd burst into tears. Heero might feel guilty and Duo didn't want to be the cause of upset. So he simply groaned a little, putting a hand to his stomach that was still reeling. He'd been okay until he'd seen Heero. Until he had to force himself to look into the deep cobalt eyes and nearly expressionless face that he had seen in every expression from fury, to laughter, to deep passion.

Why won't it stop hurting?

"You're ill?" Heero questioned, not believing it for an instant.

Duo nodded, then put his head back down in his arms. Heero walked over to the kneeling figure, gently took hold of his head, and placed a hand on his lips then on his forehead in order to tell if he was warm or not. He was a little warmer than normal, and his cheeks were filled with an angry red color while the rest of him was white.

Gently scooping him up, Heero moved Duo to the bed. He couldn't help but notice that Duo was very tense as though trying to keep as far away as possible in his arms, and very silent. The silence was odd. Even sick, Duo usually talked his head off like there was no tomorrow. He felt a brief flash of fear as to what could have exhausted Duo so much. Could it have been the gash on his head? Had he hit it again? That didn't seem likely, or Duo would still be talking? Had Relena said something? That could have been it, considering that was when Duo had started to look so bad.

He sat Duo down on the bed and looked into the glittering violet eyes. "Did Relena say something?" he questioned.

If anything, Duo became even more pale. It was quite obvious he was trying to hold back tears. A small shrug was his answer, then a sigh, then Duo promptly crumpled under the strain. His body fell limply forward and Heero caught him just in time, giving a concerned cry. He'd fainted! Duo had fainted just like that!

Heero acted quickly, wanting to get Duo comfortable before leaving him to work off whatever was troubling him. He stripped Duo of his trunks, covering him so he wouldn't get cold. Then he rummaged around in the drawers for some clothing. Not able to find his boxers, he pulled out a nightshirt that Duo often wore and slipped that on him instead. Then he tucked the limp body of his lover under the covers.

He paused for a second, a frown on his forehead. Duo's hair was wet and it took hours to dry, even with a hair dryer. Especially in a braid. Reaching down, he took the hair into his hands and unwrapped the elastic before carefully unraveling the hair. Duo slept on his stomach, so he was able to brush it out with ease.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Heero loved brushing out the silky chestnut strands. He might threaten to cut it off occasionally, but he never would. It was Duo's pride and was part of the sexy little package that he loved so much. And he loved the way it looked. Either as a braid snaking its way down a strong and sturdy back or loose, flowing over his shoulders in the wind. Heero especially liked it when Duo took his hair out and played with it or tickled him with it. At those times they were usually making love, and it would wrap around his body like warm hands, keeping him so close to the one he could never leave. It would spread on the pillows, shiny and smooth. It would flow over his shoulders in little movements as they rocked together fiercely.

Coughing, Heero realized he was blushing and more than a little aroused. He quickly finished brushing out the hair, leaving it to dry as he pulled away from the bed. Duo's brows were furrowed a little, showing that his dreams were not pleasant. Heero bent down and kissed that little dent in his lover's forehead, wanting him to be happy.

He was so scared for him. What had upset Duo so much? It pained him to see the American this way. It was like feeling his chest being ripped open, watching Duo's unhappiness.

Below him, Duo whispered something in his sleep. "Why won't it stop hurting?"

Heero frowned, not catching the words. He knew that he should go, but couldn't bring himself to leave. Instead he continued to stand there and continued to watch the sleeping boy.

In the Hallway

Relena walked up the stairs, pausing at the top. Six closed doors confronted her, but only two of them could be the one she wanted. Pick a door, any door, she thought sarcastically. Then she walked over to Heero's room.

It was dark inside and it appeared to be empty. Relena turned on the light, walking in further. Definitely empty. She paused to stare at the rumpled bed, faltering a bit. When the maid had gone in to clean the room, Heero had sent her out. He'd told her that he didn't want to be interrupted and she could change the sheets the next day. The maid, with no other option than to please the guest, had agreed.

Now Relena looked at the twisted blanket, smelling Heero's scent overlaid with a second smell. One that she didn't know. It almost smelt like... Relena shook her head. They couldn't have, could they? Unable to help herself, Relena studied the bed closer.

A small strand of something caught her eye. She reached out with a hand, grasping the object. It was a strand of hair. At least three feet long, colored chestnut brown. Masaka! Relena shook her head, quickly dropping the hair and looking away. Her eyes met with a slight stain. It was nearly clear on the white sheets, but still there. Quickly Relena's mind tried to fill in what it could have been. Heero had probably spilt something, which wasn't very likely. He might have had a bladder problem. That was completely impossible. Finally she realized that there was really only one explanation. She didn't know how guys had sex together, but she did know enough to know what was secreted when it happened. That was one of their...

Relena stumbled away from the bed, her cheeks red and her stomach circling. MASAKA! Heero was not sleeping with Duo!

Perhaps he was in the adjoining bathroom.

Relena stepped in farther, heading for the closed door of the bathroom. Her foot hit something soft and she paused, picking up the small article of clothing from the floor. She flushed deeply when she saw it. Black with little smiling faces.

Duo's boxers. In Heero's room.

She couldn't believe it! There had to be a rational explanation! There had to be! They couldn't be lovers. She'd gone along with what Joe Lin had said, just in case, but had thought deep down that it couldn't be possible. It was just some perverse joke being played on her. Heero couldn't be gay! He was in love with her, just as she was with him.

An image of Duo's ashen face appeared in front of her eyes, his eyes empty and his smile painstakingly false. His translucent skin and instant recoil into himself. Relena had never seen anyone retract so emotionally, had never seen anyone's world come crashing around them. But she'd witnessed that today in Duo.

Could she be wrong in trying to break up their relationship? Did they really mean so much to each other? Duo obviously had strong feelings for Heero, that much was evident. She'd never seen anyone react to words that strongly before. Joe Lin had done her homework. Even the part about the ice cream had been right on. But Duo had looked sick, beaten, and betrayed. Could he love Heero just as she did?

Relena shook her head, ready to rid herself of those thoughts. If they were sleeping together, it was something that would come to an end anyway. It was not natural, it was against Duo's religion, and just plain sick. Duo could easily be gay. Relena could picture that. But not Heero. They were probably just curious about sex and such. It could have been a simple release of stress caused by the war. After all, what better way to exercise or relieve tension? And if Duo had any emotional ties to Heero, they would eventually have been broken sooner or later anyway. Heero was far too smart to want to stick around that babbling idiot for too long. And he would soon realize the wrongness in sex between two men as well.

Then he would be hers.

Well, she thought as she dropped the boxers back on the floor, that was why she was helping Joe Lin. Regaining her composure quickly, Relena checked the bathroom quickly. It was empty. That left the other room to check. Duo's room.

She was so stunned that she didn't even realize that the door she was headed for was not the designated bedroom she'd given to Duo.

Part 13: Who Matters Now

As she headed into the hallway, Relena realized that she would have been better off checking there first. The trip to Heero's room had been a way to delay the inevitable visit to Duo's room. She had known that was where they would be.

"Hai?" The quiet, guarded voice echoed her knock. Just as Relena had known it would.

She opened the door and walked through, but froze before she got very far. Duo was asleep on the bed, his long hair freshly brushed and lying around him. He was still very pale and there was an upset expression on his face. Heero was standing beside the bed, staring down at him. He glanced over at her briefly, coolly, before fixing his eyes on the sleeping figure again.

"What do you want, Relena?"

"You," she nearly answered but choked it back. She had never seen this concerned look in Heero's eyes before. Well... no. That was wrong. She had seen it. Whenever Duo was hurt, Heero would always be there to fuss over him. She'd seen it a few times. Always directed towards Duo.

Briefly she remembered the look on his face three months ago when she'd told him that Duo was a spy. When she'd claimed that Duo had been tricking them all along. It had been perfect, since all the information she'd pulled upon Duo was accurate concerning his past, to tell Heero all about Duo's escapades in bed. It had been her goal to dirty the American in his eyes, to give Heero a reason to lose his trust and respect in the other pilot. She had thought that if he found out that his only friend was nothing more than street scum, he would seek solace in her arms. His reaction had been to be furious. But at her, not Duo. He had yelled at her, shocking them both.

Then Duo had walked in. He had smiled and greeted her like he really wanted to see her. His expression had been puzzled though, and then he told Heero that the mission was nearly over. Heero had found the leak and, but he didn't get far enough as that before he had discovered the wounds all over Duo's body.

Relena had fled, wondering what would happen next. According to Joe Lin, only a half hour later they were passionately entwined on the bed.

Could Heero really love Duo? Joe Lin had told her that Heero had never said the words, that he was just in it for the sex. But could he really?

"I came to see Duo," she answered, realizing that her reply was a little late.

Heero glanced her way skeptically. "I doubt that. You've hated Duo since the very first time you laid eyes on each other."

"Because he was going to shoot you!" Relena said quickly, defending her position. How could she not hate him after that?

Shrugging, Heero looked back down at Duo. Then he sighed, sitting down on a near by chair. "Go back to your other guests, Relena. I'm staying here."

"Why?"

"..." At first he wasn't going to answer her. She could tell that. But then she saw him suddenly sigh and he looked up at her. "I care for Duo. He has nightmares when he sleeps. I will stay here to wake him up if they become too bad."

Relena was surprised. She barely heard the second part of Heero's words, her mind racing over one sentence. I care for Duo. Not saying that he loved him. But that he cared. And that was enough to send a blind fit of jealousy shooting through her. Relena glared at

Heero, absolutely furious.

"Why do you care? He is just a street thief! He isn't worth your admiration," she yelled.

Heero pulled back for a second, not having expected the outburst. Then he became angry as well. "Lower your voice, or you'll wake him up. And Duo is not just some street thief. The only reason he lived like that was to survive. Not everyone is born with your riches. You've never had to live on the street, never known the life that Duo has. Don't criticize what you don't know, Relena."

She knew she was being unreasonable. She knew she was acting like a selfish, spoiled child. But she didn't care. Relena was tired of being ignored by the Japanese pilot. She didn't care if they were lovers. She didn't care if they always had been or if they loved each other. She was going to make her thoughts known.

"Duo is nothing but a freak. He's a fag, and he is worth nothing. Just because he helps you in this war does not make him anything more than he is. He could die any day and I can tell you that I would be happy to see him gone. Face the truth, Heero. Duo is just some boy trying to fight in a man's war. One day it will crush him."

The words hung in the air and Relena was glad she'd spoken them... until she saw Heero's face and a shiver ran down her spine. His lips were thin, his fists clenched. His eyes were so cold, so angry that she suddenly felt frightened of him. They were digging into her as though trying to kill her on the spot. She'd never seen such anger, such fury in someone's eyes before and she found that she didn't like it. Heero was VERY mad at her.

She'd stepped over the line between rude and downright insulting. The worst part of it was that she'd known that she would, and jealousy had kept her from caring.

"Your honor is tarnished when you are around him. He disgraces you, Heero. You're worth better than that scum. Some day you'll realize that I'm right. Some day soon. Duo isn't worthy of you," she stated.

Heero was shaking. Relena felt some satisfaction. He knew she was correct. That was why he wasn't saying anything and why he hadn't moved. She just needed him to discover that for himself.

Spinning on her heel, Relena walked from the room with all her grace and dignity.

Heero slowly forced himself to unclench his fists. He forced himself to slow his breathing and his heartbeat. Killing Relena would only get him into more trouble than she was worth. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her fault Duo wasn't well.

He should have expected something like this. With her servants constantly following both him and Duo around all day, something had to be up.

But right now he was trying not to kill her. Not to race after her and send his fist into her face. How dare she insult Duo like that? How dare she? Duo might have lived on the streets, but so did a lot of people. He had for a few days, before being found by Dr. J. It made him absolutely furious to hear her degrade Duo like that. Especially since a lot of those things were what the American had called himself at one point.

They were not the dirty facts she made them out to be. She called him a fag, but he wasn't. He was bisexual, just as Heero was. And, as they'd both agreed, it was only because of their attraction to each other. She had said a lot of things, but Heero knew what was true and what wasn't.

None of what she had said was true. Duo wasn't just some street boy in a man's war. He was a boy, just as Heero and the others were, growing into a man. He was a vital part of this battle for peace. Duo fought for his colony just like the rest of them, he fought for safety, to keep people off the street where he had suffered. He fought to regain what they all wanted. He was far from nothing. And without him, Heero would be nothing.

Often enough, he'd thought Duo was too good for him. After all, what as he? A killer without emotions. No... a killer who couldn't express his emotions. One that couldn't even admit his love for his lover. HE didn't deserve DUO.

Duo gave a small whimper, groaning a little. His eyes opened for a second, fuzzy and confused. Heero quickly came to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Duo, you should rest," he said quietly.

Groaning again, Duo pulled away from him clumsily. He coughed a little, looking absolutely miserable. Heero felt pain in his chest and was about to ask him what Relena had said when Duo's lips opened. "Kudasai, Heero, go away. I need to sleep. I feel so tired," Duo whispered.

Rejection shot through him for a second. Then Heero remembered that it was Relena's fault that Duo was like this. He would have to fix this. But not now. Duo needed to sleep.

"Hai, Duo. You rest now. I'll see you at supper." Duo needed to regain some strength before he passed out again. And Duo was all that mattered to Heero.

Part 14: Tense Feast

Supper was a very quiet affair. Everyone seemed put out in their own way. Heero had decided that he and Duo had to talk in private and still hadn't been able to find the time. He was furious with Relena and refused to sit anywhere near her. Duo was a pale figure with pained eyes. He tried to be cheerful, but couldn't laugh. He could barely manage a smile while he pushed his food around his plate and hadn't even bothered to put his hair up in a braid, the strands tumbling around his black-clad shoulders. Relena was feeling guilty for her obvious effect on Duo's physical state, but was too angry to care. Heero was pissed off at her and still remained concerned for Duo after all that she'd said. She was starting to get a little desperate.

The other three, who didn't really have much of a part in this fic (Aqua shrugs a little. "What do you expect in a 1x2 fan fiction? Sorry all you 3x4 fans, but I haven't been able to master writing for those two yet.) seemed to be in subdued moods as well. Wufei was drinking a little too much, which shocked everyone. Quatre was worried over Duo, scared that he had caught some nasty illness from the water or an infection of his head wound. And because Quatre was upset, Trowa was upset.

Yep... supper was a pretty somber ordeal. The only thing that happened was about halfway through.

"Duo, are you feeling ill?" Relena had questioned.

"H-hai. I think I caught a bug."

No one laughed at his lame attempt to be cheerful, as it lacked its usual charisma.

"You should try to eat something. The vitamins will strengthen you so that you can fight if off easier."

Duo had nodded, lifting a little of the food to his mouth. He was forcing himself to chew it though, and didn't think he would be able to swallow.

Then Relena had turned to Heero. "And, as for you Heero, you shouldn't be so upset. After all, after our discussion you have a lot to think about and we wouldn't want you getting sick too."

Duo's mouth went sour and his stomach reeled. He bolted from his place at the table, making everyone jump, and raced for the bathroom. Heero nearly followed but managed to stay where he was. He doubted he could help much anyway. Relena was hit by a wave of guilt. Could her lie about getting married to Heero really have affected Duo that much! Quatre and Trowa exchanged glances, suspecting what was going on, but knowing that there was absolutely nothing either of them would be able to do to help the situation. Wufei snorted, then took another drink of wine.

Duo came back ten minutes later, shaking and even whiter than before. He paused at the table as he nodded briefly in Relena's direction, unable to meet anyone's eyes. "Arigato for supper. I'm sorry I couldn't eat it. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me," he stated flatly.

Then, shoulders slumped in a defeated manner, Duo half-stumbled on his way from the room like a zombie.

Part 15: Explanations

Duo was lying on his bed in the dark, still clad in his black dinner clothing. He didn't know why he was reacting like this. It was as though his entire body had revolted. Food wouldn't stay down and he couldn't find the energy to function. Nothing had affected him like this before. Never had he suffered such a shutdown of all his limbs.

And he still felt hollow. The pain in his chest throbbed, but the rest of him was empty. There was nothing left now that he knew Heero didn't love him.

Then Heero walked into his bedroom.

Jerking in shock, Duo blinked a few times before forcing himself to calm down. "Why did you come here?" he questioned, a little angry that Heero wouldn't let him feel sorry for himself in peace.

"What's wrong, Duo?" Heero questioned, coming up to the bed he was lying on and sitting down by his knees. He was gorgeous in his tight denims and green tank top, his eyes flashing and concerned, his face masked.

Pain shot through Duo at the question. What kind of game was Heero playing at now? "How can you ask me that? Isn't it quite apparent?"

"Nani? What is supposed to be apparent?"

Taking a shuddering breath, Duo rolled away. "Don't make me say it out loud. I couldn't handle that. Just leave me alone. I am already having to deal with enough," he muttered.

Suddenly strong hands grabbed his arms and Duo was flung around to face his ex-lover. Cobalt blue eyes were glaring down at him, filled with anger and pain. Duo flinched at the sight, turning his own eyes away. Why did Heero have to look like he actually cared?

"Nani k'so! Duo, tell me what is wrong!"

A burst of anger gave Duo strength and he sat up, sending Heero back. "You really want to hear me say it out loud, don't you?" he screamed. "Well FINE! Relena told me about your engagement. About what happened before I found the two of you in our bedroom three months ago. And about your plans for the future. She told me how you were simply relieving a physical problem with me. How you were using me for sex as a way to relieve the stress of war! I fell in love with you, but you were using me! And I can't even hate you for it! I still love you and I still want you and I still feel for you. No matter what I do to change it, those feelings come back and I can't stop them. So just leave me alone! Return to the woman you love! Marry her and have children with her. I do not matter anymore."

Heero reeled away from him, disbelief on his face. Duo turned away, his eyes stinging. "If you go now I can recover without too much pain. I want you to be happy. Living your life normally, with normal sexual habits and a chance for real love."

Hewouldn'tcryhewouldn'tcryhewouldn'tcry! Small droplets began to ease their way out of his eyes before he could stop them and he felt something brush against the tear as it fell down his cheek. He recognized Heero's touch instantly.

"Duo, she lied."

Three words had never said so much. Duo's eyes snapped open and he spun around to face a grim-looking Heero. "N-nani?" he stammered.

Heero took his shoulders into his hands, staring at him. "That is not true. I never asked Relena to marry me and I never would. I have no feelings for her. I've never slept with her, never kissed her, and I've never wanted to. Nor will I want to. I've wanted to kill her since the day I met her, but I can't because of her title as peacekeeper. Relena means nothing to me. Not like you."

"Honto?" Duo's bleak voice questioned as he sniffled. Heero had never lied to him about things like this before. When his lover nodded, Duo found no reason not to trust him. Happiness filled him faster than anything he had ever felt. Heero hadn't said that he loved him, but he had said that he cared. That was enough. Duo didn't mind that he hadn't said the words as long as he still had a place by Heero's side. The only place he wanted to be.

Heero watched the transformation of Duo's features with fascination. First was surprise, then confusion, then slow realization that was followed by utter delight. His eyes lit up like the sun, his mouth dropping open and lifting into a smile. His face flooded with natural color and his entire aura seemed to suddenly light up.

He had been scared that Duo wouldn't understand. That Duo wouldn't believe him and would turn him away. But Duo had known what he meant, and understood, and loved him still. He'd been forgiven in the eyes of the only person that he loved.

Smiling, Heero pulled the slender body towards him. "Not even Relena can break down the bond that we have," he whispered.

"Not even Relena can break the bond that we have."

Duo flung his arms around Heero's body in a fierce hug, never having loved him so much. Their bond... he liked that. They were connected in a way that even the most painful of lies couldn't break. The two of them shared the same soul, as Heero had once told him, and it would never split. They were one.

Forever. Zutto.

Duo pulled back slightly, looking up at Heero. "I'm sorry that I believed her," he said quietly.

Heero shook his head. "Iya! Duo, it wasn't your fault. What could you think? She knew exactly which buttons to push, and I'm certain that she had everything well planned. I'm just sorry you are so unsure of me that you had doubts. I should have made sure there was no doubt in your mind."

This time Duo shook his head, placing a finger on Heero's mouth. "Listen to me. You don't have to say it. Knowing that you care for me is enough. As you said long ago, "We have a special bond that can never be broken. We are fighting in a war where bonds like this can be a deadly game. But our bond can never break. We share the same soul that can never be split. We are one." And I have never forgotten that."

Heero pulled Duo close to him again, running his hands through the thick hair that flowed loosely around him. "I always assumed that you were reassured by the times that we've had sex. I've never given myself to anyone like that before. And I know that you are the only one I would ever want. It is more to me than just relieving stress, Duo."

"To me too," Duo quickly replied. "Most people think that it is just a joining of bodies. But nothing feels so right as when I'm with you. And I feel like I'm complete."

Nodding, Heero reached forward and gently brushed his lips against Duo's. "As do I. ... Duo, ano, would it be alright with you if we-"

Duo silenced him with a deep kiss. Heero was too surprised to react. By the time he'd recovered, Duo had already pulled back, a huge grin on his face. "I thought you'd never ask," Duo replied, then pounced on him.
Part 16: Shocking Discovery

Groaning, Heero arched as Duo's mouth clamped on his nipple, sucking on it strongly while his hand scratched deeply down his chest. This constant infliction of pain could seem odd to some people, but it was so good feeling that neither of them could help the little wounds they made on each other. Not like either complained. Their 'battle scars' were proudly worn for anyone to see. It simply showed they were already claimed.

Suddenly Duo bit down sharply and Heero jerked. The pain was intense, but arousing. Duo pulled back, giving him an impish look as his hair brushed Heero's sensitive skin.

Both were already naked, having wasted no time in that respect. For a few seconds they had simply hugged each other, glad that they could. Then Duo had pounced on Heero (Heero had let him) and had begun to ravish his body. Starting with the chest, lapping up every part of Heero's skin with his tongue, teasing the nipples and navel. Now he was working his way down the insides of Heero's thighs, feeling the muscles twitch beneath his hands.

"You look so sexy like this, you know," Duo suddenly stated.

Heero blinked, too aroused to really concentrate on the words. "Uhn? I do?" he asked.

Duo nodded, his face suddenly serious despite the gleam in his purple-blue eyes. "Lying there on white sheets, completely naked. Your face and skin become flushed when you're aroused, you know, and it looks very good. Your entire body is tense with need, but your skin is hot and smooth and hard yet surprisingly soft. Then there is your obvious arousal, your most sensitive spot, that can be put to many uses."

Bending down, Duo demonstrated one by touching his tongue to the tip. Heero groaned, his hips lifting quickly. He needed more! But Duo pulled away sharply, giving a little grin as Heero glared at him. He gave a shallow growl.

"And there are all those noises you make. Little growls and pants that sound so nice," Duo stated. He reached down and took Heero's heat into his mouth. Heero gave one of those sexy little sounds, pushing up against him so that Duo nearly choked. But he was a master of pleasing Heero now, and had no problem as he moved his lips up and down with Heero's thrusts.

Reaching down, he slipped a finger into Heero's backside that was already slick with sweat. Heero groaned quietly, then loudly as Duo slipped in another finger. Then another. Heero couldn't help it as he pounded furiously, Duo's fingers plunging into one side of him as he plunged into Duo's mouth on the other.

He felt himself explode, coming straight into Duo's mouth. The American swallowed him up easily, a satisfied smile on his face when he pulled back. The fingers disappeared and Heero sighed as he laid back on the pillows.

Then Duo reached up and kissed him. He'd never done that before and Heero found it odd. He could taste Duo's familiar taste and an overlying one that was strange. With a jolt, he realized it was his own fluid he could taste on Duo's lips. It was shocking, but Heero found that he didn't mind the flavor of it as long as Duo's came with it. Though his lover tasted better.

Heero broke the kiss, rolling them over as he looked down at the smiling Duo. He reached out, taking a handful of chestnut hair into his hands and playing with it for a second. When he leaned against Duo, he felt something hard pressing into his hip and couldn't hold back a smirk. Slowly, Heero moved his hips, causing Duo to gasp and move against him. His own body was becoming quickly aroused, which Duo could always do to him, but Heero was now focused on Duo's arousal. This was going to be fun he decided, then swooped down to capture his lover's lips.

Relena was sitting in her room, pacing back and forth in her nightgown. After supper was finished, she'd stayed downstairs for a few seconds. Then she'd gone upstairs, saying that she was tired. But she hadn't gone to bed after changing. No. She was pacing back and forth, wondering what to do next.

There really was no option. She had to talk to Duo.

Making up her mind, Relena walked out of her room. She nearly collided with a short blonde in the hallway. They both jumped back, a little surprised. Then Relena smiled when she saw Quatre.

"Gomen ne. Are you alright?" she questioned.

Quatre nodded, blushing a little. "I'm fine. I was just getting a drink before going to bed," he replied.

Neither of them moved for a second, then Relena realized why. He thought that she didn't know about him and Trowa and was waiting for her to leave so that he could sneak into the latter's bedroom for the night. Smiling, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I know about you and Trowa already. Go on," she said.

Quatre went scarlet, but nodded. "Good night, Relena," he stammered, then spun on his heel and ran for the door across from hers.

Relena blinked. Why would he be heading for Duo's room? As the Arabian disappeared inside, Relena realized something. She had made a mistake earlier. She'd gone to the wrong bedroom. Duo had been sleeping in the room she'd given to Trowa. They'd switched in order to trick her!

Angry, Relena stormed up to the room Duo was sleeping in. She was about to pound on the door when she heard a deep groan. The walls of the cottage were pretty much soundproof, but not the doors. Feeling like a pervert, but unable to keep herself from doing it, Relena pressed her ear against the door.

"Uh... Heero!" a muffled voice groaned from within. Duo's voice.

Relena's mind spun when she realized what must be happening inside. But it couldn't be! Not after everything that she'd done to keep them apart. When had they talked? When had they had the chance? Or was Duo talking in his sleep?

Desperate, Relena continued to listen. He had to be talking in his sleep. But then she heard a chuckle that was NOT Duo's. Then she heard a familiar voice saying, "Do you like that Duo? Perhaps I should do it again."

Then Duo groaned again. "God, Heero! Please don't make me suffer like this. Ahhhh!"

He talked even when having sex! The thought occurred to Relena offhandedly as she reacted. She couldn't let this continue! Couldn't let them do what they were doing any longer. Before she could stop herself, Relena threw open the door and stepped in before slamming it behind her.

"Stop it right there!" she yelled.

Part 17: Anooooo...

Slowly it settled into her mind. The two of them, Heero and Duo, were lying on the bed. Duo was on his hands and knees, his hair falling around his face and his expression pure bliss. Heero was behind him, hands on Duo's hips and his length buried in Duo's backside. His face was just as pleasure ridden.

Relena had always wanted to see Heero's face in the middle of passion. She'd always wanted to see his naked body. Wanted to hear his pants of longing and his teasing words of love. But she had expected to hear them directed towards her, not towards the boy that was presently lying beneath him on one of her beds!

Heero had pushed hard against Duo, sending them both reeling forward with the powerful movement. Then they seemed to realize what was going on.

"Stop it right there!"

The shrill voice broke through Duo's passion fogged mind. He froze in the middle of receiving Heero's thrust. No way! Masaka! NO NO NO NO NO!

Heero had also stopped, his hands clenching painfully into Duo's sides. Everything seemed to slow down for a second. Then Heero turned his head to Relena, still buried within Duo. "Get out now," he growled.

Relena was trembling, shaking and furious. "No. So unless you plan on finishing this in front of me, you'd better make yourselves decent," she warned.

Duo groaned, his arms giving out and he fell to the bed with a disappointed grunt. He waited for Heero to pull out, but his lover didn't move. Confused, Duo turned his head. Cobalt eyes were flashing with anger and just a little bit of mischief. A hand reached down and caressed Duo's still aroused manhood and Heero gave a satisfied nod.

"Fine. Have it your way, Relena. Duo and I have made up, and I'm not about to let you stand in our way," Heero stated. He pulled the blankets over their bodies for at least a little decency, preparing himself.

"N-nani?" Relena stammered.

"Heero?" Duo exclaimed, then cried out when Heero thrust against him. Relena was forgotten and Heero was the only thing on Duo's mind as he felt Heero's movements. Pleasure was building up in him so strongly that he pushed back against his lover, feeling his buttocks bump roughly against Heero's hips.

Heero knew he shouldn't, but he didn't care. He was buried inside of his lover, the boy that he loved, and nothing was going to keep him from finishing what they'd started. Relena would be getting an eyeful but maybe that would convince her to believe him the next time he said that she meant nothing to him. Besides, Duo felt so good that he didn't want to stop. When he started moving, Relena became nothing and Duo was the only focus of his attention.

Relena's eyes went wide when she saw Heero start to move. The strokes were strong against each other and Relena was too astonished to look away as she watched the man she loved take another man. She knew she'd been forgotten.

Heero arched forward, his hands raising to caress Duo's chest and he pressed his lips between Duo's shoulders in a kiss. Duo was smiling in rapture, groaning Heero's name. He lifted a hand, somehow managing to stay balanced, and grasped the hands on his chest in a loving gesture.

For a crazy moment the only thought in her head was how perfect they looked together. Entwined perfectly, as though that was where they belonged. It didn't matter that they were of the same gender or that they were two pilots destined to save the Earth. There was so much love and trust between them, so much caring and emotion that Relena slowly began to realize that she truly had no place in Heero's heart.

Heero suddenly gave a loud cry, arching his back. His teeth clamped down on Duo's shoulder hard enough to draw blood, all the while Duo echoed his cry. She heard the painful sound of Heero's knuckles cracking as Duo clenched his fists. Then the two of them stopped. Heero moved his hips back slightly and they fell to their sides, the Wing pilot still wrapped around his lover.

Duo had a stupid grin on his face, his cheeks flushed and his eyes slightly glazed. "Heero," he sighed. It was obvious he was exhausted and probably about to fall asleep any second. He reached up and kissed the other boy with lazy lips. "Ai shiteru."

Then he fell asleep.

Heero stared down at him with a tender expression in his eyes and even though the rest of his face was an expressionless mask, she could see the amount of feeling he had for Duo.

"You love him, don't you?" Relena whispered as Heero lightly tucked Duo closer to him.

Seeming to realize she was there, Heero's head snapped up quickly. His astonished expression quickly turned to one of anger and he hugged Duo's sleeping form closer almost as though in defiance. "Leave, Relena. There is no place for you here," he told her.

Relena felt her back stiffen and she held her chin up as regally as she could, staring down at him. "Perhaps he has gained your heart, Heero, but he will not hold it forever. Your relationship is unnatural and soon you will have to face the fact that you cannot give Duo what he wants, just as he can't give it to you," she said coldly.

"Get out," he stated.

But she was determined to say all she could. "Someday Heero, your little Duo will not be around. And you will regret pushing me away like this," she ground out, able to hear the false note in her own words but refusing to admit to its existence.

"Get out now," he repeated for the fourth time since she'd barged in on them.

Nodding, Relena turned on her heel and left with as much dignity as she could muster up. Just before she closed the door, though, she let a small smile appear on her lips. "His past returns," she said softly, just loud enough for Heero to hear, then closed the door. Heero stared at her for a few seconds, perplexed by this statement, before he shrugged and curled up next to Duo in order to sleep the night away with his only love in his arms.

Once she had closed the door, Relena stared at it for a few minutes. Then she turned and strode to her room as fast as she could. Just as she had known she would be, Joe Lin was sitting on her bed looking almost bored. "I won't stand for this any more. Heero has been manipulated by Maxwell for far too long. We have to act now," she said sternly.

Joe Lin gave a cool smile and Relena suddenly felt a flash of fear. She knew it was irrational but something told her that Joe Lin was not a happy person. "So you finally agree with me, do you? I have everything arranged. Tomorrow morning, I will strike. You will have your precious Yuy and I will have my Duo," the other girl stated, her tone sounding odd.

Relena nodded once, watching as Joe Lin disappeared out of her balcony window to wherever it was that she went to at night. Then she headed for her own bed, ready to sleep.

What she didn't notice was Wufei sitting outside her door, overhearing every word. His fists clenched when he thought of the cruel way she was treating Duo and how she seemed to refuse to believe that Heero was someone else's lover. The entire thing screamed injustice and Wufei owed it to Nataku to help his comrades... his friends out. With the stealth of a cat, Wufei left the Peacecraft house and easily followed Joe Lin.

Part 18: Duo Maxwell is Kidnapped!

Joe Lin slammed her fist into a wall so hard it nearly cracked under the force. "That idiot! What the hell did she think she was doing? This could cause Duo to leave for sure. I worked so hard to break the two of them apart and she goes and blows it all back in my face! Then she had to go and yell at them WHILE they were making love! Even Yuy wouldn't stick around for that!" she exclaimed out loud. She was furious with that blond airhead! How could she have broken all those well-laid out plans so easily?

With a determined look in her eyes, the young woman picked up her gun and placed it in its holster. "All deals are off, Relena-SAMA! Duo Maxwell will be mine. Whether I have to kill Yuy for him or not!" she declared, then strode away from her camp as fast as her legs would carry her.

The figure that had followed her there earlier that morning was nothing more than a shadow within the trees, the girl oblivious to its presence. Wufei watched the woman leave, a sudden sense of forbodeing in his heart. This was the cause of all that trouble? She had to have been the brains behind the operation to break Heero and Duo apart. And, by the sound of it, things were escalating dangerously. He had to get back and tell the others!

Duo woke late the next morning, snuggled up within the warmth of Heero's arms. He felt a security come over him that only Heero could bring and felt ashamed that he ever could have thought Heero would use him like that. Turning, Duo gazed upon his lover's sleeping face, so peaceful and calm. It was very different from Heero's usual expression and Duo loved it just as much. There was no scowl, no glare. Those beautiful blue eyes were regrettably closed, but the frown was absent from those full lips so it wasn't all bad.

He felt like the luckiest person alive to be able to see this sight.

Smiling softly, Duo reached up and gently kissed Heero's lips. He pouted a little when the contact seemed to awaken the Wing pilot from his dreams, but the pout disappeared when Heero pulled him closer and opened his eyes while a minuscule smile appeared on his lips.

"Ohayo, Heero," he whispered, snuggling closer.

"Ohayo, Duo," Heero said back just as softly, shifting so that Duo could press fully up against his body. As always, being up next to the other's naked body caused a thrill to go up his spine. However, both were satisfied with the moment and didn't take it up as a sexual thrill.

They laid like that for what seemed like forever, not wanting to move or break the comforting silence. After a few moments Heero gave a deep sigh and turned to Duo. "We have to get up," he stated.

Duo pouted adorably. "But I don't want to. Can't we stay here just a little longer?" he questioned.

Looking tempted, Heero shook his head. "We should find a new place to hide out as soon as possible," he replied. He didn't need to say anything more as Duo's mind ran over what had happened the night before. He was smart enough to figure out that there was a hurricane of angry emotions waiting downstairs called Relena. Best to escape while they could!

The house appeared deserted, although Heero knew where everyone had gone with a simple inquiry. Trowa and Quatre had gone swimming again, playfully flirting with each other in the water. Although he'd been reluctant to intrude, Heero had needed to ask them a few questions. Quatre answered, then the two were in their own little world once more.

Heero left them to themselves, noting that Wufei had pulled his disappearing act again. Sometimes Heero wondered what the Chinese pilot was up to during all this free time but figured, since nothing had blown up in their faces so far, that Wufei was careful. What he did in his spare time didn't matter as long as it didn't reveal any of their secrets.

Duo, his beloved Shinigami, had decided to take a shower, change his bandages, and search for some clothing he hadn't already worn. He was probably already in the dining hall where Heero was heading now, wolfing down a huge breakfast in the way that only Duo could.

He didn't know where Relena was. And didn't really care to know.

Just as he'd thought, his lover was stuffing his mouth full of pancake when he arrived. The things were huge and covered with an indecent amount of syrup that he just knew would keep the American on a sugar high the entire day and probably half the night on top of that.

"Frmrrlo Smcrutoo!" Duo called gleefully, his grinning face full of food. ((for those wondering: "Hello Heero!"))

Heero rolled his eyes, sitting across from Duo and beginning to eat the breakfast his lover had ordered for him. It was similar to his own, but lacking the excessive amount of syrup. He also ate more slowly, somehow managing to eat faster than Duo.

Probably because the American was chattering the entire time.

They were nearly finished the meal with Relena entered the room. She was walking stiffly, looking as though she had not slept but properly groomed all the same. She pointedly ignored Duo's existence, sitting down at the head of the table and turning to Heero with an equally cold expression in her eyes.

"We have to talk. Now," she stated.

Heero didn't bother looking her way, while Duo looked from Relena to Heero to Relena to his food and back to Relena with a mixed expression on his face.

He didn't know whether to be worried, amused, or horrified. Finally he settled on curious and gazed at Relena with confused indigo eyes.

"We have many important matters to discuss. First of all, I want to speak to you about what happened last night," she began.

"Hold it right there, Relena Peacecraft! I'm not going to let you throw this plan out the window too!" a female voice exclaimed, causing everyone jump and look around.

Duo suddenly let out a surprised scream, twitching as he brought his hand up to his shoulder and ripped out the object that had pierced deeply into it. He stared blankly at the tranquilizer dart before throwing it on the ground and standing up.

"Who the hell is there?" he exclaimed.

The figure came in through the window, managing to put a hurt expression on her face. "Is that any way to speak to me, Fire?" she said in a gentle voice.

Duo flinched instinctively at the mention of the name, but couldn't react beyond surprise. Alarms went off in Heero's head but he remained where he was as his lover's eyes went wide. "Joe Lin?" the braided boy said slowly as though he didn't believe his eyes.

"So you do remember me!" the woman exclaimed, walking up to him. "I wasn't sure if you would, considering you blew me off for this asshole over here," she then added, pointing to Heero.

His eyes narrowing dangerously, Duo glared at Joe Lin. Any happiness at seeing an old friend disappeared with those words. "Watch your mouth! I happen to be in love with Heero and I am not going to let you bad mouth him! You know I was never involved with you!"

Joe Lin pretended to pout again, although her eyes still remained cold and calculating. "Don't say things like that, Fire!"

Heero made a motion to walk toward his lover, but suddenly found himself looking at the open end of gun. It was an illegal model used on the streets, with the ability to blow someone's head off with one well-placed shot. He had the feeling that Joe Lin was not bad at shooting.

"What do you think you're doing? This wasn't part of the deal!" Relena suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Duo and Heero stared at her with accusing eyes while Joe Lin snickered, her gun not wavering. "All deals are off after that stupid stunt you pulled last night. You could have thrown this entire thing out the window. I don't give a shit about Yuy or you. All I want is him," she pointed to Duo, "and I intend to get him any way possible!"

There was a few moments of silence. Then Duo turned to the others and explained the situation.

"She used to be part of my old gang on L2, if only for a short while, but she had a huge impact on our lives. She had an infatuation with me after seeing me dance on stage one night. From our group, only Mykil was able to stand her, especially since she was so obsessed with me that she nearly got us killed many times. One of those times we were both wounded badly and she stopped breathing. As much as I didn't want to, I performed CPR. She woke up when I was helping her breathe and became fixated with the idea that I was so in lust with her that I'd been trying to have sex with her while she was sleeping."

"No matter what I did to explain otherwise, she would not listen. Soon she'd alienated herself from the entire group, including the person who really loved her. She was always trying to get me to sleep with her, to the point of nearly raping me. Finally she was kicked out of our gang and she was told that if she ever came back she would be killed. Then, a short while later, I became the pilot of Shinigami," he concluded.

Joe Lin was staring at him darkly. "I don't care for your description of the situation, love. We both know that we were meant to be and it was only because of your sick fixation for Yuy that you dumped me!" she declared.

Duo was about to reply when the world around him suddenly lurched and began to darken. He moaned, lifting a hand to his face, and staggered a little.

"Duo!" Heero called out, trying to run to his side, but he froze when he found the gun nearly shoved up his nose. He helplessly watched as his lover stumbled a little, nearly falling.

"I'm sorry to have had to do that, but it was the only way I could insure that you would come with me. The dart I shot you with contained a powerful anesthetic that takes a while to work, but once it does, it works very quickly. It should put you straight to sleep within seconds," Joe Lin stated with no small amount of pride in her tone.

Duo heard the words even while his world was slowly shrinking away from him. "I love Heero," he whispered just before the blackness overtook him and he collapsed into a small heap on the floor.

Joe Lin smirked again, then turned back to Heero. She found herself gazing into eyes so cold and furious that anyone with less willpower would have wilted within seconds. If looks could kill, she would be nothing but a pile of ash on the floor. "The amount I gave him is also very lethal. I have the antidote back at my place. Let me take him with me or he will die," she said in a threatening tone.

The two of them stood in silence, staring each other down. Joe Lin took her gun away slowly, her smirk increasing when she saw that Heero did not take advantage of the moment. She'd known he wouldn't chance it!

She stepped back slowly, then brought the gun down so fast that even Heero couldn't react fast enough. Two shots were fired and Heero cried out in pain, collapsing. Fire burned its way up his calf, more piercing than anything he'd felt before. The bitch had shot his leg! Because of the necessary speed, she hadn't made a clear shot and the leg was intact, but a decent chunk of flesh was missing.

Satisfied with her work, Joe Lin spun around quickly and grabbed the limp figure she'd come to retrieve. "Damn you! Let him go!" Heero yelled, struggling to get to his feet and run after her. However, his leg gave out beneath him and he fell to the bloodstained tile again.

Joe Lin disappeared out the window, an unconscious Duo in her arms.

Part 19: Rescue

They had gone. Joe Lin had betrayed her trust and broken the rules of their agreement. She'd shot Heero and kidnapped Duo. Everything had come crashing down upon them like a slab of iron, crushing and unbelievable. Relena stood, frozen on the spot, as Heero struggled to stand up and follow, only to collapse to the floor again with a choked cry. His blood was oozing from his leg, staining the floor and adding sickening smacking noises as he fell, over and over, his body refusing to cooperate with the commands from his mind. Again and again he tried to get to his feet, to force his wounded leg to work only to fail and collapse once more.

She could see the horror and pain etched on his face. His cold mask had been dropped and there was fear showing on his features, a terror deeply etched into his eyes that spoke more than words could ever say. Heero, for probably the first time in his life, was scared shitless. One could see the suffering, the desperation, within the blue orbs and Relena's heart ached in a way that she could never imagine. Her perfect soldier was sitting before her, broken physically and emotionally.

Finally it penetrated Heero's mind that there was no way he could follow while bleeding to death from a wound in his leg. It was a realization that came crashing down upon him like a tsunami, visible in his face and body. His face became devoid of emotion once more, closed off as though there was nothing left aside from the thin line of his lips and the cold cobalt stones that were his eyes, quite possible the hardest things in the world. He sank to the ground and assessed the damage done to his calf, ignoring Relena completely, ignoring the world completely. After all, as far as Heero was concerned, there was nothing left for him in his life other than himself. Might as well preserve that.

Duo would have wanted him to. But Duo wasn't here. Duo was unconscious, taken by a madwoman who had insured Heero would not be able to follow. Even if he could walk, the Japanese pilot knew he would of bled to death before he could ever catch up to them.

Seeing this sight lifted a veil from Relena's eyes and the impact of her actions hit her at full force, and while she couldn't claim it had the same effect on her as it had on Heero she was certain it was very close. Duo could easily be dead. Heero was as good as dead. And she had helped the entire thing along. It was her fault they were in the situation and even if no one placed the blame on her; which she doubted; Relena knew that she would hold herself responsible forever. She felt tears in her eyes as she watched the fallen teen, who looked so vulnerable now, ripping his tank top and securing it around his leg, sitting within a pool of his own blood that soaked his skin and his clothing even darker than what they were now. He'd been willing to ignore the pain, been willing to possibly end his own life to rescue Duo if only he could get his leg to cooperate with him and allow him to stand. While she had been the cause of all this.

How could she have been so blind to that devotion? How could it have been, Relena wondered to herself with disgust at her actions, that she hadn't been able to look past the surface relationship to the love they had underneath? She'd focused so much on thinking that Duo had manipulated Heero that she hadn't stopped to consider that Heero might actually have feelings beyond lust for Duo. So many people feared gays and she had been no different in the prejudice. What had made it even worse was the fact of her own feelings. It didn't seem comprehensible to her that Heero would love Duo, although it was so obvious to her now. As she watched him, she felt a sorrow in her heart not to have realized the purity of their love for each other sooner. Something she should not have tried to destroy no matter how jealous she was of them.

She came forward silently, tearing a few pieces of fabric from the bottom of her new skirt. It had cost her a lot of money and she'd bought it to show off to Heero, but now it was worthless. And Relena had made it that way, tearing at it so that she could help Heero bandage his leg.

He looked up at her with hatred in his eyes. "You knew what she was planning all along," he accused, his tone filled with venom.

She looked away, knowing that she could not deny it. Then she looked back at him with clear blue eyes, understanding and determination there. "Don't start arguing with me. We have to get you bandaged up as quickly as possible so that we can go looking for him," she declared.

Heero stared at her in surprise for a few moments, then nodded and silently went back to tying the cloth around his calf. They had barely finished when Wufei ran into the room, looking slightly out of breath and his black eyes filled with worry. He took one swift look at the situation and gave a small curse. Quatre and Trowa followed closely behind, both still dressed in their swimming trunks. Trowa's one visible eye widened when he looked around, while Quatre gave a small, distraught cry.

"I was hoping to beat her here, but I couldn't find you," Wufei said, looking around once more before walking to Heero's side.

Heero stood slowly, leaning against the table for support. Relena stared at Wufei, not understanding what he meant. "We've got to find him," the wounded blue-eyed boy stated.

Wufei nodded once. "I know where she has taken him. I was trying to get back here to warn you, but she knew the woods better than I and had come very well prepared. I can lead you back to her camp. But we had better move quickly," he stated.

Nodding, Heero took a step forward unsteadily. His leg trembled below him, pain shooting up from it. However, now that it was supported and bandaged, he could use it to walk. The pain was nothing; it was worth it if he could find Duo before she did anything to him and he would do anything to save his Shinigami. If the leg had been blown straight off of his body, he would still suffer the pain and follow if it was manageable.

"Trowa, you come with me. I can show you the way to her camp. It is small, but there. Quatre, you look after Heero," Wufei ordered.

Relena was about to ask what she could do, but was interrupted by the Wing pilot beside her. "I'm going after him. There is no way I'm going to just sit here while Duo's in trouble," he stated quietly, but with enough force that he didn't nee to lift his voice. His face was deadly serious and even Wufei would not try to argue with that tone. He knew it would slow them down, but it would drive him insane if he simply sat there while his friends fought for the life of his beloved.

So it was decided without question. Relena would stay behind and prepare a room for Heero and Duo to recover in, since they all had the feeling that Duo would be more than just slightly injured by the time they found him. Quatre and Wufei would walk ahead and mar the trail, while Trowa would carry Heero. He was the strongest of them, after all, and Wufei had to lead the way.

With the directions given to by the Chinese pilot, the four pilots followed him relatively easily. Heero was so slim that it was easy for Trowa to carry him, and they did not have long to go before they reached Joe Lin's hidden camp in the trees. Moving silently, they all took in the arrangement of the hideout. Joe Lin was quickly taking it down, having known full well that someone would go out looking for her eventually. Duo was lying unconscious on the ground beside the half-suspended tent which the female was taking down. That was the last of the things that needed to be done, so they didn't have much time. Heero greedily took in his lover's form. Besides the bandages wrapped around his head -could it really have been only a few days ago?- he appeared perfectly fine.

They could have attacked her right away. They could just pick her off from where they were hiding and take care of things like that. Heero was tempted to reach for his gun and simply shoot her but knew that he couldn't no matter how much he wanted to. They had to make sure Duo had been given the antidote before they took care of her. He'd told the others exactly what had happened on the way, and they knew this as well, and everyone was tense with worry. She was so much on guard that a frontal assault without a death casualty would be nearly impossible.

Finally, fate decided to help them. Joe Lin was moving so quickly that one of the tent pins fell to the ground, becoming hidden within the healthy green grass. She swore lightly then bent over to retrieve it.

They were on her within seconds. Quatre had run to Duo's side, pulling him to a sitting position and checking all of his vital signs just in case. Trowa slammed himself into Joe Lin, sending them crashing to the ground. He'd rolled away just as Wufei grabbed her from behind, twisting her arms behind her while Trowa grabbed her legs and Heero pointed his gun directly in her face, his expression showing her fully that he would fire it if she so much as twitched in the wrong way.

She glared at him with just as much hatred, ignoring the others. "So you did come after him. You are an idiot, Yuy! Black Fire is mine! My friends will be here within seconds and they will help me. I was willing to let you live, but now you will die," she said.

"I don't give a shit about your friends. Give me the antidote to the poison you gave Duo," he said coldly. He knew he had the support of the other pilots when none of them moved from their positions, glaring at the girl who had caused them so much trouble.

At that moment, Duo groaned loudly, stirring in Quatre's arms. Heero's eyes went wide and he spun around to face his beloved, Joe Lin reacting instantly. She tried to attack, but was firmly held in place by the other two pilots hanging onto her arms and legs. She cursed them loudly, then falling silent when Duo opened his eyes slowly, Heero's name on his lips.

The spoken of boy turned and, after handing his gun to Trowa, ran to his lover's side as quickly as he could. "Duo?" he breathed, confused, as those indigo eyes fell on him. Quatre handed him over with a smile and Heero crushed Duo into his arms, the latter not complaining at all as he weakly smiled. It felt so wonderful to have Heero's arms around him. He was safe now, safe within the arms of the war-torn adolescent who had sworn to protect him always.

Trowa stared at Joe Lin's face with hard eyes, seeing the jealousy and anger there. "It wasn't poison, was it? Just a simple drug," he stated. She turned to him with wide eyes, proof enough that he was correct. She'd been too afraid to use a real poison upon Duo and had simply lied to Heero, knowing that the Japanese boy would not take a chance that she was wrong if Duo's life was in the balance. Instead of replying, she spat on the ground.

The drug was still circulating through Duo's system, he could not find enough willpower to lift himself. His eyes took in Heero's form, gasping when he saw the blood-stained cloth on his lover's leg. However, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he gazed up at Heero with a loving expression in his eyes. "Thank you for coming after me, itooshi," he breathed.

Heero nodded and hugged him gently. "Duo, I lo-"

A shot suddenly rang through the air, bouncing off the trees and echoing in the small clearing with sharp ferocity. Duo's swear echoed along with it. Finally! He'd about to say it, when some asshole had to go and interrupt him! The braided pilot silently fumed as Heero laid him on the ground and turned to face the person who had fired the shot.

A young boy came out of the trees, only a few feet in front of Heero and pointing the weapon at him. His hands were shaking and there was fear in his eyes as he gazed at the Gundam pilots. Quite obviously, he knew about the damage they had done to others and knew he was probably outnumbered, but he held the gun steady all the same. "Leave her alone!" he called out in a trembling voice.

Wufei snorted and did not move, Trowa remaining silent but staying where he was all the same. Quatre stood and took a few paces forward, a concerned expression on his face. Heero stared coldly at him. The youth looked from one face to another, then closed his eyes. "I said leave her alone!" he screamed again.

"Mykil?" Duo suddenly said softly from where he was lying on the ground. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The younger boy had changed a lot from what he'd used to look like, but that undeniable devotion to Joe Lin was still there.

The newly identified youth's eyes went wide and the gun was suddenly lowered. "No way! Duo? How the hell?" he stammered, instantly recognizing his old gang leader. This threw the other pilots off for a few moments, being unable to comprehend the fact that Duo actually knew this person as well.

It happened within seconds, or so it seemed. Joe Lin moved with lightning speed, slamming her foot into Trowa's arm. At the same time, she pushed herself off the ground with the other foot and slammed into Wufei so hard he went skidding across the ground. She jumped to her feet and caught the gun from where it was in the air, pointing it directly at Heero.

"Duo Maxwell is mine!" she declared.

Before she could get the shot off, Trowa recovered and whipped out his leg, tripping the girl. The gun flew off somewhere into the trees and the two pilots quickly resumed their hold on her. Unarmed, Heero ran forward and grabbed the weapon from the stunned youth in front of him, turning around. He fired only one shot, aimed directly at Joe Lin's head.

The bullet never reached its mark and the clearing was completely silent, aside from the echoing blast bouncing from tree to tree with suffocating clarity.

Joe Lin's eyes went impossibly huge as the echoes of the gunshot vibrated against her ears. Her breath caught in her throat as crimson came flying from the body in front of her and slapped against her forehead and nose, forced by the strength of the bullet that had gone straight through the body of her protector. She couldn't keep her eyes from watching as Mykil fell limply to the grass in front of her. Too astonished to stop her movements, Wufei and Trowa let her go as she crawled towards the younger boy who was lying on the ground in his own blood.

"Mykil?" she gasped in a tortured voice that cracked with even such a simple word. Tears came to her eyes despite all attempts she made to keep them back.

The young boy on the ground coughed with a painful sound, blooding coming from his mouth and falling down his chin. Joe Lin's eyes were pulled to it like a magnet and she felt sick to her stomach. Her friend, her only friend... Not even Duo would have done this for her. No one would have. No one should have!

"Don't worry, Joe Lin," Mykil whispered, choking on his own blood as he tired to smile. "I love you. I always have. I hope you can be happy now. I know you never were, no matter how much I tried to make you happy. Please-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as his eyes suddenly closed softly and he gave a loud hacking cough before his body went limp in her arms.

"No..." Joe Lin gasped, shaking her head. Memories assaulted her mind. Images of Mykil played before her eyes, images of him smilinglaughingplayingfightingprotectingher... Images of Mykil smiling. And now he...

Quatre gave a startled gasp, quickly moving to the boy's side and looking at the wound when he saw Mykil go limp. Joe Lin held him against her, refusing to hand him over to the blond, tears streaming down her cheeks as she whispered his name over and over like a mantra. Her hands were staining with crimson to match the pattern across her face but she didn't notice it as she clutched him close.

Her eyes moved up to Heero, who was staring down at her. But she felt nothing. No anger or upset toward him. Something told her that she should fight him, make him pay for what he had done to Mykil. But he had been protecting his loved one, just as she should have. Just a deep aching longing for Mykil to be all right, for everything to be all right.

Unable to understand what had happened, but realizing that Joe Lin's threat had vanished, Heero moved to Duo's side. The boy had a saddened look in his large eyes as he looked over at the pair a few feet away. "She's finally figured it out," he said with a bitter tone as Joe Lin began to beg the gods for Mykil not to die. "He's been in love with her for so long. He would gladly give his life up for her. But she was so obsessed with me that she couldn't see the love that was right in front of her face."

Heero took Duo's hands into his own. "This is probably a bad time. But I want to say it before there are anymore interruptions. I love you, Duo."

Duo smiled. "I know you do. I'm just glad to hear it," he whispered.

They brought Mykil back to Relena's mansion. She had called a doctor in order to look after Heero's leg wound, but they'd decided the other youth was far too injured for it to wait. He was taken to a city that was not far away, and Joe Lin went with him. She had apologized to Duo and Heero, knowing it would never be enough after what she had done, but had been too scared for Mykil to stay and make up for it. Duo had fully explained the situation, telling her that Mykil had fallen in love with her and how they had grown a strong bond that Joe Lin had not seemed to notice until she'd thought it was too late. He couldn't hate the girl for her misplaced devotion, and hoped that, when Mykil recovered, they would find their happiness together.

The pilots had decided to wait for Heero's leg to heal a little before leaving their present hideout with Relena. The blond haired girl, in the few days after the incident, had gone to great pains to make up for her own mistakes. She had told the two of them, quite honestly, that it might take her a while to get used to their relationship but that she was willing to try. Having seen the amount of pain and hurt, but undeniable love that had been revealed over the last few days had finally taken a toll on her heart and, when it had been time for the pilots to leave, she had given Heero a hug and Duo a kiss, and told them good luck.

"Our identifications are still a big thing in the newspapers, and people have been searching far and wide for us all. There will be very few places we can go to where we won't be seen," Quatre commented in a worried tone as they planned where to go next.

Wufei nodded slowly, his dark eyes thoughtful. "We cannot impose on Relena any longer," he stated, knowing full well that she was probably the only person they knew who had any form of private housing that would not be continually searched.

Duo suddenly grinned. "Looks like we'll have to resort to one of my plans," he said.

"Hn," Heero commented.

"Why yours?" Wufei questioned.

Winking, Duo casually slung an arm around Heero's shoulders. "Well, we have to have some place to stay. And I happen to know of a place where all of us will be able to hang out, completely unnoticed, for as long as we need," he stated.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Trowa commented.

Duo stuck out his tongue, smiling happily. "My old gang on L2!"