When A Weed Becomes A Rose

Chapter Four:

Duo stood off to the side, his eyes wide as he got Heero a glass of orange juice and slowly made his way back into the bedroom. Heero's Prussian blue's were taking in everything in the living room, his eyes serious. He didn't like the fact he was traped, Duo could tell. It was also obvious that Heero hadn't enjoyed the fact that he had been caught so easily in the first place. Wufei had done pretty good for someone who hadn't been a stealth expert. Even Trowa had done his job by bringing him here.

He hadn't wanted to bring Heero here against his will, but there would have been no other way to get the stoic man here. He seemed to always avoid moments of being entirely alone with him and Duo just couldn't seem to understand why that was. It wasn't as if Duo purposely messed with his head, he simply couldn't help but seem to get into the Japanese former pilot's head when they talked. After all, Heero had a lot of trouble accepting anything that had to deal with emotions.

"Here," he whispered as he walked toward the bed and handed the glass to Heero. Heero took it with a nod and gave Duo a small half smile.

"Thank you," the blue eyed man said as he took the glass and sipped it. "How did you know I'd need it?" he asked. Duo smirked and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was brought in under the same drug you were. It left me with some serious cotton mouth," Duo told him, his violet eyes seemingly bright even in the terrible situation. Heero couldn't help but smile at Duo's attitude. Even when they had been locked up during the wars, Duo had never lost his positive attitude. It was something he couldn never understand about the former pilot of Deathscythe.

"Hn," was all Heero had to say to that. He allowed his gaze to roam over Duo's relaxed form. Tight jeans that were fashionably cut at his knees and slightly below his ass seemed to mold to his body. His shirt was black with yellow lettering on it. He had seen it before but had never really taken the time to actually read it. Right now, Heero had nothing but time. 'As you are standing here talking to me I want you to understand that I will be making fun of you as soon as you leave.' He raised an eyebrow and looked at Duo over that. Duo caught the looked and glanced at his shirt.

"Oh, this?" he asked. Heero simply nodded. Duo flushed slightly. "I got it when I was sent to that old shopping center back when Relena was trying to get me away from you." His bright eyes dimmed a little and he couldn't help but look away.

"Hn," was all Heero answered once more. Duo looked down at his feet at that.

"She really doesn't like me. . .even though no one would really ever notice that. She's perfectly polite to me when she's around others. But when we're alone, she lets me know exactly what she thinks about me. She even told me the day after you moved out, while I was in the process of asking Une for time off, that if she ever caught me hanging around you once you two were married, she'd have me neutered." Duo shivered at the memory. "Stupid Pink onna doesn't realize I wouldn't need that part of me anyway," he mumbled.

Heero looked at Duo in shock. Not just from his words about Relena, but his last words as well. Why wouldn't Duo need that organ?

'Are you really going to tell yourself you don't know?' inner Heero's voice spoke up. Heero grimaced and looked away, admitting it was a point he was beginning to really understand more than he wanted to admit.

"She. . .she really threatened to neuter you for seeing me?" he asked, taking the easier road. Duo couldn't help but smirk at that, his head nodding in answer. His braid fell over his shoulder then. "I didn't know she felt that threatened," he said after a while. Duo snorted at that.

"That woman would feel threatened if a paper bag so much as crossed your path. I'm gonna hate to see it after you marry her and you turn all your attention onto that laptop of yours." Heero found himself grinning back at that comment. Duo did have a point. They weren't even married yet, but Relena was already getting jealous of how much time he devoted to work. It was almost more than Heero was able to handle.

"I would almost agree with you," Heero said softly, looking away from Duo finally. Duo shrugged and looked away from Heero as well.

"At least we can agree on something about her," Duo said as he walked over to the side of the bed and took a seat. One free hand held part of his braid while he let the tip play over his lips. Heero found himself rivited toward that sight. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Heero felt a part of his body respond to such an action and his eyes widened slightly. He couldn't believe this was happening. Especially when he was going to be getting married. This kind of reaction should be toward the woman he was going to marry, not the man he had seen as a best friend and partner for more years than he had ever hoped to have.

"Hn," Heero muttered in reply, trying not to show his sudden change. Duo sighed and looked away.

"I'm. . .I'm going to miss you when you marry her," Duo said in a quiet tone. Heero didn't look at him, suddenly realizing why Duo had began playing with his braid. It was a defense for him. Whenever he felt unsure or nervous he would take it into his hands. It was his security blanket, in a way.

"Baka," Heero replied. "Why would you miss me? I'm still going to be your friend." Duo frowned and shook his head.

"It's not the same. I miss hearing you typing away while I'm reading some story you've chosen for the night. I miss hearing you call me a baka when I go off on a rant and can't stop. . .I. . .I miss having you just a room away, whenever I need someone." His last words were so low, Heero had almost thought he hadn't heard them. Duo missed the same things he, himself, had been missing.

'Don't you think that's pretty telling?' his inner voice shot at him. Heero frowned. What was with his logical thinking mind these days? Ever since he had left Duo, his mind had been almost mocking him.

"I. . .I miss it as well," Heero found himself admitting, unable to hold back what he was feeling from himself as well as Duo. Duo blinked in surprise.

"Re. . .really?" the braided man asked, blinking in surprise. Heero smiled at the uncertainty and surprise in Duo's voice. He hadn't expected to hear something so unsure from the man.

"Yeah," he said softly. Duo smiled softly and leaned in close, his head coming to rest on Heero's shoulder. Heero blinked and simply allowed Duo to remain where he was, almost glad of having the chestnut head on his shoulder. He had truly missed Duo, in more ways than he could understand.

Duo swallowed as he rested again Heero, his violet eyes closed as he spoke once more, his voice really quiet and low. Yet being so close to Heero, the Japanese young man could hear it clearly. His violet eyes opened, looking right at his own braid as he talked.

"Heero. . .I know why you think it is right to marry Relena, but it's wrong. You should never marry for anything less than love." Heero closed his own eyes and tipped his head back. When he opened them again, he was staring at the ceiling.

"What if I never learn love? Should I remain alone forever?" he asked softly, lowering his face to look directly at Duo. Duo's violet eyes showed understanding, but they were also darkened by an emotion that Heero could not define.

"Well, I love you, Heero. Even if you can't accept it," he whispered. He caught the smirk on Heero's lips and smiled, gently reaching over to caress the smirk. Heero flinched back automatically, as if he was unused to a caress of any kind. Duo slowly lowered his hand.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, gently touching the spot Duo's fingers had just vacated. Duo flushed softly and smiled as he finished dropping his hand.

"Sorry. It was more reflex." He then lowered his violet gaze as he whipered almost too softly; "Not to mention I wanted to."

"It. . .it. . .felt. . .kind of. . .nice," Heero said after a moment. Duo smiled at that.

"That's how it's supposed to be when you like someone. It should feel nice to be around them. Nice to touch them. Nice to do a lot of silly things with. And most of all, just nice to talk to," Duo replied. sitting up and turning to look at Heero.

"You're nice to talk to," Heero pointed out, more to himself than to Duo. It was almost like trying to put together the peices of a puzzle without a starting picture.

"I'm glad I'm nice to talk to, even if I do talk too much." Heero gave him a tiny smile at that.

"You're nice to listen to as well," he pointed out, really addicted to Duo's clear voice, which was so fully of live and everything he felt. Duo laughed softly.

"I find it much more pleasent to listen to you, even though you don't often talk much. Kind of like Tro-man, without the massive silences."

"Am I nice to look as too?" Heero asked, seriously wondering now. "You seem to be in the habit of stalking me, so I can only assume as much." Duo turned bright red and looked away.

"Well, yeah, you're nice to look at." He ducked his face so Heero couldn't see it. "I'll stop looking if you like. . .And I was never stalking," he grumbled.

"Let me guess. . .I was under protective surveilance then?" Duo smiled then, looking back up at Heero.

"No. . .I just liked looking, when I was close enough to be able to," he admitted. Heero glanced over Duo and nodded to himself. Duo wasn't too bad to look at either, even if he wouldn't want to admit it out loud.

"I don't mind you watching my back. It's good training for missions." Duo smirked at that. So Heero had caught him watching his ass more times than he would enjoy to admit. Yet, he supposed it was bound to come out eventually.

"I'll always watch you back, Hee-chan," the braided American said and meant every word.

Heero began to feel uncomfortable, so he looked away as he spoke next, changing the subject. "So. . .what's the real reason you hate Relena?" Duo grimaced.

"I really don't want to go there right now. I would hate to have a rant fest at the moment," he said, looking away. Heero smirked for a second, before his expression became serious.

"Why do you even bother with me, Duo?" he asked. Duo couldn't help but smile in return.

"Because you're my friend. . .and friends don't give up on one another. Also," he blushed and looked away, "because I love you."

"But how can you? You don't know me!" Heero suddenly exclaimed. "I don't even know me!" Duo sighed and placed a hand on Heero's shoulder, glad he didn't flinch at the light touch.

"Hee-chan, what is there not to know? You are you. You live for logic. You don't understand emotions. But deep inside, you want to be loved, even though you've never felt it. You fear you can never be capable of loving someone and I know that as long as you can do something nice for someone, there is hope."

Heero watched Duo, taking pleasure in the way his eyes lit up as he spoke so passionantely. "Would you rather be my pet?" he asked, half joking. Duo shook his head.

"While I'd be with you a lot then, I wouldn't be able to BE with you." Heero raised one chocolate eyebrow at that.

"That was redundant," he replied.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Duo answered, covering his face for a moment. Heero sighed and looked away.

"My marrying Relena. . .it isn't because I love her, it's because it would be a safe place to be," Heero replied. Duo blinked.

'Now that baka has me really thinking about it,' Heero's mental voice added, in which Heero nodded in answer. It was true. He was really thinking this over now. He didn't want to do it for safety.

"But. . .but then I'd be sad," Duo whispered, a frown crossing his delicate features.

"Well, what if I bring you with me? You won't have to be alone then," Heero mentioned, having honestly thought of that quite a few times. Duo gave him a look that asked if he was crazy. In Heero's frame of mind, he just could be.

"But I don't like RELENA," Duo hissed. Heero sighed and rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this.

"Are you going to tell me the same thing she did?" he asked, his voice cool once more. Duo froze and looked at him. It was hard to gage what that baka onna could have said to him.

"What did she tell you?" he asked, heading straight to the hear of the matter. Heero looked away.

"'You man not love me now, but you will learn to love me later,'" he replied, no emotion in his voice. Duo watched his Prefect Soldier for a long moment before shaking his head, braid swinging with the action.

"Nope. I'm not." Heero was startled at that and he turned to look at Duo, who was looking back at him with serious violet orbs.

"No?" Heero couldn't help but question.

"If you love me, you'll love me. If you don't, then at least I'll be able to spend time with you, as a friend. Plus, I'll be able to love you, even if you don't love me back. Yet, if you're with Relena, she won't let me do it. She won't let me be anything to you." Heero looked away, slightly scared of the intensity in Duo's gaze.

"You're my best friend. My only friend. I would never forget that." Duo nodded.

"I know that, but Relena hates me, so she wouldn't want me near you. Not even as a friend." Heero glared slightly at that. Why would he marry someone who wouldn't even allow him to have his own friends. It. . .it was unsettling. Yet something else bothered Heero.

"Would you let me be near her?" he asked, wanting to know Duo's take on this. Duo seemed thoughtful and it was the third time Heero had realized that Duo was actually taking this whole thing seriously.

"If you came to love her, yeah. I wouldn't stop you. Hell, even if she was just a friend, I wouldn't stop ya. People are allowed to become friends with whomever they choose. No one but them should be allowed to choose who they care for." Heero listened to those words and felt his heart skip a beat. Duo was so much different from Relena. He said he loved him, but he didn't cling to him. He let him make his own decisions, good and bad. It was hard to understand what made Duo tick when you always learned something new about him.

"Well, she is just a friend. . .I think," Heero added, uncertain of a lot of things. Duo laughed softly, scuffing his foot on the floor where he sat.

"Well, you were always saving her. So I would assume she's something to ya," he answered, gaining a smile out of Heero as well.

"But I didn't shoot you, and that went against orders. That proves that you're my best friend." Duo laughed once more, looking away.

"That just proves you couldn't resist me," he replied teasingly. Heero looked at Duo. The man was partly right. Hearing him say that he always knew he'd be the one to kill him was really surprising. Not to mention that recalling all he had already done for him, he just hadn't been able to kill the braided idiot.

"Baka," Heero whispered. Duo smiled.

"Yeah, but I'm your baka," he replied. Heero stared at him, something nagging at the back of his mind.

"Duo?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you some sort of masochist?" Heero asked. Duo blinked.

"Why do you ask that?" he questioned back.

"Because I know I've treated you badly in the past, but you still insist on 'loving' me," he whispered, surprised as all hell he said it to begin with.

"Hey, that's how love is, Heero. You don't stop loving them just because they don't love you or treat you mean. You love them unconditionally." Heero felt his Prussian blues widen as he turned his attention fully on Duo. He felt confused and he was certain it showed.

"Oh. . ." he whispered.

"What's the matter?" Duo asked, a soft smile on his lips.

"I'm trying to imagine what that's like," he answered. Duo smiled.

"You mean being loved unconditionally?" Duo asked. Heero nodded. "Well, if you felt lost every time you were apart from me. Or your heart skipped a beat because that person was near you. Or if there was just something about the one you're with that made you feel more alive than you ever have before, then you'd respond by saying 'I love you too'. If you don't feel that way, then you simply say 'thank you for loving me' and leave it at that." Heero was surprised. Duo knew exactly what he had been asking without actually having asked anything of him.

"Then for now, I say, Thank you for loving me," Heero whispered, even though he was certain he felt more than one of the things Duo had mentioned to label love. Yet. . .there was a lot he had to take care of before he could attempt something like that. As Heero turned his blue eyes up to meet Duo's face, he was certian he'd see pain blazing in those expression violet eyes. Yet he was startled to see what was there.

A dazzeling smile rested on Duo's lips while he looked back at Heero, his expression so happy it almost took Heero's breath away. Instead of being hurt that Heero didn't love him, Duo was happy. He was happy because Heero hadn't rejected his love. He was thinking on it and accepting it and that was all that was right in his life for the moment.

"You're very welcome, Hee-chan," he answered. Heero leaned foreward and gave Duo an awkward hug, feeling it was the appropriate thing for the moment. Duo hugged him back happily. "So. . .still going to marry for safety rather than love?" Duo asked, worry in his tone. Heero thought it over and in reply shook his head.

"No, I'm not. I want to find love Duo. Please help me. I want to understand more about what you're feeling." Duo smiled a genuine smile and nodded.

"Of course, I'll help. What are friends for?" he asked. That said, he pulled the key from his braid. "Now what say we get out of here?" he asked. Heero raised an eyebrow.

"You sneak. You were just waiting for the right time, weren't you." Duo flushed.

"Of course. No good being locked up when there isn't anything to come of it." Heero laughed and shook his head.

"What am I going to do with you?" Duo simply shrugged and headed toward the front door, Heero right behind him.

"Whatever you want, Hee-chan. Whatever you want." That said, he unlocked the door and together they left the house behind.