Impossible

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

Rambled Off by The Manwell

Book Three: PARTNERS

Heero Yuy

I've never met anyone as charismatic as Duo Maxwell. That is an unavoidable fact. He is a master manipulator of not only his own behavior but of others' as well. It's only his temper that gets him into trouble on occasion... and those occasions tend to be rare.

So when he'd started with the jokes and the half-hugs and hair-ruffling, I'd let myself be carried away by it. I'd wanted a diversion from the whole damnable mess and Duo had offered me one.

And a damned enjoyable diversion at that.

I sigh soundlessly and sink even further back against his side. I can feel his arm resting across my shoulders and his hand moving over my upper arm in a light massage. His other hand moves against the inside of my wrist which is resting on my thigh. I am bracketed by his arms and, thus, his warmth. I feel centered and safe.

"There now,' he whispers, pressing his cheek against my hair. I turn toward his neck and feel a smile pushing at my lips. "I've got your back, Heero. You're my partner and I always look after my partner."

I lean even closer, warming at the assurance. I don't think too much about how much these words mean to me. I don't think about much at all. I trust him so I simply let him take care of me. My comfort is so complete that I don't even wonder at my uncharacteristic dependence on him. In this moment, everything simply makes sense.

"So, it's your turn to talk to me, Heero."

"Hm?" I ask, vaguely wondering what he wants me to tell him.

"Well, how many stories have I told you tonight?"

I grin. Lots. I hadn't known he'd had such an amazing repertoire of anecdotes. "Don't know any good stories," I mumble into his neck.

"Well... then tell me about Rupert Takahashi's latest adventure."

And I do. I hear his questions but I don't really concentrate on them. As soon as they're asked, I answer then forget about them. I don't know how long I talk to him and I don't really care. Sometime during my mutterings and his softly-asked questions, I find myself being maneuvered away from the back of the couch and Duo begins to rub my back in soothing, rhythmic sweeps of his palm. I don't really feel it in my skin, but I can sense the pressure against my muscles. In response, I rub my thumb back and forth over his hand. When I'd grasped it in my fingers I don't clearly recall, but I'm pleased to have it in my possession.

I'm not sure when I fall asleep but I know I must have. Because when I blink open my eyes, I'm sprawled on top of Duo and both of us are still on his lumpy, ugly couch. But this time, he's asleep.

At first I think he must be faking his slumber because his arms are still snug around me. Disbelieving, I wait for a good solid fifteen minutes but his breathing never changes. That is, until his eyes start to shift beneath the pale lids. His lips part on a sigh and he pulls me closer. A slight smile touches his mouth and I'm glad I've at least given him a pleasant dream in payment for all he's done for me today. And then I realize that Duo has done far more for me that I'd thought.

He'd interrogated me.

Bloody. Fucking. Hell.

I almost laugh.

Here I'd been worried he'd try to force the information out of me and I would stop trusting him or clam up on him or go into some training-induced defense maneuver and hurt him. But none of that had happened because Duo hadn't had to force me to talk about anything. He'd gotten me to relax in his presence and had asked me to talk to him.

I can vaguely recall his questions; they'd all related to my last assignment in some way, shape, or form. But never once did I come out of the warm lethargy I'd been under.

Those few, niggling doubts I'd entertained regarding Duo's ability to extract information now crumble to dust, completely obliterated.

And I feel a line of heat sizzle alarmingly through my body as I consider how efficient he had been. How easily I had allowed myself to be lead through his questions. How frightening this would be if I hadn't already trusted him with total abandon.

It's not a little scary to realize I'd allowed myself to be manipulated.

And it's not a little disconcerting to realize Duo has that kind of power over me.

I watch him dream in silence for a moment more, wondering what I'd said, wondering if he'd managed to isolate the moment of memory contamination. I almost want to wake him up and quiz him about it... but I know I can't. I've entrusted my mind to him and until Duo decides he's collected all the information there is to be gotten from me, I can't interfere.

So I lay my cheek back down against his chest and close my eyes.