Disclaimer: I lay claim only to my family, cat, house and car

Blind

Chapter 14

Heero lay in his bed, unable to sleep, his stomach tied in knots, his mind refusing to shut down. For the past three days he'd been quiet and edgy, his patience having grown thin very quickly at having to wait to see if the surgery was successful. He felt bad pulling away from Wufei, but the other man seemed to understand and just let Heero do as he would.

Tomorrow. I'll know tomorrow. No. I'll be able to see tomorrow. But…then what? Things go back to normal? He'll leave of course; he has his own life to get back to. But….I want him to stay. I know this now. It's not just a crush.

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Wufei sat on the edge of his bed and stared down at the suitcase. He'd pulled it from the closet about an hour ago and after filling it about halfway, he'd felt a sudden pang and sat down on the bed.

Tomorrow. This madness will all be over tomorrow. I know Heero will get his sight back. That's why I'm packing tonight. I can get out of his hair as soon as possible. I'm sure he wants to get back to his life and his privacy. And…I do too. It's just that…

Wufei stood up with a sigh and continued to pack his belongings, his limbs feeling heavy.

…..it was nice having someone around.

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Once again Heero and Wufei found themselves seeking comfort and grounding in the other's grasp, both with their own reason, as they made their way from the car, across the hospital parking lot and into the building.

When the nurse told them the doctor was ready to see Heero, the mutual grip tightened as they followed her into the very familiar examination room. Wufei guided Heero to the table and went to let go of his hand but Heero refused.

"Stay with me."

"I always do. I'll be over in the corner."

"No. Stay with me."

Wufei was surprised that Heero's quiet voice could sound so demanding at the same time. Heero slipped up onto the table and there they waited for the doctor, hands still clasped together.

"Hello, gentlemen. Are we ready for the big unveiling?"

The doctor smiled and approached the two, nodding to Wufei as he stepped up to examine Heero. As he reached up with a pair of scissors he stopped and turned towards Wufei.

"Mr. Chang? Is there something you need?"

"Me." Heero couldn't see Wufei's cheeks instantly become rosy but his own were a mirror image. "I want him……here."

The doctor seemed confused but since he noticed Wufei also looked confused as he gazed at his friend sitting on the table, he decided it was best not to say anything. For a few tense moments the doctor worked to carefully remove Heero's bandages, constantly reminding Heero to keep his eyes closed.

"Ok, Mr. Yuy. You may open your eyes. Very slowly."

"Wufei?"

"Yes?"

Heero turned towards the sound of the voice, wanting the first thing he saw to be Wufei's face. He did as the doctor advised and opened his eyes slowly despite the intense urge to just open them wide and take in the world again. He was surprised how unnatural it felt to blink his eyes and bring the world into focus, but focus he did and he saw exactly what he wanted to see. There was Wufei gazing at him expectantly, fearfully. Heero drank in the sight of the shiny ebony hair that was pulled back in the typical low ponytail and the honey colored skin and the glittering, depthless onyx eyes. How did I never notice this before? He reached out and let his fingertips lightly brush over Wufei's burning cheek but it was immediately pressed against Wufei's cheek by Wufei's own hand. He now looked panicked and his grip on Heero's hand increased tenfold.

"Heero? C-can you see me? Please tell me--"

"I can see you."

"Thank the gods."

Wufei let the tension leave his body and he suddenly felt very tired. He hung his head and gently pulled away from Heero and sat down in a nearby chair, suddenly unable to support himself.

Heero frowned and started to get up from the table but the doctor put a restraining hand on his chest.

"Not so fast, Mr. Yuy. You can't leave until I've done an examination."

Heero sighed and sat there and did as the doctor asked, all the while stealing glances over to Wufei who finally lifted his head and offered a small smile. Heero returned the smile and marveled at how easily Wufei's cheeks became rosy. He feels it too, I know he does.

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"Alright, Mr. Yuy, everything looks perfect. Now just make sure to follow these instructions and you shouldn't have any trouble. If you do, obviously call my office immediately. I can't stress to you how important it is to treat your eyes gently for the next week or so."

Heero merely nodded and slid off the table as Wufei stood up and thanked the doctor, shaking his hand and taking the offered packet of post-op instructions. As Heero and Wufei made their way out of the examination room, Heero reached out and clasped Wufei's hand within his own. Wufei stopped and looked at Heero, his eyebrows raised considerably.

"What?"

"...we don't need to hold hands anymore."

Heero looked down at their hands hanging between them, fingers entwined and he squeezed a little tighter before looking back up at Wufei, his face an unreadable mask of calm.

"I know."

And with that simple statement, he started walking down the hallway, pulling Wufei with him. Wufei was too stunned to question Heero's actions at first but then decided that he must be doing it "for old time's sake" and so he walked beside Heero, a small smile on his face as he enjoyed the comforting contact. This is the last time and I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible.

When they reached the parking lot, Wufei turned and faced Heero, his smile growing.

"You want to drive?"

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The drive back to Heero's apartment was in silence as Heero drank in everything around him and enjoyed the simple task of driving himself home. The day was partly cloudy and he was glad for it because whenever the sun came out full blast he had to squint a little, even behind his sunglasses. Now he understood about the doctor telling him to treat his eyes delicately. They needed to readjust to working.

He cast a few glances at Wufei during the drive home to see the ebony eyes watching him and it just served to broaden his smile and tie his stomach in knots. Now that I can see again and I'm not a burden, I can tell him how I feel. I don't think I feel this way just because he took care of me. I think being able to spend so much time with him opened my eyes to what I really desired.

To be concluded…..