Hello again I'd like to say thanks again to all those who reviewed - it means the world to me to hear your kind words. I hope you like this part as much as the last. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own GW nor any of the music I will reference in this fic. I do use some dialogue from the series, but all other dialogue is my own and is not to be replicated.
Warnings: This will eventually include violence, bad language, sexual content including yaoi, spoilers, and probably more besides. Please do not read this if you are underage or easily offended.
Question! - Part 4
Do we, do we know
When we fly?
When we, when we go,
Do we die?
- Question! - System of a Down
Heero
Heero awoke slowly, dimly aware of a warm presence in the bed next to him. Blinking, he was confronted with the back of a head covered in chestnut hair. The hair continued down into a braid, and he realized he was holding the end of it with a hand draped over the other figure's side. Disoriented, he thought back to the previous day. Then it hit him... infiltrating the OZ base, freeing Duo from the cell instead of killing him, then stealing the shuttle and coming here to help Duo recover.
He lifted his arm to look at his watch, and saw that it was six in the morning. He'd slept for a good twelve hours. It was just as well; they both needed the rest after what they'd been through, Duo especially. Then he realized it had been as many hours since Duo had had any morphine, and he sat up to see if Duo's face portrayed any signs of pain. Luckily, the boy's face was smooth. He was clearly still deeply asleep.
Careful not to wake the braided boy, Heero got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to do his business. Finished, he went to the kitchen and pulled out a bowl for some milk and cereal. Munching on the cereal, he sat in front of his laptop and opened up. He wasn't surprised to find the message ticker empty once again. With the scientists in captivity, it was unlikely that J would get a message through to him. Resolving to do some more research on the situation later, Heero took a last bite of cereal before closing his laptop and going to the sink to wash his bowl.
Returning to the bedroom, he was alarmed to see Duo's face contorted in pain. The boy's mouth was moving, muttering something Heero couldn't hear. Nightmares. Heero hurried to the bedside and knelt down, gently placing his hand on Duo's shoulder and shaking it.
"Duo? Duo! It's just a dream. Wake up Duo!"
"What?" Duo nearly yelled as he breathed in sharply, his eyes opening wide.
"You were having a nightmare," Heero explained calmly.
Duo looked around frantically, trying to sit up and cringing at the pain. "What happened? Did you get captured too?!"
Heero could hear the panic creeping into the other boy's voice.
"Duo, it's okay," Heero said firmly, trying to break through Duo's panic. "We're on L3. I helped you escape from the OZ base and we came here yesterday."
"Escaped?" Duo said as Heero's words began to sink in.
"Yes, you escaped. We're on L3 so you can recover. You were badly wounded in captivity."
"L3... right..." Duo blinked, looking around the room. "I remember now." He looked up at Heero a little sheepishly. "Sorry about that... the dreams just seem so real..."
"It's okay," Heero replied, glad that Duo was back in the here and now, but wondering what vivid nightmares had been plaguing the boy. "How's the pain? You want some more morphine?" Heero asked, changing the subject.
"Morphine would be great," Duo said gratefully.
Heero quickly grabbed the bottle of pain pills and shook one out for Duo, then handed it to him with the water bottle from the bedside table. Duo took it immediately, then finished off the water in a few gulps.
"Ahh, much better. It'll be back to lala land in a minute," Duo said with a grin.
Heero just shook his head. Lala land was right.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?" he asked.
"Uhh, yah, but it can wait till the morphine kicks in. I don't really want to move right now..."
"That's fine. How about breakfast?"
"Hell yah! What've we got?" Duo replied enthusiastically.
"Just milk and cereal."
"Milk? Now that was even harder to come by than fresh fruit!" Duo replied, grinning at the prospect of such a rare treat.
"Well, we've got plenty. You can have as much as you want," Heero said, getting up to retrieve Duo's breakfast. "You want a glass of it, too?"
"Sure!" If possible, Duo's grin got even wider.
Heero found himself smiling as he poured the milk over the cereal, then into a glass. Duo really was easy to please.
Handing the bowl to Duo once he returned, Heero place the glass of milk on the bedside table, then sat on the edge of the bed while Duo began to inhale his cereal. It was a miracle the boy didn't choke on it, he was eating it so fast.
"Hungry much?" Heero asked.
"Mmhmm," Duo replied around the food in his mouth.
Heero just shook his head again.
Finishing, Duo reached for the glass and gulped down the milk in record time. Setting it down, he let out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Now that was a great meal!" he declared.
Smiling ruefully, Heero refrained from comment. While simple, he supposed it was much better than the usual for Duo growing up.
"You ready for the bathroom?"
"Yah, I guess," Duo said with a sigh. "Actually... I kinda want to take that shower... I haven't bathed since I left earth," he continued, grimacing.
Heero just nodded, getting up to help Duo out of bed. "Do you think you'll need help?"
"Uhh, maybe with my hair... I don't think I can reach around without killing my ribs."
"Sure," Heero replied, pulling Duo's arm over his shoulder and helping the boy stand up. As they walked slowly toward the bathroom, Heero realized he'd be seeing Duo's hair out of its braid for the first time... something he found very intriguing. He could just imagine how it would glisten when it was clean...
"Uhh, I can do this part by myself, Heero."
Heero blinked, realizing they were in front of the toilet.
"Right. Just call when you're ready." Stepping out, Heero waited for a minute before he heard Duo call him back in. Opening the door, he saw Duo sitting on the closed toilet seat, waiting.
"You bought some changes of clothes, right?" Duo asked.
"Of course."
"Right. Okay. Uhh, let's do it, then," Duo said, clearly a little hesitant.
"I'll need to remove your bandages first. You think the morphine is working yet?"
"Yah, I think it's starting too. Can't feel my ankle anymore... that's good, right?"
"Yes, that's good," Heero replied as he bent down to unwind the bandage and remove the splint from Duo's ankle. Finishing, he lifted it up carefully to get a better look at it. The ice pack had helped with the swelling, but it was still heavily bruised.
"It might not hurt right now, but be sure not to put much weight on it when you get in the shower or it will just make it worse," Heero instructed.
"Yes, mother," Duo said with a grimace.
Heero just rolled his eyes, then began removing the bindings from Duo's ribs. That finished, he gently peeled off the bandages from the boy's back, bringing the braid out in front so he could undo it.
"I'll do that," Duo said hastily, and Heero let the braid go. He could sense Duo was uncomfortable letting his hair down, and felt bad at the necessity at the same time that he longed to see the glistening strands falling down Duo's back...
"Heero? Can you help me get out of these pants?"
"What?" Heero asked, startled out of his daydreaming. "Oh, right."
"I think I'll leave the boxers on... you did get more of those, right?"
"Of course," Heero replied as he helped Duo stand, then step over to the bathroom counter. Duo's hair was everywhere, even longer than it was in the braid. Heero resisted the urge to take some in his hand, knowing it would probably make the other boy uncomfortable.
"Lean on the counter for support while I take off your pants," he said instead.
Duo chuckled. "Never thought I'd here you say that..."
Heero rolled his eyes. What did Duo take him for? But then, the thought of Duo without pants on...
Heero firmly stopped his thoughts in their tracks, concentrating on removing said pants without hurting Duo's ankle. But he couldn't help but notice the nicely shaped muscles of Duo's legs...
Putting the pants to the side, Heero helped Duo sit back down, then moved to the tub and turned the hot water on. He needed to concentrate on helping Duo, rather than getting distracted by how his hair... No. He would focus. Otherwise, he'd probably end up causing Duo more harm than good just trying to get him clean.
Holding his hand under the water, he waited for it to heat up. Once it was warm enough, he switched the flow to the shower head.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yessir!" Duo replied enthusiastically.
Heero eyed the other boy for a second. Clearly, the morphine was in full force. Shaking his head, Heero bent down to help Duo stand. Duo looked uncertainly at the lip of the tub, hesitating.
"How am I supposed to get over that without putting weight on my bad ankle?"
Heero thought for a moment. "Here, I'll lift you." Not waiting for a response, he put one arm under Duo's knees and lifted.
"Hey!" Duo protested. "Put me down!"
"Alright," Heero replied, setting Duo's feet gently in the tub. Duo glared at him. "You would have hurt your ankle doing it any other way, Duo," Heero explained.
Duo sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yah, I guess." He looked around, searching. "Where's the soap and shampoo?"
"Oh... they're still in the bedroom. Can you stand while I go get them?"
"Uhh, not sure..." Duo said uncertainly.
"I'll help you sit then," Heero replied, leaning over to support the other boy as he gingerly sat on the edge of the tub. "I'll be right back."
Heero hurried to the bedroom and grabbed the soap and shampoo, then returned to the bathroom. He was almost taken aback by the sight of Duo's hair, having forgotten so quickly that it was out of its braid. As dirty as it was, the length and color was stunning.
"What do you want to do first, body or hair?" Heero asked, returning his mind to the task at hand.
"Body," Duo said. "The hairs gonna take forever, so we might as well save it for last."
"Alright. Let's get you standing again." Heero set the soap and shampoo within Duo's reached, then leaned over to help Duo stand up and back under the spray.
Duo hissed when the hot water hit his back. "Damn cuts... help me turn around?"
Heero nodded and did as requested. "I want to clean them again, just to be sure. You think you can handle that right now?"
"Yah, I guess," Duo sighed as he reached for the soap. "Let me at least clean the rest of me first."
Heero tried just to focus on supporting Duo as the boy lathered up. It wasn't easy. He found his eyes inextricably drawn to the play of water and soap suds over Duo's skin.
"Here's the soap," Duo said, finishing.
"Right," Heero replied, pulling his eyes away and taking the soap from Duo. He had to put it down, though, so he could move Duo's hair out of the way. Parting it and draping it over Duo's shoulders, he found it was as silky as he had imagined. Letting it go reluctantly, he grabbed the soap and began washing the cuts on Duo's back.
"Damn, that hurts..." Duo said, clenching his teeth.
"Sorry." Heero wished he could do this without causing Duo pain. At least the morphine took the edge off.
"Okay, finished. Ready to do your hair?"
"Yah. You're probably gonna have to wash it twice to get out all the grime. I can only imagine how gross it is right now... ugh."
Heero shrugged. If it was this beautiful when filthy, how would it look once it was clean? He wasn't sure he could imagine it.
"Turn me around so I can get it wet?"
"Right."
Hissing as the water hit his back again, Duo leaned back into the spray and closed his eyes, letting the water soak into his long hair.
"Okay, wet and ready!" Duo declared, leaning forward out of the spray.
Heero laughed as he helped Duo turn back around. Loopy Duo sure was entertaining. Reaching for the shampoo, he squirted some into his hand and was about to put it in Duo's hair when the other boy turned to look.
"Silly Heero! That's not nearly enough. You'll need about three times that much if you want my hair even close to clean," Duo said, giggling.
Raising his eyebrow, Heero nonetheless squirted out some more shampoo. He was skeptical, but he guessed Duo would know how much to use on his own hair, even in this crazy state.
Putting the bottle down, he reached up to massage the shampoo into Duo's hair. Working his fingers into the other boy's scalp, he heard a soft sound coming from Duo's lips.
"Mmmm... feels good..."
Heero smiled. With all the pain Duo was experiencing, he was glad to bring the boy some pleasure. He continued massaging Duo's scalp for a while, then began to work the shampoo down the length of his hair. It took quite a while, but Heero was thoroughly enjoying himself. He'd never imagined he'd get to see Duo with his hair down, and to be able to run his hands through it like this was even further beyond his expectations. It was wonderful.
"That's the best I can do, I think," Heero said, finishing reluctantly, then helped Duo turn around to rinse out his hair.
"You'll need to run your hands through it to get all the soap out," Duo instructed. Heero complied happily, massaging the boy's scalp once again under the pretext of rinsing out the shampoo. He was rewarded with another little moan. Intensely pleased with himself, Heero stroked his hands through Duo's hair, making sure every last trace of soap was gone before finishing.
"Anything else?" Heero asked.
"Nah, I think you cleaned my hair pretty well. Won't need a second wash after all," Duo said, clearly impressed.
Heero was at once disappointed that he had to stop and satisfied that he'd done a good job. He reached to turn off the water, then turned back to Duo, intending to pick him up and out of the tub.
"You'll want to squeeze out my hair first," Duo said, delaying him. "Otherwise you'll need ten towels just to dry it," he continued, giggling again.
Heero supposed he was right. Besides, this was another chance to run his hands through those silky locks... he went to with a will, starting at the base of Duo's skull and squeezing out the water all the way down to the tips of his hair.
"Much better," Duo said, grinning.
Heero bent down to get his arm under Duo's legs, then lifted him up and out of the tub, this time without eliciting any complaints. Setting Duo gently down on the floor, he reached behind himself for a towel, which he handed to the other boy.
"I guess you'll still need an extra one for your hair, won't you?"
"In a minute," Duo replied, busy toweling off. Heero reached for another towel, holding it ready for Duo's hair.
"You have those dry boxers on you?" Duo asked.
"I'll go get them." That said, Heero went quickly to the bedroom and pulled the boxers out of one of the bags. Returning, he found Duo with the towel around his waist and the wet boxers on the ground. Duo held out his hand for the dry boxers, then sat down on the toilet when Heero handed them over. Pulling the wet boxers out from underneath him, he started putting the dry ones on under the towel.
"Can you help me back up?" he asked.
Heero complied wordlessly, chastising himself for staring while Duo had been trying to change. The boy had amazing legs, but that was no excuse. No need to make him feel any more uncomfortable than he already did... that is, if Duo even noticed anything under the influence of the morphine.
Standing, Duo pulled the boxers up the rest of the way. "Alright, now the other towel."
Instead of handing it to him, Heero reached up to pat Duo's hair dry himself. Then, parting it in front of the boy's shoulders again, he gently patted Duo's back, trying not to rub the cuts at all. Finished, he dropped the towel to the floor.
"Let's get you back to the bedroom so I can bandage your cuts and bind your ankle and ribs again," Heero said. Duo nodded, then yelped as Heero bent down and scooped him up.
"Hey!" Duo yelled, scandalized once again. "I can walk, you know! I'm not completely incapable!"
"Your ankle isn't wrapped and it's best not to put any more strain on it than necessary. Besides, this is faster," Heero replied smugly as he carried Duo into the bedroom.
"Hmph." Duo crossed his arms, all but sticking out his lip in a pout.
Gently setting Duo on the bed, Heero rifled through a bag of supplies for fresh bandages and antibiotic ointment. Finding them, he once again pulled Duo's hair out of the way, then began applying them. Then, realizing he'd left the ace bandages in the bathroom, he stood up.
"I'll be right back." Returning quickly with the bandages, he knelt back down beside the bed, then looked through the bags for another ice pack. Duo sat patiently, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed, wet hair everywhere. Heero found himself staring again. With only boxers on and his wet hair all over the place, Duo was... beautiful. Shaking his head, Heero placed the splint on Duo's ankle and began wrapping. He needed to stop getting distracted like this. What was wrong with him, anyway?
Heero once again placed the ice pack on the ankle, then finished wrapping it.
"Duo? I need to wrap your ribs again."
"Hmm? Oh." Duo blinked his eyes open, then sat up. It seemed he had dozed off while Heero was wrapping his ankle.
"Umm, this will be easier if my hair is braided first. You didn't happen to pick up a brush or a comb, did you?" he asked hopefully.
"No," Heero said, kicking himself for not thinking of it.
"Well, I'll just have to finger comb it then." Reaching up, he winced. "Or you'll just have to finger comb it, I guess... I can't reach around."
Immediately, Heero was glad he hadn't thought to get a brush. Any excuse to run his hands through that hair was worth it.
"Here, scoot forward on the bed so I can sit behind you," Heero requested. Duo complied, and Heero settled in cross-legged behind the other boy.
"Start at the ends so it doesn't get too tangled," Duo instructed.
Heero nodded and did as Duo told him to. The hair was still quite damp, which helped with the knots a little. He pulled through them gently, luxuriating in the feel of Duo's hair. He found himself smiling, quite content to sit and run his hands through Duo's silken locks. If only it were under better circumstances.
"Alright, that's done," Heero said, finishing reluctantly.
"Do you know how to braid?" Duo asked.
"No... that wasn't exactly part of my training," Heero replied wryly.
"Right. It's easy, don't worry. Just divide it into three sections, take one side and put it in the middle, then alternate sides," Duo explained.
"Okay... three sections," Heero narrated. "One side to the middle... other side to the middle... and alternate. You're right, it is easy."
"Told ya so!" Heero could hear the grin in Duo's voice. Evidently, he wasn't so self conscious about his hair any more, a fact that made Heero's smile widen.
"What do I tie it off with?"
"Here," Duo replied, producing a hair tie from his wrist. Wrapping it around the end, Heero let go of the braid reluctantly.
"Can I see?" Duo asked. Heero handed it over Duo's shoulder. "Not bad for your first time," Duo said, still grinning. Duo turned, looking Heero in the eye, his face more serious. "Thanks. My hair is... important to me. Thanks for the help."
"Your welcome, Duo," Heero said, embarrassed by the other boy's intensity. "Let's get your ribs wrapped up, shall we?" Duo just nodded and turned back around.
When Heero finished wrapping the ace bandage around Duo's chest, he caught the other boy yawning. "Time for a nap?"
"Yah... guess that shower tired me out," Duo said, yawning again.
"You have a lot of healing to do; I'm not surprised. I'm gonna go out to the store again while you sleep, do you think you'll be alright?"
"Yah, I'll be fine," Duo replied, yawning again as he laid down, then pulled the covers up. "Think you could get some conditioner and a brush? It will make taking care of my hair easier."
"Sure," Heero said, though he would rather pass on the brush. Any excuse to run his hands through Duo's hair... "Sleep well, I should be back within an hour." Duo just nodded, closing his eyes with yet another yawn.
Duo was still sound asleep when Heero returned, with no sign of nightmares, much to Heero's relief. He left the new bandages in the bedroom, put the brush and conditioner in the bathroom, then took the groceries to the kitchen. He'd picked up some chicken and vegetables to make a stir fry, and some more fruit since Duo seemed to like it so much. He'd tried to pick out a variety, hoping to find something Duo hadn't had before. He grinned as he thought of what Duo's reaction would be to the choice of eight different fruits for a snack.
Finished putting the food away, Heero sat down at the kitchen table to boot up his laptop. It was time to do some research and find out where the scientists were being held.
An hour later, Heero's face was grim. The situation was not good. It seemed the scientists were being held on OZ's Lunar Base. Further, large shipments of Gundanium alloy were being sent there, in addition to the steel used to construct the regular mobile suits. They must be designing a new Gundam, which meant Heero had to act quickly. He couldn't afford to let the scientists complete a Gundam for OZ... it would tip the balance too much in OZ's favor. In fact, Heero had to act now.
Pursing his lips, Heero stood up and returned to the kitchen. He might as well cook up the stir fry now. He wished he'd bought more food for Duo while he was out, non-perishables that would keep while Duo was unable to get anything for himself. Food that was easy to prepare, like the cereal. He'd need more bandages as well. Would Duo even be able to take care of his back on his own? He'd have to, Heero decided. He couldn't afford to wait.
Finishing the stir fry, Heero divided it into two bowls to cool. Grabbing a water bottle for Duo, he went into the bedroom to check on the other boy.
Duo must have heard the door open, since he opened his eyes and smiled when Heero came in.
"Back already?" Duo asked.
Heero just nodded. "How are you feeling? Do you need more pain medicine yet?"
"Nah, I think I'm good for now. Kinda hungry though..." Duo looked at Heero hopefully.
"Good. I just cooked some stir fry. I'll go get it."
"Stir fry, yum!" Duo replied, obviously not catching on to Heero's mood, for which Heero was grateful. The longer Duo was happy, the better.
"Do you want some fruit with it?" Heero called over his shoulder.
"Hell yah!" Duo replied enthusiastically.
Smiling now, Heero grabbed the stir fry and the bag of fruits he'd gotten. Even his impending departure couldn't take away from this.
Returning to the bedroom, Heero gave the bowl of stir fry to Duo and set the bag of fruit on the beside table.
"Take whatever type of fruit you like," Heero said.
"What did you get?" Duo asked, curious.
"Take a look and see," Heero said, smiling.
Duo set down the bowl and grabbed the bag, then began pulling out pieces of fruit. His eyes got progressively wider each time he pulled another one out.
"How many types did you get?" Duo asked incredulously.
"Just eight. You enjoyed the apple so much, I figured I'd get some more. I didn't know what you like so I got a variety."
"Wow! Apples, a banana, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot... and whats this brown fuzzy thing?" Duo asked, puzzled.
"That's a kiwi. It's green on the inside; you don't eat the brown part." Duo looked at him skeptically. "It's good," Heero insisted. "Try it."
"How?"
"I'll go cut it open for you," Heero offered.
"Thanks," Duo replied, grinning widely again as he looked over his treasures. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this many different types of fruit in one place!" he called after Heero.
Heero's smile widened. The fruit had had the desired effect. He tried not to think about having to go as he cut open the kiwi for Duo. He knew Duo could take care of himself, but it would be a lot more difficult without help. Duo would understand though... in fact, Duo would be angry with him if he didn't leave.
Shaking his head to rid himself of that train of thought, Heero returned to the bed with the cut kiwi to find Duo inhaling the stir fry he'd made.
"This is amazing," Duo said around bites. Once again, Heero was amazed he didn't choke. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited as Duo finished the stir fry. It didn't take very long.
"Here," he said, handing the kiwi to Duo. "Just use the spoon to scoop out the fruit."
Duo eyed the kiwi uncertainly, scooping out a bite and bringing it to his lips. Placing the fruit in his mouth, his face lit up with pleasure.
"That's good!" he exclaimed, quickly scooping out another bite.
"I told you so," Heero said with a laugh, glad Duo was enjoying it. Duo finished the kiwi quickly, then eyed the other fruit that was laid out on the bed.
"I can't decide what I want next," Duo said, frowning. "They all look so good."
"Then eat them all," Heero suggested.
"Maybe I will!" Duo replied, picking up the peach and taking a bite. Some juice dribbled down his chin, and Heero found himself entranced as Duo quickly licked it up. "Mmmm," Duo said, eyes closed as he savored the sweet fruit. "You spoil me, Heero."
"You deserve it," Heero replied.
Duo's eyes snapped open, looking at Heero questioningly. Heero looked away. Where had that come from? He decided to change the subject.
"Duo... I did some research while you were asleep. I need you to give me a list of the supplies you think you'll need for the next few weeks..." He hesitated, then chastised himself for doing so. "I have to leave."
"What?" Duo asked, stunned by the change of topic.
"The scientists are being held at the Lunar Base. I have to go eliminate them."
"Did you say Lunar Base?" Duo asked, obviously still rattled.
"Yes. There's a large amount of Gundanium alloy being brought into the Lunar Base factory. It's probably for making a new type of mobile suit that the scientists are designing."
"I see," Duo replied, thinking. His peach was forgotten in his hand, halfway to his lips. Duo sighed. "That is a problem. You'll have to destroy them before they can design anything for OZ. They'd know how to build something that could defeat a Gundam."
"Exactly," Heero agreed, glad, though unsurprised, that Duo understood.
"Just get me a piece of paper, I'll make you a list," Duo said, sighing. He seemed to remember his peach, then, and resumed eating it halfheartedly. While he understood, he clearly wasn't happy about the situation.
Heero stood up to get some paper and a pen, wishing he didn't have to leave. Wishing his news hadn't ruined Duo's enjoyment of his peach. Wishing he'd get another chance to run his hands through Duo's hair... He shook his head, stopping that train of thought. It was a silly thing to wish for, anyway.
Returning with the paper and pen, he handed it to Duo, then grabbed the bowl and kiwi skins to take to the kitchen. Once he finished washing Duo's dishes, he grabbed the now-cold second bowl of stir fry and a fork. He went back to the bedroom to see Duo hastily scribbling a list on the paper he'd brought.
Heero sat on the edge of the bed, eating while Duo wrote. Duo finished first, then gathered up the pieces of fruit and put them back in the bag and the bag on the bedside table. So much for eating them all, Heero thought sadly.
"This should do it. I assume you got the conditioner and brush already?" Duo asked. Heero nodded, looking over the list between bites. It consisted of food and medical supplies, plus a few clothing items, as he'd expected.
"Do you want anything before I head out again?" Heero asked.
"Just help to the bathroom," Duo replied.
"Sure," Heero said, setting his stir fry aside, then bending down to put Duo's arm over his shoulder. He could carry the boy faster than Duo could walk, but he figured he'd save Duo a little pride and deal with being slow. Besides, being slow meant more time with Duo, something that Heero found he wanted desperately.
Once at the bathroom, Heero left Duo inside to do his business. He heard the toilet flush and the tap turn on as Duo washed his hands, then an "Okay!" from the braided boy. Opening the door back up, Heero went to Duo's side and helped him back into the bedroom.
"I should be back in a few hours," Heero said once Duo was settled. "There are a few things I need to get for myself, too." Duo nodded, lying back down and closing his eyes.
Heero sighed, closing the bedroom door behind him and heading out once again.
Two and a half hours later, Heero waited impatiently as the elevator ascended to the fifth floor. He had rushed through the shopping, almost forgetting some of the supplies he'd wanted for himself in his hurry. He didn't like leaving Duo, though he knew he'd be leaving again all the sooner the sooner he got back.
Grabbing the key out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and came in to find Duo sitting on the living room couch, watching TV. He paused in the doorway for a moment, surprised.
"Oh, hey," Duo said looking up. Noticing Heero's surprise, he shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I'd check up on the latest drivel OZ has been feeding the colonies."
Heero nodded, collecting himself as he closed the door behind him. Since when was he so easily taken aback?
Once again, he took supplies to their respective rooms, finishing with the groceries in the kitchen. He looked over at Duo, who seemed absorbed by the TV. Duo was sitting sideways with his bad ankle propped up on a pillow. His hair had dried, and the braid was draped over the back of the couch. Heero's hands itched with the desire to take the hair tie out and run his hands through the silkiness. Heero shook his head. Thoughts like that were pointless. Worse, they were distracting. He'd need to concentrate if he wanted to succeed in this mission.
Walking into the bedroom, he began packing a small duffle with the supplies he'd gotten for himself. There wasn't much; just the bare necessities. Some food, bandages, a change of clothes, the makings of a few bombs and extra ammo for his gun. Finished, he straightened up, looking around the room. He caught sight of the bag of fruit on the bedside table and frowned, wishing he could be here to watch Duo eat the rest of it. He sighed, turning toward the door. It just couldn't be helped.
Duo was still watching TV when Heero emerged. He looked up, obviously none too pleased with the situation.
"Time to go?" he asked.
Heero nodded.
"Be careful, okay?" Duo said, his brow creasing with concern.
"I will," Heero replied, resolving that this time, he would be. Turning to the door, he looked back over his shoulder. "Goodbye, Duo. Take care of yourself."
"I will," Duo echoed, clearly still worried. Heero paused, looking at the other boy for a moment longer. The bruises on his face had faded to a light green, and his hair glistened in the light from the window in the kitchen. Heero wished he could smooth the lines of worry on Duo's forehead and bring back the smile he'd seen so many times over the past two days. Instead, he turned and walked out the door, closing it behind himself. The mission couldn't wait any longer.
tbc