Title: The Herald
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Don't Kill.
Warnings: Not beta read. Mentioned lemon, swearing, AU, mild angst, fluff, sap.
Pairings: 1x2, 5 R, 3 4
Rating: NC-17
AN: The names of the newspapers are made up. If a paper with a name like this does exist and Herald probably does it's not my intention, to compare the two. Enjoy the fic, and please comment.

Part 11 A

Heero got back to Duo's hose, opening the door with Hilde's keys. He left his stuff in the hall, and went to look for the braided man. To his surprise, he found him in the kitchen, barely standing, wrapped in a blanket, still in his pajamas, his hair mostly undone, and sticking out in odd ways. Heero rushed to hold him up, before Duo fell flat on his ass.

"Duo! What the hell are you doing?!"

"'Ro?" a voice changed by a running nose, and sore throat, asked in disbelieve, red and tired eyes slowly turning to look at him. "Wha'd ya do'n' 'ere?"

"I came to take care of you, and from the looks of it, good thing I did." He wrapped his arm around Duos waist, and helped him into a chair, "What did you think you were doing, out of bed, huh? You can barely walk!"

"'irsty. Needed some wa'dder." came the reply.

Heero went to get Duo a glass of water, and when the man finished, helped him back on his legs, to try and stagger back to his bed room. After five minutes of panting, tumbling and staggering, Heero had enough, and just lifted Duo up and carried him the rest of the way. The bed room was hot, the bed clothes drenched in sweat, and lots of used tissues laying around. Heero changed his plan, and took Duo back to the living room, and put him on the couch, "Stay here a minute."

Then he went back to Duo's room, opened the window to air the room a little, he found some clean sheets in the closet and changed the bed, then he cleaned up the room, making sure a trash bin was standing near the bed. He closed back the window, and went to retreive Duo. Once the sick man was carefully put under the covers, Heero sat down on the bed beside him, "Try to get some sleep, ok love?"

" 'k, 'Ro," Duo gave him a week but sincere smile, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Heero combed some of Duo's hair out of his face, "Sleep now. I'll make something to eat, and be right back beside you."

Duo closed his eyes, and was asleep soon after that.

Heero spend the time he's 'patient' was sleeping on cooking some chicken soup with noodles, and when he finished, he dragged one of the chairs from the living room into Duo's bedroom, and sat down on it with a book he found.

Duo's sleep was restless. He tossed and turned on the bed, kicking off the covers, then shivering a moment later. After an hour of watching that, Heero went to wet a small towel with cold water, and put it on his sick lovers forehead. It helped a lot, the water cooling Duo's burning up body a little. Heero just had to make sure to dampen it from time to time.

It was almost one am when the braided man finally woke up, looking at Heero reading a book in the chair beside his bed, "Hi there."

Heero looked up at him, and closed the book, "Hi," he smiled, reaching out to check Duo's temperature by hand, "Feel up to eating a little?"

Duo winced, "Not really."

"Duo you need to eat something..."

"Yeah, yeah I know. I just dun' like id is all."

Heero helped him to sit up a little, propping him up on the pillows, then went to reheat some of the soup. Since Hilde left the medicine on the counter, he took that too, and a glass of water, then carried it all to Duo's bedroom. The sick man snatched the spoon as soon as he saw it, before Heero got the idea in his head to feed him. Then he started to force some of the soup down his throat. He ate about half of the bowl, then declared himself full. Heero frowned a little, but didn't force him. Then he presented Duo the assortment of pills.

"God, not those again... " Duo groaned.

"Duo..."

"They taste awful 'Ro! I swear, dat red one tastes like sdrawberries gone bad!"

"Stop pouting like a little kid Duo, come on, swallow the pills..." Duo just crossed his arms and shook his head. "Nuh-uh!"

"How about I give you a kiss if you wallow them?"

Duo gave him a suspicious look, but reached for the pills, and swallow them all down, washing the awful taste away with water.

Heero smiled at him as if he was the cutest thing in the universe, and leaned down to give him a kiss on the fore head, then his cheek, and at last, a small but sweet peck on his lips.

"Mmmm... I already feel better, "commented Duo, as Heero sat back up. His lover just chuckled, and went to clean the glass and bowl with half finished soup away.

He came back to the room and sat in his chair.

"You never told me how you got here Heero. Nt that I'm not happy you did, just curious."

"Hilde called me to tell that you're sick and won't be at work," Heero explained, "she was concerned that she couldn't stay with you, but she had to go to school. So I offered to take care of you instead, and took the week off," he finished with a smile.

"Wow." Duo blinked at him, "I dunno what to say, 'Ro. 'Thank You' I guess, but that just doesn't cover it."

"You don't need to thank me, Duo. I enjoy taking care of you," he crresed Duo's cheek, the braided man closing his eyes, and turning his face into the touch, "I enjoy it a lot."

When Hilde came home that day, she found Duo asleep again, and Heero in the chair beside him. "Did you manage to make him take the medicine? I always have to force it down his throat..."

"Heero smirked at her, "I do have my... methods."

Hilde grinned and shook her head, "You two are so in love it makes me wanna scream in frustration sometimes. So not fair, I want some too!" she laughed. "I'm gonna make some dinner, did he eat anything?"

"Some soup earlier, not much though."

"Ok, I'll make something light for him. Damn, I need to run to the store..."

"How about I give him a little more of the soup, and some of the meat with it, and w just order pizza? On me, " He winked at her, and Hilde readily agreed.

The doorbell ringing woke up Duo, and since he was feeling slightly better, moved to lie on the couch and watch some TV while they ate dinner. He pouted like a little kid when he found out hat he had to eat chicken soup while they had a lovely smelling pizza. In the end Heero agreed to give him a slice if Duo ate at least 3/4 of the soup and took his medicine, which Duo did, with a lot of comments about evil boyfriends, and cunning sisters.

When dinner was finished, Hilde said she needed to go start studying, since it was already late.

"There is the matter of my stay. I can either go home and come here in the morning, or I can sleep here, but I will have to go get some stuff from my home"

"That depends on what you'd prefer. You can stay here, it's no problem, just that you'd have to sleep on the couch, we borrowed the mattress to Trowa for when Cathy visits."

"In that case I'll go get those things from home, and be back here in about... 40 minutes." he turned to face Hilde, "Do you need me to pick anything up on the way?"

Hilde nodded and gave him a short list of groceries to buy, then excused herself and went to her room.

Heero drove home, packed duffel with clothes and some necessities, and then grabbed his laptop along with some papers, hoping he could get some work done while Duo was asleep.

He took it all to the car, then drove back, stopping on the way to buy the things Hilde requested, and some other things, like fresh fruits, and orange juice, for the sick man.

When he came back Duo was almost asleep on the couch, so Heero helped him back into bed, tucking the man in for the night. He went to take a shower, then asked Hilde for some blankets an a pillow, she went to give them to him, saying she'd study a little bit more, than go to sleep herself. They said their good nights and Hilde went back to her room, while Heero went to get comfy on the couch.

Hilde didn't sleep well, Duo's coughing fits during the night waking her up, then she was almost late for school, because Duo got to the stage where he had to pee every 5 minutes, and she couldn't get ready. In the end, she forgot about make up and a shower, grabbing her tooth brush and paste, along with the hair brush, washing her teeth in the kitchen sink, and brushing her hair before the hall mirror. Heero offered to drive her again, but she declined, saying she got a friend to stop by and get her. Soon after a horn outside sounded, and Hilde gave both man a quick kiss on the cheek, then run out to the waiting car.

As to Heero, it was also clearly seen, that sleeping on the couch didn't do him much good. One night wasn't that bad, he could manage. Maybe even a second one. But if he was to sleep like that for a whole week, he'd be dead on his feet by the third day. He spent quite some time thinking up solutions to the problem, but honestly, going home late at night just to sleep, and then wake up early to get here before Hilde left, was just plain stupid, and a waste of time and money on the fuel. They couldn't get the mattress back from Trowa, since he was away with Quatre, and they didn't have spare keys to his apartment yet. Heero didn't get any work done that day, every free moment spending on trying to find a solution. He could find only one, but there came the matter of both Duo and Hilde agreeing to it. It would help them a lot, but Duo might not be so willing. He decided to wait until Hilde was back, and bring the matter up then.

When she finally got home, the smell of dinner met her. Apparently Heero had some time to prepare it, and when asked, said Duo slept most of the day, so he could spend the time in the kitchen. Hilde helped him in the last preparations, and then went to wake Duo up.

They were just finishing the meal when Heero brought the problem up. He explained that it would be hard for him to sleep on the couch for a whole week, and the going to home than coming back scenario was even worse, since he wouldn't get much sleep if he came home so late, and had to wake up early.

"I understand what you're saying Heero, but there's not much we can do. It's either the couch or the floor, and we don't have a mattress. I'd offer to switch with you, but I truly have to be at my top best in school, and that also means well rested." said Hilde.

"I understand that, and I have a solution, of some sort. Of course you don't have to agree, if you'd rather not, I'm sure I can somehow make do on the couch..."

"Just spill it Heero!" said Duo with a small laugh, immediately triggering a coughing fit.

"I was wondering, that maybe I could take you to my place, and take care of you there. I have a spare bed room, and a tub in the bathroom, so you could soak a little in the hot water." he said quickly, looking down at his plate.

"Heero... I wouldn't want to impose on you..." Duo said hesitantly.

"You wouldn't be!" Heero looked him in the eyes, "I wouldn't mind at all, and it would let us both be rested, and give Hilde the house to herself so she could study."

Duo exchanged a look with his sister, and she nodded slightly at him, then he turned back to Heero, "If you are sure..."

"I am." Heero replied confidently.

Duo smiled warmly at him, "In that case, let's get me packed!"

Heero grinned at him o hard, Duo thought he would jump from his seat and hug the lights out of him. He told Heero to help him to his room, and they would pack, while Hilde went to gather all the other stuff from around the house. She could see how happy Heero was that Duo agreed, and was glad for both of them. The young man became a part of their family, as were Trowa, Cathy, and probably soon would be Quatre, Relena and Wufei. She smiled to herself. It was good to have such people around her again. She finally felt at home here.

TBC