Author's Notes: This chapter was tons of fun to write, so I hope everyone enjoys it! I'm actually leaving the country next Saturday to go to Harbour Island in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving week, but I'm taking my laptop with me so I can keep writing!
snow: I'm glad that someone enjoys all the minor characters in this story. I don't really plan to focus on anyone outside the pilots, but I enjoy the guest star appearances here and there. This is really the first post-canon chapter, so I can't wait to hear what you think about where the story's going!
KS: In the last couple of episodes of the series, something in Heero really changes and I know I fell head over heels for him all over again, at the end, the first time I ever saw the show. I really wanted that to show in the last chapter and I'm glad it did. I had to give Treize a noble end - I can't really view any of the main characters in the show as truly villainous because I think they all have their own ideas and justifications for their actions.
Kirihana: *winks* Oh, the dirty is really only just beginning...
roninlvr: omg! We'll totally have to hang out some time! It's pretty definite that we're moving to the city this summer, but we're usually down there once a month anyways. I was born in Staten Island and my dad was FDNY for 20 years, so I've always had ties to NYC. I'm happy you're enjoying the developing relationship between Heero and Duo. They've both definitely fallen for each other and trust each other, but this chapter will prove that they still have a long way to go... but I get the feeling you'll have fun with the journey I'm sending them on. *grins*
Thanks, as always, to all of my readers, wherever in the world you may be. And to H & S. Peace.
Chapter 21 – Us (The Day After)
o/~ The world is always changing
You can see it every day
But in a tragic situation
You just can't hide yourself away ~/o
Heero was standing in an open space, a few yards away from a large, stone arch, but the edges of his vision seemed fuzzy and fogged, as if there wasn't anything else beyond the small area that he could see. Slowly turning in a circle, it seemed to him that he was completely alone. "Hello?" he called out, listening to the sound of his own voice echo back to him, the air completely still.
"Heero?"
"Duo?!" he called back, turning around and around, recognizing the voice immediately but unable to pinpoint what direction it was coming from.
BAM!
An explosion rocked the ground under his feet, and he whirled to see the stone arch collapsing, but the destruction didn't end there – as he watched with shock, pieces of the actual sky began crumbling and crashing to the ground around him with thunderous noise, leaving a black expanse where there had once been blue. There was nowhere to hide in the great open space and Heero dodged the falling pieces frantically, the ground vibrating under his feet with every bit that came crashing down--
And then he woke with a start, realizing, as he lay on his back staring up at the dark and shadowed ceiling, that someone was pounding none too politely on the door to his room, echoing the vibrations of his dream. Underneath the thin sheet drawn up to his waist, he was completely nude, and Duo was draped across him, head on his shoulder, hair fanned out behind him, arm and leg tossed over Heero's body in an unconsciously possessive gesture, still sound asleep.
"Heero? Heero, are you in there?!"
Relena. Heero had to stifle a groan as he carefully tried to slide out from underneath Duo without waking him, stretching as he scanned the room for the clothes they'd discarded during the previous evening's activities. Grabbing his black spandex shorts from where they lay crumpled in a ball on the floor, he yanked them on and stalked over to the door.
By this time, Duo had been roused slightly and he blinked sleepily, drawing the sheet closer around himself now that Heero's warmth was gone, mumbling. "Who'sit?"
Heero cracked the door open, using his body to block the view into the room.
"Good morning, Heero!" Relena chirped with a smile, trying to peer into the room without being too obvious about it. "Did I wake you?"
"Yes," he answered, staring at her expectantly.
"My apologies," she said, tilting her head a little. "But I wanted to catch you before the memorial service because the conference of world leaders begins shortly afterwards."
Although he hadn't decided what he was going to do in the long run yet, Heero didn't really want anything to do with the events going on today, beyond paying his respects to the fallen. "Look, Relena…" he started slowly, trying to find a way to bow out without insulting her completely.
"We're hoping to add to the ceasefire with the declaration of a new governing body for both Earth and Space – it's history in the making!" Relena barreled right along as if she hadn't even heard Heero, taking a step away from the door to reveal Noin standing against the wall behind her.
Perhaps there is some substance to this request if she managed to drag Noin to my door at such an early hour. Heero frowned as Noin took a step towards him and Relena smiled a little more, making it quite clear that she felt she'd already won this battle.
"I'm sorry, Heero," Noin said, her words seeming heavier than usual. "You deserve a day of rest more than anyone else and I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was necessary… but tensions are still running high between a lot of factions. I'd keep an eye on Relena myself, but I need to be at another meeting during the same time to deal with some… loose ends that Zechs left behind. It's only for today – so perhaps you could consider it to be a personal favor, for me?"
Heero had to resist the urge to glance back over his shoulder to see if Duo was listening, not wanting to give away the fact that anyone else was in the room. He didn't know how Duo felt about their… relationship… being publically known. But Noin has always been completely honest with me, and… I'm certain that Zechs would appreciate me looking after his sister. "Fine," he relented with a small sigh. "But only for today."
"Thank you, Heero!" Relena beamed. "I really appreciate it! Would you like to accompany us to breakfast? The service doesn't start for another 45 minutes."
"No, thank you," he responded with a shake of his head. "I'll see you at the memorial service."
Relena looked slightly disappointed, but after a stern glance from Noin, she relented with a small nod and held out a large bag. "We thought you might enjoy some new clothes to wear, since… well… I'm sure yours are very dirty."
Heero raised an eyebrow, his eyes flickering from Relena's overly decorated regal clothing to Noin's cowboy shirt. I'm afraid to think about what could possibly be in that bag. "That's really not necessary."
Before Relena could begin to argue with the pilot, Noin placed a hand on her shoulder and addressed Heero again. "Please, Heero – after everything you've done for us, let us do something for you… as trivial as it may seem. I simply thought it would be a nice gesture, as you are doing us a favor." Noin didn't care if that made it obvious that she'd expected all along that Heero would agree to help them.
As Heero hesitated, he heard a small crash behind him that sounded suspiciously like a pillow being thrown at the lamp. Trying to send me a not-so-subtle message, Maxwell?
"What was that?" Relena asked in surprise, trying once again to peer around Heero. He took the opportunity to snatch the bag from her hands, nodding a quick thank you at Noin. "Give me a chance to get dressed and I'll meet you at the service." Heero had the door closed before either of them could reply, crossing the dark room as he dropped the bag, sliding back into the bed with Duo, who was now laying on his side, head propped up on one hand as he waited expectantly. "Noin asked me to sit in on the conference with Relena this afternoon…"
"In case anyone decides to assassinate the former Queen?" Duo quipped as Heero rolled onto his side, mirroring Duo's stance until they were nearly nose to nose, legs tangling under the sheet.
"Something like that," Heero replied, cracking a small smile. "Do you mind?" They hadn't discussed the future whatsoever last night, but he hoped that Duo hadn't been planning on leaving the satellite immediately.
In truth, Duo was the slightest bit peeved about Relena claiming Heero for the afternoon, but he knew that she was in a position of influence - a dangerous place to be right now. "Nah," he finally replied with a dismissive wave of one hand. "But that reminds me - Quatre invited us to have dinner with him and Trowa and Sally later tonight."
"I'm sure the meetings will be finished by dinnertime, or at least, Noin will be finished and able to look after Relena again," Heero said, trailing off awkwardly. And what are you doing tomorrow, Duo? He didn't know how to ask that question without asking himself what he was doing tomorrow, what either of them were planning to do with the rest of their lives. The blank slate of a mission-less life felt like a brand new pair of shoes that hadn't been worn in yet. He didn't even know if he liked these new shoes, this new life…
"Heero?" Duo waved a hand in front of the other boy's face with an expression somewhere between amusement and concern, not sure if he'd ever seen Heero space that much before now. I wish he would tell me what's on his mind. "Heero?"
"Sorry – what were you saying?" he asked, blinking as his focus snapped back into place.
"The bag? I asked what was in the bag?"
"Oh." Heero rolled over to snatch the brown paper bag off of the floor, reaching to flip on the over-turned but unharmed lamp, and then he dumped the bag upside down, spewing its contents on the sheet between them. "Relena and Noin brought me clothes."
"That's a scary concept," Duo said, reaching to pick up the first item – a pair of plain blue boxer shorts. "Hmm… I guess she doesn't known that you like to go commando?"
Heero snatched them out of his hand with mock annoyance. "Not always, Maxwell," he muttered, turning the fabric over in his hands. "But in spandex, yes…" He reached to pick up a pair of folded blue jeans, shaking them out sharply. "Also sufficient."
Duo snatched up the last item, holding it up in front of him skeptically. "Red? Really?"
Heero shook his head, standing up and sliding the boxers over his hips before reaching to pull the jeans on. "I don't want to wear a color that bright. I'll just keep my green…" Pausing as he watched Duo fiddle with the zipper on the front of the red tank top, he smirked a little. "You could wear it."
Duo's eyes flicked up to Heero's and then he snickered. "But Yuy, what would the Queen think?"
Now Heero chuckled a little, pulling his green tank top over his head and running one hand through his messy dark hair. "Do you really care?"
Duo gave the question a moment of thought, then hugged the red tank top to himself. "Nope. I haven't had a new shirt in years. Literally."
"Time for a change, then?" Heero leaned down to kiss Duo lightly. "I'm going to head down now so I can talk to Noin before the service, but I'll find you before it begins, okay?"
"Right…" Duo said, closing his eyes with a soft smile as Heero pulled away, straightened up and headed for the door. "See you there."
Once the door had closed behind Heero, Duo slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom, holding the red shirt up in front of him curiously. The Priest, Maxell's Demon, God of Death… is it time to retire that persona? Pulling the shirt on over his head, he yanked the zipper up and down several times before settling it somewhere in the middle. There was a brush in the cabinet under the sink, and Duo took his time for the first time in awhile, brushing his hair from ends to roots before braiding it carefully. It took him only a moment to throw on his pants and boots, and then he sat on the end of the bed, pulling out a worn and slightly torn envelope from the interior pocket of his old shirt. He didn't bother with the photograph or the small, carved piece of wood inside, but reached past them to pluck at the oldest object with two fingers, holding it up in front of his eyes.
The tiny gold cross glittered in the shaft of light coming from the lamp and Duo stared at it hard for a moment before reaching to fasten it around his neck, the chain barely visible where the red shirt split open. I've kept my promise, Sister Helen. Slipping the envelope into the back pocket of his pants, Duo rose from the bed and left the room, heading in the direction of the general flow of traffic, certain that almost everyone would be attending the memorial service.
o/~ So try a little kindness
Cause it shouldn't be that hard ~/o
Duo hadn't really been expecting much besides a large room of sad people, so when he first entered the hall, he was surprised in more than one way.
The hundreds of white candles that lined the viewports of the room flickered and glittered against their backdrop of stars, a gold hue cast across silver. At the front of the room, on either end of a small stage, two large evergreen trees sat proud and regal, twinkling in tiny white lights. His breath catching in his throat, Duo weaved through the crowd of people as quickly as he could until he was standing beside the tree, reaching out to squeeze one silver-backed needle between his two fingers as he closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar Frasier fir scent.
Maxwell Church always had a real tree too. Tears sprung to the corners of Duo's eyes and he was grateful that no one was paying any attention to him – that he had this moment for himself alone. How could I not know it was Christmas? How? How much has the war warped my sense of time passing? The war is over and it's Christmas.
Turning back to face the crowd, Duo suddenly realized the level of noise around him. Despite the occasion, there was a lively buzz in the room – even the occasional sound of laughter. The group gathered at the satellite this Christmas Day wasn't here just to mourn those they'd lost – but also to celebrate their achievement.
Peace on Earth. And what a day for it.
Duo lifted his eyes to the star at the top of the tree, a soft smile creeping onto his face, turning as he heard his name being called loudly.
"Duo! Oh, I'm so glad you're still here! For a moment, I thought…" Quatre was still limping slightly, but he greeted his friend with bright eyes and a wide smile. "Merry Christmas! I like the red! It really suits you!"
"Merry Christmas." Duo couldn't help the momentary blush, but he covered it up by diving forward to give his friend an impulsive hug, talking into his ear so he wouldn't have to yell over the noise. "I hope you're not mad about the champagne and have I mentioned that I'm really glad you're not dead?"
Quatre laughed a little, always surprised at the way Duo chose to phrase things. "The feeling is mutual, I promise," he returned sincerely, squeezing Duo back before they parted. "Have you seen Trowa? He was… still in my room when I fell asleep last night, but gone before I woke up."
"No, I haven't seen him," Duo shook his head. "But Heero is in here somewhere – said he'd find me before it started."
"May I have your attention?" a voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker system, and the two boys turned to see Lady Une standing at the microphone. "Would everyone please find a seat? The service is about to begin."
"Let's sit right here," Duo said to Quatre, gesturing to a group of empty seats just beside the Christmas tree. As the crowd began to shuffle into the rows of chairs, Heero appeared behind Duo and Quatre, nodding politely to the blond before taking the seat on the other side of Duo.
"Heero, have you seen Trowa?" Quatre leaned over Duo a little so that the other boy could hear him.
Heero shook his head, scanning the room as people began to take their seats. "I've been talking to Noin, but – back there, in the corner – isn't that him?"
Quatre whirled around to search in the direction Heero indicated, his eyes landing immediately on the green-eyed boy, who was arm in arm with… "Catherine?" Quatre murmured in confusion.
"Hey, Trowa!" Duo yelled, waving at their friend. "Over here!"
"This is my sister, Catherine," Trowa introduced her politely to the group as he took the seat beside Quatre and Catherine sat down beside him. "Catherine, have you met… oh, wait… you've met all of them already." Trowa bit his lip, glancing back at Catherine, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Sis… sometimes it takes a moment for my memory to kick in."
Catherine chuckled a little, placing a gentle hand on Trowa's shoulder as she leaned in to greet the others. "It's good to see all of you alive and well," she said sincerely. "Trowa's already told me how much he owes to all of you, so I give you my thanks as well. And also, a Merry Christmas to those of you who might celebrate it."
"Catherine came to the satellite as soon as she heard that we were here," Trowa explained, smiling at her warmly.
"It's good to see you again, Catherine," Heero spoke up, leaning forward so that he could see her face. He knew that Trowa's sister hadn't ever been happy with her brother's decision to fight, but he hoped she would let it go now that the war was over.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Lady Une's voice rang out clearly as the room quieted. "I asked many great priests and rabbis, monks, shamans and scholars, if they would give this eulogy today, and every one of them declined, calling it too complicated a moment in history to begin to put into words." She paused for a breath, giving the room a lovely smile. "Or maybe some of them were simply afraid – because this IS a momentous day in history. It may be a memorial to those that have left us, but it is also a commemoration of their efforts, our efforts."
Duo and Heero glanced at each other, reaching slowly until their hands met, fingers intertwining, tucked between their knees.
"Shakespeare once wrote: 'All that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity.' He was right. For all that is chaotic in this world, one thing is certain – our lives are short. Death is certain, but never when, and each of the people that gave their lives to this cause have passed into eternity with a badge of heroism on their chest, no matter the side they fought on. Each of these people contributed to this peace, and even as I mourn their passing, I celebrate their victory. "
Lady Une paused again to collect herself, taking a deep breath. I won't cry, Treize. I'll be your strong and beautiful Lady. "On behalf of my dear friend Treize Khushrenada, I would offer you these last words from Samuel Butler, before we begin the many blessings from around the world… and space. Before each of you has a chance to give your own thoughts. Butler wrote: 'To die completely, a person must not only forget, but be forgotten, and he who is not forgotten is not dead.' Never forget the events we have all witnessed together and our friends and loved ones will never truly die."
Duo watched quietly as a line formed, some religious figures offering prayers in multitudes of languages and traditions, others civilians saying farewell to a loved one. Each statement was unique and heartfelt, and the entire room remained remarkably silent until everyone in the room who wanted to speak had spoken. The pilots glanced at each other, but everyone remained seated until it was over. It had grown warm and Duo had almost nodded off, his head drooping onto Heero's shoulder, when the noise in the room finally picked up again. "How long has it been?" he mumbled, rubbing at one eye.
"A little over three hours," Heero answered, standing up as he saw Relena heading towards them. "I have to go now, but I'll see you later, okay?" He squeezed Duo's hand once before disappearing into the crowd and Duo lost sight of him once he realized that Trowa and Catherine were leaving too."
"We're going to go have lunch and catch up," Trowa was saying as they all got to their feet.
"But you'll still meet us for dinner later, right?" Quatre said, not quite able to keep the touch of anxiety out of his voice. "To discuss plans?"
"Right, dinner," Trowa said with a nod, not paying much attention to the bothered expression on Catherine's face. "I'll see you then."
"I guess it's just you and me," Duo said cheerfully, noticing quickly that Quatre seemed momentarily bothered. "Unless you have other plans?" he added, wondering if he was the only one who didn't have anything to do today.
"Well, I…" The truth was that Quatre hadn't thought much about how he was going to spend the day, because he'd been too worried about finding Trowa, afraid that the other boy had already left the satellite. "Umm…" he started slowly, his mind running in circles. It had been so long since he'd thought about anything besides the war, but seeing Catherine with Trowa had made him realize that even though his father was gone, the rest of the family might be wondering how he was doing. "I was thinking of conference-calling some of my sisters, to see how everyone's doing, check up on the family business…" Quatre trailed off as he saw the disappointment in Duo's eyes, despite the smile still plastered on his face. "But you're welcome to tag along, as I'm not sure if any of them will even be available. Then maybe we could have a cup of tea--"
"Lunch," Duo brightened, slinging an arm around Quatre's shouders.
"Lunch," Quatre agreed with a smile as they walked out of the hall together.
Quatre's room turned out to be more of a suite – complete with king-size bed, kitchen, business lounge and entertainment center. "Wow, pretty snazzy," Duo told him as Quatre closed the door behind them, his eyes widening as he looked around.
"Lady Une set it up so that I would be able to handle family business affairs or hold meetings for as long as it takes me to fully recover from my injury," Quatre explained, limping the last two steps to the couch now that Duo had withdrawn his arm and support. "Please, make yourself at home. There's probably food in the cabinets, but since I only received access this morning, I haven't had a chance to look around."
Wiring the first call through the TV, Quatre settled himself on the couch and Duo left him to explore the kitchen, his stomach rumbling in protest of how long it had been since he'd last eaten. Yanking open the refrigerator, he found that it was adequately stocked with bottled water, soda and even orange juice. No food. Pulling out a can of soda, he popped it open and start to drink as he reached to open the nearest cabinet. Jackpot! Setting the soda down on the counter, Duo grabbed the jar, unscrewed the lid, dipped a finger in and then stuck it in his mouth with a grin. "Mmm…peanut butter."
Carrying the jar in one hand and the soda in the other, he strolled back into the main room to see how Quatre was doing and almost dropped the peanut butter on his toes. The conference call screen was divided into… Duo set the peanut butter down on the end table next to the couch, pointing as he counted to himself. 14 windows?! "You have 14 sisters?!" he asked incredulously, completely interrupting what Quatre had been saying.
Quatre laughed when he saw the look on Duo's face and patted the couch next to him. "I have 29, actually – but the rest are currently unavailable."
"Ooo, Quatre, is this one of the other pilots?"
"Look at the braid, it has to be Duo!"
"Hello, Duo!"
"Your hair is so cute!"
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
Duo continued to stand, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, the voices blending together as all of the sisters addressed him at once. Swallowing the lump of peanut butter in his throat, he reached to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. "Thanks? It's… nice to meet… all of you." Sitting down next to Quatre on the couch, he continued to eat the peanut butter straight out of the jar, listening to the rapid talk going on between the family members. Names of people, places, lists of supplies, productions, projects… Duo had no idea how Quatre could keep track of all of it, especially when it seemed that he was doing so purely by memory. 29…? That seems like a lot of kids for one woman… or maybe it was one man?
Quatre could sense Duo's curiosity bubbling next to him as he talked to his sisters about the various branches of the family business, trying his best to avoid the topic of his own future plans – of which he had none, yet. He wasn't trying to hide that, either – he just wasn't ready to share his mixed up thoughts with anyone else. As the call ended, he finally turned towards Duo, watching him as he determinedly dug a finger deep into the jar. "Duo… did you really eat the entire jar of peanut butter?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah…why?" Duo raised an eyebrow as he set the now-empty jar down on the floor and resumed drinking his soda.
"Nothing, I just…" Quatre shook his head, wondering how someone so bright could seem to be lacking… common sense? Etiquette? An entire set of skills...? He couldn't think of a better way to describe it.
"You really have 29 sisters?"
Quatre glanced away for a moment, the topic always a bit sensitive for him. "We were all test tube babies," he explained with a small shrug, then changed the topic. "Do you still want lunch?"
"Definitely!" Duo reached across Quatre for the remote and stared at the many buttons. "Is this a phone, a TV or a music player?"
"Yes," Quatre answered with a grin, touching a finger to one button bearing the symbol of a musical note. Instantly, a list of satellite music channels came up and Duo began to scroll through them one by one, bouncing up and down a little in excitement.
"Wow… hey Quatre, I know Trowa mentioned you played the violin? Do you know a lot about music?"
"I play several instruments, actually," Quatre replied, watching as Duo scrolled past various eras of classical music. At the mere mention of music, he felt an ache for how long it had been since he'd gotten a chance to play. Maybe I don't need to figure out my entire life today. Maybe it's okay to take some time… to get back in touch with myself, with me outside of a war. "But violin and piano are probably my favorites."
"Teach me?" Duo still had the remote in his hand, pointed at the screen, but then he turned to Quatre with suddenly glassy eyes, an almost desperate look on his face. "I… I used to sing a little, at the church, back when I was a kid, but I always wanted… never had…" He stopped speaking abruptly, shrugging to hide the sudden burst of emotion as he turned back to the TV and hit the enter button on a station of classic rock. "I'd play anything, given the chance. Learn anything… Do anything…. Go anywhere…"
"Duo…" Quatre murmured softly, suddenly unsure of what to say. He'd already noticed that his friend tended to store things up and then burst them out at random intervals, but it wasn't often that he gave away any true detail about his past or revealed some of those darker emotions. It made Quatre wonder just what his life had been like, growing up mostly on the streets, not having much. It made him suddenly even more grateful that they were sitting here now, together, at the dawn of a new era, with every opportunity to chase those dreams. "I wonder if there's a piano anywhere on this satellite…"
Duo grinned, really glad that Quatre hadn't pressed him about anything he'd said, but also feeling they were even now, his own past for Quatre's sharing of his past. Reaching to grab the blond's hand, he pulled him carefully off the couch and looped an arm around his shoulders again. "I'm game if you are – but first – lunch!"
o/~ You're shining in the darkness
When you open up your heart ~/o
*******
Heero eyed the quickly filling room, a half circle in stadium-style with rows of seats arching up towards the ceiling, debating about the best place to position himself during Relena's speech. He hadn't realized upon agreeing earlier that morning that Relena wasn't simply attending the summit – she was opening it and sitting on stage the entire time. He wished he'd had more time to plan and wondered why he hadn't simply asked Duo to come with him to help, but it was too late now. The security is really more than one person could handle… and that's just for Relena. Really, it would have been far easier to have one neutral security team for everyone – but no one trusts anyone else's military entirely right now. The sides of the stage were being secured by a few of Lady Une's personal force and Heero finally decided that the best place would be in the back, off to the side – somewhere that he could see the entire room, but also easily move from one side to another.
Climbing up the stairs, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned casually against one of the back walls, waiting as the room quieted and various introductions were made. Then, before any argument between the parties could begin, Relena stood up and walked the few steps to the microphone, taking the time to look out over her audience, waiting for complete silence before she began to speak, slow and even, but with great clarity and strength. The microphone only amplified a voice that would have already carried across the entire room and the very first word, in a language Heero hadn't heard in a long time, grabbed his attention immediately. Her eyes were locked on his, and then they darted away.
"Heiwa. Salam. Fred. Shantih. He Ping. Mir. Vrede. Ashtee. Paix. Frieden. Sith. Irini. Pace. Shalom. Pax."
She paused for a heartbeat, letting the words sink in before she continued. "To me, the word peace, in any language… sounds the same. It sounds, to me, like hope."
Heero watched as the room full of people shuffled, murmured and glanced at each other and he found himself impressed by how quickly she'd gotten under people's skin.
"Hope is really all that any of us had left in our hearts yesterday - the end of the proverbial Pandora's box - but when everyone is hoping for the same thing; look!" And here she stretched her hand out, gesturing to the room in a wide sweep. "Here is a room full of the leaders of the free world, meeting for the first time as one collective, for the benefit of the greater good. Everyone has agreed to put down their weapons. This is the root, the heart, of total pacifism." Her eyes flickered back in Heero's direction. "It requires mutual trust. Today, we all begin a new journey together. At times it will be difficult, without a doubt – but there will also be compassion, unity, joy… and ultimately, it will take the best of all of us not to fall back into the traps of a war-making society…"
Relena's words soothed the agitated minds of many in the room before several important Earth and Colony leaders, among them Lady Une, some other former OZ and Alliance leaders and representatives of the colony delegation, filed onto the stage to sit at a long table. The formation of the Earth Sphere United Nation was passed almost immediately, and the involved parties, with input from other diplomats and leaders in the room, began to outline a basic structure for what would be common law for all and what would be left to individual countries and colonies. It was largely tedious to Heero, and even though Relena was right in the thick of the dialogue, making suggestions and sharing ideas, he found his attention drifting, wandering around the room as groups of people started to section off a bit, talking amongst themselves about the proceedings.
Heero wasn't even sure why he'd been looking in the direction he was looking when he caught the flash of metal out of the corner of his eye, but he reacted purely on instinct, walking swiftly across the room and down a couple of stairs to interrupt a heated conversation.
"How can you think to ask for money to rebuild a country that laid waste to so many others?" hissed the young man with fair hair.
"This from the mouth of people who sent war machines to ravage the Earth!" argued the older gentleman with glasses.
Heero flinched inwardly at the words even as he stepped between the two men, deftly and suddenly flipping the small pocketknife away from the blond and into his own grasp. Catching note of a White Fang tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of his shirt, he spoke in a low and steely voice, not intending anyone but the two to hear. "It would be wise to walk away from this conversation and take some time to consider your actions."
The older man backed away a step in alarm, having realized that Heero had probably just saved his life. "He tried to KILL ME!" he bellowed, pointing at the blond and drawing all eyes in the room towards them.
"Calm down," Heero said evenly, but as he tried to take a reassuring step towards the frightened man, the blond moved to punch him, still intent on causing harm despite the fact that the entire room was now watching. Heero's reflexes were far faster than average, so he had no trouble catching the punch and twisting the young man's arm behind his back until he yelped in pain, calling out loudly to the room. "The situation is under control. One man had a concealed knife, but it's been recovered and no one was injured."
Lady Une moved quickly to the microphone, gesturing to several of her guards as Relena jumped up from her seat, staring at Heero with an expression of surprise. "Please detain both men."
The other leaders formed a tight ring around the three and Heero held the cussing and spitting young man in place until lady Une's guards reached them, then he followed them down the stairs and out the door, where they were met by several other former OZ officers. "Lady Une has requested we detain the two men and asked to speak with you after the meeting."
"Of course," Heero said, transferring hold of his captive. The older gentleman had been escorted ahead of Heero, but he stopped and turned back to address him.
"Thank you, young man, for potentially saving my life. I know I let my temper get the better of me back there, but I never intended to do any physical harm…" He held up two hands and shook them a little. "They can search me! If the time lost in detainment is the price I have to pay to learn a valuable lesson today, then so be it." He held out his hand and Heero shook it unhesitatingly.
"I hope you'll consider the speech you heard earlier today before letting someone provoke you again," he responded. "I know you weren't the one with the knife and I'll be sure to tell Lady Une when I speak with her later."
"Most grateful."
Nodding to the guards, Heero returned to the conference room, hoping that no one would notice him, and thankfully, the conversation had moved on to other topics and another heated debate was already in motion. He resumed his prior position in the back of the room, but the events had left him wondering just how much he should say in that meeting with Lady Une. He didn't want to rain on Relena's idealism or the newly formed government, but even in a place that was supposed to be full of peaceful leaders, someone had gotten angry and pulled a knife. What was to say that in a world of peaceful nations, one country wouldn't quarrel with another and decide to pull a mobile suit or a bomb? There needs to be something in place, something to check those situations – something to stomp out sparks before they become fires.
Heero caught Relena's eyes above the heads of some of the diplomats and she mouthed a large "Thank You" at him, followed by her most charming 'I'm-so-sorry-I-dragged-you-into-this-but-not-really' smiles.
And it can't always be me.
o/~ You've gotta keep on giving to one another
Cause it's all gonna happen again ~/o
*******
o/~ Why don't you try a little kindness
Cause it shouldn't be that hard ~/o
It had taken almost two hours, being passed from one department to another within the administrative offices that were already jumbled due to the new government forming, but one Mr. Winner had finally acquired the only piano on the satellite, and even though he felt a touch guilty about it, had had it delivered straight to his room.
"Are you sure this will fit through the door?" one of the men rolling it through the corridors asked once they arrived.
"Certain," Quatre said, walking around the baby grand to check the size. "But please be very careful with it."
Duo stood back a bit, watching the chaos as the group of men slowly maneuvered it through the narrow door, realizing just how much weight Quatre's family name carried to pull off something like this with everything else that was going on around the satellite today. Taking a seat on the couch as Quatre thanked the group and closed the door behind them, Duo watched as his friend walked slowly over to the piano and ran his fingers lightly over the keys. Realizing that Duo was watching him, Quatre straightened a little, smiling. "It's been a very long time. Not since I was in Sanc."
"I can't believe they really had one on the satellite," Duo grinned. "Go on, play something."
"But you wanted me to--"
"Quatre." Duo tried to make his gaze look stern, but he was too excited and couldn't keep the glimmer out of his eyes. "Play."
With a swift nod, Quatre slid onto the bench, curling and uncurling his fingers as he debated, then he began to play.
To say that Duo was mesmerized would have been an understatement in his own opinion, and he was frozen, his eyes glued to Quatre's hands as they flew up and down the keyboard, never fumbling at all, despite how long it had been since he'd last played. "So, uh…" Duo started after the piece was finished. "What was that? And how long did it take you to learn it?"
Quatre patted the bench beside him as an offer for Duo to join him. "Beethoven sonata, commonly called Pathetique and that particularly piece… a couple of months, back when I had time and access to play almost every day. But I've been playing since I was three."
"Three?!" Duo's eyes widened as he sat down beside Quatre and stared at the keyboard. I don't even know where I was living when I was three… "So if I started today and played every day, I might be half as good as you by the time I'm… twenty-seven?"
"You never know," Quatre said, reaching over to take one of Duo's hands in his own. "Maybe you have a natural gift and you never knew about it – you said that you sing?"
"Sang. Used to sing," Duo said, as Quatre held Duo's hand up beside his own.
"We call the thumb finger one, the pointer two, the middle three, the ring four and the pinky five." Quatre let go of Duo's hand and held up both of his own, wiggling each in succession. "One two three four five."
"Heh, okay…" Duo chuckled, wiggling his fingers in imitation.
"You see the pattern of the keys? Two black, three black?" Quatre pointed to the keys and then played a scale that started on one note, then repeated, over and over until he ran out of keys, stretching across Duo to reach the end. "The pattern repeats sound-wise, too."
"Do I have to remember all of this?"
"Duo!" Quatre laughed with a shake of his head. "These sorts of things will end up being automatic knowledge, something you won't even need to think about--"
"If you say so."
"I do." With just his right hand, Quatre placed five fingers on the keys C, D, E, F and G. "I'm going to play these keys one by one, one key for one finger, up, then down. Watch and listen, and then you can try."
Duo watched him carefully, but as soon as Quatre took his hand off of the piano, Duo was lost again. "Wait, where do I start?"
"Every set of two black keys – just to the left is C. Find a C. Any C."
Duo picked one of the C's near the top of the piano, just in front of where he was sitting, and then carefully placed each finger in the right place. "Start with thumb…" he mumbled to himself as he slowly played up, then down. "Like this?"
"Excellent! Beginners don't normally have such strength and dexterity in their fingers," Quatre praised him. "Your playing was very even."
"Quatre… I have a lot of dexterity - I am a Gundam pilot," Duo teased him, elbowing his friend lightly in the side that didn't still have stitches.
"I never thought of it that way," Quatre grinned. "But if that's so, then I'm expecting great things from you. I haven't had a duet partner in years and Trowa doesn't play piano."
"That's a lot of pressure," Duo mock-complained with a pout.
Grabbing Duo's hand and placing it back on the piano, Quatre snickered a little. "Then we better get back to work."
o/~ Just think about what binds us
And find a new place to start ~/o
Duo and Quatre were in high spirits by the time dinner rolled around, and they walked arm-in-arm, for Quatre's benefit, to the satellite's dining hall, as Quatre narrated bits and pieces of classical music history about some of the pieces he'd played for Duo that afternoon. "So you're telling me that if I really learn to play piano, it'll make playing other instruments easier?"
"In some ways, yes," Quatre nodded seriously. "Once you know how to read music, it's the same, more or less, for any other instrument. The actual playing techniques still differ, but have similarities within families of instruments."
"Ah…. right," Duo laughed, knowing that if he asked, Quatre would break that idea down into even smaller pieces and explain further. Even though he didn't know a lot about music, Quatre was a gentle, but demanding teacher, and even though he was patient with Duo, he had a tendency to ramble to the point that Duo didn't really have any idea what he was talking about – but hopefully, soon he would. As they reached the hall, they saw Trowa waiting outside for them, and Duo sensed Quatre reign himself in a little and wondered why. "Hey, Trowa!" he called, waving.
"Hey, Duo… Quatre…" he started, looking oddly uncomfortable. "I… can't really stay for dinner, but I didn't want to not show up, so…"
"What?" Quatre cut him off, failing to cover the hurt expression on his face.
Looking from Quatre's paling face to Trowa's shuffling feet, Duo decided to excuse himself. "I'm going to head inside and see if Sally's here yet – s'not polite to keep a lady waiting, right?"
"Thanks, Duo," Quatre said stiffly, nodding to his friend before gesturing to Trowa, who hesitated for a moment before following Quatre down a corridor and away from the entrance to the hall. He wanted to say a hundred different things to Trowa right now, but they were all completely jumbled in his mind.
"Quatre?" Trowa finally asked gently, very aware of the expression that his friend was trying to conceal. "It's not my intention to hurt you. It's just that--"
"Did I say I was hurt?" Quatre huffed a little, lifting his chin and taking a deep breath. "I just want to know why…" Why you left this morning without saying anything to me, without even waking me? Why you let me think you'd left without saying goodbye? Why you're leaving now? But it had been kind of Trowa to stay with him at all and he didn't want to sound ungrateful. "Why you can't come to dinner?"
Trowa faltered for a moment, weighing the decision. He hadn't been expecting Catherine to show up so suddenly, so soon… but she was his sister, the only family he had. He'd gone to meet her immediately, not realizing that she hadn't come to see him, but to bring him home. The war was over, she'd argued to him, so what reason was there not to return to the circus with her? He couldn't give her a reason. So he hadn't been able to say no. But how do I explain to Quatre? I get the feeling he doesn't want any of us to part ways. "I… I'm leaving tonight."
Quatre dug his nails into his palm as he forced a smile. Ever since he told Dorothy that he had a home to return to, I'd wondered… "That's… great, Trowa," he said, feeling his spirits deflate a little more. "It's… great that you…that you have a home waiting for you. I guess… I'll tell Sally exactly that – you're going home. I assume you're taking Heavy Arms with you? There hasn't been any decision yet about the mobile suits, so I – I think it's best we continue to look after them and make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands."
The words spilling out of Quatre's mouth sounded positive and the smile on his face was bright, but something in the sentiment rang insincere to Trowa and he reached out to touch Quatre's shoulder lightly. "Quatre… we'll see each other again. It's not like this is… goodbye forever. You can come see me at the circus anytime you want and… and we can write, too, if you want. You have an inter-colony mail address?"
"ICM, of course," Quatre nodded, his stomach beginning to twist into knots. It felt too soon - the idea that his friends might all go their separate ways so quickly made his heart ache painfully. He could not let go of the moment of connection he and Trowa had shared inside Sandrock. Was I foolish to think there was something more between us? "I'm… never hard to find."
The two boys stood and stared at each other awkwardly for a moment until Trowa slid the hand on Quatre's shoulder around him to pull him into a loose hug. "Please take care of yourself."
"You too…" Quatre barely managed to get out, hugging Trowa back. "Be careful on your way – there may be a ceasefire, but space isn't 100% safe yet."
Trowa nodded and turned to go, but he hadn't taken more than half a dozen steps before he heard Quatre call out his name in a tight and strangled voice.
"Trowa!" Quatre ran the few steps between them, reaching up to take Trowa's face between his hands, and he stared into startled emerald eyes for a moment before leaning up to kiss him. It was far more impulsive than he ever usually was, but when Trowa returned the kiss, it suddenly felt like not all hope had been lost. Trowa's mouth opened against his and Quatre allowed himself to indulge blissfully for a moment before pulling away, stepping backwards towards the door to the dining hall. I couldn't let him leave without making my feelings a little more clear.
Quatre's smile seemed more genuine now, and he looked a little angelic, standing in the doorway with all of the holiday greenery surrounding him. Trowa's heart hammered loudly in his ears. One kiss and I've all but changed my mind. "Merry Christmas, Quatre…"
It wouldn't be fair to ask him to stay… not when Catherine is waiting for him. "Merry Christmas, Trowa," he replied, ducking inside the dining hall before he could change his mind. Duo caught sight of him immediately and waved.
"What happened to Trowa?" Duo asked once Quatre had reached their table, catching the mixed emotions in his friend's eyes.
"He's… going home," Quatre said as he slid into the seat next to Duo and reached to unfold his napkin, placing it gently on his lap. "To the circus, with Catherine."
"I can't say that I didn't expect that," Sally nodded thoughtfully, drumming several fingers against the tabletop. "So that's two down."
"Two?" Duo asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I did tell Heero to come – I bet the conference ran late."
"Actually, I just saw some of the leaders start to filter in," Sally said, pointing across the room. "But that's not what I meant. I was talking about Wu Fei."
Duo stirred the ice in his soda with the straw, shrugging lightly. If the conference is over, where is Heero? "I haven't seen Wu Fei. I'm not even sure he landed on the satellite."
"Oh, he landed," Sally said brusquely as their overly-busy waiter finally brought some plates to the table. With such an unusually large crowd, the kitchens of the satellite had become an enormous buffet line that ran the length of the room, and the atmosphere almost felt like a large, but low-key party with an incessant buzz of chatter in the room. "The logs clearly say that he landed… and took off again mere hours later."
"He didn't even say goodbye to any of us," Duo said regretfully. Heero wouldn't do that… he wouldn't just disappear on us. He's helping Relena. Duo continued to try and convince himself that everything was fine, but when they had already waited in the buffet line and made it back to their table and there was still no sign of Heero, he began to worry. While they ate, the talk was light and mostly focused on the memorial service earlier that day, but as the plates were being cleared, Sally's demeanor turned more serious.
"Well, even if it's just the three of us, I can still share my ideas," she started, folding her hands together on the tabletop and leaning forward. "There's obviously a lot of work to be done now that the war is over, but I don't have much interest in being part of the new military. I think I can be of better use coordinating something else."
"It sounds like you have something in mind?" Quatre asked her.
"I do," she nodded. "It's going to take the government awhile to get up and running, hopefully weeks and not months, but once they do, I'm going to work with Lady Une on establishing a department for the clean-up of space."
"That's a wonderful idea!"
"Yeah," Duo agreed with a smile. "I don't think anyone wants to look out the viewports and be constantly reminded of the devastation."
"Then I can count you two in?" she grinned, letting a touch of her enthusiasm for the idea show.
"I don't know that I want to have any official position or ties to the new government," Quatre started slowly. "But with my family owning the majority of the resource satellites, it makes sense to partner with the government to assist in the project. Sally, if you'll act as the liaison?"
"Absolutely! And you, Duo?"
"Umm… I…" It was the first time that anyone had asked him directly about his plans now that the war was over, and he realized he hadn't even spent a lot of time thinking about it. He wanted to talk to Heero about it, but he hadn't found the opportunity yet. "It's definitely a possibility," he finally offered. "I can't see why I wouldn't be able to help out, at least a little."
"I appreciate even the consideration," Sally nodded. "And as I said, we all should have a few weeks before the project even gets underway, so you've got some time to think about it."
Duo and Quatre left the dining hall together after they had finished talking with Sally and as they walked back towards their rooms, Duo couldn't help but try to pry a little more information out of his friend. He'd noticed the awkwardness with Trowa earlier and was definitely convinced that there was something going on that he didn't know about. "So… feels weird that everyone's going off on new adventures, huh? Or just… home…"
"Yes…" Quatre responded slowly, a bit lost in thought. He definitely wanted to be part of Sally's project, but even with that on the horizon, there was still a bit gaping hole of time between now and then and he didn't know what to do with it. "Our paths intersected to bring peace to everyone, but… maybe they're now parting." And maybe there's nothing I can do to stop it. Or is there?
"Maybe…" The sentiment made Duo's steps falter a little. "Hey, I'm gonna go look for Heero, okay?"
"Wait, Duo!" Quatre said, touching the other boy's arm as he turned to walk towards his own room. "I was thinking… if we've got a couple of weeks before Sally needs us, I need to go to Earth with the Maguanacs to check on things there, then my sisters asked me to check on a few things and--"
Duo tilted his head with an amused smile. "What are you trying to ask me, Quatre?"
"I thought we could also return to Africa and see how the village repairs are holding up…"
"Wow, I… I did tell them I'd be back…" Duo's eyes widened in surprise, a little excited when he thought of the boy he'd befriended, Bem, and all of the other children in the village, the beautiful scenery, his favorite waterfall... But I never thought I'd get the opportunity to go back so soon. "That's… wow, Quat – that would be really fucking cool."
Quatre laughed a little, glad that the offer had pleased Duo. It was something he wanted to do, and since they had the time… But I can admit to myself that I'm not ready to let go of my friends just yet and I think Duo feels the same way. "I just thought… if you didn't have anything else you wanted to do."
"I…" Duo faltered for a moment, thinking of Heero. I don't have any idea what he's doing or if he'd want to come. "Well, I won't make any promises just yet…"
"It's okay, Duo," Quatre smiled. "I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling… "
"Drifting," Duo supplied as they stopped in front of Quatre's door. "We're all cut loose… but I'm sure we'll all find our ways."
Walking back to the room he'd stayed in with Heero last night, Duo found himself alone for the longest stretch since earlier that morning, only his thoughts were definitely more unsettled now. He could tell that Quatre was upset about Trowa returning to the circus, but he obviously wasn't ready to talk about it. And what about me? Am I just waiting to find out what Heero's doing? I couldn't even really commit to Sally because… my heart is being tugged in another direction. Maybe I should just tell Heero how I feel – invite him to work on the project with us.
Inside the room, Duo flopped down on the end of the bed and turned on the TV, noting with relief that Heero's usual duffel bag was still sitting on the floor next to the bed. Most of the stations were re-airing the live footage from the memorial this morning, or snippets from various meetings. He paused when Relena's face appeared on the screen, his mood souring further, but then the news ticker underneath her surprised him. "Knife? Someone pulled a knife at the peace talks?" The camera switched from the reporter to footage from the conference, and there was Heero, smack in the middle of some sort of altercation, his face obscured by the man he had pinned.
"Duo!" The door to the room swished opened and Heero stepped in, a relieved look on his face. "I'm really glad you're here. I tried to catch you at dinner, but I must have just missed you."
"I saw what happened," Duo said, pointing to the TV. "Someone really pulled a knife?!"
"Yeah," Heero said, coming to sit down beside Duo on the bed. "I met with Lady Une after the conference ended – that's why I missed dinner. What did Sally want to talk about?"
Duo took a moment to explain about Sally and Quatre's plans to clean up space as well as Trowa's departure, all the while wondering about the meeting with Lady Une. "So we don't have to decide immediately, but I know they'd welcome our help."
"I think it's a great project…" Heero started with a nod as Duo finally clicked the TV off.
"I sense a 'but'," Duo turned to him curiously. He'd been about to ask about Africa, but if Heero was going to open up and share what was on his mind, it could wait.
"After the conference, I sat down and spoke with Lady Une and… I didn't exactly commit myself to anything, but I think they could use my help. What happened today… it could happen again. It could escalate. It could threaten the peace--"
"Don't," Duo said with a swift shake of his head. "I don't even want to think about that possibility." It doesn't even matter what project we choose – there's so much that needs to be done that I don't think either of us could just walk away. I don't know how Trowa and Wu Fei did. "I can tell that you want to help – so what are you gonna do?"
Heero had been thinking all afternoon long about asking Duo to come with him, to follow Relena to whatever diplomatic functions necessary – to ensure her safety as well as the safety of all of the other people working towards a lasting peace. But now it sounded as if Quatre and Duo already had other plans with Sally and he didn't know what to make of it. "I… I tentatively told Lady Une that I would help her draw up some plans for a universal defense force – not a military, per se… more of a…"
"Peace-enforcing group?" Duo supplied, knowing that sounded awkward. "It's a solid idea, whatever you want to call it. Yours?"
"Yes, but Lady Une told me that Noin had already approached her about something similar, so I want to try and catch Noin and talk to her before everyone turns in for the night."
"Well, then what are you waiting for?"
"I…I'm not," Heero started with a shake of his head. "I just…" Didn't want you to worry… "Wanted to apologize for missing dinner."
"No apology necessary," Duo said seriously. "It's not like you didn't have a damn good reason."
Heero cracked a smile at this, surprised at how relieved he felt that Duo wasn't upset at him. "Well, I guess I'm going to go talk to Noin, if I can find her, but I'll be back after that."
Duo nodded as Heero rose from the bed and took a step towards the door, but then he reached out to grab the other boy's wrist, stopping him mid-step. "Heero, just so you know… whatever you decide to do, even if we're doing different things… I… I'm not going anywhere."
Duo's words made Heero's chest feel tight as he turned back sharply to meet Duo's gaze. When he says things like that… it just makes me realize how much I… it just makes me want to… With one step forward, Heero turned his wrist in Duo's grasp, pulling the other boy in close to kiss him, enjoying how Duo melted against him almost instantly. "I'm not either," he said softly against Duo's lips after breaking the kiss. "Even if we go and do these different things, I still… we…"
"I know," Duo smiled, then playfully pushed Heero away from him. "Go do what you need to do before I change my mind and decide to pull you back onto this bed."
Heero smirked as he walked to the door, tossing one of his usual quips back over his shoulder. "It wouldn't take much to persuade me."
o/~ Your love is all, we need
To bring us together
Don't you leave it to me
Nothing's for free
It comes down to us ~/o
*******
When knocking on Noin's door received no response, Heero debated only a moment before deciding to try Relena's next. It opened almost immediately and she blinked at him in obvious surprise, still wearing all of her formal attire from the day's meetings. He thought it suited her far better than her usual somewhat childish ensemble. "Relena."
"Heero?"
"Do you mind if I come in for a moment?"
"No, not at all," she said, stepping aside to let him enter the room and closing the door behind him.
"Do you know where Noin is?"
"No, but I did see her at dinner and she told me that if I saw you, I should tell you that she spoke with Lady Une about today's events and that she agrees with your suggestions. But she didn't have time to explain to me what was going on…" Relena trailed off and gestured to the couch in the center of the room. "Do you want to sit?"
"Thank you, but no," Heero said politely, leaning against the wall beside the door. "I recommended to Lady Une that a neutral defense force be created to… deal with potential problems – but I can talk to Noin about it tomorrow, if you don't know when she'll be back."
Relena frowned, not sure what she thought of the idea itself or the fact that Noin and Lady Une seemed to agree with Heero. A force of any kind, even for defense, meant weapons, and she was firmly against such a thing. "But we're leaving for Earth early in the morning for another set of conferences regarding the candidates that may run for office."
Heero was quiet for a moment, weighing the decision in his mind. Duo already has plans with Sally and Quatre. It's not forever… just until I can help Noin and Lady Une establish this new team… and I can watch out for Relena until it's settled. "Then I'm going to come with you," he said firmly.
"Heero!" Relena exclaimed, her face lighting up as she threw her arms around his neck. "Really? I had thought, after today… but you really do care, don't you?"
When he felt her turn her face to nuzzle into him, he quickly stepped back, pushing her away. "Relena… I'm going to be very blunt with you right now, and when I'm finished, you can either accept it or turn me down."
Relena clasped her hands over her heart, fairly beaming at him. "Yes?"
"I do care. And I do want to continue to protect you – and everyone – wherever it is you need to go, for now, while I work with Noin on establishing this defense force. But, if I agree to do this…" He paused, realizing how harsh he sounded, what she seemed to want him to say, and tried to find a way to soften the blow. "Then there's not going to be any 'you and me'. I can't possibly complicate this situation further if I'm acting as your bodyguard and if you can't accept that, then you'll have to find someone else."
Relena was quiet for a long moment as she studied Heero's face, trying to figure out what he wasn't telling her. "I can abide by that – for now," she said slowly. After all, once he agrees, I'll have plenty of time to change his mind.
"Not for now – for good," he shook his head firmly.
Relena sighed dramatically and stuck out her hand. "Fine, Heero – I agree. We'll keep things platonic – but we are friends, yes?"
For a moment, Heero saw just the smallest glimpse of insecurity ruffle her usually confident attitude, and he decided he could concede her at least this small bit. "Yes, friends," he agreed, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it once. "Count me in your travel plans and make sure Noin knows that I'm bringing Wing Zero with me."
Relena huffed a little at that, but she could tell that there wasn't any arguing with Heero on that point. "I will. We're leaving at 9 AM satellite time and our destination is Belgium."
"Understood," he nodded, turning to leave.
"Heero…" she started as the door slid open. "Thank you."
Heero let the door close behind him, hoping he really had made himself clear to her, and headed back to his own room. It's fine… I can help out Noin and Lady Une while Duo helps out Quatre and Sally…and then, maybe…
Inside their room, Duo was sprawled diagonally across the bed, still fully clothed, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and even. The remote to the TV was still clutched in his hand and classical music – probably Mozart, Heero thought – tinkled delicately out of the speakers.
All Heero wanted to do was climb into that bed, lay his head on Duo's shoulder and fall asleep. The thought that they wouldn't be together like this tomorrow burned at the edges of Heero's thoughts as he kicked his sneakers off and sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he curled one hand around the end of Duo's braid, watching him sleep. Have I really made the right decision? For once, Heero felt decidedly uncertain.
o/~ We're not indestructible
Some kind of miracle
Happens every day ~/o
*******
When sharp knocking on the door woke Duo suddenly for the second morning in a row, he groaned softly and rolled over, searching for a pillow to block out the noise. As he cracked one eye open, he realized that the light in the room was on and Heero was sitting on the edge of the bed, tying his sneaker. Rising to answer the door, it was obvious he didn't know Duo was awake, because he kept his voice too hushed to hear and the door closed again not long after.
"Heero?" Duo said, sitting up in bed to realize that he was still fully clothed. "What time is it?"
"About 8 AM," he said as he came back to sit down on the bed next to Duo and angled himself so that they were facing. "You were already asleep when I returned last night and I didn't want to wake you."
Duo wasn't quite awake yet now and he yawned as he rubbed at one eye. "Sorry – who was at the door? What happened with Noin? You're dressed already?"
"I didn't get a chance to talk to Noin because she was tied up in meetings, and she and Relena are going to Earth this morning for more. That was her at the door."
"Oh wow, I guess things are moving right along?" There was a long moment of silence where Duo stared at Heero expectantly, feeling as if he already knew what was coming.
"I'm going to go with them."
Duo nodded slowly, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd have no control over what came out.
"It'll be faster, if Noin and I can work on this around all the meetings – and we'll be able to make sure what happened yesterday doesn't happen again."
"I…" Duo started awkwardly. Should I invite myself along? I don't actually want to be part of this new defense thing – it's not for me. "I think what you're doing is a great thing."
Heero wasn't sure whether that was the whole truth, but he'd already made up his mind, and it seemed that Duo had too. Then why does it feel so strange to be parting ways, even temporarily? "Will you come see us off?"
Duo hated goodbyes with everything in his being, but he couldn't possibly bring himself to say no to Heero. "Yeah, but we should knock on Quatre's door. I know he'll want to see you off too."
*******
The last hour on the satellite seemed to slip away all too fast, and soon Heero found himself standing in the hangar, watching the end of Wing Zero disappear inside the carrier as Noin instructed the crew. It almost felt like another mission, except that he was leaving his fellow pilots behind.
"You'll keep in touch, Heero? ICM?" Quatre asked, noticing how Duo was leaning against the railing, gazing out into the hangar, looking anywhere but at Heero.
"I don't have an address, but I can set one up…" Heero nodded, then reached to tug the end of Duo's braid to get his attention.
"Hey!" Duo whirled around, glaring at Heero playfully.
"Get Quatre to set you up an address too, if you don't have one."
"Heero!" Relena's voice rang out loudly as she appeared in the doorway of the carrier and waved at them. "Our departure slot is coming up in a few minutes."
"Okay," he called back, watching with interest as she noticed he wasn't alone.
Duo saw how her eyes widened when she caught sight of him, and for a moment he couldn't figure out why, but he remembered just as she started talking again. The red shirt! Ha-ha – score one point for Maxwell!
"Heero! Isn't that – why is he – why did you--"
"Get inside, Relena – I'll be right there." The former Queen looked as if she was about argue with him, but Heero stared at her pointedly until she acquiesced. "I have to leave now," he said as he turned back to his friends.
Quatre was the first to hug him, more fiercely than he expected. "We'll miss you," he said pointedly. "So please don't forget to write. We shouldn't fall out of touch just because we're working on different projects."
Duo hugged him next, burying his face in Heero's shoulder and whispering softly. "Remember what I said last night, because I meant it."
"I know," he whispered back, turning his face to kiss Duo's temple lightly, not really caring if Quatre saw.
Duo felt a little sick as he let go of Heero and watched him walk down the platform, pausing at the doorway to look back at them once more before disappearing. He was proud of himself that he didn't shed a single tear while the carrier pulled away, but his grip on the railing was so tight that his knuckles were white. It was only after lift-off that Quatre stepped forward and placed his hand over Duo's, asking him softly. "Are you okay?"
Nope, not really… Duo turned to face him, trying his best to smile. "Is the offer still open?"
Africa. Quatre knew what he meant and smiled as he teased. "Absolutely – but it now has two conditions."
"Oh?" Duo grinned, already having an inkling of what Quatre wanted from him.
"Duet partner."
Duo sighed melodramatically, but nodded. "Done! …with, uh, training?"
"Yes. And…"
"And?"
"I think you know," Quatre replied sassily, turning to head out of the hangar. "My ears are open."
Duo chuckled, and jogging to catch up with him, slung an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Quat, if you're really asking, I'm going to have to start back at the beginning…"
"Which is…?"
"Well, the first time I ever saw Heero Yuy, I shot him." He paused for dramatic flair. "Twice."
"Go on," Quatre replied, slinging his own arm around Duo's waist. "I've been waiting to hear this story for ages…"
o/~ It comes down to us
We all have to stop, stop,
Stop pretending now
It's you and me
It comes down to us ~/o