| Hear we go, the last piece. I would like to take the time to thank everyone who followed this series. Arigato from the bottom of my heart. I�m touched that you would bother. I hope I�ve made this an enjoyable story for you and I hope that you will return for the sequel as well. I also hope you will write me too�� Once again, rush job. This one now done in under two hours at midnight. So pardon any spelling or grammar errors. They just don�t seem as important this late at night. Oh and if something doesn�t make sense, it may be because I skipped a part. Right now, I too tired to care. Oyasumi minna-san. ::yawns:: Enjoy while I go get some sleep����� P.S. Entering this in Nanashi�s fic contest. Wish me luck! Title: A Gesture of Kindness 10/10 Author: Lady DarkAngel [email protected] Archive: Lady DarkAngel's Gundam Wing Fanfiction Library http://ladydarkangel_1.homestead.com/Main.html, Darkflame�s (if she�ll take it�.) and anywhere else is fine, just ask me first Category: Yaoi, angst Pairing(s): 1+2 eventually (I�ma getting� there, don�t rush me!) Disclaimers: Gundam Wing or Shinkidousenki Gundam Wing is copyrighted and trademarked by Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency and associated parties with all rights and privileges. The characters were used without permission for the purposes of entertainment only. This is not meant for sale of profit. Any characters not created by those listed above are mine and hereby considered the sole property and copyright of the author. Anyway, I�m just a poor college student. So can I play with them? I promise I won�t break them�..much. Rating: PG Warnings: Angst, severe illness, minor gross factor, sap? Feedback: Kami-sama, YES!!! [email protected]; any and all comments are welcome like the sweet ego-sustainers they are. Heero�s eyes took some time to adjust to the darkness of the room but what he saw when they did made him gasp aloud. There on the bed was a pale, thin version of the boy known as Duo Maxwell. He careful and silently approached as he took in the setting. Multiple IV bags were hanging from poles, their lines mingling to reduce the number of inserted needles down to the bare minimum. There were at least four he could see. A pulse-oxismetry (1) was attached to the index finger on his right hand. The readout indicated that the rate left something to be desired but it was fairly strong and consistent. No oxygen assistance, which was a good thing. Piles of blankets tried to cover up the fact that Duo�s body was painfully thin and fragile-looking. His face was sallow and still. The large luminous eyes were closed tight and appeared to be sunken into his head. Sweat beaded lightly on his forehead; he must still be running a slight fever. All together, it gave him a truly sickly image. Heero felt something in his heart constrict painfully. How did he get in this condition so fast? Or had he been like this all along and Heero had somehow missed it? He had been so concerned with the fever and then the respiratory failure that he really didn�t notice anything else. They weren�t immediately fatal. His critical eyes evaluated his partner. How could he have let this happen? Had he failed his mission? Iie. Duo still lived. He was breathing and slowly getting better. Heero had helped to insure that. The mission was incomplete but far from over. Something was bothering him, though. <The dream. Why that dream now? Is it relevant to the current situation? Is that why it won�t let me go?> The dream had been unsettling. The imaginary Duo had faded away, gone because of his failure to understand. Could that happen here? <Iie! He�s healing. He will be fine. I won�t let it happen. But still��> Standing there he began to puzzle over the mystery that was his partner. There were so many different parts to him that Heero just didn�t get. Where to start? <With what I know. Which isn�t much at all. He�s eternally cheerful, even though he�s had just as hard a life as the rest of us. He�s social to a fault, utterly gregarious, secretive and�.. that�s only the surface though. What about Duo?> All the things he listed were outside; what about the boy behind the mask? <Why don�t I know anything? He�s always around, I should have seen something��Ok, work with what I know.> He was always hanging around. Heero had noticed that a long time ago and he done everything in his power early on to make the baka leave without injuring him too severely, thus making him useless to the mission. He was an annoyance, one that Heero found himself sharing a room with now at nearly every safehouse. It just seemed to be the way it was now. No one bothered to change it. He even set up his things, taking into account the room Duo�s possessions would need, whenever he set up shop in a new place. How had he gotten so ingrained into Heero�s routines? And why did he automatically assume they would share a room now? And the fact that he was always smiling and laughing, forever telling jokes and pulling pranks. And trying to make conversation. With him especially. The chatterbox knew no volume control, no off switch. He talked for a better reason then to hear himself speak, though. The boy wanted to be his friend, that much was obvious. Why? He wasn�t worth getting to know even if there wasn�t a war on. As it was, it was a waste of time and effort and a potential liability. Social connections aren�t necessary to be an effective soldier. But that never stopped him from trying. How could he be so persistent? Another mystery to add to the pile. There was no doubt about it. Duo confused the hell out of him. His speech, his attitude, his humor, everything about him was at odds with how he was raised to view life and act. This was not how a soldier was to behave. Not if he wanted to live, damnit, and keep his sanity. And yet Duo did live. In more ways then one. The American was the most alive person he knew. How did he get away with breaking all the rules like that? How did he manage to exist in a world hell-bent on getting rid of such things as happiness and free spirits? The war saw fit to destroy the innocent and change those who survived. Yet, here he was, smiling like there was no tomorrow. The epitome of innocent life in the disguise of self-proclaimed Death. How did he do it? Why did he do it? It bothered Heero that he didn�t understand. He felt as though he should. It frustrated him that he didn�t, like not being able to figure out a problem in a subject you�ve mastered. It was a little thing but in its own way, it was larger then he was. Whatever it was, it had to be important to take so much space inside you and understanding. The voice inside that had recently begun whispering to him reassured him that it was indeed important to know. For some strange reason, he trusted it. After all, you are supposed to follow your feelings�.. Heero looked over to where his partner lay. It was all just too confusing right now. He didn�t have the slightest clue about any of this. It was out of his hands and beyond his control. Nothing made sense, and yet�� in a strange way it kind of did. Contradictions were everywhere and he was getting nowhere fast. And the cause of all this? Not a foot away, buried under all those IV�s and blankets. Somehow, Duo had caused this. Of that, he was damn sure. Or at the very least, he had started it. Therefore, Duo would know what was happening and what to do about it. Kitto he had too. He was the one who was always yapping about thoughts and feeling and their importance. Yes, that was a sound plan of attack When outgunned and undermanned, send for adequate reinforcements. Duo would help him, there was no question there. Heero paused again. Was that something else the dream had been trying to tell him? That Duo was the key to all this? <No matter. I know what to do now. All I have to do is wait for him to awaken. Then I�ll have my answers. I�ll understand. No point in pointless pondering.> He tried to stifle a yawn but was unable to. <I am so tired. I guess it won�t matter if I rest for a while.> He looked around and saw nowhere to rest. Not even a chair. There was really only one place to lie down. After a bit of deliberation, he finally decided that the complaints his mind came up with really didn�t matter. He walked over to the bed and gently brushed aside the IV�s. He laid down and arranged himself so that he would not disrupt their feed. Settling, he tried to give Duo as much space as possible. Good luck on a hospital bed. He ended up snuggled against the comatose boy. <Why do this feel so�. right? Something else to ask him when he gets up. I hope it�s soon. There�s so much I want to ask him. Tell him.> Acting on impulse, he placed a hesitant arm around Duo�s waist. The other brushed the bangs away from the forehead covered in light sweat. Heero was surprised at the comfortable feeing that spread though him. <This *is* right. Why? I�.. I think I like this. I feel so�..> The other brushed the bangs away from the forehead covered in light sweat. Another yawn got him. Perfect Soldiers don�t yawn. Unless they�re perfectly tired. Time for some well-earned sleep. He could relax now. Things were more or less looking up. Duo was safe now. His mission wasn�t totally complete; he was still ill. But enough was accomplished that future success was certain. So he gave in to the sleepiness and sense of warmth that wrapped him up like in a soft, downy blanket. Curled up against his partner, Heero Yuy drifted off into the first peaceful bit of sleep he�d had in a very long time. He would wait for Duo to wake up. He would always wait for Duo. Itsumo zutto, now and forever. As long as he had to. ~ ~ Owari ~ ~ Ok, this one is down. I�m sorry I had to leave it there. Sequel is coming soon, right where this one leaves off. Just let me get through semi-finals and have a vacation first, ne? See you all then! (1) Pulse-oxismetry. Not sure if this is spelled correctly. I asked my mother and she gave me a garbled answer. This is spelled to the best of my knowledge. If it isn�t the device in question, don�t kill me. I did try researching. Lady DarkAngel ---------- Chibi Duo's Babysitter Moderator of Duo's Sugar Intake Keeper of Duo's Nice Rear-end Co-Keeper of Shinigami's Wings (with Meela) Keeper of Heero's Homicidal Intentions Keeper of Quatre's Teacup Keeper of Trowa's Mask Keeper of Wufei's Sense of Honor Co-Keeper of Duo's Chatter (with Tomanaiya) Co-Keeper of Heero's "Hn" (with Tomanaiya) Co-Writer of Wufei's Rants (with Tomanaiya) Leader of the Inspirationally-challenged Muses: Alisande, Rynvi, and Kiagara Co-Keeper of a real-life hamster named Heero Yuy (Hee-chan)(with Tomanaiya) Keeper of the Hit List Acting GOD in Charge of The Anime Muse Adopiton Center and WSCT of the AMAC Proud member of SDDI, the Society of Defending Duo's Intelligence Member of the Society Against the Complete Bastardization of Heero Yuy Occupant of the Happy Hentai House Master Hacker of the Shinigami Organization Assistant Mob Psychologist for the Shinigami Organization Founding Member of Saa-EEP!!! Happy to be a member of the DuoML Member of 1x2, 2x1 Fan Club and ML Many more MLs but you don't want to know... Lady DarkAngel's Gundam Wing Fanfiction Library http://ladydarkangel_1.homestead.com/Main.html |