| Minna-san, great news!! 1) I am no longer Calculus-bound! This little act of liberation raised my GPA .6 or better! 2) I got and A on a very difficult English Honors paper, only one of 5 to do so! 3) I got a 70 on an *extremely* difficult Chem test that 59% of the class got an F on. One of the highest grades and they�re gonna curve it too! 5) Chem�s curved anyway so my grade goes up a letter! College is looking up! For this, my muses gifted me with a little inspiration. So here you go. Domo arigato to the kind souls who answered me, demanded more but not at the expense of my grades. Since they�ve taken a giant leap up, I gonna spend a little time on this fic. May you enjoy this as much as I like writing it�� Title: A Gesture of Kindness 5/10? 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, mild humor (mostly snickers) 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. Empty amethyst looked at nothing as Duo stared at the spot were Heero was. He was sure the braided boy wasn�t seeing him. Likewise he was really talking to him. Duo was having a conversation with himself basically. Fevers so strange things to people�s minds. They see things that aren�t there, speak things that should never be said aloud. Figments become solid flesh for all intents and purposes and distinctions between reality and dreams go right out the window. That was one of the dangers of delirium. Inhibitions gone, the person was liable to do or say something stupid. Heero now had the answer to his question. No, he wasn�t awake. Not really. Conversation at the time would be pointless. And a waste of precious time as well. <Get back to work, solider. Stop dawdling over nothing.> �H�..Heero?� Heero jerked. <Does he know I�m here? Is he just sleep-talking? Did he just guess that it was me? How could he?> The Wing Zero pilot thought and quickly dismissed it. <Kitto he wouldn�t know for sure; a delirious person may still be able to distinguish surroundings. They just can�t grasp what�s happening. Perhaps he�s just calling out the name of someone he�s sure will help him, someone he must trust. Demo, it was my name��> �Hai, Duo. I�m here.� <Hn, his fever has dropped significantly but obviously it�s not enough. Or perhaps it was and this is his body�s way of coping. The stress from the bronchitis may have forced his system into this. Either go into a possible fatal shock or suffer delirium. At least delirium is more survivable.> �Wha���. where����� �Shizukesa. Almost done and then I�ll explain.� Heero could foresee trouble. Duo was not the most cooperative of patients when he was consciousness and aware of his actions. A delirious Duo fighting his ministrations would be most unpleasant indeed. <Not to mention self-defeating. He�s not going to like this, whether he�s in his right mind or not. He�ll fight me. Better to finish now before ha can work up the strength to struggle.> Duo was trembling so hard he was making chest-high waves in the water. Those empty eyes regarded Heero vacantly as he mumbled, �Cold�� out��.. onegai��..� A deep frown appeared on his pale lips as he forced the words out. �Heero��. Help me��.� A strange feeling was starting to manifest itself. It twisted and grasped and began clawing at his chest, making it uncomfortable to breathe. It was almost like someone was squeezing his heart and lungs, trying to smother him�.. <What the hell*is* this?!> �I am helping, Duo. You�re ill. This is necessary to get well. Don�t fight it. Don�t fight me.� With that, the Wing Zero pilot refocused his intentions on his work. <Get this over with and then maybe he�ll calm down. He�s getting agitated. Provoking him is not a good idea. He needs to rest. And then maybe I can find out why my chest hurts�..> But whatever gods out there that happened to be watching had other ideas. The Deathscythe pilot began to resist Heero�s touches, moving away from the cooling sponge. It wasn�t very far but it was enough to foil the attempt. The Japanese boy was getting exasperated. This would only prolong a dangerous encounter and possibly worsen an already serious condition. Duo wasn�t doing it intentionally; had no idea what was going on in fact. In his confused state, all he knew was it was cold and unpleasant and he was going to try and stop it. But that was only making things worse. �Duo, yamero! Heero tightened his grip slightly. Hold him still and the mission can proceed more smoothly. The American increased his struggles. His face twisted into a strangely familiar expression as his thrashing became more violent. Heero watched as the blank eyes began to fill with tears. The feeling in his chest skyrocketed dramatically. It was now officially painful, even by Perfect Solider standards. A small, pitiful, broken voice echoed through the air. �Hanase�� hurting me�� yamero�� nani�� help me Heero�� need you�� said you wouldn�t��� The tears were now spilling from those crystalline eyes and down the too-sallow face. �Dying�� don�t wanna�� alone again�� ev�rybody leaves me�� Solo n� Sister�� Father�� ev�rybody hurts me�� make it stop�� anything, just stop�� no more, onegai�� make it stop Heero you�re HURTING ME!!!!� The last part was screamed out in a terrified voice as he began to fight in earnest. Heero finally recognized the look on his partners� face. <Fear. He�s afraid�� He thinks I�m hurting him on purpose. Or at least someone is. He can sense what�s happening but doesn�t understand. I�m not trying to injure him. I would never�� Why does this hurt so much?> �Calm down, Duo! We�ll be done soon, I promise. You�re just making this take longer. Yamero, kudasai!� The Wing Zero pilot spoke but was pretty sure he wasn�t getting through to his charge. Duo was in his own little torturous world that he was contributing to, intentionally or not. The pain he was feeling intensified. This is getting out of hand, even for him. This had to end soon. His grip tightened even further unnoticed and provoked a startled cry. �Itai! Hanase!� Guilt flashed through him. �I didn�t mean to, Duo. But I can�t let you move. You need to stay still and let me help you. Do you understand? I�m trying to help you and you�re fighting me! Onegai, Duo, stay still! You won�t get better if you don�t!� The feeling had reached critical levels and finally Heero was able to recognize it for what it was. Fear. Like Duo�s Total and utterly irrational and damn near all-controlling. Certainly all-influencing because practically every fiber of his being was vibrating with this new and most unwelcome emotion. <If Duo keeps fighting me on this, I�ll lose. I can�t force him; he�s too shocky as is. If he struggles anymore, if he wants to give up�� die�� he will! That *can�t* happen! Why does the thought of it scare me so? I should�� I *don�t* scare! I am Heero Yuy, the Perfect Solider!> He looked down at the writhing and trembling figure in his arms. <And yet�� I�m trembling too. Not much, but still. I *AM* scared. And I don�t like it one damn bit. *Where* is he getting this strength from?!> The American was certainly giving it all he had. Heero was hard pressed to keep his grip tight enough to not bruise or break anything but enough to keep the feverish boy in check. Duo�s fighting skills were coming out under the duress and the lethal power of an unrestrained Gundam pilot was (even diluted and unfocused as it was) still a force to be reckoned with. Distracted by these thoughts and the effort he was exerting, Heero never even saw it coming. With a savage snarl, Duo twisted in his grip and shocked him by delivering a fierce punch square in the jaw. Reeling from the unexpectedness and sheer power behind it, Heero lost his grip and stumbled backwards. The wet floor beneath him betrayed his footing and he went down hard, smacking the back of his head on the sink with a loud crack. His vision went cloudy and the room spun. As he tried to clear his head, he watched in horror as Duo�s eyes slid shut and his face relaxed. The American�s energy was all spent in that last attack and he had nothing left to support himself. Before the Wing Zero pilot could gather his way and react, he saw Duo slip unprotestingly beneath the ice waves. (TBC��) Alisande: You are aware that it is most unkind to take out your frustrations on others, don�t you, M�Lady? Especially helpless bishounen? Yeah, but it�s so therapeutic and great for storytelling�� Kiagara: Well, the MLers are gonna get �therapeutic� on your sorry butt for leaving them dangling like this AGAIN!! Do you have a death wish or something? You�re evil, pure and simple. You done me proud, kid. Thanks, I think�� Only 5 or so more parts left. Kiagara: Great! Now get ready for that next Chem quiz. Hn, Chem�s only good for explosives and pharmaceuticals! Rynvi: Hai and you get neither till you study! ::pouts:: You guys are so mean��. All of you��.. 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 |