| Finally, after many misadventures, this part�s done! I actually finished it a while ago but I lost the damn disk it was stored on at school. And since it also had vital papers and homework assignments on it as well, it�s taken until now to get back to where I was! So I apologize and now must dash to finish the next part of Our Tree. Ja ne! Title: A Way to Heal 9/10? 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, sap Pairing(s): 3x4, 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-13 (to be safe) Warnings: Minor angst, panicky Duo, some swearing Feedback: Kami-sama, YES!!! [email protected]; any and all comments are welcome like the sweet ego-sustainers they are. Duo was pouting. That much was obvious. He was sitting on the windowsill, watching the sun starting to fade in the distance. Heero would be pissed if he found his patient defying direct orders so blatantly by being out of bed. Too bad, then. Let him get angry. He didn�t own Duo Maxwell. He had no say over anything in his life, save for the stuff that actually involved the cobalt-eyed boy. <Who does Heero Yuy think he is, pushing and smothering and demanding his way when it was none of his business, none of his concern and, most importantly, not his *life*?! Where does he get off babying Shinigami?!> He thumped his hand lightly against the window. He couldn�t hit anything as hard as wanted to for fear of alerting that inhumane and possibly mentally-perverted watchdog Yuy. He had lost control of not only his life, but the motions of his life as well. He was confined to a too-soft bed, restricted in all his usual activities and received unwanted attention and assistance in nearly every task he preformed during the course of the day. The only blessings in this whole damn mess was that Heero never followed him in when he had to use the lav/shower (he just banged on the door every three seconds and yelled �Daijoubu?� at the top of his lungs) and the wonderful meals that were hand-delivered to his bedside just the way he liked them with machinelike consistency. He had no idea how he would react if these graces were retracted. Probably go postal and take out half the safehouse before someone beat some sense back into him. He was better. Not completely well, mind you, but most definitely almost healed. He no longer wheezed when he talked and his chest only mildly ached with deep breathing. The headaches and migraines were gone and his vision no longer swam at the slightest motion of his head. His appetite had returned full force, much to Quatre�s dismay as the rate of food consumption in the house skyrocketed once again. His limbs were more then strong enough to support him when he walked and only grew weak after prolonged periods of time or effort. In a few days, he�d be back to full health. He was no longer dangerously ill, nor was he even weak enough to warrant mild concern. <So what�s Heero�s problem?! Why is he still treating me like I�m dying of the plague and will break at a breeze�s touch?> This was not the way he wanted to get Heero�s attention. This was not the way he wanted Heero to see him or treat him. He was not a weak, helpless invalid that needed 24-hour care. He was a capable Gundam pilot and terrorist that just happened to be under the weather at the moment. He didn�t want Heero to think that he was weak or worthless. No one wants to spend time with a loser. He worked hard to prove that he could do better then what he was, that he could be more then a street rat if he tried. He had to do his very best in order to be worthy to be in the presence of others and work alongside them. Especially Heero. But it never seemed to be enough. He may have their companionship, maybe even their friendship in some cases�� but he didn�t have their respect and that was what he craved. He barely had their trust. He was the baka jokester who took nothing seriously. Kami-sama forbid that they entrust anything beyond the mission�s parameters to him. Sometimes�� sometimes they didn�t even notice him. He longed for their attention. That was why he acted the way he did. If it could make them smile and relive the tension that was their lives�� He did whatever he could to get them to notice him and actually deserve it. He rarely got it. But then again, what did he expect? Somehow, someway, he was quite good enough. So he would have to try harder. If he corrected his faults, then maybe he�d be worthy of their attention. Of Heero�s attention. He eyed the deepening colors that stained the sky a reddish-blue that spread all across the western horizon. He would do better. He would correct the damage the illness and subsequent weakness had caused him. He was not Duo Maxwell, poor sickie that needs constant attendance because he�s too helpless to do anything on his own. He was Duo Maxwell, a strongly self-confident and self-reliant pilot who was more then capable of doing whatever he pleased. <Yeah. So there. Now, how to convince Heero without getting the crap kicked out of me for insolence? He�ll fight me on this, you can be damn sure of that!> A soft sound came from behind him and he knew that it was time. Sooner then he had expected, but hell, why not now? Heero had returned to baby him once more. So might as well try to stop him in his tracks. <I�ll just tell him no more. I�m fine. I�ll convince him with my superior wit and reasoning skills, backed up by solid and irrefutable evidence. I can do this. I WILL do this! ��I am insane. This is never gonna work! I�m just asking for it!> He closed his eyes and sighed. <Oh hell, it�s worth a shot. I go to my grave with earned bruises.> But he didn�t hear Heero come inside. Opening his eyes after a minute of silence, Duo turned to see the Japanese boy hadn�t even crossed the threshold yet. <What gives? What�s he doin�?> He was standing there, frozen and staring off into empty space. Correction, staring off into the empty space directly to Duo�s left. Where the empty bed was. Where Duo should be because that�s where Heero had left him. <Uh oh�� Busted! He�s not happy and I�m screwed!> Duo stared at the dark-haired boy who was standing there in the doorway, trying to judge just how badly he was gonna get it. But reading Heero right now was kinda hard. If Duo didn�t know any better, he�d swear that Heero was actually�� nervous or something. There was a strange new non-expression gracing his face, this one almost resembling interest and�� concern. And as far as Duo was concerned, it was just too damn creepy for his tastes. What was *with* Heero lately anyways?! Still, the best defense is a spirited offense. �Oi, are you gonna just stand there all day and glare? Either come in or get gone. You�re letting all the heat out and I finally got it all toasty warm in here. Geez, where you raised in a barn or what?!� Heero stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind him. Duo�s instincts kicked into high gear and issued a level one priority red-alert. Heero Yuy, being *agreeable*?! On the first try?! Something was definitely fishy here. <Watch your step, Maxwell. This could get seriously ugly��> That suspicion was confirmed when a deep frown appeared on his partner�s face. <Yep, I�m screwed.> �What are you doing over there?� Uh oh, he sounds pissed. Or as pissed as he�ll ever let you hear. Not good. �You�re supposed to be in bed. You are not to be up yet.� His tone implied that it would be best to do so immediately. <Well, it�s now or never��> Duo drew himself up to his full-and-not-so-impressive height in a vain effort to look more intimidating. �*I* decided that I�m well enough. *I* decided that I�ve been in that damn bed for far too long. *I* wanted to see the sunset. So I got up and marched the two feet from that damn bed to this very sill ALL BY MYSELF without any problems at all. I am currently enjoying the view. I�m not leaving this spot until *I* decide I want to. Me, not you. And there�s not a damn thing you can do about it, Yuy. It�s not *your* choice.� The frown deepened for a moment as Heero considered that. Duo ended up biting his lower lip in anticipation of what was going to come from the Wing Zero pilot. <If he has to think about it first�� that means he�s plotting my death and where to hide the body�� Kami-sama, I�m in for it!> He closed his eyes and waited for the beginning of the verbal (and possibly physical) carnage to come��. �Ok.� Violet eyes flew open violently and he had to grab blindly for a handhold to stop himself from ending up face-down on the floor. �N�� n�� *NANI*?! What the hell did you just say?!� Heero shrugged gracefully. �Ok.� Duo�s eyes widened exponentially but whether it was because of shock, amazement or fear was anyone�s guess. He spluttered incoherent syllables for a time before managing a squeaky sounding protest. �You�� you�� that�s it! You *can�t* be Heero!� That earned him an eyebrow raised in surprise. �You�re a pod person. Relena finally lost it big time and she cloned your miserable ass for her own perverse enjoyment. But she did a really REALLY bad job and you musta escaped from that hellhole. Now I�ve got a defective clone running around! It really will be �omae o korosu� this time!� �Duo��� �Or all that time in Zero or in front of that stupid laptop finally fried your brain into radioactive mush and ashes! So the docs musta figured they�d make you into a REAL machine-soldier-boy but they gave you the wrong personality chip or something. Definitely a malfunction in the circuitry somewhere��� �*Duo*��� �Or��. or�� or�� Maybe you got into Quatre�s tea! Yeah, that�s it! Darjeeling, my ass! It�s a special spiked home brew made from a super-secret ancient formula designed to make you into a total wuss! I *knew* that�s what was making him so damn mellow! It�s not natural to be that nice. Probably some form of herbal Prozac in it��.� �DUO!!� Blinking rapidly, the braided boy halted mid-conjecture. It took his panicked-and-mildly-irrational mind a second to realize that even though Heero had yelled at him, there was no anger at all in that voice. Hesitantly, he ventured, �Hai, Heero?� �Are you done yet?� �Ummmm��. Yes, I am. At least, I think so.� �Good.� Heero walked over and further shocked Duo by sitting down directly across from him. His mind sent out an urgent memo declaring that any more shocks to the system would result in permanent brain damage and/or a possible irreversible total shutdown. He focused his dazed gaze on his partner who was now not a foot away. �Did�� did you want something?� Heero�s eyes locked into his and the gaze intensified. �Yes.� Gulping, Duo stammered, �W�.. w�� what then?� He didn�t like the way this was going�� �I want to talk.� �Talk?� Well, *that* certainly was an unmanly squeak. �Hai, talk. Specifically, *I* will talk and *you* will listen.� The panic broke free. �Oi, I�m sorry! I don�t know what I did to piss you off so badly but whatever the hell it was, I�m really REALLY sorry and I didn�t mean to do it and make you angry and I *swear* it will *never* happen again whatever it was and I�ll do anything you say just please don�t beat the snot out of me! Please don�t hurt me, I�m *sorry*!!!� Heero blinked slowly. �Hurt you? Why would I want to hurt you?� � �Cause�� �cause you�re mad at me, duh!� �No, I�m not.� Duo paused and then wailed, �But�� but�� I�m not where I�m supposed to be and you get pissed when someone disobeys orders and you come in here acting all weird and stare at me like I�m a lab specimen and you�ve got this LOOK on your face and you said you wanted to *TALK*!!� Dawning comprehension appeared in cobalt eyes. �And all this made you believe that I was angry. Angry at you and that I was going to do something about it.� �Well�� yes! What am I *supposed* to think! You�re mad at me!� �No, I�m not. I�m not mad at you, Duo and I�m not going to hurt you. Not now and not ever.� Noticing the skeptical look, he demanded, �Have I ever lied to you?� When Duo shook his head, Heero let his gaze drop. �I�m not about to start to now. I promise I won�t hurt you.� Eyeing his partner warily, Duo stammered, �So�� talk about what?� �About me.� Amethyst eyes just couldn�t get any wider. They tried anyways. �Y�� you?! You�� want to talk about yourself? WHY?!� Heero raised his eyes. �Hai. I want to talk because of you. You told me things about your past that helped me understand you in the present. I wish to do the same.� Sincerity was written all over that normally impassive face and Duo found he couldn�t argue with it. �You�� don�t have to do that, Heero. Look man, don�t think you owe me anything. �Cause you don�t. It�s�� it�s not necessary for you to��.� �Yes it is.� The certainty in that voice was clear. Heero really meant it. �When you spoke�� it hurt you but it made you better in the end. And I understood you better because of it. If I do the same, you will understand me more and I will feel better as well.� �That�s some funky logic you got goin� on there.� �But it�s all true.� �Maybe, Heero but��� �Do you want to listen?� There was a distinct note of��. something not normally associated with Heero in that tone. Almost�� melancholy? �Huh?� That caught him off guard. Heero looked away. �Do you want to listen to me talk, Duo? Because if you don�t, I won�t force you to. This has to be your choice. I can�t make you want to.� He made a motion like he was getting up to leave. �Gomen. I should go now.� �NO!!� Duo desperately grabbed Heero�s right arm. �No! Don�t go! I�ll listen! I won�t laugh at you, if that�s what you�re worried about! Don�t worry! I promise! Just please stay!� Heero voluntarily opening himself up was too rare and precious an opportunity to waste for any reason. Whatever caused this must be very important and he aimed to find out what it was. Heero looked back at him and visibly relaxed. �Very well then. I�ll stay.� He rearranged himself on the sill more comfortably, leaning back against the wall and returning his gaze towards Duo�s face. Duo waited until he looked calm and ready before he asked in his friendliest and most encouraging voice, �Ok, Hee-chan. Talk to me.� (TBC��) *grins* Yeah, I know; I�m a shameless tease and meanie for stopping. But then again, since I�m only getting a few C&C emails, I think fair is fair. I need opinions in order to write. My ego�s fragile like that. And to the ones who have written me�� *blows a kiss* Arigato. There will be more for 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 real-life hamsters named Heero Yuy (Hee-chan) and Shinigami Eagle Vision (Shini Eagle)(with Tomanaiya) Keeper of the Hit List Proud Owner of two sets of chibis: Chibi Angel Duo and Heero in leather (twins of Tomanaiya's) and Chibi Angel Duo and Heero in black flight gear with stripes from the final GW episodes 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 |