| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 34 � You haven�t struggled the whole time. Do you like baths now?� Duo nodded and played with the mounds of bubbles. � Fun!� � See? I told you they weren�t bad, didn�t I?� He nodded again and laid against her, closing his eyes. � Hai.� Cosmos smiled and stroked the back of his little head, urging him to take the nap he never took earlier in the day. Once she was sure he was asleep, she let her head roll back and slept as well. *~*~* Duo woke feeling very strange. He glanced around without moving, assessing the situation. <Okay. I�m in the washroom in the bathing basin, however I got there, and it seems, from my wet hair, I�ve had a bath.> He looked down and almost cried out in surprise. <Na~a~ani?! What am I doing laying on Cosmos?! And why is she even in here anyway?!> He tried to slowly move away from her, but stopped. <Shimatta! Get control of yourself, Duo! Just because she�s in here naked and evidently bathing with you doesn�t mean you can just . . .! Ugh! I disgust myself sometimes!> Upon retreating to the opposite side of the bubble-filled tub, flashes of the past few weeks made themselves known. Cosmos changing his diaper . . . Cosmos bathing with him so he didn�t swallow any water . . . Cosmos protecting him from the Ferals . . . Duo moved a little closer to watch Cosmos sleep. <Oh, sou ka. So Cosmos took care of me with some help from Otousan.> Cosmos suddenly woke up. She saw Duo almost immediately and looked confused, then her eyes widened. She jumped and sank under the surface, coming back up and coughing. Duo pulled her to him and held her while she got rid of the water, wrapping his wet wings around her as extra support. � Relax Cosmos, I�ve got you.� She eventually stopped coughing and just laid against him for a bit. Then she pulled away and looked up at him. � Duo?� � Hai?� � I�m never changing another one of your diapers again.� He laughed. � I won�t make you. We�ll throw it all on Otousan. What do you say?� � Good idea.� Cosmos sat where she had been before and watched Duo lift one hand out of the water. At his nod, she raised her own hand and placed it against his. � Nani---� He placed a long finger from his free hand over her lips and shook his head. She fell silent. � Close your eyes.� She did so. � Now don�t think. Just feel.� Cosmos relaxed even more as Duo entwined their fingers, interlocking and releasing their hands. She was about to fall asleep again when the door banged open and someone, probably Halcyon, yelled at her. She jumped a second time and looked to the doorway, where everyone, including the other completely naked and normal-size guys stood staring, all dripping wet. � Cosmos! There�s another . . .� Halcyon�s voice drifted into silence and she groaned. � Oh forget it. I see that you�ll never be surprised about anything.� Cosmos met Duo�s gaze and they both laughed. That was something Halcyon would never have the answer to. *~*~* � Sing.� Cosmos spun around. � Huh?!� � Sing. I haven�t heard you sing for a while.� � Iie.� The others had stopped to look at her. � You sing?� Seraph asked in confusion. � I do not!� Cosmos proclaimed. � I�m an awful singer!� � She does,� Duo countered. � She�s a beautiful singer.� � I d---� Duo, who�d covered Cosmos� mouth with his hand, smiled at the others and repeated, � She does.� He looked at her. � You will sing.� She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. � Hai, you will.� She shook her head, muffled, �huh-uhs� coming out. � Come on, Cosmos.� He gave her a puppy-dog look. � Onegai?� She sighed and looked skyward. � Domo arigatou!� He kissed her cheek and moved his hand. Cosmos� mouth opened and shut at the sudden display of affection and turned to Duo. � What was that for?� � Being so cooperative.� Cosmos sighed again. � So what�s your definition of not being cooperative?� � Pulling a me and throwing a tantrum.� She raised an eyebrow, then did as she promised and began to sing an old Reaper�s song. After a while, Duo joined her. Their friends� jaws dropped open even further. The two sounded perfect. They complimented each other magnificently. His light baritone blended well with her soprano. When they finished, there was utter silence. Cosmos wrinkled her nose in confusion. � What�s wrong with you all?� Duo just laughed and turned to leave, grabbing Cosmos� wrist to drag her along. � Don�t worry about them! Come on, I want to show you this place I found yesterday. I need you to tell me what you think of it.� He led her out to the end of the bridge, then headed west along the shore until they came upon a cove set far back into the hillside nearby. Cosmos gasped and looked around, trying to take the pristine pool of spring water and blue-green grass in with one quick glance. � Duo, it�s beautiful! How�d you find it?� � I went back to the place you showed me and did some nosing around. I found another pond that had an exit and followed it. I came up there.� He pointed to a semi-large hole in the rock where the spring came from and formed the pool before them before moving in a small stream to empty in the lake. Cosmos went over and peeked into the hole, but there was nothing but blackness. � I don�t see anything.� � The path slopes up to the pond and levels out for about twenty feet before you actually reach the water.� <If she only knew what she was doing to me by standing like that . . .> She looked back at him and frowned. � You�re upset.� |