One Mess After Another
part 3

Heero had been searching the school, he couldn't find Duo anywhere. Finally around dinner time  he walked outside. There, in a heep at the bottom of the steps, was a slim figure with a very familiar braid. "Duo!"

 He picked his unconcious friend up and straited his clothing as he walked up the steps, "Duo you baka." He frowned, "How did you manage to fall down the steps?!"

 He took his bundle to the nurse station and stood watching Duo's still form, unable to understand the warm pain that filled him.

 "She is very lucky." The nurse nodded. "No broken bones or very bad cuts. A concussion is the only worry I have, if you wake her up every two hours and check her, she should be fine." She reached into one if the cabinets. "Here is an ointment for the cuts and bruises both." She handed him a tube, "Just have her apply it morning and night and they should fade quickly."

 "Arigato." Heero nodded.

 "I am just glad you found her."

 "So am I." He murmured and took Duo to the girls wing and his room there.

 "Duo." He smoothed the sweat soaked bangs away from the American's face.

 "Do you hate me now Heero?" He asked softly.

 "What?" Heero frowned.

 "Do you hate me?"

 "Why would I hate you?"

 "For being so stupid."

 "I don't hate you." Heero said quickly. "And you are not stupid."

 Duo licked his dry lips and closed his eyes slowly, "ok."

 Heero frowned and went to find a washrag to wipe the make-up off of Duo's face. As he
did, he found a scar, running across the American's eye, a whip welt scar that hadn't faded. It could have blinded him judging by the angle it lay at. Duo had covered it, even when they were
captured, it had never come to him to wash the boy's face, Zechs had done it, and he must have
known Duo didn't want anyone seeing the blemish and covered it back up. A wave of jealousy
flowed inside him at the thought of Zechs knowing Shinigami better than he did.

 Tender hands rubbed the ointment over the new bruises and cuts and Duo whimpered a
little at it's sting. Heero was even more careful not to hurt him. He smoothed the gel over Duo's
face with his calloused hands and frowned at the imperfection touching the boy's skin. Calloused
hands that had spilled so much blood didn't belong on the pale skin. Neither did the angry
looking scar. When the last of the  scars were medicated, Heero sat at the foot of the bed
and watched Duo sleep. He set his watch to chime every two hours so that he could be sure to
wake him and then rested his chin in his hands and watched.
 
 

 Becky and Grace knocked lightly on the door to Duo's room. Hoping they wouldn't wake
her if she was still asleep. Heero Yuy answered wearing nothing but his uniform pants, "Hai?"

 Becky gasped at the smooth expanse of muscle before her. "Um. . . ah. . . we wanted to
see Duo."

 "She's sleeping." Heero frowned.

 "Oh. . ."

 "Is she ok?" Helen asked softly as not to wake their sleeping friend.

 "She's fine."

 "You. . . you shouldn't be in her room alone."

 Heero glared.

 "Well I don't know about your last school, but to stay alone in a girls room with her at
night can ruin her reputation here."

 He thought a moment then nodded and dragged the two inside then shut the door again.
"Fine, chaperone us then." He ordered then went back to sitting at the foot of her bed.

 Becky and Grace looked nervously at each other but nodded and took out their home
work for the next day. Every now and then Duo would whimper in her sleep and they would look
up to find Heero on his hands and knees beside her, stroking her forehead and whispering
something in her ear. That seemed to calm her.

 When they heard a chime they both looked up and Heero moved to sit beside Duo. He
nudged her shoulder gently and murmured, "Duo. Duo you need to wake up, just for a minute
ok?"

 Duo made a mewing sound and opened her eyes scrunching her face like a freshly woken
kitten. "Heero?"

 "Ohayo." Heero said, looking into her eyes, "I have to check your eyes for signs of a
concussion every two hours tonight." He smoothed his palm over her face, "I'm sorry but I'll
have to keep waking you."

 She was still half asleep, "‘s ok." She smiled as her eyes closed, "‘s worth it to hear you
say Ohayo." Then she fell asleep again.

 The girls started to giggle which earned them a glare from Heero.

 "I'm sorry." Grace smiled, "But you are just so sweet to her."

 Becky nodded, "You act so different around her than by yourself."

 Heero looked down at his sleeping friend then up at her two new friends. "Nothing you
see in this room leaves this room."

 They both nodded, "Of course! We wouldn't spread gossip, especially about Duo!"

 He had been watching those two, they weren't a part of Oz, just a couple of rich girls, like
Relena, here to make the school illusion complete. Duo trusted them enough to relax in their
company, he had decided he could too. It wasn't as if they would ever meet again after this
mission, and they did truly care about Duo. "Arigato."
 
 

 Relena walked along the corridor to Maxwell's room. She would try to talk sense into
that brat one more time. When she knocked, Grace, the daughter of one of her mother's old
friends, answered the door with a smile. She was in her Pajamas! Inside she saw Becky, also in
her nightclothes. "Do I have the wrong room?" She asked. "This is Maxwell's room isn't it?"

 "Did you come to apologize to Duo?" Becky asked.

 "Um. . ."

 "Duo. . ."

 She heard someone in the background. . . Heero! Heero was there!

 "Duo it's been two hours, you have to wake up again, let me check your eyes, I'm sorry
little gajin I know it's annoying."

 "Heero?" He sounds so soft and kind! She stepped into the room, brushing passed Grace.

 "Relena." His head jerked up from where he sat next to Duo. "What do you want?"

 "What are you doing here?" She almost sobbed, "With him."

 "Her." Heero corrected.

 Relena grabbed the covers that lay over Duo's chest and Heero grabbed her hands away
and shoved her up against the wall, "Don't even touch her Relena."

 "But. . ."

 "No." His voice was deadly. "Relena, Duo could have died tonight. Do you understand
that? One slight turn either way could have broken her neck or paralyzed her for life. She doesn't need you doing anything else. Not now." He whispered to her, "We're undercover, shut up or you'll endanger us both."

 Relena gasped but she didn't believe it was that simple, "Do you love her?"

 "I don't know." Heero growled, "I don't understand what Duo makes me feel but I won't
see her hurt, not by you, not by anybody. Duo is my partner, my best friend, a part of me. Duo
keeps me sane." He sat down beside the person in the bed and smoothed the thick chestnut hair,
"Duo stopped me from killing you the last time, if you don't leave now, I'm afraid she can't
protect you this time."

 "Ok Heero, I'm going, but I am not giving up."

 "I didn't ask you to, just lay off of Duo ok?"

 "Fine."

 "Thank you."

 She stepped out of the room and watched the door close then clenched her fists until her
nails made little crescent shaped welts in her palms. "Duo." She grated out as she walked back to
her room.
 
 

 Becky looked at Duo and then at Heero, "Duo saved Relena from you?"

 "Hn."

 "What happened? Why?"

 "I was going to shoot Relena."

 The two girls looked shocked! "What!?"

 "Shh, you'll wake Duo."

 "Sorry." They said softer, "But why would you want to kill Relena?"

 Heero gave her a look.

 "Let me rephrase that. Why did you want to kill her at the time?"

 "Don't ask me and I wont tell you."

 Grace was silent but Becky was curious, "Who are you?"

 "Duo's partner."

 "And Duo is. . .?"

 "My partner."

 "You aren't going to tell us are you."

 "You don't want to know." He said softly and tucked the blankets up to Duo's chin. His
face was warmed with caring and the girls knew that whatever they did, whoever these two really
were, they were still their friends.

 Grace took her book to the bed and sat beside Heero, "Do you know how to do number
ten in the calculous homework?"

 Heero nodded and helped her and Becky with their Homework while he kept an eye on
Duo.

 It was around two AM, the two friends were asleep and Heero's watch chimed. He moved
to the bed and lifted Duo into a sitting position in his arms.

 "Heero." He sighed in his sleep, "Heero."

 "I'm here Duo. Wake up, I need to check again."

 Duo obliged slowly, he felt a soft fluffy thing resting in his arms and looked down to find
his old teddy bear, the one he had given to Heero. "You kept him." He smiled.

 "I carry him in my backpack." Heero admitted, "You needed him more than I do right
now."

 "Thank you." He sighed.

 "For?"

 "For keeping him." For keeping me. Duo stroaked the ragged bear and then fell right back
to sleep, his warm breath teased Heero's skin.

 When Heero sat him back into the bed, Duo curled around a pillow and Heero sighed
then, after glancing at the two sleeping girls in the other bed, he lay on top of the covers beside
Duo and was instantly pulled into the American's arms, the bear was crushed between them.

  "Hm, Heero." Duo sighed and Heero wrapped his arms around the sleeper.

 "Duo."

 A moment later, Duo cried out urgently in his sleep.

 Heero hushed him, "I'm right here. You're ok."

 Becky glanced up from the other bed and decided that it was ok for Heero to lay beside
Duo. He still had his britches on so her friends honor was safe.

 "Kawii!" Grace smiled and whispered to Becky, "He's so shy!"

 "Yeah." Becky sighed, But his silence is hurting Duo. She needs to know he cares. "I
think we need to give him a little push in the right direction.

 "How?"

 "We can start with the carnival this weekend."

 "Will Duo be up to it?"

 "After a whole day and night of this kind of care? Oh yeah."

 "Ok then, let's do it." Grace agreed and they went back to sleep, planning for the days
ahead of them.
 
 

 Duo woke up that afternoon and took a long, cold shower. "Heero what you do to me
sometimes. . ." He came back into the room, make-up on and the underwear of his disguise
firmly in place under a baggy white T-shirt he had. . . borrowed from Heero. Heero was sitting on
his bed. "Breaking and entering now?" Duo teased.

 "Didn't break anything." Heero said sternly. "You stole my shirt."

 "Well old habits etc. ect."

 Duo sat down with his hair brush but Heero took it from him, "Let me."

 "Nani?" Duo looked shocked.

 "I like brushing your hair." Heero said so softly Duo almost missed it.  He ran the brush
gently through Duo's hair working his way up from the bottom of the mass carefully. He inhaled
the fresh scent and reveled in the moist texture of it.

 <I seem to have acquired a hair fetish.>

 <<Pervert!>>

 <Only for Duo.>

 <<. . .>>

 He almost rubbed his cheek in the chestnut fall but a knock on the door stopped him.

 "Duo?" Becky asked.

 "Come in." Duo smiled peacefully.

 The two girls ran in and almost leapt onto the bed befor they saw Heero.

 "Are we interupting?" Grace asked.

 "No." Duo shook his head, "What's up?"

 "The mardi gras party!"

 "What?" Heero asked.

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Duo sighed.

  "I know the festival is coming but what is a mardi gras?"

 "It's an old twenty first century celebration."

"There will be games and vendors, and rides, even a fortune teller!"

"We're definitely going!" Duo grinned, "Do you have dates?"

Becky shook her head, "We're just going to pall around, but you two have to go see what the fortune teller has to say ok?"

Duo grinned, "Sure."

"And Duo?"

 "Hai Grace?"

 Grace leaned closer and whispered, "Stop wearing that wonder-bra, it's ok. A lot of girls
are really flat chested. Heero won't care."

 Duo blushed deep red and they both smiled.

"What are you going to wear?" Becky asked.

Duo held up a black T-shirt that looked like it was made for a child it was so small, "How about this one?"

 Heero stared then grabbed at it, "No way."

Becky and Grace giggled as Heero tried to wrestle the skin tight T-shirt from her grasp. "We
will see you this weekend ok?"

 "Hai." Duo waved from underneath Heero, "Bye!"

 "Bye."

 Heero snatched the shirt from Duo and looked at him firmly, "This will be too tight."

 Duo rolled his eyes, "This from the guy that wears spandex every mission that's tight
enough to be painted onto his skin." The boy slipped on black jeans and left the baggy white shirt
in place after ripping off that stupid bra, then slipped on his black boots. He slipped two gold
cross earrings into his pierced ears (when had Duo pierced his ears?), and slid a slim golden
bracelet around his wrist.

 "Where are you going?" Heero asked and resumed brushing his friends soft hair.

 Duo grinned. "And I just need a free day, you know?"

 "Hai."

 He knew it was pointless to ask Heero, but he did so anyway, "You want to come along?"

 Heero nodded, A whole day free, just like in my dreams. "Sure."

 "Really?!" Duo jumped around and hugged the Japanese boy to him, "Excellent!" Then
jumped away, "Oh! . . . um. . . sorry."

 Heero shook his head, "Let's go."

 Duo started to braid his hair but Heero stopped him, "Leave it free."

 "But. . ."

 "You're a girl for now remember?"

 Heero what are you playing at? "Ok."

 They walked downstairs and out toward the mall. Duo took Heero's hand and neither boy
pulled away. The American was hyper active! Jumping around, looking at everything, exploring
each new thing he found. Heero found himself laughing along with the excited teen and sharing
the discoveries with him. They entered the mall. Both smiling and unguarded. Like a real couple.

 Heero glanced down at their joined hands, Duo.

 Duo pulled him along behind him for hours and Heero let himself be dragged, enjoying
the child-like, innocent smile.
 
 

 Duo dragged Heero after him from store to store, amazed that the Japanese pilot hadn't
hit him yet. He's really smiling! Laughing! God it's like heaven! Wishing to hold that memory
forever, Duo pulled Heero into a photo shop first thing.

 "What are we doing here?"

 "Hold up a sec." Duo ran up to the worker and asked him something. When they were done talking, the American ran back to Heero.

 Duo grinned and pulled Heero into the studio to sit on the white picture prop bench in front of a background made to look like trees in a park.

 "What are we doing?" Heero asked.

 Duo smiled and sat beside Heero holding both of his hands in his. "Just look at me and
smile." He whispered.

 Heero looked up and his eyes caught on Duo's and got drawn inside. He felt like he was
drowning in those violet depths, his hands clasped in Duo's was his only anchor to the real
world. He smiled slightly, just a tiny turn upwards on his lips, but his whole face was glowing to
match the other boy's. The man flashed the picture and the light snapped them both out of it.

 Duo smiled and paid the man who handed him the instant photos in their plastic frames.
Then Duo grabbed Heero's hand again and drug him to a near by toy store.
 
 

 Heero stared at the picture in his hand. Who was the boy in it? Certainly not him! He
looked, normal. Like any boy on an outing with his beloved. Duo hadn't worn that ridiculous
wonder bra and so he looked like himself, but there was a grand radiance around him that Heero
had never seen before. Was he drowning in my eyes too?

 A sparkling caught his eyes and Heero glanced down to see a beautiful set of sterling
silver rings a a shop window. They were shaped like a pair of wings wrapping around in a loop, over lapping at thetop where a gem was resting, a cobalt sapphire shot through with violet blue streaks. The wings weredifferent, one ring had wings that resembled a bats but spiced up to become the wings of death.The other ring had angels wings, they were a little tattered, but still they seemed to illustrate life.

 His eyes searched for Duo. His friend was  still looking in the toy store so Heero slipped quietly inside the other shop.

 "May I help you?" The clerk asked.

 "I. . . how much are they?"

 "These?" She removed them from the case and smiled, "These are antiques, they. . ."

 "I don't want to know their history. How much?"

 The girl frowned, "Too much for you."

 "Try me."

 "Five hundred American dollars a piece."

 Heero smiled and glanced at Duo. "Done. I will bring it when I pick them up tomorrow."

 "Wha. . ."

 He picked up the one with angel wings, "How much extra for an inscription inside?"

 "None, but you want to put an inscription inside a valuable antique?"

 "I don't care what it was, only what it will be." Heero motioned across the mall at his partner.

 "Ah." The clerk nodded, finally understanding.

 He wrote what he wanted on it down on a piece of scrap paper then went over to Duo
who had just imerged from his store, "We need to go."

 "Oh." Duo smiled softly, "The day is done huh?"

 "No but the movie will be if we don't hurry."

 "Movie?" Duo perked up.

 Heero laughed, the second real laughter he had given Duo that day. He seemed
transformed. As if he had decided something that had been weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Duo threw his arm around Heero's shoulder and Heero wrapped his arm around Duo's waist. The
clerk winked at him as they walked out and headed to the theater.
 
 

 Duo was walking on air when they got back to the school that night. Heero had taken him
out for pizza after the movie and they had smiled, and talked just like normal people! No mention
of the Gundams or the war outside of their own lives, just silly ‘getting-to-know-you' talk. Heero
had settled one of Duo's fears that night, even if he didn't realize it.

 "When you didn't open your chute that once you scared me." Duo had said, "I still get
nightmares about it. If Relena hadn't snapped you out of it. . ."

 "‘Relena' didn't snap me out of it. It was my name that brought me back that time.
Anyone could have said it."

 "But why did your name stop you?"

 Because I imagined it was you're sarcastic American lips that were saying it. Even then I
think I loved you. "It was a connection from me to the world."

 Duo had nodded, but his heart was jumping up and down and his subconscious had been
cheering <yes! It wasn't because of her! Yeah!>
 

 When they reached his door, Duo turned to Heero and smiled, "I really had a great day."

 Heero nodded, "Me too." then reached into his backpack and pulled out a hastily wrapped
present, "This is for you." He said quickly.

 Duo opened it and his smile grew, "Heero. . ." He held the plush doll to him and smiled at
his friend. It looked like Heero, only it had battered and torn angel wings and a lopsided halo fell
over it's face. "Where did you find this?"

 He took a deep breath, "I made it."

 "You're kidding!"

 "No."

 "I didn't know you could sew!"

 "I learned." Was all he said.

 "Thank You! Arigato!" Duo hugged the plushy to him and then before he lost his nerve,
he kissed Heero quickly on the lips and then pulled away, "Goodnight."

 Heero stood in shock until Duo had gone inside then he collapsed against the building
wall, "Duo kissed me." He brought his hands lightly to his lips, they tingled with a new found
sensitivity.

 He pulled himself up and almost ran to the boys lodgings and to his room where he threw
himself down upon his bed and reached into his pack to pull out a Duo plushy with decorative,
gothic looking bat wings and a little plush scythe which had been his first project. Heero hugged
it against his chest and curled up to sleep, the picture of him and Duo clutched in his hand. Duo
kissed me. He thought soothingly, And I loved it.

 <<You are a soldier stop hugging that damn doll and snap out of it!>>

 <You have finally learned to love.>

 <<Get off of this bed and go scream at him! Tell him you don't need him! Kill him!>>

 <Duo. Our Duo.>

 <<Our Duo. . . No! What am I thinking! I am a soldier!>>

 <Even soldiers have sweethearts.>

 << Even . . . . No! What about Relena?>>

 <What about her?>

 <<She expects to marry me, she is the logical choice.>>

 <You would kill her within a week. She did have a part in teaching us to ‘feel', but Duo
taught us how to love.>

 <<Duo.>>

 <Duo>

 "Duo."
 
 

~tbc~