Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ G-men ❯ Friends and Lovers ( Chapter 29 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.17.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 10.1K | Visits: 824 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 06.17.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 10.1K | Visits: 824 | Status: Work In Progress
Author's Notes: Fluffy part, mostly dialogue.
Reader Response: I've had a few people suggest a pairing for Yusuke involving Jin. I have considered putting Jin in as a minor character at some point in the fic (no spoilers), but it would be as a partner to Touya. I wouldn't mind having a threesome to include Yusuke, but I'm a major Touya fan, and I like him with Jin - I couldn't give away his seme and leave him bereft. I'd sooner leave them out of the fic altogether.
Others have asked if I plan to put more YYH characters in here - I *do* plan to have more characters, minor ones (less than Yusuke's role even), and a few probably will be from YYH. Gundam Wing just doesn't have that many characters who strike me as being 'mutant material' - aside from the ones I'm already using. For the curious, there will be two more GW characters added at some point (one popping up soon). Otherwise the main GW cast has already been established.
To the Readers: If anyone has a suggestion for possible 'rouge' mutants from anime other than GW or YYH, let me know.
This is a vague fusion with the original X-men animated series.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho, AU
Warnings: shonen ai, fluff, light humor, possible minor angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina(a)hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www.geocities.com / arigatomina
G-men
Part 29: Friends and Lovers
Duo woke to the sound of his name being murmured into his hair, some distant thought telling him it had been going on for a while. True to form, his mind protested waking, and he groaned, digging his head harder into the pillow under him. The name came again and physical discomfort prodded his mind to pay more attention as strong arms tightened around him. Groaning louder, he twisted his arms free of the blankets, his limbs heavy and awkward, almost boneless when he pushed on the tight grip that seemed set on squeezing the life out of him. "I'm up," he groaned, "I'm up. Stop it already." Silence held for a moment, then those arms loosened and he sighed in relief. The bed shifted under him, but he didn't bother to open his eyes. He was busy wrapping his own arms over his aching ribs. "Couldn't you have just pulled the blanket off like usual...? That hurt..."
"Duo?" Heero pushed himself up, not sure what the boy was talking about. His mind was still hazy with sleep so the main thing he focused on was that Duo had spoken, meaning the boy was awake. "Are you okay?"
"Mm," Duo sniffed, rolling onto his back with a muddled scowl. "No thanks to you..." He hadn't opened his eyes, so he missed the flash of guilt that swept over Heero's face. "Where you trying to break my ribs or something?"
Heero frowned, running a hand over his forehead to get the tussled hair out of his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Your wake up call," Duo sniffed. He opened one bleary violet eye and pouted, rubbing his ribcage with an overly painful look. "I heard you calling my name. You didn't have to squeeze me, too. I would have woken up eventually."
"I didn't..." Obviously he had done something, but Heero didn't remember saying anything, and he'd gone to sleep with the intention of letting the boy wake naturally. "I must have been dreaming."
Duo opened his other eye, a faint smile curving his lips. "Really? You were dreaming about me? What were you dreaming?"
"I don't remember," Heero admitted. "I didn't mean to wake you up, though. If you're still tired, go back to sleep. I'll get up so I don't accidentally wake you again."
That was a new one that made Duo's mind swim more toward coherent thought. "You'd actually let me go back to bed? Since when? What time is it?"
A glance at his wrist found it to be around six. Since Heero doubted he could really have slept the entire night, he took that to be evening rather than morning. "You slept through the afternoon," he said. "You passed out in the forest, remember?"
"No..." With a disgruntled scowl, Duo pushed himself up, his arms giving that jelly-like boneless shake. His elbows refused to lock, and he gave a sigh when Heero caught his back, helping him sit up. "Last thing I remember is looking into that hole and wondering if my head were going to fall off."
"You used too much of your energy," Heero told him. "I'm going to lecture you about that tomorrow." Wide violet eyes flashed up to him and he gave the boy a sharp nod. "We had to get help from Yukina and one of the students to keep you from being in a coma for a week or more."
"No way..."
"Yes, so don't think I'm ignoring what happened." Heero pulled the boy so he sat with his back supported by the wall, not minding Duo's confused expression. "I'm not going to yell at you tonight. It can wait until morning."
"Okay," Duo said slowly, blinking wary eyes on the boy. "So what are you going to do tonight?"
"Whatever you want." Ignoring the disbelief on his lover's face, Heero folded his arms and nodded again, his expression entirely sober. "Tell me what you want me to do. If I can, then I'll do it."
"What is this?" Duo asked, a weak grin twisting his lips. "Are you granting a wish or something?"
"No limit, so long as it's a reasonable request."
Duo shook his head, taken back by Heero's stead gaze. "But why? You don't owe me anything."
"I think so," Heero frowned. "I'm going to make it up to you." The boy grinned suddenly and shook his head at him. Heero didn't move, still waiting to hear what Duo would have him do.
"Make what up to me?" Duo smiled. "You're being strange, Heero. You know that, right?"
"I wasn't paying any attention to you," Heero admitted. "You asked me out there so you wouldn't be alone while you worked on your talent. If I'd watched you like I was supposed to, you never would have exerted yourself so much. You still should have known better than to keep pushing it like that, but I'm not going to get into that tonight. The fact is, I made a mistake and it could have killed you. I want to make it up to you. Just tell me what I need to do."
"Hold that thought," Duo muttered. He scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes before giving a wide yawn and settling more comfortably against the wall. "Okay, so you think you owe me because I couldn't use my own talent without passing out? That's definitely not your fault."
"I told you," Heero frowned. "I should have been watching you. If I hadn't been so caught up in searching Kurama's real name, I'd have noticed before it was too late that you were pushing your limits. That was my responsibility, what I agreed to when I said I'd keep you company while you worked."
"Real name?" Duo asked, that comment sticking better than the others had in his still wakening mind. "Kurama's not his real name?"
Heero shook his head. He didn't like the distraction, but if Duo wanted to know, then telling him was just doing what he wanted. And that was the point. "It is now. His real name up until six years ago was Shuuichi Minamino. Kurama told me to look that name up, so I did." He sighed, his expression turning bland. "And you were right, there's no reason to distrust him. The information I found proves to me that he isn't working for anyone but himself."
"Are you admitting you were wrong?" Duo asked, leaning forward with wide eyes. Heero's left eyebrow twitched and he smiled at the boy. "So...this idea about you doing anything I want. Did you really mean anything?"
If he hadn't already set his mind to it, Heero might have winced at the mischievous glitter in those bright eyes. "Yes. So long as it's something I can do, I'll do it."
"All right," Duo said. He leaned back again, folding his arms over his chest. "I want you to apologize to Kurama - apologize for having Zechs read him without asking him first."
Heero nodded sharply. "Do you want me to find him and do it now, or can it wait till I see him again?"
Eyes widening, Duo stared in disbelief. "You'd really do that? Just because I asked you to...?"
"Yes," Heero admitted. "And since I am sorry for having wasted that time and causing the strife with Zechs, I can honestly tell him as much. I couldn't apologize if I wasn't sorry, but I am, so that's a request I can fulfill."
"Wow," Duo murmured, shaking his head. "I'm going to have to think about this so I can take advantage of you. How long are you going to do whatever I want?"
Heero's eyebrow twitched again, but he kept from groaning. He'd decided this was the best way to make it up to Duo. There was no way he'd back out now. "Just tonight. I can wait till tomorrow to yell at you, but no longer than that."
"I'd rather you didn't yell at me at all," Duo frowned. "Why would you yell at me? It's not like I made myself sick on purpose."
"You were careless and-" Heero clamped his mouth shut, closing his eyes for a long moment before sighing. "I'm not going to start. That can wait. Tonight I want you to be happy, and you won't be happy when I start lecturing you."
It was given in such a firm tone that Duo couldn't help but laugh at the boy. "It's really sweet for you to say that you want me happy, but when you say it like that it sounds more like a mission. Only you would make it a mission to make someone happy."
Sliding off the bed, Heero shrugged. "Whatever works best. I'm less likely to screw up if I make it a mission." He stood looking down at his watch. "Wufei brought some food up earlier but it's probably cold and stale by now. Are you hungry? You didn't eat much this morning. Tell me what you want and I'll bring it up here."
"Dinner in bed?" Duo's eyes widened, a wide smile spreading over his face. "This sounds like fun!"
"I was going to suggest you eat at the desk," Heero admitted, a light frown curving his lips. "But if you want to eat in bed, I won't argue."
"No," Duo smiled, "that's okay. I can probably walk fine if I go slow, so we can eat downstairs."
"If you stumble along the way, I'm going to pick you up and carry you in front of however many students are in the hall," Heero warned. "I think you'd rather eat here."
The prospect of that sort of embarrassment was enough to put a damper on his enthusiasm. Duo shivered. "On second thought, up here's fine. But you'll have to fill me in on how everyone else did today."
There was one request he couldn't fulfill. Heero sighed and shook his head. "I can't do that. I stayed with you after you passed out, so I haven't gotten a chance to find out how the others did. We're going to fill each other in tomorrow."
"Oh." Duo frowned for a moment before he noticed Heero's expression. The boy actually looked sorry. He quickly flashed him a smile. "Well, that's okay. Just nab me something salty, something sweet, and lots of caffeine. We can have a private dinner for two."
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Heero said. He turned to pull on his shoes, brushing a bit of wrinkles out of his clothes. But he stopped when he reached the door, a light frown marring his face. "Don't get up till I get back, all right? I don't know if the symptoms will last, but the last time you stood up, that was what caused you to faint. I don't want to come back up here and find you on the floor."
"And I don't want you to find me on the floor," Duo winced. "I'll stay right here, I promise."
There weren't nearly as many students in the halls as Heero had expected, but he was still glad he'd convinced Duo to stay in the room. While he didn't like the idea of carrying the boy in front of the students again, his real motivation was to keep him isolated. If he brought him downstairs, chances were good the others would be there and they'd spend the evening talking and catching up on what had happened that day. He wanted to keep Duo to himself tonight. The rest could wait until tomorrow. His steps quickened when he reached the stairs, and he nearly bumped into someone as he ducked past a slow moving group. The tall boy grinned and waved at him before hurrying past and for a minute, Heero couldn't think why the boy seemed so familiar. He glanced over his shoulder as the boy disappeared around the edge of the stairwell, recognizing that orange fluff of hair. For someone Wufei had deemed the head bumbler, Kuwabara was quick when he wanted to be. Shrugging the encounter off, Heero ducked his way past the other students and into the main hall.
This area seemed to be popular. Whereas the upstairs hall had been virtually empty, this hall was teeming with little clusters of students, some eating, others just standing around talking to each other. He ignored them all, his sights set on the door at the far end. He was just passing the front doors to the manor when something hard pressed his sternum, halting his motion as if he'd walked into a wall. Heero scowled, his eyes locking on the bandaged hand on his chest before flicking up to see who it was. Red eyes glared at him and he blinked in surprise.
"I may be short," Hiei growled, "but I don't like being walked through."
Kurama hid a quiet laugh behind his hand, shaking his head at Heero. "You were looking right over his head. I thought you were going to bowl him over." Dark blue eyes snapped to him and his smile faded into a calm look. He reminded himself that this boy didn't trust him. Dropping his eyes, he smirked at Hiei. "Let him go, you can see he's in a hurry." He nodded to Heero as Hiei sniffed and stepped to the side. "I take it Duo is doing better?"
"Yes." Heero scowled, still irritated that he'd nearly walked right into Hiei. Since he wasn't that tall himself, he honestly hadn't thought to look down in case a shorter student was in his way.
"That's good to hear," Kurama said. "Well, we won't keep you."
Heero closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Kurama?" The redhead blinked at him when he looked over, and Heero firmly kept the scowl off his face. "I apologize for having Zechs read you. I'm sorry." Wide green eyes stared at him, but he didn't wait around to watch them. With a sharp nod, he continued toward the cafeteria. One request fulfilled, and it hadn't been as hard as he'd thought it would be.
Blinking after the darkhaired boy, Kurama frowned. "What just happened here?"
"He admitted it was his idea," Hiei glared. "And he's sorry for it, as he should be."
"Ah," Kurama grinned weakly, looking down at Hiei's hostile expression. "Well, unexpected apologies are nice. No need to get angry about something like that. It'll just make your headache worse."
"Hn."
Dropping his hand, Kurama prodded Hiei into motion. "Come on," he said, smiling down at his friend. "You're as tense as a rattler and standing here isn't going to make it any better. Besides, the students are staring at you." Red eyes flicked back to glare at the students closest to them, and Kurama smirked as the kids scrambled out of their way. He didn't care for the way the students treated Hiei like some sort of leper, but his little friend enjoyed scaring the wits out of them with that glare of his. Intimidation or not, if it made him happy...
They'd come back earlier than planned, once Kurama realized Hiei was grimacing from more than just the subject of their discussion. A quick check and a bit of concerned prying had found the boy with one nasty tension headache. At least, that was what it looked like to Kurama. Rather than letting him take care of it outside, Hiei had insisted he wanted to lie down where no noises would irritate him. Downstairs was the quietest place. Unfortunately, fast movements seemed to complicate the problem. That slow walk back to the manor hadn't done much to improve Hiei's mood.
Despite his abnormally slow pace, Hiei still managed to disappear while Kurama was only halfway down the stairs. He found the boy stretched out on his stomach, lying on the table in the break room, his cloak spread out beneath him. Kurama couldn't help the sly grin that curved his lips when he shut the door behind him. "Then you're taking me up on the offer?" he asked. A low grunt managed to make it out from where Hiei's face was hidden in his arms, and Kurama took it for a definite 'yes, so hurry up.' Crossing to stand over him, Kurama tilted his head to the side. "But you'll need to take your shirt off first."
With a loud sigh, Hiei sat up, scowling at the redhead. He grimaced when he raised his arms, the knotted muscles sending pain along the back of his neck, straight to his head. Kurama took the dark shirt, letting him plop back down without messing with it. "Is this going to sting?" he grumbled, his face hidden in his arms again.
"No," Kurama smiled. "It might feel warm and a bit numbing, but it won't hurt until I start loosening the muscles themselves. And that will feel much better after a few minutes. I promise."
"Good," Hiei sniffed. "I haven't felt like this since I woke up after lying still for two weeks."
"Having your muscles tense for too long does cause stress, but this is more like having them clench too tightly when you're not trying to use them." Kurama couldn't help but grin as he sat on the table, leaning over that pale back. This was making his hormones rage and while he wasn't going to do anything but loosen those tense muscles in Hiei's upper back, it was still an excuse to touch him in a manner that was different from their usual embraces. He smeared the ointment on first, wincing a bit when Hiei growled at him. "It doesn't sting, does it?"
"No," Hiei grumbled. "But it's cold and tingly."
"It'll numb in a few seconds, just wait for it to settle in. This is used for inflamed joints, and pulled muscles to ease the pain. It should keep the actual massage from hurting so much."
Hiei wrinkled his nose, digging his face tighter in his arms. "I don't care if it hurts so long as it stops being so tense. I can't even move my head." He really hated not being able to move freely.
"Well," Kurama said quietly, "I've never actually done this before. But I do think the idea is to force the muscles to unclench. From what I've heard, a good massage is supposed to hurt...then it feels great. So even if I can't get you to relax entirely, any effort should help some."
"You're experimenting on me again," Hiei growled, his voice still muffled by his arms. "Can't you make some plant to fix this?"
"...I don't think so." Sighing, Kurama slipped off the table so he stood near Hiei's head. He pulled up a chair to kneel on so he'd be positioned over the boy with easy access to his upper back. It would have been much simpler to straddle Hiei's back, but that was one position he wasn't going to even think about right now. Hiei was miserable. He'd never take advantage of that. Leaning forward, he moved his hands over those tense shoulders, finding the muscles he wanted to start on first. "This will hurt," he warned, lifting on his knees so he'd have leverage. "But you have to try and keep yourself relaxed. You can't clench your muscles or I'll never get them loose." A low, unintelligible sound answered him, and he got to work.
- - -
"If you get sick from eating too fast, I'm going to leave it for you to clean up in the morning." Heero's face twisted in distaste at the idea, but he meant the warning. "Stop shoveling your food, it isn't going anywhere."
"Be nice," Duo said, smirking before directing a large forkful of tangy pasta into his mouth. He barely chewed before swallowing and leaning down to dig up another load. "I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. Besides, I almost asked you to feed me. Be glad I didn't. I probably would have bitten your hand off if you tried to make me slow down."
"Exhaustion should make you less hungry, weaker and listless." Heero raised an eyebrow, almost scowling. "I've never heard of it making you ravenous."
"Well, maybe it's different when you're exhausted from using energy instead of normal exhaustion." Inhaling another mouthful of food, Duo nodded happily. "And I'd much rather be hungry than queasy and sick. I'm not exactly fat to begin with, you know. Can you imagine if I stopped eating?" Wide violet eyes filled his face, and Duo shivered before diving down toward the food again. "I'd blow right over the first time you yelled at me."
Heero's lips twitched despite himself. The boy wasn't exactly scrawny, but he certainly couldn't do with losing any weight. "It's probably a reaction to whatever energy Yukina and that boy gave you. Either that, or your body is trying to replenish itself through food."
"Whatever it is, I like it. My arm hasn't shook once since I started eating. That has to be a good sign."
Not commenting on that, Heero resigned himself to wait. He'd long since eaten his fill and he now regretted having gotten a variety for Duo. He just hadn't known what to get the boy; his 'salty-sweet-caffeine' order had been vague at best. Now he realized he'd worried for nothing. From all appearances, Duo would eat anything if he were hungry enough. After a few minutes of the uncomfortable sight, Heero sighed and snatched the tray away. "Enough, Duo. You might be abnormally hungry, but your stomach hasn't grown. It won't be able to fit all of that food, whether you want to eat it or not."
"Come on," Duo groaned, his eyes shining on the items remaining on that tray. "At least let me get to the dessert - I didn't get my sweet food yet."
Heero's expression fell into a droll look and he sighed, handing back the small packet of pudding. "That's it. The pastries can sit in their containers till morning. If you're still hungry then, you can have them for breakfast. Not before." The boy barely heard him, having snatched up that packet and torn into it with fervor. "You do know you're brushing your teeth the moment you're done with that, right?"
Blinking in surprise, Duo paused in his eating. "Why? It can wait till I go to bed."
"Because your breath is going to smell like cheesy vinegar chocolate paste," Heero grimaced. "And then I'll be sick."
Duo snickered, finishing off his dessert with a wry grin. "Wouldn't want my breath to kill you, so I guess you're right enough." Having run out of food yet again, Duo sighed and sent one more look to the tray Heero was holding. "What about-"
"No," Heero said sharply, his eyebrow twitching at the boy's pout. He moved the tray to the corner of the room, setting it between the closet and the desk where it wouldn't be seen without a person going to stand right in front of it. Hopefully Duo would be less inclined to sneak more if it weren't in his line of vision. When he turned back to the bed, it was to find a sweet smiling Duo looking up at him, hands folded in a seemingly innocent pose. Heero's eyes narrowed, one eyebrow rising slowly. "What?"
"Well," Duo said, still smiling up at Heero. "This morning you offered to wash my hair for me...remember saying that? And since I need to brush my teeth now anyway, I might as well take a shower while I'm at it. Only, it would be dangerous if I were to get dizzy and fall, in there all by myself..."
Heero smirked, shaking his head at the boy's winsome smile. "You don't have to wheedle me into it," he said. "I was already planning to get you naked and wet at some point tonight."
Eyes wide, Duo felt heat rush over his face. It wasn't the idea of it so much as actually hearing it from Heero. Sometimes he forgot that the boy could be as bold as anyone. "Really..."
"Of course," Heero said simply. He moved to stand beside the bed where he'd be able to lift the boy without Duo having to move at all. "But I'd planned it this morning after the frizz incident. You didn't really think I was offering to just wash your hair, did you?"
"How would I know," Duo grumbled, his face still a little warmer than usual. "I was half asleep and you were kissing me senseless. I'm lucky I remembered it at all."
"Well," Heero commented, bending so he could lift the boy. "I did say I'd do anything you wanted this evening. All you have to do is ask." Duo smirked at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Just don't kiss me till you brush your teeth."
"Spoilsport."
- - -
Giving a massage wasn't nearly as fun as Kurama had thought. It wasn't just running his hands over Hiei's warm, silky smooth skin. It was pressing and kneading and oh, how his arms hurt from the effort. But the little sounds he'd received in the last few minutes made it all worth while, as those knots eased into sinewy but languid muscle. The sighs were even better than what Hiei gave him when he ran his hands through the boy's velvety hair. Whereas their embraces left an impression that Hiei were giving a contented purr, this was more in line with how Kurama felt. Warm, liquid pleasure. He left the chair to resume his earlier position on the table, leaning down to rub lower over the small of Hiei's back. "Hiei...?"
"Mm..."
Kurama smirked at the little sound and he could just imagine what Hiei's face looked like, half-lidded eyes with an almost sleepy smile. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes," Hiei rumbled, lifting his head from his arms and dropping his chin onto them. Those warm hands left him and he sighed, glancing back over his shoulder at the fox. "Are you done, then?"
Where he'd imagined it before, now Kurama could see that sleepy look. Only those dark red eyes were glittering too much for Hiei to be tired, more like content. "I don't know," Kurama teased, running a hand over Hiei's shoulders and dipping it to press along the boy's neck. "I was just starting to enjoy myself. Now that the muscles are loose, I don't have to try as hard. My arms were aching for a while there. This is much easier."
Hiei raised an eyebrow, rolling a bit so he could see the fox without craning his head around. "Do your arms hurt? I could do that, what you did."
The mere thought of Hiei rubbing his shoulders, even if it were painful at first, sent a flush over Kurama's face. He shook his head quickly, flashing the boy a faint smile. "No, I'm all right. But I wouldn't mind doing this for a little longer." His face cleared and he winked playfully. "You were enjoying it, ne?"
"Hn." Rolling his eyes with a smirk, Hiei turned back onto his stomach. "You have soft hands, of course I was enjoying it." Those warm hands moved onto his back again and he closed his eyes, resting his cheek on his folded arms. "You're good at this..."
"Thank you," Kurama smirked. "I'll have to do it more often. If I get a 'good' from you on my first try, just imagine what I could get with practice." Those narrow shoulders shook beneath his palms, a vague laugh that didn't quite reach the air. Leaning down, Kurama brushed the boy's neck again. "Hiei...?"
"What?"
The slightly impatient sound told him how much Hiei was enjoying himself. Kurama's smile turned slightly smug. "Let's go to bed."
Hiei frowned, not sure what to make of the way his friend kept interrupting. "I thought you said you wanted to do this more?"
"Oh, I do," Kurama smiled, his voice soft. "But this table really isn't very comfortable."
Snorting softly, Hiei rolled onto his side so he could push himself up. "Don't tell me. You're the one who said a hard surface is best."
Kurama nodded. "For the difficult part, yes. People use actual tables for giving massages - not as hard as this one, but flat and stable. Now, though, there's no need for me to apply pressure to the muscles, so we might as well be comfortable." He slipped a hand over Hiei's shoulder to brush at the boy's thick hair, his lips curving into a teasing smile. "Besides that, I want to see if I can lull you into falling asleep. I bet it would work much better than my poor attempt at singing."
Recognizing the 'plea' for a compliment, Hiei rolled his eyes. "You sing fine. I just don't fall asleep when there's something interesting to listen to." The redhead beamed at him, and he smirked as he shifted so his legs fell over the edge of the table. "Don't expect me to sleep from this, though. It's at least as interesting as your voice."
With a light laugh, Kurama stepped back so Hiei could hop down to the floor beside him. "You do wonders for my ego."
"I know," Hiei smirked, red eyes flicking up to glint at the taller teen. "Not that you need it."
"Of course I do," Kurama said firmly. He caught up Hiei's cloak and retrieved the discarded shirt before prodding the boy out of the room. Even if Hiei hadn't told him he was feeling better, he'd have known by the easy way he walked. It added a touch of smug pride to the giddy little bit of him that was jumping up and down at having 'felt up' Hiei like that. As candid as his young friend had been about enjoying the touch, he couldn't help but feel optimistic. If Hiei thought that was good, he couldn't wait to introduce a few other pleasurable activities to him.
"What are you grinning about, fox?" Wide green eyes flashed down at him, and Hiei's eyebrow raised at the 'caught' look on Kurama's face. It was hidden quickly, but he knew what he'd seen. Frowning up at Kurama's suddenly blank expression, he had a quick memory that sparked a nasty little twinge in him. "You aren't thinking about that boy, are you?"
"What?" Kurama's eyes widened even more and his mind went blank for a long moment. "Who?"
"The one you shed all over," Hiei sniffed. He turned away, stalking off toward their room. A few seconds later he could hear Kurama jolting into motion after him. "The dark-haired one."
"Wufei?!" Conflicting emotions were spurring through him, and Kurama shook his head furiously, trying to settle them. It was one thing to be happy that Hiei was jealous, but he wasn't about to ruin their evening by letting his friend get in a huff. "Of course not," Kurama said quickly, catching up to Hiei as they entered the hall. "I do like him, but he was the last thing on my mind. You can believe me, the only one I'm thinking about right now is you."
"I don't care if you think about him," Hiei frowned, looking back over his shoulder. "Just don't grin like that if you don't want to share what you're grinning about. I don't like secrets."
"Ah..." Kurama winced as he forced a weak smile to cross his face. "The truth is, Hiei, I was thinking about you. It's just not something I'm ready to come out and say yet. But you can be sure, I wouldn't have smiled if it were anything bad. Just a little silly of me." His friend had turned away again, but his back wasn't tense so Kurama knew he wasn't angry. After a moment, Hiei sighed.
"Why aren't you ready?" Hiei asked, his voice sober. The redhead didn't answer quickly enough for him and he went on to open the door to their room. "You know you can tell me anything."
Following after him, Kurama waited until they were inside before responding to that almost accusatory tone. "I haven't found the right way to say it," he admitted softly. Dark red eyes stared at him, and he smirked wryly when Hiei sighed.
"You're really going to make me wait?" A bright nod answered him, and Hiei glowered, instantly suspicious. "Is this one of your games?" he asked, a soft growl lining the question.
Kurama blinked, innocence radiating from his features. "Do you think I'd play with you like that?"
"Yes," Hiei snorted. "And you'll pout when I get angry about it."
"I wouldn't," Kurama sniffed, lifting his chin in a dignified manner. "I might be disappointed, but I would never pout."
Hiei's eyebrow twitched, his expression droll. "You're pouting right now."
Eyes wide in feigned indignation, Kurama gaped at the boy. "What? I most certainly am not."
A low, long-suffering sigh filled the dim room, and Hiei promptly let himself pitch over onto the blankets. "Act your age," he grumbled, tossing an arm over his eyes.
"Oh," Kurama smirked, "You're one to talk." A wide red eye peaked up at him from under that arm, and he sniffed down at Hiei. "You should play more yourself."
"Hn. I'm too old for games," Hiei frowned, not quite annoyed so much as impatient. "If you want to play, go find the elemental. If you want to stay here, then finish what you started earlier."
It took four seconds for Kurama to catch on to what Hiei was talking about. His playful manner abruptly gave way to a wide, sly smile. "Of course," he said smoothly, sliding down to hover next to his friend. "So sorry to have kept you waiting." A glinting gaze met him, and he nearly grinned when he caught a flash in the dim light, just a hint of one narrow fang from the boy's slight smile. Then Hiei stretched out on his stomach and Kurama did grin, staring down at him. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Hiei stood a good chance of becoming addicted to this sort of thing. And Kurama was just the person to seduce him into it. Mutant transformations aside, Hiei did bring out the fox in him.
- - -
So much had changed over the years that it felt as if a lifetime had passed since he'd lived here. The halls were nearly unrecognizable with the carpeting replaced by polished hardwood, partial rugs lining the center of the walkway. Zechs knew from sight that they'd never be as soft as the ones he'd run barefoot over as a child. While hadn't thought he'd see the place again, he couldn't help the pang of homesickness that hit him as he marked one change after another. By turning the manor into a school, they'd removed almost every memory he had of the place. It made walking the dark halls an almost creepy sensation. But he'd felt the urge to do it at least once, now that the students were hidden away in their rooms. This was a chance to familiarize himself with the sensation of standing outside the past.
The slow walk took him to the top floors, his ultimate goal being the left-hand attic - if it still existed in this remodeled building. Chances were good that even if it were still used for storage, it had been cleaned out. Relena hadn't said anything about what he left behind, so either his father had destroyed the things, or she'd never thought to look. That knowledge ate at him, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her. She'd been so young back then, he should have known she'd never venture up there alone. But he'd thought, hoped, that she would eventually go to the last place they'd played together, to that one spot in their large home where they were away from everyone. He knew better now. If she had gone up there, she would have found the message he left behind, would have known why he'd had to leave. His conscience was racking him now that he knew that message had never been found or passed on. Relena hadn't been the only one he'd left behind. It was just a matter of time before word got out that he'd returned, and he wasn't prepared to deal with the repercussions of his seemingly childish flight from responsibility.
The last, twisted flight of stairs was more cramped than he'd remembered, and he knew he should have brought a light with him. The last thing he wanted was to stumble and break his neck over something so trivial. He walked carefully, feeling his way along the smooth wall. A small part of him wondered if his palm would be coated in dust when he looked at it later. The attics were more like a floor, only the sloped ceiling distinguishing them from any other floor in the large building. The room he wanted was in the very back, but he'd no more than stepped up into the first area than he found himself halting. His mind was closed tightly, a block he'd been holding since that afternoon, but he didn't need to do a search to know he wasn't alone. The attic should have been pitch black. Instead, there was a faint bit of pale light easing under the door to his right. Not sure what he might find, he stilled himself before pulling the door open as quietly as he could. He might as well have knocked first.
Dark eyes glittered in the fall of moonlight, but it was the pale hair that really completed the scene, soaking up the rays and reflecting them on the floor around the open window. Zechs stared for a long moment before he could break himself from it. She looked ethereal. "I'm sorry." The words were out before he realized he had opened his mouth, and Zechs might have blushed at himself. Whether it was unintentional or not, he'd intruded on something.
"It's all right," Yukina smiled, waving a pale hand for the man to join her. She was sitting in the open window, her small form fitting it well enough that she didn't even have to duck her head. "No one comes up here, so I like to sit sometimes. It's very pretty from up here."
"This was a schoolroom once," Zechs said, still unsure of himself as he moved to stand next to the open window. He was half worried that she'd pitch right out of it, but her comfortable position told him she did this often. "I was taught in this room as a child."
"Here?" Yukina asked, her dark eyes wide. "But it's so dark in here. The window was painted when I came, so even the brightest sunlight barely filtered through. This isn't a place for teaching."
"It was, though," Zechs shrugged. It was uncomfortable being so close to her, as if he'd walked in on the girl bathing or something equally private. It reminded him that this was no longer his home. "They brought in plate glass lamps when Relena started schooling, so it was never that dark. Only at night."
"I didn't know that," Yukina frowned. She turned a bit more, her gaze shifting over the dimly lit room. "Relena-dono's father fixed it for me so I'd have a place to feed the birds from, not long after I came here. It hasn't been used for anything else for as long as I've lived here. I didn't mean to change your memories."
The statement confused him for a moment before he understood what she meant. "It's nothing," Zechs said, giving her a weak smile. "The entire place is different from how I remember it. And I was never partial to this schoolroom anyway. I did like the attic, though." Turning so he could lean his back on the wall next to the open window, Zechs sent the girl a light look. "Have you been in the other rooms?"
"Oh, no," Yukina said quickly, shaking her head so her gleaming hair fairly sparkled in the moonlight. She didn't notice the way Zechs stared at that. "No one is allowed in there. Because of the fire."
Icy cold washed over him and it had nothing to do with the mutant sitting near him. Zechs' eyes dimmed and he gave a dark smile. "A fire in the back room, by chance?"
"Did you know about it?" Yukina sighed, frowning at the doorway he'd come in through. "The damage was so bad they had to redo the roof over the room. But the floor held up. Relena-dono says it's all boarded off and safe enough now, so long as no one walks there." She was quiet for a moment before glancing over to the white-haired man beside her. His dark smile caught her eye and she stared at it. "What is it?"
"Did you like living here?" Zechs asked, his voice soft. He didn't look over, not wanting her to see his expression.
"It was quiet," Yukina said slowly. "And I was lonely for something I didn't understand. Relena-dono was very kind to me, though. After a while I learned to love the freedom here. Now that Hiei is here with me, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."
"And my father?"
The words were low, and Yukina eased closer to the side of the window her back was against. She wasn't afraid of him, but the darkness in his voice was uncomfortable to be so close to. Hiei was the only one she could accept darkness from, their pain being the same. "Your father... He was a very unhappy man."
Zechs laughed suddenly, his gloom breaking as he sent the girl a soft smile. "You're diplomatic. Do you get that from the time you've spent with Relena?" The girl blinked at him, head tilted a bit so her red eyes seemed darker. "Her habits, I mean," he said. "I know you were about her age when you were adopted, but it looks like she's rubbed off on you."
"She has taught me a lot," Yukina smiled. "But Relena-dono says I taught her as well. We helped each other."
"Then you got along right from the start." The girl gave a happy nod, and Zechs raised an eyebrow at her. "But you still call her 'dono'? I don't think you need to use a term of respect on your sister." He gave a kind smile when the girl looked surprised.
Yukina stared at him for a long moment, then flicked her gaze outside. "Relena-dono has been very kind to me. And I do care for her. But she is not my sister, and she never will be. Hiei is my family. Relena-dono is my dearest friend, but not blood." She turned a slow smile on Zechs, not minding the uncertainty clouding his face. "It's nothing to be sad about," she told him softly. "We prefer it this way. Neither of us will every have a sister, but we have each other and now that you're here, we have our brothers. It's all the family we need."
Something about the way she said it sent a wash of guilt and apprehension over him. Zechs shifted uneasily, tearing his eyes away. He wasn't going to stay here. Sooner or later the others would be ready and he would leave Relena a second time. He didn't want to think about how she would take that double rejection. Glancing over, he shook his head at Yukina. "You're very wise for your age."
A soft, almost tinkling laughter whispered in the quiet room, and he found himself shivering at it, snapping his gaze away. There was nothing frightening about the girl, not with her inviting aura. But he had a discomforting thought that if he were to look into her red eyes when she laughed, he'd see a shadow of something else. He had just realized that she and Hiei had the same eyes. The only difference was that hers were hopeful, his were resigned. Looking deeper he could see the same core in both, ancient eyes staring out of young faces.
"Relena-dono tells me I'm naïve and innocent," Yukina smiled. "Everyone tells me that. I don't think anyone has ever called me wise before."
"Do you consider yourself wise?" Zechs asked, still not looking at her. "Not what others tell you. What do you believe?"
"I don't know," Yukina admitted. She frowned a bit, her gaze shifting to the moon again. "There is so much I haven't seen and barely know the words for, even now. Isn't wisdom something you learn over time? All I've learned is that I love my family, and I want to be surrounded in happiness. I never want to see anyone suffer again. Even if it's just a small thing, I want to keep people from suffering. That's naïveté, not wisdom. I am naïve and I want to always be that way. But I'm not innocent, no more than I'm wise. I'm just..." Turning back to the dark room, she caught Zechs' eyes and smiled at him. "I'm just me."
"You're beautiful..." Her eyes closed, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks, but Zechs stared at that small smile. He could see it, how this girl, mutant as she was, could have won over his father. Who could hate her? Even a hateful, angry and bitter person would begrudgingly admit that she was the epitome of light. Zechs sighed, his lips curving into a wry smile. His father's resolve must have cracked into a thousand pieces when he learned Yukina was a mutant. Now he understood how the man could have gone from hating mutants on sight, to opening his own kingdom to shelter and educate them. It would take someone as extremely...good...as Yukina to change him that much.
- - -
Trowa woke sharply, aware of some change though it took a bit before he knew what was different. His arms were no longer wrapped around a warm body. Light fingers brushed his long bangs away from his face and he turned curious eyes up to the source. Quatre was sitting up next to him, the boy's back leaning on the wall in a way that told him the boy had been like that for some time. He raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did I wake you up?" Quatre asked, a quick smile passing over his face. "I didn't think I would. I've been watching you for a while now, so I didn't think you'd notice."
"What's wrong?" Wide eyes blinked in surprise, and Trowa shifted so he was leaning on his side, turned to see the boy better. There was a thoughtful look on Quatre's face, an almost sad one that he didn't like.
"Nothing really," Quatre said. He shook his head, smiling as he tugged a bit on Trowa's arm. He waited till the taller boy sat up and leaned against him, letting him wrap his arms over Trowa's shoulders. Pressing his cheek to Trowa's neck, he gave the teen a warm hug. "I had a strange dream that got me thinking about us," he explained. "Do you realize I don't know anything about you but your name and talents? I was back in my old home, with the Maguanacs, and I was standing at the window in the office. I was looking for something, something in the forest across the way. Then I saw you standing in the shadows and I realized I knew you...but I didn't know you...that you weren't really there at all." He winced, a sad smile curving his lips as he pressed closer to Trowa. "It was unnerving, looking out at you like that. You block makes you invisible to my senses, so it was like staring at a shadow. Then you looked over and our eyes met. And I woke up cold."
"I can't help the block," Trowa said slowly. He didn't know what to say to him about the dream, but it did cause a twinge of discomfort since he'd spent nearly a year doing just what Quatre had dreamed he was doing - watching from the shadows of that forest across the way. "But you do know me, better than anyone in the world."
"Do I?" Quatre sighed. "Zechs has touched your mind and that's more than anyone else has done. I can't even feel your existence with my talent. Even now I feel like I'm holding something that could disappear without a trace. I'm afraid..."
"Of what?" He wanted to turn, but those slender arms were tight around him, and Trowa frowned at the wall across from him instead. "Quatre?"
"I'm afraid that if I did see you, the real you in the shadows, then you'd look at me and I'd wake up. That if I knew you, I couldn't keep you." That warm body pulled firmly out of his arms and Quatre sighed, turning sad eyes up on Trowa's frowning face. "I know it was just a dream but it...it felt like a warning, a premonition, and I don't-"
"Do you think if you read my mind that you'd find something you couldn't accept?" Trowa asked, confusion spreading to mix with his frown. "You told me before that nothing you learned would change your feelings for me."
"No," Quatre said. "I know I wouldn't. But you threatened to leave me before. Now that I might actually get past your block I'm afraid of what you might do if I looked into your mind. I want to know you, Trowa, but not if it might drive you away. I know I should be grateful for what we have, and not push for more, but I can't help it. Only I don't want to lose this because I wasn't satisfied."
"All this over a dream?" Trowa relaxed slowly, a small smile lighting his face. "Do you think I'm some mystery that will vanish the moment you understand it?"
"That..."
"I don't know everything about you," Trowa said, his voice even. "I did read you often, but I didn't push. Mostly I took enough to feel as if I were there with you, just a brush like being next to you. What I know about you comes from spying - rather like a stalker, really. You know I was obsessed. Most of what I've learned, you told me after we met face to face."
Quatre frowned, shaking his head a bit at the thought. "Then...you don't know about my family?"
"Just the Maguanacs," Trowa smiled. "You considered them family when you were living with them. Other than that, I know no more than you know about me."
"That's horrible!"
Trowa smirked at Quatre's stunned expression and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the boy's cheek. "Why is it horrible? Don't we fit well regardless?"
"Yes, of course we do," Quatre said, still blinking wide eyes at Trowa. "But...we should at least have shared things - what kind of relationship do we have if we don't even know each other?"
Trowa raised an eyebrow, leaning back a bit with an almost reproaching gaze. "I thought we had one based on love."
Quatre gave a long sigh, shaking his head in exasperation. "Trowa, we do. But we never even had a chance to be friends first. I know more about Duo than I do about you. That's horrible."
A long moment of looking at Quatre's disgruntled expression, and Trowa smirked. "All right. We can remedy this. Come on a date with me tomorrow."
"A d-date...?" There was a definite sparkle in those dark green eyes, and Quatre leaned back, more than a little confused. "But we're already lovers...!
"So? I don't want you to think we're missing anything in our relationship." Trowa reached over to pull Quatre into his arms, smiling down at the boy's blonde hair. "I'm to blame for how quickly we jumped into this, so I'll take the first move to fix it. I don't want you to have any more dreams about being in love with a stranger. We still have time to get to know each other."
It was warm in Trowa's arms, but Quatre knew his face was a little too warm. "I'm being silly," he muttered. "It was just a dream. What we have is wonderful, we aren't missing anything."
"No," Trowa smirked, shaking his head as he pulled Quatre down. "Don't take it back now. You don't think I'm upset, do you? Just sleep. As your friend, I think you need your rest."
Quatre's left eyebrow twitched, and he glowered from where he was pressed to Trowa's chest. "You're humoring me."
"Partly." The blonde boy tilted his head to glare up at him, and Trowa smiled pleasantly. "But this will give me a chance to spend more time alone with you. I'm going to take advantage of that."
- - -
TBC
--notes--
The title for this part is from a very cute movie - go rent it if you haven't seen it yet. ^.~
Reader Response: I've had a few people suggest a pairing for Yusuke involving Jin. I have considered putting Jin in as a minor character at some point in the fic (no spoilers), but it would be as a partner to Touya. I wouldn't mind having a threesome to include Yusuke, but I'm a major Touya fan, and I like him with Jin - I couldn't give away his seme and leave him bereft. I'd sooner leave them out of the fic altogether.
Others have asked if I plan to put more YYH characters in here - I *do* plan to have more characters, minor ones (less than Yusuke's role even), and a few probably will be from YYH. Gundam Wing just doesn't have that many characters who strike me as being 'mutant material' - aside from the ones I'm already using. For the curious, there will be two more GW characters added at some point (one popping up soon). Otherwise the main GW cast has already been established.
To the Readers: If anyone has a suggestion for possible 'rouge' mutants from anime other than GW or YYH, let me know.
This is a vague fusion with the original X-men animated series.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho, AU
Warnings: shonen ai, fluff, light humor, possible minor angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina(a)hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www.geocities.com / arigatomina
G-men
Part 29: Friends and Lovers
Duo woke to the sound of his name being murmured into his hair, some distant thought telling him it had been going on for a while. True to form, his mind protested waking, and he groaned, digging his head harder into the pillow under him. The name came again and physical discomfort prodded his mind to pay more attention as strong arms tightened around him. Groaning louder, he twisted his arms free of the blankets, his limbs heavy and awkward, almost boneless when he pushed on the tight grip that seemed set on squeezing the life out of him. "I'm up," he groaned, "I'm up. Stop it already." Silence held for a moment, then those arms loosened and he sighed in relief. The bed shifted under him, but he didn't bother to open his eyes. He was busy wrapping his own arms over his aching ribs. "Couldn't you have just pulled the blanket off like usual...? That hurt..."
"Duo?" Heero pushed himself up, not sure what the boy was talking about. His mind was still hazy with sleep so the main thing he focused on was that Duo had spoken, meaning the boy was awake. "Are you okay?"
"Mm," Duo sniffed, rolling onto his back with a muddled scowl. "No thanks to you..." He hadn't opened his eyes, so he missed the flash of guilt that swept over Heero's face. "Where you trying to break my ribs or something?"
Heero frowned, running a hand over his forehead to get the tussled hair out of his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Your wake up call," Duo sniffed. He opened one bleary violet eye and pouted, rubbing his ribcage with an overly painful look. "I heard you calling my name. You didn't have to squeeze me, too. I would have woken up eventually."
"I didn't..." Obviously he had done something, but Heero didn't remember saying anything, and he'd gone to sleep with the intention of letting the boy wake naturally. "I must have been dreaming."
Duo opened his other eye, a faint smile curving his lips. "Really? You were dreaming about me? What were you dreaming?"
"I don't remember," Heero admitted. "I didn't mean to wake you up, though. If you're still tired, go back to sleep. I'll get up so I don't accidentally wake you again."
That was a new one that made Duo's mind swim more toward coherent thought. "You'd actually let me go back to bed? Since when? What time is it?"
A glance at his wrist found it to be around six. Since Heero doubted he could really have slept the entire night, he took that to be evening rather than morning. "You slept through the afternoon," he said. "You passed out in the forest, remember?"
"No..." With a disgruntled scowl, Duo pushed himself up, his arms giving that jelly-like boneless shake. His elbows refused to lock, and he gave a sigh when Heero caught his back, helping him sit up. "Last thing I remember is looking into that hole and wondering if my head were going to fall off."
"You used too much of your energy," Heero told him. "I'm going to lecture you about that tomorrow." Wide violet eyes flashed up to him and he gave the boy a sharp nod. "We had to get help from Yukina and one of the students to keep you from being in a coma for a week or more."
"No way..."
"Yes, so don't think I'm ignoring what happened." Heero pulled the boy so he sat with his back supported by the wall, not minding Duo's confused expression. "I'm not going to yell at you tonight. It can wait until morning."
"Okay," Duo said slowly, blinking wary eyes on the boy. "So what are you going to do tonight?"
"Whatever you want." Ignoring the disbelief on his lover's face, Heero folded his arms and nodded again, his expression entirely sober. "Tell me what you want me to do. If I can, then I'll do it."
"What is this?" Duo asked, a weak grin twisting his lips. "Are you granting a wish or something?"
"No limit, so long as it's a reasonable request."
Duo shook his head, taken back by Heero's stead gaze. "But why? You don't owe me anything."
"I think so," Heero frowned. "I'm going to make it up to you." The boy grinned suddenly and shook his head at him. Heero didn't move, still waiting to hear what Duo would have him do.
"Make what up to me?" Duo smiled. "You're being strange, Heero. You know that, right?"
"I wasn't paying any attention to you," Heero admitted. "You asked me out there so you wouldn't be alone while you worked on your talent. If I'd watched you like I was supposed to, you never would have exerted yourself so much. You still should have known better than to keep pushing it like that, but I'm not going to get into that tonight. The fact is, I made a mistake and it could have killed you. I want to make it up to you. Just tell me what I need to do."
"Hold that thought," Duo muttered. He scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes before giving a wide yawn and settling more comfortably against the wall. "Okay, so you think you owe me because I couldn't use my own talent without passing out? That's definitely not your fault."
"I told you," Heero frowned. "I should have been watching you. If I hadn't been so caught up in searching Kurama's real name, I'd have noticed before it was too late that you were pushing your limits. That was my responsibility, what I agreed to when I said I'd keep you company while you worked."
"Real name?" Duo asked, that comment sticking better than the others had in his still wakening mind. "Kurama's not his real name?"
Heero shook his head. He didn't like the distraction, but if Duo wanted to know, then telling him was just doing what he wanted. And that was the point. "It is now. His real name up until six years ago was Shuuichi Minamino. Kurama told me to look that name up, so I did." He sighed, his expression turning bland. "And you were right, there's no reason to distrust him. The information I found proves to me that he isn't working for anyone but himself."
"Are you admitting you were wrong?" Duo asked, leaning forward with wide eyes. Heero's left eyebrow twitched and he smiled at the boy. "So...this idea about you doing anything I want. Did you really mean anything?"
If he hadn't already set his mind to it, Heero might have winced at the mischievous glitter in those bright eyes. "Yes. So long as it's something I can do, I'll do it."
"All right," Duo said. He leaned back again, folding his arms over his chest. "I want you to apologize to Kurama - apologize for having Zechs read him without asking him first."
Heero nodded sharply. "Do you want me to find him and do it now, or can it wait till I see him again?"
Eyes widening, Duo stared in disbelief. "You'd really do that? Just because I asked you to...?"
"Yes," Heero admitted. "And since I am sorry for having wasted that time and causing the strife with Zechs, I can honestly tell him as much. I couldn't apologize if I wasn't sorry, but I am, so that's a request I can fulfill."
"Wow," Duo murmured, shaking his head. "I'm going to have to think about this so I can take advantage of you. How long are you going to do whatever I want?"
Heero's eyebrow twitched again, but he kept from groaning. He'd decided this was the best way to make it up to Duo. There was no way he'd back out now. "Just tonight. I can wait till tomorrow to yell at you, but no longer than that."
"I'd rather you didn't yell at me at all," Duo frowned. "Why would you yell at me? It's not like I made myself sick on purpose."
"You were careless and-" Heero clamped his mouth shut, closing his eyes for a long moment before sighing. "I'm not going to start. That can wait. Tonight I want you to be happy, and you won't be happy when I start lecturing you."
It was given in such a firm tone that Duo couldn't help but laugh at the boy. "It's really sweet for you to say that you want me happy, but when you say it like that it sounds more like a mission. Only you would make it a mission to make someone happy."
Sliding off the bed, Heero shrugged. "Whatever works best. I'm less likely to screw up if I make it a mission." He stood looking down at his watch. "Wufei brought some food up earlier but it's probably cold and stale by now. Are you hungry? You didn't eat much this morning. Tell me what you want and I'll bring it up here."
"Dinner in bed?" Duo's eyes widened, a wide smile spreading over his face. "This sounds like fun!"
"I was going to suggest you eat at the desk," Heero admitted, a light frown curving his lips. "But if you want to eat in bed, I won't argue."
"No," Duo smiled, "that's okay. I can probably walk fine if I go slow, so we can eat downstairs."
"If you stumble along the way, I'm going to pick you up and carry you in front of however many students are in the hall," Heero warned. "I think you'd rather eat here."
The prospect of that sort of embarrassment was enough to put a damper on his enthusiasm. Duo shivered. "On second thought, up here's fine. But you'll have to fill me in on how everyone else did today."
There was one request he couldn't fulfill. Heero sighed and shook his head. "I can't do that. I stayed with you after you passed out, so I haven't gotten a chance to find out how the others did. We're going to fill each other in tomorrow."
"Oh." Duo frowned for a moment before he noticed Heero's expression. The boy actually looked sorry. He quickly flashed him a smile. "Well, that's okay. Just nab me something salty, something sweet, and lots of caffeine. We can have a private dinner for two."
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Heero said. He turned to pull on his shoes, brushing a bit of wrinkles out of his clothes. But he stopped when he reached the door, a light frown marring his face. "Don't get up till I get back, all right? I don't know if the symptoms will last, but the last time you stood up, that was what caused you to faint. I don't want to come back up here and find you on the floor."
"And I don't want you to find me on the floor," Duo winced. "I'll stay right here, I promise."
There weren't nearly as many students in the halls as Heero had expected, but he was still glad he'd convinced Duo to stay in the room. While he didn't like the idea of carrying the boy in front of the students again, his real motivation was to keep him isolated. If he brought him downstairs, chances were good the others would be there and they'd spend the evening talking and catching up on what had happened that day. He wanted to keep Duo to himself tonight. The rest could wait until tomorrow. His steps quickened when he reached the stairs, and he nearly bumped into someone as he ducked past a slow moving group. The tall boy grinned and waved at him before hurrying past and for a minute, Heero couldn't think why the boy seemed so familiar. He glanced over his shoulder as the boy disappeared around the edge of the stairwell, recognizing that orange fluff of hair. For someone Wufei had deemed the head bumbler, Kuwabara was quick when he wanted to be. Shrugging the encounter off, Heero ducked his way past the other students and into the main hall.
This area seemed to be popular. Whereas the upstairs hall had been virtually empty, this hall was teeming with little clusters of students, some eating, others just standing around talking to each other. He ignored them all, his sights set on the door at the far end. He was just passing the front doors to the manor when something hard pressed his sternum, halting his motion as if he'd walked into a wall. Heero scowled, his eyes locking on the bandaged hand on his chest before flicking up to see who it was. Red eyes glared at him and he blinked in surprise.
"I may be short," Hiei growled, "but I don't like being walked through."
Kurama hid a quiet laugh behind his hand, shaking his head at Heero. "You were looking right over his head. I thought you were going to bowl him over." Dark blue eyes snapped to him and his smile faded into a calm look. He reminded himself that this boy didn't trust him. Dropping his eyes, he smirked at Hiei. "Let him go, you can see he's in a hurry." He nodded to Heero as Hiei sniffed and stepped to the side. "I take it Duo is doing better?"
"Yes." Heero scowled, still irritated that he'd nearly walked right into Hiei. Since he wasn't that tall himself, he honestly hadn't thought to look down in case a shorter student was in his way.
"That's good to hear," Kurama said. "Well, we won't keep you."
Heero closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Kurama?" The redhead blinked at him when he looked over, and Heero firmly kept the scowl off his face. "I apologize for having Zechs read you. I'm sorry." Wide green eyes stared at him, but he didn't wait around to watch them. With a sharp nod, he continued toward the cafeteria. One request fulfilled, and it hadn't been as hard as he'd thought it would be.
Blinking after the darkhaired boy, Kurama frowned. "What just happened here?"
"He admitted it was his idea," Hiei glared. "And he's sorry for it, as he should be."
"Ah," Kurama grinned weakly, looking down at Hiei's hostile expression. "Well, unexpected apologies are nice. No need to get angry about something like that. It'll just make your headache worse."
"Hn."
Dropping his hand, Kurama prodded Hiei into motion. "Come on," he said, smiling down at his friend. "You're as tense as a rattler and standing here isn't going to make it any better. Besides, the students are staring at you." Red eyes flicked back to glare at the students closest to them, and Kurama smirked as the kids scrambled out of their way. He didn't care for the way the students treated Hiei like some sort of leper, but his little friend enjoyed scaring the wits out of them with that glare of his. Intimidation or not, if it made him happy...
They'd come back earlier than planned, once Kurama realized Hiei was grimacing from more than just the subject of their discussion. A quick check and a bit of concerned prying had found the boy with one nasty tension headache. At least, that was what it looked like to Kurama. Rather than letting him take care of it outside, Hiei had insisted he wanted to lie down where no noises would irritate him. Downstairs was the quietest place. Unfortunately, fast movements seemed to complicate the problem. That slow walk back to the manor hadn't done much to improve Hiei's mood.
Despite his abnormally slow pace, Hiei still managed to disappear while Kurama was only halfway down the stairs. He found the boy stretched out on his stomach, lying on the table in the break room, his cloak spread out beneath him. Kurama couldn't help the sly grin that curved his lips when he shut the door behind him. "Then you're taking me up on the offer?" he asked. A low grunt managed to make it out from where Hiei's face was hidden in his arms, and Kurama took it for a definite 'yes, so hurry up.' Crossing to stand over him, Kurama tilted his head to the side. "But you'll need to take your shirt off first."
With a loud sigh, Hiei sat up, scowling at the redhead. He grimaced when he raised his arms, the knotted muscles sending pain along the back of his neck, straight to his head. Kurama took the dark shirt, letting him plop back down without messing with it. "Is this going to sting?" he grumbled, his face hidden in his arms again.
"No," Kurama smiled. "It might feel warm and a bit numbing, but it won't hurt until I start loosening the muscles themselves. And that will feel much better after a few minutes. I promise."
"Good," Hiei sniffed. "I haven't felt like this since I woke up after lying still for two weeks."
"Having your muscles tense for too long does cause stress, but this is more like having them clench too tightly when you're not trying to use them." Kurama couldn't help but grin as he sat on the table, leaning over that pale back. This was making his hormones rage and while he wasn't going to do anything but loosen those tense muscles in Hiei's upper back, it was still an excuse to touch him in a manner that was different from their usual embraces. He smeared the ointment on first, wincing a bit when Hiei growled at him. "It doesn't sting, does it?"
"No," Hiei grumbled. "But it's cold and tingly."
"It'll numb in a few seconds, just wait for it to settle in. This is used for inflamed joints, and pulled muscles to ease the pain. It should keep the actual massage from hurting so much."
Hiei wrinkled his nose, digging his face tighter in his arms. "I don't care if it hurts so long as it stops being so tense. I can't even move my head." He really hated not being able to move freely.
"Well," Kurama said quietly, "I've never actually done this before. But I do think the idea is to force the muscles to unclench. From what I've heard, a good massage is supposed to hurt...then it feels great. So even if I can't get you to relax entirely, any effort should help some."
"You're experimenting on me again," Hiei growled, his voice still muffled by his arms. "Can't you make some plant to fix this?"
"...I don't think so." Sighing, Kurama slipped off the table so he stood near Hiei's head. He pulled up a chair to kneel on so he'd be positioned over the boy with easy access to his upper back. It would have been much simpler to straddle Hiei's back, but that was one position he wasn't going to even think about right now. Hiei was miserable. He'd never take advantage of that. Leaning forward, he moved his hands over those tense shoulders, finding the muscles he wanted to start on first. "This will hurt," he warned, lifting on his knees so he'd have leverage. "But you have to try and keep yourself relaxed. You can't clench your muscles or I'll never get them loose." A low, unintelligible sound answered him, and he got to work.
- - -
"If you get sick from eating too fast, I'm going to leave it for you to clean up in the morning." Heero's face twisted in distaste at the idea, but he meant the warning. "Stop shoveling your food, it isn't going anywhere."
"Be nice," Duo said, smirking before directing a large forkful of tangy pasta into his mouth. He barely chewed before swallowing and leaning down to dig up another load. "I'm starving. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. Besides, I almost asked you to feed me. Be glad I didn't. I probably would have bitten your hand off if you tried to make me slow down."
"Exhaustion should make you less hungry, weaker and listless." Heero raised an eyebrow, almost scowling. "I've never heard of it making you ravenous."
"Well, maybe it's different when you're exhausted from using energy instead of normal exhaustion." Inhaling another mouthful of food, Duo nodded happily. "And I'd much rather be hungry than queasy and sick. I'm not exactly fat to begin with, you know. Can you imagine if I stopped eating?" Wide violet eyes filled his face, and Duo shivered before diving down toward the food again. "I'd blow right over the first time you yelled at me."
Heero's lips twitched despite himself. The boy wasn't exactly scrawny, but he certainly couldn't do with losing any weight. "It's probably a reaction to whatever energy Yukina and that boy gave you. Either that, or your body is trying to replenish itself through food."
"Whatever it is, I like it. My arm hasn't shook once since I started eating. That has to be a good sign."
Not commenting on that, Heero resigned himself to wait. He'd long since eaten his fill and he now regretted having gotten a variety for Duo. He just hadn't known what to get the boy; his 'salty-sweet-caffeine' order had been vague at best. Now he realized he'd worried for nothing. From all appearances, Duo would eat anything if he were hungry enough. After a few minutes of the uncomfortable sight, Heero sighed and snatched the tray away. "Enough, Duo. You might be abnormally hungry, but your stomach hasn't grown. It won't be able to fit all of that food, whether you want to eat it or not."
"Come on," Duo groaned, his eyes shining on the items remaining on that tray. "At least let me get to the dessert - I didn't get my sweet food yet."
Heero's expression fell into a droll look and he sighed, handing back the small packet of pudding. "That's it. The pastries can sit in their containers till morning. If you're still hungry then, you can have them for breakfast. Not before." The boy barely heard him, having snatched up that packet and torn into it with fervor. "You do know you're brushing your teeth the moment you're done with that, right?"
Blinking in surprise, Duo paused in his eating. "Why? It can wait till I go to bed."
"Because your breath is going to smell like cheesy vinegar chocolate paste," Heero grimaced. "And then I'll be sick."
Duo snickered, finishing off his dessert with a wry grin. "Wouldn't want my breath to kill you, so I guess you're right enough." Having run out of food yet again, Duo sighed and sent one more look to the tray Heero was holding. "What about-"
"No," Heero said sharply, his eyebrow twitching at the boy's pout. He moved the tray to the corner of the room, setting it between the closet and the desk where it wouldn't be seen without a person going to stand right in front of it. Hopefully Duo would be less inclined to sneak more if it weren't in his line of vision. When he turned back to the bed, it was to find a sweet smiling Duo looking up at him, hands folded in a seemingly innocent pose. Heero's eyes narrowed, one eyebrow rising slowly. "What?"
"Well," Duo said, still smiling up at Heero. "This morning you offered to wash my hair for me...remember saying that? And since I need to brush my teeth now anyway, I might as well take a shower while I'm at it. Only, it would be dangerous if I were to get dizzy and fall, in there all by myself..."
Heero smirked, shaking his head at the boy's winsome smile. "You don't have to wheedle me into it," he said. "I was already planning to get you naked and wet at some point tonight."
Eyes wide, Duo felt heat rush over his face. It wasn't the idea of it so much as actually hearing it from Heero. Sometimes he forgot that the boy could be as bold as anyone. "Really..."
"Of course," Heero said simply. He moved to stand beside the bed where he'd be able to lift the boy without Duo having to move at all. "But I'd planned it this morning after the frizz incident. You didn't really think I was offering to just wash your hair, did you?"
"How would I know," Duo grumbled, his face still a little warmer than usual. "I was half asleep and you were kissing me senseless. I'm lucky I remembered it at all."
"Well," Heero commented, bending so he could lift the boy. "I did say I'd do anything you wanted this evening. All you have to do is ask." Duo smirked at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Just don't kiss me till you brush your teeth."
"Spoilsport."
- - -
Giving a massage wasn't nearly as fun as Kurama had thought. It wasn't just running his hands over Hiei's warm, silky smooth skin. It was pressing and kneading and oh, how his arms hurt from the effort. But the little sounds he'd received in the last few minutes made it all worth while, as those knots eased into sinewy but languid muscle. The sighs were even better than what Hiei gave him when he ran his hands through the boy's velvety hair. Whereas their embraces left an impression that Hiei were giving a contented purr, this was more in line with how Kurama felt. Warm, liquid pleasure. He left the chair to resume his earlier position on the table, leaning down to rub lower over the small of Hiei's back. "Hiei...?"
"Mm..."
Kurama smirked at the little sound and he could just imagine what Hiei's face looked like, half-lidded eyes with an almost sleepy smile. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes," Hiei rumbled, lifting his head from his arms and dropping his chin onto them. Those warm hands left him and he sighed, glancing back over his shoulder at the fox. "Are you done, then?"
Where he'd imagined it before, now Kurama could see that sleepy look. Only those dark red eyes were glittering too much for Hiei to be tired, more like content. "I don't know," Kurama teased, running a hand over Hiei's shoulders and dipping it to press along the boy's neck. "I was just starting to enjoy myself. Now that the muscles are loose, I don't have to try as hard. My arms were aching for a while there. This is much easier."
Hiei raised an eyebrow, rolling a bit so he could see the fox without craning his head around. "Do your arms hurt? I could do that, what you did."
The mere thought of Hiei rubbing his shoulders, even if it were painful at first, sent a flush over Kurama's face. He shook his head quickly, flashing the boy a faint smile. "No, I'm all right. But I wouldn't mind doing this for a little longer." His face cleared and he winked playfully. "You were enjoying it, ne?"
"Hn." Rolling his eyes with a smirk, Hiei turned back onto his stomach. "You have soft hands, of course I was enjoying it." Those warm hands moved onto his back again and he closed his eyes, resting his cheek on his folded arms. "You're good at this..."
"Thank you," Kurama smirked. "I'll have to do it more often. If I get a 'good' from you on my first try, just imagine what I could get with practice." Those narrow shoulders shook beneath his palms, a vague laugh that didn't quite reach the air. Leaning down, Kurama brushed the boy's neck again. "Hiei...?"
"What?"
The slightly impatient sound told him how much Hiei was enjoying himself. Kurama's smile turned slightly smug. "Let's go to bed."
Hiei frowned, not sure what to make of the way his friend kept interrupting. "I thought you said you wanted to do this more?"
"Oh, I do," Kurama smiled, his voice soft. "But this table really isn't very comfortable."
Snorting softly, Hiei rolled onto his side so he could push himself up. "Don't tell me. You're the one who said a hard surface is best."
Kurama nodded. "For the difficult part, yes. People use actual tables for giving massages - not as hard as this one, but flat and stable. Now, though, there's no need for me to apply pressure to the muscles, so we might as well be comfortable." He slipped a hand over Hiei's shoulder to brush at the boy's thick hair, his lips curving into a teasing smile. "Besides that, I want to see if I can lull you into falling asleep. I bet it would work much better than my poor attempt at singing."
Recognizing the 'plea' for a compliment, Hiei rolled his eyes. "You sing fine. I just don't fall asleep when there's something interesting to listen to." The redhead beamed at him, and he smirked as he shifted so his legs fell over the edge of the table. "Don't expect me to sleep from this, though. It's at least as interesting as your voice."
With a light laugh, Kurama stepped back so Hiei could hop down to the floor beside him. "You do wonders for my ego."
"I know," Hiei smirked, red eyes flicking up to glint at the taller teen. "Not that you need it."
"Of course I do," Kurama said firmly. He caught up Hiei's cloak and retrieved the discarded shirt before prodding the boy out of the room. Even if Hiei hadn't told him he was feeling better, he'd have known by the easy way he walked. It added a touch of smug pride to the giddy little bit of him that was jumping up and down at having 'felt up' Hiei like that. As candid as his young friend had been about enjoying the touch, he couldn't help but feel optimistic. If Hiei thought that was good, he couldn't wait to introduce a few other pleasurable activities to him.
"What are you grinning about, fox?" Wide green eyes flashed down at him, and Hiei's eyebrow raised at the 'caught' look on Kurama's face. It was hidden quickly, but he knew what he'd seen. Frowning up at Kurama's suddenly blank expression, he had a quick memory that sparked a nasty little twinge in him. "You aren't thinking about that boy, are you?"
"What?" Kurama's eyes widened even more and his mind went blank for a long moment. "Who?"
"The one you shed all over," Hiei sniffed. He turned away, stalking off toward their room. A few seconds later he could hear Kurama jolting into motion after him. "The dark-haired one."
"Wufei?!" Conflicting emotions were spurring through him, and Kurama shook his head furiously, trying to settle them. It was one thing to be happy that Hiei was jealous, but he wasn't about to ruin their evening by letting his friend get in a huff. "Of course not," Kurama said quickly, catching up to Hiei as they entered the hall. "I do like him, but he was the last thing on my mind. You can believe me, the only one I'm thinking about right now is you."
"I don't care if you think about him," Hiei frowned, looking back over his shoulder. "Just don't grin like that if you don't want to share what you're grinning about. I don't like secrets."
"Ah..." Kurama winced as he forced a weak smile to cross his face. "The truth is, Hiei, I was thinking about you. It's just not something I'm ready to come out and say yet. But you can be sure, I wouldn't have smiled if it were anything bad. Just a little silly of me." His friend had turned away again, but his back wasn't tense so Kurama knew he wasn't angry. After a moment, Hiei sighed.
"Why aren't you ready?" Hiei asked, his voice sober. The redhead didn't answer quickly enough for him and he went on to open the door to their room. "You know you can tell me anything."
Following after him, Kurama waited until they were inside before responding to that almost accusatory tone. "I haven't found the right way to say it," he admitted softly. Dark red eyes stared at him, and he smirked wryly when Hiei sighed.
"You're really going to make me wait?" A bright nod answered him, and Hiei glowered, instantly suspicious. "Is this one of your games?" he asked, a soft growl lining the question.
Kurama blinked, innocence radiating from his features. "Do you think I'd play with you like that?"
"Yes," Hiei snorted. "And you'll pout when I get angry about it."
"I wouldn't," Kurama sniffed, lifting his chin in a dignified manner. "I might be disappointed, but I would never pout."
Hiei's eyebrow twitched, his expression droll. "You're pouting right now."
Eyes wide in feigned indignation, Kurama gaped at the boy. "What? I most certainly am not."
A low, long-suffering sigh filled the dim room, and Hiei promptly let himself pitch over onto the blankets. "Act your age," he grumbled, tossing an arm over his eyes.
"Oh," Kurama smirked, "You're one to talk." A wide red eye peaked up at him from under that arm, and he sniffed down at Hiei. "You should play more yourself."
"Hn. I'm too old for games," Hiei frowned, not quite annoyed so much as impatient. "If you want to play, go find the elemental. If you want to stay here, then finish what you started earlier."
It took four seconds for Kurama to catch on to what Hiei was talking about. His playful manner abruptly gave way to a wide, sly smile. "Of course," he said smoothly, sliding down to hover next to his friend. "So sorry to have kept you waiting." A glinting gaze met him, and he nearly grinned when he caught a flash in the dim light, just a hint of one narrow fang from the boy's slight smile. Then Hiei stretched out on his stomach and Kurama did grin, staring down at him. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Hiei stood a good chance of becoming addicted to this sort of thing. And Kurama was just the person to seduce him into it. Mutant transformations aside, Hiei did bring out the fox in him.
- - -
So much had changed over the years that it felt as if a lifetime had passed since he'd lived here. The halls were nearly unrecognizable with the carpeting replaced by polished hardwood, partial rugs lining the center of the walkway. Zechs knew from sight that they'd never be as soft as the ones he'd run barefoot over as a child. While hadn't thought he'd see the place again, he couldn't help the pang of homesickness that hit him as he marked one change after another. By turning the manor into a school, they'd removed almost every memory he had of the place. It made walking the dark halls an almost creepy sensation. But he'd felt the urge to do it at least once, now that the students were hidden away in their rooms. This was a chance to familiarize himself with the sensation of standing outside the past.
The slow walk took him to the top floors, his ultimate goal being the left-hand attic - if it still existed in this remodeled building. Chances were good that even if it were still used for storage, it had been cleaned out. Relena hadn't said anything about what he left behind, so either his father had destroyed the things, or she'd never thought to look. That knowledge ate at him, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her. She'd been so young back then, he should have known she'd never venture up there alone. But he'd thought, hoped, that she would eventually go to the last place they'd played together, to that one spot in their large home where they were away from everyone. He knew better now. If she had gone up there, she would have found the message he left behind, would have known why he'd had to leave. His conscience was racking him now that he knew that message had never been found or passed on. Relena hadn't been the only one he'd left behind. It was just a matter of time before word got out that he'd returned, and he wasn't prepared to deal with the repercussions of his seemingly childish flight from responsibility.
The last, twisted flight of stairs was more cramped than he'd remembered, and he knew he should have brought a light with him. The last thing he wanted was to stumble and break his neck over something so trivial. He walked carefully, feeling his way along the smooth wall. A small part of him wondered if his palm would be coated in dust when he looked at it later. The attics were more like a floor, only the sloped ceiling distinguishing them from any other floor in the large building. The room he wanted was in the very back, but he'd no more than stepped up into the first area than he found himself halting. His mind was closed tightly, a block he'd been holding since that afternoon, but he didn't need to do a search to know he wasn't alone. The attic should have been pitch black. Instead, there was a faint bit of pale light easing under the door to his right. Not sure what he might find, he stilled himself before pulling the door open as quietly as he could. He might as well have knocked first.
Dark eyes glittered in the fall of moonlight, but it was the pale hair that really completed the scene, soaking up the rays and reflecting them on the floor around the open window. Zechs stared for a long moment before he could break himself from it. She looked ethereal. "I'm sorry." The words were out before he realized he had opened his mouth, and Zechs might have blushed at himself. Whether it was unintentional or not, he'd intruded on something.
"It's all right," Yukina smiled, waving a pale hand for the man to join her. She was sitting in the open window, her small form fitting it well enough that she didn't even have to duck her head. "No one comes up here, so I like to sit sometimes. It's very pretty from up here."
"This was a schoolroom once," Zechs said, still unsure of himself as he moved to stand next to the open window. He was half worried that she'd pitch right out of it, but her comfortable position told him she did this often. "I was taught in this room as a child."
"Here?" Yukina asked, her dark eyes wide. "But it's so dark in here. The window was painted when I came, so even the brightest sunlight barely filtered through. This isn't a place for teaching."
"It was, though," Zechs shrugged. It was uncomfortable being so close to her, as if he'd walked in on the girl bathing or something equally private. It reminded him that this was no longer his home. "They brought in plate glass lamps when Relena started schooling, so it was never that dark. Only at night."
"I didn't know that," Yukina frowned. She turned a bit more, her gaze shifting over the dimly lit room. "Relena-dono's father fixed it for me so I'd have a place to feed the birds from, not long after I came here. It hasn't been used for anything else for as long as I've lived here. I didn't mean to change your memories."
The statement confused him for a moment before he understood what she meant. "It's nothing," Zechs said, giving her a weak smile. "The entire place is different from how I remember it. And I was never partial to this schoolroom anyway. I did like the attic, though." Turning so he could lean his back on the wall next to the open window, Zechs sent the girl a light look. "Have you been in the other rooms?"
"Oh, no," Yukina said quickly, shaking her head so her gleaming hair fairly sparkled in the moonlight. She didn't notice the way Zechs stared at that. "No one is allowed in there. Because of the fire."
Icy cold washed over him and it had nothing to do with the mutant sitting near him. Zechs' eyes dimmed and he gave a dark smile. "A fire in the back room, by chance?"
"Did you know about it?" Yukina sighed, frowning at the doorway he'd come in through. "The damage was so bad they had to redo the roof over the room. But the floor held up. Relena-dono says it's all boarded off and safe enough now, so long as no one walks there." She was quiet for a moment before glancing over to the white-haired man beside her. His dark smile caught her eye and she stared at it. "What is it?"
"Did you like living here?" Zechs asked, his voice soft. He didn't look over, not wanting her to see his expression.
"It was quiet," Yukina said slowly. "And I was lonely for something I didn't understand. Relena-dono was very kind to me, though. After a while I learned to love the freedom here. Now that Hiei is here with me, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."
"And my father?"
The words were low, and Yukina eased closer to the side of the window her back was against. She wasn't afraid of him, but the darkness in his voice was uncomfortable to be so close to. Hiei was the only one she could accept darkness from, their pain being the same. "Your father... He was a very unhappy man."
Zechs laughed suddenly, his gloom breaking as he sent the girl a soft smile. "You're diplomatic. Do you get that from the time you've spent with Relena?" The girl blinked at him, head tilted a bit so her red eyes seemed darker. "Her habits, I mean," he said. "I know you were about her age when you were adopted, but it looks like she's rubbed off on you."
"She has taught me a lot," Yukina smiled. "But Relena-dono says I taught her as well. We helped each other."
"Then you got along right from the start." The girl gave a happy nod, and Zechs raised an eyebrow at her. "But you still call her 'dono'? I don't think you need to use a term of respect on your sister." He gave a kind smile when the girl looked surprised.
Yukina stared at him for a long moment, then flicked her gaze outside. "Relena-dono has been very kind to me. And I do care for her. But she is not my sister, and she never will be. Hiei is my family. Relena-dono is my dearest friend, but not blood." She turned a slow smile on Zechs, not minding the uncertainty clouding his face. "It's nothing to be sad about," she told him softly. "We prefer it this way. Neither of us will every have a sister, but we have each other and now that you're here, we have our brothers. It's all the family we need."
Something about the way she said it sent a wash of guilt and apprehension over him. Zechs shifted uneasily, tearing his eyes away. He wasn't going to stay here. Sooner or later the others would be ready and he would leave Relena a second time. He didn't want to think about how she would take that double rejection. Glancing over, he shook his head at Yukina. "You're very wise for your age."
A soft, almost tinkling laughter whispered in the quiet room, and he found himself shivering at it, snapping his gaze away. There was nothing frightening about the girl, not with her inviting aura. But he had a discomforting thought that if he were to look into her red eyes when she laughed, he'd see a shadow of something else. He had just realized that she and Hiei had the same eyes. The only difference was that hers were hopeful, his were resigned. Looking deeper he could see the same core in both, ancient eyes staring out of young faces.
"Relena-dono tells me I'm naïve and innocent," Yukina smiled. "Everyone tells me that. I don't think anyone has ever called me wise before."
"Do you consider yourself wise?" Zechs asked, still not looking at her. "Not what others tell you. What do you believe?"
"I don't know," Yukina admitted. She frowned a bit, her gaze shifting to the moon again. "There is so much I haven't seen and barely know the words for, even now. Isn't wisdom something you learn over time? All I've learned is that I love my family, and I want to be surrounded in happiness. I never want to see anyone suffer again. Even if it's just a small thing, I want to keep people from suffering. That's naïveté, not wisdom. I am naïve and I want to always be that way. But I'm not innocent, no more than I'm wise. I'm just..." Turning back to the dark room, she caught Zechs' eyes and smiled at him. "I'm just me."
"You're beautiful..." Her eyes closed, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks, but Zechs stared at that small smile. He could see it, how this girl, mutant as she was, could have won over his father. Who could hate her? Even a hateful, angry and bitter person would begrudgingly admit that she was the epitome of light. Zechs sighed, his lips curving into a wry smile. His father's resolve must have cracked into a thousand pieces when he learned Yukina was a mutant. Now he understood how the man could have gone from hating mutants on sight, to opening his own kingdom to shelter and educate them. It would take someone as extremely...good...as Yukina to change him that much.
- - -
Trowa woke sharply, aware of some change though it took a bit before he knew what was different. His arms were no longer wrapped around a warm body. Light fingers brushed his long bangs away from his face and he turned curious eyes up to the source. Quatre was sitting up next to him, the boy's back leaning on the wall in a way that told him the boy had been like that for some time. He raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did I wake you up?" Quatre asked, a quick smile passing over his face. "I didn't think I would. I've been watching you for a while now, so I didn't think you'd notice."
"What's wrong?" Wide eyes blinked in surprise, and Trowa shifted so he was leaning on his side, turned to see the boy better. There was a thoughtful look on Quatre's face, an almost sad one that he didn't like.
"Nothing really," Quatre said. He shook his head, smiling as he tugged a bit on Trowa's arm. He waited till the taller boy sat up and leaned against him, letting him wrap his arms over Trowa's shoulders. Pressing his cheek to Trowa's neck, he gave the teen a warm hug. "I had a strange dream that got me thinking about us," he explained. "Do you realize I don't know anything about you but your name and talents? I was back in my old home, with the Maguanacs, and I was standing at the window in the office. I was looking for something, something in the forest across the way. Then I saw you standing in the shadows and I realized I knew you...but I didn't know you...that you weren't really there at all." He winced, a sad smile curving his lips as he pressed closer to Trowa. "It was unnerving, looking out at you like that. You block makes you invisible to my senses, so it was like staring at a shadow. Then you looked over and our eyes met. And I woke up cold."
"I can't help the block," Trowa said slowly. He didn't know what to say to him about the dream, but it did cause a twinge of discomfort since he'd spent nearly a year doing just what Quatre had dreamed he was doing - watching from the shadows of that forest across the way. "But you do know me, better than anyone in the world."
"Do I?" Quatre sighed. "Zechs has touched your mind and that's more than anyone else has done. I can't even feel your existence with my talent. Even now I feel like I'm holding something that could disappear without a trace. I'm afraid..."
"Of what?" He wanted to turn, but those slender arms were tight around him, and Trowa frowned at the wall across from him instead. "Quatre?"
"I'm afraid that if I did see you, the real you in the shadows, then you'd look at me and I'd wake up. That if I knew you, I couldn't keep you." That warm body pulled firmly out of his arms and Quatre sighed, turning sad eyes up on Trowa's frowning face. "I know it was just a dream but it...it felt like a warning, a premonition, and I don't-"
"Do you think if you read my mind that you'd find something you couldn't accept?" Trowa asked, confusion spreading to mix with his frown. "You told me before that nothing you learned would change your feelings for me."
"No," Quatre said. "I know I wouldn't. But you threatened to leave me before. Now that I might actually get past your block I'm afraid of what you might do if I looked into your mind. I want to know you, Trowa, but not if it might drive you away. I know I should be grateful for what we have, and not push for more, but I can't help it. Only I don't want to lose this because I wasn't satisfied."
"All this over a dream?" Trowa relaxed slowly, a small smile lighting his face. "Do you think I'm some mystery that will vanish the moment you understand it?"
"That..."
"I don't know everything about you," Trowa said, his voice even. "I did read you often, but I didn't push. Mostly I took enough to feel as if I were there with you, just a brush like being next to you. What I know about you comes from spying - rather like a stalker, really. You know I was obsessed. Most of what I've learned, you told me after we met face to face."
Quatre frowned, shaking his head a bit at the thought. "Then...you don't know about my family?"
"Just the Maguanacs," Trowa smiled. "You considered them family when you were living with them. Other than that, I know no more than you know about me."
"That's horrible!"
Trowa smirked at Quatre's stunned expression and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the boy's cheek. "Why is it horrible? Don't we fit well regardless?"
"Yes, of course we do," Quatre said, still blinking wide eyes at Trowa. "But...we should at least have shared things - what kind of relationship do we have if we don't even know each other?"
Trowa raised an eyebrow, leaning back a bit with an almost reproaching gaze. "I thought we had one based on love."
Quatre gave a long sigh, shaking his head in exasperation. "Trowa, we do. But we never even had a chance to be friends first. I know more about Duo than I do about you. That's horrible."
A long moment of looking at Quatre's disgruntled expression, and Trowa smirked. "All right. We can remedy this. Come on a date with me tomorrow."
"A d-date...?" There was a definite sparkle in those dark green eyes, and Quatre leaned back, more than a little confused. "But we're already lovers...!
"So? I don't want you to think we're missing anything in our relationship." Trowa reached over to pull Quatre into his arms, smiling down at the boy's blonde hair. "I'm to blame for how quickly we jumped into this, so I'll take the first move to fix it. I don't want you to have any more dreams about being in love with a stranger. We still have time to get to know each other."
It was warm in Trowa's arms, but Quatre knew his face was a little too warm. "I'm being silly," he muttered. "It was just a dream. What we have is wonderful, we aren't missing anything."
"No," Trowa smirked, shaking his head as he pulled Quatre down. "Don't take it back now. You don't think I'm upset, do you? Just sleep. As your friend, I think you need your rest."
Quatre's left eyebrow twitched, and he glowered from where he was pressed to Trowa's chest. "You're humoring me."
"Partly." The blonde boy tilted his head to glare up at him, and Trowa smiled pleasantly. "But this will give me a chance to spend more time alone with you. I'm going to take advantage of that."
- - -
TBC
--notes--
The title for this part is from a very cute movie - go rent it if you haven't seen it yet. ^.~