Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Making Heero Human ❯ Chapter 14

Cherry Blossom: FF.net is down! What do I dooooooooooo?!

Melpomene: Well…you could actually get off your ass and start working on one of your own series. Or is that too much to ask?

Cherry Blossom: ::frowns:: Quiet you. I suppose I should start the next part to MHH…

Duo: Noooooo! This is Thanksgiving weekend for crying out loud! And Relena showed up in the last chapter. I don't wanna deal with her on Turkey Day.

Heero: It's not Thanksgiving yet.

Matteo: Yeah. It's not even American Thanksgiving. So what are you complaining about Maxwell?

Duo: ::pouts:: Don't wanna do the next part.

Cherry Blossom: Look do I have to get Treize the Hamster in on your ass?

Duo: ::pales:: You can't! He's in a totally different fic!

Cherry Blossom: I could call him over real easy…

Duo: Fine, fine. ::grumbles:: No one ever listens to me…

Heero: Shut up, baka.

Duo: ::glare:: You see? The cosmos are against me! IT'S A GOVERNMENT PLOT!!

Everybody: SHUT UP, BAKA!!

Duo: ……… ::glare glare glare::

Cherry Blossom: Well now that everyone's all happy happy…let's start the fic!

Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam Wing I would have enough money to buy a decent word processor. Since I am presently typing this on the word processor from HELL this scenario is very improbable.

Warnings: Shounen ai!! Shounen ai shounen ai shounen ai shounen ai shounen aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! Have I made it clear to you people yet? MALE/MALE RELATIONSHIPS!!!! HOMOSEXUALS!!!! Got it? Good. So don't flame me because of it.

Making Heero Human - Part 13

Heero reached the safety of his room and flung himself on the bed with a sigh of relief. His ribs ached terribly and he was feeling a little light headed from lack of air.

'What just happened to me? I wasn't in control of myself. That's never happened before. What if it happens again? No…no it can't happen again! I can't lose myself again…'

Heero buried his face in the pillows and breathed in, the strange and slightly comforting of Duo's shampoo filling his nostrils. Duo…Duo kissed him. A lot. And in front of the others too. And he said those strange words…

'Duo loves me. No one's ever loved me before. Does this mean he'll stay with me? Forever? But no…this is a war. I'm not supposed to live past it. I'm not supposed to live. But Duo loves me. Shouldn't that mean that I have to stay with him forever? Maybe love just meant that Duo wanted to kiss me. But why would anyone want to kiss me? I'm a monster…aren't I? Ohh…'

He groaned into the sheets and rubbed his forehead against their coolness in confusion. Was it possible he had a fever? His thoughts had never been so jumbled and his head ached. Maybe he was getting sick…

"Heero?"

Heero lifted his head and shifted to see two violet eyes looking at him with concern. Heero sighed.

"What do you want baka?" he said, but his voice lacked its usual strength.

Duo sat gingerly on the side of the bed, as if suddenly shy.

"Umm…I just wanted to see if you were okay. You feelin' all right Hee-chan?"

Heero scowled and flopped back onto his stomach, not bothering to dignify that with an answer. Duo fidgeted nervously behind him.

"Look…" Duo started. "I'm really sorry Heero."

This got Heero's attention.

"Sorry?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

Duo twisted his braid around his hand, avoiding Heero eyes.

"Sorry for kissing you like that. I supposed I pushed to fast. I didn't mean to scare you," he blurted out in one breath.

Heero sat up and reached for Duo's hand.

"No, don't be sorry. It wasn't you…never you. I just…I can't…there's something I should remember but I just can't seem to think of it."

Heero's forehead creased in confusion and his hands clenched unconsciously as he struggled to drag his muddy thoughts up through the dark recesses of his mind. Duo took his thumb and gently smoothed the lines on Heero's forehead.

"Shh…don't think about it so hard. I'm sure it will come to you eventually."

Heero relaxed and smiled up at Duo, a small hesitant acceptance.

"I hope so," he whispered.

Duo smiled back, a full Shinigami grin.

"Now…as I see it we have a whole evening free so-"

A knock on the door downstairs drew both boys' attention.

"Who could that be?" Duo muttered, getting to his feet. "The guys wouldn't knock and nobody else knows we're here…"

The braided pilot bounced over to the window and looked down at the convenient view of the front door below. A second later his face drained of all colour and his gasp made Heero spring to action, his hand going immediately to the gun in his shorts.

"What? What is it?" he demanded.

Duo could do nothing but sputter wordlessly and point out the window. Heero slowly eased his way to the ledge, clicking the safety off his gun and positioning it out the window. He looked down and…

Saw a pink uniform-clad girl with honey blond hair pulled back at the sides in two braids knocking on the door impatiently.

Heero rolled his eyes and flicked the safety back on his gun.

"Baka," he snorted. "I thought OZ found us or something."

Duo backed away from the window, searching for his own weapon.

"It's worse! Let me shoot her Heero, please? We could chuck her body in the woods and they'd never find it…"

Heero glared and tucked his gun back into his pants.

"We can't shoot her. She's important to the peace of the colonies. Besides," he teased, "you're the one who stopped me from shooting her the first time."

"Yeah and I'm truly sorry and I'll never interfere in your plans to murder the Peacecraft brat again if you just let me shoot me nooooooooow~!" Duo whined.

Heero shook his head.

"You'd better let her in before she starts to yell-"

"HEEEEEEEEERRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!!"

Wincing, Duo glanced dejectedly towards the door.

"Do I have to?"

Heero just glared at him in response.

"Okay okay! Sheesh…"

Duo flung open the door and moved to walk down the stairs but found himself restrained by Heero.

"Heero?" Duo said hopefully, thinking that he had changed his mind about letting the girl inside.

"The gun," Heero demanded, a stern look on his face.

"What gun?" asked Duo, blinking innocently.

"Now." Heero growled.

Grumbling, Duo reached into his shirt and pulled out his gun, handing it to the Japanese pilot.

"And the knife."

"But-"

"The knife, Duo."

"Oh fine! Happy now?"

Heero tucked the items…somewhere…in his spandex.

"Yes."

Stamping his feet obnoxiously, Duo made his way downstairs, cursing under his breath the whole time. Reaching the door, he flung it open and gave the waiting girl his best glare. Apparently it had no affect because Relena immediately brightened and pushed her way into the house.

"Duo! It's so nice to see you! Where's Heero?"

"What makes you think he's here?" Duo asked, leaning casually on the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest in a decidedly un-welcoming way.

"Don't be silly," Relena admonished in a condescending way that made Duo want to smack her. "Where is he?"

"Look princess," Duo started, "I don't think you should bother Heero right now. He's not feeling the best and-"

"He's sick?!" Relena cried with dismay, hands flinging up to press against her lips. "Then I must see him right away! Is he upstairs?"

Without waiting for an answer, Relena started to run up the stairs, murmuring things like, "Don't worry Heero, I'm here now."

Duo rolled his eyes and followed her, scowling furiously. Why couldn't the girl ever just leave them alone? He had just been getting Heero to loosen up too…

'Oh well. Maybe Heero will get fed up with her fawning all over him and shoot her anyway.'

Duo brightened at this thought and rushed up the rest of the stairs in hopes of seeing the cobalt-eyed pilot get angry at someone else besides him for a change.

But when he arrived in the room, all he saw was the pink-clad princess, fussing over a mildly bored looking perfect soldier. Heero was sitting on the corner of the bed and Relena stood over him, patting her small hands across his chest and tittering anxiously.

"Well you don't seem to be injured anywhere," Relena said thoughtfully. "Maybe you have a fever!"

She lifted a hand and put it to his forehead while Heero looked on passively.

Duo scowled, feeling jealousy rise in him like clouds.

'Sure, he can let _her_ touch him and not get all upset, but when _I_ do it he freaks out. Why the hell doesn't he shoot her already?'

Relena's next comment snapped Duo from his thoughts.

"Hmm…you do feel a little warm…"

Immediately Duo sprang into the room, placing his own hand against Heero's head. It was warmer then it should have been.

"You know Heero, maybe you should get checked out by a doctor. That last battle really took a lot out of you and it might have weakened your immune system or something," Duo remarked with concern.

Heero scowled.

"I'm not sick."

"You have a fever," Relena commented sweetly.

"I'm not sick."

"Let's just call a clinic and-"

"I'm not seeing a doctor. It would endanger the mission. Put down the phone, Duo."

"But I-"

Heero pulled out his gun and clicked the safety off.

"Put down the phone, Duo."

Duo put down the phone.

"Sheesh, ya try to help a guy and all he wants to do is kill you," Duo muttered to himself. "it gets discouraging after a while."

Heero tucked the gun back into his…somewhere.

"Shut up, Duo."

"But Heero," Relena whined, "If you're sick you should see a doctor. You can't fight if you're sick."

"I'm not seeing a doctor. It would endanger the mission." His eyes turned cold and locked onto Relena's. "You are endangering the mission by being here. Go home."

Relena recoiled as if struck, her lower lip trembling at Heero's harsh tone.

"But…" she floundered around for the words. "Don't you want me here, Heero?"

"No."

Relena's eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head, trying to hide them. Inside, Duo mentally cheered. Until Heero moved closer to Relena and put a hand on her chin, lifting it.

"It's too dangerous to be around me when OZ is still at large," Heero said, his voice quiet and almost…gentle in a way. "I cannot protect the colonies and watch over you at the same time. It would be more helpful to me if I knew you were safe at home. Do you understand?"

Sniffling, Relena nodded and smiled at Heero.

"I understand, Heero. I'll go home right away. But promise me you'll take care?"

Heero refused to answer, so Duo did for him.

"I'll make sure he doesn't blow himself up or run himself ragged princess. That's what I was doing before you got here. So why don't you just run along, hmm?"

Relena pretended not to here him. She leaned closer to Heero. Duo had to restrain himself from going over there and yanking the persistent princess away from his Heero.

"Promise me Heero. Promise me you'll take care," she begged.

Heero looked at her with something not unlike sympathy in his eyes.

"I'm not going to promise you that. Please leave."

Relena frowned and grasped Heero's arm in an attempt to make him see reason.

"Heero please!"

Duo had had enough.

"You heard the guy. It's time for you to go," he stated, taking the distraught princess by the elbow and leading her from the room and down the stairs.

Relena glared at him as they walked and kept turning to go back up the stairs, but Duo's tight grip on her arm wouldn't allow it.

"He needs me you know," Relena said, as she was forced out the door.

Duo rolled his eyes.

"Sure he does. Run along home princess. And for God's sake don't try to find us anymore! What if OZ ever followed you or something? We'd be in deep shit."

Relena looked stricken.

"I'd never do anything to harm Heero!"

"Yeah well you will sooner or later if you keep showing up like this," Duo muttered, trying to get the girl to leave their front porch.

Eventually Relena headed off towards the parked pink limo where Pagan was waiting patiently for her, repeating the word "never" over and over again. Duo watched her go with a sigh of relief. Then he bounded back up the stairs to confront Heero.

'I don't care if she _is_ the Queen of the World. Where does he get off being so damn _nice_ to her when he's so cold to everyone else? He can't care for her more than me can he? Aaargh, what a horrible thought!'

"All right Heero!" Duo said as he burst through the door. "You have some explaining to do."

Heero looked up, startled. What was Duo so angry for?

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Why do you let her cling all over you like that?!" Duo yelled, pacing a bit as he talked. "I mean, she's always stalking you and fawning all over you and touching you…and you just take it from her but you won't take it from anyone else! Why?"

There was silence from the Perfect Soldier. Duo stopped his pacing and came up to stand in front of him expectantly.

"Well?"

Heero's eyes unfocused a bit and his voice was very quiet.

"She…reminds me of someone I once met. A little girl…"

//Are you lost niisan?//

//I've been lost all my life//

//…have to retrain him…//

//…not working. Put him down in the hole again and we'll see what happens this time…//

//monster//

//…here little soldier, and take your medicine…//

//won't hurt//

//just a little pinch//

//sweet//

//I'm you, you know. I'm here inside you now. And you can never get rid of me//

//never never never//

"Heero? Hey Heero! Snap out of it man!" Duo said, waving a hand in front of Heero's face.

Heero blinked sharply and stared up at Duo, annoyed.

"What?" he snapped.

Duo withdrew his hand.

"You…you wouldn't answer me. Are you okay, Heero?"

"I'm fine," Heero said, his voice a flat monotone. But Duo had seen the emotions flicker across Heero's face and he knew that the boy was not fine. So much pain in those blue eyes…

Duo sighed and sat down beside Heero, tossing his braid out of the way.

"Y'know Heero, I just wish you would tell me what's wrong," he said.

"I'll tell you," Heero replied quietly. "As soon as I know."

Duo reached an arm around Heero's midsection and pulled him close, laying the Perfect Soldier's head down on his shoulder. He could feel the heat from his face through the thin cloth and wished that they could risk taking Heero to a doctor. But for now, all he could do was hold the boy close and hope that whatever it was that bothered Heero so would just go away.

"I'll always be here for you, you know," Duo said, tightening his embrace. "I'm never going to leave you."

"I know," Heero whispered, moving his head closer to nuzzle in the crook of Duo's neck. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the words reverberated.

//never never never//

To Be Continued…

Melpomene: Ohhh, we're getting so close to the big angst scene. I can just feel it!

Duo: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Heero: Bad.

Cherry Blossom: Hush you. It depends really. I mean, Heero really needs to get this off his chest. But it's not going to be very pleasant. And all those people who think he's acting OOC will soon discover why.

Matteo: So if you've already got a plan, the next chapter might get out quicker?

Cherry Blossom: Maybe…

Melpomene: Well review anyways. It makes her happy and then we get a raise. Pocky ain't cheap ya know.

Duo: Jaa!!