Title: Desert Rose Part IV: Affairs of the Lonely Hearts

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross)

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either.

Days went by, and Heero spent each day with the active braided prince whom he had begun to like, even more since they had met. Harle and the rest observed them from a distance, and noticed the growing bond between the two boys with satisfaction.

"It seems that our plan is working." Wufei commented nonchalantly, as they watched Heero and Duo through a window.

Harle jumped off the table she was sitting on, then walked up to the window. Looking at them, she nodded with a smile. "Aye."

"They look so sweet together." Shini sighed dreamily.

The others could only agree, except Wufei, who went to the library to look up for a book on dentistry to cure his cavities.

*****

"Heero, do you want to learn some basic spells? You see, after that incident, I think it's safer for you to be able to defend yourself. We're not gonna be around *all* the time." Duo noted seriously, as he settled down under a shady tree.

"How?" Heero replied, and he sat down across Duo.

"Well, I could teach you. Besides, we have a lot of books in the library too. You can read up for yourself, and then ask any of us if you don't understand anything."

"Does Harle approve of this?"

"Uh-huh. At least that was the case the last time I asked her. It doesn't really matter. Besides, what can happen?"

"I'm not so sure about this…"

Duo let go of the leg he had been hugging, and leaned towards his friend a little. "It really doesn't matter!" He insisted.

"Why are you so insistent about this?"

The braided prince sat back and smiled sheepishly, "Well, it does provide some kinda entertainment for me. I've been bored out of my mind this few years. If you let me teach you, I can kill off some time. But more importantly…" He wavered, and a slight blush crept up his face. He lowered his head, as the blades of grass suddenly fascinated him. "I don't know what would happen to me if you got hurt…" The last part was softer than a whisper.

Heero's jaws slacked. What did the boy say? More importantly, what did he mean by that? Or did it even mean anything at all? He turned away from Duo, and he felt the temperature around him rise significantly. Slowly, he croaked. "…aa…"

*****

Some time later, Duo led Heero to the library. As usual, the Asian boy stared at the majestic place in awe. Books filled every shelf, every little corner of the huge room. The floors, and even the stairs were stacked with books of every size and shape.

Duo let him gawk, and in the meantime, he walked up the stairs to a large shelf. Absently, he racked his brains to remember where was the basic spells book. It had been too far long since he last saw it. Running his slender fingers across the books, he finally pulled out a thick, balky one. Flipping it open, he mumbled to himself, "Bibbity babbity boo… Nah, not this one." Then he slid it back into the empty slot. After some more taking out and putting them back onto their respective shelves, he finally found the correct book.

"This one?" Heero raised an eyebrow at the book that looked like an antique more than a book. Opening it, he read off a sentence. "Flames of hell, gather to burn?" Nothing happened. Quizzically, he looked at the prince for help.

Duo chuckled. "You don't just recite the spell! Ya gotta… concentrate, ya know? Let your mind energy materialize. It's not as easy as you think!" He stood arms akimbo proudly, then smiled, "Stand aside kiddo, and let the teacher do a demonstration!"

Before his companion could respond, he held out both hands and clasped them together. Quickly, he chanted a simple spell. As soon as the words left his mouth, a sparkle of light greeted their eyes and it glowed brightly, before it vanished. Duo turned back to Heero and cocked his head to one side. "See? *That's* how you do it."

Heero looked at him skeptically. It wasn't that he didn't trust Duo, but that little display of magic was making him suspicious. "Are you sure magic's like that?"

"Of course it is! Why?" Duo frowned.

"It looked pretty weak to me."

Duo pouted and huffed. "Honestly, did you have to bring that up?" He sulked, then turned away. For an instance, Heero thought he had pushed too far. But suddenly, the braided boy admitted softly, "I'd… hurt others before… with my magic spells…"

Heero kept mum, silently wondering what he meant. Duo spun around to face him again. "You know my story right? How I ended up here?" All he got was an affirmative nod. Then he continued, "After I got here, I deliberately hurt those around me with my magic. So bad it was that they had to seal up my powers. I guess I had been pretty wild back then." Duo stared off into space, eyes clouded with nostalgia.

"What about now?"

Duo's violet orbs fluttered shut, then opened again dreamily. "Now? You don't see me chasing after anyone and shooting bolts at them, now do you?" He joked smoothly. Chuckling, he whirled around. "I'm contented now. Contented that I have a loving sister, a bunch of wonderful friends, a stable full of extraordinary horses, and then… there's… you." He looked at Heero fully in his eyes, eyes narrowing as though he had just solved a great mystery. Maybe he had. Finally, a wide grin broke out onto his face. "A marvelous friend from outside…" He breathed out.

Heero felt himself freezing up.

The prince smiled broadly. Then he moved up and wrapped his arms around Heero's waist. "Thank you, for being my friend." His warm breath tickled Heero's neck.

Something was terribly wrong with the weather, Heero was certain. He had only felt the frosty chill a moment ago, and then the room was heating up. He stood stiff for another moment, then his mind got back to him, and he silently pulled Duo closer.

*****

Magical trainings soon became a part of Heero's life. Thanks to his incredible memory and ability to comprehend the whole magic idea, his progress was smooth and swift. By the third day, he had already finished the basics and was going into the more advanced spells.

"Thundaga[1]!" A flash of white struck the dummy target, and it ignited a miniature explosion.

Duo cheered enthusiastically, "Wow! I can't believe this! You managed to master the second level spells in just two days! You are sooo good." He swooned, his voice full of envy and admiration.

Heero shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing slightly. Then the braided prince pranced right up to him with a towel. "Here." As Heero wiped the perspiration from his face, Duo stood patiently beside him with a glass of water. After Heero was done with the towel, Duo took it away and handed him the water.

As the dark haired boy gulped down the cooling beverage, Duo observed him carefully. Somehow, he found himself enticed by the way Heero was beautiful without trying. Putting down the glass on the table of the pavilion, Heero noticed the unnerving way his friend was staring at him. "Duo? Is there anything wrong?"

Duo cursed himself for his fair complexion. "N-nothing! Just thinking of something." He replied, not really lying. He bent his head as if he had found something interesting at his feet. As he considered his next response, he noticed the scar on his companion's knee. It wasn't very obvious, but it did look serious. Once. At least when he had just gotten that injury. Lifting his head, he asked concernedly. "Heero," he pointed to his knee, "where did you get that?"

"…I fell out of bed some time ago."

Duo wasn't about to buy that story. "Don't lie to me. It looks like it was burnt." When he said that, realisation hit him. "It was the dragons, wasn't it?"

"…"

Huffing, Duo dragged Heero to the chair and forced him to sit. Gruffly, he complied. Duo then knelt in front of him and placed one hand on the scar and concentrated. "Come forth, Healing Wind." A healing green mist wove their way into his injury. With that done, Duo looked up. "Better?"

Heero nodded.

The braided boy pushed himself off the ground and took a seat beside Heero. "You should have told us that we missed out on your injury." He reprimanded gently, then he added. "Are there anymore?"

"No."

"If there are, you've got to tell me, ok?" Duo flashed those puppy eyes that he knew Heero would never reject.

"Nn."

A moment of silence fell between them. It wasn't at all awkward or unnerving. It was comforting. Then Duo's soft whisper came through. "I'm really glad that I got there in time. Really. I don't know what I would have done if you had…" He trailed off.

"Duo…"

The braided prince did not seem to have heard Heero, for he continued, "Sometimes, I just remember that day, seeing you lying unconscious on the ground with bruises everywhere… and it really makes me scared. It was like a nightmare come true. Just like before…" He choked a little.

Heero hesitantly wrapped his arms around Duo, if only to offer comfort. "Shh, Duo. I'm alright, aren't I? It doesn't matter anymore."

Sobbing quietly, Duo pleaded forlornly, "You can't leave me, Heero. Don't leave me behind."

Nodding, Heero stroked Duo's back gently. "I promise."

"You know something? I used to have a very good friend who looked so much like you. Dark hair, and the searing blue eyes… They looked as if they could see into one's soul. So deep and endless. He was so good to me…" Duo sobbed harder. "But then one day, he became infected with a rare virus and fell into a coma. All night long, I sat beside his bed and talked to him, begging him to wake up. But he never did. Solo died, just like that." He pushed himself off Heero's chest and looked into his eyes. "Please, don't leave me like Solo."

"I won't ever leave you, Duo. Never."

Duo saw the genuine care in those enchanting eyes, and he finally smiled.

*****

Heero lay on his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. It was late, but he wasn't really sleepy. Too many thoughts were racing around his mind in circles. That way Duo had talked to him in the pavilion, Heero had felt so important and happy that Duo was willing to share that piece of his past with him. Trust was building up between them. And the way Duo felt in his arms… it felt so right. Like they were missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and now they had found the other piece. And then there was the voice. Duo's voice sounded like music in his ears, so sweet. His eyes too, so captivatingly enchanting. Heero felt that he could drown in those endless pools of violets forever. But he didn't like the wistfulness in his tone and those tears in his eyes. He wished he could kiss those tears away and make that wistfulness disappear.

Heero closed his eyes, and images of a violet-eyed, braided angel fluttered in and out of his mind's eyes. Dreams flooded his mind, overwhelming his senses. In his dreams, he was holding the beautiful angel in his arms, engaged in a deep and passionate lip-lock. Duo returned the kiss eagerly, kissing Heero with all his soul. Cupping his cheeks, Heero caressed his face gently. "Duo…" He leaned forward to kiss the beautiful creature again. Duo's moans excited him so, he wanted to hear them everyday for the rest of his life. Duo gazed up from below him, passion clouding his eyes. Panting from their kiss, Duo whispered, "I love…"

"Heero!" A voice called out and pulled him out of his wonderful dream. Heero felt like punching whomever it was who woke him up. Until he noticed it was Duo kneeling beside his bed, face marred by a frown.

"Duo?"

The said boy gazed at him. "Heero…"

Heero noted the sensual way his lips moved, and almost leaned forward to press those lips against his. Like they had in his dreams. Then he stopped himself, blushing. 'What am I thinking?' He berated himself. 'I'm not even sure how he feels.' Pushing those thoughts aside, he asked, "Why are you here? It's late, you should be sleeping."

"I… I couldn't sleep. Then I thought you might be still awake, so…"

Heero nodded.

"I was gonna leave, but then you called my name, and I thought that you were awake. But then when I came up to your bed, I saw that you were asleep and you were smiling, and even panting. So I thought you were feeling unwell… Sorry I woke you up." Duo admitted.

Heero blushed. Duo had heard him say his name? Belatedly, he wondered what else he had heard. It was just too embarrassing. The boy whom he had dreamt of kissing was just beside him when he woke up. What could be worse? Well, there was. Blushing even harder, he hoped that Duo wouldn't notice just how aroused he was. Trying hard to maintain his composure, he choked out, "You… you wanna talk?"

"You don't mind?"

Heero shook his head. But he almost regretted his decision when Duo scooted closer to him, so close he was afraid that Duo might notice his arousal. At the same time, he secretly thanked every god he could think of, for granting him this chance to be this close with Duo.

Then Duo broke him out of his trance. "Heero, have you ever fallen in love before?"

"Love?"

"Uh-huh. Have you?" He prodded.

Heero looked away for a moment, his mind trying to work out an answer that would satisfy Duo and yet not lie to him. He didn't like the idea of lying to the braided boy. His heart eagerly supplied him with an answer. 'Yes, I have. I'm in love right now, with you…' But the rational part of his mind stopped that from spilling, from fear of rejection and heartbreak.

"Heero? Have you?" Duo repeated his question.

Heero looked at him, then replied, "Yes, I have."

"Have you told this person?"

Heero shook his head. "No."

Duo frowned. "Why?"

"I'm not sure how this person feels about me."

"Oh Heero!" Duo sighed. "You've gotta be honest with your feelings! If you love someone you say it. You say it right then, out loud…or the moment just...passes you by. And true love is something that comes only once in our lives!"

Hoping to change the topic before Duo knew too much, Heero asked, "What about you? Ever fallen in love?"

"Me? Well, I think so. I'm not sure."

"Not sure?"

Duo smiled sheepishly, "I guess I was too young to know any better. I liked Solo a lot, but I'm not sure if that was love or was it just friendship. And then, there was sis."

"Harle!?" Heero choked.

The braided boy nodded. "Yup, sis. I've always admired her, and hoped that I would someday be like her. Strong, powerful, clever, caring… But after some time, I realised that the feeling I held for her was the longing I've always had since young. The longing to one day have a sibling to care for me, to play with, to talk to. I love her like a sister."

"Oh." Heero let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Suddenly, a streak of lightning flashing across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

"AHHHH!" Duo shrieked, and latched onto Heero's arms. The sheer force pushed Heero down onto his bed.

"Duo?"

"Oh my god, this is so freaky." Then he pushed himself off Heero's chest. "I'm sorry, I've always been afraid of the storm. It just reminds me of a lot of bad things." He was about to get off, when another clap of thunder caused him to jump back onto Heero. Another followed, and Duo snuggled into Heero's warm embrace as he shivered. The dark haired boy wrapped his arms protectively around Duo's waist, and whispered soothing words in his ears, "Shh, it's ok. I'm here. Don't be afraid."

Duo nodded, and he tried to get up again. However, the next clap of thunder caused him to jump onto his friend again. And this time, by some quirk of fate, Duo's lips caressed his cheek. It was a dry peck, nothing more. He pulled back immediately, blabbering, "I'm sorry, Heero. I'm sorry…" Then the thunder sounded again, and he nestled his head in the crook of Heero's neck with a shout. Heero tightened his hold on the fey creature, and cooed, "Duo, you wanna sleep here tonight, or do you want me to walk you back to your room?"

Shakily, Duo breathed out, "I… I think I'll stay."

Heero thanked the gods for answering his prayers. He stroked Duo's back gently, "Go to sleep Duo. I'll be here in the morning."

Duo didn't answer. Only a soft snoring answered him. He raised an arm to cup the cheek that Duo had accidentally kissed just then. He decided that the next time, it would not be an accident. Smiling, Heero pressed his lips against the prince's head. "Sleep well, Duo."

Then sleep claimed him.

*****

In a room nearby, Quatre clutched his chest.

"What's wrong, Quatre?"

The blonde looked at his lover, wincing. "Trowa, I fear something's going to happen soon. This storm… it's so bizarre. We're in a desert. How can it rain so suddenly and so heavily? And the thunder and lightning? It's like it's some kind of bad omen, foretelling the things that will be coming our way."

Trowa wrapped his arms tighter around Quatre. "Don't worry so much. Some things just happen. We can't stop them from coming, but we can make it better. Besides, this might be just an ordinary storm."

"I hope you're right." Quatre replied, although his frown revealed that he didn't believe it.

*****

Wufei set down the book he had been reading, and rose to close the windows. Looking out of the window, he saw the rain pouring down in sheets, and the massive bolts of lightning streaking across the sky. The wind screamed in his face, coldness seeping into his spine. He sensed a feeling of foreboding and premonition, and an air of evil spreading. What was going to happen?

Brushing those feelings aside, he returned to his seat, and picked up the book to resume his previous activity. However, throughout the night, he felt that somebody was watching him.

*****

In the stables, the horses were huddled together to withstand the blistering cold. Although they tried to stay away from the rain as much as possible, the water kept splashing in.

"What a storm!" Wing huffed. "I'm getting all wet."

No one responded, not even Shinigami. Then, Nataku's expression turned solemn. "This storm… smells evil."

Heavyarms nodded.

"The last time it had stormed like this…" Shinigami trembled as she recalled. "Solo he…"

The horses lapsed into silence. Shinigami didn't need to continue. They all knew what happened on that day. Solo had fallen into a coma, and died in the middle of the night.

Sandrock frowned worriedly. "Nothing's going to happen… …right?"

The others kept quiet, not knowing what to say.

*****

'Crack!'

Harle let out a gasp, and ran over to her desk. Surprised, she held up the broken pieces of her jade amulet. There had been a very bright streak of lightning that flashed across the sky, and it lit up the night as bright as day. Then, she had heard a loud cracking sound of something. To her astonishment, the jade amulet Zechs handed to her years ago had crack, and broke into two separate pieces.

Holding the broken amulet close to her, she gazed out into the storming sky. The howling winds and frosty rain chilled her soul, telling her the arrival of evil soon. It was a feeling so profound she could feel it in her veins.

Speaking out loud to no one in particular, she asked, "Iz zis a message from you?" Then she frowned. "But w'ere are you now? Why can't I find you? Zechs…"

Sorceress Fantasia @ 17th March 2001

Beta read 10th August 2002

Author's notes: Yeah! Fourth chapter is finally finished, and the fifth is soon to come. But I'm getting tired of Harle's accent! I don't really know how is the accent like? Her appearances in the game itself is too short for me to catch much of that! Can anyone help me? T_T Either that, or I may just give up the entire accent idea and let her speak normally. Please give me a clue to how should I go about Harle's French accent. Please? *flashes puppy eyes*

[1] Thundaga. Second level of the thunder spell. Taken from the Final Fantasy series. I don't own it. Don't sue.