Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Equinity ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier, ne?

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Warnings: Sap, angst, yaoi, Lemon, AU, OOC

 

Pairing: 2x1

 

Summary: Heero is a successful up and coming Showjumping rider with his promising new horse Zero. A fall at a show renders the animal injured and it is up to Duo Maxwell the new vet to treat the horse.

 

Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for this fic. *huggles* This one's for you hun!

 

Many thanks to my betas Yami_Tai and Ryouga.

 

Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com

http://sweetlysour.net.

http://adultfanfiction.net

http://www.theforsakenwk.com

 

Notes: All the information on showjumping, horses, etc is taken from my own knowledge of the sport having been a competitor and now judge for many years and is written from an Australian perspective. The rules and regulations are courtesy of the E.F.A Handbook. (Equestrian Federation of Australia) Should you have any questions just e-mail me.

 

Many thanks to Yami_tai for the title! *hugs*

 

AN: The information on Cat spays is drawn from my own knowledge of the operation but it's been a while since I worked at a vet hospital and I realize that surgical techniques have probably changed since then so I apologize in advance for any inconsistencies. Also for those not aware the word Knackery is one that was widely used a few years ago and is the name used for the slaughter house where horses were sent once they had outlived their usefulness and were processed as cat and dog food. Any questions just e-mail me and I'll be happy to answer them.

 

 

 

" Equinity "

 

October 2004 ShenLong

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

With Duo's departure so Heero sat back and thought over the words that had passed between them. He was glad he'd found the courage to admit his orientation and attraction, pleased that his interest was returned. Now he needed to figure out the next step. He wasn't sure what sorts of things Duo enjoyed doing for relaxation which meant his choices for 'courting' Duo were a little limited to say the least. Finishing off his breakfast, Heero carried the bowl to the sink and filled it with hot water. He dumped the remainder of Duo's breakfast into the trash and washed both dishes and spoons thoroughly, setting them on the draining board to dry. He could manage to wash them up one handed but drying them really demanded two hands and Heero wasn't even going to attempt that in case he broke anything.

 

The coffee pot was still bubbling so Heero made himself another cup and wandered into the lounge room with the intent of checking out Duo's video and DVD collection. At least then he might have an idea of the types of movies Duo liked and they could go on a date to see something at the cinema. It seemed like as good a place as any to start in his understanding of the vet. As he wandered in to the lounge so his eyes fell on the telephone and he realized with a start that he hadn't called his boss. /Shit! Better do that now,/ he thought to himself and glanced at the clock. It was reading five minutes to ten. Heero picked up the receiver and dialed the number of the accountancy firm that he worked for, waiting patiently for the call to connect and be answered. He didn't have to wait long.

 

"Good morning, Browning, Smith and Donaldson Accountancy. How can I help you?"

 

"Hi, Freida, it's Heero here."

 

"Heero? Where the hell are you? Mr. Donaldson is not happy," said Freida.

 

Heero sighed. "I won't be in today, Freida. I had a fall from my horse at a show yesterday..."

 

"Oh, shit. Are you all right?"

 

"I'll be okay. Concussion and a fractured shoulder."

 

"Damn! That's gotta hurt."

 

"Yeah, it did."

 

"So, what's the story then?"

 

"I've been to the hospital and the doctor strapped me up. My arm will be out of use for at least six weeks."

 

"Shit, that's tough."

 

"Hai, but I'll cope."

 

"Hang on a minute, Heero, will you? I've got Mr. Donaldson on the other internal line."

 

"Okay." Heero waited while the secretary put him on hold. When he came off hold it wasn't Freida's voice that greeted his ears but his boss's.

 

"Yuy. What's this Freida is telling me about a fall from that blasted horse of yours? You know we're up to our necks at the moment, you can't afford to be sick or taking day's off."

 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Donaldson. I had a fall at a show yesterday and I've fractured my right shoulder and suffered concussion. The doctor at the hospital has strapped me up and the arm will be out of action for at least six weeks."

 

"Dammit, Heero. We need you in the office. Why the hell you insist on pursuing this stupid past time is beyond me. Horses are no good unless they're a racehorse that brings in money or they're stuffed in a can. I can't afford for you to be off now, we have a stack of work from a new client as well as the usual clients and it's going to get worse with the end of the financial year coming up."

 

Heero gritted his teeth. "I know, Mr. Donaldson, Believe me, I didn't want this to happen anymore than what you did. I can still work one handed, although I might be a little slower than usual."

 

"Well, at least that's something I suppose. Make sure you're back in the office for work tomorrow at eight thirty sharp."

 

"Yes, Mr. Donaldson."

 

"And take my advice, Yuy. Get rid of that animal; sell it to the knackery or something."

 

Before Heero had a chance to reply the connection was cut. Angrily he replaced the receiver and stared at the walls of the lounge. How dare his boss suggest he get rid of Zero! There was no way in the world that Heero would ever part with his horse, it would be like cutting off his right arm. Actually, cutting off his arm would probably be less painful. Heero had had Zero for far too long and shared too much with the horse to ever consider parting with him. He'd had offers made for the animal; and abruptly turned them down. It wasn't about money, Zero was more than a horse to him, he was Heero's friend and you didn't sell your best friend.

 

The anger began to fade a little though as Heero's thoughts returned to Zero. He'd bought the colt as a weanling from a friend he'd made when in accountancy school. When the mare had foaled, Heero had been asked to come and have a look at the new arrival and give his opinion. At that stage Heero was riding competitively but on other people's horses, he'd never found his ideal horse... that was until he went to see the new colt.

 

The mare was out in the pasture, the foal gamboling around her without a care in the world. Even at two day's old, Heero could see the independent streak the foal had, defying its mother's anxious whinnies and sauntering off by himself to explore his surroundings, especially the humans that had come to visit. The colt had approached them with a wariness but he was not afraid. He'd paused before them and Heero had wondered just who was checking out who. Zero had been almost black with a large kind eye and Heero's eyes had roved over the small form, taking in the conformation and noting the sloping shoulders, short, compact back, low set hocks and length of gaskin muscle. Perfect for a showjumper. When asked his opinion he'd been open and honest, his friend having hoped for a horse suitable for dressage and Heero had bluntly told him that this foal, while proportioned well enough for the sport would not achieve the heights the person wanted. But as a showjumper; he would be ideal.

 

The colt's mother was a retired dressage horse, nicely put together but lacking the 'polish' one needed in such an animal to make it to the top. The sire had been a sixteen hand warmblood stallion, noted for his versatility both on the flat and over fences. Heero made sure to secure the first refusal on the colt should his friend heed his advice and wish to sell. Six months later when the colt had been weaned, he belonged to Heero. The name Zero came about in two ways. Firstly, because there had been three of them attached to the price tag and secondly, because the horse for some reason was a loner, he didn't seem to want the company of other equines.

 

All that had happened six and a half years ago.

 

Heero's mind cleared and he returned to the present. No, there was no way he would ever part with Zero. He walked over to the cabinet that he assumed contained Duo's movie collection and opened the door to it. His eyes were assaulted by the many and varying titles that leapt out at him. The range was extremely diverse and Heero thumbed through the cases, reading the various titles. They ranged from horror to drama, action and adventure to romance, comedy to the classics. It looked like Duo was a movie buff and enjoyed the entire spectrum. He couldn't help but notice that Duo also had a large selection of science fiction. If Heero recalled correctly, there was a new science fiction movie due to be released in a couple of days, he wondered if Duo would be interested in seeing it with him. He made a mental note to ask when Duo came back for lunch.

 

***

 

Duo quickly unlocked the back door to the surgery and slipped inside, flicking on the light switches as he headed for the small consultation room. Checking that everything was in order, he went through to the reception and waiting room area. Flipping open the appointments book, he scanned the page to see if he had anything booked in for today. He had a cat spay to do in the afternoon but that was all. He didn't normally take appointments for his consultations, rather it was a turn up and wait basis and would remain so until the practice built a big enough clientele to warrant the necessity for pre booked appointments. Shrugging into the white coat, Duo checked his appearance in the small mirror, smoothed his bangs and grabbed his stethoscope. With the stethoscope around his neck he went to the front door and unlocked it, turning the small sign from 'closed' to 'open' and then returned behind the reception desk to await any morning surgery clients.

 

While he waited he turned on the small computer he used to keep all the records of his patients on as well as his accounts and general information relating to the practice. With a sigh he checked over his 'books'. Duo, while he might be a brilliant vet, was hopeless at keeping his book work correctly. He used an accounting program that was supposed to be simple and easy to follow, but to Duo, most of it was like reading a foreign language.

 

Scanning down the list of entries he had there, he felt even more irritated. He'd done what the program had said, entered all his purchases for the practice into the correct sections and filed the receipts away in a folder which was kept in a filing cabinet. He'd put down all the incoming cash, check, money order and the like payments, as well as the outgoing and according to the program it was just a simple case of hitting the right button and the program would give him a complete summary of his business' cash flow.

 

Sounded simple enough.

 

Then why the hell then didn't it work for him?

 

Fortunately for Duo he was able to leave the hellish machine as a client entered the surgery.

 

***

 

The forceps glinted in the light as Duo removed the offending piece of glass from where it was deeply embedded in the dog's paw. "There you go, Rufus. All gone now so you should feel much better." Duo reached for the betadine solution and swabbed over the area. "I'll just give him a shot of penicillin and then get you a course of tablets for him, Miss Rolton."

 

"Thank you, Doctor Maxwell," the pretty brunette replied and ruffled the dog's head affectionately. "I was so worried that it would need surgery to get it out. I did try but it was too deep for me to remove."

 

"No problem," replied Duo as he slipped the needle into the dog's flesh and injected the drug. He also gave the dog an affectionate rub to his ears; and got a tongue licking for his efforts. "Hey! That's enough, Rufus," Duo laughed. "I did take a shower already!"

 

The dog just looked at him with liquid brown eyes, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. He was a lovely specimen of the Irish setter breed.

 

"I think he likes you, Doctor Maxwell," smiled Miss Rolton.

 

"At least he doesn't bear a grudge against me for digging away in his pad like that." Rufus was one of Duo's favorite patients. Regardless of what treatment he required the dog never bore any malice and never once attempted to bite or even growl at Duo, even when some of the treatment was unpleasant. The large dog simply gave a sigh and accepted whatever it was that Duo needed to do to him with a quiet dignity. Duo slipped several white pills into a small yellow envelope and wrote the instructions on the front before turning back to the dog's owner.

 

"Give him one tablet a day for seven days starting tomorrow. The penicillin injection I've given him will kick start his immune system and give the tablets time to get into his blood stream. If you have any problems or any concerns, if the paw begins to look infected then call me or bring him straight back."

 

"Thanks, Doctor Maxwell."

 

"You're welcome. Now, Rufus, keep off the broken glass in future." Duo gave the dog another pat and received a lick in return.

 

Duo opened the door to the consulting room and motioned for the woman to lead the dog out, following behind and heading to the reception desk. He dropped the dog's folder to the desk and quickly typed in the details of the consult into the computer. "That will be seventy dollars, thanks."

 

Miss Rolton fished in her bag and brought out her purse to pay whilst Duo printed out a receipt and signed it. Exchanging the the slip of paper for cash, he dropped the notes into his small cash box and locked it. "Take it easy," he said as the woman and her dog disappeared out of the surgery door. Looking up he noted his next client waiting patiently in the small room. "Would you like to come through this way, please?"

 

The young boy stood up and followed Duo through to the consulting room.

 

"What can I do for you, young man?" Duo asked as he closed the door behind them.

 

The youngster put a guinea pig down on the consulting table. "It's Rocket, his toe nails need clipping and I can't do them myself."

 

"Okay, I'm sure we can do that for you," Duo fetched his clippers from the table and picked up the little animal.

 

***

 

As Duo closed the door behind his last client, he looked up at the clock, noting the time. It was five to twelve. He doubted he would have any further clients and so turned the little sign around to read closed and locked the door. He walked back into the consulting room and sprayed the small table down with an antiseptic solution, wiping it clean and tossing the cloth into the small sink. Picking up the broom, he quickly swept the floor and then placed his stethoscope on the side bench before removing his white coat and hanging it on the back of the door. He'd be back up after lunch anyway as he had the cat spay to do, so he might as well leave the coat here.

 

Walking down the short hall he stopped at the kennels to check on the cat. She was a large, orange tabby and was currently reclining at the back of the small kennel. "I'll be back soon, Marmalade. Need to get some lunch," he said to the cat before leaving the kennel and heading once more to the back door of the surgery.

 

Locking up, his stomach rumbled, reminding him of his skipped breakfast and that brought him to the next train of thought.

 

Heero.

 

He warmed as the memory of their morning discussion came back to him and he smiled. It would be interesting to see what happened between them now, where this attraction went seeing as how they had both admitted to their feelings of liking the other person. Somehow he could sense that Heero was different, not because of anything the man had said, but more by his actions. He wasn't the flighty type, more the deep and brooding sort, Duo mused. He was serious and yet had an edge of humor as well. From what Duo had observed, mainly in the guy's manner around his horse, he appeared to be the type that took things seriously, didn't jump in headlong without first giving the matter, whatever it was, serious consideration first. That appealed to Duo; it showed that the man had respect as well as a sense of responsibility. Yes, it would be interesting to see just how this relationship would play out.

 

Stepping in through the front door, Duo called out, he didn't want to startle his guest. "Heero?"

 

"In here," came the reply.

 

Duo dropped the keys to the small table in the hall and walked into the lounge room. Heero sat in one of the lounge chairs watching a DVD, Duo recognized it as being a part drama part science fiction film, "The Core" [1] "Enjoying the movie?"

 

"Actually, it's not bad. I didn't get to see it in the cinema. Special effects are good," replied Heero as he hit the pause button and turned in his seat to study the long haired vet. "How was your morning?"

 

"Not bad, I had eight consultations all up," replied Duo. "What would you like for lunch?"

 

Heero thought about saying 'you' and then changed his mind. Duo really did look delicious in tight, black slacks and a cream, button down shirt. "Anything, I'm not a picky eater, but, please, let me help."

 

"Sure." Duo did a mental scan of what he had in the 'fridge as he still hadn't shopped for any groceries. "Would cold meat and salad be okay?"

 

"That sounds good." Heero stood up and followed Duo out to the kitchen. Moments later Heero was rinsing salad vegetables then passing them to Duo who chopped them up and put the mix into a large bowl. Once the salad was ready, Duo set it on the table and added a plate of sliced up ham. He fetched another two plates and cutlery, placing one set for himself and the other for Heero. Balsamic dressing found its way to the table along with salt and pepper and Heero added two glasses of soda to complete the lunch. They took their seats and Duo offered the bowl of salad to Heero.

 

As they ate so Heero questioned Duo about his morning's work, laughing at the 'washing' Rufus had given the vet. "What do you have booked for the rest of the day?"

 

"I've got a cat spay this afternoon and then evening consults, if anyone turns up."

 

"Don't you have appointments?"

 

"No. The practice is still in its fledgling stages so I haven't bothered with appointments," explained Duo. "Once I get a good reputation and business builds up, then I will most likely change over to the appointment system. Besides, I'd really need a receptionist come book keeper who could also be an assistant to operate successfully in that way and at the moment the practice isn't established enough to be able to afford to employ someone. So for now, I'm it, the complete package. Duo Maxwell, vet, book keeper, receptionist and vet nurse extraordinaire." Duo grinned at Heero. "I don't mind though."

 

"Sounds like a hell of a lot of work to me for one person," replied Heero.

 

"It's not quite as bad as it sounds. Anyway, enough about me. What about you, Heero? You know quite a bit about me but I hardly know anything about you."

 

Heero gave him a wry smile. "What would you like to know?"

 

"Well, anything I guess. I know you said you worked as an accountant and that you're renting a place in the next locality. What else do you do besides ride and work?"

 

At the mention of his job, Heero felt a shiver pass through his body but he shoved it aside. "I like to go to the movies from time to time and occasionally I enjoy dining out, although I haven't really been anywhere lately, I've been too busy preparing Zero for the 'circuit',[2] besides, I hate dining alone."

 

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm rather a movie buff myself," chuckled Duo. "I also like to dine out from time to time but with my irregular working hours, it's not very often that I get the chance to." Duo sat back and wiped his mouth on his napkin. "If that was lunch, then I've had it," he snickered and stood up to take his plate to the sink.

 

Heero shook his head in amusement and picked up his own plate. "Duo?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Would you mind if I came up to the surgery with you this afternoon? I'd really like to see what you do and to be honest, I'm bored shitless sitting here by myself."

 

Duo gave the dark haired man a smile. "Of course you can, Heero. Only..."

 

"Hai?" Heero questioned.

 

"You're not squeamish are you? I mean, you're not likely to pass out with the sight of blood and internal organs and other unmentionable bits? Once I start to operate, if you faint I'll have to leave you on the floor until I'm finished as I can't leave my patient."

 

"No, I'm not in the least affected by blood or gore so I won't faint."

 

"Then by all means you're welcome to come and watch. I'll get these dishes done and then we can head back up."

 

Feeling a bit happier, Heero decided to take a risk and leaned in close to Duo. He took the long haired vet by surprise when he pressed a chaste kiss to Duo's cheek. "Arigato."

 

Duo's eyes warmed once they'd gotten over the shock. "No problem," he murmured softly and then returned to the dishes.

 

Feeling a little flushed, Heero began to clear the table and put the things away.

 

***

 

Duo carefully removed the surgical instruments from the autoclave and set them on a tray, covering them with a green surgical cloth. On the operating table, Marmalade lay stretched out on her side, sleeping peacefully under the influence of the anesthetic. Satisfied that the had all the necessary equipment, Duo carried the tray over to the small, wheeled stand and set it on top. He checked the cat's anesthetized state before fetching the small electric clippers.

 

Heero watched with fascination. He'd never seen anything surgical before and his interest was piqued. His eyes tracked Duo's every movement as the vet carefully arranged Marmalade onto her back and secured her there with soft ties to her legs, completely exposing her underbelly. Plugging the clippers in, Duo proceeded to clip away a small patch of hair from the cat's abdomen and then swab the area with betadine. "What's that stuff?" asked Heero.

 

"Betadine solution. It's a very strong antiseptic," replied Duo as he picked up a scalpel. "If you're feeling a little green by any of this, Heero, now is the time to bail out," stated the vet as his fingers probed the skin of the cat's belly, locating the place where he needed to make his incision.

 

"I'm good," came Heero's reply. He really wasn't bothered by the sight of blood at all; his curiosity would have been more than enough to quell any queasy feelings he may have had anyway.

 

"Okay." Duo pressed the scalpel to the cat's abdomen and made a short, neat incision, the skin and muscle layers parting easily. Setting the scalpel aside, he reached for the forceps and parting the open wound, slid them inside to locate the cat's uterus.

 

"What are you doing now?" asked Heero, hoping that Duo didn't mind his questions.

 

"Now I have to locate the uterus, lift it out and remove it," replied Duo as he bent over his task, peering into the abdomen and searching through the coils of intestines and other numerous bits of innards.

 

"Rather you than me. I wouldn't have a clue what I was looking for. I'd probably remove something vital like the animal's stomach." Heero's tone was serious but held a light tone.

 

Duo snickered. "That's what I spent years at University for, learning the anatomy of all the different animals," he replied. "Actually it's not all that hard. Ah, there you are." Duo lifted a slender, pink 'tube' like piece of tissue from the animal's gut.

 

"Looks like a bit of intestine to me."

 

"When you look closely at it, Heero, you can see a difference. Usually it's easiest to locate the horns of the uterus first and then you know you have the right bit." Duo proceeded to snip off the organ and then stitch up the small wound. "Now for the other one."

 

"Huh? You mean there's more than one?"

 

"Yes, Heero. A cat has two. That's why they can conceive kittens all born at the same time but by different fathers, as well as being able to have more than one kitten per litter."

 

"Well shit!"

 

Duo laughed and quickly located the second horn of the uterus, removing and stitching it neatly. "There, now all I have to do is stitch her up." Duo reached for some penicillin powder and gave the cat's innards a light dusting before checking that all was in place. He picked up a needle, forceps and some surgical silk then bent close to the abdomen, pulling the layers of muscle and abdominal wall together and beginning to stitch. "This is the boring and tedious part," he informed Heero.

 

Heero didn't reply, he was too busy poking at the bits in the kidney dish that Duo had removed from the cat. "Interesting."

 

Duo decided to relieve the boredom of his stitching by asking Heero some questions. "Have you rung your work yet, Heero."

 

That brought the young rider back to earth with a thud. "Hai, I did."

 

"And?" Duo prompted as he tied off the stitch and prepared to insert the next one.

 

"Let's just say my boss was not happy. I have to return to work tomorrow."

 

"You going to be okay to go back to work, you have had concussion you know, not to mention the shoulder?"

 

"I don't have much of a choice. The boss was pretty annoyed and we are very busy at the moment." There was an undercurrent in Heero's tone as he spoke and Duo picked up on it.

 

"Sounds like your boss isn't a very compassionate person."

 

"He disapproves of my riding and competing."

 

"Excuse me for saying so, but isn't what you do in your own time none of his business?"

 

"Technically you're correct; but when it interferes with my ability to work, he thinks it is his place to intervene. He told me to send Zero to the knackery."

 

Duo looked up sharply. "Ow! Fuck!" he cursed as he stuck himself with the needle.

 

"You all right?" Heero asked in concern as Duo swore. He immediately went to the vet's side and took his hand, inspecting the injured digit.

 

Duo couldn't keep the smile off his face with Heero's tender concern. "It's okay, I'll live, it's not the first time I've got myself with the needle," he replied and then took his hand back to continue his stitching. "You kinda shocked me then, Heero. He really said to send Zero to the knackers?"

 

"Hai, he did."

 

"What a bastard! I'd like to have a word or two with him, or better still, pay him a visit with my scalpel. Fancy even suggesting that such a magnificent animal be reduced to a fate like that, he must be a real prick."

 

Heero couldn't help but chuckle at the strength of Duo's words and the vehemence with which he spoke them. "I have no intention of parting with Zero."

 

"I should hope not, Heero. You do and I'll be coming after you with my scalpel and I promise you, you'd be singing soprano for longer than a week!"

 

"I couldn't part with him, Duo. He means too much to me."

 

"I kinda gathered that. So, how long have you had him for?" Duo finished the last stitch and dropped the instruments into the tray and swabbed the area again.

 

"Six and a half years. I bought him as a weanling from a friend."

 

"Ahh. I take it you broke him in and educated him yourself?" Duo gave the sleeping cat an antibiotic injection before lifting her up and settling her on a blanket on the floor to recover.

 

Heero proceeded to tell Duo all about his meeting with Zero, the purchase of the horse and the ensuing years where he'd won the animal's trust and begun the task of breaking him in and educating him in the ways of showjumping. As Heero spoke so Duo washed his surgical instruments and placed them in the autoclave for sterilizing then scrubbed down the small table, generally cleaning up. The cat was slowly starting to come around and lifted her head.

 

"Well, it sounds to me like you certainly have the horse's respect and trust, Heero. I could see there is a distinct rapport between you two when you first entered the ring. I know they say that a good rider is evident when you look at the combination and it's hard to see where the rider finishes and the horse begins. That was one of the things I noticed about you and Zero. You combine together as if you're one entity."

 

Hero blushed at the kind words.

 

"No, you don't, missy," said Duo to the cat that was trying to stand up on wobbly legs. The vet was quickly kneeling by the animal and checking her vitals.

 

"So that's why you put her on the floor," said Heero. "So she won't hurt herself as she comes out of the anesthetic and tries to move around."

 

"You're a fast learner, Heero." Duo gave the man a smile. "She's doing fine so I can pop her back in the kennels now," stated Duo and picked the cat up.

 

Heero followed the vet to the kennels and watched as Duo gently placed Marmalade into a warmed kennel.

 

"I'll check back on her later. Now I think we should go and see how Zero is faring. By the way, Heero, just how did he get the name Zero?"

 

"It came about because there were three of them in his price tag, plus he's a bit of a loner."

 

Duo laughed. "Fair enough. I've heard some funny reasons behind names for different animals during my time as a vet, but I think that one has to be the best."

 

Chuckling himself, Heero walked beside Duo past the house and down to the stables to see how his horse was doing. As they walked so Heero noticed Duo looking at his car. "What are you thinking, Duo?"

 

Turning to meet the gaze of the blue eyed man, Duo paused. "If you're going back to work tomorrow, Heero, how do you plan on getting there?"

 

"I was going to drive... Oh."

 

"Yeah. Your car is a manual, Heero. How are you going to change gears and steer with only one arm?"

 

Heero hadn't thought about that. "Shit!"

 

"Look, my car is an automatic, you should be able to drive that okay. Why don't you borrow my car until your shoulder is healed and out of the strapping, I can use yours in the meantime."

 

Heero didn't know what to say. Did the generosity of the vet know no bounds? "Duo... I..."

 

"Heero, it's fine. As long as I have wheels to be able to get to my call outs and do my running around it doesn't matter."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't," came the reply.

 

"Then I am again in your debt," Heero bowed slightly. A finger under his chin pushed his face up and he found himself looking into amused amethyst.

 

"Heero, it's my pleasure. And so is this." Duo leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over Heero's. "Now, let's go check on your horse."

 

Heero blinked, the brush of the lips had left him floundering. He realized with a start that Duo was walking towards the stables once again. With his lips still tingling from the brief touch he shook himself out of his stupor and hastened to catch up with the long haired beauty.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc.....

 

 

[1] The Core; Interesting movie about what can happen if the earth stops spinning on its axis due to a problem with the inner core.

 

[2] Circuit; Heero is referring to what is known as the Showjumping circuit, a series of shows held in different locations through the showjumping season in which riders compete. Usually success at the bigger shows on the circuit leads to selection for the World Cup and Olympic Games.