Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Angel in the Flames ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Title: "Angel in the Flames"

Author: Desdomonda (Blackmoon2101@Aol.com)

Archive: Currently Not Anywhere

Category: Yaoi/ Shonen-Ai, Angst, Lemon

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, 5+S, OCS x 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, Bandai does.

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Yaoi, Lemon, Violence, Angst, NCS, OC

Spoilers: Not really

Notes: Duo is abducted by a gang. NCS, Angst, and confusion ensues. Will Heero rescue Duo in time?

Feedback: Of course!!!

Chapter 11

WuFei leaned on the doorframe of Heero's room, his form seemed tense, although his body curved lithely, as if he were part serpent. Heero turned in his chair, facing the unwanted intrusion.

"What do you want Wufei?" The young Chinese man smirked. Although Heero had been making huge pains to be hospitable lately, he bristled like a hedgehog if someone dared interrupt him while he was working.

Wufei shrugged in nonchalance "Sally called, she just figured that you might want to know that they moved the date up to today."

Heero stiffened, agitated. "Why did they do that?" Wufei smirked, it was painfully obvious that Heero was trying to hold back the wash of emotions.

"It's expensive to keep him under."

Heero scowled. "You know full well that money is not an issue, as well as she does. The date was set as a week from now, that's quite a substantial amount of healing time. Now tell me why she moved the date."

WuFei nodded he knew full well he couldn't fool his friend. "Seems like he's been taking lessons from you. His wounds are pretty much healed, save for the broken bones, which wouldn't be healed next week anyway. Heero smiled, just a small wistful twitch, but it was there.

"When?"

?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally bustled about, giving the image of a large mother hen as she sat the four pilots down and administered counts of drugs into IV tubes, taking off various others and generally causing a lot of discomfort for the boys. Wufei and Heero, unused to being mothered were scowling dismally, Heero never taking his eyes from Duo's scarred face. Quatre seemed to be enjoying the motherly attention of the slightly older woman, whereas Trowa, as usual was rather indifferent although he seemed to be happy draping himself over Quatre's shoulders.

Duo's heavy casts had been replaced by less ungainly braces. His many huge gashes closed, although still bandaged for buffering. His face was slack in sleep, his eyes still closed, as they had been a month ago. His violet-blue eyes still curtained behind long lashes.

Sally readjusted multiple tubes and wires, checking the readings on multiple machines. Turning, she smiled at the small assembly.

"It'll probably be about two hours before this starts to take effect, and another hour after that until he regains semi-consciousness. He won't be fully conscious until sometime tomorrow. In the meantime you're welcome to come and go from the hospital as you please, and I've arranged for you to be able to stay here after visiting hours."

Wufei frowned, "What are we supposed to do for three hours then?"

Sally shrugged. "That's up to you, whatever you want to do. Although I would like to talk to you, `Fei." Wufei's frown deepened at the name, there was little he despised more than pet names, especially those that were a mutation of his proper name.

"That's fine with me." Quatre turned and wrapped his arms around the taller form behind him. "Trowa, why don't we go and get something to eat." Trowa smiled a little, and nodded.

Heero looked at Duo's sleeping form and sighed. "I think I'll stay here for now."

Quatre nodded sympathetically and led Trowa out the door with him. Sally double checked all the beeping machines before she and Wufei followed them out.

Heero tentatively reached out a callused hand to Duo's cheek, turning his head slowly, so he faced him. His hand lingered on the large scar, running from just below Duo's right eye, expressive and beautiful in consciousness to his slack jaw. Duo's face was dotted with new, pink skin where not long ago dwelled crusted wounds, huge with infection. Heero's hand traced the curvature of Duo's jaw, relaxed in sleep. The hand hovered above Duo's mouth, feeling the warm breath tickle his palm. Heero leaned back in his chair, watching the rise and fall of Duo's chest, reveling in the slight amounts of life that almost ceased to be.

?~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally held his hand in a tight grip, leading him to an unused room. "Wufei, I'm glad I got this chance to talk to you."

The Chinese boy huffed in annoyance as well as a slight amount of nervousness. "What do you want?"

Sally frowned in aggravation. "I want a straight answer."

WuFei frowned, puzzled.

"I want to know exactly why you left Preventers."

The pilot drew in breath. "I told you, I left for personal reasons."

Sally raised an eyebrow. "And I told you I wanted a straight answer."

WuFei sat down on the unused bed, defeated. "I guess I can't conveniently avoid this forever huh?" Sally crossed her arms and shook her head. Wufei closed his eyes, and sighed. "Meiran, my Nataku…When I was fourteen years old, I was married. It was an arranged marriage to the daughter of the leader of another dynasty. I didn't want any part of it. I wanted to be alone with my studies, I didn't want to be distracted by some girl. She was so strong, the strongest in her clan. But I defeated her in a quick fight we had, and hurt her pride. When our colony was attacked by Oz, she taught me the meaning of `justice'.

She was fatally wounded protecting the colony. I took her from the wreckage and took her to a field of flowers. She died in my arms, strong to the very last breath. It was then that I realized that even though I beat her physically in a fight, she would be eternally stronger than I could ever be. It was then that I also realized that I loved her."

Sally's brow knotted in concern, she reached a hand out and steadied Wufei's shoulder. "What does that have to do with Preventers?"

He sighed, looking away, refusing to meet her gaze. "Sally…I really…I really think I might be in love with you…and for that I am ashamed. I promised myself that I would only love Meiran. I couldn't stand to be with myself. When I heard about Duo finding Heero and bullying him into moving into an apartment here, I jumped at the chance to get away from Preventers, away from…from you." Wufei stood, and started to the door.

Sally caught his hand and turned him toward her, standing in one smooth movement. Wufei glared at her, his eyes a burning flame. He looked away when he found there were tears in her eyes. She drew him to her and slowly snaked an arm around him, then another.

"I think, Wufei, that maybe…I'm in love with you too."

His breath caught in his throat and he tried his very hardest not to look down into her eyes. Sally moved closer in, pulling him down to her and gently placing her forehead on his. She moved in and softly placed a kiss on his soft, trembling lips. Wufei gasped, and shut his eyes. Sally's arms snaked up and wrapped themselves around his neck. He moved back, startled, breaking the kiss. Sally looked at him and smiled, looking into his eyes and forgiving him every insult and fight that crossed between them.

"Wufei, you can't run from love the rest of your life. It isn't exactly something you can avoid."

WuFei sighed deeply and nodded slowly, tears threatening to spill over. Sally smiled and reached around to the nape of the Chinese man's neck, tugging gently on the tie that held his hair tightly to his scalp. Wufei's ebony hair fell from it's restraint. Sally ran her fingers through the silky strands, letting them flow like water from one hand to the other.

"You know, it looks good this way, you shouldn't put it up all the time, it probably squeezes your brain."

Wufei smiled, enjoying the joke.

"Perhaps you should stop twisting your hair, is you're not careful your brain might start thinking in a downward spiral."

Sally laughed, and nudged Wufei's ribs with her elbow. "You better watch your mouth, I might just have to shut it for you."

Wufei smiled at the doctor and frowned, remembering their situation. "Sally, do you think Duo will be alright?"

Sally frowned and buried her face in Wufei's hair. "I can't really say, I really have no clue on this one, that's what worries me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre's face contorted in mock concentration. "I think I'll have the fillet mingion."

The waitress huffed in annoyance, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "We don't have that either sir."

Trowa scowled at his companion. "Quatre, stop teasing the waitress and order a hamburger, please." Quatre huffed playfully at Trowa, but ordered the hamburger anyway. The young girl sighed, glad to have it over with.

Trowa leaned back in his seat, stretching his long body. "Quatre, I know I shouldn't ask, but what went on between you and Heero the night Wufei brought him home?"

The other boy smiled picking at the bread in the basket provided for them. "Heero and I talked, and I think that I finally got a few points across to him." Quatre sighed. "He loves Duo. He just has no idea what to do about it."

Trowa frowned. "How is Duo, By the way?" Quatre leaned his head heavily on his hand. "For the last month the only thing I could feel from him was an overwhelming sense of defeat. He had no hope left in him, but ever since about ten minutes ago I've been getting this huge wash of emotions. Everything from anger to desperation is going through his head, and if it goes on much longer I think I'm going to pass out." Quatre pounded his palm on his head angrily, as if demons had invaded his nervous system.

"Quatre!! Stop that!"

The blonde looked up, startled. "I can't get my walls up again Trowa, they haven't been working well since I took them down to find Duo in the first place."

Trowa reached a hand across the table and put his hand on the aggravated blonde's. "Quatre, you've got to relax, it'll be better when Duo wakes up and gets his thoughts straight right? You've just got to wait another hour, ok?"

Quatre straightened. "Yeah, let's hope so."

Heero sighed, distraught. Duo's eyelids had flickered twice in the past half hour, a sign that the drugs were starting to take effect. Tiny muscles in his cheek twitched, his breathing became deeper, less rhythmic. Heero closed his eyes, the others should be back soon.

He wished that he could be alone with Duo, to pull with him as he woke up. It would be selfish to ask though, and Sally should be there in case something went wrong. He picked up Duo's mangled hand, massaging the feeling into his fingers. He had been through similar processes often enough to know how painful it could be to be numb.

Duo's eyes flickered again, revealing tiny slivers of beautiful violet before closing again. Heero smiled a little, enjoying the moment before the storm, the indecisive calm where the future is 50-50. He sighed, holding the sleeping boy's palm to his face, the same palm he had cried into what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Duo, I've missed you."

Duo's head moved ever so slightly, shaking free of the bonds of medication holding him under. The creak of a door interrupted Heero's private thoughts, knocking on the door of his unconscious dreams. He dropped the other boys hand down to his lap, holding it, palm up on his knees. Sally placed a comforting hand on Heero's shoulder, commiserating.

"Is he waking up yet?" Heero nodded, his eyes riveted on Duo's face.

"He tried to move his head a minute ago."

Sally smiled, checking the readouts on the dozens of bleeping machines. Duo moaned a little in his sleep, his forehead wrinkling in distress. He tried desperately to clench the fist that Heero still held. The door creaked again and the room seemed filled with people. More people than Heero wanted around. He gently reached out a hand and soothed Duo's wrinkled brow. Duo's body tensed, then relaxed, going limp. Heero started.

"Sally, what happened?" the tall doctor shrugged. "His readouts aren't any different, I just guess he gave up fighting the drugs is all." Heero then noticed the expression plastered on Quatre's face. "Quatre, what just happened?" the blonde shook his head and gripped Trowa's hand like it was his last link to the living world. "I…Its personal Heero, I don't think I can say…" Trowa pulled him close, sharing in his pain. Heero nodded, dismissing Quatre's stuttering. He turned his eyes to Wufei, who was busy meditating in a corner. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn the guy was sleeping.

Duo's eyelid's fluttered, a small almost imperceptible tear sliding down his cheek. No one but Heero noticed it. Quatre was too involved in clinging to Trowa, who was to busy letting him. If Sally noticed, she said nothing. Heero sighed, everything was so confusing. He reached out a hand and wiped the tear away. Duo's whole body seemed to tense again at the touch, but he leaned into Heero's hand, slowly, hesitantly. His mouth moved and, to Heero the world seemed to move in complete slow motion as Duo's lips moved and created a word that made his heart flare and burn to ash.

"H-Heerooo" he slurred out, each syllable looked and sounded painful, his face knotting up in pain.

Sally looked up, startled. "He shouldn't be conscious at this point. He's probably dreaming about you Heero." She flashed him a smile that seemed more painful than happy.

Quatre was clutching his head in pain, like it was going to explode. Trowa bent, whispering quietly in his ear Quatre nodded and wrapped his arms around his taller lover's midriff. Heero looked away, emotions trying to escape once more. He longed for it to be as easy as whispering something to just make all the pain disappear.

?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting late. Duo hadn't moved much since he spoke Heero's name. His eyes opened fully once or twice but he remained silent and unmoving.

Wufei huffed quietly. "Heero, I need some sleep, I think I'll take these two," he motioned with his head to where Trowa was gently holding a sleeping Quatre in his arms, "back home with me." Heero nodded, distracted by the hand in his lap which was beginning to twitch slightly.

Sally placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think I'll go too Heero I need to be here tomorrow when Duo gets full consciousness back." Heero dismissed her with a wave of his hand, relieved to finally be alone with Duo.

?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duo's eyes were open, but glazed and focused somewhere far away. Heero laid his hand on Duo's cheek.

"Hey Duo…I'm glad to have you back." Duo blinked, his eyes trying in vain to focus on the source of the voice. He said nothing. Heero sighed, there was something definitely wrong about Duo, and not that he was not fully conscious either. Duo looked away and continued to stare at the ceiling blankly. Heero leaned back, still holding his friend's hand, which was limp. He cleared his throat, trying to get Duo to look at him again.

"Duo, I've…I've really missed you." Duo blinked and continued to stare, unmoving and utterly unresponsive. Heero closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He knew exactly why missions never made him tired, there was no emotion in them. The only thing in his life that drove him to sleep was the pain in his heart.

?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heero's clear blue eyes opened with the onset of the dawn. He turned his head slightly, catching sight of Duo, who was simply staring straight at him, or rather through him, as his eyes were as unfocused and far away as they were the night before. Heero stared back, with surprise. Had Duo been awake all night? It seemed quite possible, if you could even count Duo's current state as being `awake'. He stretched out a hand to touch the one Duo had withdrawn during the night.

"Are you awake Duo?"

Duo's eyes focused with a start, he blinked and turned away, staring out the window. Heero sighed, watching the rising sun tint the evergreen trees with golden hues of orange and pink light. Heero's favorite part of waking this early was the sun. It certainly made up for the ache that plagued his well tuned muscles every morning.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he whispered to the still form on the bed, unmoving but for the sporadic shiver from the cold.

Duo blinked in slight surprise, since when did Heero remark on sunrises? And when did he stay by someone's bedside, or fall asleep in the process? He shivered again and pulled the blankets closer around him. He could here the Japanese boy shifting around behind him, apparently leaving the room.

He sighed gently closing his eyes. It was just so simple to chase people away. Heero was right though, the sky was incredible, the sun now just barely peeking over the treetops, golden rays reaching out to warm the cold pavement of the parking lot. He could see why Heero didn't mind waking so early now. This was beautiful, like some sort of ethereal dance of souls. Souls…he couldn't think of souls without feeling sick. The souls of all that he had killed and the souls that were gone because they got too close.

Duo was suddenly engulfed in all-encompassing warmth, seeping through his frozen skin to warm the cold he had felt since waking. He opened his eyes in surprise, someone had draped a heated blanket over his shivering, aching body. It was an incredibly relieving feeling, the warmth, it interrupted his troubled thoughts with the feeling of comfort.

He slowly moved his gaze to the faint reflection of the room in the window. Heero was leaning gently against the large window, the golden rising sun behind him, it was an almost unreal image, slightly distorted in its nature, and beautiful. Heero's face was different, somehow than the way he remembered it, still almost angelic in its gentle curving beauty but there was something changed.

Duo wrapped himself in the warmth of the blanket, contemplating the simple move of kindness that Heero had shown. Something had changed in the way he sat, the way he moved. It was such a minute difference that perhaps it wasn't there, the only change that seemed truly real was the way the air felt around him, heavier and more distinct.

Heero's hand twitched, it was strange the way Duo was acting, like a different person altogether, the last time he had wound in a hospital, after the Oz incident on the Barge, he filled the silent void with his incessant chattering, indignantly removing every tube and wire, insisting there was nothing wrong with him. Now he just lay there, staring at the steadily rising sun. He shifted uncomfortably. It became suddenly obvious to him why Duo never let the silence win over; it was disturbing, the way it pervaded its way through everything. He coughed lightly, watching the way Duo pulled the blanket tighter around him, like it was his only anchor to life. Heero let his head drop, a single hand against the window, feeling the cold of the autumn morning through the panes of glass.

"I've missed you Duo." Heero's brow knotted in concern as he watched the muscles in Duo's shoulders contract. There was silence again, the heated silence of people who have no other wish than to say something, and yet it will not come. It was interrupted by Duo's shaky, uncertain voice, probing into the world.

"I want to die, Heero, why couldn't you leave me?" his voice was hollow, completely devoid of any happiness.

Heero slowly turned toward the sound, Duo would not look at him. In a few strides He was beside the hospital bed, sitting in the small chair.

"Duo…Why do you want to die?" The other boy's head turned to him `Yes, he looks like a small boy' Heero thought to himself.

"There isn't anything here for me Heero, I don't want to stay. What use does the world have for a soldier, when there isn't any war?"

Heero drew himself up, staring into Duo's empty eyes. "I cannot say what has made us stay here Duo, I cannot tell you what the world wants for us now. I can only take living as a challenge. Perhaps there is no reason for me, perhaps I was supposed to die. I cannot say. But if I die now, who is to say there was not something for me to live for a month from now."

Duo's eyes filled with a deep soul wrenching sadness and he looked away. Heero had bared his soul to him, shown him how helpless he felt, day after day. Never had he felt Heero could be so human to feel such things. Heero sighed, drew himself up, and left. Duo let the tears slide down his face unheeded.