Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Bonded ❯ Realization ( Chapter 9 )

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Chapter Summary: Duo has a breakdown. Blue Eyes, or J's trainee if you will, gets to comfort him and get an explanation from J as to why the breakdown occurred.

//~ blah blah ~// J's thoughts
//* blah blah *// Heero's thoughts

The next four days saw the boys together from breakfast to bedtime. They shared meals and training activities, but did little to no talking or touching outside of what was required to complete the activities. This proved to be very trying for Duo, whose background left him with a need for physical contact and a fear of silence.

While the boys shared activities, G and J watched them. J managed to gain a little more background information on Duo from G. As the days passed, they noticed the lack of touching and the minimal talking, which started G worrying. J noticed his mate's agitation, and when confronted, J's mate voiced his concerns. It was almost too late.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, in the study room, Duo lost all semblance of control. With tears threatening to spill from his eyes at any second, he ran out of the room. J's trainee was quick to follow, although he did not try to stop the fleeing boy.

Within minutes they were at the door to the lab Duo had led them to the first day. Duo opened the door and ran through, not caring if he interrupted something like he had at the office that first day. Luckily nothing was going on between the two scientists, except a technical discussion, so Duo ran straight to G. Duo managed to wrap his arms around G and bury his face in G's chest just as he lost all control over the tears. G looked down, shocked at what he was seeing and hearing, before he wrapped his own arms around Duo and started trying to calm him down.

J's trainee stopped right beside J, who looked at him and said, "What happened?"

"I don't know. One minute we're sitting quietly across a table from each other, studying. The next he's in tears and running from the room. I followed."

"Why?" J asked.

"I needed to make sure he was uninjured."

"Why?" J asked again, with a touch more curiosity.

"I'm not sure. I didn't even think about it. I just felt the need to follow him."

J nodded thoughtfully as he looked across the room at his mate and the boy. After a moment's thought he said, "Go over there and take over calming him down. If I'm right, he'll settle down quickly for you."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later," J answered evasively. "Just go," and gave his trainee a push towards the crying boy. //~ You had better move boy. If you don't get this straightened out, my mate will have my hide. ~//

G watched as the other boy approached. G looked at J, who nodded at the boy who was now standing in front of the pair. G looked down at J's trainee, then at Duo, then back at J's trainee, who reached hesitantly for Duo. G gently removed Duo's arms from his waist, turned Duo around and gently pushed him towards the other boy; who quickly moved forward, wrapping his arms gently around Duo, pulling him close enough for Duo to bury his face in the boy's shoulder. Less than a minute passed before Duo's tears slowed down. Within minutes the tears had stopped completely and Duo became dead weight in the other boy's arms, having fallen asleep.

G watched as J's trainee shifted Duo around so he could pick him up. Once the boy had Duo comfortably cradled in his arms G spoke up. "Take him to your room and stay with him. And whatever you do, don't let go of him."

Not understanding, but not really caring to, J's trainee nodded his head, turned and walked out of the lab.

"Looks like your boy's found his mate," G said as he crossed the room to stand in front of J. "You might want to go explain this to him before Duo wakes up. Duo hasn't been sleeping well the last couple nights so you should have enough time."

"What about you explaining to Duo?" J asked.

"Don't have to," G grinned as he turned back towards the computers.

"Why not?"

"Duo's been waiting for your boy to speak up. He made his decision before you two had been here twelve hours. Now go talk to your boy," G replied with a laugh as he went back to the work that Duo's abrupt entrance had interrupted.

J gave his laughing mate a glare that would have fried him completely, if it had been a beam of fire, before turning and leaving the lab to go speak with his trainee. He didn't bother knocking on the door; he just opened it and walked in. He quickly located the boys, on the bed with his trainee propped up with pillows against the headboard, gun locked on the open space between the door and the wall, with Duo stretched out beside him, nearer to the wall, using his chest as a pillow.

"Put the gun down boy," J said, making his presence known before he was shot at. "I'm not here to hurt either of you."

J waited until he heard the click of the gun's safety before he moved further into the room. He shut the door, then walked over and sat in the chair closest to the bed.

"Why are you here?"

J almost laughed. "I told you I would explain later what was going on, didn't I? I'm here to do that, but I need to ask you a few questions first."

J noticed that, although his trainee was paying proper attention to him, the boy was gently rubbing his 'off' hand up and down Duo's back. J was brought back to the discussion at hand by a quiet clearing of the throat.

"Uh … yes … let me see," J gathered his scattered wits. "First, I asked you that first night what you thought of him. I'm asking again now, after being with him these past few days."

"He still interests me. I want to get to know him better. If you're asking if I'd be willing to bond with him, the answer is yes."

"Have you talked with him about anything not training related?"

"No. Should I have?" came the reply, the confusion inside starting to show on the boy's face. //* Is he ever going to get to the reason why Duo calmed so quickly and why his mate told me to keep some form of contact with Duo? *//

"It's one way of getting to know someone," J replied, careful to keep his expression neutral. "Were you going to ask him to bond with you?"

"I was going to ask him tomorrow morning and, if he agreed, do the actual bonding tomorrow night. That way, we would have one whole day as a bonded pair before you and I left," came the wordy reply, the look of confusion rapidly growing. "I don't understand what this has to do with his tears, me calming him down, and the two of us staying in physical contact."

//~ Just one more question and then I'll explain what I can. ~// J thought, sighing heavily before asking his last question. "Have you tried moving away from him since you put him on the bed?"

J's trainee shook his head and said, "Didn't want to. I like having him where he is. And his name is Duo."

J noticed Duo starting to move, as if he were waking up. He stood and moved the chair closer to the side of the bed and sat back down before reaching out to move his trainee's free hand to rest on top of Duo's head. "I believe we were talking a little too loudly," J said, as he watched Duo settle once more. //~ Can't have the boy waking too soon. I just hope he stays asleep long enough for me to get this done. ~//

"Now will you explain what is going on?"

J heaved another sigh, wishing for a less obtuse trainee. "When we visited the other three scientists and their trainees you told me you couldn't feel them the way you can feel me, and now my mate and his trainee, correct?" At the boy's nod, he continued, "My mate informed his trainee," he coughed and corrected himself when he noticed the glare he was getting. "Duo, about our race and the possibility of you wanting to bond with him three days before we arrived, so Duo knew there was a reason why we were here, unlike the other three boys. Your not speaking of bonding with them I understand. You knew he was of our race and that his mentor was my mate. I assumed you would realize that he would know of the possibility of bonding and would discuss this with him."

J's trainee hung his head at this statement but did not stop his hands – one gently caressing Duo's back, the other gently massaging Duo's temple and forehead.

"Your not speaking to him about this issue and, from what I saw of your interactions, not touching him other than what was absolutely required, appears to have led him to believe you were rejecting him. From what G has told me of Duo's background, this rejection from you would cause him to do exactly what he did – find the only source of affection he knew. Your following him, to make sure he was uninjured, showed me you were interested. Your reaching for Duo, to comfort and protect him, showed my mate that what Duo thought was incorrect; you weren't rejecting him, you just hadn't spoken up yet."

"So why did Duo calm down so fast, once I had hold of him? Why did your mate tell me to not let go of him?"

"As any bearer, Duo is sensitive to emotional projection. What were you feeling right before you wrapped your arms around Duo? And be honest about it," J replied, carefully watching his trainee's face.

After a couple of minutes of thoughtful silence J heard the reply he'd hoped for. "I wanted to be the one he ran to. I wanted to hold him, comfort him, protect him. I was also a little jealous of your mate; since he was the one Duo had run to. Are you trying to tell me that Duo sensed all that?"

J nodded. "That, and more. That's why he calmed down so quickly. The reason G told you to not let go of him is related to his early life. It appears that Duo did not receive many signs of affection before he started training with G. Duo needs the reassurance that comes with physical contact, and from your earlier statement, you need the contact as well."

"Hmm."

"I suggest you ask him to bond with you as soon as he wakes up," G's voice floated into the room through the opening door. He walked over to the desk and placed the tray he'd brought down before saying, "I brought you boys some food. It's all cold stuff so it will keep until Duo wakes up. I trust J has explained things to you."

"To a point, but I understand enough to know Duo won't turn me down when I ask him."

"True," G replied. "Come on J. Let's leave these boys alone and go get something to eat."