Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Death ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 4 )

Death

Chapter 3

 

Maemi was alive. He went by a different name; Heero, but he was still alive, and more importantly, he was with him. If he remembered Duo, he didn't give any hint of it, but Duo knew it was him. He could recognize the unique boy's aura anywhere.

Being a Gundam pilot was a lot like his old profession. He was told where to go, who to kill, but it was also very different. As a pilot, he felt as though he was making a difference, not just killing for the sake of it but to achieve goals to help the living, not the dead. And, best of all, he was no longer alone. At first, it had been like old times, just he and Luc. Now, he and the others were living under the same roof, at least until new missions came in and they would have to spread to the four winds again. No one knew what he was, not even Professor G. There had been some problems naturally, since he did not have a heart beat, but Duo discovered he could force his body to produce some rhythm, though it would never be like a real human's heart beat. G had assumed that Duo had a heart condition but this did not make him nervous about training Duo since the condition did not appear to affect Duo's health. His eye color had also raised some question, but G also shrugged this off as an unnecessary issue. Duo was healthy, intelligent, talented, and willful, that was all that mattered. Every now and then Quatre would give him strange looks. Quatre's aura was bright and distorted, showing his natural kindness and strength, as well as his empathic abilities. Duo reasoned that Quatre's ability told him something was off about him, but would not be able to tell him what the actual reason was. So, Quatre watched him closely, but Duo would not give him any reason to question him.

Living with humans was definitely interesting, especially with the strange companions he had. While he was no longer lonely, he felt like an intruder in their lives. He did not belong in this world. He did not belong in Heaven, either. An angel with feelings, or a human with wings, it did not matter, either way he was an outsider. The others all thought they were so different, but he was the worst of all. He might be wearing human skin, but was no human.

Maemi, no, Heero, had changed from when he was a child. He was colder, more closed off, but his aura was exactly this same. This meant that somewhere, deep inside, he was the same scared, but accepting, child. His aura was like a cool breeze, dark blue and misty, but solid like a storm.

Trowa's was like a forest, silent and deep. Mixes of brown and dark green entwined with him. His aura was complex, speaking of some deep trauma and need. When he was around Quatre this need, a bluish green, darkened and swirled with mixed light. Love, it was always so pure, but never simple.

It was the same way with Quatre. His aura was eerily bright but mixed with other gold's and blue's. When he was with Trowa, these colors intensified. Duo often wondered what his aura looked like when he was near Heero.

Wufei's was fitting of a dragon. His body seemed to be filled with a righteous fire, blazing hotter with rage and a need for justice like none other that he had seen. He and Wufei never saw eye to eye about anything. This was most likely because Wufei desperately wanted to believe that justice was possible, while Duo knew there was no such thing. So, they constantly fought, even about the most mundane thing because they instinctively knew that they did not understand each other. Still, Duo liked Wufei. He was strong and stubborn, unwilling to give into anyone. He was a warrior through and through.

Angels were not supposed to feel anything. Anger, annoyance, joy… love. Love especially. Yet, Duo was not so surprised that he had fallen for Heero. He had seen him at his worst, he had saved his life, and Heero had been the first to see him. It was easy to fall in love with that smile, and how he missed it. He made it his self-imposed mission to bring Heero back to the sweet child he had seen that time, so long ago. Still, he was not accustomed to the sudden pain these feelings brought him. He found he could not take his eyes off of his fellow pilot. It was distracting, yet with these overpowering emotions he found the strength to keep on fighting. He supposed that love, as with all emotions, was a double edged sword that way.

There was only one person that remained a constant thorn in his side. That bitch, Relena. She really was like a dog. She hung all over Heero, slobbering on his every word. The very smell of her was nauseating. Her aura was a dark pink. It was far too bright, falsely so, mixed with dark, unsettling tones of something bordering on illness. She reeked of expensive, but far too strong, perfume and the sharp clacking of the high heeled shoes she always wore irritated him. Mostly, he hated the way she looked at him. If she would just come out and say how she felt plainly, he could bear it. Instead she only hinted and insinuated cruelly. Worse, she somehow knew of his feelings for Heero and felt towards him a kind of disgust one feels for an aberration or monster. That simple feelings of love disgusted her so much made Duo feel so sick and wrong inside. That was the worst of it, that a single woman could make him feel that he was the evil one. He mused that Heero and Relena would make a good couple if it were not for her selfish views of others. Truthfully, when they were together, though it hurt, they did look quite perfect, like a princess and her prince.

It was because of all of this, that Duo was sure that, when he confessed his feelings he had temporarily lost his mind. And, as soon as the words left his lips, his sanity returned to him and he fled to the roof of the safe house.

*****

 

Heero stared at the vacant place that Duo had fled from. Just what the hell was going on? From the first moment he had met the American he had felt strange. He felt that there was something he was forgetting, something very important, but he just couldn't remember what it was. Whatever it was, it had to do with that strange dream he continued to have. Something about white wings and a gentle smile. And now this. Duo claimed to love him. It was true that he often played jokes on the rest of them, but this was just not his style; it was too cruel. Beyond that, at the end, Duo had been terrified. That sort of emotion was real, Heero just knew it. But, the most important thing to ask himself was how he actually felt about all this. He ached to go after Duo, but refused to pursue him until he had all of the answers. Did he care for Duo? Yes. Despite all attempts to distance himself from his comrades, he cared for each of them. But what about Duo? Somehow, with him things were different. He did not feel so socially awkward. He felt as though he could truly tell him anything. Did he love him? Heero analyzed his current feelings. He wanted to go after Duo, to comfort him, to make sure he wasn't crying or upset. He never wanted to see him cry. Heero nodded. He was sure that was a sign of love, it didn't seem to fit into the parameters of friendship, this intense feeling of need and desire. That, and he was pretty sure friends didn't get erections for each other. Now that his questions were answered, how should he possibly approach Duo about it? Of course, there was always the direct approach, one he knew best of all.

 

*****

 

When Duo climbed down from the roof he certainly hadn't expected Heero to be waiting for him on the porch, but he was. Like a wild animal, Duo studied Heero before approaching. The other boy seemed calm, like always, but his aura was stormy and his eyes deep in thought. Another thing Duo had never seen before; on his lap, Heero's hands were clenched and uneasy. Duo stood there and waited, knowing that Heero was mulling over what he was going to say and that interrupting him would be mean. Still, he felt nervous about waiting. He wished that Heero would just come out and say what was on his mind, but this was Heero, he wouldn't say much, but it would be important.

“You like me,” Heero said plainly, a slight hitch in his voice.

“Yes,” Duo replied, his own voice heavy with emotion. “I have for awhile. I needed to tell you that.” Heero nodded.

“I've always appreciated your honesty. But, I'm not sure how to respond to it.” Duo tried to hide his disappointment, but knew that Heero could read him just as well as he could read Heero's grunts and glares. “I like you, too, Duo. Like how you like me, I mean. Not friendship, though I suppose that may be a part of it.” Duo instantly perked up. He knew that Heero was telling the truth. He could see it in his aura, which still remained pure, untainted by lies. Heero was like him in that way, he always tried to remain honest, especially to those that he trusted. Duo kneeled down and took one of Heero's hands in his.

“What do you want to do about this, Heero? If you want me to bury my feelings, I'm sorry but I can't. However, if you want our relationship to remain platonic, I'll have to respect that. I just wish-,” Heero shook his head.

“I don't know what you want me to say. I want to see if this… relationship… could work. I have seen Trowa and Quatre interact with each other and their performance has not changed. If anything, they seem more focused on their missions while being more relaxed and happy while they are together. I think I would like to experience that.” Duo smiled. Heero might be awkward around other people, but he knew what he wanted and he was correct in his assessments. Trowa and Quatre were together, yet they accomplished their missions without distraction. If he and Heero could be like that, Duo wanted to see if they could make it work.

“Alright, we'll try it,” Duo said, timidly kissing Heero on the cheek. Heero grasped Duo's wrist, halting his movement as he hastily tried to move away in case Heero wanted to smack him for invading his space. Heero pressed his lips against Duo's, but kept still. Duo moved his lips against his, leading and showing him how to kiss properly. As with everything else, Heero was a quick learner and he readily took the lead until Duo was blushing and had to end the kiss to catch his breath.

“Wow,” he murmured. Heero touched his reddened lips briefly.

“I… liked that.” He stood up and helped Duo to his feet. “Would you like to go out? To dinner or something? That is what normal couples do, isn't it? And is that we are now?” Duo grinned.

“Yeah, I guess we are. Sure. We'll have to go undercover in case OZ spots us, but it sounds like fun. What do you feel like?” Heero's face reddened a little.

“I think I should ask you first. You are… my date. I asked you to go out with me after all. Is that the correct way to go about it?” Duo laughed a little.

“Yeah, Heero, and I'm not laughing at you,” he said as Heero made a face at him. “Quatre told me about this steak place he and Trowa went to last Friday. It's an hour's drive from here, but it sounds worth it. We can go around six, ok?” Heero nodded and didn't protest as Duo slid his hand into his and led him into the house.

 

End Chapter 3