Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Giri? Ninjo. Koibito! ❯ Chapter 6

I walked down to the dorm's kitchen area and filled a towel with some ice cubes from the freezer, creating a makeshift icepack for Duo's face. I let myself back into the room quietly, and stopped short as I got my first good look at Duo that night.

Laying on my bed, hair spread out beneath him, was a living walking wet dream. He hadn't been kidding when he said the dress was small. But I hadn't thought about how good he would look in it, or the way my body would react. His head was on the pillow, long lashes dark against his pale skin, and his lips were glossed with the sheerest rosy tint. A thin silver chain with a small cross glimmered on his chest, set off by a very short, sleeveless black dress that made Duo's legs look incredibly long. My heart jackhammered in my chest as I took the final steps to the bed. I sat down gently, smiling when Duo opened his eyes. "Ssh," I said, and gently pressed the ice pack to the growing bruise.

It wasn't often that I got to be tender. What the war required of me - what it required of all of us - was that we be hardened. We couldn't hesitate in a mission. My training came back to me and I could hear almost hear the words being spoken again: giri before ninjo. Duty before human emotion. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure that was the way that I wanted to live my life.

I removed the ice pack from the growing bruise, and left it to melt in the bathroom sink. My reflection stared at me from the mirror, and I thought for a moment how sad it was that we were wasting these years of our youth in a war. Didn't we deserve to be happy too?

I stood in the doorway of the bathroom, just looking at Duo. One delicate arm was draped over his stomach, and his lips were slightly parted as he slept lightly. I realized that I loved to watch Duo sleep. He looked so still and peaceful when he slept, so … unguarded, without the mask of forced gaiety he sometimes wore.

Duo deserved to be happy. I thought for a moment of the real Odin Lowe. He took care of me. Before his last mission, he told me I should go to school and lead a normal life. You may as well do what your heart tells you - I glanced at Duo's still form again - so you won't regret it later. His words echoed in my head.

I took off my shoes and stripped down to my boxers, then padded over to the bed in sock feet. I covered Duo with the comforter, and then climbed into bed, being careful not to wake him. It was the only bed, I rationalized, drinking in the sight and scent of Duo. His full lips were ever so slightly parted, and so temptingly close …

It took me a long time to fall asleep that night.