Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Night of the New Moon ❯ Night and Day (1) ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all it's drop dead gorgeous bishounen don't belong to me. -.- Sigh.
Warnings: Shounen ai, AU, 1+2, a tiny little blood, angst, violence, & Death? ^.^;
Add. Warning: Severally bastardized Relena! (I had to be honest), Possible OOC, and LIME!
Authors note: Gomen-nasai! I know I haven't posted in forever but life happens, ne? I'm really happy with this
one though because I finally gave my fav. couple some quality time together and I got to have a lotta fun at
Relena's expense. ^-^

Night of the New Moon
Part 6a 'Night and Day'
by: Lotus-chan

"Oh, how rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself!" She held out a hand and pulled
her hood down with the other. She smiled at the Inn keeper, who thought he would have a
heart attack right there. "My name is Relena Darlian, it's a pleasure." The Inn Keeper's
eyes were still wide as saucers when his hand unconsciously reached out and took hers.
She noticed, "Yes, *that* Relena Darlian. I know the entire world must know who I am
and it is so sudden that I just appear here but...."

The Inn Keeper wasn't listening. His gaze kept shifting from her to the painting behind
her, although Relena's double was not in it. 'What's going on here?! First Yuy-san and
now her!' he thought amazed and not without some alarm. Even though he'd only seen
Selena twice, and once had been in a painting he kept in storage, her image was imprinted
into his mind and this girl... He'd nearly thought for a split second that Selena had come
back to life.

"... so anyway, do you think you could help me?" Okada blinked and looked back to her,
"I'm sorry miss, what was it?" Relena gave him a patronizing look. "I asked if you had
seen a Japanese boy in the Inn. He's about my age with dark brown hair; his name's
Heero. Is he a guest here?" Okada frowned. This girl knew Heero? He hadn't thought a
boy in his position would've had time for friends outside his fellow pilots. But then again,
their was something about the girl that didn't sit right with him and he had not been told
either Wufei *or* Heero were expecting someone to turn up. 'I better play dumb until I
find out who she really is.'

"I'm sorry Darlian-san but I only got in late last night after attending to some business in
town. I haven't seen any of my guests yet. If he is here, perhaps one of my employees
checked him in while I was gone but I don't really know." and every word of it was a lie.
He freaking *lived* in the Inn and didn't leave unless he had to. On top of that, he didn't
have any 'employees'. The Inn was almost empty most of the time so he didn't need any.
Except maybe Sofie.

Relena hesitated only for a second on the 'san'. 'Doesn't he know who I am? Maybe this
old town is so out of the way, the people here didn't even know there was a war.' But
after the split second hesitation she smiled at him and waved her hand dismissively,
"Please, call me Relena and um... do you think it's possible for you to check? You must
have a list of your guests or something, ne?" Okada shook his head. He could see he'd
made the right decision in not telling her. She was way too nosey. There was no telling
why she was looking for Heero.

"I'm sorry... Relena-san, but I have to respect the privacy of my guests. Is there anything
else I can help you with?" She sighed dejectedly. This was quite possibly going to end up
as her fifteenth failed attempt to find him but... she brightened suddenly as an idea came to
her. "Could you give me a room then? I'll just wait until later in the morning and look for
him myself!" 'gah!' Okada winced inwardly at the shrill voice but plastered on a business
like smile and proceeded to find her a room.

When they were finished and Okada had explained to her where everything was, he got a
key from the rack behind his desk and stepped around. "Your room is B25 on the second
floor, I'll escort you." She smiled, "why thank you." He picked up her bag for her and
rolled his eyes when he led her to the stairs. There was just something about her... he
shook his head. It didn't really matter.

Okada led her up the main staircase, limping slightly, and onto the second floor where the
staircase split in two to make room for the large two-story-high window above it. He led
Relena to the right and, thankfully, didn't have to walk far before reaching the right room.
He opened the door for her and set her travel bag inside, "If you need anything, don't
hesitate to ask." She nodded and took the keys from him. "I won't, thank you." Okada
stepped out of the room and she closed the door.

He shook his head, making his way back down the staircase. "Too many young people
traveling alone these days..." Thunder clapped in the ragging storm outside. "I agree."
Okada looked up when he reached the lobby to find that there was already someone there
waiting for him. A man wearing a trench coat, hat and carrying a duffel and suitcase. "Oh,
may I help you sir?" he asked walking back to his desk. The man nodded, "I want a
room." he had a very deep voice. His face was hidden by shadows despite the lamplight
and Okada frowned slightly on reflex. The new mans presence was somehow... unnerving.

"Yes of course," he took out his booklet, "Your name?" The man gave him all the
necessary information and Okada got it all down, then gave him an explanation of where
everything was before reaching back to get the room key. The man slung the duffel on his
shoulder, taking the suitcase in one hand and took the keys with his other before Okada
could offer to take him to his room. "I would prefer to find my own way, but thank you."
He turned around and disappeared into the first floor hallway without another question,
word or backward glance.

Okada stared after him even when he was gone. There was something that just did not sit
right with him about that man... but it wasn't any of his business. A guest was a guest and
there were other things on his mind. He would need to inform the boys of Relena's
presence before she surprised them. With that resolved, Okada went back to his room for
his cane. Climbing three flights of stairs was no longer such an easy feat.
---------

Okada looked down at the main staircase from the balcony of the third floor hall and
backed away slowly. He'd never liked heights very much and always wished the Inn could
have been a one story. He sighed and knocked on the door of C35. It was the closest door
from the stairs and it really only made sense for Wufei to know as well. Okada waited a
moment and when he got no answer, knocked again. Still, no answer.

Okada frowned at this. It was too early in the morning. Wufei *should* still be in his
room. He tried the door handle and found it unlocked. It just made things even less right.
Wufei always locked his door. He entered and found everything, seemingly, in order with
the exception of the bed that was still rumpled and un-made. As if he had just gotten up.
Lightning shimmered through the curtains in the dark room as the heavy rain pounded on
the sliding glass doors. "Wufei-san?" No answer. He checked the en-suite bathroom and
found that empty as well.

With increasing alarm, Okada exited the room and walked to the one next door. Without
knocking he tried the knob and found the door also unlocked. He opened the door to the
dark room and to his great relief, found what he was looking for. Heero and Wufei were
sprawled on the bed over the covers, asleep. Heero was still in yesterdays clothes but
Wufei was in his sleep wear. He looked closer and something didn't seem right. They
looked... wet?

He entered the room and found himself immediately staring down a large blade and the
barrel of a gun. Okada gasped. Heero squinted from the edge of the bed and lowered his
weapon, "Oh, it's you." Wufei put his sword down as Heero got up and turned the light
on. Okada exhaled and put a hand over his chest, "Your going to give an old man a heart
attack if you keep doing these things." Wufei set his sword down on the night stand and
said, "you should have knocked." Okada gave a quick nod, "Hai, hai. I forget what kind of
kids you two are. I will remember next time."

Heero sat back on the bed, "It's very early. Has something happened?" Okada nodded
again, "I received a new guest just a few minutes ago that I thought you should know
about." He looked directly at Heero then, "I didn't tell her anything but she was asking
about you. Do you happen to know a Relena Darlian?" Heero's eye's flew wide, "Relena
is here?!" Wufei cursed, "Damn that onna, she'll bring them straight to us!" Okada raised
an eyebrow, "Your pursuers? How could that young girl attract that kind of unwanted
attention?"

Wufei shook his head. He'd already realized that Okada had no idea 'that young girl' had
formally been Queen of the World. In a place as secluded as this, it really didn't surprise
him but... it might be better if he knew as little as possible. "Okada-san could you leave us,
onegai?" Okada seemed to understand, and nodded. "You kids sure don't act your age..."
he said as he walked out the door.

Wufei got up, closed and locked the door. "This is not good. Relena is a beacon. If we
were able to find out she's looking for us then so will they. They might even be watching
her and now that she's found us, they won't be far behind." He looked back to Heero and
stopped. Heero was glaring at the floor and gripping the blankets at his side, tight fisted.
Wufei walked back to the bed, sitting down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
His hands relaxed but he didn't look up.

"This place is no longer safe. We have to leave." Heero exhaled, closing his eyes at the
words. He unconsciously brought up a hand to the crucifix around his neck. Wufei
observed his odd behavior with increasing curiosity. He opened his mouth and was
abruptly cut off. "I can't." Wufei blinked, "What?" Heero gripped the cross tightly and
looked to the floor with a stubborn frown, "I can't leave."

Wufei looked at the hand gripping the cross and it dawned on him. Before they had fallen
asleep, Heero had explained everything to him. From what had happened that night to
what he'd learned about the ghosts and the conditions of their imprisonment. Heero had
been very thorough and in the process had let a few things slip about the kind of
relationship he had with the cove ghost. Wufei had found his suspicions too odd to believe
at first but now...

"You're kidding..." Heero heard the realization in Wufei's voice and finally turned his
stubborn frown on him. It was only further confirmation of what he suspected. Wufei was
incredulous, "The... ghost?!" Heero's hand fell away from the crucifix and he glared at the
imprint of it on his hand, "spirit." Wufei actually sputtered, "Heero, he's dead!"

Heero's unwavering glare went back to Wufei with even more stubbornness than before.
Wufei took a deep breath and passed a hand through his damp hair, "Listen to reason,
Yuy. Nothing can come of a relationship like that. If you stay, you'll be risking your life to
be with someone who's already..." "Don't waste your breath, Wufei. You can't convince
me to change my mind." Heero interrupted. Wufei sighed, "I'm not sure I really
understand you sometimes. You seem like a perfectly logical, reasonable person... and
then you do something like this."

Heero actually grinned, "One of the most important things I was taught was to act on my
emotions. This is what my emotions tell me to do now." His face fell as he continued, "I
plan to stay right here. Either way, I have no place better to go and the last thing I want is
for Doctor J to find me. I don't want any part of what he thinks a soldier without a war is
good for." Wufei was silent for a while, digesting everything Heero said.

Eventually he nodded, "Then I'll stay as well." Heero raised an eyebrow when he looked
at him, "There's nothing holding you here, Wufei. It's best for you if you left before we're
both discovered." Wufei smirked, "I know, but my sense of honor will not let me do that."
Heero didn't know how to immediately respond to that, so after a moment he said, "You
may die here with me if they find us." Wufei nodded, "I know... but you never do anything
unless you feel it's important..." He paused, "...and if you've found something important
enough for you to risk your life over in these new times, then thats good enough for me. "
------------

Heero and Wufei avoided eating breakfast and lunch in the dinning room that day. After
Wufei had retreated to his own room they'd slept well past both meal times. Partly to rest
after such an exhausting night and partly to avoid a certain blonde, blue-eyed, former
Queen of the World. Eventually though, hunger beat out the desire to avoid her and Heero
left his room.

As he was walking down the main staircase to the first floor he met with a very amusing
site. Relena was sitting on a couch in the lobby, trapping Wufei between herself and the
arm of the sofa. She was running questions at him faster than he could count them,
leaning, almost looming over him to get answers and to make sure he couldn't leave
unless he plowed through her. Wufei looked torn between amazement and outrage, his
hand inching closer and closer to the sword on his belt as she rambled on.

Heero froze at the bottom of the stairs, favoring the idea of making a break for the kitchen
to check for leftovers before he was noticed. It was then that Wufei decided to look
toward the stairs, probably looking around to make sure there wouldn't be any witnesses,
and saw him. Relena followed his gaze and gasped. With an ear-piercing
"Heeeeeerrrroooo!!" she flung herself at him, trapping his arm in a desperate hug half way
to the back of his jeans, where his gun was waiting impatiently.

"I can't believe I finally found you! I've searched everywhere since the war was over but I
couldn't understand why I could never get a hold of you." She squeezed tighter as she
said this, "and then when I found out about that horrible bounty on your head I finally
understood! I've been so worried!" She let him go and he was finally able to take a breath.
She looked him up and down, then circled him as if trying to asses whether he was fully
intact. He glared and caught her wrist when she came back around. What the hell did she
think he was? A mannequin?

She gazed into his face with teary eyes, oblivious of her invasion of his personal space.
"I'm so happy that you look alright! Oh Heero, I've been waiting such a long time to be with
you again." That's when she closed the small distance between them, getting on her tippee
toes, puckered up and closed her eyes. Heero blinked, looking at her in horror. What the
hell did she expect him to do?!

Meanwhile Wufei was still on the couch, struggling to keep from laughing at the site. He
looked from Wufei, who was currently getting up and coming his way, to Relena and
backed away a few steps. This wasn't funny... it was frightening. Wufei came up to him,
still chuckling and silently motioned toward the kitchen. Seems that he had come
downstairs for the same reason. Heero nodded and gave the still puckering Relena a
withering glance before walking away.

Relena opened her eyes only to find that the object of her obsession was *not* leaning
down to make one of her (many) wishes come true. She frantically looked around to find
both Heero and Wufei walking down the hall. "H-hey! wait for me!" Heero shivered at the
shrill sound of her voice as she came running toward them but didn't turn around. As the
three of them made their way into the kitchen, one of the doors in the hall that had been
cracked open shut silently, it's occupant having heard every word of the conversation.
----------

Hours later, Wufei found an excuse to get as far away from Relena as possible, leaving her
for Heero to deal with. Heero had given him an accusing glance when he left. He
would've taken bounty hunters over Relena anyday. At least he could shoot *them*
without questions asked. By then, Okada had noticed that Heero was not enjoying the
girls company and fearing for her safety, had suggested to show her around the Inn.
Unfortunately, she hadn't let Heero's arm out of her steely grip when she said yes.

They passed the kitchen at the end of the hallway on the east wing when he stopped in
front of a door. "This leads to the basement. It's where I store some supplies, the old
luggage left behind by a few of my guests who left hastily after having been slightly...
frightened," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "and where I keep all the 'generous'
donations from the Yuy Mansion and Maxwell Manor." He frowned when he said it.
Heero raised an eyebrow, trying his best to ignore the fact that Relena was cutting off the
circulation to his arm.

"What do you mean 'donations'?" Okada snorted, "The Museum at Maxwell Manor is
also run by the Town Historic Society. The donations from both the Manor and Yuy
Mansion were mostly bribes to get me to sell the Inn to them." Relena finally spoke up,
"Why do they want the Inn, Mr. Okada?" The Inn keeper glanced briefly at Heero and
grinned, "You told me you already knew there were ghosts here, Relena-san. But I'm not
sure the bus driver told you that one of the ghosts has been murdering the guests at the
Cliffside Inn for the past four-hundred-plus years."

She gasped and grabbed Heero's arm with her other hand, leaning into him like a
frightened lover. Heero glared at Okada, who'd only made it worse. "Is that true?" she
said with a small frightened voice. Okada sighed inwardly, "Yes, yes. They want me to sell
because the authorities have threatened to shut me down anyway. However, the story
behind it all is a very interesting one. Would you like to hear it? Or perhaps see some of
what has been donated?" He said it while opening the door and reached out a hand to her.

Heero noted the gesture was a deliberate attempt to get her hands off him and felt
suddenly grateful to Okada. Relena looked at his hand, then to him and back to Heero.
"Um, sure. Are you coming Heero?" The Inn keeper gave him a meaningful look and he
understood. If he said 'no', she would just go after him anyway but if he went along...
Okada might be able to distract her long enough for him to slip out unnoticed. Heero
nodded, sure that he would have to thank the Inn Keeper later.

Okada smiled at him, thankful he'd gotten the message and after turning on the light,
proceeded to lure Relena down the stairs, already beginning the story he'd told Heero and
Wufei on a previous day. Having heard it before Heero tuned them out and looked around
as he climbed down. The basement was full of an assortment of boxes and old luggage,
some of which under layers of dust, and various other objects like gardening tools and
broken furniture.

Okada paused briefly in his story to mention that a lot of the 'donations' were in the boxes
and mostly consisted of paintings of the Lord and Lady Maxwell as well as the children
they had after the death of their first born. Mainly because the Cliffside Inn was an
extension of Maxwell Manor but that there were still a few paintings and other objects that
had come from the Yuy Mansion.

Intrigued, Heero looked through the boxes and to his great satisfaction, found a small
portrait of the Maxwell family as he had learned of it. It was a painting of Lord and Lady
Maxwell with their, at that time, only son: Duo. His parents were seated in a love seat in
what appeared to be a living room. Duo sat at their feet, braid over his shoulder, smiling
brightly at the painter while playing with the family dog. Heero felt a smile slip over his
face. Duo always looked so alive in these paintings.

Relena glanced over at him from a small old book she was looking at and noticed the rare
expression. She immediately ran over to see what was making him smile like that. "Oh,
that's certainly a nice picture..." She really didn't see anything so special about it. Heero
glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but that was enough recognition for her, "here
look, Heero. I found the diary of a girl who lived in the Yuy Mansion!" In her opinion, it
was much more interesting.

Heero sighed and put the portrait down. He'd had enough and knew one sure fire way to
get out of being anywhere near her for what was left of the day. "I'm going to bed
Relena." Her eye's widened at the thought of him leaving and as he began to make his way
back to the stairs she latched onto his arm, "no wait! I'll go with you!" She covered her
mouth when she realized how that sounded, "I mean..." From behind, Okada slapped his
forehead at her stupidity. Heero frowned at her, "I would like my privacy Relena. I'm tired
and I'm going to bed." As an afterthought and in the hopes she would let him go he
added, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Relena brightened at that and let go of his arm. As Heero was climbing up the stairs,
Okada called after him. "Not tonight, Heero-san." Heero looked back down to the
basement floor from the door, "It's ok, she rose last night." Okada nearly dropped his
cane, "WHAT?!" Relena looked from one to the other, confused. "What are two talking
about?" Okada ignored her and almost ran to the foot of the stairs, "You saw her?! Heero,
I thought we agreed you weren't to leave the Inn!" Heero sighed heavily, "Calm down
Okada-san. Everyone's fine and you won't have to worry about her for a long time."
Okada blanched, "and... but... what about Wufei??" Heero smirked, "Lets just say he
believes you now."
-------------

Heero walked out of the hall and into the lobby. Through the large front windows, he saw
that it was still raining outside. It had been raining on and off all day since yesterday so
this was no surprise. He turned, walking toward the main staircase and looked up at the
large two-story-high window set above the second floor landing. The sky was cluttered
with dark clouds but every now and then he could see pockets of orangy red light. Heero
grinned, it was finally sunset again.

He ran out of the lobby and down the opposite hall, into the lounge. Looking around he
saw that the keys to the double doors were already in the locks and when he tried the
door, it was open. Heero ran outside, onto and passed the porch to the slope. As he ran
through the rain he cursed again for not having gone up for his jacket but refused to go
back for it. There was no way in hell he was gonna go back so that Relena could find him
not in bed and follow him down there.

When he reached the slope he was already soaking wet and decided that he'd slide down
much more slowly than he had cared to before. The slope was muddy from all the rain and
the puddles that had collected near the edge spilled over the side in rivulets, making it
extremely easy for him to slip if he wasn't careful. He slid down slowly, reaching the
bottom safely and managing to get only his hands and the legs of his jeans slightly muddy.
The wind picked up and Heero shivered, bringing his hands up to his soaked arms as he
looked at the horizon. The sun was still setting behind the sea and it would be a while
before it completely disappeared.

Heero got onto the rocks and walked across the length of the cove to the boulder. He
climbed up and sat down on the edge with his feet dangling over the water. He would wait
out nightfall in the storm until he saw Duo reappear safely in the cove. The events of the
previous night replayed themselves in his mind and he shuddered, as much from the cold
as from the memory. Duo had told him all the rules and spontaneously disappearing at sun
rise was not a good thing if he wasn't within his grave site. He hoped that Duo was
alright.

As he looked back out to the horizon he noticed a few fins sticking out of the water in the
distance. A dolphin jumped out of the water and splashed back inside as the pod moved on
and Heero found himself calming. He didn't have to worry, he *knew* his Duo would be
alright. All it took was a few eternities of sitting and waiting for the blasted sun to go
down to prove it. After ten more minutes of enduring the wind and rain, the sun finally set
beyond the clouds and the cove was drenched in nightfall. Heero looked around but found
no sign of Duo anywhere.

His solemn gaze slipped to the restless waves beneath his feet as he rubbed at his arms.
But before he could slip into the grips of depression the sound of a gasping breath brought
his attention back to the water. Duo had just broken through the surface of the water,
gasping for breath as if he'd been trapped below for too long. "Duo!" Duo's only response
was to cough as he tried to keep his head above water. Heero slipped into the freezing
water and swam out to him, surprising Duo when he grabbed onto him from behind, his
spirit body already solid, and began dragging him to shore.

As soon as they reached the rocks Heero climbed out of the water, pulling Duo out along
with him. Heero lay him on the wet sand and kneeled next to him, "Are you ok?" Duo
tried to chuckle but only coughed a few more times before responding, "yeah. I'm great."
Heero caught the sarcasm but choose to ignore it. Duo was shivering and it was only then
that he noticed he was too. He pulled Duo into his arms, not entirely sure what good it
would do but willing to try *something*. "What happened last night?" he asked.

Thunder roared and Duo molded himself into Heero's arms wishing for the same
non-existent warmth Heero wanted to give. "N-not much really. The cliff is Selena's grave
but," he pointed to the edge of the cliff where it bended into the cove and smirked. "Our
grave sites overlap right t-there. I didn't have to be in mine so long as I was in hers."
Heero nodded and then asked, "couldn't she hurt you?" His grin widened and he shook his
head, "w-when I fell into her grave site, I realized something. What she can do to me, I
can do to her. S-she wouldn't dare try anything, once I knew." Heero sighed inwardly and
held him closer. He didn't think it possible to feel this level of relief.

"By the way, what were you doing here in t-this weather before s-sunset?" Heero frowned
down at him, "I was worried about you. Besides, I thought you might want to get out of
this bad weather." Duo smiled warmly despite feeling so cold. Thunder roared in the skies
a second time but the rain began to lighten. Heero got up, pulling Duo to his feet, "You
said you could go where I go if I have something of yours, n-ne?" Duo looked at the
crucifix around Heero's neck, delighted to find he was still wearing it.

"Hai." Heero nodded as if that were all the confirmation he needed and began heading
toward the slope with Duo. After convincing Heero that he didn't need his help for
something that simple, they both carefully made their way to the top. Duo actually reached
the top first and when he was joined by Heero, they quickly ran back to the Inn under the
pouring rain- Duo being sure to keep close to the other boy. They ran onto the porch and
Heero opened the lounge doors, allowing Duo to go in first before he entered and closed
the doors behind him.
---------

Okada looked up with a start at the two boys, muddy and dripping water all over his nice
(formally) clean wood floor. In the dark lounge he didn't recognize the first but he knew
Heero as soon as he saw him. "Heero-san! What on earth did you think you were doing
out in that storm! Just look at you, you're going to catch your death if you keep going out
in the rain!" Duo laughed, "Hey, Kenji. You're starting to sound like my mother." Okada
looked back to the other boy he hadn't recognized at first, squinted to see him better in
the dark and paled. With a shaking hand, he reached over to the lamp beside him and
turned it on.

"Good heavens, can it be?!" Duo grinned and nodded, absently rubing his arms. "Long
time no see, ne?" Okada got up from his chair with the help of his cane and walked over
to him, all smiles. "But how on earth..." then he had a better look at his clothes and
frowned again, "You both looked like you jumped in that water. You must be freezing, I'll
go find you some towels. Wait right here." and with that, Okada went into the hall to find
a linen closet.

Heero actually grinned, "I think the cook is rubbing off on him." Duo nodded without
really knowing what he meant. He'd never met any of the Inn's cooks and certainly
wouldn't know the current one. "Kenji's changed a lot since I last saw him." Heero gave
him a side long glance, "When did you last see him?" Duo shrugged, "I think some forty
years ago, give or take." Heero blinked. "That was a long time ago..." Duo's smile
became slightly dark and he replied nonchalantly, "I have no sense of time anymore."

Before Heero could respond to that Okada came back into the lounge with their towels.
Heero began to dry himself off immediately but Duo gave his brown leather pants a wary
glance before wrapping the towel around himself like a blanket. "I'll have to peal these off
and wring them out before they'll ever get dry." Heero paused while taking off his muddy
shoes, swallowed any further thoughts, and continued as if he hadn't heard a thing. "Oh,
of course! I can't let you just walk around in those soaked things." Okada looked at
Heero, "How long will he stay?" Heero's brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Duo explained before Okada could elaborate. "He means how long do you think you'll
last before you have to take me back. I'm feeding off your energy now, remember?"
Heero nodded and looked back to Okada curiously, "how do you know..?" Okada
snorted, "I offered to do this once when I was younger." He looked at Duo accusingly but
Duo only crossed his arms, "You were sick." he replied stubbornly. "bah, anyway." He
looked back to Heero, "well?" Heero thought about it for a moment, looking out the
window into the storm. "When it stops raining." he looked to Duo for his approval and he
was rewarded with a smile.

Okada nodded, "that won't be for a while..." He gave the soaked Duo another stern
glance before an idea came to him, "The basement is full of old unclaimed luggage. I'm
sure we could find something for you in there." He turned on another lamp and uncrossed
Duo's arms to have a better look at him. Duo only blinked, surprised. "At least I hope we
can find something your size." Then Okada gave him a silly grin and backed away, "If not,
I'll just have to look through the ladies clothes for something." Duo's eyes widened.
Heero had to fight down a grin. "There's no way in hell you're getting me into a dress,
Kenji!" Okada laughed and put up his hands in surrender, "I was joking." he paused.
"Besides, women these days barely wear dresses anymore..." Duo glared.

Okada shook his head, chuckling. "Follow me, oh and Duo, take that muddy thing off
*and* those shoes. The last thing I want is for you two to track mud through the rest of
the building. You too Heero." and with that, Okada began walking into the hall. Duo looked down at his
formally white shirt. It was completely sulied with mud from the climb up the slope. He
groaned, dropping the towel to the floor and pulled his shirt off. He slipped out of his
boots, leaving them on the door mat, picked up the towel to wrap it around himself again
and looked at Heero... who had been staring. "Heero?" Heero realized what he'd been
doing, blushed and quickly took off after the Inn Keeper. Duo grinned and ran to catch up
before he got too far.
--------

As they climbed down the stairs into the basement, Duo made sure to take in every detail
while absently rolling up his muddy shirt. Of course, it wasn't just the basement he was
looking at. Despite the fact that Heero's tank was equally muddy, he hadn't taken it off
and Duo felt slightly disappointed by that. He'd just draped the towel over himself after
soaking it through, only managing to get dry enough not to drip and not much more. He
sighed inwardly at the thought, not that a wet Heero wasn't sexy... but a shirtless wet
Heero was even better.

Duo grinned at the thought. That's when Heero felt eyes on his back and turned slightly.
Duo gave him an innocent, questioning glance. Heero opened his mouth but was
interrupted by Okada, "I'll just go through the luggage while you two look around a bit.
There may be a few things in those boxes you might want to take a look at, Duo." Duo
looked at him when they reached the basement floor. "What's in them?" he asked. Okada
smiled, "They're from your house. Old relic's, family paintings and such." Duo's eye's
widened and he made a break for the boxes near the wall. Okada looked at the wet tracks
his bare feet left on the dust covered floor and mused he'd have to find Duo some shoes as
well.

Duo's eyes immediately fell on the small painting Heero had left on top of one of the
boxes earlier that evening. Heero caught up with him in time to see a flurry of emotions
cross over Duo's face before finally settling on nostalgia. "I remember this one," he
paused and a small smile slipped onto his face. "I was beginning to forget what they
looked like..." Heero looked back at the painting to see Duo's smiling parents, forever
frozen in time within the small bronze frame.

Duo set it aside, adjusting the towel over his shoulders that was beginning to slip and
looked through the open box. In-between a pair of frames he froze. Slowly pulling out a
large portrait from the box, he stared at it in wonder. Heero looked at the painting but
didn't see much of a difference from some of the others in the box. It was a large portriat
of what had to be the Maxwell family. He recognized Lord and Lady Maxwell from other
paintings. The rest of the people in the painting, however, he did not know.

They were all young, or at least younger than Duo's parents and they ranged in age from
what looked like seven to thirty something. The older ones were sitting next to Duo's
parents on the sofa while the younger ones sat smiling happily at their feet. Most
resembled Duo's father but one or two, like Duo, bore uncanny resemblances to his
mother. That's when Heero realized who they were. They were Lord and Lady's
Maxwell's children.

He looked back to Duo and was startled. Duo was gazing at the picture with a trembling
smile, his eyes watery and slightly distant. "I had siblings..." his chest heaved and Heero
didn't know whether he was laughing or crying or both. Duo closed his eyes to keep the
tears from spilling out, and still he smiled. "All this time I was right there and I never
knew..." he set the portrait down and leaned it against the box.

Heero couldn't take seeing him like that any more and without thinking, raised a hand to
his cheek. Duo's gaze went to him and he was no longer smiling. Heero swallowed and
spoke sincerely. "I'll help make sure you see them someday." The surprise in Duo's eyes
only made him feel more determined to do just that.

Someone cleared their throat behind them and they turned to find Okada leaning against a
large box with a bundle of clothes in his arms, deliberately looking somewhere else. "I
found some clothes that might fit..." he said quickly. Heero brought his hand down and
blushed furiously when he realized Okada had seen that. Duo smiled and it was sincere.
He gave Heero a meaningful look and turned his attention to Okada. "Whatcha got?"

Okada looked at them out of the corner of his eye, sighed with slight relief and walked
over to them, dumping the pile of clothes on the nearest box, with the exception of a pair
of blue jeans. "These were the best I could find." He unfolded them, held them up to Duo
and frowned. Duo grinned sheepishly, noticing they seemed one size too big. Okada
sighed, "You'll just have to wear a belt." he handed the jeans to Duo and picked up the
rest of the clothes. In the bundle was a plain white button down, and what looked like a
red Hawaiian T-shirt. "I hope you like these. It was a little difficult to find something that
might fit. You may know this better than most but my guests aren't usually as young as
yourselves."

Duo took the two shirts from Okada and opened up the red Hawaiian with a broad grin on
his face. Okada gave him a pained expression, "don't ask me where I got that." Duo
laughed. Thunder clapped loudly above them and the clouds that almost seemed to have
been letting up released a torrent of rain, hitting the roof with force enough for them to
hear even in the basement. Okada looked up as if to see through the ceiling, "If this rain
doesn't stop soon, we might be flooded by morning..." He gave Heero a somewhat
calculating look. The boy certainly didn't look tired yet; a good sign.

"Heero-san, do you think you could hold out until morning? It doesn't seem as if this rain
will stop until then." he asked. Duo looked at Heero as if trying to asses if he'd done any
damage yet. Heero scowled under their scrutiny, "I'm fine. I've done the entire night
before." Okada raised an eyebrow, "hai... and slept the entire day afterwards." Duo
whirled on him. "What?!" Heero gave him a look as if to say 'don't say a word' and Duo
frowned, pouting silently. "... Unless, you could sort of cheat it..." Heero and Duo both
turned back to Okada simultaneously, "what do you mean 'cheat it'?" Duo asked.

Okada frowned thoughtfully, "With as much as I know about this... thing of yours, I'd say
you could probably cheat it simply by sleeping the night away." He looked at Heero, "Duo
is using your energy to stay with us but if you rest at the same time it shouldn't have much
of an effect... ne?" Okada turned to Duo for confirmation of his theory and he nodded
slowly, "makes sense..." Okada gave a satisfied smile, "I realize that doesn't allow for the
two of you to have much time tonight but you'll have that in the morning." Duo smiled
back, apparently happy with the idea. Heero nodded as well and glanced at the clothes in
Duo's arms.

"There's a bathroom in my room, you can change upstairs." Heero said. Duo turned his
smile on him and nodded. Okada eyed Heero suspiciously but turned a smile on him
nevertheless, "Hai, it's late. I'm sure you two are tired and must have things of your own
to discuss before retiring." He turned to Duo. "I know how this... connection of yours
works so I won't bother offering you a room, Duo. But I'd still like to do some catching
up before you have to leave tomorrow."

Duo nodded again, folding up the red shirt, "deffinetely, it's been way too long since
we've really talked." Okada gave him a warm smile before glancing at Heero, "I'll go up
first to make sure Darlian-san isn't wandering the halls like she was half an hour ago.
When it's safe I'll call you both up." Heero gave him a thankful expression as the Inn
keeper headed for the stairs. Duo looked at him questioningly and Heero sighed. "Don't
ask..."

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