Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Patterns of Change ❯ New Lifestyles ( Chapter 5 )

---------- NEW LIFESTYLES-------

 

After the events of the following months, Katrina began to wonder if she was the only one attracted to the two handsome young men. Heero and Duo had helped her over the years, and now that she was living and working with them, she had yet to understand what they wanted. Her fears that they were like Jack came back to haunt her, and she decided to confront the two, in the most civil way possible. She just hoped that if they did want a relationship with her that they would say so, preventing her fragile psyche from any more damage than was necessary.

 

Kat had been so busy wondering about what was going on, that she never noticed Duo hovering just outside the door way with a worried look on his face. Giving up on waiting for her to notice him, Duo walked onto the room and hugged her from behind. Katrina tensed for a moment and then sagged in quiet relief. “Sorry, I was lost in thought hon.” She told him. Nuzzling her hair, Duo told her that the table was set, and that they were just waiting for the actual meal. Giving him a sheepish grin, Kat told him that if she wasn't out in five minutes, then they could send in the rescue party. Laughing at her mock seriousness, Duo left the kitchen, and let his expression turn into one of worry again. Heero noticed the expression and was about to comment on it when Katrina waltzed out of the kitchen with dinner in hand.

 

Dinner passed in silence, but Heero and Duo were worried about how mellow and quiet Katrina became after the attack from Agent Jones. Even though Katrina waved it off, Duo still blamed himself for putting the agent as a guard to her bed, but he couldn't find anyone else. He knew that if Phillip's hadn't intervened, Katrina would be so emotionally crippled that all chances to become intimate with her would go out the window. Heero knew that something would have gone wrong on such a tightly strung crew, but he was wondering why she hadn't gotten the sleep before hand or why neither he nor Duo had spotted her condition sooner.

 

Breaking the silence, Duo said “Is this a new recipe? It tastes really good.” Katrina gave him a lazy smile and shook her head. “I just added some different spices to a similar dish that I usually make.” Heero noticed that she was busy thinking of something and once dinner was finished he spoke, “After dishes the three of us should just sit and talk. We haven't done that in a while.” His voice was wistful as he looked back on past nights of their discussions and the bond they had. A small, but very real, smile bloomed on Kat's face, “I'd like that.” Duo nodded in agreement, and went into the kitchen to do the dishes.

 

With the nightly chores out of the way, Katrina was sprawled on the sofa as she flipped through the book she had been reading. Duo's soft laugh made her look up and she shifted to accommodate the two, who carried a few bowls of ice cream, so they could cuddle as they spoke. Putting her book back down with a regretful sigh, Katrina plucked a blow of ice cream from Duo's hand. She had strategically placed herself between both of them, and was soaking up the contact like a sponge. Before she could stop herself, she began to purr in happiness, and missed the shared look between Heero and Duo.

 

“Kat,” Duo's voice was normal, except for the small bit of hesitance that Katrina immediately picked up on. “Are you sure you're ok? I mean, you haven't been the same since Agent Jones and, well, we're really worried.” Blinking to absorb the information, Kat looked between both and saw the calm yet expectant faces. Unconsciously rubbing her wrists, she replied, “I'm ok, not great or anything, but ok. The nightmares have stopped and all, but it still bugs me some times.” She stopped speaking as Heero held her hands and hugged her. “Why didn't you tell us that you'd been up for almost two days straight?” Giving him a sheepish smile, and a guilty look, “You were both so high strung, and when Philips got sick, we all took extra duties. I know that Duo needs more sleep in stressful times, and that you were busy in your own way, so I kept it to myself and took small cat naps as the time passed. I didn't mean to miss so much sleep; I was too busy to notice.”

 

A light shrug accompanied that statement, and Duo lay down beside her and held onto her. “If I had known…” Katrina covered his mouth, and shook her head. “If I had known, I would have stayed awake just that much longer and that's that. Don't blame yourselves. We were all high strung, and I warned Lady Une that I wasn't comfortable working with Jones. She told me that he was to only one able to go, so I had to deal with it. When I went to sleep, I let may guard down, and he took advantage of it. So, it was just a big mix-up of bad timing. Stop being so negative; give me a bit of time, and I'll be fine.” She snuggled deeper into their embrace, and gathered her nerve to ask them her questions.

 

“I know that you both had something else in mind when we went to dinner a few weeks ago, I was just wondering what it was.” Her voice was timid, and she kept her hopes low. I'm just a friend that they want to help, nothing more. If they wanted more, they would have shown it sooner. Duo and Heero were shocked at her quiet admission. Heero, regaining his bearings first, said, “Of course we wanted something more, but things kept causing our plans to get pushed back. We knew that if we wanted a relationship with you, it was going to take time and patience. But we never wanted you to have to suffer what you did in our last mission.”

 

Katrina's body relaxed as Heero spoke, and she was doing the mental victory dance. Duo continued, “If that mission hadn't needed our experience, we were going to call in sick with the stomach flu and have you stay home to take care of us. Of course we wouldn't really have it, but then we would have started our relationship then. But mission after mission came forth and we could never stop and take time for us.” Kat twisted her upper body to look at Duo and pouted, “You're telling me that I didn't have to worry that you had both changed your mind after so long?”

 

Heero held her tight and said, “We would have told you sooner if we had wanted to call it off. We would never keep you hanging if we had decided that we didn't want to go through with the ritual that we had started all that time ago.” A sigh of relief came from Kat's lips, and in a mischievous voice she said, “I think that you're both going to be too sick to go to work tomorrow. I'll call Sally and tell her to come over and check you both so she can tell Une that I have to stay and take care of you both for a few days until you get better.” Getting off the couch before they could hold her down, Katrina called Sally up and asked her to come over to “check on” Heero and Duo. With a promise to be there in fifteen minutes, Katrina told the two to get ready for when Sally arrives. When Sally did arrive, Kat had gone out to get some supplies for two “sick” men.

 

Sally took the information that Duo and Heero gave her with a grain of salt, after they explained the situation several times, and got her to agree with it. However, they had to promise Sally that they would never hurt the blonde agent, or they would face her wrath in the physical examination room. Stating that they would hurt themselves first before ever hurting Kat, they boys quickly agreed to Sally's terms, and showing her to the door. They had just gotten everything ready, when Kat came back in and locked up the house.

 

As she made her way to her room, Duo grabbed her from behind and carried her to the main bedroom. “Not tonight! I want to sleep so I can call in the morning and look somewhat disheveled properly!” She shrieked as she was dropped on the bed, and pinned by Heero. “You sure?” His voice was teasing but his eyes were serious. “Why do you think I want to wait until morning? I want to see what's going on in daylight, and then we can play all day!” Kissing her soundly, Heero and Duo peeled her out of the day's clothes and got her ready for bed. “Tomorrow love, tomorrow.” She murmured as she fell asleep in the arms of her saviours and loves.