Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The D.C. Saga ❯ 1+2, Part Three ( Chapter 3 )

Arc: The Saga

Title: 1+2, Part Three

Author: __Nomi__

Archive: On my livejournal (http://www.livejournal.com/users/panicqueen), on www.mediaminer.org, and www.fanfiction.net

Pairings: 1+2

Warnings: Fluff, Duo with a kitten. That's a warning of its own. ::smile::

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"Heero?"

Dark blue eyes fixed the blonde Arabian with his intense stare. "What?"

"Duo wants to ask you something."

"I do not!" came an indignant voice from outside. Heero glanced at the open back door and could barely see the porch swing moving gently.

"Yes you do!" Quatre called. There was a sigh.

"Fine. Heero? You think you can come out here for a sec?"

The Japanese boy narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Duo?"

"I can't just *ask*, you have to come *see*," he said exasperatedly. "Come on, Hee-kun. Please?"

Heero sighed and stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in, setting his laptop aside and slightly limping towards the back door. It had been two and a half weeks since his horrible mission that had resulted in his left leg being rendered nearly useless and a pain that'd sprung up in his wrist whenever it would rain or got cold. Now, at a brand new safehouse deep in the woods, Heero was having even more problems. The limp he could deal with. The wrist he could deal with. It was Duo himself that was becomming a pest.

Duo normally didn't bug him that much. In fact, he usually stayed relatively out of the way, though sometimes he would come and just sit near Heero, as if to reassure himself that human contact was there.

Heero had started a strange habit, though. Whenever Duo would sit close enough to touch, he would loop an arm around the braided boy's shoulders and continue doing whatever it was he was doing, as long as he didn't need both hands. Duo seemed to appreciate it, though he never said it out loud. Many things that passed between them weren't spoken aloud, almost as if to preserve its secrecy.

But the past three days were slowly driving Heero mad. Duo was restless as all hell and he couldn't seem to find somewhere to relieve his abundant energy.

As Heero stepped out the back porch and saw Duo cuddling a small kitten, he realized that maybe this was a good thing--after all, taking care of a kitten would give Duo something to do, which would keep Duo quiet, which would give he and Quatre--the only other occupants in the house--some peace and quiet.

Duo looked up at him with wide, hopeful violet eyes. "Can I keep her? Just for now? I promise I can let her go if we have to evacuate, but...just for now?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I mean, I found her all alone about half a mile that way--" he gestured vaguely to the northeast "--and she seems tame enough, and she's real sweet. She doesn't have a place to go, and what if it rains? Or what if something gets her? I can't let that happen...Please, Heero? Once she gets old enough, she'll be able to fend for herself. Please?"

"All right."

Duo blinked. Quatre had to hide a snigger. "...You mean it? You really mean it?"

"Yes. Keep her. But don't get too attached." And he left without another word.

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"Duo?"

"Yeah?"

"Your kitten's on my pillow."

"Oh...sorry. She likes to wander." Duo entered the room, towel-drying his long hair, and scooped the lynx-colored kitten up and cradled her close. "That's not your bed, little one, and you know it," he mock-chided the small ball of fluff. "This is your bed." And he plopped her right down on his own pillow.

Heero watched in amusement as the kitten pranced around, mewing, and as Duo positively nuzzled her close and murmured baby talk to her. When he realized that he was being watched, Duo began to blush. "Sorry...I like animals. And she's cute, isn't she?"

"Yes."

"What should I name her?"

"Nothing. You'll get attached if you name her."

"I will not," he scoffed, violet eyes mischievous. "So what should I name her?"

"I don't know." Heero unlaced his boots and kicked them off, stripping out of his t-shirt and jeans. Duo tried not to stare, but was spared the embarrassment when Heero crawled beneath the covers, only his eyes and rumpled hair visible. "You shouldn't name her, Duo."

"Yes I should." He set the kitten down and she immediately pawed his leg, trying to get onto his lap, and he laughed in delight. "You'll wait until I'm done, you little beast." He unwrapped the towel and let it fall momentarily to the floor before he began the long task of combing out his wet hair. Heero watched in fascination once again and Duo pretended not to notice. It was another one of their unspoken gestures--Heero watched, Duo brushed, Heero appreciated and Duo refrained comment.

A torturous fifteen minutes later and Duo was braided, dressed, and just getting into bed when Heero cleared his throat.

"What?"

"I thought..." Heero stopped. Just because they'd only used one bed for three nights in a row to stave off nightmares didn't mean there had to be a fourth night.

"You want me to..."

"Only if you wanted..."

"I mean, it really helps..."

"I know..."

So Duo slid stealthily out of his bed, kitten tucked in the crook of his arm, and Heero backed against the wall to make room for him. Duo laid down and put the kitten between the two of them. Heero rolled his eyes.

"I do not want that mangy beast shedding all over my sheets."

Duo chuckled. "She doesn't really shed. And look--she's quiet and content." Sure enough, the little female had made herself comfortable between the two boys and was purring like a starting motor. Duo settled his head down on Heero's pillow, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to gaze into Heero's own.

"I think I'm going to name her D.C."

"D.C.? Why?"

"Duo's Cat."

Heero snorted. "How original."

"I like it," he said defensively. "It could also be Demon Cat, Damn Cat, Devil Cat--"

"I got it. Go to sleep."

"Kay." Duo settled down and fell quiet, nearly jumping when something slid along his bare waist.

"Just me," Heero said softly, and both of them relaxed.

D.C. purred all night long.

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A/N: That's all I'll be posting for a while on ff.net and mm.org. If you want the two more that I've written, check out my livejournal. I update at LEAST twice a day, and I often get bored enough to spew out yet another 1+2. Later!