Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The D.C. Saga ❯ The D.C. Saga, Part Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

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"Hey, guys? I found the puppies!"

Heero followed the sound of Quatre's voice, which lead him into the massive backyard and towards a small shed with a cooling unit built into it. Inside were four little puppies and a large, half-empty bowl of water, a nearly empty bowl of food, and a decidedly reeking floor of newspapers.

Duo paused just behind Heero and looked in with wide eyes. "Those are puppies?"

Quatre laughed as one of them barked and bounced towards him, tiny little tail wagging. "Yeah! You've never seen puppies before?"

Still wide-eyed, Duo nodded. "Well, I have. Once. Remember when you brought the little labs home?"

"Oh yeah! That was the only time?"

Again, he nodded, still in awe. "We didn't have any dogs where I come from, and I've only seen a cat twice before I got D.C. And you had those labs for such a short time that I never held one. Can I hold one now?"

"Sure." Quatre lifted a smaller pup and handed it to Duo, who cradled it like an expensive jewel. The puppy barked and he jumped a little, then barked right back at it. Heero rolled his eyes and got to work disposing of the soiled newspaper and setting down fresh ones. He emptied the water and filled it with cleaner, cooler water from a bottle, then changed the stale food. The puppies were running all around them, yipping and fighting with each other.

Amused, the Japanese boy sat down lotus-style and played with the two most playful ones before a small and almost shy pup caught his eye. He reached for this one and it cowered, so Heero made his movements as slow and gentle as possible, not realizing that Quatre had retreated back into the cool house and that Duo was watching him with a hawk's intense eye.

Heero didn't know that his face had softened and that he was smiling as he lifted the tiny puppy into his arms, cuddling it close. He nuzzled its little ear and it whimpered, making him laugh lightly before giving it another little nudge with his nose.

I have never seen him look as handsome as he does now, Duo thought breathlessly, watching as the fading light played beautifully along Heero's dark, tousled hair, casting shadows underneath his long lashes and in the faint hollows of his sharp cheekbones. The smile on his face did it, though, and Duo found himself suddenly wanting to do something, anything, to keep that smile in place.

He dropped down next to his best friend as his legs gave out and he leaned closer. Heero turned to him, the smile fading slightly. "What's wrong, Duo?"

The braided boy snapped out of his reverie and blinked a few times to clear his thoughts. "Um...nothing. I'm fine. Like the puppy? I do. He's cute, isn't he? I wonder if they're named. If not, we can name them. What would you name him?"

"You're babbling," Heero observed flatly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm fine. What would you name it?"

Blue eyes narrowed. He didn't buy the act for a second, but he let Duo get away with it. This time. "I don't know. Sawa, maybe."

"What's that mean?"

"Marsh or swamp."

"What else?" These thoughts are evil, Duo, why can't you stop having them?!

"Kin. Means golden. See his eyes?" He held up the puppy and Duo saw that the young dog's eyes were indeed a beautiful shade of honey. "But I won't name him because I can't keep him."

Duo detected a note of something very strange and foreign in Heero's voice. "What if you could? Would you?"

Heero looked down at the puppy. "Yeah, I would, if I had a way to really take care of him. He needs attention, food, water and shelter. I can only give him three out of four most of the time, and two out of four when we're changing safehouses more than we change our underwear."

Duo busted out laughing and helped to round up the puppies back into the cool air conditon of the little backyard shed. Heero started to reluctantly let go of the small, shy little pup, but Duo reached out and snatched his wrist.

"Take him inside. He can stay with us."

"He's not housetrained."

"We'll put up a gate in the corner of the room with newspaper. Come on, Heero, you know you want to."

"I refuse to get attached like you did."

"So what if you get attached? Come on, let's go."

Duo dragged him away and Heero made no protest. At the back door, they stopped and looked out at the sunset sinking in the west. Heero held the puppy close to his chest and Duo kept his hand on his friend's arm.

"It's beautiful out here," the American sighed, and his Japanese counterpart nodded.

"Very."

After a pause, Heero glanced at him. "Duo? May I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"If I tell you why I have a certain nightmare sometimes, will you let me touch your hair? Unbraided, I mean."

The American flushed darkly and shot a look at his friend from beneath his lashes. "Why do you like my hair so much?"

Damn Heero for not blushing. "I don't know. I just do."

"...I don't know. Maybe. I'll tell you why I keep it braided, though. Is that okay for now?"

"Yes. I will tell you my story tonight, in bed."

"All right. I'm looking forward to it."

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