Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winning Duo ❯ Chapter 28
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Calic0cat 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.04.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.04.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
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Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 28/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: R
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
#################################################
Leery as he was of Wufei's reaction to waking up draped all over him, Heero really couldn't do anything about it. For one thing, trying to work Duo's braid out of Wufei's hand so that he could slip out from between them would almost certainly wake one if not both of them. And of course, trying to move Wufei could hurt him. And both Duo and Wufei were so soundly and peacefully asleep... And they both *needed* the rest... And it was still *very* early in the morning... And...
'And you don't actually *want* to move. Admit it, Yuy. It feels good having them both so close. Knowing that they're both here and safe.' Or at least *relatively* so, he thought with a wince as his eye was drawn to Wufei's cast. Accidents happened sometimes in sparring matches. The occasional bruise or black eye or strained muscle was almost expected. Broken or fractured bones, on the other hand... 'I should have called a halt as soon as I realized they were both not completely on track,' Heero castigated himself silently. Hurting someone he... he *cared* about... was *not* acceptable. 'And I *do* care for Wufei. That much I have figured out. It's just the whole issue of exactly how much and in what way I care for him that has me a bit - confused...'
He shifted the arm around Duo in order to rub his back gently as Duo started to cough. 'Damn. Cough suppressant must be wearing off.' Duo settled again, cough subsiding, and thankfully didn't quite wake up. 'He really needs the rest...' When he did eventually wake, Heero hoped he would agree to take some more medication, eat a bit of breakfast, then rest again. He wouldn't really mind spending most of today resting himself. Though he needed a nice hot bath or something to loosen his stiff muscles at some point. They'd been sore enough last night; he could imagine how bad they'd be this morning. Especially after lying in the same position all night with - err, other people - using him as a pillow.
'Shit, and Wufei's painkillers must have worn off by now too,' Heero realized. Hopefully Wufei would agree to take something for the pain rather than just toughing his way through it. Otherwise, every little twinge was going to have Duo getting more upset. Not that *he'd* be exactly happy about it either... But he was more concerned at the moment over Wufei's own discomfort and Duo's reaction to it. Duo was *so* sensitive to the least hint of one of them being upset with him and he was already feeling so guilty over his mistakes...
Heero was pretty sure that Duo had been damn close to giving up last night. But he hoped that maybe, just *maybe*, he'd finally gotten through to Duo. That Duo had finally accepted that he really did love him and that a few mistakes wouldn't change that fact. That softly murmured "Love you too" from Duo, the first time that Duo had actually *said* those words to him, seemed to indicate that.
But Wufei was still going to have to persuade Duo of his own love. And if Duo was too busy beating himself up over getting Wufei hurt, that wasn't going to be easy. Duo had some major trust issues to work out with both of them. And he couldn't quite believe that was *entirely* because of their past actions and words. Heero had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with those bits of Duo's past that had been skimmed over so lightly. Those gaping holes in what he *had* told the two of them about his life before becoming a Gundam pilot.
***
Wufei woke slowly, reluctantly dragged to consciousness by a growing throb in his arm and a dull ache in his side. 'Ow. Shit, that hurts. Forgot just how painful broken bones - or cracked ones - actually *were*...' At least he wasn't cold like he had been when he'd woken earlier... With increasing wakefulness came the memory of exactly *why* he wasn't cold this time. Because when he'd woken up earlier, he'd draped himself all over the nearest warm body thinking that it was Duo, then had decided to stay put even after realizing that it was in fact *Heero* he was using as a pillow. 'Why did staying put seem like such a good idea?! Maybe I really *should* blame the drugs...' Well - yes and no he admitted. The drugs had something to do with him being sufficiently uninhibited to stay put - but not with the wish to do so.
'I am attracted to Heero. And I care about him. A lot. Maybe almost as much as I do Duo. But do I love him? Am I in love with him?' Wufei wasn't sure. Not too long ago, he would have said that it was impossible to be in love with two people at the same time. Now... well, he didn't doubt that Duo loved both Heero and himself, that Duo was in love with them both. And if he was in love with Heero as well as with Duo, or could learn to be... Well, that would probably make things much simpler in many ways.
'*If* Duo genuinely believes we love him,' Wufei reminded himself unhappily. 'And knowing that he kept his illness a secret, I am not certain that he does...'
He had to admit he was - upset - okay, maybe more than upset, maybe something awfully close to angry - that Duo had hidden his illness. That he hadn't trusted them enough to tell them that he wasn't feeling well. 'And I am not precisely happy about what happened as a result either,' Wufei thought rather sourly as the nagging pain gradually became more insistent. But while he would give a great deal to be able to go back and relive yesterday, this time confronting Duo about his suspicions, he would not change his own actions if things reached the same point again. He would still push Duo out of the way even with the foreknowledge of his own injuries. Because he still loved Duo and did not want to see him hurt if there was anything that he could do to prevent it.
But aside from a certain degree of irritation over his own injuries, Wufei was also upset on Heero's behalf. There was no doubt in Wufei's mind that Heero blamed himself for Wufei being hurt, despite the fact that it was Duo's secrecy and Wufei's own actions that caused it. Right when the accident happened, while Duo had crouched on the floor coughing uncontrollably, Heero had been scrambling to *Wufei's* side, demanding to know exactly what had broken so audibly, even as he threw anxious glances at Duo's ashen face. 'And Heero's colour wasn't any too healthy looking either. He was extremely upset over hurting me. More than if it had been someone else, perhaps?' Perhaps. Certainly not as much as he probably would have been if the kick had indeed hit Duo, but...
But he really didn't know. 'You are going to have to address this issue. And soon,' Wufei told himself firmly. 'I will have to discuss it with Duo and with Heero too. After the mess caused by lack of communication yesterday, I know that I can't afford to keep my confusion over the matter secret. There is too much of a chance of a misunderstanding occurring if one or both of them realizes I am attracted to Heero without me admitting it.' Because in that case, they would be left wondering just why he *had* kept it a secret. And if Duo didn't believe in his love and assumed that Wufei was falling for Heero as a *replacement* for him, rather than in addition to him... 'No, I cannot take that chance. I have to bring this up and discuss it, no matter how embarrassing it may be...'
And speaking of embarrassing, just how the hell was he going to explain to Heero why he was lying half on top of him? Especially if Heero was uncomfortable with being used as a body pillow by someone other than Duo? He really didn't know *what* to say. In a way, it would be simpler if he could move away before Heero woke up...
A moment later, Wufei realized that Heero was definitely already awake as his "pillow" shifted slightly in response to Duo coughing. As the coughing fit continued, Wufei opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He swore sharply as the movement made it clear that the painkillers were definitely no longer in effect.
Duo managed to get himself partially propped up as coughs racked his body. Heero's hand rubbing his back helped a bit, keeping him from tensing up so badly, but he couldn't quite get the coughing stopped. Movement drew his attention to Heero's far side, and he realized abruptly why Heero hadn't been able to pull him into a sitting position, as Wufei was draped along Heero's side. Sharp swearing in Mandarin made him cringe as he realized his coughing must have woken Wufei and that Wufei was trying to sit up but was in pain from his injuries. "Fei?" he managed to choke out between coughs. 'Please don't hate me, please, please...'
Realizing that his rubbing Duo's back wasn't helping enough and that Wufei was awake, Heero shifted to help Wufei sit up, then quickly slid off the bed and hurriedly limped to the bathroom for a glass of water. 'Should have thought to leave some by the bed last night...' He wasn't sure that Duo could stop coughing long enough to safely drink, though. So he turned the hot water tap in the shower and the one in the sink both on full and pulled the door almost completely closed so that the steam would build up before taking the glass back over to the bed.
Wufei managed to shift himself across the bed towards Duo, wrapping his good arm around him and rubbing his back. "Shh, don't try to talk," he scolded gently as Duo tried to speak to him. "Yes, you owe me an apology and an explanation," he said, guessing at what Duo was trying to say. "You owe *both* of us an apology and an explanation. But not right this minute. Just relax and let the coughing finish." He drew Duo close to his good side before continuing, "I still love you even though I am rather," he discarded his first choice of "angry", deciding that Duo was in too much distress to add to it with such a strong word, and finished, "*upset* with you right now."
Duo let Wufei draw him close, grateful that he was still willing to do so. He just wished he could stop the coughing long enough to give Fei the apology he deserved.
"Duo and I already settled things between us last night," Heero said from beside the bed. "He's promised not to do anything like this again and I *trust* him to keep his word."
Duo flinched at Heero's emphasis on the word "trust". He'd never thought his secretiveness would hurt Heero so much, but it definitely had. He was going to have to do something to really prove that he *did* trust them. Which probably meant he would have to tell them the rest of his past. Tell them about the church. 'Explain that it's not exactly *them* that I don't trust... That I just can't quite trust being happy and loved because any time I have been before, something's always happened to take it away...'
That part Duo had figured out last night, lying in bed and repeatedly going over his own twisted and confused reasoning that had led to keeping his illness a secret. He'd finally figured out that it wasn't *just* about not being able to believe that they really loved him because of things they'd said and done in the past. No, it had a whole hell of a lot to do with not being able to believe in happiness, or at least *his* happiness, period. He was going to have to explain that before he managed to fuck things up even worse.
But first, he needed to stop coughing for longer than a few seconds, Duo thought as he tried again to get a sip of water down only to start coughing again and nearly choke.
Heero leaned over and scooped Duo off the bed, ignoring protesting muscles, then carried him to the bathroom and pushed the door open. He set Duo down on the edge of the tub and crouched beside him, steadying him. Before he could reach out to shove the door shut again, Wufei came in behind them, pushing the door closed before crossing to Duo's other side and carefully perching on the edge of the tub beside him.
Between Wufei rubbing his back and the steamy air, Duo's coughing finally calmed. He dropped his head against Heero's shoulder where he crouched beside him and rested for a few minutes, exhausted.
"His cough medicine is on the table," Heero told Wufei. "Could you..." He was relieved when Wufei nodded and cautiously stood. He wasn't too sure he was going to have much luck getting up. 'Crouching was a *bad* idea,' he thought ruefully, keeping one arm around Duo while using his other hand to massage his cramping thigh muscles. He'd definitely pulled a couple yesterday.
Returning with the medication and a spoon, Wufei raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of him. "Don't tell me you hurt yourself too..."
Duo's head lifted in alarm. "Heero?"
"Just a couple of pulled muscles," Heero assured them. "And a little stiffness from not being able to move all night."
"Oh," Wufei said, flushing slightly. He moved to turn off the tap in the sink but left the shower running to replace the steam lost by opening the door.
Heero hesitated, then offered softly, "Not that I minded. It was sort of - nice..." Nice in what way, he wasn't quite sure, but he did know that it was - nice. And he really wouldn't mind if it happened again.
Wufei paused for a moment, not sure what to say in response to that, then settled for simply, "Oh" again. He finished measuring out Duo's cough medicine over the sink before turning around. "Open up," he ordered, holding the medicine out to Duo.
Duo made a face but obeyed, swallowing the nasty tasting stuff. "That stuff is *gross*."
"Then it should work. My grandmother always said that medicine was supposed to taste bad. That was how you knew it would work," Wufei commented drily.
The room was silent for a few minutes, other than the noise from the still-running shower. Wufei finally reached out and shut it off, judging that there was sufficient steam to last for a while.
"Fei? Aren't you going to take *your* medicine?" Duo asked hesitantly. "The stuff the doctor gave you must have worn off by now..."
"You two aren't going to let me get away without it, are you," he observed, noting Heero's questioning look as well. Two heads shook in response. Wufei sighed heavily, then conceded, "Fine."
"I think we should have breakfast before getting into any of the discussions that we need to have," Heero commented.
"That sounds like a good idea," Wufei agreed. Particularly since he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday, a fact his stomach was starting to remind him of. He wasn't too sure he wanted to go to all the hassle of getting ready in order to go down to the restaurant for breakfast, though he *did* need to get changed, seeing as he was still wearing yesterday's clothing. "Shall we have breakfast delivered rather than going downstairs?"
"I think that would be best," Heero agreed. He volunteered to handle ordering for them all, leaving Duo to help Wufei get changed.
Trailing Wufei into his own room, Duo felt absolutely miserable. He was tired and his chest hurt from all the coughing, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was every time *Fei* winced or swore under his breath. Despite Heero's suggestion to delay discussions until after breakfast, he couldn't put it off that long. "Fei?"
Wufei turned from pulling clean clothes out of his suitcase, attention caught by Duo's miserable tone. He took one look at Duo's guilty, unhappy face and held out his good arm. "Come here, Duo."
Duo stepped into Wufei's one-armed embrace and pressed his face to Wufei's shoulder. "God, Fei, I'm so sorry. I never thought I'd end up getting one of you hurt! I just... just didn't think things through very well and I really fucked up. I thought I had good reasons for doing what I did, but I was wrong. I'll try and explain later, 'cause even what I talked about with Heero last night doesn't really cover it, or at least I don't think it does now that I've thought about it some more..." He muffled a cough with one hand as his body protested all the rapid talking he was doing. "I promise I won't ever hide something like that again..."
A cough broke off Duo's words again and Wufei pressed a kiss to his temple and stroked his hand over Duo's braid. "Shh, that's enough for now. I accept your apology, Duo, though I do still want to hear your explanation. I accept your promise too. Now do *you* accept that I really do love you and I'm not going to turn away because you get sick or make a mistake or anything else?"
"I... I do, but it's not quite that simple, and that's the bit that I haven't talked over with Heero yet either..." Duo answered softly. He hesitated, gathering his resolve, then, face still pressed against Wufei's shoulder, managed to finally get the words out, just as he had for Heero last night. "And I do love you too, Fei..."
Wufei closed his eyes for a moment, throat tightening. At last. Duo had actually come right out and said it. Despite whatever was "not quite that simple", he'd finally said it. Hugging Duo as tightly as he could manage without causing further discomfort to his arm or ribs, Wufei dropped another kiss on his temple. Maybe things would start to go more smoothly now.
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Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 28/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: R
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
#################################################
Leery as he was of Wufei's reaction to waking up draped all over him, Heero really couldn't do anything about it. For one thing, trying to work Duo's braid out of Wufei's hand so that he could slip out from between them would almost certainly wake one if not both of them. And of course, trying to move Wufei could hurt him. And both Duo and Wufei were so soundly and peacefully asleep... And they both *needed* the rest... And it was still *very* early in the morning... And...
'And you don't actually *want* to move. Admit it, Yuy. It feels good having them both so close. Knowing that they're both here and safe.' Or at least *relatively* so, he thought with a wince as his eye was drawn to Wufei's cast. Accidents happened sometimes in sparring matches. The occasional bruise or black eye or strained muscle was almost expected. Broken or fractured bones, on the other hand... 'I should have called a halt as soon as I realized they were both not completely on track,' Heero castigated himself silently. Hurting someone he... he *cared* about... was *not* acceptable. 'And I *do* care for Wufei. That much I have figured out. It's just the whole issue of exactly how much and in what way I care for him that has me a bit - confused...'
He shifted the arm around Duo in order to rub his back gently as Duo started to cough. 'Damn. Cough suppressant must be wearing off.' Duo settled again, cough subsiding, and thankfully didn't quite wake up. 'He really needs the rest...' When he did eventually wake, Heero hoped he would agree to take some more medication, eat a bit of breakfast, then rest again. He wouldn't really mind spending most of today resting himself. Though he needed a nice hot bath or something to loosen his stiff muscles at some point. They'd been sore enough last night; he could imagine how bad they'd be this morning. Especially after lying in the same position all night with - err, other people - using him as a pillow.
'Shit, and Wufei's painkillers must have worn off by now too,' Heero realized. Hopefully Wufei would agree to take something for the pain rather than just toughing his way through it. Otherwise, every little twinge was going to have Duo getting more upset. Not that *he'd* be exactly happy about it either... But he was more concerned at the moment over Wufei's own discomfort and Duo's reaction to it. Duo was *so* sensitive to the least hint of one of them being upset with him and he was already feeling so guilty over his mistakes...
Heero was pretty sure that Duo had been damn close to giving up last night. But he hoped that maybe, just *maybe*, he'd finally gotten through to Duo. That Duo had finally accepted that he really did love him and that a few mistakes wouldn't change that fact. That softly murmured "Love you too" from Duo, the first time that Duo had actually *said* those words to him, seemed to indicate that.
But Wufei was still going to have to persuade Duo of his own love. And if Duo was too busy beating himself up over getting Wufei hurt, that wasn't going to be easy. Duo had some major trust issues to work out with both of them. And he couldn't quite believe that was *entirely* because of their past actions and words. Heero had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with those bits of Duo's past that had been skimmed over so lightly. Those gaping holes in what he *had* told the two of them about his life before becoming a Gundam pilot.
***
Wufei woke slowly, reluctantly dragged to consciousness by a growing throb in his arm and a dull ache in his side. 'Ow. Shit, that hurts. Forgot just how painful broken bones - or cracked ones - actually *were*...' At least he wasn't cold like he had been when he'd woken earlier... With increasing wakefulness came the memory of exactly *why* he wasn't cold this time. Because when he'd woken up earlier, he'd draped himself all over the nearest warm body thinking that it was Duo, then had decided to stay put even after realizing that it was in fact *Heero* he was using as a pillow. 'Why did staying put seem like such a good idea?! Maybe I really *should* blame the drugs...' Well - yes and no he admitted. The drugs had something to do with him being sufficiently uninhibited to stay put - but not with the wish to do so.
'I am attracted to Heero. And I care about him. A lot. Maybe almost as much as I do Duo. But do I love him? Am I in love with him?' Wufei wasn't sure. Not too long ago, he would have said that it was impossible to be in love with two people at the same time. Now... well, he didn't doubt that Duo loved both Heero and himself, that Duo was in love with them both. And if he was in love with Heero as well as with Duo, or could learn to be... Well, that would probably make things much simpler in many ways.
'*If* Duo genuinely believes we love him,' Wufei reminded himself unhappily. 'And knowing that he kept his illness a secret, I am not certain that he does...'
He had to admit he was - upset - okay, maybe more than upset, maybe something awfully close to angry - that Duo had hidden his illness. That he hadn't trusted them enough to tell them that he wasn't feeling well. 'And I am not precisely happy about what happened as a result either,' Wufei thought rather sourly as the nagging pain gradually became more insistent. But while he would give a great deal to be able to go back and relive yesterday, this time confronting Duo about his suspicions, he would not change his own actions if things reached the same point again. He would still push Duo out of the way even with the foreknowledge of his own injuries. Because he still loved Duo and did not want to see him hurt if there was anything that he could do to prevent it.
But aside from a certain degree of irritation over his own injuries, Wufei was also upset on Heero's behalf. There was no doubt in Wufei's mind that Heero blamed himself for Wufei being hurt, despite the fact that it was Duo's secrecy and Wufei's own actions that caused it. Right when the accident happened, while Duo had crouched on the floor coughing uncontrollably, Heero had been scrambling to *Wufei's* side, demanding to know exactly what had broken so audibly, even as he threw anxious glances at Duo's ashen face. 'And Heero's colour wasn't any too healthy looking either. He was extremely upset over hurting me. More than if it had been someone else, perhaps?' Perhaps. Certainly not as much as he probably would have been if the kick had indeed hit Duo, but...
But he really didn't know. 'You are going to have to address this issue. And soon,' Wufei told himself firmly. 'I will have to discuss it with Duo and with Heero too. After the mess caused by lack of communication yesterday, I know that I can't afford to keep my confusion over the matter secret. There is too much of a chance of a misunderstanding occurring if one or both of them realizes I am attracted to Heero without me admitting it.' Because in that case, they would be left wondering just why he *had* kept it a secret. And if Duo didn't believe in his love and assumed that Wufei was falling for Heero as a *replacement* for him, rather than in addition to him... 'No, I cannot take that chance. I have to bring this up and discuss it, no matter how embarrassing it may be...'
And speaking of embarrassing, just how the hell was he going to explain to Heero why he was lying half on top of him? Especially if Heero was uncomfortable with being used as a body pillow by someone other than Duo? He really didn't know *what* to say. In a way, it would be simpler if he could move away before Heero woke up...
A moment later, Wufei realized that Heero was definitely already awake as his "pillow" shifted slightly in response to Duo coughing. As the coughing fit continued, Wufei opened his eyes and tried to sit up. He swore sharply as the movement made it clear that the painkillers were definitely no longer in effect.
Duo managed to get himself partially propped up as coughs racked his body. Heero's hand rubbing his back helped a bit, keeping him from tensing up so badly, but he couldn't quite get the coughing stopped. Movement drew his attention to Heero's far side, and he realized abruptly why Heero hadn't been able to pull him into a sitting position, as Wufei was draped along Heero's side. Sharp swearing in Mandarin made him cringe as he realized his coughing must have woken Wufei and that Wufei was trying to sit up but was in pain from his injuries. "Fei?" he managed to choke out between coughs. 'Please don't hate me, please, please...'
Realizing that his rubbing Duo's back wasn't helping enough and that Wufei was awake, Heero shifted to help Wufei sit up, then quickly slid off the bed and hurriedly limped to the bathroom for a glass of water. 'Should have thought to leave some by the bed last night...' He wasn't sure that Duo could stop coughing long enough to safely drink, though. So he turned the hot water tap in the shower and the one in the sink both on full and pulled the door almost completely closed so that the steam would build up before taking the glass back over to the bed.
Wufei managed to shift himself across the bed towards Duo, wrapping his good arm around him and rubbing his back. "Shh, don't try to talk," he scolded gently as Duo tried to speak to him. "Yes, you owe me an apology and an explanation," he said, guessing at what Duo was trying to say. "You owe *both* of us an apology and an explanation. But not right this minute. Just relax and let the coughing finish." He drew Duo close to his good side before continuing, "I still love you even though I am rather," he discarded his first choice of "angry", deciding that Duo was in too much distress to add to it with such a strong word, and finished, "*upset* with you right now."
Duo let Wufei draw him close, grateful that he was still willing to do so. He just wished he could stop the coughing long enough to give Fei the apology he deserved.
"Duo and I already settled things between us last night," Heero said from beside the bed. "He's promised not to do anything like this again and I *trust* him to keep his word."
Duo flinched at Heero's emphasis on the word "trust". He'd never thought his secretiveness would hurt Heero so much, but it definitely had. He was going to have to do something to really prove that he *did* trust them. Which probably meant he would have to tell them the rest of his past. Tell them about the church. 'Explain that it's not exactly *them* that I don't trust... That I just can't quite trust being happy and loved because any time I have been before, something's always happened to take it away...'
That part Duo had figured out last night, lying in bed and repeatedly going over his own twisted and confused reasoning that had led to keeping his illness a secret. He'd finally figured out that it wasn't *just* about not being able to believe that they really loved him because of things they'd said and done in the past. No, it had a whole hell of a lot to do with not being able to believe in happiness, or at least *his* happiness, period. He was going to have to explain that before he managed to fuck things up even worse.
But first, he needed to stop coughing for longer than a few seconds, Duo thought as he tried again to get a sip of water down only to start coughing again and nearly choke.
Heero leaned over and scooped Duo off the bed, ignoring protesting muscles, then carried him to the bathroom and pushed the door open. He set Duo down on the edge of the tub and crouched beside him, steadying him. Before he could reach out to shove the door shut again, Wufei came in behind them, pushing the door closed before crossing to Duo's other side and carefully perching on the edge of the tub beside him.
Between Wufei rubbing his back and the steamy air, Duo's coughing finally calmed. He dropped his head against Heero's shoulder where he crouched beside him and rested for a few minutes, exhausted.
"His cough medicine is on the table," Heero told Wufei. "Could you..." He was relieved when Wufei nodded and cautiously stood. He wasn't too sure he was going to have much luck getting up. 'Crouching was a *bad* idea,' he thought ruefully, keeping one arm around Duo while using his other hand to massage his cramping thigh muscles. He'd definitely pulled a couple yesterday.
Returning with the medication and a spoon, Wufei raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of him. "Don't tell me you hurt yourself too..."
Duo's head lifted in alarm. "Heero?"
"Just a couple of pulled muscles," Heero assured them. "And a little stiffness from not being able to move all night."
"Oh," Wufei said, flushing slightly. He moved to turn off the tap in the sink but left the shower running to replace the steam lost by opening the door.
Heero hesitated, then offered softly, "Not that I minded. It was sort of - nice..." Nice in what way, he wasn't quite sure, but he did know that it was - nice. And he really wouldn't mind if it happened again.
Wufei paused for a moment, not sure what to say in response to that, then settled for simply, "Oh" again. He finished measuring out Duo's cough medicine over the sink before turning around. "Open up," he ordered, holding the medicine out to Duo.
Duo made a face but obeyed, swallowing the nasty tasting stuff. "That stuff is *gross*."
"Then it should work. My grandmother always said that medicine was supposed to taste bad. That was how you knew it would work," Wufei commented drily.
The room was silent for a few minutes, other than the noise from the still-running shower. Wufei finally reached out and shut it off, judging that there was sufficient steam to last for a while.
"Fei? Aren't you going to take *your* medicine?" Duo asked hesitantly. "The stuff the doctor gave you must have worn off by now..."
"You two aren't going to let me get away without it, are you," he observed, noting Heero's questioning look as well. Two heads shook in response. Wufei sighed heavily, then conceded, "Fine."
"I think we should have breakfast before getting into any of the discussions that we need to have," Heero commented.
"That sounds like a good idea," Wufei agreed. Particularly since he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday, a fact his stomach was starting to remind him of. He wasn't too sure he wanted to go to all the hassle of getting ready in order to go down to the restaurant for breakfast, though he *did* need to get changed, seeing as he was still wearing yesterday's clothing. "Shall we have breakfast delivered rather than going downstairs?"
"I think that would be best," Heero agreed. He volunteered to handle ordering for them all, leaving Duo to help Wufei get changed.
Trailing Wufei into his own room, Duo felt absolutely miserable. He was tired and his chest hurt from all the coughing, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was every time *Fei* winced or swore under his breath. Despite Heero's suggestion to delay discussions until after breakfast, he couldn't put it off that long. "Fei?"
Wufei turned from pulling clean clothes out of his suitcase, attention caught by Duo's miserable tone. He took one look at Duo's guilty, unhappy face and held out his good arm. "Come here, Duo."
Duo stepped into Wufei's one-armed embrace and pressed his face to Wufei's shoulder. "God, Fei, I'm so sorry. I never thought I'd end up getting one of you hurt! I just... just didn't think things through very well and I really fucked up. I thought I had good reasons for doing what I did, but I was wrong. I'll try and explain later, 'cause even what I talked about with Heero last night doesn't really cover it, or at least I don't think it does now that I've thought about it some more..." He muffled a cough with one hand as his body protested all the rapid talking he was doing. "I promise I won't ever hide something like that again..."
A cough broke off Duo's words again and Wufei pressed a kiss to his temple and stroked his hand over Duo's braid. "Shh, that's enough for now. I accept your apology, Duo, though I do still want to hear your explanation. I accept your promise too. Now do *you* accept that I really do love you and I'm not going to turn away because you get sick or make a mistake or anything else?"
"I... I do, but it's not quite that simple, and that's the bit that I haven't talked over with Heero yet either..." Duo answered softly. He hesitated, gathering his resolve, then, face still pressed against Wufei's shoulder, managed to finally get the words out, just as he had for Heero last night. "And I do love you too, Fei..."
Wufei closed his eyes for a moment, throat tightening. At last. Duo had actually come right out and said it. Despite whatever was "not quite that simple", he'd finally said it. Hugging Duo as tightly as he could manage without causing further discomfort to his arm or ribs, Wufei dropped another kiss on his temple. Maybe things would start to go more smoothly now.
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