Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Whispers in the Dark ❯ The Winds Die Down ( Chapter 9 )

~*AN*~ Forgive me! ::bows:: I know I haven't updated in a -very- long time, but school and a serious illness in the family took up a large portion of my time. I have been keeping up, however, and have had this chapter half written for a long time. I should be updating -much- more often now, especially as this story is nearing its end.

 

Heero hissed as both Watari and Sally fussed over his shoulder. He had been taken to the medical wing of the Preventer's Headquarters and deposited in an exam room with the two doctors and Hisoka to keep him company; or essentially baby-sit him. The rest of the group had corralled Duo into the next room, keeping him calm and in check until Sally was finished assessing the damage that had been done to Heero's shoulder and getting it cleaned up. Sally and Watari had given Duo's wounds a look over in the car on the way, and they had stopped bleeding and had been carefully cleaned and wrapped, so he wasn't considered priority.

 

Both doctors had finally decided that there would be no permanent damage to Heero's shoulder after a barrage of x-rays and endless poking, prodding, and questions. The task of popping Heero's shoulder back into place had fallen to Watari, the doctor with the most upper body strength, and had pulled a hasty shout from the normally stoic man. Hisoka twitched at the shout and glanced at the wall separating Heero and Duo. Sally left after his shoulder was set to go check on Duo, leaving Watari in charge of getting a sling onto their quiet patient, as well as stitching up the knife wound. Watari had Hisoka help bandage over the stitches, giving him something to do and a way to help his newest friend. Once everything was settled Watari spoke.

 

“How are you feeling after all that? So you want a pain killer now?” He had been amazed at first when the ex-pilot had refused any pain medication when they had fist gotten there.

 

“I feel like shit, but I'll deal with it. I don't like being drugged.”

 

Watari frowned. “The drugs would only be to help numb any of the pain. In small enough doses they shouldn't give you any unwanted side effects…”

 

“No.” Heero gave the man a lesser degree of his infamous glare. “I don't like drugs. And I'm resistant to most, anyway.”

 

“Suit yourself than, but that's going to hurt like a bitch. Especially as it starts to heal.” Watari would leave Heero alone. He couldn't force him to take drugs if he didn't want them. Hisoka, however, looked very concerned. He didn't want his friend in pain, but so far he hadn't been able to sense any distress from the man.

 

Heero had grunted in answer. He knew full well what it was going to feel like as his wounds began to heal, and he'd had far worse. He had even survived the total destruction of his Gundam, twice. Of course, he'd been in a coma after at least one of those incidents, but he had still managed to deal with the pain. Heero's main concern was with Duo.

 

“Watari, do you think Duo is going to be alright?” The question startled the doctor, as well as Hisoka. Heero was the strong and, most definitely, silent type. He hadn't heard him speak much at all in the short time he'd been around him, so he had expected their time of waiting to be spent in silence.

 

“Well, from what I saw of his wounds on the way here, there should be no reason to worry.”

 

“I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what Muraki did to him. Will that stay with him? Or will he return to normal?”

 

Hisoka spoke up then, being more of an expert on Muraki and his puppet spells than Watari. Plus, Quatre was feeding him updates on Duo's status, who was too far away for him to sense it for himself. He hoped he could offer Heero a few words of comfort.

 

“So long as it wasn't a spell like the one Muraki had done to me, I don't see any reason why Duo shouldn't return to normal. I don't think he had wanted to keep Duo as a permanent puppet, so I'm guessing his hold was only temporary. He's been calm over there,” He nodded his head towards the adjoining wall. “Partly because Quatre is helping him, but he seems fine. Though, I'm sure if they let him, he'd be in here with you.”

 

Hisoka smiled at that last part, glad to see that both men were still concerned for each other, and that Heero wasn't feeling any anger towards Duo. It hadn't been his fault, after all, and it relieved him to see that Heero understood that. Heero had nodded, accepting Hisoka's words. He hadn't seen any marks on Duo's body that looked similar to the ones Hisoka had. But then again, the young Shinigami's marks didn't always appear.

 

There was a short knock, grabbing everyone's attention, before the door opened. Sally stepped into the room and Heero immediately opened his mouth to ask how Duo was doing, but she raised her hand to quiet him.

 

“Before you even ask, Duo is fine. The worst of his wounds were around his wrists, and I re-bandaged those. Other wise, there was nothing an ex-pilot like him couldn't have handled on his own. He's more concerned with how you're doing. Should I send him over?”

 

Heero just glared at her, his expression being enough to let her know that had been a stupid question to ask. Sally nodded, understanding the look all too well, and left the room again to go inform Duo. Only a few moments later, Duo was hesitating outside the door. He finally started to slowly open the door and slipped in the room, but waited by the door. Heero smirked a bit, finding Duo's nervousness to be quite adorable, and he beckoned Duo closer. The braided man was so happy to see such an expression on his lover's face after what had happened that he bolted across the room, slowing down to make sure to be gentle with Heero's shoulder, but still managed to pressed up against his good side and slide his arms around his waist.

 

“Come on, Bon, let's give these two a moment alone. We can check on the others.” Watari led Hisoka out of the room, but they left the door open a crack.

 

“H-Heero, I-“

 

“Don't. It wasn't your fault, so you have no reason to apologize. This was Muraki's doing.”

 

“I'm still sorry… I could withstand days of torture at the hands of Oz, and yet it only took Muraki a few hours to have me brainwashed and doing his bidding. I should have been stronger.”

 

“Don't blame yourself for that. We all have our weaknesses, even me, and you know that. And it's not necessarily bad.”

 

Duo averted his eyes, but Heero wrapped his good arm around his waist and squeezed before removing it to turn his lover's head back towards him. He tilted Duo's head down and lifted his own up so their breath mingled and their lips brushed. He whispered to him, so low only Duo would have been able to hear it.

 

“When we get home, I want you to make love to me.” He paused when Duo's eyes widened, but continued before he could object. “I want you to know, beyond doubt, that I still love you and that I still trust you.”

 

Duo did reply, instead he leaned closer, closing the gap between them and allowing their lips to meet. Their kiss was slow, but passionate and exciting none-the-less, and it continued on. They were already getting wrapped up in their emotions, wanting to reaffirm their feelings for one another, and not caring about where they were or who could walk in.

 

~*~*~

 

Hisoka's cheeks were on fire as he stood out in the hallway where the other's had congregated. He was happy for his two friends, but he had heard Heero's whispered words in his mind as if they had been meant for him. He had never been able to hear the words or direct thoughts of other unless they were physically touching. The closest he had come was with Quatre, who was a strong empath himself. Heero's words had instantly made him wonder what it would be like if Tsuzuki whispered those words to him. He shivered, his imagination running wild with the thought of what would happen and how it might feel. He had only seen such acts as painful, but his only experience had been with Muraki.

 

Quatre could feel the warm emotions coming from his former brothers in arms. He could also see the prominent flush of red across Hisoka's cheeks. He smiled, feeling a bit of nostalgia and remembering when he was young, naïve and just as easily embarrassed by such actions. Now, after feeling the sorrows of war, experienced the endless battle with dirty cops, business men, and politicians, as well as had more than his share of passionate nights - and sometimes whole days - with his own lover, he had grown out of such naivety. He held his tongue, however, letting Hisoka experience the embarrassment, the happiness, and the adrenaline. He would have to learn of these things on his own, though Quatre was quite certain the boy's partner, Tsuzuki, would help him along.

 

Tsuzuki noticed the look on his young partner's face, but had no idea what would have him so flustered. He walked up to the boy, placing a hand on his back and causing Hisoka to jump and his blush deepen. The boy wouldn't meet his gaze, but he seemed reluctant to pull away as well. Tsuzuki was still concerned.

 

“Hisoka, are you alright?” He made sure to keep his voice low, so the others wouldn't overhear. “You look a little flush. Do you need to sit down?”

 

Hisoka shook his head quickly, trying not to think about that low voice saying other, more erotic, things to him. He just couldn't get such thoughts out of his head lately, and he wasn't sure why. He had never thought about them before.

 

“Are you sure? Watari or Sally could take a look if you're not feeling well.”

 

When it all became too much for him, Hisoka's embarrassment always turned into anger. He pushed Tsuzuki a little, putting some distance between them, and spoke a little louder than he had intended. “I said I'm fine! Just leave me alone!”

 

His words caught everyone else's attention, and they all had varying expressions of amusement on their faces. The sight only served to embarrass Hisoka further and as his flush deepened he turned his head. Silence filled the halls for a few moments before Wufei spoke to get rid of the tension.

 

“Do you think this is over? That Muraki is gone?” He never was one for such naïve questions, but he couldn't help it this time.

 

“No” Tatsumi answered almost immediately. They had dealt with the man enough times to know Muraki didn't die so easily. “We can only do one of two things; we wait, letting him make his next move and hope we'll be able to counter it in time, or we find him first, and then we better have a good idea as to what we're going to do with him.”

 

Trowa, who had been leaning back against the wall by Quatre, stepped forward. It was enough to call the attention of his fellow pilots, which in turn caught everyone else's attention.

 

“We have enough evidence to seriously suspect Muraki's involvement in two separate cases, correct?” He received and affirmation nod from both Wufei and Sally before continuing. “ Then we may not have to wait for his next move. We need to figure how where and when he's been involved with each case, and we need to do so fast. With the nature of the cases and how long it's taken to get the information we already have, we may need to get a little unprofessional.”

 

“On that note, I'm going to go get Heero and Duo their discharge papers. Be as `unprofessional' as you like, so long as I know nothing about it.” Sally spoke before entering the exam room with the needed papers in hand.

 

~*~*~

 

“Alright you two break it up. Neither of you are in any condition for that kind of activity.”

 

The two men broke apart, a bit startled by the sudden interruption. Sally had walked in to find Duo standing between his lover's legs with his hands buried in the chocolate brown hair. Heero's knees where pressed tight against his lover's hips and his only usable hand, at the moment, had been tucked into the back pocket of Duo's jeans. They had been quite passionately lip-locked as well, and were left panting lightly after they had pulled apart. They both frowned at Sally's words, and neither of them intended to listen to her.

 

“Don't give me that look, either of you. I know all of you Gundam pilots heal fast, but not that fast. That means no strenuous activities, which includes sex, for at least a week, if not longer. Now, I need you to sign your discharge papers so I can let you out of here.”

 

Duo and Heero parted, each signing their papers quickly. Sally gathered them up and left to hand them over to the nurses to file. She let them to get whatever belongings they had together and make their way out into the hall with the others. They had been forced to cut away Heero's shirt when tending to his shoulder, but they had gathered his Preventer's jacket from his office. Duo threw it over his shoulders and waited until his lover hopped down off of the exam table. They entwined their hands before making their way out into the hall together.

 

~*~*~

 

After getting Heero and Duo properly discharged, the group split themselves between Quatre's car and Wufei's SUV. They were only headed across the park to their injured companions' apartment, but they didn't wish to leave their cars in the Preventer's garage. The group congregated in the apartment around the living room, discussing what would need to be done in order get the information they needed fast. Quatre took over as the leader and strategist of the group, as was common during the war.

 

“Trowa and I are only part-time Preventer agents, which means we only get called in when our presence is absolutely necessary. That's means we can go against the Preventer agent policies and get in the least trouble. Unfortunately, this is going to take all of us. I'll be using whatever influence I have to get information from any higher-ups who are on the list of suspects. Trowa will do what he does best - infiltration.”

 

“Wouldn't that be risky? Muraki has seen Trowa, not to mention that he researched all of you before making his move,” Tatsumi asked. Trowa answered.

 

“That's a risk I have to take. Hopefully Muraki will be at least wounded bad enough not to show his face for a bit. We'll be lucky if he hasn't sent warning to his contacts. If he has, I've gotten myself out of worse.”

 

“I hope you aren't planning to cut us out of this. We may be wounded, but we can still do what needs to be done.” Duo spoke up, not willing to get left out on this one.

 

“I'm not sure it's a good idea getting you, or any of the Shinigami, involved in this, Duo. Muraki may still have a hold over you, and he would recognize the others instantly. As for you, Heero, whatever I may ask of you can be done via a computer, so I'm not too worried.”

 

“Quatre, you know as well as I do that this team won't function to it's full potential if all of the members aren't involved. I haven't done any extensive hacking in over six years, and code standards change. We'll need Duo's stealth, because I'm going to need all the information I can get.”

 

Quatre sighed. He knew Heero was right, but he was worried about throwing Duo into it. He didn't want his friend to have another run-in with Muraki, especially seeing how the last one ended up. He eventually gave in, however, nodding solemnly in agreement.

 

“And what will you have me do?” Wufei wanted to know what the blonde had in store for him, and somehow knew it would be the most boring of tasks. Sally already voiced that she wouldn't be a part of it and had spirited off to the kitchen to make tea for everyone to avoid over-hearing anything.

 

“You, Wufei, will be our look-out. We'll need you to keep an eye on Lady Une and the Preventers to make sure they keep their noses out of our operation.”

 

“What about us. I know you don't want to get the four of us involved, but I feel like we should be helping somehow,” Tsuzuki chimed in.

 

“I can't put you out on the field with us. You would be too easily exposed, and not offense, but the five of us move like pieces of a whole. We all know each other and can predict what everyone else would do, and trust them to make the right decision, if things don't go as planned. However, with everyone else more or less occupied, you can help with sorting through whatever information we already have, as well as what we managed to gather.”

 

Watari and Hisoka were fine with being put on paperwork duty, neither of them looking forward to joining in on the potentially dangerous action. Tatsumi and Tsuzuki, however, frowned. They wanted to be of more help than mere secretaries, and both were experienced enough in the field that they felt they could offer some physical help.

 

“Not to complain, but Tatsumi and I are very experienced. We've been dealing with things like this for longer than any of you have been alive.”

 

~*~*~

 

They had talked over the possibility of Tsuzuki or Tatsumi helping, but Quatre had still been quite reluctant to agree. He was still worried that it may disrupt the flow of the rest of the group, as well as draw Muraki's attention too soon. The psychotic scientist did have an unhealthy obsession with Tsuzuki, after all.

 

Everyone had finally parted ways after having ordered out for food, talking about their plans until well after dark. The days and nights were getting confusing, and none of them had slept since waking the previous day, so they were all worn down. Duo, who had been sitting on the arm of the chair Heero occupied, leaned over and dropped a light kiss on his lover's temple.

 

“Come on, love, let's go to bed.”

 

Heero and Duo wandered off to bed, though whether they actually planned to sleep had yet to be decided. Tsuzuki and Hisoka were left alone in the living room. Tsuzuki was standing over by one of the large windows that overlooked the park; his forehead leaning against the cool glass as he silently stared. Hisoka stood, walking over to his partner with every intention to get him to finally go to bed and get some sleep. He laid his hand on Tsuzuki's arm to catch his attention.

 

“Tsuzuki, you should get some sleep. We've all been up for quite a while.”

 

“I won't be able to sleep for a while yet. My head his filled with thoughts and I have no way to quiet them tonight.” Of course, he knew of how he would have liked to quiet them, but he immediately pushed away such thoughts of the young blonde. Even though he could tell Hisoka had been treating him differently, and he was intrigued to see where it would go, that kind of thing would be asking far too much of his partner.

 

Hisoka blushed, casting his eyes down to the carpeted floor. He knew what he wanted now, and that was that Heero and Duo had: love, a relationship. Now he just needed to figure out if Tsuzuki wanted the same. He stepped closer to the older man, pressing himself against Tsuzuki's side.

 

“I… I can try to help. Help quiet your thoughts, I mean.” He was nervous, and he felt Tsuzuki tense at his words. Violet eyes locked with his.

 

“Do you understand what kind of and offer that sounds like?” He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Hisoka actually offering to go beyond their friendship? Was the boy that worried about him, or did he actually want to?

 

“Y-yes, I do. I…” Hisoka hesitated for a moment, but decided to spill his feelings and leave the rest up to the man he had grown to love. “My feelings for you have grown beyond friendship or partnership…”

 

Tsuzuki suddenly turned to face Hisoka, placing his hand on the boy's cheek to keep him from looking away. He was stunned by his partner's confession, but knew he would never lie, nor would he say it if he wasn't absolutely sure. He leaned forward, close enough to let their noses brush and watched as Hisoka's breath hitched.

 

“My feelings for you have been far beyond friendship for a while now, but I won't take you to my bed. At least, not like that. Not now. You aren't ready for something like that.” Hisoka opened his mouth to protest, but Tsuzuki kept speaking, “Trust me, Soka, you aren't ready, but you can come lay with me and talk. Distract me that way.”

 

Hisoka nodded, privately relieved that Tsuzuki didn't want to do anything physical. He was still nervous about all that, and the fact that the violet-eyed man took that into consideration only reaffirmed the truth behind his emotions. However, he was still a teenager, in body and mind, and had the hormones of one. He was frustrated, knowing he wanted something a bit more than talking, but he didn't know what that was, or just how far he would be willing to go.

 

When they entered the room Tsuzuki began pulled off his jacket and boots, which prompted Hisoka to do the same. They had all been so busy when they had gotten back, that neither had remembered to remove their boots at the door. Once that was done, Hisoka shifted nervously by the door until Tsuzuki took his hands and pulled him further into the room. He led the blonde to the bed and Hisoka was struck with a sudden fear that Tsuzuki was going to `take him to bed' after all. He stumbled backwards and sat down roughly on end of the bed, watching as Tsuzuki kneeled in front of him.

 

“Will you be alright if I sleep in just my boxers?”

 

“That's fine… but what about me?” Hisoka's heart was racing, still nervous about spending the night in the older man's bed. Tsuzuki offered him a soft smile.

 

“You can sleep in whatever you like. We'll only be sleeping, nothing else.”

 

“What if…” He took the opportunity to try and work out is frustration for something more, “What if I want something else?” Tsuzuki was startled by the boy's question, not sure if it would be wise to begin fooling around, especially considering his own state of mind and Hisoka's past. He would see what the boy wanted first.

 

“What do you want to do than, Hisoka?”

 

“I… I don't know. Just… something more.” He blushed, feeling embarrassed because he was obviously so new to this, while he suspected Tsuzuki knew exactly what he was doing. Tsuzuki nodded, deciding just how far he would be willing to take it, for both his and Hisoka's sake. He moved his hand to Hisoka's cheek once more, leaning forward to place the softest of kisses on Hisoka's lips. He pulled back far enough to look into vibrant green eyes.

 

“How's that? Do you want to keep doing that?” He watched Hisoka's reaction closely, noting how his pupils dilated and his breath deepened even at such a soft touch. He figured it must have been his first kiss. Hisoka nodded in answer, his face flush with a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure. The soft kiss had been just what his frustrated mind and body had been looking for, and he wanted to continue. He settled his hands on Tsuzuki's shoulders, tugging at his shirt lightly. The older man got the hint and leaned forward, pressing their lips together just a bit firmer, letting it linger for just a moment longer than the last. They both had closed their eyes, but Hisoka's shot back open again as Tsuzuki's hands rested on his waist, his fingers dancing along the hem of his t-shirt. Tsuzuki pulled back when he felt him tense at the touch.

 

“Let's get in bed and get some sleep.” He was already well distracted from the thoughts his mind had been filled with earlier. Now the only thing on his mind was Hisoka, and how to make the boy comfortable while still giving him that little bit of physical contact he wanted.

 

Tsuzuki stood and pulled off his shirt, preparing to strip down to his boxers for bed, but he kept an eye on Hisoka to make sure he was still going to be okay with such a state of undress. Hisoka averted his eyes, his blush deepening as he tried not to let his fear return to the surface. He trusted Tsuzuki to take care of him, be gentle with him, so he in turn began stripping his own shirt off.

 

Violet eyes were a bit shocked to see Hisoka also stripping down to his boxers. He watched as the green-eyed boy scooted back onto the bed, huddling up by the pillows on one side. Tsuzuki walked around to the other side of the bed, climbing under the covers and lifting them as much as possible, inviting Hisoka to join him.

 

Hisoka slipped under the covers, nervously fiddling with the sheets as the two settled onto their sides, facing one another. Their bodies were still set apart, the two of them hesitant to touch, but Tsuzuki bridged the gap by brushing his fingers over Hisoka's cheek and jaw line before inching closer for another soft kiss. As soon as he pulled away Hisoka leaned forward to capture his lips again, a little startled by his partner's sudden boldness, but responded just the same. This kiss lingered much longer than any of their previous ones and their lips were pressed much more firmly together. They broke apart and smiled at one another; Hisoka's was shy and brimming with emotion, while Tsuzuki's was warm and welcoming.

 

They both shifted closer together so that their bare chests pressed up against each other. Hisoka slid his arm up over Tsuzuki's side and his hand clutched at the back of his shoulder. Tsuzuki's hand entangled in the hair at that nape of Hisoka's neck as he drew him forward for another kiss. This time Tsuzuki decided to take their kissing a bit further, opening his mouth to run his tongue lightly along Hisoka's lips. He jerked backwards at first, startled, but he relaxed and slowly began to lean back into another kiss. He opened his mouth the next time he felt Tsuzuki's tongue and allowed the appendage to slip into him mouth.

 

Their tongues played lazily with each other, Hisoka's starting off slightly more hesitant, but growing bolder as their kiss deepened. The kiss quickly grew more passionate and Tsuzuki could feel himself getting carried away in the pleasure of it, pulling back. The two of them were panting lightly as they looked into each other's eyes, long fingers running through Hisoka's hair before he shifted his arm to settle over the boy's waist.

 

“I think we should stop, Soka-kun. Let's just sleep tonight.”

 

It pained him to say those words, and their last kiss had surely only frustrated Hisoka further, but he wasn't willing to go further with his future lover just yet. Hisoka nodded in agreement, still lightly flushed from excitement, but feeling much more sure of himself. He cuddled against Tsuzuki's chest, tucking his head under the older man's chin. Soon, the two of them drifted off to sleep.