The Guest
By granate, 2001 (another supremely bad title...)

Pairings: 1x2/2x1, 3x4

Warnings: lime, Duo worship =D , Relena bashing, an infant, Wu Fei changing a diaper, the usual 3x4 cuteness… Who's the best dad? You might be surprised! This started out as something supposed to be funny, but some serious stuff weaseled its way in. Eh, it's a little muddled.

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The rubble of what used to be a town crumbled under Quatre's feet as he continued his search. He surveyed the area in dismay. There would be no suvivors. He had come on the off-chance anyway. The pilots had specifically been ordered not to get involved in this battle between OZ and the old Alliance. Although most were able to flee in time, the civilians had not been evacuated before the battle.

//OZ is no different than the Alliance.// he thought in disgust. //Maybe even worse. They have no desire for peace, only a thirst for battle. People like this should never be allowed to rule.// It made him sick to think how OZ was weaseling its way into the colonies. Lying to and misleading the citizens. Convincing them to arm themsleves and mass produce weapons to cause destruction and death such as seen here. //Decent people who see through them must oppose. It is our duty, even if no one understands it now My father died for that belief….// He was deeply saddened by the suffering he saw on earth, and suffering he felt of the people of the colonies. But he was comforted by thoughts of his friends and comrads. The manguancs, the other gundam pilots, the people of the Sank kingdom. He knew they were fighting hard for the same goal. And they were strong.

Quatre kept going, listening, watching for signs of life. He started to run when he heard it. Actually, he wasn't sure if it wasn't felt more than heard… That happened to him sometimes. //Crying. Someone is crying.// He ran as hard as he could, jumping piles of debris and climbing small obstacles. //I'm coming!// his thoughts screamed, as if he could somehow give the person comfort by this.

"I'm close now." He said without realizing. He stopped to listen closer. //There, under that pile.// He heard it loud and clear now. It sounded like an infant. He started to dig, throwing chunks of cement aside. He wished he had brought someone else with him, someone stronger. The screaming was almost full volume as he managed to heave off the final cement slab. He gasped at the horrific sight he uncovered. A woman was pinned under a huge slab, and bent over the small bundle that was the source of the screaming. She had been crushed by the weight of the building that fell around her, but she had managed to protect her child. Quatre knealt down to retrieve the infant from it maternal confines.

"I knew… someone …. someone would come."

//She's alive!// Quatre thought. He could barely hear her over the infant's wailing.

"Miss, I am going to free you and your child! Please hold on!" he frantically tried to pry the stones off of her. They were too heavy for him and he cursed himself for not dragging Heero along.

"I am already dead." She coughed. "Please just take her. I… I will not leave this place." She managed to open her eyes for a look at the young man. She was satisfied by the kindness in his aqua eyes. "Please… please take care of her. She's my only…" her eyes closed once again and she was silent. Her hold on the tiny bundle relaxed.

Quatre's eyes pooled with tears as he said a prayer for her in arabic. "May you find peace now. I will do as you ask." The baby screamed loudly while he gently freed it. It was wrapped in blankets and secured in some sort of basinet. He tried to quiet it, but to no avail. He took one more look at the poor woman and decided to make his way back to the Sandrock.




By the time Quatre returned to the safe house, the child had quieted to just grumpy sniffling and sobs. He greeted Wu Fei as he set the basinet down on the table.

"The only survivor." he stated sadly.

Wu Fei wandered over wide-eyed and Heero entered the kitchen. The two boys stared at the baby.

"An infant?!" Wu Fei demanded.

"And you brought it here?" Heero questioned Quatre. They both glared menacingly at the blond boy.

"Relax you guys!" Duo yawned, sauntering in from his bedroom, "It's just a baby! I really doubt it's a security risk. Who's it gonna tell? So, you won't have to kill it, ok?" Both Wu Fei and Heero looked a little sheepish.

Duo approached the red-faced child. "It looks hungry." he decided. "What do you feed it?" he asked Quatre.

"I… I don't know!" Quatre answered. He lifted the baby out of its basinet.

"More importantly," Heero broke in, "What are we going to do with it. We are not keeping it."

"No, of course not." said Quatre, "I was going to call Miss Relena and ask her to give it to a home in the Sank Kingdom." Heero gave an approving grunt and sat down at the table. With no missions, he was bored. Wing was in perfect condition, and he had nothing better to do than find out how Quatre and that braided baka were going to feed the little larva. Wu Fei found this less interesting and left to go meditate with Nataku.

"Here, hold her, I'll look for something she can eat." Quatre handed the infant to Duo.

"Her, huh? Does she have a name?" Duo asked as the child fascinated itself with the end of his long rope of hair. Heero shot out of his chair, nearly knocking it over, fists clenched, glaring and the child. Duo gave him a 'sit down, stupid' look and bounced the startled child on his hip. Heero's face colored slightly, and he sat down quickly, hoping Quatre hadn't noticed.

"I don't know!" the blond boy answered, head in the refrigerator.

"We should call her something." Duo suggested.

"She's not staying. Don't get attached." Heero spoke up, only to be met with a frown from his lover.

"Still, she should have a name. You know, while she's here and all." Duo said, turning his back and walking into the kitchen. Heero watched him walk away. Heero chastised himself, //Why do I say things that make him frown like that?//

Duo peered over Quatre's shoulder. "Well, what do you think she can eat?" he asked. Quatre closed the fridge.

"Well, that depends on how old she is. I wonder if she has any teeth…." he and Duo just looked at eachother, and then at the child. Duo shrugged, and tickled her cheek with his finger. She grabbed it with her little hands and put the end in her mouth. He felt around a little bit. He rolled his eyes as Heero got up and left in a huff.

Duo pulled his finger out. "Feels like she's got a few. Little ones, but kinda sharp."

"Can she sit up by herself?" asked a calm voice from the door way. Quatre's eyes lit up.

"Yes." he answered his koi with a smile, "Trowa, do you know anything about babies?"

The tall boy joined them, "Not really. There were a few in the circus, Catherine took care of them often. Can she crawl?"

"Only one way to find out!" said Duo, placing the child on the floor. She sat up but didn't attempt to move. All three boys moved away a bit. The infant seemed more interested in the tiles. Duo shrugged and picked her up again. "Was that a no?" he asked.

"Well, whatever we feed her, we'll have to mash up." decided Quatre. The other two didn't argue. "Or maybe just some warm milk to start with?"

"But we don't have any bottles." Duo reminded them.

"Do you think you can put something together?" Quatre requested of him, perfectly confidant in Duo's engineering skills. "I should probably give Miss Relena a call…"

"Sure, I think I can -"

"Relena's coming here?!" panicked, Heero poked his head back in at the mention of her name. //Me and Relena and a baby in the same room? Hnn. That just might be too much for her…// He disappeared into the garage.

Duo had an idea suddenly and started tearing the house apart looking for the necessary items. Quatre went to go use the phone, and Trowa found himself with the baby in his arms. He froze and wondered what to do. She reached up and gave his long bangs a strong tug.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, more surprised by his own verbal reponse than the baby's tugging. She giggled and smiled at him. He pushed his hair out of her grasp. "Don't do that." he reprimanded her gently, wagging a finger at her. She grabbed his finger tightly. He was surprised by her strength, but didn't feel the need to pull away, even when she started biting him.


Quatre stopped in the doorway to watch his lover and the baby. Trowa seemed to be a natural care giver. Quatre was proud of him. Love was not something Trowa had received much of in his life. It was times like this that he wished he had a camera, but that would compromise them, he wouldn't dare. So he just watched as long as he could, trying to imprint the image on his mind forever. It was understood between them that they would be split up for months at a time and that either of them could be killed at any time. It was just something they had to deal with. But the time they had together was worth it.

Trowa felt Quatre's presence. That wasn't uncommon. They had some sort of… link that was beyond physical. He looked up and met Quatre's gaze. It amazed him that those aqua eyes could stun him all over again, like the first time they met.

Put your hands down… I was the first to surrender and come out, remember?

But he was already captive. The kindness in the blond boy's gentle voice… He'd never heard anything like it, especially directed at himself. His clear blue eyes reflected strength and sadness from within. And Quatre had been interested in him, in his thoughts and ideas. Wanted to talk to him, get to know him. It had been overwhleming. Trowa wasn't really one for words, the instrumental duet they shared was more his way. And Quatre had understood that.

"Miss Relena is out of town and won't be home until tomorrow afternoon." Quatre said, entering the room.

"Well, then I hope Duo can put together some kind of bottle, she's about to eat my finger." Trowa said.

"OK!!" said a chipper, breathless voice from the hallway. "I think this should work." Duo entered the kitchen brandishing his make-shift bottle.

Quatre was horrified "Duo, did you use gundamium?"

Duo eyed his creation and scratched his head, "Uhhh… yeah, there was really no other way to secure the tip of the rubber glove to the top there…"

"How does it… open?" asked Trowa, truly puzzled.

"Oh, the top just screws off, like this." Duo gave the top a good hard twist and it came right off. "And I used some scrap thermal sheeting around the plastic cup part so the milk will stay nice and warm."

Duo's contraption was apparently a plastic cup (fitted with thermal sheeting), capped with a gundanium ring that held on the "nipple" (it was really the finger tip of a rubber glove that duo had punched a little hole in), and screwed onto the cup.

"Duo… this glove is clean right…?" Quatre asked. He was assured of Duo's mechanical expertise, but the other boy's attention to cleanliness was another issue… Quatre felt bad even thinking such thoughts, Duo hadn't exactly had the luxury he himself had been brought up with. For how much Duo talked, his own past seldom came up. Aware of the hardships L2 was constantly oppressed by, and the few things Duo had told him, he had a vague idea of the suffering his friend had experienced.

"Yes!" said Duo indignantly, "I used a sterile one from the medkit."

Trowa had already started to heat some milk in the microwave. He instinctually tested the temperature and then poured it into the "bottle" and screwed the top back on. He raised an eyebrow at Duo "Let's see how it works." Duo just smirked. And of course it worked just as well as he imagined it would.

The infant sucked eagerly in the bottle. Trowa cradled her against his chest and found the right angle for the bottle. The three boys just watched her with delight. They had no idea how much she would want, so they let her decide when she was done.

"I think she has to burp or something now." said Quatre. Duo took the baby so Trowa could clean up.

"Burp? Really?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe so. Some of my sisters have small children… but I don't get to see them much." Quatre answered, he sounded sad.

"Weeellll, how do we make her do that?" the American asked.

"Hmmm…" Quatre looked very thoughtful, "Try patting her back."

It worked like a charm, and Duo thought it was hysterical. He tried to get her to do it again. She rewarded him with a small one, but despite his continued efforts, she was done after that. Quatre and Trowa just shot eachother exasperated glances.

Something was missing in this pretty picture. A dark glowering face… "Hey, anybody seen Heero lately?" Duo asked.

Quatre smiled, "He disappeared when I went to call Relena."

Duo laughed and headed for the garage. "I bet I know where he is…." He plopped the baby on his shoulders. She held onto his hair, and he gripped her legs so she wouldn't lose her balance.

Duo shut the garage door behind him. He cleared his throat and did his best Relena impression.
"HEEEEEEEEEEE~ROOOOOOOOOOO!"

Wing's beam gattling raised and aimed where he was standing.

Duo laughed and shouted "Use your visual screen, koi, its just me!!"

The fearsome weapon lowered at the sound of Duo's laughter and Heero's voice boomed over Wing's external speakers, "Don't call me that." It was as if the Wing itself had said it.

Duo just laughed more. "You can come out of hiding, she's out of town until tomorrow." Duo finally told Heero, trying to control his laughter.

The cockpit opened and Heero's spiky head poked out tenatively. He knew Duo didn't lie, but he scanned the room instinctually, like a prey animal. Finding it safe, he exitted the cockpit and joined Duo on the ground.

"You know," said Duo teasingly, "you shouldn't point guns at her, it seems to make her like you more!"

"Shut up, Duo." Heero growled. He noted the child quizically. Duo appreared to be wearing it as some sort of scarf. It had its little hands dug into his hair and it's legs around his neck. The little one laughed and giggled as he bounced it up and down.

"The most lethal terrorist (besides myself of course!) ever unleashed on the earth, and you're afraid of a girl!" Duo exclaimed.

"I am not afraid of her. Would you like it if I stayed with her in the Sank Kingdom to prove it?" Heero snarled. He hated saying things like that to Duo, but sometimes it was the only way to make him shut up about Relena. //Why does he do this? He's either teasing me about her crush or irrationally accusing me of having feelings for her. Maybe its because I say things like that to him. Maybe its my fault he thinks that… But I can't seem to make him understand. I do have some feelings for her, but its completely different from what I feel about him. Not even on the same level. Why is he suspicious?//

Duo narrowed his eyes and brushed past Heero, muttering cuss words under his breath. Sounded to Heero like it may have been "You better fuckin' NOT." He followed Duo back into the house, thinking that he may have said the wrong thing. Duo could change moods in the blink of an eye. It was one of his interesting dichotomies. That's why his name fit him so well. Duo. Two-sides. Cheerful and blabbering or dark and dangerous. Heero knew neither was an act, it was how Duo had managed to survive as long as he had.

Duo decided to ignore Heero's little comment. Heero wouldn't do that, Duo was convinced of it. Even to prove himself, he could never stand her annoyingness for that long. //But why the hell does he have to threaten me like that? Eh, its probably my fault for bringing it up… Why does this happen when we're together for more than a few days? Things are always great in bed, but otherwise, we just piss eachother off. I like being around him, I don't want it to be like this. I'll just shut my big mouth and leave him alone for a bit.//

Duo had shaken his mood by the time he reentered the house. Trowa and Quatre were at the table having tea. "Helen!" Duo said, smiling as he approached the couple, "Can we call her Helen? Please? Someone I usta know… It'd mean a lot to me…" he trailed off waiting for a response. The two lovers looked at eachother and then at Duo. He was now holding the baby in his arms, and she was playing with his hair again.

"Why not?" Quatre asked.

Duo let out a yelp and then proceeded to demonstrate what a bad big brother he was. He tossed her up and caught her, turned her upside down, zoomed her around, all to her giggling and squeeling delight. Trowa turned white, but Quatre put a comforting hand on his knee. They watched vigilantly from the kitchen as Duo played with her for nearly an hour. He crawled around on the floor, played peek-a-boo, tickled her, tried to teach her dirty rhymes while playing patty-cake, and indulged in what ever silly games sprang into his head.

Quatre was about to suggest Helen be put down for a nap when he noticed it was quiet. He wandered into the living room and found Duo and the baby girl asleep on the couch. Duo slept on the edge, holding her safe on the inside.

He laughed softly, "Trowa, come look at this." Trowa appeared next to Qautre, as was his way. He smiled to see the two sleeping on the couch. "I was wondering why it was so quiet." he said.

Heero walked by on his way to the kitchen. He stopped next to Quatre to examine the sleeping boy. "Was that them making so much noise out here?" he asked.

Quatre's grin was the evilest he could muster, "You shouldn't be surprised he's so loud!" Heero's eyes flashed at Quatre. He began to flush involuntarily, but checked it before it could really get out of hand. He got a glass of water and escaped back to his room without another word.

Quatre burst into giggles when Heero slammed the door behind him. "Quatre…." Trowa said, a little shocked.

"What?!" Quatre laughed.

"Shhhhhh!" came from the couch, "Can't you guys be quiet? She's still sleeping!"

This only made Quatre laugh more. Trowa was just amazed that Duo knew how to whisper. Duo sat up and stretched, careful not disturb the sleeping child. "You guys wanna watch her now? I'm sure she won't be any trouble." he said as he headed for the garage. Quatre nodded, still trying to shake the giggles. Obviously, Duo had not heard his remark to Heero.

Quatre put the sleeping girl in the basinet still on the kitchen table. Wu Fei was reading a newspaper.

"Wu Fei, do you suppose you could watch her while Trowa and I go out for some supplies?" Quatre asked the Chinese boy.

"Me?!" Wu Fei choked.

"She's sleeping, just keep an eye on her, she'll be no trouble." Quatre assured him as he and Trowa headed out the door.

Wu Fei stared at the basinet and its mysterious contents. //Chang Wu Fei BABYSITTING?! Where is Maxwell? He should do it. Or why couldn't they have brought It with them? I guess two boys and a baby would look a little strange…. Hmph.//

He only had a few minutes of peace before It started fussing.

"Be quiet." He told It. It statred to cry.

"You are WEAK!" he tried his old trick that always worked on packs of wild dogs. But the child out screamed him. He soon discovered why.

"Child, you STINK!" he shouted, contorting his face.

"Well, what am *I* supposed to do about it?!" he demanded from the child. It cried harder. He grabbed a clean dishrag from the cupboard and a very large knife. He laid them on the table and lifted the child out of the basinet.

"INJUSTICE!" he shouted as the smell got worse, but the baby calmed down when he lifted it up. He began to attempt to unbotton the tiny buttons. He gave up and just slashed the yellow sleeper off. The smell intensified even worse.

//Nataku,// he thought, //I need your strength now!// He used the knife again to slash the soiled diaper at the baby's hips (ignoring the pins). Summoning all his courage and self-control he wadded the stinking cloth, secured it in a bag, and threw it away. The tiny child lay on the table, completely naked, playing with her toes. Wu Fei cocked his head and observed her for a moment. He gently wrapped the clean dishrag around her as the last cloth had been wrapped.

When Trowa and Quatre returned, they found Wu Fei still at the table reading and the baby (dressed only in a dish-rag diaper) in his lap happily playing with a shred of her yellow sleeper. She squealed and held her arms out to Trowa. Wu Fei handed her over.

"Good thing we bought her some clothes…" Quatre said, still afraid to ask what had happened to the yellow sleeper.

"She cried as soon as I put her back in the basinet," he tried to explain why he'd had the child in his lap. //I surrenderd to a CHILD!// he thought, // I just couldn't handle the screaming.//

"Where are you planning to have her sleep?" the black-haired boy asked. The lovers looked at eachother blankly.

"We hadn't really thought of that yet." Quatre said. Actually, they were hoping Wu Fei would offer his room because they all knew he slept in the garage with Nataku anyway.

"She can sleep in my room, I suppose." Wu Fei said casually. //Its better than in the same room with those two, or WORSE Yuy and Maxwell…// he shuddered. That was basically the reason he'd started sleeping in the garage. At least Trowa and Quatre tried to be considerate and be quiet. Although he would deny it, he genuinely liked and admired all four of his comrads for their separate reasons, but he definitely did not want to hear their bedroom adventures.

"That's kind of you, Wu Fei." Quatre smiled.

Heero entered the kitchen, obviously looking for something. But he did not ask. He already knew Duo was not in the room, because he would have heard his voice. If Duo was in a room, you always heard him. He noted a chair missing from the table. His mind calculated instantly the number of minutes since he had last seen Duo, the boy's mischief quotiant (normal times 10 for boredness), and the missing chair = garage. He left as wordlessly as he had come.

Heero was right, of course. Duo was in the far corner welding something. Heero stealthily approached and stayed out of sight. He liked to watch Duo work, especially when his lover wasn't aware of his presence. Duo was softening and bending a narrow sheet of gundanium. He flipped the mask up to inspect his work. He wiped the back of his wrist across his forehead, and tested the sheet with gloved hands. It took precision to work with Gundanium. Deeming it acceptable, Duo flipped the mask down and cut the sheet in half. Heero could not help admiring Duo's large, skilled hands and strong forearms. //Too bad that's all that's visible in his normal black clothes…// Heero's wicked brain thought.

Sure enough, the chair was there too, fitted with metal caps on the feet. Now having two bent pieces, Duo placed the chair on the bench upside down and welded the bent strips to the feet. //A rocking chair!// Heero thought, //He's making a rocking chair for the baby. Out of …gundanium….?// But that's Duo.

When Duo was done and testing his creation, Heero came out of hiding.

"Heero!" Duo exclaimed, "were you watching me again?" Heero responded with a hint of a smile. The long haired boy grinned. It didn't bother him that Heero liked to watch him work. That's how everything had started between them anyway. At first, it had irked Duo that the too-quiet, Deathscythe-parts-stealing, parachute-not-pulling, all out psychotic (but hot) Wing pilot STARED at him *all*the*time*. It was the most noticable when they went to school together. Heero's eyes burning into his back during class, those eyes following him when he was with his friends at lunch. But it was obvious other times too, like when they repaired their mobile suits after missions. He could FEEL it.

Heero's permanently severe expression made Duo think he was being GLARED at constantly, but Duo had misunderstood at the time. Duo usually didn't give a shit what anyone thought of him, but for some reason, he feard the dark-haired boy's disdain. Really, Heero had been absolutely infatuated, puzzled by the cheerful, beautiful boy who called himself the God of Death. Heero couldn't figure him out, couldn't understand his actions, couldn't ignore him, couldn't stop thinking about him. That was the worst part. Even when he wasn't around, Heero had found himself thinking about the indigo-eyed American.

Duo jumped out of the chair. "Well, what do you think?" he asked excitedly, "Try it!"

Heero sat down tenatively. Once seated he raised an eyebrow at Duo.

Duo laughed. "Push with your feet!" He resisted the urge to pull the chair back hard and let go.

Heero nodded as he rocked in the chair. //Very smooth.// he thought appreciatively.

"Hmmmm… there's a creek in the left leg…" Duo thought outloud, "Hop out, love." Heero sighed and got up. He didn't bother to tell Duo not to call him that. It never seemed to work anyway. Duo plopped himself down on the floor next to the chair and flipped in on its side. Heero handed him the screwdriver and sat down next to him as Duo madly started tightening bolts.

Heero watched, silently admiring how sexy Duo was like this. Unable to maintain self-control, he started to play with the end of Duo'd hair. Duo glanced at him briefly, but never stopped working. Heero gave Duo's cheek a quick kiss.

Duo stopped and turned. "Heero…" he said in surprise. Heero usually did not touch him unless they were alone in a bedroom somewhere.

"I… I'm sorry about before…" Heero fumbled. Duo looked puzzled. "I shouldn't have said that I'd go stay with Relena," he finished.

Duo looked down and smiled sheepishly, "No," he said, "I shouldn't have brought it up. It was stupid." And he certainly hadn't been expecting to talk about it, much less get an apology. Usually, spats between him and Heero were just forgotten and amends made wordlessly. This was definitely weird. He changed the subject. "Help me lug this thing back inside!" Gundamnium was not a light metal.

Heero held the door as Duo dragged the thing inside. The other boys stared at it.

"Ok, where's the best place for this?" Duo asked, unphased.

"Duo, you made her a rocking chair?" Quatre asked. //Out of gundanium?//

"Yeah." He smiled at the child nestled in the crook of Trowa's arm, "Where's the best place for it?"

"She'll be sleeping in my room, put it in there." Wu Fei answered.

Duo lugged the chair off down the hall and the other four pilots followed. Quatre tried the chair.

"Duo, this is great!" he praised his friend. The rockers where smooth, and Duo had found the right angle. Duo beamed.


The evening wore on, Quatre made dinner for everyone, and he and Duo puzzled over what to feed Helen for dinner. After feeding, Wu Fei and Duo bathed her. Heero could hear their arguing from his room. He just hoped Trowa and Quatre were there to referee

"Hey, watch the soap!" Duo exclaimed.

"It's tear free!" Wu Fei countered, "Maxwell! That is not the proper way to wash an infant!"

"Oh yeah?" Duo spat, "What would you know about it?"

"Give me the rag, baka!" Wu Fei shouted and then there was several minutes of splashing and growling. Heero sighed but stayed at his computer, Duo didn't need his protection. They must have splashed Quatre because he got involved and stopped their bickering.

Duo helped Quatre and Trowa set up Wu Fei's room for the child, and Trowa rocked her to sleep. Duo decided to turn in. He found Heero in bed waiting for him. Fully clothed. Duo just laughed and began to take his clothes off. Heero liked for Duo to undress him, sometimes he even put more clothes on before they went to bed. Duo had found this strange at first, he thought maybe Heero was still uncomfortable being naked with him. When Duo asked him about it, Heero just blinked shyly and answered "I…I like it when you do it…." Duo had grinned. That was the first time Heero had asked (verbally) for him to do anything specific. "All you had to do was ask!" Duo said, gleefully tugging at the green tank top. That had been quite a while ago.

Heero put his hands behind his head and just watched his lover undress. Sometimes, he did it, like when they hadn't seen eachother in a while. His frenzy usually caused him to have to mend buttons and seams on Duo's clothes later. Or when he wanted to torture Duo by going rreeeeaaaaalll ssllloooowwwww. Nothing was worse for Duo than waiting. And other times he liked to watch. Duo would sometimes put on a little show, but Heero liked it this way too. As long as the clothes came off.

"You like the baby, don't you." It was more of an accusation than a question. Heero was surprised to hear himself saying what he had been thinking. Seeing Duo with the child just reminded him of the differences between them. Heero had always thought that Duo had a future in front of him, and he himself did not. He was made to fight, it was all he knew. He'd always known when the war was over, so was his life. But being with Duo made him have second thoughts. He knew Duo would be better off with someone else, but his feelings made him selfish. Maybe Duo would… Eh, it was so confusing. The end of the war was still pretty far off.

"Yeah!" Duo laughed at the question, "She's got a better sense of humor than anyone else around here!" he stepped out of his boxers and stood for a second. He liked the way Heero's intense blue eyes caressed his body. He crawled over to Heero and pulled back the covers. Duo kissed him and carefully straddled the already-forming bulge in Heero's tight shorts. Heero moaned and beckoned for Duo's tongue. Duo's hands infiltrated the green tank top for access to what it hid.

He pulled the shirt off and concentrated his lips on the newly exposed areas. When he had rescued Heero from the military hospital, he hadn't known anything about him, so he looked over the data that had been collected before destroying it. Heero was better then perfect in eyesight, hearing, strength, reflexes, and sensativity. That's right, Heero Yuy was extremely sensative, and Duo loved to take full advantage if it. He rocked his hips slightly over Heero's now full erection and teased a nipple with his tongue. Duo licked and sucked thoroughly. He didn't move on to the other until Heero's skin raised in goosebumps.

Heero moaned louder and slid his hands lightly up Duo's thighs. The featherlike touch made Duo shudder with anticipation as Heero's fingers reached his own aching erection. Heero's fingers caressed it softly, just teasing it. Duo caught his breath and bit down on the nipple he'd been sucking. He tried to thrust into Heero's hands, striving for more contact, and at the same time, rubbing harder over Heero's engorged shorts.

Heero stilled Duo's hips, and then flipped Duo over and pinned him so he couldn't protest. But that was unneccessary.

"What do you want to do?" Duo asked, flashing his lover major bedroom eyes.

"First I want these shorts off," he said. Duo willingly obliged, carefully sliding them off and tossing them to the floor. Heero straddled Duo and found the end of the braid. He lovingly slid the band off and unbound the chestnut masses. Duo couldn't keep his hands off Heero, he slid his fingers down the ridges of the other boy's stomach and sensatized his bare groin and thighs.

"Duo…" he moaned, arching his back and letting his head fall back. He fell forward and braced himself on Duo's shoulders as Duo tantalized his screaming skin with the feathery ends of his hair. He groaned in relief and opened his eyes when Duo ended the torture and closed his hands completely around Heero's throbbing shaft. He held Duo's gaze a moment before kissing him and reaching down to fondle him a bit. His lips moved to Duo's neck and he sucked as he shifted and nestled himself between Duo's legs. Panting and calling Heero's name as their erections ground together, Duo fumbled for the tube on the table next to the bed.



* * * *


After a second-round-switch-around, they were sweaty and satisfied (for now). Heero stayed on his back and pulled Duo to his side. Duo layed on his stomach, a leg and an arm draped over Heero.

"Mmmmmmm, koi…" Duo smiled contentedly and kissed his lover's cheek. He rested his head on Heero's shoulder and Heero stroked his hair until he fell asleep (and for a while after). Heero did not sleep as much as Duo did, but he liked to be there with Duo, just holding him. He had not always felt this way. At first, he'd found it awkward, and got up after Duo fell asleep. He would type at his computer or memorize Oz base plans, but Duo's nightmares usually drew him back to the bed.

It took a lot to frighten Duo; the nightmares must have been horrible. And it scared Heero how difficult it could be to wake Duo from them. After many nights of this, Heero finally talked Duo into telling him what he dreamt about. Duo shook as he told Heero about the church orphanage and the rubble and finding everyone dead, but he didn't cry. Heero was devastated. Of course he'd heard of the Maxwell Church Massacre, but he'd only heard rumors about a lone survivor. He could hardly believe it but he knew Duo didn't lie.

After that, he never left Duo at night again unless absolutely necessary. It seemed to help the nightmares a bit and he found that he enjoyed resting and listening to Duo's soft breathing. Being together was a luxury they didn't always have, and he had begun to want to spend every minute he could with his lover, even if he was asleep. Duo had introduced so many things to him: comfort, pleasure, desire, joy, tenderness - none of which he'd experienced before.

But a whole slew of other new feelings had come with that: protectiveness, loyalty, hurt, possessiveness, need, loneliness. And it was these feelings that made him suspect that he loved Duo. Before Duo, he'd never known what it was to be lonely, to want to be with someone, to miss their presence when they were gone. He didn't really know what love was, but he was feeling something that he had no name for, and he was beginning to think 'love' was applicable. If Duo loved him, it went unsaid, and it was probably better that way for them. He kissed Duo's forehead and let himslef drift to sleep.



Heero woke alarmed. A noise in the house. His soldier instincts kicked in as he slipped out of the bed, careful not disturb the boy he shared it with. He pulled on some pajama pants and crept to the door. He heard the sound clearly. //Crying?// he was puzzled. He heard it again. //The baby.// he remembered. The child continued to sob. He looked at Duo, slumbering peacefully for once. //That kid better shut up. Should I wake Trowa and Quatre? No, I shouldn't go in their room…// He looked at Duo again. //Well, SHIT. I guess I have to do something…// he silently slipped out the door.

The baby quieted when she saw him enter the room. She sniffled and hiccupped. But when he didn't come any closer, she started to cry again. He approached the make-shift crib, and she quieted. It was dark, but she eyed him closely, sniffling more. She held her arms up and the tears streamed again. Heero was frozen. //Do I have to pick her up?// he wondered. //I don't even know how!// But he wanted her to be quiet, so he picked her up and held her the way he'd seen Quatre do it. She continued to sob and whimper.

//The chair! She'd loved the chair. Duo, you are a genious.// He sat down and began to rock her. He held her tight the way Trowa had. She was soon very quiet. He kept rocking her to make sure. The tenderness he'd learned with Duo was certainly helping him. This was a mission he'd never have been able to accomplish without it. Small, delicate things that needed so much care were alien to him.

Caring at all had been alien to him. It had never occurred to him that he'd ever have a lover, much less one as incredible as Duo. It had been beyond his scope of vision. All through his life of exhaustive training, it had been burned into him that those things were not for him. He would have no time for that. He would have missions. He would fight. He did not need friends. He was not a person. He would die in the war and never know the peace he fought for. His life had no other purpose.

But being with Duo had changed that, and the same thought crept into his head. //If Duo would… If I could be with him after the war, maybe I could live in peacetime. Maybe…// But those kinds of thoughts operated under many assumptions, and were dangerous. Assuming they both lived through the war. Assuming Duo would even want to stay with him after the war. //I couldn't blame Duo if he didn't want anything to do with me in peacetime, I'm not exactly the ideal… boyfriend.// Even thinking that word felt funny. // These kinds of physical relationships can just happen during stressful times… We have amazing sex, but it will take more then that to make him want to stay with me… // He pushed the treacherous thoughts out of his head and continued rocking.



Duo woke up and groped groggily for his lover. He was surpirsed to find himself alone, and sat up. //Hey! He told me he didn't leave anymore! Hmm, well, maybe he's just in the bathroom or something…// Duo had been aware that Heero used to leave the bed after he fell asleep. He had been fine with that, careful not to ask for more than Heero was ready to give. Intimacy and affection were things that Heero had had to learn, they did not come naturally. Infact, the initial steps had been the most difficult for him: accepting his feelings and allowing himself to act on them.

Another difficulty had been for Heero to allow himself to receive pleasure. Oh, he had learned quickly what to do to make Duo moan and shout, but when Duo tried turning the tables the first couple of times, Heero had felt overwhelmed and asked him to stop. Duo remembered stroking his flushed face, reassuring him that it was ok, and he was supposed to feel that way. Once Heero was able to let himself go, things between them had intensified quickly. They still faught and pissed the hell out of eachother, but in truth, that was happening less and less.

Feeling a little hungry, Duo pulled on his shorts, put his hair in a quick braid, and headed for the kitchen. On his way, he discovered Helen's door partially open. Curious, he peered in silently. What he found absolutely baffled him. Heero was rocking the baby.


Sensing someone in the room, Heero opened his eyes. His stealthy lover was watching him from the doorway with a quiet smile. Heero stood carefully and Duo helped him put her back in the crib.

"She was crying, I didn't want it to wake you." Heero whispered in justification. Duo just smiled. Forgetting food, Duo took Heero by the hand and pulled him back into their room.


* * *

The next afternoon, Relena came to pick Helen up. When Heero heard her car pull up, he grabbed Duo roughly by the wrist and pulled him into the garage. He had a plan that would keep himself out of sight and Duo from making fun of him. Of course, Relena asked where Heero was.

"He's out on a reconnaissance mission." Quatre lied, knowing he was hiding in the garage.

Really, Heero and Duo were 69-ing in the Wing cockpit. Luckily, Relena had already left when Duo accidentally kicked on the external speakers.

(BTW Trowa was the best dad. Can't you just see it? ^_^ I am so pathetic, I know.)

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