Acquainted With The Night

Part Four

(Warning: male+male kissing, angst)

Heero’s eyebrow rose slightly as he heard Trowa’s quiet words. There were a couple quick gasps in the room obviously meaning that at least a couple of people besides himself and Quatre had understood the deeper meaning the simple words had held.

He wasn’t quite sure why but the idea of his best friend and Altron’s pilot doing something ‘more than just talking’ upstairs made his stomach quesy. It wasn’t that the idea of guys loving each other bothered him, personally he thought Trowa and Quatre would make an excellent couple. Strangely enough he wasn’t sure he WANTED to know what was bothering him.

It wasn’t as if he hated either Wufei or Duo, on the contrary, he admired both pilots. Wufei for his skill, and Duo for his strength and determination.

Right then he’d paused at the foot of the stairwell, looking up briefly with a quick look at the other two, who nodded in understanding. He slowly ascended to the second level. He just wanted to make sure Duo was okay. He had witnessed how passionate Duo could be, completely taken by his emotions, good or bad.

…………………….

“I think we owe him an apology as well.”

Quatre swung his gaze from Heero to Thierry, his brow knitted in a slightly puzzled frown. “Pardon?”

The blond man ran a hand through his hair. “Since the birth of Vampires people have ridiculed and hated us. To most we’re still demons and entirely evil. Few care to see that, like humans, we have both good and bad. To have acted that way… it was inexcusable. If Duo could forgive us…”

Quatre smiled reassuringly. “You’d be surprised what Duo can handle and even more surprised at what he’ll forgive.”

Next to Thierry, Thea eyed the staircase openly in sadness but shivered as she spoke. “It must be hard to live with Death every day of your life. To know that there really is no escape from fate.”

“You can know that without Death within you.”

Sandrock’s pilot nodded resignedly at Trowa’s comment. “All you have to do is see a war and that knowledge is always with you.”

Hannah Snow moved up to him and gently squeezed his shoulder. “It’s harder for those who have to live through it more than once.”

Quatre gave her a warm smile as he met her gaze from under wayward bangs. “Yes but I would rather that I live through it hundreds of times than force another to go through it for the first time. If I can prevent that than it’s worth it.”

“That’s very noble.”

Shifting his gaze he grinned at Galen. “If you think that is, than by all means, do ask Wufei his views on Justice and honor.”

The son of the First House blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

Trowa shifted his position slightly, his hands in his jean pockets and a very slight quirk ghosted his lips. “Wufei… doesn’t like weakness. If you ask him about his opinions he’ll give you a lecture.”

The smaller pilot saw the questioning tilt to Galen’s blond head.

“Just ask him. You’ll see what we mean.”

………………….

Heero stood just outside the open door where Wufei and Duo were, careful not to be seen.

Sharp eyesight had spotted the bandaged wrist and a quick mind had assessed the situation leading to a scenario that greatly displeased him. Duo had tried to kill himself. Not once had he ever suspected such a thing of occurring. Not to Duo, himself perhaps, but not the cheerful American.

He gave them a couple of minutes before knocking on the door, nearly smiling as Duo’s face went beat red, but not quite. As he entered the room he said nothing merely peered pointedly at the covered wrist.

For once the braided pilot was struck speechless, mouth gaping like a fish out of water. It was quite satisfying, that is until Duo regained his senses.

“Hey Heero, can you believe my luck, one second I’m playing with my knife and the next thing I know I nearly gut myself.”

Heero nodded but merely in acknowledgement of Duo’s acting ability, not in actual acceptance of what he’d said. In Duo’s head he probably had looked at it as just ‘playing’ with his knife when it’d suddenly jumped up and bit him. Heero knew that the braided boy didn’t lie, he told half-truths and stretched it, but never did he out-right lie.

He found Wufei looking at him, a threat in the look that Heero believed was true, but he had a new mission. He had to set things right.

Keeping his face impassive he stood his ground. “You are a Gundam Pilot. We are allies and you are Duo. That is all.” He wanted to say more… do more, but he wasn’t willing to compromise himself.

Luckily Duo was able to read more into it than anyone else had ever been able to do. The American grinned back at him, causing a brief flutter in his heart.

“You say the sweetest things Yuy. Thanks. Tell the others it’s okay. I know this has all been really strange. Heck, when it first happened to me I thought I’d finally lost my mind.”

Heero saw Wufei’s body tense at the note of acceptance in Duo’s voice, but neither of them dealt with that kind of thing well. It was usually Quatre, and ironically enough, Duo who dealt with it.

Satisfied that his mission was complete, though he knew Duo was still far from over it he nodded curtly and headed back downstairs.

……………………

Duo watched Heero’s retreating back, stunned by the slight give in his best friend’s armor.

“Duo?”

Jumping slightly, ashamed to have been caught off-guard so easily, he grinned sheepishly. “Sorry just thinking.”

Wufei smiled in a way that told Duo RP Altron’s pilot was biting his tongue on a retort and raising a warning finger Duo narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t even think it.”

A dangerous twinkle entered Wufei’s dark eyes. “Who… me…?”

Duo was about to give him a smart come-back when he suddenly felt Wufei’s soft lips against his own. Shocked, he could do nothing more than let the Chinese boy’s tongue probe his mouth open. Firm hands circled his waist and pulled him into a gentle embrace and Duo couldn’t… wouldn’t fight it.

………………

Wufei groaned against Duo’s yielding lips, pressing his body against the braided boy’s. He could feel Duo’s heartbeat against his chest, but the reason for kissing him like he was wasn’t to get into Duo’s pants (though that wouldn’t be a bad thing.) It was to prove to him that he’d meant what he’d said earlier. He wasn’t sure if he could stand walking in on a scene like he had earlier. If he’d arrived a little later…

He pulled away, in need of air, and stared into Duo’s darkened eyes. One slender, bronze hand lifting of its own accord to softly caress his boyfriend’s cheek.

He didn’t realize he’d allowed a couple of rogue tears to escape until Duo raised a hand and brushed them away.

“I’m sorry Wu. I honestly believed… I never meant to hurt you and I don’t think I was trying to end my life… I just needed to make the pain I was experiencing inside to show on the outside… To make me think about something else, focus on something else. Pain… is one of the few constants in my life, I just fell back into old habits, that’s all, but I won’t let it happen again, I swear.”

Duo had a death grip on his hand so, when in the very next second he found himself on the floor, a tight warm body sprawled out overtop of him he could admit he’d been surprised. Duo could sure move quickly when he wanted to, but it was the slightly evil, mischievous look in the violet eyes that made sudden heat flood his body. It didn’t help that Duo slowly moistened his lips only inches from his face, causing areas of his anatomy to suddenly come to life.

He’d never felt this way with Meiran, not as if all his nerves were on fire. He’d loved her in an entirely different way than he loved Duo. She’d taught him much about emotions, and about life but she’d never had this kind of effect on his body, her death, though hard to accept, did not leave him feeling like an empty shell. The crazy, lunatic pilot on top of him… his death would put a hole right through his heart. Duo was the other half of his soul. The skin on skin tingling sensation intensified until he was drowning in Duo’s eyes, in Duo’s soul.

It amazed him that he could have missed ever seeing the connection that was between them, or that he could have ever lived without feeling it.

Duo’s braid had slid forward landing on his chest, and looking into his face it was suddenly very hard not to believe he’d fallen in love with an angel. Reaching up he fingered the hefty braid.

“You can undo it, if you’d like.”

A lump rose in his throat as he looked into serious eyes. “Duo, are you sure?”

Wufei waited, his heart pounding in his chest. The pilot of Deathscythe never let anyone see his hair down, let alone touch it. It meant too much to him. To be allowed to wasn’t to be taken lightly.

Duo bent down, brushing his lips across Wufei’s forehead than lightly nibbling his ear, sending shivers up and down his spine. Duo’s breath was hot on his skin as he spoke,

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

Unfortunately a sudden gasp from the doorway cut through the moment. Duo scrambled off him and he sat up and tried very hard not to glare at Quatre and Trowa.

Quatre was bright red, “Oh Allah, I’m sorry… Heero said… I thought… Oh… oh dear…”

He looked so flustered and upset that Wufei couldn’t hold onto his anger and disappointment. “It’s alright Winner. We weren’t doing anything.” His face burned at Duo’s muttered, ‘yet’.

He could have strangled Trowa for his silent laughter, but he felt a warm hand slip up under his shirt and rub his back and he didn’t dare look at Duo as he tried to keep his face blank.

Despite his attempt Trowa laughed harder and Quatre averted his gaze in embarrassment.