Author: PlaidDragon
Pairings: 1+2, 5+2, 1+2+5
Warnings: Shounen ai, death, angst, sap, OOC
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its original characters do not belong to me.
The Eternal Heart
Duo patted Deathscythe's boot affectionately. "You be good while I'm gone, ya hear." He could imagine the rolling eyes of three of his partners if they heard him talking out loud to his Gundam. Heero and Trowa wouldn't say anything, but Wufei would snort; he always did.
Nothing wrong with talking to an old friend, he thought as he flicked the flashlight on and started down the long tunnel. Quatre knew that; he talked to -- or maybe with -- Sandrock all the time. The other guys were just embarrassed to admit that they also talked to their war machines.
"Yep, we're all screwed up," he said aloud. "What's a few loose marbles between friends, anyway?"
The beam of his light bounced off the walls, reflecting a myriad of sparkling gems, and the gurgle of water, as well as the smell of minerals, reminded him that he was a long way from the surface. Not unpleasantly so, especially this time of year. The cool, damp ever-present breeze that swept the caverns was welcome after the heat of the desert. He needed to lay low for only a few hours, but he wanted to watch the sun set.
He paused for a moment to sweep his light out and back the length of a natural bridge formation. Everything looked fine. He stepped carefully onto the bridge to move lightly across, breathing a sigh of relief on the other side. Heero always insisted that they climb down and wade the stream rather than chance the bridge, but Duo always used it when he was alone.
This was surely one of the most beautiful grottos he'd ever seen. Everything sparkled and glimmered under his light, but when he turned the light off, if became darker than midnight. Sometimes it reminded him of himself, fresh and sparkling one minute, dark and dank the next. He switched his flashlight back on. The darkness didn't frighten him, but the prospect of stepping into nothing in the dark did.
He hurried on upward toward the entrance. He stepped over a trickle of water, took two more steps and under his feet the ground gave way. He didn't even have time to shout before his head struck a rock, knocking him cold.
A whining sound disturbed his sleep. Shut that damned turbine off, he wanted to say, but his mouth wouldn't work. Shit, can't I get any sleep...?
It was several minutes before he was conscious enough to realize that it wasn't a turbine, it was him. Several more minutes passed before he figured out why he was whining, about the time his pain receptors woke up.
"Mother of god!" he gasped after the first wave left him whimpering and panting. "Shit!"
Gotta get the hell outta here! Now!
The flashlight was gone, the darkness total. What falls down must climb up, reasoned the tiny part of his brain not fried senseless. Climb Duo; you fell in this hole, you can crawl out again.
He threw out his arm and found a handhold on a rock. He started to pull himself up. White phosphorescence exploded behind his eyes and he knew no more.
~*~
Fingertips stroked his face tenderly and a familiar voice crooned softly to him.
"You're going to be fine, angel. We'll get you out really soon. I know it hurts, baby, but don't let go. You've got a long life ahead."
A strong, callused hand held his tightly. A hard familiar body lay against him.
He tried to open his eyes, but Heero stopped him gently. "It's all right, angel; I'm here with you. The guys are coming. You'll be okay."
"H-Heero... Found me..."
"Yes, my love. I'm here and I'm not leaving. Go back to sleep; I'll be with you."
Duo struggled to lift his hand, finding Heero's bare arm, following it to his shoulder, his hair. "Scared..." he whispered.
Heero took his hand and kissed him gently. "Don't be scared, angel. I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed Duo's eyelids, his cheeks, his lips. "Sleep, my darling..."
And Duo slept.
He knew vaguely when he heard voices. He recognized the horror and concern and felt the activity surrounding him, but Heero was there every moment to reassure and comfort him.
"Heero," he mumbled. "Love you..."
"I love you, my darling Duo. I love you always and forever. Let the pain go; sleep."
And again he slept.
~*~
The dark-haired youth sat beside the bed stroking Duo's hand anxiously. The injured pilot still slept. He slept through the rescue and the surgery to set his broken leg and stitch up some of the nastier lacerations, and nearly a week of recovery time. He shouldn't still be sleeping. The doctor avoided the "C" word, but had no explanation for this situation. They were all worried.
"Duo," he whispered softly. "Don't you dare run and hide. We need you. I need you."
~*~
"Heero?"
"Right here, baby."
"I was afraid you left..."
"I'll always be with you, angel; you know that."
"Yeah... Hold me?"
"Mmmm... Love to, beautiful."
"Nah... I fell in a hole; I'm a mess."
"Are not. Shiny red hair, handy-grab braid, big beautiful violet eyes, cute little nose, and those lips that just beg to be kissed... You taste like cherries. Mmmm... Cherry boy."
"Heehee... Oh, stop... Hurts to laugh."
"Tease."
"Aw, you love it."
"Yes... Yes, I do sweetheart. I love everything you do. Time for you to sleep again."
"Stay with?"
"Never leaving."
"'Kay..."
~*~
[He's waking.]
Wufei sat up with a start, eyes focusing on Duo's face. Yes, he was beginning to stir. He moved closer to the bed and took Duo's hand in his.
Duo muttered and mumbled as he struggled up from the depths. Finally his eyelids fluttered and he sighed. A moment later his eyes opened. His languid gaze slid around the room, making the connection.
Infirmary. Everything hurts. Leg hurts. Ah, man... Bet it's broken. Shit.
A touch on his hand made him turn his head carefully.
"Wufei..." he whispered slowly. "Oi... You okay...?"
The Chinese pilot was unusually pale, and his eyes were puffy. The hand holding Duo's shook slightly.
"I'm fine, Duo." He cleared his throat. "How about you?"
"Hurts. Something broken...?"
"Um, yeah. Your leg. I'm sorry, but you're out of the war for a few weeks anyway." He swallowed, looking down at Duo's hand. "It'll be a good heal, though. We found you right away."
Duo smiled, remembering Heero's comfort. "Yeah... He said you'd be there right away and you were. Where's Heero? He said he'd be here..."
"He said..." repeated Wufei in a strained voice. "Duo..." He squeezed his friend's hand. "I... He... Duo..."
"What'samatter, Wufei? You look sick," Duo frowned drowsily. "Where's Heero?" Ah, shit. He musta got a mission. Fuck.
"Duo... I -- I don't know..." He suddenly leaned over Duo, one hand on his shoulder, the other clutching his hand. "Duo, Heero is dead. He self-destructed to take out seventeen Mobile Dolls."
Duo stared at him, his face utterly blank.
"Duo...?" Oh, god... What have I done? "Duo, are you... Are you hearing me...?"
Duo's eyes flicked away and back. A chilling smile spread across his lips. "Good... joke..." he whispered mechanically. "You... you got me..."
"It's NOT a joke!" snapped Wufei before he could stop himself. "He's dead! Heero's dead, dammit! We've LOST him! He's GONE!"
"No..." said Duo softly. "He promised me... In the cave... Here... He... he promised he'd always be with me..."
Wufei stroked Duo's hair, pushing his bangs back. "Duo... In your heart, your memories..." He could feel Duo tensing, and tried to hold him without hurting him. "Duo, angel..."
"HE IS NOT DEAD!!!" Duo screamed. "LIAR!!!"
~*~
Heads turned all over the estate. Quatre and Trowa leaped to their feet in the garden where they had gone for comfort.
Duo's screams shook the entire house and reverberated off the outbuildings.
Trowa was already running when Wufei's shout intertwined with the screams.
"Trowa! Help! TROWA!!!"
~*~
Wufei slumped in a chair. Duo was once again asleep, thanks, this time, to Trowa's deft use of a syringe.
"Sorry, Wufei."
The youth lifted his hand to wave it away. "I... I knew... I should've waited... So stupid... He's not ready... God, he'll never be ready."
"None of us were ready, Wufei." Trowa turned away from the bed with a sigh.
"I can't feel anything but hysteria and fear," whispered Quatre. "He's frightened almost to death..." He wiped away a few tears. "It's as if there's a hole in his soul."
Wufei looked up after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. They all loved Duo, but Heero was his life. "It's my job now; I promised Heero."
"We'll all look after him," corrected Quatre gently, but the Chinese youth frowned.
"No, Heero asked me. I won't let him down."
"You found him in that cave."
"Heero told me where to look."
"Wufei..."
"Look, I don't care if you guys think I'm crazy!" he snapped. "Heero showed me exactly where he was."
"Heero was already dead," said Trowa softly, trying to get Wufei's mind off the dream.
"I KNOW that! But it was MY dream, and he was IN it! He said he was counting on me! I will not let him down!" He was on his feet almost shouting. "I couldn't SAVE him, goddammit! But I CAN keep Duo safe! His last request, Trowa! I WILL do that!"
~*~
"Don't cry, angel..."
"You're dead... I'm talking to a ghost..."
"I'm sorry, baby. I tried to find another way, but they had me pinned. Wing was shutting down. I was already dead; I just decided to take them with me."
"Oh, sure. Like that helps now."
"Are you angry with me?"
"Yes! No! Heero, dammit... You said you'd always be here... You promised..."
"I said I'd always be WITH you, and I will be. Just not..."
"Just not as my lover..."
"No... Not physically..."
"Heero, your sense of duty sucks, you know that?"
"I know... But I'll be with you, and we'll be together eventually."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. Baby, we've been together, one way or another, for a long time. We'll be together again, and maybe next time have a full lifetime together."
"You think?"
"I know. The five of us always find each other."
"Really...?"
"Yes. I'm not going anywhere without you; I'll be here waiting for you."
"But why did you have to die now?"
"My time was up."
"Why am I still alive?"
"You haven't finished what you came for."
"What's that?"
"Can't tell you."
"Can't or won't?"
"All right, won't. You've got a long, productive life ahead of you."
"Alone."
"No."
"No?"
"Not if Chang Wufei ever gets his ass in gear."
"Wufei?!"
"He loves you. He's loved you for a long time."
"Shit... Heero, he was there when you --"
"He tried, Duo. He couldn't get through the dolls. They were kicking the crap out of him, too. He blames himself for not saving me, but there was no way he could. He's an honorable man, Duo."
"Heero... I have a headache..."
"Think about him, Duo. He would make you happy."
"But you..."
"I like Wufei. He will make you happy. I love you. I want you to be happy. Just think about him."
"Okay... Will I... Will you come to me like this again?"
"Yes, when I can. It's hard, though. Dreams are easier."
"I love you."
"And I love you, my darling angel."
~*~
[He's coming.]
Wufei got to his feet to look over the fence that surrounded the patio of his garden apartment. He recognized that life-of-its-own braid from two blocks away. Twenty-one months and seven days since the end of the war; since he'd last seen Duo. He'd begun to believe it would never happen, regardless of what his dreams told him.
As Duo got closer, his features became clearer. The braid was longer by at least a foot. His violet eyes threw sparks even at this distance. That fabulous grin was broader than the Cheshire Cat ever dreamed possible.
He'd grown as well. He was taller and a bit broader through the shoulders, but his hips were still slender, his bones as delicate as ever. He still bounced when he walked, that long, graceful dancer's stride that ate up the ground.
And he still dressed in black. Now, however, the black was neatly offset by touches of bright jewel colors. His boots, jeans and jacket were black, his tank a brilliant amethyst.
He grew up gorgeous... Why did I ever think he wouldn't?
Wufei opened the gate to the sidewalk and stepped out.
Duo shrugged his duffel off his shoulder. In one smooth, swift motion, Wufei caught it in one hand, Duo in the other and swung him around through the gate, kicked it shut behind them, dropped the duffel and bent Duo over his knee to kiss him deeply.
Several minutes later, when he finally brought Duo upright, the redhead wrapped his arms around Wufei's neck and said breathlessly, "My God! Wufei! When did you learn to do that?!"
"Do you hate it?"
"Hell no! Do it again!" So he did.
"Better, worse?" he asked with a smile when Duo was once more vertical and in his arms.
"Better," he whispered against Wufei's white silk shirt. "Much better now. Do you really love me?"
"With all my heart, my darling."
"He said you did. I couldn't handle the idea."
"You're here now."
"I've handled it." He took Wufei's face in his hands, drawing him down for a slow, deep kiss. "Missed you... almost as much as... You know..."
"Let's go inside and make plans for the rest of our lives."
Duo ruffled Wufei's black hair. "Does he talk to you?"
"In my dreams, sometimes."
"Do you mind?"
"No. He was a good friend." A beat. "Um... He won't be critiquing my performance, will he?"
Duo giggled. "I have no idea. Let's find out." He took Wufei's hand and led him to the bed, then began undressing.
[Go ahead, Fei. He belongs with you now.]
Wufei grinned and tweaked his braid. "Let's do that."
On the top of the bookcase, Heero sat, arms crossed on his drawn-up knee, watching his lover and his friend consummate the relationship they both deserved.
[Earplugs, Fei; that'll help.]
[The backs of his knees, Duo; he'll lose his mind.]
Lounging on one elbow, he smiled as Duo and Wufei curled together, dozing.
[I love you both... I'll be waiting...]
OWARI
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