A Silver Lining Part 4
The soft knock on the door stirred Duo from his slumber. His violet eyes blinking open before quickly scanning his surroundings, he took a moment to place himself in the room that he and Heero were sharing on Quasar. Running his sleep-filled eyes, he winced slightly at his protesting muscles that pained him when he pushed himself to sit up on the soft sofa.
It had been longer than he could recall since the last time Duo felt safe enough to sleep so deeply. For years now, any of his rests had been light and were often... interrupted.
Now that he was back in the presence of his best friend, he was amazed at how easy it was for him to fall back into the sense of protection and safety that he always felt when he was with Heero since the end of the wars.
Looking down to his arms, the braided pilot notice that the long sleeves of his red sweater had rolled up in his sleep, revealing the angry puncture wounds left behind by countless syringes that filled his veins with all kinds of serums being tested for new forms of torture.
Taken back to that terrifying time at the sight of those holes, the hallucinations, the unbearable pain racing through him, all of the terrible side effects that went along with those tests, Duo began to tremble almost uncontrollably.
When Duo whimpered, two strong hand suddenly appeared, each rubbing down his arms in a comforting manner. Instinctively, he pulled back in a startled jump, cowering into the far end of the sofa, looking up with wide, frightened violet eyes as he panted. His arms were wrapped around his bend legs pulling them to his chest, ready to be pinned to the floor where his clothes would be torn from him.
Finally, the familiar voice that had been trying to reach him filled his ears as it said in a quiet, gentle manner, "Duo, it's all right. It's me, Heero."
'Heero...' his mind echoed, forcing himself to see clearly, past his fear. Blinking past the tears that threatened to spill, Duo's watery vision soon cleared to take in the very concerned cobalt eyes of his best friend as he watched him.
At the sight of the distress in the same person who once had been so stoic and unable to show any emotion, Duo's heart sank, adding to the swirl of emotions clashing with each other. Looking down at the revealed arms of his partner, the Japanese soldier realized what triggered his trembling before he went to the couch to see what was wrong.
Forcing himself to refrain from becoming emotional, Duo lost the battle as a few tears slipped from his eyes as he whispered brokenly, "Heero... I-I'm sorry."
With his right hand, Heero reached forward and gently wiped the tears from his face as he replied just as quietly, "No need to be sorry, Duo. It's all right."
The soft knock at the door returned, nearly causing Duo to jump from his skin again. He was silently thankful that he managed to keep his urge back. He didn't want to see his friend in pain any more for his initial response to retreat from any sudden sound or movement. This was not like the last couple years, where any hesitation from such changes would be his downfall.
This was not another one of the many slave ships that he had been taken to, Duo reminded himself. There were no guards or temporary owners of him looming in the shadows, waiting to strike him at any moment. He was with Heero now. Heero would keep him safe. His friends had left him for dead, but Heero knew better. Heero would look after him.
Even as he thought this, he watched as Heero moved with caution, slowly reaching forward to lower the long sleeves of his sweater to cover the puncture marks again.
Blinking his surprised eyes at the gesture, Duo thought of just how true Sally had been when she said that Heero had changed in the last couple years that he was away. In these last few hours, he had seen more emotion displayed from the once deemed 'Perfect Soldier' than he had in the years that he had known him.
Their eyes met, uncertain violet meeting steadfast cobalt. As if he read the American's prior thoughts and fears, the Japanese Preventer told him with quite but firm resolve, "No harm will come to you as long as I am around, Duo. I swear it."
Duo forced a small smile and gave a small nod. Heero then rose from the couch to go to the door. As he watched him from where he sat, the braided pilot curled up where he sat. When he saw Heero give whoever was on the other side of the door, he relaxed more. Heero wouldn't greet anyone he thought was a threat.
Before returning to the couch, Heero politely asked whoever had knocked if they could wait a moment so he could check on him. Bending at the waist a bit so that their eyes were level, Heero questioned, "Do you remember me mentioning two people who were hoping to see you?"
Instantly, Duo remembered. Kayla. Michael. He nodded enthusiastically. At that, he was relieved to see Heero's own small smile return as he explained, "I went to find them when I gathered some clothes for you. They were wondering if you were up to seeing them."
Not needing a moment to think it over, Duo replied with another nod, "Yes, please." With a reassuring wink that he gave no one other than his braided comrade and a small grin at his response, Heero straightened and went back to the door.
Knowing better than to force himself to stand up before his muscles were ready, Duo waited on the couch, carefully stretching out of his curled position to sit up.
Michael ran into the room, quickly finding the American. He bounded onto the couch and with a small cry, threw his arms around the neck of the young man who saved him as he cheered, "Duo! You're all right!"
Kayla's worried voice called after him, "Michael, please be careful. Duo's very hurt." The blonde woman walked up quickly to the couch, not having expected her son to suddenly bound into the room as he had.
Wincing slightly, Michael pulled back slightly and frowned up at the pilot, "M'sorry, Duo. You hurt real bad?"
Able to chuckle quietly, the braided young man shook his head, "Nah, it's all right, kiddo. It's good to see you both." With that, the boy's wide grin returned and he resumed his embrace.
With his own arms around the excited boy clinging to him, Duo had almost forgotten the discomfort in his joints as his relief in seeing that the child and his mother were safe overwhelmed everything else. At least his sacrifice to protect them had kept them from what he faced.
The young mother approached, her green eyes filled with tears as she bent down brush back the American's long bangs to kiss his forehead tenderly. "Thank you," was all she could manage in a broken whisper. It was all she needed to say.
Duo gave her a watery smile of his own as he patted the open mattress beside him, saying in a small voice, "Anytime." Kayla sat beside him as she wiped her eyes and used her free hand to run her fingers through her son's short brown hair.
Heero stood back a few feet away, watching silently as his own cobalt eyes warmed at the scene. Not wanting to disturb the moment, he stayed back to give them some amount of privacy. When they all had endured together connected them.
For a moment, Heero was about to step from the room when Duo's violet eyes met his own, pleading for him to stay where his voice could not. At that, he kept his ground.
Michael pulled back to beam brilliantly up at his hero as he announced excitedly, "Duo, Momma and I are going to have a real home!"
"That's right," Kayla nodded with a bright smile of her own. "The Preventers have located a place where we can stay and a place where I can work on Colony L8." Turning to Heero, she stated, "Your friend, Wufei, and the others who are working here helped place all of us who you saved."
Relieved to hear that all of the rescued captives were already placed where they would be able to work and live already, Heero gave a small smirk and shrugged nonchalantly, "That's was part of out job when we came out here. Congratulations."
Kayla shook her head in amusement and chuckled, "Humility must be part of the training for all of you Preventers. The three of you are all the same that way."
Climbing into his mother's lap, Michael continued to look up to the American as he asked, "Will you come and visit us, Duo? Momma said you and Mister He-Heero can come any time."
Heero chuckled to himself at how the youth had a hard time with his name. At the question in his partner's eyes when he looked to him again, he nodded.
With a small grin, Duo rubbed the top of his head as he answered, "Sure, we'll come and visit you." The boy laughed at the hand mussing his hair.
After giving the American an embrace of her own and rising from the couch with her son in her arms, Kayla told him, "Come along, Michael. Duo needs his rest now. We'll see him again before we have to leave the ship. And he promised to visit us after that."
Michael sighed, "Okay, Momma." He looked over the young woman's shoulder and waved, "Bye, Duo. Get better."
Waving back, the braided pilot replied, "Bye, Michael. I'll see you again soon. Take care of your momma, okay?" At the child's nod, he gave a small grin.
Heero walked them to the door as it slid open before them. To his surprise, Kayla leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Thank you for everything, Heero. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to us if you and the other Preventers hadn't come to free us. Take care of Duo and please don't be a stranger."
After blinking the surprise from his cobalt eyes on account of the sudden peck on his cheek, Heero offered her a nod and replied sincerely, "Of course."
Satisfied with that, the young mother smiled and stepped from the room. Before they left, Michael smiled back at him, Bye, Mister Heero."
"Bye, Michael," the Japanese pilot replied, a small smile on his face as the door slid closed again. Stepping back, Heero made his way to the small refrigerator and microwave stacked in the opposite corner.
As he began unwrapping the foil from food that he had kept cool while Duo slept, Heero commented, "He's a good kid." When there was no response, he looked back to see that his best friend was staring ahead at nothing in particular.
Chastising himself for bringing up something that would only bring up painful memories, Heero placed the items on a plate before placing it in the microwave.
The microwave beeped off a moment later and the young pilot removed the plate again. Using his tray, he walked the food over to his best friend as he seemed to come out of his daze. When their eyes met again, he said, "You must be starving by now. I found some of your favorites in the cafeteria."
As the tray was set over his lap, Duo looked to the couple slices of pizza, the tall glass of milk and several pieces of his favorite fruits and vegetables. While it was not a large meal as not to make his stomach fill to the point of becoming ill, it was like a feats compared to what he was offered while in captivity.
"Thank you," he said quietly before beginning to nibble at his meal, being careful not to eat too quickly. As he sat and watched quietly, Heero smiled inwardly in knowing that his partner was finally going to get the nourishment he needed to fill out his too thin frame.
One step at a time, Heero was bound and determined to see that Duo recovered from his experience. Eventually, he would have to breech the topic with his friend of what had happened to him, but that would come in time in order to now how to better help him. But for now, he was just going to take baby steps before crossing that bridge.
* * * * * *
When it was growing late, Heero stretched as he rose from the couch, where he and Duo had been sitting watching a few movies. The other pilot brought his hand up to his mouth as he yawned widely. "Yes," Heero smirked. "Guess it's about time for bed, ne?"
At the affirmative grunt from the American, Heero assisted him in removing his sweater. Giving Duo his new pair of flannel pants to sleep in, he crossed the room to change into his own pair of sweat pants. He pulled back the blankets from both beds before he returned after giving his partner his privacy to change and asked, "Ready?"
Duo nodded, his eyes gazing on the large beds on the other side of the room. Following his gaze, Heero wondered what it was that seemed to concern his friend. Quickly realizing what was making him so worried, the Japanese Preventer smiled.
Without a word, Heero lifted the braided pilot into his arms and carried him over to the beds. Carefully lowering Duo onto the bed, he moved to the other side and climbed in with him.
Seeing the shock in his friend's eyes that faded when he gave a small, relieved smile, Heero knew that he read him correctly. Even in his sleep, Duo needed to know somehow that he wasn't alone. If that was what he wanted, Heero would see to that.
As Heero pulled the blankets over them, Duo snuggled up close beside him, sighing deeply as his eyes closed. Reaching over him to turn the light out, the unruly-haired pilot settled down, himself as he whispered, "Good night, Duo."
"Good night," came Duo's soft response in the darkness. When his comrade's breath was evened in testimony that he was asleep, Heero finally put his guard to rest and allowed sleep to claim him as well after getting up as close to the other Preventer as he could.
* * * * * *
"And you tell me that I go too far in instigating more torture from the guards," Duo frowned as he assisted Heero in sitting up from where he fell roughly when the men who took him to be interrogated threw him back into the cell.
Grunting with the effort of just sitting up after all the blows he was dealt, Heero replied in a strained voice, "Baka."
As he tried to examine his friend's bruises while avoiding his waving hands moving in attempt to keep him away, Duo snorted, "I'll bet you call every best friend of yours 'baka.' So sue me for trying to make you laugh."
Giving up in trying to keep the other pilot from examining him, Heero lowered his arms and sighed deeply, "I need to lay down. I'm getting dizzy sitting up like this."
With his partner's help, he lowered slowly back down to lie on his back. He closed his eyes to the spinning room and allowed Duo to look over his injuries. Occasionally, he heard the braided soldier hiss at something that he found, or he would curse deeply.
The sound of ripping clothes brought Heero's cobalt eyes to snap open again. He watched as Duo pulled apart his navy fleece overall with his hands and teeth. Removing a few long strips of cloth, he moved to wrap the cloth around the open gashes on the Japanese teenager's left leg and right arm.
For some reason that he couldn't explain, Heero felt a swell of guilt at seeing his partner ripping apart what he knew to be Duo's favorite fleece that served as his windbreaker. He hadn't acted any differently than he had in any other similar situation when it came to looking after Heero in such a manner. But somehow, this time, it hit a different nerve in the stoic pilot.
When Duo finished with seeing that the bleeding had stopped, he looked up to his friend's cobalt in shock when he said quietly, "Arigato, Duo."
Shrugging with a grin at the uncharacteristic expression of gratitude for his efforts, Duo replied simply, "What are friends for?"
His braided head tilted to the side a bit as he asked, "You sure they didn't do any more damage to your head? You don't normally thank me for doing things that I would do naturally." Thinking it over a moment, he added, "Actually, I can't remember the last time you ever thanked me for anything."
For a moment, Heero had to think about and soon realized that his friend was right. he never did thank him for anything. Something about that... hurt.
Anytime he needed any assistance, whether he was willing to admit it or not, Duo was always there and helped without any need for appreciation. By now, after all their time together, Heero thought that he should have expressed some sign of gratitude... some sign of sincere emotion.
A deep frown on his face, Heero looked up to his friend and said at last, quietly, "You're right... Gomen, Duo." His voice was filled with a sincerity that he never knew he was capable of taping into. He was truly sorry for never saying two simple words as 'Thank you.'
The bright smile that Duo rewarded him with nearly took Heero's breath away. This smile actually reached his partner's violet eyes, almost making them glow in the dim light of the cell. His hand reached out to squeeze Heero's as he replied in a soft voice, "It's all right, Heero."
Duo lowered himself to lie next to his comrade as they just looked up to the ceiling in silence. For a long time, neither spoke.
For Duo's part, he was still reeling from the fact that he actually saw a glimpse of the human behind the soldier that he had known for years. Heero was reflecting his own life, things that he neglected to pick up on before that were now suddenly all too clear.
Breaking the silence at last, the Japanese Preventer's voice began quietly, "Duo?"
Without looking over to the other pilot, the braided American continued to look to the ceiling and asked, "Yes, Heero."
"Are we really friends?" the other soldier asked, almost hesitantly.
Duo frowned in concern as he sat up at that question, turning to meet his partner's cobalt gaze that was watching him. "Of course, we're friends," he replied. "What makes you ask that?"
His dizziness subsided, Heero sat up, never taking his eyes from the violet orbs. "I thought that friends did things for each other equally," he tried to explain, not really understanding such a notion as friendship other than what he read and researched.
Noting the confusion on the other pilot's face, Heero continued, "After all this time that we've known each other, I've only now realized how one-sided things have been between us." He pushed himself up the rest of the way to sit before his comrade.
"You would drop anything to help me out, and while I may have done things to assist you when you needed it, I never so much as thanked you for anything you did. So, how can you really consider me a friend?"
The confused look on Duo's face faded as he chuckled deeply. Now it was Heero's turn to look perplexed. "That's not how friends work, Heero," the American smiled.
"Friends don't keep count of the times their aid is returned or recognized. I do what I do because I want to. That's friendship." His smile never losing its warmth, Duo continued, "Besides, you just proved the Silver Lining Theory."
Raising an eyebrow, Heero frowned, "The what?"
Duo laughed quietly and shook his head. "Well, to make a long story short, someone who I considered a mother when I was a really young little pain in the ass taught me the theory."
His violet eyes gazed off , his grin fading a bit as he seemed to stare off wistfully and said, "She told me that no matter how dark or grim a situation may be, there is a silver lining beyond every challenge. Problems were things that she never believed in, but challenges were because they can be overcome.
"Most people give up before they ever get to see the silver lining, she would say. So, she taught me to never lose sight of the fact that there is no challenge that can not be overcome," Duo clarified as he looked back to his friend. "That's the Silver Lining Theory."
Taking in everything that he had said, really listening to his partner for the first time that he could remember, Heero nodded after a long pause. "What was it about me that you used that theory on?"
It was a long time before Duo felt comfortable enough to answer. Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "During the wars, there was a time when I was convinced, like so many others, that you were almost... inhuman." He winced at the quick flash of pain that surged through Heero's eyes. It pained him to have to admit that to him.
Turning his head away, Heero said quietly, "I see." He shouldn't have been surprised. Thanks to his training, Heero knew that he was... different.
Cold. Emotionless. He head heard them all used to describe him, and worse. While it did bother him in some small degree, it distressed him more than he thought it would to know that Duo had thought the same of him before. Somehow, he always thought that Duo was different from everyone else when it came to understanding him.
A hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing it as Duo pleaded quietly, "Heero, look at me. Please." With a deep breath, he turned to meet the braided pilot's saddened gaze. "I did think that way, once. That was until I remembered the theory that I had been taught."
Duo gave a small smirk and shrugged, "Why do you think I was so insistent on hanging around you, talking up a storm to open up a conversation, making a damn near fool out of myself trying to get you to smile?
"I knew that somewhere under all of the training and conditioning was a person who was just as frightened as I was when it came to the wars. I never gave up on the fact that, while everyone else was certain there was no hope of getting you past your walls, you just needed someone to make a little incision so that you could start letting them down."
Taking a chance, Duo reached a hand up to cup Heero's cheek. Initially wanting to pull away, the other Preventer only slightly flinched before allowing the comforting gesture, surprised at how nice such a simple thing of a hand on his cheek could feel so good.
With their eyes still locked, Duo smiled and whispered, "That was the silver lining that I never lost sight of. You helped prove that I was right in seeing what no one else did tonight."
Heero blinked in surprise, Duo's hand still cupping the side of his face for a moment before it lowered at last. Somehow, it almost did feel as thought something inside of him was only beginning to open.
Pushing past all else, the stoic Preventer allowed himself to smile, a real smile that he never felt on his own face before. At the small gasp and the wide violet eyes watching him, he knew he did the right thing.
"Thank you, Duo," Heero whispered at last, his smile still in place. "...Thank you for being my best friend." At that, the braided pilot's own brilliant smile returned. Trying to think of a way to show how much he appreciated what Duo had given him, Heero tilted his head a bit and asked, "Who was she? Tell me about your past?"
Not needing to know the 'she' that his partner was referring to, Duo smiled sadly in a bittersweet manner. As much as it pained him to think back to the people that he loved and lost, it was touching that Heero actually cared enough to know more about him. "Well, before I met sister Helen," he began with a small sigh, "I was living off the streets of L2..."
* * * * * *
Unable to stay asleep for long, Heero had thought back to that fateful night. From that time on, he had never felt more cared for in knowing that someone gave him as much of a chance as Duo had. He never forgot the Silver Lining Theory that Sister Helen had taught his best friend. It was what kept him from giving up his search for him the last couple years.
It would be morning soon, Heero's internal clock told him since there was no sunlight out this far in space to assist him in knowing the time. A thought came to his mind, bringing a small smile to his face. Carefully moving up from the bed as not to disturb the sleeping form beside him, Heero walked over to the dresser.
The sound of fabric tearing woke Duo, his eyes blinking open. Seeing that Heero was no longer beside him, he sat up, searching the room. He soon saw the bare back of the other pilot. When he returned to the bed, Heero had two long strips of green fabric. "It was about time I lost that shirt," he smirked. "I don't need the reminder anymore, anyway."
Duo gasped with wide eyes, knowing that Heero always held onto his green tank top from the wars as a reminded to put the past behind him. He had just ripped it to shreds. Before he could find his voice to ask what he was doing, the braided pilot's bare arms were wrapped at the elbows with the cloth. Heero moved with the same effectiveness he always had with any mission.
Heero was finished soon, leaving enough room to allow Duo to bend his elbows without difficulty but securing the wraps enough to keep from sliding down and revealing the terrible puncture wounds. "There," he said when he was done, a small smirk on his face.
With awe on his face, Duo looked down to his arms, testing out the mobility of his elbows. When he looked back up to Heero, his eyes were filled with small tears and a hint of his real smile was back. The realization in those eyes told Heero that he also recalled the night that he had torn his favorite fleece to cover his wounds. Duo threw his arms tightly around his partner's neck as he whispered brokenly, "Thank you... my best friend."
* * * * * *
Two nights later, Heero entered the communication room of Quasar. Wufei was waving him over to meet him at his station. When his partner stood before him, the Chinese pilot announced to him, "We just received a clearance from Lady Une. We will be landing on the Earth in the morning."
TBC...
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