Author's Note: I'm not sure I like the flow in this chapter, but certain things have to happen in a certain order, so I gotta go with it, I guess. I took the liberty of using the word "shinnaino" which, as far as I know, means "beloved." Hope I didn't totally butcher its use! (Um, artistic license?) And, to Kaeru Shisho, watch for "smitten!"
Boot Camp Part 37
Revelations and Apologies
Duo woke up slowly, to find himself snuggled up to a very warm, comforting body. That's it. I died and went to Heaven (which is a huge surprise in and of itself) and I'm in Heero Yuy's arms. What a way to spend eternity.
"They always seem to end up curled up together, don't they?" said Quatre's amused voice.
"You, Quatre Winner, are a voyeur," Duo grumbled.
Trowa's skeptical snort came from a few feet away. "Do you even know what that word means, Maxwell? You aren't really putting on much of a show," he noted dryly.
"Gimme a minute," Duo smirked, turning his head so that his lips were right next to Heero's ear. "Morning, love," he whispered cheekily.
"Mmm." Heero stirred, and then rolled towards Duo, sliding an arm around his waist. And then blue eyes opened, fixing a somewhat startled look on the braided boy's face, which was only a hair's breadth away. "Oh."
Duo took the opportunity to place a light kiss on the end of Heero's nose. "Time t'get up." His indigo eyes gleamed with amusement. "Or, as Tro' would put it--"
Heero hastily clapped a hand over Duo's mouth. "Don't say it, Maxwell!" he warned quickly.
Duo's hand started to slide down Heero's waist slowly...sensuously. "How 'bout I demonstrate?"
"Whoa! Hey! There's children present!" blurted Quatre, backing away blushing. He turned to find Trowa's amused green eyes on him.
"You started it, Winner. I told you we should just leave them alone."
Heero sat up, carefully disentangling himself from Duo's arms. "Uh, Maxwell. I think we should probably get ready for calisthenics."
Duo pouted and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Hey, 'Ro? What am I doing in your bunk?"
"You fell asleep while I was combing your hair."
Duo put a hand to his loose locks, blushing brightly. "Ah...shit. Guess I was more worn out than I thought." He found the comb underneath the blanket, and set to work re-combing the hair that had gotten tangled by being slept on.
Heero thought Duo looked absolutely adorable with his hair loose, and his tongue just barely sticking out the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on working through a particularly tough tangle. God, I love him.
"What're you smiling about?" Curious indigo eyes were fixed on Heero's face.
"Uh. Nothing." Did I just use the 'L' word there? Holy fucking shit. Heero stood up abruptly, running a hand back through his tousled hair. "I, uh, have to go to the bathroom." He hastily made his way across the room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and breathing a sigh of relief. He shook his head, running the water as cold as he could, and splashing it on his face, hoping to shock some sense into himself.
By the time he came out, Duo was up and dressed, had neatly braided his hair, and was waiting for his turn in the bathroom. As he passed the team leader, he gave him an uncharacteristically shy look. "Thanks for helping me out with the hair last night."
"It was my pleasure," Heero said, putting extra emphasis on the word 'pleasure.' He was rewarded by a distinct blush creeping up Duo's cheeks. And he thought that was almost as cute as the way Duo looked when he was working on a snarl in his hair. Get a grip, Yuy. Boot camp can't last forever.
~*~
The morning passed much as the previous one had, and Duo was almost as exhausted as he'd been then. But he stubbornly stayed through exercises, morning classes, and lunch. Skipping the afternoon nap, he instead elected to take a shower to help wake him up. He and Quatre slipped away just before calisthenics, when they figured the shower building would be least used. Duo wanted what little privacy he could get. Plus, he wanted a little extra time to use conditioner on his hair. He told himself it wasn't because he wanted it to look nice for Heero, who seemed singularly fascinated by it. And he was almost able to convince himself he just wanted to make his hair easier to comb out, in case he was exhausted again that night. Really.
But an hour later, and not for the first time, Duo cursed his hair. Lingering to rinse conditioner out of it, he'd ended up alone in the locker room. Quatre had been reluctant to leave him, but while Duo was allowed a few minutes of lateness to class, the blonde wasn't. So the braided boy assured him he'd be fine...that everyone would be headed to calisthenics anyway...and shoved Quatre out the door. Then he finished up his hair as quickly as he could.
Dressed now, and nearly late for afternoon calisthenics, he headed for the door and saw Austin Pritchard leaning by it. He stopped in his tracks, tensing, stomach knotting with unaccustomed fear.
The other boy was alone--or appeared to be--and Duo narrowed his eyes, waiting.
"I--uh--wanted to talk to you," Austin said hesitantly.
Duo crossed his arms, adopting an expectant stance, but he remained ready, in case the resident bully had others on the way. "About what?" he asked coolly.
"I'm...I want to apologize."
Duo's jaw dropped in shock. "For what?" he asked blankly. Not that Austin hadn't been a total asshole, but the last thing Duo expected was an apology for it.
"We...I...gave you and Quatre a hard time," Austin elaborated. "I just wanted you to know, we're sorry an' it won't happen again." Austin managed a wry smile. "After all, we're on the same side, mostly--us against the system."
Duo's deep eyes searched the other boy's face for a glimpse of deceit, but the sandy-haired kid appeared totally sincere. "Why'd you change your mind?"
Austin looked down at the floor, shifting his weight uneasily. "Barton told us what happened." He glanced up cautiously. "To you...in solitary..."
Duo paled, taking an involuntary step back. "Nothing hap--" He caught himself, unable to pull off a flat-out lie. "So I got beat up. Big deal."
"--and raped," Austin said bluntly, giving Duo a steady look.
Duo covered his humiliation by glaring. "What's it to you, anyway? Sorry you an' your thugs didn't get there first?"
"No!" said the other boy hastily. "No. We aren't like that! We wouldn't do that to anyone--ever. I mean, I know that first week I said a lot of stuff. But none of it was serious. Just stupid macho bullshit, y'know? You've got to admit, you an' Quatre stand out--so me an' the boys were trying to establish some kind of--I dunno--rank? And mostly I hassled you because--" He stopped, a faint flush creeping up his cheeks.
Duo's eyes widened in comprehension. Oh, it just couldn't be! Had Austin actually been interested? In him?
"Because?" he prompted gently.
Austin swallowed nervously. "Don't tell anyone, okay? None of the guys on my team know I--I'm--"
"Gay?" Duo finished with a smirk. "So you picked on Quatre and me to hide the fact that you're gay, too."
Austin nodded, looking at the floor tiles. "Where I come from, something like that would get me killed or--"
"--or raped?" Duo guessed. He shook his head, relaxing slightly. "So you hide your--orientation--by acting like a homophobe?"
Austin nodded, finally looking up at Duo again. "So--I'm sorry, about that whole first week. After that, it was kind of a case of sour grapes--until Barton told us what happened to you. I'm sorry about that--really sorry. I just wanted you to know, me an' my team--well, I guess we can't be friends, but maybe we don't have to be enemies, either?"
"No, I guess we don't," Duo conceded. He managed a wry smile. "With the warden out to get me, I don't need any extra enemies." He walked towards the door, within a few feet of Austin, but still kept his guard up. He'd been lied to before, and it took more than one civil conversation for him to trust his back to someone. "Y'know, if you were interested, you should have just said so," he smirked. "Picking on a kid you like is just such grade school mentality."
Austin smiled and shrugged. "In grade school I wasn't interested in other guys. And now? Well, like I said, it's not something I can be up front about." He dared a bolder look at Duo. "Don't suppose I have a chance in Hell?"
Duo laughed and shook his head. "I won't bullshit you, Austin. You're real easy on the eyes--but I'm kinda smitten right now."
"Yuy."
"It's that obvious?" Duo grimaced slightly.
"Let's just say when you two were sparring and Yuy kissed you--" Austin made a gesture as if fanning himself. "I dunno if you guys felt the heat, but I sure as hell did."
Duo laughed at that. "It was sheer torture," he admitted. "Mainly 'cause I'm not sure Heero's as interested as I am."
Austin nodded. "If he isn't--well--keep me in mind?" He opened the door for Duo, who grinned and stepped out into the yard, nearly running straight into Heero.
The blue-eyed boy's face was tense, his jaw set. "Duo! What took so--?" Then he saw Austin stepping out behind the braided boy, and in a flash, Heero had him pinned to the wall, an arm across his throat. "What the hell were you doing, Austin? If you so much as laid a hand on Duo, I swear I'll rip your goddamned head off!"
Austin managed a pained grin--his green eyes fixed on Duo. "That--answer--your--question--?" he gasped, fighting for air.
"Heero--no!" Duo chided, wrapping a hand around Heero's forearm. He made eye contact, gazing deep into the blue eyes with a reassuring smile. "He didn't do anything, 'Ro. Honest. I'm okay."
Heero glared at Austin, gradually easing the pressure on his throat. "You sure, Duo? You're alright?"
"I never lie, Heero. You know that," Duo assured him.
"Hai," Heero acknowledged, releasing Austin and stepping back, his gaze raking over Duo as if to assess his condition. "When Quatre showed up alone--"
"Yeah," Duo said sheepishly. "I shouldn't have sent him on ahead. I didn't want him stuck doing extra pushups because my hair was being contrary."
Austin cautiously brushed himself off, easing away from Heero. "Um--Duo--thanks." He winced at the ice-blue glare from Heero's eyes. "I mean, for accepting my apology. Thank you, Duo." He made a hasty escape, leaving Duo grinning widely.
"You were really worried about me, weren't you?" he asked Heero.
"I was afraid someone might've--" Heero shrugged. "After all you've been through, I didn't want you hurt again."
Duo snorted. "C'mon, 'Ro--I'm not totally helpless. I mean, shit--the guard had me in handcuffs."
"But Austin's got four on his team. As good as you are at self-defense, numbers make a difference."
Duo smiled warmly--genuinely. "You really care, don't you?"
Heero gave an exasperated sigh. "I thought I made that pretty plain, Duo."
"So I'm more than just a teammate?"
Heero glared at him. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer, baka."
"Love you, too, 'Ro," Duo teased. The indigo-eyed boy turned and slipped an arm through one of Heero's. "C'mon, tough guy. Wanna walk me to calisthenics?"
"Sure...and d'you want to tell me what that was about, with Austin?" Heero gave him a curious look. "What did he mean about you accepting his apology?"
"Aw, he just felt bad about some of the shit his team dished out that first week of camp," shrugged Duo. A slight frown creased his forehead. "I guess Tro' told him about solitary?"
"We had a little scuffle with Pritchard's team on Tuesday...he said some stupid shit about you deserving to be in solitary, an' I kind of lost it." Heero ducked his head, looking a little embarrassed. "When Barton and Winner were dragging me off him, Barton told him what happened...said if he found that funny, he'd kill him."
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Tro' said that?" He smiled. "And here I thought he barely tolerated me."
Heero shook his head. "Trowa's been a loner most of his life. It's a little hard for him to understand and accept that he's part of a team now. I mean, he gets the concept, but doesn't always know how to act."
"Yeah, but I think Quat's been helping him in that department," Duo noted. He frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I should back off a little and not try to make him so jealous of me an' Quatre."
"Might be a good idea," Heero agreed.
The two boys were several minutes late to calisthenics, and Heero got to do extra pushups as a result, while Duo was excused per Chang's orders. And the braided boy couldn't help but remember the first day he'd met Heero, and how he'd ended up oversleeping and getting stuck doing pushups. Payback was a bitch, he decided with a smirk.
And again that evening, Duo nearly nodded off over supper, his body still worn out from healing. His teammates made sure he ate enough of his meal, and then escorted him back to the barracks and straight to bed.
~*~
While the boys in Team Wing were looking after the heart and soul of their team, Warden Kushrenada was still fuming over his recent defeat, and plotting his next method of attack.
"So, Norton," Warden Kushrenada commented silkily. "What's this about Maxwell and Yuy?"
"I'm tellin' ya, K., those two are fucking each other. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain," Kyle sneered. "First that kiss during the sparring match...and then today outside the showers. I swear, Yuy looked jealous enough to kill Pritchard. And he and Maxwell walked off arm in arm."
"I see." Treize smiled in satisfaction. "Well, that makes things so much simpler. All I have to do to get to Maxwell, is get to Yuy."
"You want us to set him up for your guards, like last time?" Kyle asked, smirking as he sat comfortably on the edge of the desk.
"That won't work again," scowled the warden. "And it definitely won't work on Yuy. He's not as trusting as Carroll was." He ran a hand back through his hair. "Of course, I still have my ace in the hole right there in the barracks with them, and could easily force him to plant evidence."
"I don't know, K. Team Wing's been pretty tight since Maxwell went to solitary," Kyle noted. "I never see Winner without Barton watching his back. And Yuy is Maxwell's personal fucking bodyguard."
"Well then, we need to separate them, don't we?" suggested the warden. "That's damned hard, considering the way Chang runs things. But I have noticed that when someone's on KP they're usually alone." A sly gleam entered his tawny eyes. "I have the perfect way to divide and conquer Team Wing." He laid a friendly hand on Kyle's shoulder. "At tomorrow's baseball game, you need to goad Maxwell into hitting you. Think you can manage that?"
Kyle sneered. "I could do it standing on my head." He gave a cold laugh. "Y'know Frank, the guard that raped him? He told me all about it...everything he said, and did. All I've got to do is whisper a few words in Maxwell's ear, and he'll try to take me apart."
Kushrenada looked inordinately pleased. "Once Chang's got Maxwell sequestered in the kitchen, it'll be a simple matter to lure Yuy out. A brief message that something might've happened to his fuck buddy ought to bring him running."
"Y'need me and my team to take care of him?"
"No, I've got my own people for that. It wouldn't do for you to be thrown out of boot camp. I need you to keep feeding me information. Besides, my guards know exactly how to inflict injuries without leaving evidence." The warden's tawny eyes gleamed with malice. "You just get Maxwell put on KP and let me handle the rest."
~*~
Quatre woke in the middle of the night, frowning as he felt the bunk jiggle. He stood up, shivering at the cool breeze from the window, and looked over the edge of the top bunk.
Trowa was shivering violently, wrapped in his blanket, his face drenched in sweat and white as a sheet.
"Oh, Allah--you're sick, Trowa." Quatre put a hand out, but it was batted violently away.
"Leave me alone!" snapped the green-eyed boy, curling deeper into his blanket.
"Trowa--you look awful. You need to go to the infirmary."
"No!"
Quatre felt a wave of pain from Trowa, along with stomach-twisting fear. "I'm getting Duo--"
"No!"
"Too late," came a quiet voice as Duo walked up behind Quatre, blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Heero was close behind.
"Thank Allah! He's sick, Duo, and he won't let me help."
Duo leaned against one of the uprights, arms crossed. "He's not sick, Quat." He cast a knowing look at Trowa.
Trowa tried to sit up, but instead clutched at his stomach, groaning at the pain, curling more into a ball.
"What do you mean?" Quatre demanded. "Look at him--he's white as a sheet, sweating, shivering, in pain..."
"Yeah, withdrawal's a bitch, isn't it, Tro'?" Duo asked quietly.
Trowa glared at him. "Fuck off, Maxwell!"
Heero turned an accusing look to the braided boy. "Something you forgot to tell me, Maxwell?"
"You weren't being particularly nice to me the day I found the drugs," Duo shrugged. "After you made such a scene about my snooping, I didn't feel like sharing."
Heero glared fiercely. "You've had plenty of chances since!"
"I've been distracted," Duo shot back, narrowing his gaze.
Deciding that debating the issue of information sharing with Duo could be done later, Heero gave Trowa a stern look. "What have you been taking, Barton?"
"N-nothing," Trowa snapped, turning his face away.
"Yeah, that's the problem, isn't it?" Duo drawled quietly. "But you were taking some pretty hard-core pain killers, weren't you?"
"Fuck you, Maxwell," Trowa snarled, sparing him a deadly glare as he recalled how the boy from L2 had discovered his habit. "Touch my shit again, and I'll kill you."
Duo shrugged, turning to Heero. "I found the pills in his foot locker the day I went poking around. He told me about them later, when we were having our differences regarding K. Said they were for his shoulder, 'cause he hurt it awhile ago and the exercise was aggravating it again."
"Then he should have gone to the doctor," Heero said with a scowl. He turned an accusing glare on the auburn-haired boy. "You could have gotten us all shipped off to prison if drugs were found in our barracks."
"You told me you were quitting two weeks ago," Duo added, frowning. "What happened to that gradual tapering-off you planned?"
Quatre looked shocked and horrified. "Why, Trowa? Why would you take that stuff to begin with?"
"Not all of us grew up rich and s-spoiled," Trowa stuttered between shivers. "I had to work the circus, whether my shoulder hurt or not. And when it started up here again, I needed some relief."
The blue-eyed boy stepped back, looking stung, but Duo's hand found his shoulder and the braided boy leaned in close. "That's the drugs talking--not Trowa," he said quietly, having had some firsthand experience with people going through withdrawal before. "Don't let it get to you, Quat. He'll say worse before this is over."
"What happened to your supplier, Barton?" Heero asked curtly.
Trowa shrugged, and started to get up off his bunk.
"Whoa--you better not try standing," Duo warned.
"Hafta puke," Trowa gasped, dropping to the floor and staggering towards the bathroom.
Quatre and Duo helped him to the toilet, and while he was retching miserably, Duo went back out to Heero.
"What'll we do about him, Yuy?"
"He obviously needs medical help."
"Yeah, an' if we take him to the infirmary, Doctor Po will know exactly what his problem is." Duo shook his head. "I don't want to be responsible for getting him sent off to prison."
"What choice do we have?"
Duo chewed indecisively on his lower lip, watching Quatre and Trowa through the open door. "What if we--cover for him?"
"How?" Heero demanded, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "We have daily calisthenics--class work--"
"It's the weekend," Duo pointed out. "We could get him out of any activity Chang might've planned...say he's got the flu, but not bad enough to need the doctor. By Monday he should be over the worst of it."
"I thought you never lied?" Heero said challengingly.
"I don't, but if I say Trowa is puking and feverish, it won't be a lie."
"And it won't fool the doctor," Heero replied. "She'll come to check on him, and she'll see what's really going on."
"Damn." Duo closed his eyes, thinking furiously.
Quatre had come out in time to hear the gist of the conversation. "I have an idea," he said quietly. "What if you go to Captain Chang, Heero, and say Trowa's sick, but we'd like to keep him out of the infirmary and take care of him here. You can say we're a team, and letting us take care of a sick teammate would be...positive reinforcement!"
"Whoa--there's a mouthful," Duo smirked. "Y'think Chang would buy it?"
Heero shrugged. "He might...if I approach him the right way."
Duo spoke up with a gleam of mischief in his indigo eyes. "That mean you're gonna seduce him?"
"Duo!" Quatre said in horror.
"Well it might work," Duo insisted.
Heero eyed him narrowly. "That's more up your alley, Maxwell," he replied with an enigmatic smirk.
Duo eyed him back. "What's that supposed to mean? Just 'cause I'm from L2--we're not all whores!"
Heero stepped closer, blue eyes gleaming. "I wasn't implying that, Duo. I'd never even suggest that about you." His tone was warm, while his expression was slightly teasing. "Maybe I was just noticing how--skilled you are at being--seductive." His face was mere inches from Duo's by now.
Duo gulped slightly, eyes wide, and face flushed. "I am?" he asked breathlessly, wishing Heero would just close the distance between them and kiss him.
Heero smiled wryly. If he only knew...
"Um, if you two don't mind," Quatre said pointedly, "we need to finish planning a way to protect Trowa."
Heero looked back at the boy bent over the toilet. "I'll see what I can do for him with Chang, first thing in the morning."
"Good...and Duo? Doctor Po really likes you. If you asked nice, she'd probably look at Trowa without making any waves," Quatre added.
"Okay," Duo sighed, missing Heero's warmth as the other boy moved to lean in the bathroom doorway. "I'll talk to her tomorrow."
"Barton."
Trowa looked up, his face haggard.
"I need you to tell me the truth about the drugs," Heero said firmly. "Where'd you get them, and are you off them for good?"
The slender boy gave Heero a snide glare. "D'you think I'd be puking my guts out if I planned on getting more drugs?"
"Maybe you're a masochist," Duo commented with a vague smirk.
"Fuck you, Maxwell."
Duo just laughed and walked over to the sink, wetting a cloth. He held it out to Trowa. "Clean up a little, Barton. Quat and I can get you back to bed--but a bottom bunk this time."
Trowa mopped his face with the cloth, closing his eyes and leaning wearily against the toilet bowl. "To answer your totally stupid question, Yuy, I quit the damned stuff. K. was gonna use it to blackmail me again. But I won't do his fucking dirty work any more--" His voice trailed off as the others drifted closer.
"The warden was your supplier?" Heero asked coolly.
Trowa nodded, looking miserable. "I was getting them from a kid on Team Sphere...but I found out K. was behind it all along."
"What 'dirty work'?" Duo asked, totally serious.
"He--I--he made me--sabotage--"
"The team?" Quatre finished for him in disbelief. "Oh, Trowa." He shook his head, looking sad. "Now I know what happened...with Nanashi..."
Duo looked blankly at Heero. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"
Suspicion dawned on the Japanese boy's face. "What kind of sabotage, Barton?" His voice was hoarse with sudden emotion, and the braided boy quickly caught on.
Duo's eyes went wide, and he spun around to look searchingly at Trowa. "Tell me it wasn't you, Tro'." His voice was taut with emotion.
"Me--what?"
"Did you cut the fucking rope?" Duo demanded.
Heero tried to pull him away, but Duo jerked free and stalked over to Trowa. "Well, Barton? Did you cut the rope? Did you get me thrown in solitary, you backstabbing sonofabitch?!"
Trowa looked up miserably. "I didn't know you'd get blamed."
"Didn't know--?" Duo flung himself at Trowa then, dragging him away from the toilet and punching him squarely in the face. "You fucking, goddamned--! D'you know what they did to me?! You dirty cocksucking--!" The braided boy's rage choked off anything else he might have said, and he kept punching until Trowa fell, and then resorted to kicking him.
Trowa made no attempt to fight back, but curled into a ball, his arms over his head to deflect the worst of the blows. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he kept mumbling as Duo attacked.
It took both Heero and Quatre to pull the cursing, livid boy off of Trowa, and even then Duo's fury was far from spent, as he struggled against them, cursing non-stop.
"Goddamned, motherfucking--!"
"I'm sorry!" Trowa blurted again, looking up with tear-filled eyes. "He would've killed Nanashi! If I didn't cut the rope, he'd have shot him--"
"What are you talking about?" Heero demanded, as they kept trying to drag Duo out of the bathroom.
"Kushrenada...he was going to kill Nanashi if I didn't do what he said."
Duo pulled free of Heero once again, lunging for Trowa, only to be held back when Heero caught him around the waist. "You fucking traded me for a dog?" Duo snarled. "A goddamned dog?!"
"It was Nanashi--"
"Winner--you take care of Barton," Heero said, literally dragging Duo out of the room.
The orphan from L2 was still kicking and screaming obscenities as Heero forcefully pulled him onto his bunk. He wrapped his arms around Duo, pinning the braided boy's arms to his sides, and holding him still, crushed against his chest.
"Stop it, Duo!" he snapped firmly. "It's too late to blame Trowa. Just stop!"
Duo only struggled harder, his voice hoarse from cursing, and tears of anger spilling from his eyes. "Goddamn him, Heero! I'll kill him!"
"Shh," soothed Heero, tightening his grip and rocking Duo gently. "Hush. Let it go, shinnaino."
"I can't--" Duo mumbled into Heero's shoulder, finally giving up his struggles and instead going limp, sobbing brokenly. "I can't..."
"Yes you can," Heero murmured quietly. "He made a mistake, Duo...a mistake."
Duo just cried harder, pulling a hand free and clenching it in the front of Heero's shirt, clinging desperately.
Quatre came out with Trowa, who was shaking so hard he could barely stagger along with the blonde supporting him. They both stopped in their tracks at the sight of Duo crying on Heero's shoulder.
"Gods--I'm sorry--" Trowa groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry..."
"Not now!" Heero warned, gesturing with his head for Quatre to take Trowa back to his bunk.
The little Arab helped his friend back across the room, laying him in the lower bunk, and grabbing the blanket off the top one for extra warmth. "Just lie still," he cautioned. "I'll be right here."
"Fuck...I don't deserve your help," Trowa whispered hoarsely, his eyes filled with torment. "Just leave me alone."
"No," Quatre said firmly...quietly. "We're a team, Trowa, and we'll take care of you."
"Why bother?" Trowa retorted weakly. "Maxwell will tell them about the drugs for sure now, and they'll send me to L3. May as well just let 'em take me now..."
"Shut up!" Quatre ordered sternly. "Try to sleep, Trowa, or at least rest. And stop thinking for now. We'll figure out what to do in the morning."
The auburn-haired boy turned his face toward the wall, moaning at the pains in his stomach, and curling up under the blankets.
Quatre remained at his side, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back, and murmuring quiet reassurances.
Heero was doing much the same on the other side of the room, holding Duo tight against him and stroking the long, silky braid and the trembling boy's back. "It'll get better, Duo," he promised in a whisper. "You'll get better."
Duo shook his head, his face still buried in Heero's shirt. "God...it'll never get better," he rasped weakly. "I just want to forget it, Heero. I want to forget everything."
The Japanese boy shook his head slightly. "I wish I could make it go away," he said gently. "But I can't. All I can do is be here, and hope that's enough."
Duo was almost dead weight in Heero's arms by then, exhausted from the shock of betrayal...the emotional outburst...and the release of tears he'd been holding back for days. "Why'd he do it?" he murmured softly, his voice barely audible, encircled as he was by the team leader's arms.
"I think he thought he didn't have a choice..." Heero began.
"Not Trowa..." Duo groaned, closing his eyes. "Him."
Heero's throat constricted as he realized who Duo was talking about. "Shit, Duo. How should I know?" He tightened his grip on the other boy, wishing he could make him feel safe again. "But Wufei made him pay for it. You know that."
"It doesn't help much," came the whisper against his shirt.
"I know."
Quatre had quieted Trowa, and came over to the others, putting a gentle hand on Duo's shoulder. "Hey, how're you doing?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with warmth and concern.
"Not so good," Duo muttered, turning his face just enough so Quatre could see the tortured indigo eyes.
"Yeah, I can see that," said the blonde. He carefully wrapped his arms around both Duo and Heero, putting his face next to the braided boy's. "I'm here for you too, Duo. Whatever you need. We'll take care of you...promise."
"I know, Quat," sighed Duo, drawing a shaky breath. "God, I didn't know it could hurt this much."
"You've been betrayed, Duo. That hurts more than almost anything," Quatre told him, recalling his own shock when his father had turned his back on him because of his choice. "It hurts so much..."
The boy from L2 blinked, catching the change in Quatre's tone. "Aw...I'm sorry, Quat," he said with a grimace, realizing the empath genuinely shared his pain.
"S'okay," Quatre shrugged. "I don't mind. I only wish I could make it go away for you."
"Time," Heero said firmly. "That's what will make the difference." He shifted slightly, so Duo was more comfortably slumped against his chest, but kept his arms snug around the other boy. "I promise, Duo. It'll get better."
Drawing a deep, painful breath, Duo managed to nod. "For now I'll just have to take your word for that," he said wearily, reaching a hand to wipe at his eyes. "God, I hate this," he sighed.
Quatre looked over his head at Heero. "I think you should take him to Doctor Po..."
"No!" Duo said sharply, looking up with slightly wild eyes. "I'm okay!"
"You are not," Quatre insisted. "And she said you could come any time. Maybe she can give you something to help relax you." He gently pushed the damp bangs out of Duo's eyes. "Hey...would you just let us help?"
"Don't want help..." came the rather petulant reply. "I'm a street rat. I can take care of myself."
Heero put a hand under Duo's chin, lifting it so the braided boy had to look at him. "But what if I want to take care of you?" he asked quietly, in all seriousness. With his thumb, he gently reached to wipe tears from Duo's cheek. "Won't you let me take you to the doctor? Please?"
Duo looked up into the intense blue eyes, and his resolve crumbled. He turned his face away, blushing slightly. "Alright," he conceded in a whisper. "We'll go."
Heero smiled triumphantly, leaning to kiss the top of the chestnut head. "That's better," he said soothingly.
Duo relaxed even more, offering no resistance when Heero gently drew him to his feet, wrapping an arm firmly around his waist. "C'mon, little baka. We'll go get you some help."
"See if she's got anything for nausea?" Quatre asked quietly, glancing over at Trowa.
"Affirmative," Heero replied, steering the reluctant Duo towards the door. "We'll be back in a little while. You hold down the fort, 04."
Managing a small, weary smile, Quatre nodded.
~*~
Doctor Po answered the door in her bathrobe, yawning and muttering about the late hour. But she stopped in surprise when she saw the two boys standing there.
"I know it's the middle of the night, Doctor Po, but you said any time Duo needed help, to come to you."
Sally pulled her robe tighter, knotting the sash. "Yes, I did. C'mon in."
Heero led Duo into the infirmary, the braided boy moving reluctantly. Only Heero's firm hand on his wrist kept him there when he looked like he'd rather be any of a million other places.
Sally eyed the boy carefully, seeing the damp tear tracks on his face, and the redness of his eyes. "Looks like you're having a bad night, Duo," she said quietly.
He nodded, absently rubbing at his nose with the edge of a sleeve and shifting from foot to foot restlessly.
"Would you like to tell me about it?" she asked gently.
He shook his head. "Wouldn't even be here if he didn't drag me." He gave Heero a vaguely resentful glare.
Sally went over to a cabinet and unlocked it, taking out a bottle of pills and shaking two into her hand. She brought them back to Duo with a cup of water from the sink. "Here--this is what I gave you while you were in the infirmary before. It'll help you sleep."
Duo nodded meekly, taking the pills and downing them in a gulp.
"I'd like you to stop in and see the psychologist when he comes in next week," Sally added.
Duo looked up sharply. "I'm okay!" he insisted. "I just--tonight was just--too much."
"I'll make sure he gets time to see the psychologist," Heero asserted.
Duo narrowed his eyes. "Don't make promises for me, Yuy."
"I didn't," Heero retorted. "I'm only going to make sure Captain Chang gives you time to go. It'll be up to you to follow through on it."
Sally smiled at the exchange. "Think about going, Duo. It'll help. And so will a good night's sleep."
He nodded wearily.
"Um." Heero cleared his throat uneasily. "Uh--Barton has a bit of an upset stomach--maybe a touch of the flu. Is there anything you could maybe give us to help him feel better?"
Duo glared down at the floor sullenly. It fucking served Barton right!
"How bad is he? Should I come--?"
"No! Er--that is--he's just a little under the weather. I'd hate for him to get pulled from the competition just because of an off day. I mean, if he got worse, of course he'd need a doctor."
Sally blinked at Heero's unusually long-winded speech. "Well--okay." She went and got a bottle from the cupboard. "This is ginger syrup--very good for an upset stomach and totally safe. Have Trowa take two teaspoons with a sip of water to wash it down." She smirked slightly. "It's kind of strong-tasting."
"But it'll help?"
"It's better than Dramamine for motion sickness," Sally shrugged. "Worth a try. And if he's not keeping liquids down within twenty-four hours, you let me know. He'll need infirmary care and i.v. fluids."
Duo yawned, swaying slightly on his feet, and Heero took his arm. "I'd better get him back to his bunk. Thanks a lot, doc."
She smiled fondly at Duo. "That's okay, Heero. You come any time Duo or any of you need something."
As they walked across the compound, Heero leaned closer. "Quatre was right. She likes you."
"Gads, she's almost old enough to be my mother," Duo said between yawns. "An' I'm gay. Remember?"
"Didn't say she likes you that way--just that she likes you--in a sisterly way."
Duo snickered. "Like Sister Helen?"
"Who's that?" Heero asked, recalling Duo mentioning her before.
"She was a nun at the orphanage, silly."
"Ah."
"She's the one who taught me how to braid my hair, since I wouldn't let her cut it," Duo babbled, the sleeping pills making him even more chatty than usual. At least they seemed to have distracted him from the tenseness with Trowa. He stumbled as they walked, and Heero caught him around the waist to steady him.
Duo grinned sleepily. "Thanks, 'Ro." He yawned widely. "Doctor Po's nice an' all. I really like her. But I love you." Rubbing his heavy-lidded eyes, he completely missed the stunned look Heero gave him.
You love me? But then the blue-eyed team leader shook his head, smirking, and dismissed it as drugged rambling on Duo's part. "Baka," he murmured.
"Mm--but your baka," Duo added.
They reached the barracks and Heero had to practically shove Duo up onto his bunk. He left him in his tee shirt and boxers, threw a blanket over him, and tucked in the edges. Then he gently brushed back the bangs from Duo's forehead. "Sleep well, shinnaino."
Duo, for his part, was already snoring.
Heero turned to Quatre, who was sitting beside a writhing, sweating Trowa. "How's he doing?"
"Awful," Quatre said with obvious concern. "His pulse is rapid...breathing shallow..." He looked up with worried aqua eyes. "Maybe we better get the doctor..."
"No!" Trowa gasped, jaw tight. "Please! I can do this."
Heero sighed. "Let me do a little research, Quatre. Maybe I can find something on the computer about withdrawal symptoms and how long we can expect them to last."
Quatre nodded, turning tear-filled eyes back to the former acrobat. "Oh, Trowa, how could you?" he sighed, thinking of all that had happened because of the boy's treachery. His gaze traveled to Duo, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, thanks to the tranquilizers. "Duo," he whispered. "How are you two ever going to mend this?"
TBC...
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