Boot Camp Part 49
Promises

When the boys had returned from a late and somber dinner, Duo made no pretense of doing anything other than what he planned...preparing to go break into Heero's cell.

"What, exactly, do you hope to accomplish?" Quatre asked, arms crossed over his chest and a resolute look in the aquamarine eyes as he watched Duo stuff a few things into a backpack.

"I have to see him," Duo said simply, not telling the blonde his real plan, which was to help Heero escape, and get as far from Camp Peacecraft and the L1 enforcers as possible.

"And that's all? Then you'll come right back here?" Quatre pressed.

Duo shot him a half-hearted smirk. "Well, I thought he and I might have a quick fuck first."

Trowa barked out a short laugh. "Let him go, Quat."

Blue eyes narrowed. "You're no help, Trowa. If he gets caught near the detention cells, he could end up shipped off to L2, while Heero's headed for L1." Quatre looked pleadingly at his friend. "Is that what you want?"

"Hell, no," Duo said promptly. "But I'm not letting Heero off this base without seeing him first." He paused in his packing, turning a determined look to his friend. "We've left a lot unsaid, Heero an' me. And I need to say some of it. This might be my only chance."

"Captain Chang said he'd try to get us in to see him."

"They're taking him out of here first thing in the morning," Duo replied. "There's no time."

"None like the present," Trowa pointed out.

Duo narrowed his eyes at the auburn-haired boy. "I expected some resistance from you, Barton. What's up?"

"You're a big boy, Duo. It's your mistake to make," Trowa said flatly. "I, of all people, have no right to dictate someone else's actions." He shrugged. "Besides, there's no stopping you."

"Y'got that right." Duo fastened the straps on the backpack, and tossed it into his foot locker, closing the lid. Then he turned to his teammates. "I need you two to cover for me if Chang stops by more than once."

"How, pray tell?" Quatre drawled with a trace of sarcasm.

"Quat, you disabled a bus out in the middle of the compound in broad daylight," Duo reminded him. "Surely you can come up with a way to keep Chang from pulling the blankets off my bunk and finding out there's nothing but a bunch of pillows under it."

Trowa slipped an arm around Quatre's waist from behind. "I'm sure we can come up with something," he said with a broad grin.

Quatre squirmed a little, half-turning. "Don't encourage him, Trowa! He should give up on this and just wait for Captain Chang to fix things. It's too risky..."

Trowa put his lips next to Quatre's ear. "Some things are worth the risk," he said simply.

Duo smiled in reply, and then gestured to their bunks. "Everyone in bed. Chang will be here to check on us any time...you could make book on it." He doused the lights and climbed into his bunk, wrapping up in his blanket, and feigning sleep.

And sure enough, not twenty minutes later, the door opened quietly, and Captain Chang padded silently into the barracks, heading straight for Duo's bunk. A small flashlight provided him enough illumination to see that the braided boy was indeed there.

"I know you aren't asleep, Maxwell," he said in a whisper.

"None of us are," Quatre said from his own bunk.

Duo pushed himself up on an elbow, smirking at the officer. "Figured you'd be stopping by, sir. I actually expected you a little sooner. I could've been halfway to the detention area by now if I'd left at lights out."

"I was watching the door and window," Wufei shrugged. "There's no other way out."

Duo didn't see any point in telling him about the loose floorboards in the bathroom under a ratty old throw-rug, and the handy crawlspace under the barracks. "So, go on back to your vigil and let me get some sleep," he suggested. "I know when I'm licked, Cap'n."

"Do you?" came the wary response. Wufei's dark eyes all but bored holes in the indigo ones. Then, abruptly, he yanked the blanket off Duo, eyes widening when he realized the boy was in boxers and tee shirt only.

Duo cocked an eyebrow. "Want something, Chang? You'll have to wait in line. Heero's my main squeeze right now."

A faint blush crept up the officer's face and he tossed the blanket back to the boy. "I thought...I was sure you'd..."

"...be fully dressed and ready to sneak out?" Duo finished for him. "How stupid do you think I am?"

Not nearly as stupid as I'd hoped. Wufei regained his composure quickly, and frowned at the boy. "I would like very much for you to promise me you won't sneak out of this building tonight, Maxwell."

"And I'd like very much to make that promise," Duo replied smoothly.

"But...?"

"But you're watching me anyway, so clearly you wouldn't believe me if I did promise."

"I have to be sure," countered the Chinese officer. "I know Heero means a great deal to you, and that you'll go to some lengths to see him."

"You have no idea what he means to me," Duo said quietly, his face completely serious. "He means everything. Without him, I'd never have made it this far through the camp."

"Show how much you care for him by staying out of trouble."

Duo flashed him a wry smile. "I promise I'll do my best to stay out of trouble. How's that for a bargain?"

"That tells me nothing," Wufei sighed. "Basically all you're promising is to try not to get caught."

"You know me so well," came the rueful reply. "You go do what you have to do, Captain. Let me get some rest, hmm?"

Muttering Chinese curses under his breath, Captain Chang strode silently out of the barracks.

Trowa laughed quietly. "Smooth, Maxwell. He knows damned well what you're going to do, and yet he can't come up with a way to stop it."

Quatre frowned slightly. "I don't see why he didn't just put one of his soldiers in here for the night to watch us."

"He wants to give me a sporting chance," grinned Duo. "Not that he thinks I'll succeed; but he wants to let me try...to let me get just far enough so he can justify tossing me in a locked room until Heero's gone."

"I see." Quatre's eyes narrowed. "Captain Chang is a complex man," he noted.

"Not so much," shrugged Duo, dropping to the floor and grabbing his clothes out from under the pillow on Heero's empty bunk. "He likes strategy games. I learned that much about him from Heero." He pulled his clothes and boots on quickly.

"So this is all a game to him?" came the skeptical response.

"It is to me, too," Duo told him. He buttoned his shirt and gave Quatre a reassuring smile. "Well...not really. Seeing Heero isn't a game...but getting to him is."

"Agh...make me barf, Maxwell," Trowa groaned. "You are so in love with Yuy."

Duo looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah, I am," he admitted.

Trowa had the decency to look startled by the open admission. And then he smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

"Thanks, man." Duo grabbed the backpack out of his foot locker and went over to Quatre's bunk. "I shoved my pillow under the blanket so it looks like maybe I'm there. It won't fool Chang for a second, though. D'you have a plan to distract him when he comes back?"

Trowa chuckled darkly. "I have a foolproof plan." He leaned over the edge of his bunk and winked at Quatre, who blushed brightly.

"Agh! Too much information," Duo laughed.

"Yeah, right," Trowa drawled snidely. "You all but told us you're going to see Yuy to get a piece of ass before he leaves, and yet you're all squeamish about me an' Quatre making out loud enough to scare Chang off?"

Quatre looked up with wide eyes. "We're gonna w-what?"

Duo leaned down to whisper in Quatre's ear. "You're gonna fuck each other senseless," he predicted. He dropped a quick, chaste kiss on his friend's cheek. "I'm almost jealous," he sighed, straightening up. The look he gave Trowa was a clear warning. "You're a lucky sonofabitch, Barton. And if you don't make Quatre happy, I'll personally gut you." With a devilish wink, he slipped into the bathroom, and locked the door, so that if Chang did come in and find him gone, he might waste a few minutes thinking he was merely indisposed.

Then Duo pried up the floorboards he'd loosened earlier that evening, carefully laying them aside; and he dropped his backpack down into the crawlspace, following it shortly thereafter.

Flat on his stomach, he inched along under the building until he came to the corner with no windows, figuring Chang would watch that side the least. He waited for his heart to stop pounding, and his night vision to stabilize, and then he loosened a section of lattice and squeezed out from under the barracks.

From there, he slipped through the shadows to the edge of the compound, setting his sights on the detention center. He'd already formulated his approach. Years of burglary had taught him that people rarely look up. It was a simple matter for him to climb the downspout on the corner of the building and tiptoe silently along the roof until he reached the exhaust vent.

At that point, he took out his jackknife and used it to unscrew the four corners so he could lift the grillwork off the duct. When the routine search lights made their sweep, he flattened himself onto the roof, holding his breath until they'd passed over. Then he stood and lowered himself into the skinny tube, crawling along it until he found a slatted opening.

From his overhead position, he could see a dark hallway, with only faint light from a distant bulb. Two figures were standing in shadow outside a door, which he figured had to be Heero's. So he took a right turn, sliding on elbows and toes until he found the next opening and could look down into a dusky cell.

With his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could make out shapes pretty well. There was a bunk, a toilet, and a sink...and on the bunk was a lumpy shape under the blanket. As he watched, it moved, and the person sat up, looking around as if searching for something.

"Duo?"

The quiet voice made him twitch with surprise, and at the whisper of sound it made, the person turned and headed straight for the vent.

"What the hell--?" Heero looked up, his face shadowed, but those glimmering eyes impossible to mistake.

"Hey, lover," Duo smirked quietly, slipping the knife through the slats. "Wanna unscrew the cover so I can get in?"

"No...Duo, you have to leave...if you get caught..."

"I'm not leaving until we talk," Duo said flatly, in a voice Heero recognized as resolute.

"Fine." He took the knife, and in a matter of seconds had loosened the cover of the exhaust vent.

Duo crawled past the opening, lowering his legs first, and then dropping soundlessly to the floor. "Hi, honey. I'm home," he whispered, straightening up and grinning as Heero's arms closed around him. "Ah, just the welcome I wanted."

Heero held him desperately for a moment, breathing the scent of his hair, and the faint smell of soap and clean laundry...as well as the dusty odor of the ductwork, and Duo's own unique smell. "Duo...you're crazy...but God it's good to hold you."

"Right back atcha," came the softly whispered reply. Reluctantly Duo disentangled himself, and dropped to his knees.

"What are you doing--?" came the slightly alarmed, almost strangled query.

He glanced up, winking. "Not what you're thinking...though that'd be nice, too. Maybe later, love."

Heero felt his pant leg rolled up a few inches, and Duo's chilly hands fiddling with the ankle bracelet. Then the braided boy chuckled triumphantly, slipping the device off, and standing up.

"There. You're a free man, Yuy. At least, you will be as soon as we climb out of here and dodge a few guards. And dogs. And Chang's army." Duo pulled Heero up close and kissed him deeply.

While Heero fully enjoyed the hot feeling of Duo's tongue against his, and the even hotter feeling of the body pressed close, he forced himself to push the other boy back a few inches. "What are you talking about Duo?"

"I'm busting you out," Duo said as if it was a foregone conclusion.

"You can't!" Heero protested in a barely audible whisper, glancing uneasily towards the door. "Duo, if we're caught, you'll end up in prison so long we'll never see each other again."

"Then we better not get caught." Duo silenced him with another kiss, pressing up against him so he felt the hardness of the braided boy's arousal against his own. When Duo broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against the Japanese boy's. "God, Yuy...if we don't hurry, I'm not gonna be able to run when we need to," he breathed against his lips.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life running..." Heero began.

"What 'rest of your life?'" Duo replied. "It won't take us more than a couple of days to ditch the pursuit and find a place to start over."

Heero shook his head. "No, Duo. Wufei's gonna help me beat this rap. All I have to do is sit tight. It'll be okay."

Duo shook his head. "Damn it, Yuy. I've been in the system my whole life. You can't trust that they'll make this right."

Heero pulled away and went to sit on his bunk, putting his head in his hands. Part of him believed Duo; the murder charge would be tricky to beat, at best. At worst, it could be the end of him. And running away to start a new life with Duo was a very appealing option.

But then he pictured what that life would be like. They'd always have to run...always hide...and there wouldn't be a moment's peace for them. And the dream of attending the Academy would be a thing of the past. There'd be no turning back from that road once they started.

When he'd first realized he loved Duo, Heero knew he wanted something better for the braided boy...something better than the streets, and a life of hiding and stealing. He never wanted his beautiful lover to have to eat from garbage cans again. And Duo had worked so hard, and come so far in boot camp, that Heero couldn't bear to think of him throwing that all away.

He looked up when he felt a weight settle next to him on the bunk. "C'mon, Heero. You can't hesitate now. We don't have that much time."

"I-I can't," sighed the boy from L1. He looked up into the deep indigo eyes. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life running, Duo," he repeated. "I want to spend it with you."

Duo's eyes widened at the implications. "With m-me?"

"Yeah, with you. And without having to dodge the authorities...without having to live on the streets." Heero ran his hands lightly down Duo's arms, pulling the other boy a little closer. "You deserve to be free--to have that fresh start we've been working for. I won't let you throw it away. I won't throw it away. We have to do this the right way...the legal way...so we don't spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders in fear."

The other boy's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "But what if they convict you?" he asked in a small voice.

"Don't worry about that. Wufei's hiring a top-notch lawyer. He'll help me beat this."

"And if you don't?"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, you need to get back to the barracks before you get into trouble, too. I don't think I could stand it if I had to worry about you being in an L2 prison while I'm dealing with this."

Duo shook his head. "I'm not leaving until you give me something to remember you by 'til you get back."

Heero smirked, leaning in to kiss the braided boy, but Duo shook his head again.

"No, I mean something to really remember," he whispered, sliding his hands up Heero's back and burying them in the thick, unruly hair to pull the other boy in for a deep, passionate kiss.

When they came up for air, Heero tried to pull back slightly, without much success. "Duo--you shouldn't--we shouldn't--"

"Shut up, 'Ro--I want this," Duo breathed, pressing himself into the team leader's arms. "God, I want you! I want to remember what you feel like--an' taste like--an' smell like-- I want it burned in my memory before I'll let you go."

Heero brushed back the chestnut bangs. "You want our first time to be in a jail cell?"

Duo loved the sound of that...first...meaning there'd be more. Lots more, if he had anything to say about it. "I don't care," he replied. "I'm not picky about 'where' and 'why'. But I have a definite opinion on 'when'."

"When?"

"Yeah--as in now."

Duo followed those words with a kiss that made Heero's heart flutter with anticipation. Even as the silken tongue caressed his palate, exploring his mouth in passionate detail, Duo's nimble fingers were working at the buttons on his shirt.

Heero responded by catching the slender hands, caressing them lovingly, before sliding his own hands up the other boy's arms to bury his fingers in the thick chestnut hair, eliciting a groan of sheer pleasure from his lover.

"Ah, fuck, Heero," Duo gasped, pulling back for a quick breath of air. "Now! I want you now. I need you..."

"But what if someone comes in?" Heero asked, panting and flushed.

Duo smirked at him, fingers still busy unbuttoning the other boy's shirt. "They'll probably add 'statutory rape' to those charges against you," he said, pushing the shirt open and leaning forward to brush a kiss across Heero's exposed chest. "I'm under age, y'know."

"Duo--"

"Don't try to stop me, Yuy." Indigo eyes glanced up from under the chestnut bangs. "'S not like you're the first," he said quietly. "An' I'm not talking about what happened in solitary. I fucking lived on the streets all my life. Y'think I didn't take comfort wherever I could?" He pulled back a little, frowning. "Does that change things?"

"Oh, fuck no!" Heero said quickly, reaching to cup the beautiful face in his hands. "Jesus, Duo, I'm no saint either. That doesn't matter at all."

"Good answer," Duo grinned, capturing Heero's lips in another searing kiss.

This time Heero gave up the struggle to resist temptation; he was losing anyway. Ah, hell, he'd lost a long, long time ago. Gods, all he wanted now was to feel every touch--every caress the other boy was willing to give--to feel that hot skin against his--that tight heat around his agonizing hardness.

They were already on the bunk, and moved towards the middle as first Heero's shirt slid to the floor, and then Duo's followed. And between fevered touches and whispered, lustful promises, they managed to lose the rest of their clothes, ending up rolling sideways onto the mattress to divest one another of the last stitch.

And then they were pressed naked against one another, with no thought for anything except the exploration of their bodies.

Duo's light fingers ghosted down Heero's sides, eliciting a gasp and shiver of delight. "God, you don't know how long I've wanted to feel you like this!"

"Yeah, I do," Heero whispered back, licking at a nipple and smiling at the whimper of delight that rewarded him. "Just as long as I've wanted to do that."

"You can do whatever you want," hissed the braided boy in a passionate whisper. As Heero kissed his way down to his navel and let his tongue trace a lazy circle around it before dipping inside, Duo moaned quietly. "Anything."

He could feel the lips against his stomach curl in a smile. "Anything?"

"Yeah...anything."

Heero took his lover at his word, allowing his hands and lips to touch and tease and stroke all he wanted.

And when Duo was literally quivering in anticipation, and could take no more teasing, he turned the tables, rolling so that he was on top, taking his turn at caressing and tasting, and making his partner squirm in delight.

Enjoying the feeling of power the other boy's responses gave him, Duo allowed his lips to travel below the navel, brushing light kisses along the hardness he found, before boldly taking it in his mouth.

Heero gasped in surprise, and a deep, guttural groan escaped his throat before he could stop himself.

An instant later, there was a sharp rap on the door, and the sound of a guard's voice muffled by the closed peephole. "Yuy?"

Shoving Duo against the wall, flat on his stomach, Heero yanked the blanket over both of them and turned onto his side, so the other boy was concealed behind him. He was just in time, as the peephole in the door opened and the guard shone a little light inside, aiming it at Heero's face.

"You alright kid? I heard groaning. Sounded like you were in some serious pain or something."

Or something, indeed!

"I'm f-fine!" Heero stammered hastily, blinking in the faint light and forcing a wan smile.

The guard frowned slightly, eyes narrowing. "You sure? You sound a little shaky, kid. Captain Chang promised divine retribution if anything happens to you. I wanna know if you're sick."

"No. Just...the food. Gave me a little stomach ache--gas, y'know?" Heero lied quickly. He winced as Duo's hand slid around his waist, across the aforementioned stomach and then dropped lower, teasing his erection again. "Ah, fuck!" he hissed, dropping his own hand to grab Duo's in a death grip. "I'm okay. Really."

"Want me to send someone to the infirmary for some antacids or something?"

"Don't bother," Heero growled, squeezing Duo's hand in warning as the fingers tried to tease him yet again. "Really. Thanks. I'll bang on the door if it gets worse and I change my mind."

"Well--okay. I'll check again in an hour or so either way. If you ain't better by then, I'm gonna send for the doc whether you like it or not."

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Heero replied, biting his lip so hard he almost drew blood, as Duo's other hand slid under his hip and curled around his thigh, cupping what it found there and stroking gently.

When the little peephole closed, Heero rolled over sharply, catching Duo's hands and pinning them over the braided boy's head as he used his body to trap him underneath. "Maxwell, are you fucking nuts?" he whispered heatedly.

"No. I'm fucking you," came the unrepentant reply. "Or vice versa. Your choice, lover." The braided boy reached up to capture Heero's lips in a rough, demanding kiss, squirming under him so that their erections ground together provocatively. "Now, can we get on with it?"

"Ah...fuck, yes!" Heero groaned helplessly, giving in to the passion he could no longer suppress. He kissed and teased his way down the other boy's body, touching and stroking every curve--imprinting the sensations on both their memories. Both boys were soon gasping and moaning with delight, muffling the sounds against each other's skin.

Then, as Heero's fingers slid down Duo's hip, exploring the curve of his ass, the braided boy groaned with impatience, one arm reaching over the side of the bunk to grab his pants and fumble in a pocket. He pressed a small tube of something into Heero's hand.

"Where'd you get--?" Heero paused, still breathing hard, to look at what he'd been given. "Bacitracin?"

"Stopped to see Doc Po after dinner," Duo panted, indigo eyes dark with lust. "For my knee. I--borrowed--the stuff when she went to get bandaids."

"Ah." Heero nipped at Duo's neck, taking skin between his teeth and sucking gently on it until the other boy squirmed and a groan slipped out from between parted lips.

"Y'gonna tell me I shouldn't have--?"

Heero shook his head. "Not in a million years." He proceeded to open the little tube and put it to good use, delighting in the hissed exclamations of pleasure he drew from his partner. In fact, he enjoyed the small mewls and gasps so much, he took his time, dragging things out as long as possible, until the braided boy was panting and bucking against his fingers.

"Goddamnit, Heero...stop teasing already!" Duo demanded when he'd endured all he could. "I want you inside me--oh, fuck that feels good--now!"

Heero stopped the tantalizing strokes, raising himself up on his hands until he was over his lover. His deep blue eyes burned with passion as he studied the flushed face and lust-filled gaze. "You sure--?" he asked quietly.

"Never more sure of anything in my life," came the barely-whispered answer.

"I don't want to hurt you--or scare you--" He frowned in concern, watching for even the least bit of hesitation or uneasiness on the other boy's face, painfully aware of how recently he'd been traumatized. But all he saw was desire, affection, and even anticipation.

"You could never hurt me," Duo murmured, reaching a hand up to curl behind Heero's neck and draw him in for another kiss. "C'mon, and make love to me, 'Ro..."

And he did.

Closing his eyes in ecstasy as he eased into the pliant body beneath him, Heero surrendered to the realization that he was deeply and hopelessly in love. He'd never felt such an overwhelming emotion in his life, as he did at that moment.

"Look at me, 'Ro," came a soft whisper, and he opened his eyes to find Duo's dark, impassioned gaze resting adoringly on his face. "God, you're beautiful."

"Took the words right out of my mouth..." Heero breathed, a sheen of sweat on his face as he struggled to remain still for a moment--to wait until his lover was ready for him to move.

"Then have 'em back," came the teasing response, as Duo drew him down for a deep, soulful kiss. A moment later, the braided boy rocked his hips slightly, eliciting a groan of pleasure from Heero. "Go ahead, Yuy...move."

No need to ask twice.

Heero did move then, at first slowly--carefully--and then with more assurance as they settled into a rhythm. And if the hot, silky tightness wasn't enough to drive Heero to the very edge of release, the sight of Duo's blissful face against the pillow, eyes half-closed and dark with lust, would have done it anyway. But it was the gasp of surprise and blind pleasure that was torn from his lover's lips as his next thrust brushed just the right spot, that brought Heero right to the brink.

His hand slipped down between them to stroke with the same speed and rhythm as his thrusts, and he felt his lover's body tense just as his own did...as they both climbed to the pinnacle of pleasure as one.Duo's mouth opened as if to scream in ecstasy, and Heero hastily covered it with his own, kissing him deeply, muffling both their cries as they came together. But the Japanese boy could have sworn the sound he smothered with his lips was his own name being called aloud in the throes of passion, and it turned him on so much he thought he'd pass out from the intensity of his orgasm.

When his head finally cleared, he was looking down into wide, teary indigo eyes, and cheeks flushed with excitement and passion. Duo was still panting heavily, his breath hot across Heero's lips.

"Oh, fucking God, that was amazing," he gasped out weakly.

Heero nodded, still out of breath himself, and gazed adoringly at the face beneath him. "You are so damned gorgeous right now," he said in wonder.

The blush on Duo's cheeks deepened, and his eyes clouded with lust again. "Right back atcha, Yuy," he whispered, raising his head so he could kiss his lover deeply.

"Shit," Heero muttered, pulling back when the kiss ended. "I could do this all night, Duo...but you have to go."

The braided boy shook his head. "Come, Yuy. The word is come."

"You already did," smirked the team leader, glancing down at the mess they'd made of the bed and each other.

"Yeah, and you know what?" Duo said huskily. "I think I finally had sex with the right person."

"Why's that?"

"Because you were right...it's even better than the MS Simulator."

Heero couldn't help but grin. "I guess I should take that as a compliment?"

"Hell, yes!" Duo looked up at him in all seriousness. "Heero Yuy, you are fucking amazing in bed."

"Right back atcha, itoshii."

"God, when you talk Japanese it really turns me on," Duo murmured with a smirk.

Heero groaned, reluctantly easing away from his lover, and flopping wearily onto his back. "I wish we had the time to..."

"I know." Duo rolled to face the other boy, running a hand back through the unruly chocolate-brown hair. "Just say the word and I'll stay here until they come to drag you off to the shuttle. I don't care what happens."

"Much as I want that, I want even more for you to get out of here and back to the barracks before you get into trouble." Heero put a hand on Duo's cheek, running his thumb over the slightly parted lips. "There's so many things I still want to tell you. But not now...not here." He placed a soft, tender kiss on those lips, and then pulled back and put his forehead against Duo's. "Will you wait for me?"

"Forever, if I have to," Duo said in a whisper.

"Thank you." Heero pulled his lover close once more, running his hands down the bare back as if memorizing by touch every curve and muscle on his body.

Duo gasped in pleasure, returning the desperate embrace. "I don't want to let go," he murmured.

"Just for a little while."

"And what if--?"

"Shh. We aren't going to think of what could go wrong. Just know that no matter what, I'll be coming back to you...however long it takes."

Duo nodded, closing his eyes to try to hide the tears that spilled over anyway. "I love you."

"I know," Heero said with a gentle smile instead of his usual smirk. "And it--awes me. I don't feel worthy of your love."

The boy from L2 blushed, turning his face away. "That's gotta be a first, someone thinking they aren't worthy of me."

Heero shook his head. "Don't you ever sell yourself short, Duo. You're smart, talented..." His eyes roamed over the boy he adored. "...sexy as hell."

"Yeah, right back atcha," Duo teased.

"And much as I hate to say it, we need to get dressed and get you out of here before that guard comes back to check on me or 'Fei shows up at the barracks looking for you." He frowned in concern. "You know he will."

"He already did," Duo admitted. "And I'm sure he'll pull another surprise inspection before the night's over." He leaned in for another kiss, and then pulled away reluctantly. "You're right. I have to go."

They dressed quickly, pausing for brief touches and kisses along the way. But when the guard's footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, Heero hastily helped Duo back up into the ductwork, shoving the cover into place and tightening the screws before passing the knife back to the other boy.

"Stay safe," he whispered, pressing a hand to the louvered cover.

"You, too, 'Ro," came a slightly choked response.

"Hurry up and go!" Heero hissed in warning as a key turned in the lock and he darted back to his bunk to dive beneath the rumpled covers and try to look innocent and half-asleep.

Duo eased carefully back through the narrow tunnel to the roof, and retraced his path to the barracks, breathing a sigh of relief once he was in the crawlspace again. When he pulled himself up into the bathroom, he could hear voices out in the barracks.

"--can explain why there are pillows under Maxwell's blanket instead of Maxwell under there?" Shit! Chang's voice.

"--wouldn't have noticed if the building burned down, sir." Trowa's voice, sounding vaguely amused, and not at all apologetic.

Duo hastily pulled off his boots, shirt, and pants, leaving himself in his boxers and tee-shirt again. He stuffed his discarded clothes and his backpack down the hole in the floor and replaced the loose boards. Then he slid the throw rug back over the hole and glanced around to make sure everything looked as it should.

"You do realize if I catch him trying to get to Yuy, I won't have any choice but to make an example of him?" Chang's voice sounded genuinely regretful.

Duo pulled off his hair tie, shook out his braid, and pulled the door open, walking into the barracks yawning and rubbing his eyes. He stopped at the sight of Captain Chang standing glaring at Quatre and Trowa, who were both in Quatre's bunk, and as far as Duo could tell, wearing nothing except the blanket over both their laps.

"Did I miss something?" Duo asked, batting his eyes innocently at the Chinese officer.

Captain Chang's face was a study in conflict. Surprise, embarrassment, and then suspicion chased across his features. "Maxwell...what? Were you in there this whole time?"

"Uh, I've been in the bathroom awhile, I guess," he shrugged calmly.

"And you just happened to stuff your bunk with pillows beforehand?" Chang demanded, eyes narrowed in disbelief.

Duo smirked at him. "Actually, I did it on purpose, Chang."

"--so you could sneak out?"

"Maybe," Duo shrugged. "And then again, maybe I was just yanking your chain."

The Chinese officer eyed him carefully--studiously. Then he walked past him, looking in the door of the bathroom and letting his gaze travel around the small room. He turned around with his hands on his hips, glaring at Duo. "Do you expect me to believe you weren't trying to sneak out?"

Duo crossed his arms, leaning back against one of the support posts on his and Heero's bunk. "Of course not," he said evenly. "But obviously there is no window in that bathroom--so how could I possibly have gotten out that way?"

Wufei looked back into the small room, frowning, and then back at Duo again. He shook his head, shrugging in surrender. "Apparently there's no way out except the ones I've had watched. But still..."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Can I go back to bed now, sir? Or d'you want to haul in a polygraph machine and grill me for a few hours?"

With a frustrated wave of his hands, Wufei headed for the door. "Go on then, Maxwell. Go back to bed, and I'll go back to watching the barracks."

When the officer was nearly to the door, Duo took pity on him. "Sir?"

Captain Chang paused with a hand on the doorknob, and looked over his shoulder.

"I promise I will not leave this building between now and reveille."

The ebony eyes widened, and then narrowed. Wufei looked at Duo for a long moment, taking in the loose tangles of chestnut hair. And then he spotted the marks on the boy's neck, almost obscured by his hair. He looked up at the indigo eyes, noting the hazy, half-lidded look of--contentment. You've already been there and back, you little sonofabitch! Instead of verbalizing his discovery, he nodded. "Very well, Maxwell. I'll take you at your word, and assume you'll stay glued to your bunk the rest of the night." He turned quickly away, shaking his head and smirking ruefully as he left. At least he could have his sentries stand down, and maybe even get some sleep himself.

"Allah! I thought he'd never leave," Quatre breathed in relief, looking up at Duo. "What happened? Are you okay? Did you get to see Heero?"

Duo turned around grinning broadly. "Um...I snuck out...I'm fine...and, yeah, I got to see Heero, feel him, taste him..." >"Too much information!" Trowa cut in sharply, clapping his hands over Quatre's ears as he grinned back at Duo.

"I could say the same for you two," Duo pointed out, eyeing the pair in Quatre's bunk with a suggestive smirk, while Quatre dragged Trowa's hands off his ears. "When I told you to distract Chang, I didn't realize how far you'd go to accomplish that task." He grinned widely. "Well, yeah, I did...but...wow."

Trowa gave a short laugh. "I think the noise we were making kept him out for a good fifteen or twenty extra minutes," he said smugly. "He only came strolling in after we quieted down."

"I commend your endurance," Duo said with an appreciative glance. Quatre blushed beet red, but Trowa simply leaned back against the pillow looking smug.

"How's Heero?" asked the blonde Arab.

Duo turned back to his bunk. "Fantastic," he sighed, climbing up into his bed.

"I meant, how's he holding up?"

The indigo eyes shot him a vastly amused look. "Ah--you really want me to answer that, Quat?"

"Oh, for crying out loud, you know what I meant!" Quatre huffed.

"Maxwell, get your mind out of the gutter for a minute and tell Quatre that Heero's okay, and confident that he'll beat the charges, and that everything will be fine," Trowa ordered.

"Yeah--what he said," Duo shrugged, pulling his blanket around him.

"So he wouldn't let you bust him out?" Trowa asked suddenly.

"How'd you know I was gonna try?" Duo wondered.

"You have a history, Maxwell. You run and hide...remember?"

Duo sighed. "Apparently Heero doesn't want to have to do that for the rest of our lives. He wants to fight his battle in court, get acquitted, and have the clean start this boot camp was supposed to give him. To give us."

"He's a smart guy," Trowa commented. His green eyes warmed slightly. "Lucky, too."

Duo blushed at the compliment. "Fuck, Barton. Watch what you say in front of your boyfriend, would ya?"

"His boyfriend agrees," Quatre piped up.

Duo tossed one pillow at the two boys, burying his face in the other. "G'night," he grumbled brusquely. "And keep it quiet over there. I need my sleep!"

"Night, Duo," Quatre said, his smile obvious in the very tone of his voice.

"Sleep well, Maxwell," Trowa added warmly.

And he did.

TBC...

 

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