Te Amo
by Akuma
Part 12
"I can bathe myself, Duo."
"Not without reopening your injuries." Duo stroked Heero's hair
gently. "You can bathe yourself when you have recovered. For now, let
me take care of you."
"But..."
"No but's." Duo leaned forward and bestowed a kiss on Heero's
forehead; he then unbuttoned Heero's hospital type gown ignoring the
weak protest from the Japanese boy. A week of watching the nurse
taking care of the unconscious Heero gave Duo enough hints of what to
do. After removing the gown, Duo worked on the bandages on Heero's
stomach, thighs, and arm, gently removing them one by one. Heero had
stopped protesting by then and let Duo do the job. The older man
couldn't help but feeling angry every time he saw Heero's wounds,
cursing whoever dared to hurt his Heero.
"How bad are my wounds?"
The question snapped Duo from his anger. He took the damp clothes from
the bowl on the nightstand and proceeded to clean Heero while he
answered the question. "You'll have to wait until the wounds on your
thighs heal before you can walk. The Doc also said that it would take
a month to heal your stomach, so you may not move too much during that
time."
"A month without walking..."
"Don't worry about that. If you want to go somewhere, I'll carry you.
You also can learn about the present during this month after I get a
laptop for you."
Heero looked at Duo. ".....Thank you.... I'll find a way to repay you
later ..."
Duo stopped rubbing the damp cloth against Heero's skin. He cupped
Heero's cheek with his free hand and looked at the Japanese boy
seriously. "I don't want you to pay me back, Heero. I do all of these
freely for you."
"But..."
Duo put one finger on Heero's lips. "No but's. All I want is for you
to get well soon so I can start making up things to you." The older man bent
down so close that only his finger separated his lips from Heero's
ones. "I've missed you so much, Heero." Duo watched as the Prussian
blue eyes before him widened and then softened.
"I missed you too, Duo." Heero murmured against Duo's finger, which
Duo quickly removed, allowing their lips to meet for the first time in
fifteen years for Duo. The older man could feel electricity course
through his veins as his lips touched Heero's. It had been so long
since he tasted Heero and Duo found he couldn't stop. He sat down as
he devoured Heero's mouth thoroughly. Both were breathless when Duo
pulled away, still kissing Heero here and there as if not able to
stop.
"Duo..." Heero panted.
"Hmm?" Duo nipped at the Japanese boy's neck, putting his marks on the
delicate flesh.
"What about..... your wife?"
That question surely ruined Duo's mood. He lifted his head and looked
at Heero sourly. "I haven't touched her for years and never will. She
is my wife on paper only. If not for Solo, I would have divorced
her long ago."
"For Solo?"
"I don't want to separate Solo from his mother."
"Oh....." Heero was silent after that.
Duo decided to continue bathing Heero with the damp cloth. Both of
them were busy with their own thoughts. The older man worked in
silence till the end and only spoke up after he finished putting the
gown back on the Japanese boy. "I won't make the same mistake I did
fifteen years ago. I won't let Hilde come between us anymore, Heero."
Heero looked at him and Duo could see that his eyes were full of mixed
emotions. Heero's eyes were the windows to his feelings. Hope, fear,
longing, and desperation danced in the Prussian blue orbs. Duo
entwined their hands and clenched Heero's hand to emphasize his silent
promise. He could feel Heero tighten his hand in his as the reply. He
lifted their entwined hands and kissed them gently. "We'll be together
from now on, Heero. I won't let you go."
"Aa.." Heero closed his eyes and relaxed. The Japanese boy was not
rich with words and Duo found he was perfectly fine with it. What he
couldn't see fifteen years ago, now he could see well. Heero's
body language told him more than his words could. The surrender and
the acceptance; Duo could see them now.
"I won't disappoint you this time, Heero." Duo whispered and kissed
the Japanese boy passionately. He could feel the Japanese boy melt
straight away into his kiss and that flared his passion more. Duo
growled and pressed down further, resting his upper body on Heero's
chest while his tongue roamed inside Heero's mouth. A muffled cry and
the sudden tensing of Heero's body alarmed Duo. He quickly pulled away
and realized his hand had pressed on the wounds at Heero's arm
accidentally. "Gomen ne. I shouldn't act too fast." Duo caressed the
wound and bent down to kiss it as an apology.
"It's okay." Heero murmured.
Duo sat up straight and put fresh bandages on Heero's wounds. "Who
injured you like this, Heero?"
Heero tensed.
"Heero..."
"I don't ... want to talk ...about it."
"Okay." Duo said calmly and proceeded to bandage Heero's thighs,
feeling Heero relax. "But someday we'll discuss it again." Heero
tensed back at the sentence. Duo put the last bandage on Heero before
cupping the Japanese boy's cheek again. "I know you're traumatized by
the event, but I can't let anyone who hurt you like this get away
easily. Those bastards have lived peacefully for fifteen years, I can
let them live peacefully for a little longer till you're ready to tell
me who they are. And when the time comes, they'll pay for what they
have done to you."
"But Duo..."
Knock...knock
Their conversation was stopped by the knocking sound at the door. Duo
stood up and opened the door, revealing Sara with two trays in her
hands. "Dinner time, Mister Maxwell; I brought yours too."
"Thank you, Sarah." Duo smiled and took the trays from the nurse,
closing the door with his foot. He put the trays on the night stand
and helped Heero into a sitting position, leaning the Japanese boy
against the mound of pillows behind him. He then took the bowl from
the tray and held up a spoon full of creamy soup in front of Heero.
Heero glared at him but Duo just smiled. "C'mon, open your mouth."
"I can feed....hmphh."
Duo shoved the spoon in Heero's mouth, effectively silencing the
Japanese boy. "I know you can feed yourself. But it will make you tire
quickly and I prefer to feed you so I can talk to you a little
longer." He held up another spoonful soup and this time Heero opened
his mouth, apparently also wanting to talk to Duo longer.
"Your dinner?" Heero spoke up before Duo managed to shove another
spoonful soup into his mouth.
"I'll eat it after you finish your soup." Duo smiled and proceeded to
feed Heero in comfortable silence. Soon the bowl of soup was emptied
and Duo gave Heero a glass of water while he ate his own dinner
quickly.
"How did you find me?" Heero asked him once he finished his dinner.
"Solo found a secret room in the lab you used to live and we hacked
the computers in there to stop your frozen state." Duo answered.
"We?"
"Solo is a hacker too." Duo smiled proudly as he leaned against his
seat. "He is really like you, you know. He likes fencing and
programming."
"You sound proud..."
"I am. He is my son after all." Duo put his hand over Heero's,
caressing it lightly. "He's also the only reason I was able to bear
these fifteen years without you, Heero." The older man then frowned
slightly. "That reminds me, why did you cry when you saw Solo this
afternoon?" Duo could feel Heero tense at his question. "Heero?"
Heero closed his eyes slowly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Heero, does Solo have anything to do with your injuries?" Duo was
alarmed.
Heero just looked away. "Just drop it, Duo."
"Heero, he's my son. I have a right to know whether he's involved or
not and how."
Heero shook his head. "just... drop it..."
"Hee..."
"Please..."
Duo was stunned. Heero rarely pleaded and he knew the Japanese boy
must be very distressed to have pleaded like this. Not wanting to add
to Heero's distress, Duo sighed and tightened his hold on the Japanese
boy's hand. "Fine, I'll drop it for today."
"........arigatou.." Heero opened his eyes. He looked long at Duo as
if contemplating whether to ask Duo or not. In the end, he finally
opened his mouth. "What does your wife think about you bringing me
home?"
Duo snorted. "She doesn't know yet. She's gone to check the branch
companies and won't be back for a month. I'll deal with her once she
comes back. Don't worry about her, Heero. Just focus in getting well
soon."
"How about Solo?"
"Solo knows about Hilde and I. He loves both of us, but he also
understands that I'm not in an intimate relationship with her." Duo
sighed. "I just wish Hilde wasn't so harsh to Solo. The boy misses his
mother's love."
"harsh...?"
"Hilde often becomes angry with Solo's slightest mistakes. She is very
stern with him."
"................ "
"Well, I guess everybody expresses their love in different ways." Duo
looked down at the Japanese boy. "You don't have to worry about Solo.
He adores you, you know."
"Huh?"
"I told him so many stories about you as bedtime stories. You've
become a hero for him. He thought you and I were best friends. When he
is older, I will tell him the truth about us."
"My life isn't suitable for a bedtime story, Duo." Heero frowned. "You
shouldn't feed him with stories about wars."
"Hey, hey, of course I modified the stories into fairytale mode." Duo
grinned. "You're more protective than his mother, you know."
"........... What was Solo like when he was a child?"
"Oh, you have no idea." Duo grinned. "He's smart and a troublemaker,
always making Hilde frustrated with all his antics."
"I bet you supported him..." Heero wiggled slightly, inching closer to
Duo.
Duo grinned wider. "Well, there's no harm in what he was doing. He
liked to play hide and seek with the other M-five in this house.
Sometimes they made the floor dirty with their little feet."
"M-five?"
"Meiran, Milliard, Midii, Mariemea, and Maxwell." Duo smiled. "Maxwell
is Solo. Chang Meiran is Wufei and Sally's daughter. Milliard Marquise
is Zechs and Noin's son. Midii Winner is the adopted daughter of
Quatre and Trowa. Those three are the same age, one year younger
than Solo. Mariemea often plays with them and plays the big sister
role. It's a coincidence their names all begin with 'M'. I call them
M-five when I'm tired of calling them one by one."
"Meiran, Milliard, Middii.... so the others have their own child
also...."
"Children, Heero. They have a lot of children." Duo grinned at Heero's
widening eyes. "Wufei and Sally have five daughters and Wufei is still
trying to get a son, much to his wife's protest. Zechs and Noin have
one son and one daughter. Quatre and Trowa adopted a girl and two
boys. As the oldest boy, the children thought of Solo as their leader
and follow him everywhere much to their respective parents'
irritation." Duo stopped and chuckled. "Especially Wufei, he chewed me
for hours because every child followed Solo's lead, calling him uncle
Wufie." He looked down and was happy to see a slight smile on the
Japanese boy's face.
"Solo must be happy with so many friends...." Heero murmured.
"Ah yes." Duo stroke Heero's hair unconsciously. "I wished you were
there to see the little rascals."
Heero tightened his hand on Duo's. "......... I really wished too....
I wanted to see little Shinigami grow up...."
"Little Shinigami?" Duo chuckled. "Yup, I think that's the best
description for Solo."
".....can I see his photo albums?"
"Sure. Wait a sec." Duo kissed Heero's forehead and left the room to
fetch the albums from his library.
Heero just lay there, looking at the ceiling. His eyes were looking
far away, as if trying to make an important decision. A knock on the
door distracted him though. He turned to the door and saw Solo enter
the room. "Hi... uh..." Solo fidgeted. "I thought my father was here."
"He was. He went to fetch your photo albums." Heero spoke up.
"My photos?" Solo sat down in the chair had Duo just occupied.
"I asked him for your photos."
"Why do you want to see my photos, uhmm.. uncle.. uh..." Solo grinned
sheepishly. "Sorry, I just feel strange calling you uncle. You look no
older than me."
"Uncle..." Pain flashed on the Prussian blue eyes before they became
normal once again. "You don't have to call me uncle."
"Uhm... then.. .what should I call you?"
"..... Heero will be fine."
"Heero..." Solo tested the name and smiled. "I can't believe I can
talk with you and call you by your name. This is great."
"Why so?"
"From the way Dad described you, you seem so perfect."
"I'm not perfect." Heero tried to sit up.
"Hey, you shouldn't move yet." Solo helped him to lean against the
pillowed head board. "The other M-five also like hearing Dad tell
about you. I can imagine the others' faces when they see you. Oh wait,
maybe I can make them believe I have a twin first, before telling them
who you are. That would be a double hit for them."
"You seem to enjoy tricking them." Heero smiled slightly.
Solo just grinned. "They're fun to trick. Back to my early question,
why do you want to see my photos?"
"I want to see how you and the others were while you were
children. Duo said you were a trouble maker."
"That's right." Duo entered the room, bringing a stack of albums. "You
can see his crimes since he was a baby in here." Duo put the albums on
the bed next to Heero and flipped open an old album. "Here, this is
the first time he stumbled into the pond. The frog seemed happy to sit
on his head."
"Dad! Give that back." Solo reached for the album but Duo quickly gave
it to Heero.
"Well, he is cute." Heero commented.
Solo blushed and glared at his laughing father. He didn't know that it
was the very same glare Heero used to give his father long ago. "Don't
laugh first, old man. Here Heero, see this." Solo took another album
and flipped it open.
"Hey who gives you the right to call him by his name only." Duo
stopped laughing.
"Heero did." Solo stuck his tongue out before turning to Heero. "This
is my first successful trick. My father looked good with his curly
hair, don't you think?"
"Hey, hey, don't show that to him!" Duo reached for the album but Solo
already gave it to Heero who widened his eyes and stared incredulously
at the picture.
"Duo... you aren't good in imitating Catherine."
Duo flushed red while his son laughed loudly. "You haven't won yet."
Duo smirked and tackled his son, tickling him mercilessly. Solo fought
back and soon father and son were wrestling on the floor while Heero
watched them pensively. They were too busy wrestling each other to see
the Japanese boy gaze down at the photos and run his fingers slowly
over the pictures. A tear rolled down from his eyes but was quickly
wiped away as the Prussian blue eyes settled back on the wrestling
match, watching the scene he could have seen numerous times hadn't his
stomach been cruelly opened fifteen years ago.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I give up. I give up." Solo panted from where he lay on the floor.
Duo stood up and smirked, "I win. Heero, see ....." Duo turned and
stopped his words when he saw the Japanese boy was fast asleep.
"Dad, what happened to Heero?" Solo stood up.
"He is asleep." Duo smiled and gently laid the Japanese boy back on
the bed, putting the albums from his lap on the night stand.
"Heero must be tired." Solo stretched out and yawned. "Guess it's time
to retire. Doh, I still have to write paper for tomorrow's class. ...
good night, Dad."
"Night." Duo waited till his son left the room and then turned his
attention back to the sleeping boy. He smiled as he saw the serene
expression on Heero's face and bent down to kiss the Japanese boy's
forehead. "Oyasuminasai, Heero."
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