Priceless Gifts
Part 10
In the kitchen of the safehouse, a more lighthearted scene was playing itself out to Trowa's amazement.
He walked in to find Heero snickering at Duo as the braided boy called out various times while the cobalt-eyed boy tried to reset the clock on the newly repaired coffee pot. "3:53, 11:09, 2:15, um, hi, Tro!" Duo stopped to greet his friend and asked, "How's Wu doing? Sleeping again?"
"Yes, Duo, he's resting," Trowa poured a glass of water noticing that Heero had finished his own task well ahead of Duo's game ending. "He seems to be doing quite a bit better, I think those pills you gave me for him helped, thanks."
"Sure thing!" The American answered brightly, "I thought those would be a good idea. Hey, Heero, now that you got it fixed, gonna make some coffee? I could use a cup."
"No, baka," Heero answered, "You're too hyper as it is and you *don't* need sugar and caffeine right now! Drink some water like Trowa for a change."
"Spoilsport!" Duo stuck his tongue out, and Heero shrugged handing him a glass of water.
"So, where's Quatre? It's time I talked to him without hitting him, I think." Trowa looked around the room and when he turned back he saw a frown of annoyance on Duo's expressive face. "What happened?" He asked warily, sensing something had changed.
"He went for a walk," Heero said flatly.
"Yeah, the little coward headed out while I was busy with you and Wu," Duo growled. "Guess he couldn't face us like a man, Tro."
"That's not it," Heero said with a sigh and surreptitiously placed one hand on Duo's hip to restrain him from continuing an ongoing diatribe against the blond. "I told you before, Duo, you didn't see his face when he caught sight of Wufei. He's got some thinking to do, so just let it be for now."
"I see," Trowa remarked quietly. If the blond was indeed moved by what he had done, maybe there was hope after all. Truth be told, Trowa was realizing that in a very round about way, Quatre had done him a favor. If this situation hadn't forced the issue on how he felt, he might still be denying his feelings for the small pilot.
"Since that has to wait, Duo, can you do me a favor?" Trowa asked with an odd half-smile.
Curious, Duo answered, "Sure thing, Tro, whatcha' need?"
"I'd like to go out for a bit, there's a few things I need to pick up and I could use a little fresh air, but I'd really rather not leave unless I know someone's keeping an eye on Fei, um, I mean *Wufei* for me." He blinked a little at how easily the nickname had escaped him, he wasn't even aware he'd been calling the Chinese pilot that for a few days now.
"Is that all?" Duo asked, surprised. "Sure I can keep watch on Wu for you. And, Tro?" He pulled the other boy's attention back to him as Trowa began to walk away, "What you call him is between the two of you, but I didn't hear him complain when you called him 'Fei' before."
"He didn't?" Trowa asked in honest surprise, then rethought it. "Yeah, I guess he didn't, did he?" He nodded a little then smiled. "All right then. Keep an eye on Fei for me please, Duo. And Heero? I'll try not to run over any blondes while I'm out, okay?"
Heero shrugged and smirked. "Works for me." He tossed the car keys to the taller boy and Trowa left, the sound of the engine fading in the distance shortly thereafter.
Seeing that they were alone once more, Heero wrapped both arms around his lover and sighed as he pulled Duo close. "See, koi? I told you to relax."
"I know, Heero," Duo responded unhappily. "It just freaked me out the way Trowa hit Quatre earlier, that's all. It was a little too weird even for me."
"I know," Heero answered and nuzzled his neck. "But let's just give it a little more time, okay? I'd say there's some people here who are getting their eyes opened the hard way right now."
"Yeah," Duo closed his eyes and leaned in for a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, he ran a finger across Heero's lips, "Too bad we can't finish *this* 'conversation' right now, koi, your kisses are addictive."
"So you tell me," Heero answered, kissing the fingertips that were teasing him, "but someone needs to stand guard in case things get difficult again."
"Right," Duo agreed with a nod and another swallow of water before he dumped the rest down the sink. "I think I'll go take a nap with Wu then." He yawned and stretched his arms, exposing a sliver of midriff that nearly ruined Heero's plan to wait until night to run him to ground in their bed.
Duo caught the look of disappointment as he let the shirt fall back into place as he headed down the hall. As he toed off his shoes in his own bedroom, he looked in the mirror and grinned at himself, saying, "Mr. Yuy, I do believe you will wear me out again tonight, so I better get some sleep now, ne?" After making his way to the smallest bedroom, he grinned as he crawled into bed with Wufei and snuggled up to the Chinese boy and promptly fell asleep.
Heero checked in on the pair later and found to his amazement that Wufei was curled around Duo almost as much as the braided boy was wrapped around the smaller boy and both were totally lost in peaceful rest.
The tangle of arms and sheets brought a gentle smile to the lips of one of the deadliest soldiers in the Earth Sphere as Heero pulled the door closed once more, saying softly, "Kawaii. Those two are just too damned kawaii like that."
Evening found all four healthy pilots gathered together for their first meal since before Heero, Duo, and Trowa had left on the sabotage mission which preceded the current situation.
As Heero and Quatre quietly set out a few dishes, Trowa had gone in to wake Duo up and had much the same reaction to the sight of the two pilots in bed together.
After a few hours of snuggling together, Duo's braid had worked its way free in a few places, leaving a colorful mixture of black silk tresses and chestnuts waves cascading around the sleeping pair. Trowa had helped Duo climb out of bed then he smiled and brushed a kiss to Wufei's forehead as he pulled the covers back up warmly. "You're just too cute," he whispered as he closed the door behind him.
The happy smile faded as he wondered how he'd even be able to eat at the same table as the boy responsible for putting the Chinese pilot into this situation. He had steeled his resolve and returned to the others and he now found himself placed on the far side of Duo at as great a distance as was possible from the blond who kept casting him odd, sad looks.
For the most part, they ate the sub sandwiches that Trowa had brought back in silence. No one had asked Quatre where he gone on his walk or even how he felt, but it was on everyone's minds.
Finally, tired of the awkward silence, Duo piped up with, "So, Tro, how was the outside world? Find everything you needed?" He was about to indulge his usual inquisitive nature and ask what the tall teen had gone out to get in the first place, but decided it was none of his business for a change. He added as a rather pointed afterthought, "It was your first time out since the last mission, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Duo, it was the first time I've left the house in quite awhile," Trowa remarked, missing entirely the indirect insult the American had sent towards Quatre, but the blond didn't miss it and he winced. "As for finding everything, yes, it took a little longer than I thought it might, but I was successful."
He smiled as he picked an undesired jalapeno pepper out of his sandwich and dropped it on Duo's plate, getting a grin of thanks. "It's odd to be somewhere that a bookstore is so hard to find, though. But I got what I wanted, so I'm happy."
"Bookstore, Trowa? Bored?" Heero smirked knowing it was driving Duo nuts wondering what Trowa had gone out for, and decided to be the fall-guy if it helped. The Wing pilot was adept at extracting information from the enemy, doing the same with a friend didn't seem too terribly difficult.
"I'm not bored, Heero, just thought it might be nice to get something for Fei to read when he wakes up." An elegant shrug was all the show of emotion he gave as he added softly, "I'm guessing he's going to be stuck in bed wide awake any day now and he never was one to just lay around doing nothing. At least," now he frowned and looked at his friends questioningly, "I rather doubt it, there's not been enough time for any of us to really get to know him that well, has there?"
"No, Tro, there hasn't," Duo said gently, then the braided boy smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder, "but there will be time now, I'm sure of it. Have faith."
"Right," Trowa looked towards the hallway and wondered briefly about going back to stay with the injured teen, but Duo's hand tightened marginally and he saw the other shake his head slightly. Duo and Heero had agreed on trying to draw Trowa into conversation with Quatre that night. Bad blood needed to be dealt with and they would only get that rift cared for if the four sitting together at the dining table stayed in the same room for awhile.
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