Inseperable
Part 3
by Dyna Dee
Colonel Reid paused in the typing of his daily log to consider for a moment the subject he was addressing. Still perplexed by the two boys in Unit Five, he'd observed their progress with interest as they became part of Captain Winner's unit as they melded into the routine of the training center. Both boys seemed, at least to some degree, to be warily accepted by the other Reds. Any reluctance on the part of the other similarly ranked trainees to accept them was due to Mr. Yuy's standoffish attitude and the fierce and usually present scowl he wore on his face, frightening or intimidating the other boys away. Mr. Maxwell, he noted, seemed to act as a buffer for his friend, quickly ingratiating himself with the other Reds and gaining a swift popularity with his outgoing attitude and uncanny friendliness. His more taciturn companion became the reluctant recipient of all the attention the long hair boy generated. Though he didn't look happy about all the socializing and attention that surrounded Maxwell, the commander discovered that Mr. Yuy seemed hesitant if not reluctant to leave his friend's side.
At the end of each day that had passed since the two set foot on his island, the man in command of the training base closely studied the security tapes located in Section Red, tracking the two boys and marking their progress as well as the oddities of their friendship. For example, he noted that, as friendly and outgoing as Mr. Maxwell was, he could also be rebellious and stubborn, just as the detention's records stated. He observed, however, that the boy with the long braid was quick to respond to Mr. Yuy's every word, and the commander couldn't help but wonder why that was so.
From his observations he also noticed, almost from the beginning, that the Japanese boy always seemed tensely alert, his dark blue eyes seeming to shift constantly, taking in everything around him even in the protected environment he now lived in. He appeared to be suspicious and weary of everything and everyone. Commander Reid supposed that such a habit came from when the two boys had been in the juvenile detention facility. No doubt that had been a more volatile, unpredictable environment and it would take time for Mr. Yuy to get over the necessity to watch his own and his friend's back. He concluded that the strong need to protect and defend must be why the self-possessed and intimidating boy appeared to be uncomfortable and guarded when the other students clustered around he and Mr. Maxwell for something as innocuous as a friendly chat. The commander wondered again at Mr. Yuy's strangely protective attitude towards his friend, which seemed to lean towards the point of appearing highly possessive.
Putting his hands back on the computer keys, the commander continued his comments, citing in his daily journal that he was pleased to report that both boys were slowly finding their niche within their new environment. Mr. Yuy had settled more easily into a routine of serious learning than he could have predicted and the Maxwell boy, though behind in some areas in his schooling due to his previous homelessness, was advancing quickly in his studies as well and he was most noticeably losing some his forced brashness and poor language skills that he'd exhibited on his arrival. Yes, things were going well academically for the two.
Yet as much as the training institution appeared to be having a positive effect on both boys, it seemed that the two unusual trainees were also creating an impact on their new environment as well. The commander recalled the redhead boy and second year trainee, Trenton Macintosh, a brilliant boy in many respects but picked on by some of the other Reds while struggling through an awkward stage of puberty, who had somehow, along with several other less popular boys that seemed to be in the same situation, fallen under Mr. Yuy's invisible but intimidating cloak of protection. The commander had no doubt that the Maxwell boy had been the go-between in that arrangement as his friend was still considered unapproachable by almost all of the other Reds. The long haired boy with his soft, elfin-like appearance and long braid of hair must have been a target of bullies himself, especially coming from a juvenile detention center, and thus bore some sympathy for the other downtrodden and pick-on boys in his unit,.
Commander Reid had, unfortunately, seen regrettable treatment to awkward boys like Macintosh and pretty boys like Maxwell happen before, in his own schooling in his childhood, in the military and within the youth training facility. He shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts. He didn't want to dwell on those memories or think too much about what the braided boy must have endured in such a facility as a juvenile detention center with all the harder, criminal elements that seemed to thrive on a pecking order, always searching out someone to be the prey to get up the warped societal ladder. He'd done all he could to stop it within his training facility, but he couldn't be everywhere, and for some sad reason, children could sometimes be so cruel to their peers.
Letting out a deep sigh, the man responsible for all that went on in the training facility closed his eyes as his mind continued to dwell on Misters Maxwell and Yuy. He mused that his thoughts about them seemed as scattered as the information he'd compiled. Regardless of their settling in, things had not gone as smoothly as he would have liked for the two newcomers, but the base commander acknowledged to himself that it certainly could have been a lot worse.
It was obvious to him that Yuy's pompous and self-assured attitude was bound to make him a target of the larger, older boys who were put off by him. Several fights had ensued for little or no justifiable reason towards the Japanese boy and were always instigated by older students in the Red section. With each altercation, Yuy was found to have been defending himself, though no one would argue the fact that he was definitely the victor in each circumstance.
The only time he initiated a fight was when a larger and slightly older student, having taken an obvious dislike to the two newbies, grabbed Maxwell by the hair as they passed each other in the hallway and violently pulled on the long braid, flinging the smaller boy roughly down onto the floor. Watching the security recording an hour after the altercation, it showed the head of the training facility that Mr. Yuy reacted immediately to his friend being accosted by literally springing forward and throwing himself at the other boy, knocking him down then positioned himself on top of the downed boy's chest and began pummeling Maxwell's assailant into the linoleum. He stopped only when lieutenants Chang and Barton grabbed hold of him and pulled him off, leaving Mr. Schmidt, the attacker, lying on the floor, his nose and split lip bleeding profusely through his fingers and bawling like a baby.
The surveillance recording also showed Maxwell coming to his feet and after Mr. Yuy was pulled off of him, he approached the wounded boy on the floor who was now curled up on his side. The recorded words and actions by Mr. Maxwell stayed in the Commander's mind long after his first viewing of the fight.
"Let that be a warning," the petite boy said in a dark tone of voice. "Never, ever touch my hair again. And you can tell all your stupid ass pals likewise."
With that said, Maxwell pulled back his foot and gave the boy on the floor a swift and hard kick on his left buttock, causing the downed boy to howl. The braided boy then turned and calmly walked to stand next to Yuy's side with a grin of satisfaction on his handsome face.
Of course, the commander disciplined all three boys for their actions, taking away all of their privileges for two weeks. A punishment, he noted after, that seemed to have little effect as both Maxwell and Yuy endured their punishment much too comfortably while Mr. Schmidt grudgingly endured it and used it to advantage as an excuse to keep as far away as possible from the other two.
The commander sighed as he looked at the many papers on his desk, his fingers moved lightly over the top of the documents he'd compiled regarding the two puzzling students, now strewn out across his desk. So many clues and too few answers, he thought unhappily, and this unsolved mystery that surrounded the two boys left him feeling unsatisfied.
The commander had to admit to himself that there had been some minute changes in the attitude of some of the more aggressive Reds after the beating of Jerome Schmidt, the boy who had attacked Mr. Maxwell in the halls. That particular incident acted as a clear warning to anyone else who might have had some desire to pick a fight with either of the two boys. From the moment Schmidt was carried to the sick bay, Yuy and Maxwell seemed even more firmly connected at the hip and traveled through the halls of the Red building with no further problems or harassment from any other trainee.
Commander Reid continued to find himself fascinated by these two, more than any other of the many trainees he'd come across in his position as Commander of the Federation's Youth Training Facility. He was sure there was something else about these two that remained a mystery, something more than what you could see with your eyes, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. The papers he'd received from the Selecting Committee pointed to something... unusual, but whatever that something was, it was never directly stated but hinted at. After inquiring further, he had been expressly forbidden to ask any further questions on the subject of the two trainees. That order alone added more fuel to this curiosity and suspicion. He might not be able to inquire further, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to figure out the answers on his own. He planned to use every piece of equipment he had available to monitor the two objects of his growing obsession, from the surveillance cameras to their lapdesks, including daily reports from Captain Winner and the instructors. He was confident that in time, he would figure out the mystery surrounding the two closely-knit boys.
Sitting back in his comfortable leather chair to ponder the situation some more, he pondered the fact that both of the boys, in that last few months, had become the center of awareness in the entire Red collective and rumors about them circulated within the ranks of the Yellows and Greens. Even the Blue level, most of which were instructors, had spent quite of bit of time speculating about trainees Yuy and Maxwell. Part of the interest was a shared curiosity at the odd and unexplainable friendship between the two boys. It had not gone unnoticed that Duo Maxwell was Heero Yuy's polar opposite. The long haired boy was, when he choose, charm and friendship personified, the epitome of the Peter Pan Syndrome while Mr. Yuy was stoic and driven, possessing the most uncanny abilities in all areas of academia but lacked the most basic of social skills; a typical A-type personality. The commander was sure the entire training facility was as perplexed by the two and their close friendship as he was.
Picking up one of the many sheets of paper before him, he recognized it as a list of grades, scores and an analysis taken from each boy's lapdesk. The base had seen to it that the newbies had received their lapdesks earlier than most fist level Reds so that he could more accurately track both boys' academic advancement. Their desks contained their school work and some simulator games that were disguised tests that measured the trainee's physical agility, mental responses and psychological health. An analysis of the stats from Heero's lapdesk reported that he was more than competent in his studies, basically consuming and understanding any and all information. As with each trainee, diligence was rewarded when each subject assigned was completed. The reward was simply receiving recreational time on the simulator games on their laptop, something most of the boys enjoyed with great enthusiasm. Because of Mr. Yuy's dedication to his studies, he earned more time on his lapdesk game simulator than anyone, not that he used it. He seemed more content to sit in front of his desktop for hours on end doing class work and reading, earning game time and rarely spending it. Often he needed to be prompted, teased, chastised and/or ordered from his studies in order to take his meals and exercise.
Mr. Maxwell was a horse of a different color in comparison to his friend. Though a quick learner, he lost his fascination with his lapdesk quickly and seemed to wander constantly from his work on it, his log in and outs were ridiculously frequent. It appeared that he finished assignments only when Mr. Yuy, Captain Winner or one of his two lieutenants stood over the easily distracted boy to ensure he finished what was required of him for the day. The commander knew it wasn't that he couldn't do the work, he'd proved himself to be a very bright student; he just seemed bored and easily drawn away. The head of the base came to the conclusion that the long haired boy's actions were an indicator of an undisciplined mind and a potentially irresponsible soldier and negligent leader.
His observations of the two came from camera surveillance and some of Captain Winner's earlier comments, detailed in his daily reports. The blond captain state that, during the first few weeks with their lapdesks, the two friends would work contentedly on it, sitting side by side on Yuy's bed and on their respective desks. But being more socially inclined, Duo began to spend more and more time visiting with the other members of his Unit. As Maxwell became more comfortable with his environment, he turned outward. At the same time, Mr. Yuy seemed to turn inward, intensely focused on the lessons on his desk.
Being one of the very few authorized to view security tapes of the barracks, the commander watched the two boys and began to recognize a pattern emerging between them. Each day, after classes, they would start out together by sitting on Yuy's bed, shoulder to shoulder for a while before Yuy shifted his body away from Maxwell's close proximity. Shortly after, the long haired boy would get up and move away to talk to someone who caught his attention. Yuy would continue on with his work without being distracted for about fifteen minutes when he would suddenly look up, bark out a sharp remark to the wandering boy, instantly causing him to scurry back to the bed and resume his lessons. Then approximately a half hour later, the entire scene would be played over again, almost exactly as the previous one.
Continuing to be perplex and baffled by the two, the commander put down his papers and gave a derisive short. "Enough!" he told himself. He was becoming overly obsessed with those two and spending much to much time trying to figure out the puzzle they presented. He needed to solve this mystery soon or it might impede his own performance. After all, he had many more boys to worry about, not just these two. With that thought, he began to gather up the papers strewn about his desk, put them in chronological order, then carefully slipped them back into the folder marked, MAXWELL/YUY.
The day after his review of the file, it was noted in the commander's log that four months had passed since the two inseparable boys came to the training facility, and that day marked a subtle change in the relationship of the two boys. When they entered the dining hall together, behind the other Reds for the evening meal, it was noticed immediately by all that Duo Maxwell's left eye was darkened, swollen and bruising. He immediately became the center of attention and concern. The long haired boy just laughed off his fellow students' worry for him, explaining to them that he had been rushing to the barracks when he slipped and fell, crashing down and hitting his face on his lapdesk. He dismissed the injury lightly, but the commander and the three junior officers over the two boys noticed a change in the braided boy's behavior. For the next few days, Duo stayed at Heero's side constantly, not straying even for a moment to chat with his fellow students and friends. That action alone left those four, ever watching the two, with a deep suspicion as to what really happened to Duo's eye.
As the days passed, the other trainees seemed to forget about the incident, accepting Duo's explanation and Heero seemed unfazed by Duo's apparent clinging. With his long haired friend sitting by his side, the Japanese boy continued to study and score well above all the other Reds, both in his studies and in the few simulation games that he reluctantly played. He stood out as the best in all fields in the short time that he'd been there, and during that time, Duo's scores improved dramatically.
A month following the appearance of the black eye on Duo's face, an unusual occurrence happened at the training facility; security had been breached.
It was lunch time and all the Reds were sitting in the cafeteria, talking and eating their meal, when the doors to the large room swished open and the imposing figure of Commander Reid stepped into the room, causing an immediate hushed lowering of voices. The commander wasn't a constant presence in the Red building, and his appearance always brought the trainees to attention. The entire room of boys dressed in red came to their feet, not quite in perfect unison, and saluted, then sat at a motion of the commander's hand. When all were re-seated and every eye in the cafeteria came to rest on him, the commander began to speak to the boys who were properly ignoring their lunch in favor of him.
"Evidently there has been some mischief perpetrated on the Yellows and Greens," the commander began with a deep frown on his face. "Someone, and I strongly suspect it was a Red, snuck over to the other barracks and tampered with their laundry rooms. Needless to say, the students in those two buildings are extremely unhappy and are looking for someone to blame. I would like the culprit to stand forward and take credit for this prank. I expect the person or persons responsible to act like a man and admit his folly before things get out of hand."
The room remained silent and still.
"Sir?" The small redhead, Trenton Macintosh, stood from his seat and the Commander gave him a doubtful look, knowing this boy did not have the mischievous nature to pull off such a prank. "How can you tell it was a Red that played this...whatever he did?" the boy asked, then resumed his seat and the entire room waited for an answer.
The commander took a deep breath and tried not to show any thing other than disappointment on his face. "Someone broke into the supply room, pilfered a box of red ink pens and markers and put them into the washing machines, staining the other students' undergarments a splotched red color."
Nervous snickers began to fill the quiet of the room and smiles graced the faces of the amused Reds. The commander's eyes searched their students' faces for the guilty culprit. It wouldn't be just any student who could have accomplished such a prank. Whoever had done it had been able to get into locked doors and past security cameras. Not just any boy in the training facility had such skills. Commander Reid could really think of only one boy who had professed to any type of skill that it would take to pull of the semi-harmless scheme.
With a glance to the table where Red Five sat, he looked directly to where Mr. Yuy and Mr. Maxwell were sitting, as usual, shoulder to shoulder. The commander observed the normally stoic Japanese boy actually looking amused at his sidekick. Duo Maxwell looked...pleased. He bore the look similar to the old expression of the cat that swallowed the canary; he was definitely very pleased with himself.
"I see no one here wants to confess," the commander spoke up sternly after a long, drawn out moment of silence. "Then you leave me with no choice other than to restrict the lot of you from the recreation room for the remainder of the week and no dessert will be served during that time. Good day, gentlemen." The commander then turned to leave the room but took a last look over his shoulder. His eyes caught Mr. Maxwell's before leaving and they both shared a moment where each one recognized that the other knew just who the culprit was. The commander gave the braided boy a warning glare to not continue with any plans for future pranks. The Yellows and Greens were angry enough at the fact that someone from a different section had invaded their territory not to mention their unhappiness that their underwear was now the undesirable color of pink. It went without saying that any further pranks would bring an undesired retaliation to the Reds.
Talk and laughter broke out in the mess hall just as the doors shut behind him and walking back towards his own building, the commander decided that he would speak to Mr. Maxwell in private and give him a firm and vocal warning against any further mischief. He would, however, keep the prankster's identity to himself, otherwise Duo Maxwell would be sought out and covertly punished by the older and much larger trainees. Mr. Yuy would no doubt have his hands full protecting and defending his friend and be distracted from his studies. The man smiled at that thought knowing that wasn't the real reason he was willing to let the long haired boy off so easily. Secretly, he was pleased. The prank showed originality, planning, evasive maneuvers and infiltration along with the fact that Mr. Maxwell didn't get caught. Maybe the boy wasn't as poor a potential soldier that he had previously judged he would be.
Another couple of weeks passed quickly and one late afternoon found Heero, as usual, sitting on his bed, dedicating his full attention to his studies. Quatre approached his bunk with the intent to speak to the studious boy and noticed Duo laying in a curled position on the bed next to him, sleeping contentedly. His long, brown braid rested on Heero's right thigh as the Japanese boy continued his work.
"Heero." Quatre called out softly to the dark haired boy, trying not to wake the slumberer. Heero's dark blue eyes rose to meet his. "Commander Reid has requested I speak with you." Quatre said with a grin. "He is extremely pleased with your academic and simulator scores,"
The boy he addressed gave a derisive snort. "Of course he is," Heero replied smugly.
Quatre paused to think for a scant second that Heero really did need to adjust his attitude. Pushing the thought aside, he set about to deliver his message. "You're being advanced to Yellow immediately," he reported, excitement at the announcement visible in his large aquamarine colored eyes.
"Advanced?" Heero asked with one eyebrow raised upward.
"It's quite an honor Heero, and as far as I know, unprecedented," the blond continued. "You've only been here a short time, and it usually takes two or more years to be graduated to the next level."
"Does that mean I have to move from this barrack?" he asked, not appearing to be surprised or pleased by the honor being bestowed on him.
"Yes, you take nothing with you as all will be provided for you in your new locker."
"Duo?" Heero looked down at his slumbering friend.
"He's to stay here, his studies and skills still need work before he can be advanced." Quatre answered, then stood there silently, listening to the several deep breaths Heero took while pondering this new change in his life.
"I decline."
Quatre blinked, clearly not hearing right. "What did you say?"
"I said," Heero spat out impatiently, "that I decline. I stay with Duo," he spoke slowly as if speaking to a simpleton.
"I... I don't think that's possible Heero. I've never heard of a student declining an advancement."
"Well, now you have."
"May I ask why?" Quatre asked, knowing he was going to need something to tell the Commander. He watched as Heero glanced down at the boy sleeping next to him and he didn't look up when he answered the question.
"We will not be separated. It was part of the agreement when we agreed to come here."
"Surely you two are over any of the insecurities you had when you first got here?" Quatre said questioningly, having come to the conclusion that feeling insecure in a new environment was the reason for the unusual order that followed the two boys. He was clearly baffled by Heero's refusal and his need to stay with Duo. "You've tested out of here and there are wonderful things to learn in Yellow. I don't understand your refusal," he stated in all honesty as he crouched down, resting on his heels so that he could look into Heero down turned face.
"We stay together," was the boy's sullen reply.
Quatre studied the Heero with a perplexed look on his face, finding the puzzle before him growing more complex. "Do you trust me Heero?" Quatre asked softly.
Heero's eyes finally turned from Duo to look at him. "Some what," he replied.
"You can tell me what the problem is and I give you my word that I will hold our conversation in complete confidence. I will say nothing to anyone of what is spoken between us as to why you can't be parted from each other. You have to admit, it's highly unusual." He shook his head, confused by the puzzling situation. "Not even siblings insist on being together all the time. You've advanced beyond this group. The Yellows will teach you so much and you're more than ready for the next step, Duo just isn't ready yet. Would you hold back your own progress just to stay with your friend?"
"Yes," Heero answered firmly and without hesitation.
"Why?" Quatre was more perplexed then ever.
At that moment, Heero paused and Quatre saw a look come over his face, an expression he'd never seen before; it was the appearance of uncertainty. He sensed that Heero didn't know how to answer. As he watched him, Quatre observed Heero do the only thing he could think of, he reached out his and and shook Duo's shoulder in order to wake him up.
Duo stirred from his sleep and rubbed at his eyes. "Um... what's up Heero?" he asked in a sleep-filled voice. Turning his head, he saw Quatre squatting down next to the bed and looking at him. Sitting up slowly, Duo turned and looked back and forth between the two staring at him. "What's going on?" he asked, struggling to blink the sleep from his eyes.
"Quatre wants to know why I won't be advanced to Yellow without you," Heero explained in as few words as possible.
"Oh!" Duo's eyes widened. "It's in our agreement with the Selecting Committee that we stay together," he answered, now fully alert.
"But Duo," Quatre turned to try to reason with the both of them. "Heero is unsurpassed in his scores. The commander has promoted him to Yellow. He needs to move on in order to progress."
"And I'm not being advanced, right?" Duo asked, not appearing surprised.
"Not yet, though your scores are impressively high in all testing areas, you're still catching up."
Without provocation, Heero reached out as quickly as a striking cobra and grabbed Duo by the back of his head, right under the base of his braid and pulled hard.
"Ow, Heero!" Duo squawked as his friend forcefully pulled his face forward until it was mere inches from his own.
"I told you to pay more attention to your lapdesk. Now look what's happened. This is all your fault."
Quatre watched in stunned astonishment at the nasty snarl that came from Heero and how Duo's eyes widened in fear, all color draining from his face.
"I.. I'm sorry," Duo whimpered pitifully, his face cringing with the pain that was caused by Heero's tight grip on his hair.
"Heero, stop it!" Quatre barked out in a commanding voice. "This isn't his fault. Stop hurting him."
Slowly, almost hesitantly, the Japanese boy eased his hand out of Duo's hair, but his eyes stayed fixed on the pale face with the wide, blue-violet watery eyes.
"He's right, Heero," Duo said, sounding slightly bitter as he reached a hand back to rub at the sore and tender spot at the back of his head. "You're smarter than anyone and the best at everything. It's not my fault you're perfect, so stop blaming me because you're the one that's causing the problem here."
Quatre blinked in astonishment. He had expected Duo to lash out at his friend for his harsh treatment, but instead, Duo twisted things around to actually compliment Heero and his abilities. If he hadn't been so close to them, he would never have seen Heero's face soften fractionally or hear him softly whisper to his friend, "I'm sorry."
Then, with complete bafflement, he watched Duo put his head on Heero's shoulder and gently rubbed his temple against it, much like the movement of a cat rubbing against a post, and replied in a tone of forgiveness, "It's okay."
After a moment, and not understanding what was going on at all, the blond brought his mind back to the task. "So, what am I going to do? No one has ever turned down a promotion before and I don't think the Commander is going to take this well."
"How about a compromise?" Duo asked as he lifted his head from Heero's shoulder and looked directly at the young captain.
"Compromise?" Quatre looked skeptical.
"How about Heero spends part of his day training with the Yellows but comes back here for meals and sleeps with the Reds?"
Quatre looked aghast at the idea. "The colors don't mingle, Duo. We don't go into each other's territory," he said adamantly.
"You're here and you're a Yellow," Duo stated simply, indicating with a point of his hand to the three stripes on Quatre's shoulder.
"I'm in Officer Training," the blond replied.
"Put Yellow's stripes on Heero's Red," Duo suggested. "Or Red's stripes on his Yellow jumpsuit. However you want to do it, won't it be the same as yours?"
Quatre stood as his feet were falling asleep from his crouching position on the floor. He looked down on both boys. "Can't you trust me with the real reason why you can't be separated? It might help?"
The two boys on the bed looked at each other. To Quatre, watching their silent communication, it looked amazingly like there were no bitter feelings or hostility lingering from the scene a few moments before. These two were a continuing puzzle to him; they just didn't react normally to everyday situations.
Both boys suddenly turned their heads and focused on him. "You'll tell no one?" Duo asked, his voice and face had lost all trace of humor, he was deadly serious.
Quatre seriously thought about it. The commander had asked him to observe and report the activities of these two trainees and to learn as much as he could about them. If he were to betray their confidence by giving the Commander the information they looked ready to give him, he would forever lose their trust. He had finally found a bridge on which to build an understanding with these two puzzling boys, and trust, it seemed, was that very bridge.
"Agreed, I'll tell no one. I give you my word." He was making the vow not only to them, but to himself as well.
Duo looked around to ensure no one else could hear them. He leaned forward and called up to the boy in the upper bunk. "Hey, Carlos, are you awake up there?"
Quatre looked up at the Spanish boy who Duo had easily befriended as he leaned over the edge of the upper bunk to see what was needed. "Carlos, my man," Duo chirped. "Could you give us some privacy for about a half hour?" Duo asked politely. The dark haired boy merely nodded and jumped from his high bunk and moved towards the front of the room, taking his lapdesk with him.
Duo pushed himself back and motioned for Quatre to sit at the end of the bed. Quatre moved to where he was directed and shifted to face the two boys who had also adjusted their seating. They both sat facing him, shoulder touching shoulder, with their legs neatly crossed in front of them. Quatre sat in a similar position, patiently waiting for one of them to begin.
"Promise?" Duo asked, needing to be sure of the other's word.
"I give you my word, and you can trust I won't break it," Quatre replied solemnly, sensing something very serious was about to come to light.
"Alright, I'll tell you what Heero found out about us," Duo said in a hushed voice that kept the conversation between just the three of them. And then he began the telling of their unbelievable history.
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