Rescues
Part Eight
By [ jana ]
Confusion.
Delirium, even.
That was the only logical explanation he could come up with for what his obviously deranged brain advised him had just happened. Mindful of the IV tubing, Duo brought his left hand up to touch his forehead. He didn't feel warm, then again, he reasoned, he would be unable to accurately judge his own body temperature. "The meds." He said aloud. "Must have been the meds." He looked over to his left and smiled in relief. "Morphine drip. That explains it."
He sighed, satisfied that he had found a valid reason for his apparent hallucination and ignored the tingling sensation that remained on his lips.
~*~
Trowa and Quatre had wandered back into Duo's the room a few hours later and in time to witness their friends expected reaction to his first meal since waking. The three spoke briefly about the aftermath of the events that had taken place at LeDeara and continued to make small talk while Duo ate.
"So how long until I'm outta here?"
"At least another three or four days," Quatre replied, cringing at Duo's sour response to his reply. "They wanted you to stay for an entire week."
"A week?"
Quatre nodded. Duo did not know for certain, but guessed that it was Wufei who was insistent about the early release. Despite the fact that there were no indications they were in any immediate danger of being discovered by Oz, the less time they spent in a group in plain sight, the better.
"You are lucky to be alive, Duo," Trowa reminded him.
"Yeah," Duo said solemnly.
"Did Heero stop by yet?" Quatre asked.
Duo looked up, but did not reply and so Quatre continued. "He said he was going to. That was a few hours ago."
"He did," Duo told him. "At least I think he did," he quickly amended.
"You think?"
Duo laughed nervously. "I'm not sure that I was in my right mind this morning," he admitted.
"What makes you say that?" Trowa asked.
"You guys would never believe me if I told you."
Trowa looked toward his lover and then back at Duo. "Try us," he said.
~*~
Heero had practically bolted from the hospital room after kissing Duo.
He hadn't been sure of how Duo would react to the sudden show of emotion and his momentary glance into Duo's confused violet eyes gave him little clue. His actions were not premeditated, instead, Heero suddenly found himself unwilling to let another moment pass without making his feelings known. They had come so close to losing Duo, and Heero never would have been able to forgive himself for not telling the braided boy how he felt. Whether Duo understood what Heero meant was still unclear. If nothing else, he had managed to let Duo know of his concern, telling him in no uncertain terms that he would not allow anything bad to happen to him. It was by no means an admission of his feelings for Duo, but Heero honestly hoped that his words in conjunction with his kiss had alerted Duo to his true emotions.
He had not apologized to or thanked Duo either. He felt partially responsible for his partner's condition. If he had not been careless and gotten caught, Duo would not have been injured. He needed to let Duo know that his efforts to rescue him were appreciated.
~*~
"Heero!"
Heero turned at the sound of his name to find Trowa and Quatre making their way down the hall toward him. He paused and waited for the two to catch up. "You going to get a bite to eat?" Quatre asked. Heero nodded and the three entered the elevator together.
"Duo seems to be doing pretty well considering everything," Quatre spoke aloud. "He mentioned that you stopped by earlier, Heero."
Heero stiffened slightly, doubting it was apparent to either of the other occupants in the elevator. "Yes. He looked much better this morning."
The elevator doors opened and the three exited and followed the signs to the hospital cafeteria. Heero hoped that no more would be mentioned about his visit with Duo this morning. The silence that had accompanied the last 10 minutes was broken once they had chosen their meals and sat.
"Duo said you kissed him."
Heero looked up at Quatre and sheepishly nodded. Heero knew that his feelings for Duo were no longer a secret to Quatre. Once privy to that, Heero figured that the blonde had most likely shared that information with his lover. The discomfort he felt over discussing the situation was not diminished by that knowledge.
"He thinks he imagined it."
Heero's eyes widened. "He what?"
It was Trowa who spoke this time. "He thinks it was the morphine they have him on." Heero could feel his face flush.
"You're going to have to go talk to him, Heero," Quatre informed him.
Heero had known this even before Quatre told him. He owed it to both Duo and himself. The fact that Duo did not acknowledge what had happened between them made Heero uneasy. For the past few hours, he was going under the assumption that Duo was thinking about his words and the kiss and that the next time Heero saw him, Duo would mention it; allowing the two to talk more in depth about it.
This latest revelation left him back at square one.
~*~
Heero paused outside of Duo's hospital room and taking note of the room number, smiled. "121." He spoke softly. He knocked lightly on the partially closed door. "Yeah?" came the familiar voice.
"It's Heero. Can I come in?" Heero asked.
"Sure. I'm decent," Duo called back.
Heero entered and crossed the room to watch as the technician finished drawing blood from Duo. "Hey," he smiled. "Have a seat. We're almost done here. Right?" he questioned the young woman on his right. She nodded and Heero turned his eyes away from Duo's.
The anticipation of the conversation that was going to take place made Heero nervous. Knowing what he wanted and needed to say was different than actually saying them to Duo's face... his very beautiful face, Heero noted with a slight smile.
"What's up, Heero?" Duo asked, rolling over onto his side to face Heero.
"I thought you could use some company," Heero told him.
Duo smiled. "You mean some more company," Duo said hesitantly. "I mean... you were here earlier, right? I couldn't have imagined all of that," he laughed softly.
Heero stood and walked to Duo's bedside. "You didn't imagine any of it," he told the bed's occupant. He reached down and took Duo's hand in his. "I was here," Heero told him. "And I did kiss you," he admitted with a slight blush.
Duo looked startled and rightfully so. His mouth remained slightly open and his eyes stayed focused on Heero's. Heero squeezed Duo's hand and smiled. "And I would like to do it again, if you would let me."
~*~
As promised, Duo was released three days later and the four remaining pilots were given strict instructions on how to care for their still recuperating friend. As expected, Heero had laid claim to the job of Duo's primary caregiver and received no argument to the contrary. He was, however still recovering from his own, small, but painful injuries and allowed Wufei to play doctor with him when the dark eyed pilot became overly insistent.
Duo had easily gotten over the shock of Heero's admissions to him and was happily playing the role of newfound lover to his partner as much as his injuries allowed.
"I appreciate your attempt to rescue me," Heero told Duo. "I am sorry that things worked out the way they did."
Duo smiled. "Don't worry about it, Heero. You would have done the same for me."
"I would have been responsible if something happened to you," Heero told his lover. His voice showed signs of strain as he spoke those words. "I'm not sure I could have lived with that."
Duo stretched his neck upward and kissed Heero on the cheek. "But nothing did happen."
Not wanting to relive any of the memory, but curious about Duo's behavior once they had left the base, Heero spoke. "Why didn't you tell us that you were hurt?" Duo had communicated with both Quatre and himself after sustaining his injury, but failed to mention it to either one of the.
"It was more important that the rest of you got away. Stopping to come back for me would have been foolish. You know that, Heero."
Heero nodded. That would undeniably have been his decision had his first duty been to the mission. "Right or wrong. I would have come back for you."
The two let the impact of those words sink in for a few minutes.
"Wufei told me that you were scared that night," Duo reminisced as he snuggled further into Heero's embrace. "I denied that it was because of what he was implying."
Heero bent down, placing a kiss on the top of Duo's head. "What did you think he was implying?" he asked.
"That you cared about me. ME," he reiterated. "Not the mission. Me..." Duo trailed off wistfully.
Heero tightened both of his arms around Duo's waist, carefully avoiding his lover's wounds. "I think you were the only one that hadn't figured it out by that point," Heero said. "Quatre figured it out first."
"Must be that space heart of his or something," Duo replied with a chuckle. "And you can't blame me for not noticing, Heero. I was unconscious!"
"About that..." Heero started.
"Enough lectures, koi. I think I can safely say I won't be doing anything like that again."
"I will not be so forgiving next time. I cannot bear the thought of losing you." Those words reminded Heero that even with the current respite from battle, their war against Oz was far from over. They would be in far more dangerous situations. How would things be different now that they had become lovers? There was certainly much more thought that he needed to give their new circumstances. Heero imagined that Quatre and Trowa would be able to help in that area. He would suggest to Duo that the four of them sit down and talk soon.
"So, we're alone now, hm?" Duo asked quietly.
Heero nodded. The three remaining pilots had been called out on a light surveillance mission earlier that morning and were not expected home until nightfall. He had surprised them all by outright refusing J's orders. His injuries were minor and while he could have sighted them as reason for declining the mission, he did not. Heero had no intention of making the same mistake more than once.
Heero could feel Duo turning in his embrace and looked down at his smiling lover, effortlessly reading the spark of lust that darkened Duo's eyes. They had thus far refrained from anything that might prove stressful to Duo's injuries, but the rising temptation was becoming so much more difficult to resist.
"It seems a shame to waste such a perfect opportunity," Duo practically purred.
Heero leaned forward, bending down to press his lips against Duo's. His tongue slid easily in between Duo's parted lips and the pair moaned as the kiss grew more urgent. It felt right to finally be holding Duo in his arms.
"There will be plenty of time for that," Heero assured his lover as he reluctantly pulled back from the kiss. The disappointment was evident in Duo's eyes. "It's not like I'm happy about it either," Heero reassured him, gently rubbing Duo's upper arm.
Duo nodded and allowed his eyes to close. Heero's arms were warm around him; so warm in fact that Duo was able to completely dismiss the memories of the deep chill that had began this whole nightmare.
owari
duo: that's it?
heero: it says owari
duo: i can see that
heero: hn
duo: we got gypped out of a lemon and all you can say is 'hn'?
jana: he says that a lot
heero: i do
jana: ever think of making a hn to english dictionary?
duo: don't try to change the subject. where's the lemon?
jana: there is none. you're still recovering
duo: i'm recovered enough!
jana: sorry
duo: that's it? sorry?
jana: pretty much, yeah
duo: that's... that's... injustice!!
heero: you've been hanging around wufei too much
-jana snickers-
duo: you tortured us. i almost died... twice. i want a lemon
heero: he has a point
jana: how about a slice?
duo: a slice?
jana: yeah. yanno, part of a lemon
duo: half
jana: one slice...
duo: a quarter?
-jana glares at duo-
heero: we'll take the slice
-duo sighs- fine. it better be a good slice though
Duo shifted on the couch, nuzzling Heero's neck and placing a soft kiss just beneath his jaw. "I'm feeling much better today."
"Is that so?" Heero asked.
"Mmm... it is." He stretched up, covering Heero's mouth with his. Duo had been home for nearly two weeks and Heero had adamantly refused all of his sexual advances. Duo was convinced that it was more than his state of health that was keeping Heero from furthering their intimacy. The subject had not come up, but Duo was certain that Heero was as inexperienced as he was and unlike himself, was liable to let his naiveté stand in the way of things progressing to where they obviously both wanted them to. He was becoming more and more frustrated by Heero's behavior, though and had just about reached his limit. "Just touch me with your hand, Heero," He pleaded softly, "Please." Without waiting for Heero to respond, Duo took Heero's hand in his and guided the two downward to his growing need. Heero obliged, tentatively stroking Duo's cock. The soft sounds of pleasure that Duo was making encouraged him and Heero unfastened Duo's pants and slipped his hand inside.
Heero's hormones were screaming nearly as loudly as Duo's. He stroked Duo to full arousal, teasing the slick tip of it and earning more deep groans of appreciation from his lover. He moved his hand lower, rubbing the palm of it over Duo's balls and squeezed them gently a few times before returning his attention to Duo's cock. Heero was very much affected by Duo's reactions to his touch. His own cock ached, trapped in the too tight confines of his jeans.
"You feel so good in my hand."
Duo reached up to pull Heero's head down to meet his own, initiating a passionate kiss as he thrust his hips upward into Heero's hand. It wasn't long before the rapid breathing and increase in the rhythm of Duo's hips alerted Heero to his lover's impending climax. He pulled back from their kiss and focused his attention on Duo's face, watching the pleasure of his actions sweep across each of his beautiful features as Duo's body trembled in his arms.
"Mmmm..." Duo moaned a minute later. His eyes opened to look up at Heero and found him smiling. "See? I'm fine."
"Just fine?" Heero asked with an amused lilt.
Duo shifted from Heero's embrace and carefully turned onto his side. "Mmm... more than fine." He said, reaching to unfasten the button at the top of Heero's jeans. Heero watched as Duo continued his quest, holding his breath as the zipper was lowered on his jeans. "Hips up." Duo told him, and Heero complied, watching as Duo freed and revealed his erection. He looked up at Heero then. "Gorgeous." He said softly. Heero felt his cheeks flush slightly and glared at his lover, hoping it was softer than usual.
"Fine." Duo said. "I won't tell you anymore... " He lowered his head and swiped his tongue across the moist tip of Heero's cock. "... but it's true." He whispered, opening his mouth and taking the entirety of Heero's length inside of it. Heero to let out a low moan and reached with both hands for Duo's hair, burying them in the silken mass at the very top of his lover's head.
Duo's mouth was warm and his tongue moved in a slow circular motion around the crown of Heero's cock. The feeling was altogether different from anything Heero had felt and he found himself lost to the incredible new sensations. His hips lifted up of the couch in response to the pleasure Duo's mouth provided and made no attempt to stifle the sounds his lover was drawing from him.
"Duo..." He called out softly. Duo did not respond though, sucking hard and moving still faster up and down his length. "Unh.. Duo!" Heero called out again. "I'm going to come." Heero felt Duo's hand snake down in between his legs and take hold of his hardened sac. He gasped, feeling his cock twitch as Duo tightened his lips around it and then he came, crying out as he released his passion into Duo's waiting mouth. Duo swallowed everything, continuing to suck and kiss his cock until it had softened.
Heero fell limp and settled back in the couch, looking over at Duo once he had brought himself upright again. "I enjoyed that..." Heero began. "... a lot." He smiled, leaning to his right and kissing his lovers upturned lips.
"Mmm.. there's a lot more to enjoy too."
Heero was very much interested in the more, especially now, but Duo's health was more important. "When you're fully healed." Heero added.
Duo agreed with a nod and a yawn.
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