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"Crisis"Written By: Artemis Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi lemon including rimming, angst,
violence, language, reference to past NCS involving a minor, death,
angst. Pairings: 6x2, 3x4 Summary: Sequel to Interfacing: Regained. GAIA
prepares to go into space and announce itself to the world; Duo and
Zechs' relationship goes through its own crisis. "Crisis " 39) The group dispersed after the televideo meeting was over, some going to their quarters for the night, others to their duties. The last to leave were the Gundam pilots and Zechs. "If it's any consolation," Zechs murmured, bending to Duo's ear, a hand to the small of the boy's back, "I think you look a lot better in this uniform than Treize does." "Naturally," Duo said, chuckling and stepping an inch closer to Zechs. "I have it on good authority that Quatre had a certain other Gundam pilot in mind when he designed these short little jackets. And I sure wish you'd consider wearing one," he said with a wink. "I'm sure I will someday," Zechs replied, smiling as his hand fingered the boy's braid. "When Tallgeese and I go to outer space, eh?" "Mmm, I definitely want to see that," Duo said, leaning against his tall man. Zechs glanced beyond Duo to where Quatre was quietly speaking to Heero about something, then looked down at his little lover again. "Duo, I need to stop at my office to check on things, okay? But it's late... and I'll be heading straight for bed after that. Hoping to find you there waiting for me, of course!" "Oh, I'm ready to hop back into bed with you right now!" Duo said, rubbing up against his lover and then followed Zechs's eyes to their friends chatting quietly. "That's right... Quatre had mentioned something about talking." Duo turned his eyes back up to Zechs and then playfully ran his hand up his chest. "As long as you'll be busy for a bit I think I'll hang out with him... then I'll meet you for another tumble in the hay." Zechs caught the hand and kissed it. "That's a plan," he murmured, then leaned down to briefly kiss his lover on the mouth. "Have a good visit with Quatre," he added when he straightened again. "Thanks, Wolf," Duo whispered, not wanting the others to hear him use the pet name. He squeezed Zechs's hand to stop himself from jumping up into the man's arms. "Can't wait... 'til later," he said with a wink. "And that's the understatement of the century." Just as Quatre and Duo were about to walk out the door and find a quiet place to talk, Heero took a call from the tower. They'd finally received word from Trowa. "It'll be encoded," Heero said to Quatre, knowing the little blond would be anxious. "I'm heading to the tower now to take a shift, so I'll decode it... if you want to come along." "Yeah, there's bound to be something in there for you," Duo said, patting his friend on the back. "Okay," Quatre said, smiling and joining his two friends as they headed up to the tower. In the control room, a computer station was open for Heero to sit down and work on the message. The coded missive was necessarily brief, so it didn't take him long. Once he finished, he printed out a copy of the decoded message and handed it to Quatre. "He's okay," he said, and then let Quatre read it for himself. ++++++ Flight good. Am scheduled to rendezvous with the OZ shuttle in one hour. Tell Quatre I love him. ++++++ Quatre gasped at the last words. It was more than he had hoped for. "Oh, Tro," he said with a sigh and held the piece of paper up to his chest. [And I love you, too, Tiger.] Duo put his hand on his friend's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze, his own heart aching sympathetically. [It's gotta be hard for him... he feels everything so intensely.] "You okay, buddy?" "I'm fine," Quatre said with a small smile. "Thanks, both of you." Heero turned back to the computer to send a single word message back to Trowa. Though they could not risk sending a wordy encrypted message back, one word would let him know they'd received his. Heero typed "heart", encoded it, and sent it through cyberspace to his friend. [You've found your heart... Someday maybe I'll find mine.] "Thanks, Heero," Duo said with a smile. "Yes, thank you, Heero," Quatre said. "You're welcome," Heero replied, though his fingers were again busy on the keyboard, sending a quick note about the message to Zechs's office and to Federi's computer. Duo and Quatre left the control tower, heading back toward the living quarters where they could talk in any number of small break rooms. Duo found one that had a vending machine with his favorite candy bar in it, so that was where they decided to settle. Quatre made himself comfortable in a large, cushioned chair. "It's been quite a while since we had a good talk," he said, as he folded his hands over his crossed legs. He watched Duo peel back the foil wrapper on a candy bar and take a bite of the treat. They'd only spent a handful of hours together in the last three weeks, and most of those encounters had been in leadership committee meetings. They needed this. "Yeah," Duo said simply as he let the chocolate melt in his mouth. [My favorite...] "I've got lots to tell you, too." He walked over and took the seat next to his friend. "Like it's been building up inside me... you know?" "I know, Duo. I'm sorry about that." "Huh?" Duo asked, surprised by the apology. "I was so focused on spending time with Trowa that I wasn't taking care of you." Duo shook his head. "Hey, wait a minute. You're not supposed to take care of me. I can do that just fine." "Can you? These last few weeks you've been slowly spinning out of control and I wasn't there to stop you... And besides I really messed things up for you and Zechs at the very start. I should've been more involved with getting you guys back together." "What are you talking about? You did help us!" Duo said, in exasperation. "Geez, you're the reason I got to talk to Zechs at all. Don't you remember back in Cairo... in the hotel room? If it wasn't for you... God, I was convinced that...." "I know. And that was my fault, too," the little blond said, shaking his head. "Hey, if we're gonna be passing blame around then I've got my fair share to 'fess up to." Duo saw the question in Quatre's eyes. "Yeah, I want to apologize... to Trowa, but I'm gonna start with you." "Trowa?" Quatre asked, saying his lover's name with sweet reverence. "Yeah, your man got in my way when I was trying to leave this morning and I really gave him a hard time. And he's a hell of a lot stronger than I thought he'd be." Quatre smiled. "If you only knew. He's got the body of a..." "Yeah?" Duo's eyes went bright with curiosity, but his friend only blushed and dipped his head, suddenly seeming embarrassed to share such intimate details. "Go on," Duo urged as he leaned back in his chair with a smug smile on his face. "You tell me... and then I'll tell you about mine." "Oh?" Quatre asked, looking up again, his bright aquamarine eyes showing interest in the game. "Well, I would like to know... more details." "Heh, I knew it!" Duo said with a laugh. "Quatre, you little pervert. You want to know all about my sex life." "You started it! You wanted to know about me and Tiger!" "Tiger? What's that about?" Duo asked, laughing. [Oh, no... He'll never let me live this down.] "It's what I call him... privately," Quatre said, in defense. "You and Zechs have pet names, too. I remember you telling me something about him calling you... Dancer. Yeah, that was it. And he's your..." "Wolf," Duo said, settling down a bit again. "Yeah, I call him my Wolf. So, okay, I get the Tiger bit. But what does Trowa call you? His Desert Prince? No, I bet it's something like... his little Java Bean." "Hey!" Quatre said, infuriated by the teasing. "Just because I drink a lot of coffee..." "Whoa... okay, okay! So, why don't you tell me then? It'll stop me from speculating." The other boy considered the request. It's not like he and Duo hadn't opened up to each other the moment they had met. They both were extroverts and it was kismet, meeting someone else who wanted to talk and share as much as he did. If it hadn't been for Trowa, Quatre thought he might have even considered sharing something more than friendship with Duo. The boy with the unique long braid was bright, fun loving and cute, but Trowa was Quatre's true love. And, as hard as best friends were to come by, Quatre would always treasure Duo's friendship. "Okay," he said, finally. "It's Kitten. He calls me Kitten." "Aww, now that's cute," Duo said, smiling. "Heh, isn't it funny how these guys have given us such fluffy names? I mean we're Gundam pilots for God's sake. If anyone found out!" "No one's gonna find out," Quatre said with a little chuckle. "And besides, I think it's sweet. It shows their softer sides." "Yeah, I can think of a softer side of Zechs right now..." Duo mused as the image of Zechs's round bum came quickly to mind. As his thoughts returned to the present he caught the glint in Quatre's eyes that was sure to mean he was thinking about his lover as well. "So, tell me about Trowa. He's good to you? I mean, I really haven't given him a chance... We got off on the wrong foot and then before he left I made things worse." "Don't worry about that, Duo. There'll be plenty of time for you and Trowa to get to know each other when he gets back." [Back to what I wonder? We'll all probably be going to outer space soon...] "I know he was the right one for that mission, but don't you wish I would've gone instead... or Heero? Then you'd have Trowa here?" Quatre bowed his head for a moment. The ache of not having Trowa at his side was not something he wanted the group to know, but Duo was different. "Yeah, I wish someone else could've gone on that mission... I miss him something fierce and he hasn't even been gone a day," he said and sighed heavily. He placed his hand on his jacket pocket where he had tucked the printed message after letting Duo see it. It meant a great deal to him that Trowa had sent it, knowing that Heero would have to decode it and that others would know his feelings. [He's come such a long way....] "I wish for a lot of things, Duo," Quatre said, softly, looking up at his friend. "But right now we have to be strong and do the right thing. It's our lot in life." "Wow," Duo said, sobered by his friend's confession. [What if that was Zechs who'd gone? I'd probably be bouncing off the walls right now... Instead I know he's just down the hall and tonight I'll be wrapped in his arms...] "Duo?" "Oh... I was just thinking how hard that'd be... Zechs and I talked about the possibility of being separated. I know it's coming, Quatre," he said, looking his friend straight in the eye. "It's bound to happen, but I don't like to think about it." "You'll make the right choice when the time comes," Quatre said, reaching over and patting Duo's knee briefly. "You're committed to what we're doing and as much as you love him, you'll make that sacrifice." Duo nodded, solemnly. "Yeah, guess so..." "Hey, but who wants to think about that now? I want to know *all* about your reunion with Zechs," Quatre said with a wink. "You two were holed up in there all day... was it great?" "Oh, better than great," Duo said, with a broad smile and shaking his head as if he could hardly believe it had actually happened. "We promised some things... promised each other that we'd always put each other first... that we'd hold each other in our hearts wherever we go and we'd take care of each other always." "Quite a big commitment," Quatre said, not so much surprised as relieved. [From the start they were meant for each other...] "Yeah, it's a commitment all right, but one I'm ready for even though I know I'm young... But it just feels right being with Zechs. He makes me feel like..." "Like you're the only one," Quatre finished for him. "Yeah," Duo said, smiling. "And like he's my home. Is it that way with Trowa?" "Oh, yeah. I'm so happy when I'm with him... and he's just so beautiful... but sad. So much has happened to him. It's hard for him to trust, but he trusts me. And we're good." "I'm glad. You were really driving me nuts talking about him on and on and on... Geez, I'm glad he finally fucked you." "Duo!" "What? Isn't that what you two have been doing for the last three weeks?" he asked, snickering. "Well, yeah, but you don't have to say it like that." "Since when are you such a prude? I remember the night you took me to spy on the Maguanacs in their barracks and some of them were getting it on and...." "Dear Allah!" Quatre exclaimed, covering his ears. "Hey, it's not like I minded... It was the first time I'd seen guys doing it... Up until then I'd only seen them in magazines. It was quite an eye-opener." Quatre blushed again. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." "You were enjoying it, too... and I know it wasn't your first time watching them," Duo said and winked. "So how long have you been spying on them like that?" The little blond shook his head. "I... I really don't know." "Oh, I think you do!" "Is that what made you want to meet Zechs? Were you looking for sex?" Quatre asked quickly, diverting the line of questioning a little. "Not exactly," Duo said, remembering how he'd stumbled upon the "Men 4 Men With Long Hair" chat room. "Really it was you... How you had this boyfriend... and a family... and I wanted to connect with someone, too. I had no idea it'd wind up like it did. I didn't plan on falling in love." "No one ever does," Quatre said, leaning back in his chair. "So, tell me... you promised to love each other, but you weren't talking for ten hours straight." "Oh, we're back to that are we?" Duo said, chuckling. "You owe me some juicy details." "You are bad, Quatre, but I'm happy to share..." Duo carefully painted an erotic picture of two lovers who were virtually starved for each other, leaving out most of the intimate details, but knowing his friend's own experiences would fill in the blanks nicely. He was also sensitive not to reveal everything, respecting Zechs's own need for privacy, but he couldn't resist making special mention of what he would always refer to as "red jacket sex." "He didn't!" Quatre exclaimed. "In his OZ jacket and boots?!" "Oh, yeah," Duo said, smugly, putting his hands behind his neck in a familiar pose. "And it was so fucking hot. Best sex ever!" Even Quatre was feeling a little heated by all this talk of sex. As Duo had recounted his day with Zechs, Quatre was stirred by his own memories of Trowa and all the wonderful things they had shared... and would still share. [Our love is still so new... Hmm, Trowa now will have an OZ jacket to wear... maybe even that little GAIA pilot's jacket would do... Now that has possibilities.] "I know what you're thinking," Duo said, teasingly in sing-song fashion. "You do?" "You were thinking about Trowa in a uniform, too. Let me tell you... it makes for great sex. I'm sure he'd say yes if you asked him." "Well, it'll have to be the stuff of my dreams for now. It'll be awhile before I have Trowa back." "Yeah, sorry about that," Duo said, feeling a bit subdued again by his friend's melancholy over his absent lover. "Hey, maybe we can make a point of hanging out together? You know... talking and stuff like we used to." Quatre grinned at his friend. [He's really one of the bright spots of this war.] "I'd like that, Duo. You're a good friend and I'm glad you've worked things out with Zechs. He's a great guy. I have a feeling you two are going to be together for a very long time." "Thanks, buddy," Duo said, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm sure gonna do my best to keep him and not mess things up again." "I don't think you need to worry," Quatre said as he got up and stretched. "I have a feeling he's not going to let you go... either." "Thanks." Duo could see that his friend looked tired from the events of the day. [He could really use some sleep.] "Well, buddy, I think it's time to call it a day..." He wanted to say that he was itching to get back to Zechs... back to snuggling and much more... but he didn't want Quatre feeling bad. [I'll have to do my best to keep his spirits up while Trowa's gone...] "Maybe you wanna meet me and Zechs for breakfast in the morning?" "Sure," Quatre said, nodding for Duo to get up so they could walk to their rooms together. "Let's ask Heero to join us, too." "Hey, that's right... he'd probably like that," Duo said, grinning as they headed into the hall. Making friends with Heero again was like having a huge weight taken off his shoulders. [And I'm really gonna do right by him this time. There's so much I didn't understand before today...] The two friends chattered continuously until they got to Zechs's room... now Duo and Zechs's room... and then paused to say good night. "I hope you can sleep," Duo said, sympathetically. "I'll be okay, Duo. But thanks for your concern. Just do me one favor..." "Sure, buddy.... anything." "Keep it down tonight, okay?" The burst of laughter that erupted from Duo was enough to wake the whole wing... if anyone was trying to sleep. Quatre couldn't help but join in and then waved a good night as Duo, bent over and holding his sides, went into his room. The little blond shook his head as he stared at the closed door. [I can still hear him!] he marveled and then noticed when the laughter quieted... imagining Zechs had probably silenced his boisterous little lover with a kiss. [Oh, Trowa...] He turned to go, thinking of his lover as he returned to their room, but surprisingly without a sense of melancholy. His heart was full. He had good friends and was overjoyed by Duo's reunion with Zechs and reconciliation with Heero, and he felt pride for his brave Trowa taking on such a dangerous mission. Sitting on the bed, he took out the decoded message and read the last line again out loud. "Tell Quatre I love him." It would be enough to sustain him until he could be in his Tiger's arms again. (tbc)
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