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"Regained "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, masturbation, angst, violence,
language Pairings: 6x2, 3x4, mention of 13+11, R+1 Summary: Sequel to Interfacing: Lost. GAIA, the
new alliance, fights its first battle in Antarctica; Duo and Zechs
begin to rebuild their relationship "Regained" Chapter 16
"Duo?" a woman's voice called from behind him. Lucrezia Noin had seen the young man turn into the food preparation area and followed him. Now would be the perfect time to talk to him about his relationship with Zechs. "Hmm?" Duo asked, as he straightened and turned to see Noin standing just ten feet away. "Hi," he said, with his mouth full. "Didn't you just eat breakfast two hours ago?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips, and sounding very motherly. The boy chewed and swallowed as quickly as he could before answering. "Yeah," he said, and then walked over to the sink to get some water. After gulping down half a glass of water he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "I get hungry after..." "After what?" the woman with the short, blue-black hair asked, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, nothing. I'm just hungry a lot," Duo grinned, remembering the delicious encounter he'd just had with his lover. He padded back to the refrigerator to continue foraging and grabbed a couple slices of ham. "Want some?" he asked, holding out a slice, but seeing Noin shake her head, he hopped up onto the counter and began to eat it himself. Noin looked at him curiously... studiously. //What does Zechs see in this kid?// She leaned back against the counter next to him, crossing her arms in front of her. "So, you and Zechs?" she asked, beginning the same way she had with her friend. Duo tilted his head at her, his brow tightening. "Did he say something to you?" he asked. //I don't think I'm supposed to be talking about this with anyone.// "There's no need to pretend," she said with a little smile. "It's written all over your faces." "It is?" he asked, rolling up another slice of ham and taking a bite. "And a woman knows these things." "Really? So does Quatre... but he's a boy," Duo said and snickered. "Quatre? Oh, the little blond. Is he your friend, Duo?" she asked, wanting to find out as much about Duo Maxwell as she could... including whom his friends were. "Yeah, we've been hanging together for a little over a month now." Put that way, Noin wondered if Duo realized there was a war going on. //He's not near as serious as the other Gundam pilots... He doesn't seem to fit the profile.// She let her gaze roam over his youthful, slender features and caress the long plait of chestnut hair spilling down his back. //Charming. I imagine his hair is very appealing to Zechs. He's probably tired of all the short, military cuts... including mine.// "Duo, let me be straight with you," she said, finally. "I've known Zechs for a long time. He's my best friend and I care a great deal for him. That's why I want to talk to you... I'd like to get to know you better. Find out exactly whom my friend has fallen in love with." "He said that? That he's in love with me?" Duo asked, sounding a bit surprised. But the surprise was not that Zechs loved him, but rather that he would so freely tell someone. The large, blue eyes were looking intently at her. //Is he insecure about Zechs's feelings for him? I wish Zechs would've told me the whole story...// "Yes, he loves you very much. In fact, I've never heard him wax on about anyone this way before." Duo took another bite of ham and swallowed. "Have there been... many?" Noin blinked. "You mean lovers?" He nodded. "Hasn't he told you?" she asked, trying to avoid telling this young man anything that would hurt his relationship with Zechs. "Yeah, he said there were... some." He paused then, looking down at the floor and then back up at Noin. //I don't want to know, but I need to know...// "Are any of them here at the base?" The woman's eyes went wide... almost mortified by the question. She didn't want to say anything, but the way Duo's eyes were searching hers for an answer she had to say something... even if it was a non-answer. "I don't think that's for me to tell you." "That's okay, I think you just did," Duo said. //I knew it,// he thought, stinging a little from the woman's indirect admission. He'd suspected that Zechs and Bronn had been lovers... maybe even lovers as recently as just a few weeks ago. "Look, none of that matters now," Noin said, trying to smooth over the hurt she could see in the boy's eyes. She was suddenly sympathizing with him... not feeling as bent on her interrogation. "Zechs is smitten with *you*. And he's never been smitten with anything or anyone before." //Now, if only I could be sure that you're smitten with Zechs.// "Heh," the boy chuckled, setting aside the jealous twinge. "I still can't believe he's with me. I mean a guy like that..." //I'm so lucky!// //Poor kid doesn't think he's worthy.// "Oh, Duo, but don't you see? A man like Zechs can't afford to fall in love easily. He can never know how people really feel about him. I've known Zechs long enough to see him used for his body, his rank and his money." "And which one do you think I'm using him for?" Duo snorted. He knew damn well this little "getting to know you better" conversation was more than that. Noin was taking mental notes of everything he said and did. "I don't know. You tell me," she said softly. //She really does think I'm using him!// Duo thought, angrily. "What do you wanna know? That I'm sleeping with your friend just because he's beautiful? Well, that's crap!" He jumped down from the counter and stood before her, hands curled into fists. The last thing he wanted to do was defend his relationship with Zechs to the man's best friend, but it looked like he was going to have to. "That must be what you're thinking, huh, Lucrezia? 'Cause I sure ain't using him for power or money. I've got a Gundam for power and hell, I never let him pay for anything for me... We split the cost of everything when we were in Cairo." Then suddenly Duo was hit by a wave of dizziness. //No, that's not true...// He hadn't paid for the hotel or the dinners in Cairo. He meant to at the end of their three days, but then everything had come apart. "Fuck!" Perplexed by Duo's anger, Noin asked, tentatively, "Are you okay?" //Guess I hit a nerve. But which one? Is he using Zechs or not?// "No," Duo said, flatly, hitting his thighs with his fists. "You mind telling me what's going on?" she asked. "It's nothing," he said and turned away from her. //How did I forget? I can't have Zechs thinking I'm using him... I'll have to find a way to repay him. Buy him dinner or something...// "So you and Zechs split the cost of everything? I bet that surprised him." "Yeah, it did," Duo said, remembering how Zechs did seem pleased with his offer to pay for half of everything. "Look," he said, turning back to face her. "I know he has some money, he dresses nice and he's a king or something... but so what?" "Some money?" Noin asked, chuckling. //He has no idea just how wealthy Zechs really is. My God, I think Zechs is right... this kid isn't using him.// "Duo," the woman said, coming forward to place her hand on his shoulder. "I'm just trying to make sure my friend doesn't get hurt." //Because he's totally in love with you and I don't want to see his heart broken.// "And I'm trying very hard not to hurt him," Duo said, sincerely, and gave himself a mental kick for the oversight on the bills. "Then tell me. How do you feel about Zechs?" she asked, pulling up a stool for him and then getting one for herself. His face brightened at the question. "I love him," he said, smiling as he jumped up on the stool. The anger and confusion he felt a moment ago all but forgotten. "He changed my life." //Interesting... that's exactly what Zechs said.// "And how old are you?" "Fifteen," Duo said, rolling his eyes. Noin laughed. "You must get asked that a lot." //Oh, Zechs... he's so young. Are you sure about this?// "Lately, it seems like all the time. And before you ask me whether I'm old enough to know if I'm in love I'll tell you... yes, I am! I've been on my own nearly my whole life, and I've met enough people to know there's no one like Zechs Merquise. No one who cares for me the way he does. No one who can still me so completely." "*Still* you?" Noin asked, and then suddenly realized he meant 'quiet' him. //He *is* a talker.// Duo nodded. "Lucrezia, I see where you're coming from. Zechs is an amazing guy and he's totally blown me away, but I'm not just lusting after him like he's some guy in a magazine. Zechs is so down-to-Earth," he said and laughed. "That's the first time I've ever said that... I always thought that had something to do with living on Earth, but now I know better. Zechs *is* down-to-Earth and he has miraculously grounded me, too. Imagine that... I'm a pilot and I'm happy to be grounded!" he said and smiled brightly. Violet eyes watched the deep, cobalt blue eyes as they danced with the tale of the young man's love. His eyes, so bright with love, filled Noin's heart with great satisfaction. //He truly loves Zechs... My beautiful man has finally found someone to love him for himself. Oh, Zechs, I'm so happy for you!// She continued to listen, mesmerized, as Duo went on and on with all the wonderful reasons why he loved her friend. "... and I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make him happy," Duo said, finally concluding his gushing litany about Zechs. "Oh...," Noin said, slowly coming out of her trance. "I think you already have made him happy. And now, how's about we go out on reconnaissance? We could take a couple of the Aries." "That'd be great!" Duo exclaimed, glad for the opportunity to fly another type of suit. Secretly he knew he'd passed her test and was eager to tell Zechs of this little interrogation. "Great, follow me," she said, hopping off the stool and heading out of the kitchen. In the busy corridor, the discussion continued. Duo Maxwell had most certainly won Lucrezia Noin over, but she still had a lot to learn about the young man who captivated her friend. "So, what's your story, Duo?" she asked as they walked side by side. "How did you get selected to be a Gundam pilot?" "Well, I wouldn't call it getting selected," he said, looking over at her with a smirk. "More like... I stole my Gundam and now it's mine." "You stole it?!" she asked in complete shock, coming to a full stop. "Yep," Duo said, nonchalantly. "The God of Death has made that Gundam his own." //I think I'm seeing another side of him...// She raised her eyebrow at him. "I bet you're a fierce little fighter," she said. "Zechs would like that about you." "No, actually I think it bothers him... Or it did at first," the boy said, gesturing for them to continue. "Is that right?" she asked, walking again towards the hangar. //I'm not telling her about what happened... How the God of Death almost killed...// "I think he wants to 'protect' me or something," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, Duo, if a man like that wanted to 'protect' me, I think I'd let him," Noin said, laughing. Duo laughed as well. "Yeah, I think you're right. I should just let him..." //And enjoy it!//
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