"Shadow Man"

Written By: Kaeru Shisho

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Yaoi, AU, angst, sap, romance, drama

Pairings: 1x3, 2x4, 5xC

Summary: Hardly more than a shadow himself, Trowa glimpses the shade cast across the concrete of another young man, who is about to make a fatal mistake.

A/N: This story takes place in a universe more like ours today, where the colonies exist, but not in space, and where the world is on the cusp of change

" Shadow Man"

Chapter 8

Those few words to Quatre started a long conversation, mostly on the other end. Heero didn't say too much, but he listened. I didn't catch enough to follow the threads until near the end, when Heero needed me to write some notes for him.

"Thank you. I got all that. Yes. I'll call again. Yes. Good bye."

His faint smile told me more than he knew.

"You remember him now?" I asked to be sure.

"Not remember as much as recall good impressions. I feel I can trust him."

"That's good. I felt the same way. So, what are these numbers for?"

They turned out to be related to IP addresses.

Apparently, Quatre didn't like or trust Heron's guardian, although he wouldn't explain the why of it over the phone. So that Odin Lowe couldn't trace his computer's IP address to the hospital, Heero was to use one Quatre's proxies.

"Uh, huh." I was lost. I was mostly out of the technology loop.

"One networked device talks to the next using an IP (Internet Protocol) address. It's as unique to a computer as a fingerprint is to people. The downside of this inter-connectedness is that a logical location provided by the IP address is an open arms invitation to attack or invasion."

"Quatre thinks Lowe could find you?"

"Yes. Anyone having this computer's IP address could use Geotool and a Firefox add-on to get one-click access to detailed locations and web server information."

"No kidding?" Anyone? Not, me, obviously, but someone like Lowe.

"Of course, places like this hospital have routers for everyone to connect to the Internet. It's the router that assigns a private IP address, so what the outside world actually sees the IP address assigned to the router and that is the address that these programs use to figure out where you live. To go beyond that and actually nail this hospital down would require the law to be in the loop, unless you had connections, and Quatre believes Lowe has many, many connections. He thinks that Lowe will have been monitoring all the hospitals as well as the computer IP's of my friends for computer communications to trace back."

"Fuck!" This was complicated, but Wufei had been aware of those possibilities and warned us the night before, and both Quatre and Heero seemed able to take steps to cover up everything. "So how are these numbers going to stop him?"

"My temporary plan is to hide behind a proxy server."

"Um, sure." Whatever that meant. "Proxy is a stand in, I know that."

"Yeah. Proxies act as a computer between your computer and the rest of the web. When you are surfing the web through a proxy, any web servers you connect to, actually think you are connecting from the proxy computer. In addition, the more proxies, the better, and Winner Corporation, which Quatre's tangled up with, has many open and available for just this service."

"Oh, that's good then."

"Very good."

And I felt my entire body go into a melt from the warmth of his smile. How did he do that? I wondered if I could learn to do that, or something like that to let him know how I felt about him? Then I froze up, wondering if I'd already given myself away.

The nurse interrupted us (saved me) at that moment with a tray of small bowls. "Snack time! Maybe your friend, Trowa, here would like to help you with your eating?"

"Sure," I said, hoping he didn't mind.

"All right, but only if you leave and let me do this my way," Heero told her.

She seem reluctant at first, but I assured her I'd let him do the work and try eating everything. I gathered that the doctor's felt it was more important that he learn to feed himself than actually eat. After that, she showed me what to do, pushed a pamphlet into my hands, and left us to it.

This would begin a new "program" for Heero and me, building up his skills so that he could care for himself, and training me to be his "caregiver" once he got home. As I looked over the folded summary of steps, I concluded that we both had a lot to learn.

"What does it say?" he asked.

I left it face up on his bed as I removed the tape that attached the mouse to his hand so he could grip the spoon.

"It outlines what we do before they send you home with me and Wufei."

"Hn. If I had the other arm free I could do... most things, once I practiced."

Like going to the bathroom, my mind filled in. That would be a touchy situation. I wasn't sure how far friendship would let us take that one.

"Yeah. So here." I held the spoon so he could grip the handle correctly and saw immediately that I'd need to hold the tiny bowl of pudding still so he wouldn't have to chase it around the tray.

"I can't believe I have to learn to eat," he grumbled. He grip wasn't good and he dropped the spoon twice before scooping any pudding, but eventually he had it in his mouth. "That was lame," he concluded.

"Yeah, but you couldn't have done that a week or so ago, so it's progress. Try the fork."

"Chopsticks," he said, then looked directly at me and smiled. "I ate rice with chopsticks, not a fork. That just came to me."

"That so?" I smiled back. "Well, I'll let Wufei teach us both then, since I've never had the knack of them."

That seemed to please him, knowing he might master that trick before me. Anything positive helped move him forward. We progressed a little until he became both tired and frustrated enough to toss the tray overboard.

I set it aside, not knowing what to do next because he seemed agitated, definitely not in the mood to start something new. On cue, the nurse returned to take away the tray. "Good job, boys!"

"Yeah, well. It's a start," I said, mostly to save him the trouble.

"A very good one. You do so well together, I think next time you're here," she smiled at me until I couldn't stand it, so I blinked. "Next time, you can take on bathing him, don't you think?"

Oh, I could do that. "Sure." No problem. Bare skin contact. No problem at all.

Oh. Fuck.

I glanced over at Heero and he looked as startled as me.

Yeah. That would make it easy to sleep that night, imagining my hands on his naked body. Yeah.

(o)

I should have expected it, but I didn't and was taken aback at first to see Catherine and Wufei seated, waiting with cups of tea for me to enter my trailer.

"Hey," I said in greeting. "Like old times?" I didn't mean anything by that. It had just been something to say, but it set off my sister crying.

She flung her arms around my neck and I let her hang there. "Oh, Triton."

I even didn't correct her use of the name. It had been her little brother's name, about all she remembered of him before they were parted at the death of her parents. She started calling me that the moment we met at the circus. I didn't really mind. I didn't know my true name anyway. I used a lost boy's name for years. Coming up with the name Trowa Barton came later as a gift from the Ringmaster.

Her reverting to my childhood name meant that she was was pretty sad. Wufei wasn't helping. He simply sipped at his tea and looked over the rim out the smudgy window.

That left the talking up to me. Me! "It's okay. Really. Don't be...sad." Or did I mean upset? I wasn't sure, but saying something seemed to help, because she let me loose after a final, tight little squeeze.

"I tried to tell you about us."

About her and Wufei, I assumed. "I know," I told her. "I just missed the clues- that's all."

"You always were that way. You never have been good with feelings and personal things," she told me, as if I wasn't aware of my own head.

"I know. It's just the way I am, I guess." I preferred the conversation when it was about them rather than me, so I tried to turn it around. "So, ah-" and failed.

"It always worried me that you might never connect with others and find someone special. You never seemed interested in any of the other kids."

"Not the girls, you mean," I said, putting the emphasis where it belonged.

"Well, girls especially, yes." She sniffed a little more. "It's been so strange. Nice, but strange. I mean, how you've been so ... considerate and shown interest in Heero's well-being. But then you lost all rationality and became so singularly focused on him."

"Sorry to cut you out," I supplied, stung a little by the "irrational' assessment. I'd never been irrational! Single-minded? Maybe.

"From one extreme to the other," was Wufei's only comment.

"Since he couldn't speak for himself, I felt he needed me there more," I said.

"He did, possibly, at one time, but not at the present," she said.

The entire meeting irritated me now. "How can you really comprehend what he does or doesn't need?" I stood to leave, since they appeared settled in until they'd had their say.

"I didn't mean to upset you," my sister said.

"Yeah, well... Listen, I'm aware of my superfluous-ness. Wufei was with him the other evening and I was home, sleeping, so I know I don't have to be there all the time. But I've been doing my share of work at the circus, and practicing, too. I've been trying!"

"I know that, and you're not superfluous. Don't be that way." Catherine was holding back what she really feared to say or face, which by now I'd figured concerned my sexual orientation. Well, no surprise there. I didn't feel like talking about that with them. I didn't even snap back, "what way?" because that would be like me saying I wanted her to introduce the topic.

Wufei, however, didn't need an invitation. Persistent fucker wouldn't give up. "I feel the need to bring closure to the subject," he began. "What disturbs Cathy the most is how, after waiting for you to come out of your shell, you choose to do it for a near-stranger- of the same sex."

There it was.

My turn. "What do you want me to say? Want me to admit I saved his life and broke all kinds of regulations bringing him to the circus hospital because... I have the hots for him? Is that what you're waiting for? Okay, well... I said it and it might even be partly true. I'm attracted to other men, some other men. Satisfied?"

"No! I mean, well, a little," Catherine muttered.

Wufei had more to say. "I have to admit it's been a surprise to me, something to overcome, and then on the other hand, mutual concern for you did draw us together," he said looking into Catherine's eyes, not at me.

"Talking about me behind my back brought you together?" I asked.

Catherine jumped to his defense. "I was confused by you and so was Wufei. Yes, we consoled one another and fell in love."

"Glad to help." I shrugged, tired of what felt like an inquisition. "And believe it or not, I've had my share of... interactions before. I just don't go talking about them, or anything."

"Oh, Trowa, don't leave this way!"

"I need the space." And I didn't feel particularly sorry about leaving. And, yeah, I noted the use of my current name.

Wufei was last to say, "Let him go."

Then I left my own trailer to take a walk. It was true, I'd experimented a little, some kissing, mostly. Except for one girl, when I was really young, my interactions had been with older men. Nothing remotely romantic or bordering on it and nothing beyond touching, but I hadn't been a total recluse.

As I marked time with my footfalls, I started feeling the gloom lift from my head. I actually felt better getting that all out on the table that way. My best friend was living with my sister and I was gay. All out there. No more hiding or pretending it wasn't true.

That was good for me, but what of them? I hadn't stuck around to get a good read on their reactions. If I lost my best friend, his respect, his support, and my sister's affection, I wasn't sure my bold "coming out" was worth it. I wasn't sure of anything right then. My head buzzed, I felt sick, and my mood slipped into the darkness again.

When I got back to my trailer, they were gone, cups washed and put away. I felt relieved not to have to talk anymore. Unfortunately, it left me alone with my own thoughts and that was never good when I was down. I had feelings and fears, my worst being that Heero would get better and leave me. That nothing would change. He'd be gone, back to his friends and a new life, and I'd still be here, at the circus, paying off the debt.

Alone.

I couldn't hold it back any longer. The oncoming wave of despair swept over me, swamping my senses, obliterating my thoughts for another night.

At least I slept.

My black moods left me wasted the next day, weak and with no appetite. I didn't leave my bed, my trailer until late and then only to care for the animals. I didn't answer my phone or the door when Wufei came around to walk with me to the practice tent. Most notably, I didn't visit Heero for the first time.

I felt bad about missing him. Heero had nothing to do but wait for me to come around. And mess with his laptop. He needed me to practice his skills. Guilt plagued me enough so that when midnight came around, I drove to the hospital, jimmied his window open, and climbed in.

The room wasn't entirely dark. Ambient light shown from the partially opened outer door and from the network of machinery still inhabiting his room like not-so-fantastic space aliens.

"Where were you?" he asked. I knew his voice so well that I could tell he was hiding his worry with a harsh tone.

"I-I wasn't feeling well." It was the truth, so I wasn't sure why I was nervous telling him. I turned away from that glare of his, even though I could barely make it out in the dim light, and lowered the window. "My sister and Wufei are dating- I guess that's one way to put it. They'd moved into another caravan together a few days ago and I'd missed what was going on-"

"Because of me."

"Yeah, some, but mostly because of me- the way I am about things. I'm not very sociable."

"You seem fine to me."

"Ah, well," I couldn't fight the smile that curled my lips. "Doesn't say much for your standards."

"So why weren't you well enough to come here?" he just had to ask.

"Upset stomach. Must have been something I ate." It would do. "But I didn't want you to think I'd skipped out on you or anything, and I feel fine now, so I had to come and let you know that I hadn't forgotten and I was okay."

"Didn't have to. I'm not a baby." He sounded petulant.

I hoped he was going to let me off the hook this time and not pressure me for particulars. He didn't need to know how I'd neglected so many things to care for him, or how I felt about him or how moody I could be.

"I know. So, what did I miss?"

"Oh. You didn't miss much. The bath was delayed until tomorrow."

Fuck. I'd forgotten about that. Of course, he probably thought that was why I hadn't come. "I'll be back to do it. I need to learn how to help you."

"You'd better go," he said, followed by a long expressive sigh.

As much as I wanted to avoid it, tonight just seemed to be the night for plain talk. "I know you don't want my help, but I'm the one to do it just the same."

"It's not that."

Then what? I decided I needed to do something to place us on a more equal footing and give him some control. Now, I'm not the most spontaneous of people, but I imagined what Duo would do about the awkward situation, and it gave me this crazy idea. He had a friendly way about him and a nice boyfriend. He knew something about social interactions. More than me. He'd do something grand to make a point. So, strangely, I gave it a try.

I tore off my shirt and was toeing my shoes off when Heero choked out, "Wha-at are you doing?"

When I got to my pants he'd figure it out for himself, so I just kept removing clothes until I was stark naked. I wore revealing costumes as part of my act and shared my trailer for years, so I wasn't particularly body shy. Still, this felt a little extreme.

He was awfully quiet.

My brain functions were catching up to my spontaneity. I was going to regret this. "Now we'll be even," I explained, "when I bathe you and all."

"Oh."

If he was going to say more, he was interrupted when we both heard the footfalls coming down the hall.

"Shit!"

I didn't have time to dress. I barely had time to gather my clothes and tuck them and me inside the tiny closet before the night nurse padded in. I'd closed the window, but neglected to shut the door, so now here I was naked, shut in a stuffy but not warm closet.

"Is everything all right in here? I heard voices."

"Yes," Heero answered with a clear snicker.

He didn't offer any explanation and I could hear the nurse shuffling around, checking his connections.

"Everything seems to be all right. I was warned you might try to dislodge the monitors."

"Hn."

"Oh! What are these shoes doing here?"

I'd left them, obviously.

"I like them there."

"They are in the way. I'll just put them away." In the closet, naturally.

"No! No, don't. I like them that way. It looks homey." And then his voice changed, a little softer. "More like my own room. Please? Leave them."

Like him or not, all the staff felt sorry for the boy who'd nearly died and had only a couple of cousins to look in on him.

"Well, all right. I'll leave them where you can see them by the window, but not in the walkway where someone can trip over them."

"Thanks."

I waited long enough to make sure she'd left hearing range before making my entrance again. All the embarrassment hit me now - that should have flared up earlier in time to stop me from doing such an inane thing as stripping naked in front of Heero to make him feel we were somehow "equal" later when I was to bathe him. My face burned in the dim light as I stepped out and found a leg hole in my jeans. The first thing on my agenda was to get dressed under his glaring countenance, which turned to muffled laughter.

"That was fucking hilarious. What were you thinking?" he asked.

"Obviously, I just acted without much thinking involved," I grumbled, back turned. I wasn't sure when I could look him in the eye again.

"I'll let you know if it helps tomorrow."

"Yeah? Well, hope it was worth it, I guess."

"It was worth it," he said in a quiet voice.

I still couldn't check out his expression, instead, I hesitated over putting on my shoes. "What will the nurse think if the shoes aren't here next time she checks?"

"Unless she's especially curious, she won't come by again; someone else will."

"Oh. Well, there could always be the mystery of the missing shoes. Or I can leave out this old pair of yours?"

"Don't bother."

That comment drew my attention and in spite of my earlier indignity, I turned to meet his eyes.

"One thing about head injuries," he said, "is I can always say I don't remember and no one questions me." His smile looked both wistful and sly, depending on how I wanted to take it.

"Yeah." I opened the window.

As I lowered myself to the ground, I'm sure I heard him say, "I won't forget."

I certainly didn't forget that night even though I had plenty of activities to fill my mind, most importantly, learning to give him a bath. This didn't turn out to be as sexy an event as it sounded, not with the nurse guiding me every step of the way. Yeah, nothing like clinical observations in over-voice to kill a mood. There were bandages to keep dry, plastic wrappings for the casts, and washing his hair was a beast. Occasionally, I found sores that needed medicating, which meant he needed to be moved about more often. I felt bad that I couldn't be there to do more for him, but he wasn't much for sympathy.

His cock remained unresponsive, but I knew it had to be the drugs; at least, I hoped it wasn't some kind of permanent nerve damage. I didn't ask and he didn't say anything. We let it lie limply between us, making a more telling statement in that way.

I could tell how he hated the invasion of his privacy, yet loved the way he felt, being clean, when it was over. I learned how to massage little-used muscles-what he called the best part-and scratch itches to his heart's content.

I learned toileting and turning, and then discovered better ways to do it all that let Heero do more of the work. Sure it tired him out, but he needed things to do and he had to learn to do the most basic things for himself. As much as I liked having him depend on me, it was a good thing we'd worked toward his independence, because things were about to change the routine.

(o)

Changes began when Wufei ran into me by the lions' cage. He knew my routines well.

"Do you have a moment?" he asked stiffly.

"Sure." I wiped my free hand on my jeans. "What's up?"

"Two things. First, I'm not avoiding you because you told me you are gay."

"I didn't think you were." I had, but I didn't want to admit it now.

"You never acted... strange around me, so I have no reason to think-"

I didn't want to hear him choke out some awkward euphemism for me ever being attracted to him, so I cut him off. "That's right. I'd like to think things don't have to change. It's only Heero that I... think of that way. Was there something else?"

He gave me a curt nod. "Since Cathy has no living father, I feel it is my duty to ask you."

"Me? For what?"

"I'm getting to that!" he snapped.

"O-kay."

He was nervous as hell, I could tell. I just waited until he was ready and then he blurted out, "I want to do the right thing. I want to marry Cathy and I'd like your blessing. We both would."

I didn't drop the bucket of meat parts. I set it down slowly first. "You're asking me for permission? You don't need to."

He held back a disdainful comment. I could tell from his pursed-lip expression. "Of course we don't! I was being respectful."

That made me chuckle. "Catherine made you do it. That's so... cute." I used that word purposefully to get a rise out of him.

It made him scowl, then smile. "Just wait until you do something thoughtful for Heero," he threatened.

"Uh," I groaned, feeling beat. "I take it back." I gave him a one-armed hug, a brief one, then stood back. "Thanks for asking. Tell her you did it all proper and all and that I wished you both much happiness. I mean it."

That made us both blush and part ways quickly before we puked, or at least he did. Heh, heh...

So Wufei's news and strange behavior had only been a small bump in the schedule of my life's events.

The circus was opening for the summer and I had to work afternoons and evenings. I hated the thought of leaving Heero with so many uninterrupted hours of boredom without me keeping him company. A solution came in the form of a phone call.

Actually, I'd been expecting Winner to call me ever since he got my number. I had to give him credit for showing extreme restraint in waiting this long to ask to see Heero.

"The circus community required that I have a visitor's pass and hoped you would be there to vouch for me," he said. "But I truly hoped you'd want this for him."

"I think it's a good idea," I told him. I think I surprised him by not arguing. "The doctors say having him see people from his past might help him regain his memories." I did want Heero to have his friends back. I was only a little worried about losing him to them- maybe a lot, but I couldn't keep him to myself forever, that wouldn't be fair to him.

I still felt resentful. Heero was mine.

"Has he asked to see me?" Winner asked, sounding unsure of where he stood, too.

"No, but he doesn't ask for much at all."

It turned out that Heero had started emailing Winner a few days before. He was ready to meet his old "best" friend. I didn't know how I felt about Heero meeting up with his old best friend, his very cute, gay, nice friend.

Jealousy was an ugly thing to tackle, especially when he had his trusty side-kick, Guilt, for back up. Heero might improve faster with more interaction, especially from friends and family. This could do him some good!

But.

Every time I conjured up Winner's face, I used it as a mental punching bag and it exploded before I could confront it. So, I guess I did know how I felt about the meeting, and I really didn't like how I was feeling. I also didn't like this 'get to know your feelings' shit at all.

Before, I'd kept my feelings bottled up where they belonged, not flailing about out in the open like they seemed to be now. I'd come to accept how Wufei and my sister had gotten together. I'd come to accept my attraction for Heero. I wasn't excited about coping with my mixed emotions when it came to sharing Heero with his old friends.

I arranged for passes to allow them past the front gate this one time and agreed to meet them outside the hospital. Wufei and I drove over together. Winner and his long-haired boyfriend were already there, waiting.

Wufei reached out and shook first Quatre and then Duo's hand, "Chang Wufei."

Duo grabbed the hand and waggled it with a smile. "Chang? I'm Duo."

"Call him Wufei," I clarified.

"You are Trowa's friend," Quatre said. "Nice to meet you."

The two shook hands and I felt my world tilt again. A new friend and an old-worlds collided.

Wufei was all business this day. "I thought I'd try to prepare you for what you are going to find, suspecting that Trowa wouldn't have."

Prepare them for what, I wondered?

"I lost... a great deal of family and friends in an attack on our clan."

I'd known about this, of course, but what he had to say next was mostly new and the fact that he was revealing something so intimate to strangers shocked me to silence, not that anyone would know the difference.

"Members of my family were mortally injured in the first bombing on our clan's village. I visited them in the hospital and I'll never forget the monitors everywhere keeping them alive."

Like when I'd first seen Heero. It had been Wufei who had gotten me through those first viewings. He was explaining why he could do that now, and it hurt to think I'd never asked him for the story before. I wondered who the people were, how close, but didn't even consider asking. Would he have told me if we were alone?

Was it getting easier for him? I hoped so.

"I was thrilled when someone's eyes opened, it meant to me that 'this person is alive!', but when those eyes would look at me," the hitch in his voice upset me more than what he was saying. I could tell that he was reliving a terrible moment. "There was this chilling lack of recognition."

Winner reached out to touch his arm. He looked as if he was suffering right along with him. And Wufei let him! He accepted the compassion of a near-stranger. Why hadn't I ever been able to do that?

"We spoke, but the personality was gone. It was as if the person had already died and another person had returned in the broken body."

"Oh, Wufei-" the blond said, tears welling in his eyes.

"Those that passed... I was glad their fight was over." Wufei turned his dark look onto the pale, sensitive guy.

Duo moved to step in should things get dicey. He cut to the chase. "I get it. You're saying to expect to meet our bud rebooted and that he might be different. Right?"

"Yes."

"Let's go find out." Duo pushed his blond boyfriend into the room, while still talking, his voice getting louder. "Go on. We know he won't bite. He can't even walk, heh, heh."

"Duo!" Winner gasped and stood looking him awkwardly. "That's not funny."

"It is," Heero told them. "I'm desensitized by now."

"Her-" Winner caught his error before saying the old name. "I'm sorry! Heero, I, ah... hello." I noticed he wasn't going to let Heero show them he didn't know their names, and just rolled into polite introductions. "I'm Quatre and this is Duo."

Duo waltzed over to the bed, arms spread in a way that made me think he might break out into a musical number. He didn't; instead, he seemed fascinated by the traction devices. "Whoa! I'd be turned on hot if I was into S&M, seriously."

Winner looked aghast at his boyfriend's audacity and blushed like crazy. "Duo!"

"It's like a torture chamber," Duo went on unfazed. "Am I right?"

I thought Heero might be stunned, but he appeared more amused. "Yes."

Duo pretended to tickle Heero's exposed toes with the end of his braid, coming close, but never touching, and then tapped on one of Heero's leg casts. "Can I sign it? Draw a picture? I'm good at getting the details of those mobile suits and I brought my pens!"

So that's what he had in the pack he'd carried in.

"Go ahead." Heero even smiled. "Did I like mobile suits?"

"Oh, yeah. Who doesn't wanna pilot one of those?!"

"You were right," Wufei whispered in my ear and then swished past me.

I'd wanted Duo to be there at this first meeting of the "best friends," because of his open personality. Wufei had been afraid the crowd would "overwhelm the invalid." My instincts had been dead on. Duo was right there picking up the easy flow of conversation.

My best friend ensconced himself by the window, where he could stare out moodily or observe the proceedings, folded his arms over his chest-no chance he'd be nervously making those little tents with his fingers this time- and pressed his lips into a thin line. He wasn't comfortable with these strangers and he wasn't going to leave Heero lying there helpless with them nearby.

Duo's eyes traveled over Wufei, scanning, measuring, and reading his body language, while keeping up a friendly patter. "You gotta great view here. What you need is a sighting scope. Didn't he used to have one of those, Quat?"

"Yes, a very professional one. Do you remember stargazing on my roof top?"

Heero shook his head. "No."

The blonde's face lost all its color. I was afraid he might faint at first, and was about to grab his elbow.

"Sucks, huh?" Duo hopped in before Quatre started to cry. "I kinda wish I could wipe out my childhood memories... and most of high school while you're at it."

"Duo!" Poor Winner.

Heero laughed, though. Well, the sound was more of a chuckle, but Winner never heard it. He had dashed out the door. I could see his yellow hair bobbing out of sight and considered going after him. "What's with him?" I asked.

Duo stopped my non-movement to the exit with a gesture. "Leave him be, okay? He's gotta get his head together, then he'll be back."

"Yeah?"

Wufei had a more critical interpretation. "Hyper sensitive."

"Actually," Duo said, "that's not so far off. He's really in tune with some people's emotions, especially folks he knows well. My guess is that he couldn't read Heero here as he expected to so he's upset, but that's just a con-jec-ture." He joined me nearer the head of the bed. "So, you don't recognize either of us?" he asked Heero.

Heero closed his eyes. He did this to rest his eyes and avoid conflict. He couldn't very well walk away. He let out a long sigh before answering him with a quiet, "No."

"Didn't think so," Duo said, not letting on if he was hurt or not. "We had these regular greetings, things we said, and... you didn't say a thing like that."

"I feel," Heero interrupted, "something, though. I'm glad you both came to see me. It... feels good."

That brought a grin to Duo's face. "Quat will be so glad to hear that. He's been worried, more worried than me. The way your bud, Tro' and I got along, I figured we could start over and all be friends."

He included Wufei and me in that broad statement. After that, Duo did most of the talking, filling Heero in on the end of school, finals, and the goofus behavior of most of the graduating seniors.

Somewhere in there, Quatre returned and quietly apologized for his absence.

Heero called him to his bedside and reached out for his hand. "Thank you for coming. I want you to know you're welcome to come as often as you want." He looked over at me for approval, maybe?

"Yeah, I can get them temporary visitors' passes," I assured everyone.

Winner appeared pleased with the outcome and he and Duo left a short time after that.

I was confused by my feelings. I'd had Heero to myself and liked it. I wasn't keen on sharing him with his old friends and I was worried he'd like them more than me and...well... that would be that for me. But if it made Heero happy... so be it. I hadn't expected to like them, Duo and Quatre. I hadn't considered I could be their friends, too.

TBC

Chapter 9

Back to Kaeru Shisho's Fiction

Back to GW Authors Index.