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"Halfway to Sublimity"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: AU, male/male pairings, language Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: When Duo moves to a new town on the river,
he meets a young man running the river and a rich boy who seems nice.
Maybe he'll settle down for awhile, or maybe not. "Halfway to Sublimity" Chapter Twenty-Seven Catherine heard the owl-like warning call the same instant Trowa recognized it. "Hear dat?" Trowa tensed. "Dat's no owl 'round here." "You're right. It's Great Eagle's warning to us. Take cover!" Catherine squeezed around Wufei and Quatre so that she could push Trowa to the back. The boys formed a barrier at the doorway. "You especially, Trowa! That nasty Dekim character isn't likely to forget your face or Lily's no matter how much makeup you're wearing." Just at that moment Lily threw open the door, eyes wide with fright. "I can't let him see me!" Quatre grabbed Trowa by the arm. "Dekim Barton won't recognize me as the Winner heir." He reached over to Duo and yanked on his braid. "Hey!" "Get out and let down your hair." Quatre ripped the tie off the end of the braid. "Trowa, climb into that bed with your new girlfriend and hide!" "Girl friend!" Duo snorted. Quatre raked the amazingly long hair with his fingers. "For now, yes." Trowa pulled the shorter man into his arms and moved into the wall. "Damn, it's nice not to be de one in drag dis time." Quatre had torn the black wig off his head and jammed it over Lily's. "You are Heero's beloved. He's...asleep. Watch out for the broken leg. If he starts to wake up, kiss him!" Duo opened his mouth to object, but slammed it shut when he caught Trowa's evil smile. "Same goes fo' you, if you mou'd off." "Mow'ed off? What the hell does that translate to?" "He means if you go on about anything, he will silence you," Quatre said. "Heero will murder her it he awakens," Wufei noted. "I'll take care of him," he said quickly to Lily. "Whatever you're doing, do it fast," Quatre warned. His usually well-groomed hair was wild now and with the glittering costume with feather trim, Catherine thought he looked more effeminate than ever. The fire in his eyes was that of a man, though, despite the flashy makeup. Catherine watched Wufei place a bit of leaf under Heero's tongue, then slip to the near corner of the caravan, where she had seen him stockpiling arms, and hunker down to wait. She made a mental note to ask him for some of that 'sleeping herb' for her own use later. Quatre took up a position in the opposite corner. Wufei barked a "head's up!" and tossed him a rifle; he already had a pistol stuffed in his belt. Catherine shushed them all as the sound of several horses closed in and covered the sound of the last minute scrambling inside the caravan. She could feel the blood drain from her face and she steeled herself for battle. The door was closed, barred, but it wouldn't hold up to a well-placed shoulder backed with determination. "Ho, there!" It was Great Eagle bravely greeting the unwelcome visitors. Dekim Barton barked out his orders to his men. The man insisted upon looking inside the caravan. Catherine heard what he said and fingered the firearm hidden away in her apron pocket, ready to defend her newly found brother and friends. To her surprise, the one she knew was her brother's lover, an heir to a large amount of wealth and businesses, and whom she thought was rather mild-mannered and even meek, stepped out of his corner and threw open the door. Obstructing the opening with his lithe body dressed in the silly costume, Quatre snarled, "What is the hold up? We're the sick wagon and have performers to take care of!" "The what?" asked the leader of the thugs who had dismounted and approached the caravan first. Dekim rested on foot on the step up to the caravan. Catherine squinted past him to count the number of opponents they were up against. She could make out several other tough guys on horseback ranging behind him. On their feet, leaning against tree trunks or lurking in the shadows were a few more savage-looking types. They all smoked and the result combined with the steam off the horses forming a scrim between them and the caravan. Catherine was glad to had Quatre at her side, because despite the nasty looking men, the golden boy was unflappable. A couple of the lurkers joined up with their leader, following him right up to the caravan. "Sick wa-gon," Quatre articulated carefully, like you would to a mentally slow person. "The seriously ill and injured performers get farmed out for medical care. We pick them up and take them back to the winter staging area." "You look okay." Catherine nearly laughed at the young man's eye roll and put-out expression. "I'm the accountant when I'm not clowning around. It's my job to see the final payments are met." The older man grunted "payments" and pushed Quatre into the side of the door, stopping nearly nose to nose with him. Quatre kept his feet and composure and didn't fall back. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I have no money here. Doctors have cleaned us out." Catherine broke in. "That one's got a broken leg." She lifted the blanket off Heero's leg, exposing the terrible-looking thing. Two men blanched and stepped away. "It healed badly and had to be re-set. We were about to splint it when he passed out." Wufei raised a handful of bandages and a pair of wooden splints from a case Catherine assumed was his medicinal bag, although she thought he was a teacher, a lawyer, and not a medic as well. "You gotta Chinc medic? We're looking for a Chinaman," he ground out the word through gritted teeth as if intact he might choke on it, "and a host of other good-for-nothing thieves." Barton elbowed his way around the crowded caravan and looked around. Catherine bit her lip to stop from saying something damaging. She held her breath when the criminal's hand grabbed at Duo's tresses and tugged, but the young man stayed hidden and only mewled sorrowfully. "Humph." Barton gave the tangle of hair one more tug then nosed around a little more. She noticed Wufei's arm gravitating backwards, putting the hilt of his sword within easy reach, and Quatre edging back into his corner where his rifle lay hidden. The tension was about to break these young men, she was sure, and if she didn't do something fast there would be bloodshed soon. When Heero groaned in his restless sleep, she took advantage of the opportunity. "We really need to get his leg set and plastered before he wakes up. Have you seen enough? Space is tight. What you see is what there is. We haven't space here for harboring the likes of thieves." Wufei's eyes darted to her face. Quatre's breath hitched. "We oughtta be moving before the weather locks us in," Great Eagle commented from outside. Barton straightened up with another grunt and stomped out of the caravan. "Injun? You saying another storm's on the way?" "Yeah?" The head honcho looked over his men and horses with their sides still heaving from the chase. "Which way you come from?" Catherine answered truthfully, "Down from Elkhorn and through Drain. Road was okay, but you know it will be a mud trough with more rain. A-and we didn't run into any thieves, if you were wondering." "And you're going south?" he asked Great Eagle. "Yeah." The tall native drew himself up to about the size of a mountain next to Barton. He had not bothered with a disguise. In order to be effectively disguised, Great Eagle would have to put on, at minimum, a studio apartment. "Had nuffa this winter up here." Barton narrowed his eyes and stared into the distance. For a moment, Catherine thought the thug was going to agree and accompany them! And then, just as it seemed all was well and they would leave, one of the thugs started looking over the horses tied to the caravan. Would the circus harness and fussy trappings fool them into thinking these were trick horses? "Hey, boss! How about we collect some fine horseflesh? This one's better'n mine." It was Wufei's beautiful steed. Catherine didn't know if the young man would fight to keep it or not, but no horse was worth the lives of so many, and a fight would cost them plenty. Instead, Dekim Barton shouted at the man, "Getcher hands off that. We gottanuff trouble with the circus folks. Lost five men in that 'Big Top' fracas. Remember Sogran. Don't need horse thievery to stir them up." He turned to his other minions and ordered them "git goin'" and to "use the east route." Not a word of goodbye or "sorry to have bothered you." "Ass," Catherine hissed beneath her breath and climbed back inside the caravan. "Looks like they're leaving. Go ahead and set the leg. We'll give them a few minutes, then go." Trowa hopped down to Heero and with Wufei's assistance, splinted the leg straight. "You did admirably," Wufei told her. "Thanks. I don't often get complements. I-I wasn't sure if he'd go. I rub people the wrong way sometimes. Don't argue with me!" "I have no intention of arguing with you, or any other woman. I'm not an idiot." "An' see," Trowa said with an ever-widening smile. "You are rubbing him de wrong way." Catherine wiggled her finger in his face. "Ungrateful... You should be thanking me." Just then, her brother's pretty blonde boyfriend popped up, saying, "You are right, Miss Catherine. Consider this a token of our appreciation, all our combined appreciation, for your help and all the risks you've taken." She hesitated, but took the offered box. It was handsome, black lacquered, with a curly scripted "TEK" inscribed and gold-leaved on the lid. "Um, what's this TFK?" "Treize Francis Khushrenada." Quatre's smile oozed charm. "A... donation? Ah... to the circus?" She thought it was a nice try. Obviously this was intended for either the governor's wife or mistress. "So, you really are thieves? Hmmm," she said noncommittally. She lifted the lid to reveal a weighty gold chain studded with gold roses with what had to be ruby centers. "Well, there's nothing that can't be smoothed over with a little jewelry." (o) Heero knew he'd awoken once or twice before. He remembered being lulled back to sleep by Duo's reassuring voice. The snow of the upper altitudes turned to gentle rain which along with the rocking action of the wagon further seduced him to sleep. He had a funny taste in his mouth when he woke up at last and muttered something close to "water." "Tell'em Sleeping Beauty's awake," a gruff, clearly male voice called out. Heero challenged himself to stay alert. He forced his back to lift and stomach muscles to pull as he hefted himself up onto one elbow. What had happened to him, he wondered? He could make out Duo's voice, his footfalls pounding not far off. "I told you the moment I left him, he'd wake up." "You needed the bath, believe me." The second voice was a woman's, but who? Heero thought it was familiar. He hadn't long to wonder, though. Duo was just entering the room where Heero was currently ensconced on a cot, followed closely by a young woman he immediately recognized as the doctor's assistant from Sublimity, Sally Po. "You saying I smelled?" Heero smiled. He could hear the indignity in Duo's voice and imagined his expressive eyes darkening. And then he appeared right in front of him, braid leaving a wet spot down his back. "Duo?" "'Ro! Careful with that leg. Stay put. I'll come to you. Aw, no, don't try and stand. Don't you ever listen to a thing I say? Yeah, well, don't pull that face. I told you to sit. Now you're sitting, so stay. Jeez, Ruggles listens better. Remember him? Yeah, Todd brought him over a-and took him back. We'll be back home in no time and you can see them all. Um, Ruggles is a dad. There's a whole mess of puppies that look just like him, except one that's black like the mother. And-" Heero interrupted. He had to or he'd never get a word in edgewise, endwise or otherwise. "Where are we?" "Zechs Merquise's river place. Filled with soldiers right now so it's safe for us. Quatre and Trowa are here, too. Wufei went home to see what kind of trouble the school is in." "Hilde. You mean the trouble she's gotten him into, you mean." Sally smiled. "Hello, Heero Yuy. We've met, but it's been a long time. I'm Sally Po." "Yes, I remember you. But why--?" "I'm here because Wufei sent me to make sure the leg was properly set. It was a good thing because you were developing a fever. You are doing well now, but you'll have to stay off it for several more days. You broke many blood vessels with that bone, and the delay in setting it made it worse. Rest is what you need." "How long?" "We've been here about three days," Duo answered. "Missed you." Three days. Lost and he would never get them back. "I have a business to take care of. I've been gone too long already." "No river work for you," Sally told him. "The plaster must stay dry and won't come off for nine weeks." An argument ensued. Heero would lose this one. "Trowa and I will handle the route," Duo assured him. "It will release him from our debt, or so he says. It's important to him, 'Ro. Let him do this." "What about Dekim Barton's men? What about the threats to Trowa he represents?" "We'll work that out as we go. He's got circus connections, guys outta work for the season that can help out. Let him do this, Heero, let us." Heero really had no choice. He'd have to wait to heal, but damn if he would take nine weeks to heal! One evening, he sat with Duo, Quatre and Trowa on a dock after the soldiers went inside. Quatre had come with a carriage to take the others home, but easily been convinced to stay over the night. They all enjoyed the quiet night relaxing together knowing how few they'd see in the future. The crisp, dry leaves shuddered in the chill breeze overhead, a few breaking free and fluttering down. One leaf caught in the updraft from the fire pit swirled aloft before the edges lit, glowed, then burned to a crisp before finishing its journey to the ground. A log spat out a spray of bright sparks. Quatre lifted his glass and Trowa filled it with wine brought from the Watergardens. Duo was on his second and Heero was sipping cautiously at his first, feeling moody enough without being drunk to add to his problems. "So, who has the demonstration steam engine now?" Heero asked. "You said you had news." "Yes. The Maguanacs Command have reported back and they made their delivery." "To--?" Quatre's eyes slid to Duo. "You didn't tell him? Oh, no matter. Howard, of the Sweepers? He's looking it over and sorting out the plans." "Howard? That crazy old c-coot?" Heero said, choking. "He's a fine engineer, and more importantly, completely trustworthy. He'll let us know in a few weeks if he can get it running and fit it to a ship and if more can be produced." Heero shrugged, giving up. Duo was satisfied with Winner's choice, so he was, too. So what if he was contributing to the end of the way he made a living? By the time he could return to river work, would steam engines be replacing strong backs? And why stop with the river traffic? If an engine could replace a man on a boat, couldn't one replace horses pulling wagons? Not unless roads were improved. So, they'd build better roads, more roads, roads on land to replace waterways. On that glum note, Heero sipped more of the excellent wine. He thought back to the trip he and Duo had made while searching for Lily, then Middie. It seemed a lifetime ago now. At the time he hated to give up a week, but now, looking back, it had been a wonderful experience having Duo to himself and traveling to new rivers. He remembered listening to Howard, whom Winner had trusted even back then with his secrets. "Your friend, Mr. Winner," Howard had said, "he's got it all taken account of. Some of my boys are up the way at the Tallgeese River Post packing supplies for you. That Winner's building something secret in there. Something big up that way." So that was where the steamboat engine was hidden and being studied. "This is nice." Heero shoved at the coals with a long stick, lighting up the twilight with an explosion of sparks. "With you, everything is nice." "Well, it is...nice. All..." Quatre gestured expansively toward the water, seated and sprawled out friends and the universe at large, "this is nice. Your injury is unfortunate but not shattering the general niceness of all... this." "You've spilt your wine. Let me address dat shortcoming." "Give him anymore and he'll start singing." When Duo nudged his grouchy boyfriend, Heero sighed. "Sure, loosen him up. What do I care? It's the crickets that will suffer and the frogs." "Let's go for a swim!" Trowa chuckled, but let Quatre talk him into stripping to shorts and diving off the dock. Duo passed. He'd had enough river baths to last him awhile. "Ahhhhh!" Quatre screeched. "It's cold! Tro-wa! Oh! My balls fell off!" Heero smiled. "Poor little rich boy." Duo smiled with him. "Yeah. Guess he never figured that since the Rogue flows from North to South that that would mean it would bring the cold water from the north this way. Yeah, I hate the snow. Glad to be at the lower altitude. Maybe we go south some winter, eh?" Heero shrugged. "Maybe." His spirits were determined to remain unlifted. The broken leg had stopped him like a bullet to the arm once as a boy had not. "If I'd been awake, maybe I'd been able to identify more of Barton's men as ones who had once worked for Odin Lowe." "Maybe, but then they didn't get a chance to recognize you either. That wouldn't have been good. We were way outnumbered, amigo." Quatre and Trowa were already out of the water and running, giggling and dancing around the fire to dry like a couple of twelve-year-olds. Duo kicked out a foot and tripped Trowa once, though the agile Cajun caught his fall and for revenge shook his wet hair over Duo, pelting him with stinging drips. Quatre nearly fell into the fire, had Heero not grabbed his wet shorts and pulled hard. "Oooh, not here!" Quatre cried out, then laughed as he fell on his ass. "Put on some clothes," Heero growled. Trowa leaned into Duo and whispered something in his ear. Heero looked away. If they wanted to keep secrets, let them. As much as he wanted to bury his bad feelings, mostly about his inability to return to river work, there were the others, his friends, stirring them up. Duo, his handsome, upbeat partner would save him, he trusted, but until he did, Heero relished putrefying away in his own bad mood. He was not left moldering for long. Duo dragged him to his feet and Trowa latched on to his other side. "Hey!" "Don't wiggle and hang on to our shoulders," Duo told him as he and Trowa linked hands under Heero's knees and swept him off his feet. "You assholes!" "They're carrying you inside. We'll all camp out here tonight and then I'll take you home in the morning. The mor-ning, the morn-ning... I'll take you hooooo-ome... in the mor-ning!" Heero groaned in mock pain and rested his head on Duo as much as possible. "Oh, Hell. Winner's singing; hurry, get me inside!" "Got our bed all ready, love." Heero hoped to God that Duo planned to cheer him up, in bed, undressed, no singing involved. (o) Wufei couldn't wait to get home to Sublimity and Hilde. He had to see to his horse's shelter and food first, of course, but then it was a quick walk to his rented room above the school. He imagined Hilde's pleasure at his arrival. It sent a thrill to his body that sped him along. He had sent word ahead to expect him and wondered if she would have supper waiting, a hot bath, tea? He also worried. He worried about the school and how late a start it would have this year. He hadn't prepared a thing and yet he knew it would be expected of him to begin classes the very next day. How he wished he could have a single day just for himself and Hilde, and blushed at where his thoughts turned. Well, it was natural to want his wife. Unlike his homosexual comrades, he had had no partner as a handy outlet for his passions. He needed his woman, his wife, and he was certain she would have missed him sorely as well. It would be a wonderful homecoming, indeed. What he didn't expect was to hear the sound of pounding, the pounding of nails into wood, to be precise, coming from his home. He opened the front door and it was louder. "Hello? Hel-lo!" Pound. Pound. Pound. Concerned for Hilde's welfare, Wufei took the stairs two at a time, closing in on the sound. Just one more step and then turn right and... "Hilde! What are you doing? W-what has happened here?" "Darling!" Hilde dropped her hammer and flew to her husband's arms. "Ah'm so happy you're home. Ah missed you so!" And for a few minutes he lost himself in her arms, soaking up her warmth, treasuring her love as it filled his senses. As he leaned in for a richly deserved kiss, his eyes betrayed his desires and scanned the room beyond. "Dear Buddha what have you done?!" Hilda broke apart to point out her improvements to their humble abode. "I'm almost done in here. I have only a little more trim work to complete, which I was doing when you arrived." "This room... wasn't here before." "Not really, was it? I rented the additional rooms on the floor and knocked out a wall or two..." "Knocked out--? You knocked out walls?" "Nothing compared to knocking pirate heads together," she said with a grin. No shrinking violet, his little Hilde. "Now you enter into the parlor and our bedroom is through that passage, a private space, there's the bathroom, the kitchen... Come see how big it is now!" He agreed. It was large. Huge. With a wood-fired oven for bread making, she told him. "Where does this go?" he almost hated to ask about the narrow stairs he'd never seen before. "That's the best part. Now, honey, smile. That's the way. You are so handsome when you smile. It's all going to be just fine, you'll see. Now, you juss come with me and see your new office." "Office?" His voice wavered. Why did he need an office? "I pointed out to the city council, they are our landlords, you know." He knew. "That the attic space was being wasted and that I was taking it. They had no objections so with a little insulation and paint, oh, and flooring, voila! Now, you can have your law office here when you are in town, and once we get back to Serendipity, you can have your bigger, official one there as well." "Law? Teaching and lawyer. I'll have two jobs? Hilde, I don't think-" "Oh, lord, no. I've taken over the teaching part juss fine. Why, I juss love those little chillins. And they love my pirate stories, you know." "You opened the school. You?" "well, who else? They all showed up one day. You weren't here and I needed to find someway to keep my mind going, seeing as how I'm not out scrapping with the pirates anymore. You don't want me to do that... do you?" He most certainly did not want his wife out "scrapping" with anyone. "But I was hired as the teacher." He tried like crazy to keep that obnoxious whine out of his voice. "Oh, I know. That's what took me over to the city council to explain and they were very pleased to meet me. I'm having tea with the wives every Saturday morning and you can go shooting with the gents, if you want. I told them you have a standing meeting at the Watergardens, which I must say impressed them appreciably. So my qualifications satisfied them for the teaching position, when you are indisposed, and then we moved on to the lodgings. They were most accommodating, having no one else leasing the property." "But the expenses! I can't possibly-" "You are so right, dearest. And that's what I impressed upon them. You are far too important to live so humbly and once they understood that as a married couple we would need a proper home, well..." "Well, what?" "Your raise covers this." She was glowing. "All this is ours, quite affordable, and based solely on your worth. I juss couldn't be prouder of you, honey." And, after all, it was his due. What could he say? "So show me what you've done to my... ah... our bedroom." "Oh, you will juss LOVE it, I know you will honey. Look at this." He looked about the room, larger than his entire bachelor pad had been previously, the place he'd left a week ago, and found himself staring at a palatial-sized four-poster monstrosity front and center. He could barely squeak out a word. "Where's the futon?" "The little mat on the floor? In the guest room." "We have a guest room, too?" "For the time being, but soon it will be the nursery. Are you all right dear?" And that's when Wufei chose to collapse. Hilde marveled at how delicate his sensibilities were, and caught him before his head hit the floor. "Let's get you to bed, sweetie-pie." (o) Sublimity still clung to autumn. There were still apples and a pear or two on the trees to pick, and pumpkins, parsnips, and potatoes to harvest. Heero had plenty of work to do, to keep busy while his lover and friends did his job, worked his river, delivered his merchandise. He missed the feel of the pole. He longed for the stretch of his shoulders. During the day he pined for his river and the feel of the wind in his hair. He often hobbled to the dock to watch the water rush by and wait for Duo's homecoming. Ruggles learned to keep his distance and not trip his master, and his master learned how fun it was to toss his dog a stick, and do it over and over again for no better reason than it made them both happy. There he enjoyed the blinding reflection of sunlight off the water, the rare birds stopping by while in transit south, the mix of hanging grey moss with burnished yellow tree leaves overhanging the river's edge. Sometimes Quatre would come and wait with him for the flatboat to return home bringing with it both their lovers. One evening, he showed up with a bottle of wine, bread and cheese. He had news to share with everyone. Wufei arrived with Hilde and they all celebrated on the dock. "My good news is this: Howard has that prototype steam engine running. He understands the plans and with his Sweepers mechanics and shipmen has agreed to build a ship. A steamship!" "He's moved into the production site that the Winner Corporation built earlier." "Duo and I saw the place. About a mile south of Serendipity and up Tallgeese River to the post. You'd told us at the time what you were thinking of using it for, but it didn't seem possible, until now." "That was one fancy house, Quat, and a buncha huge out-buildings." Quatre smiled indulgently at Duo. "Yes, it is lovely there. Zechs is setting up an encampment complete with soldiers nearby, much like the one we stayed at a few weeks ago. That will offer protection and cover for all the food and supplies moving into the site." "I'm sure Zechs-dear has got that all covered, honey. What I want to know," Hilde asked, "is what's its name? The boat," she clarified when she was met by a blank expression. "The ship will be called the Peacemillion." Heero's frown affixed itself to his forehead. "Who named a ship that?" Quatre shrugged. "I believe Miss Relena did." "Relena?" Duo shouted so suddenly that he started to hiccup. "Wha-at gives h-her the right?" "Actually, Howard asked for a name and Zechs offered it up. Apparently his dear sister wanted to name their compound that and he got around it by promising to name his next ship that and...well... It's not so bad, is it?" Despair taking a motion against those sorrowful blue eyes! No one could nay-say Quatre the ship name and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. "So, we have big news too, don't we honey?" Hilde smiled in the direction of her husband, but didn't give him the oppportunity to break it himself. "We're having a baby." "No shit!" Duo bounced off the dock and into her arms. "Congrats! Wow, I mean...a real little person's in there, now? That's so cool." Wufei accepted Heero and Trowa's more restrained congratulations with a handshake. "Thank you. My involvement was negligible," he muttered shyly. "Oh, I wouldn't say dat, exactly." Trowa grinned and Wufei cringed. "I didn't mean..." Wufei started to say but left the rest dangling in mid air. Heero was pretty sure his prudish schoolteacher friend didn't know what he had meant to say, but only wanted to crawl away and hide someplace dark and solitary. "Your contribution was crucial to the success." Winner, of course, came to the rescue. "Let's crack open champagne!" Wufei was talked into telling the others about setting up a law office; in about two sentences he was done. Trowa and Duo described the loading and unloading they'd done over the entire weekend. This Sunday party was the first time the two had been home for more than a few hours rest for weeks. "We even missed the Mushroom Festival," Duo said. "I'd never been to one of those." "There's always next year," Heero said. Next year. He couldn't believe that he had entrusted his business to friends he'd known for less than six months. How his life had changed! Last fall, he never could have imagined sitting on a dock with a nice house, a lover, friends... having slept in manor houses on silk sheets, served food in the governor's mansion, crawled through caves, made love under the stars. Five amazing months and his life had been irrevocably turned around. He was so lost in thought that he nearly missed Winner's telling of their nice afternoon the day before at the festival. "...sitting on bales of hay while the fiddler played and some people danced." "What about the food?" Duo asked. "There were apple presses, new designs on display, and a bake sale with lots of pies and cakes." Duo turned on Heero. "What did you buy?" "I should have bought something?" "Aw, 'Ro... don't tell me you didn't get me any apple pie!" "Heero!" Quatre said sharply, but with no real anger. "You didn't show him?" "No, he didn't! Show me what?" Heero drew out the moment. He thought his boyfriend was adorable when he was all worked up over nothing. "I bought you one of Lady Meg's famous apple pies. You can have it later." "Now." "It will keep," Quatre assured him. "I have some other news." Duo grumbled a bit about needing pie to exist, especially that particular pie, but settled down when Quatre's tone turned serious. "Zechs' partial bridge is built, as complete as it will be. It blocks a sufficient amount of the river so that the smaller flatboats can get through, but anything bigger and taller can't." "Bigger and taller? What would that be?" "That's the bad news. Tsubarov had other copies of the plans and another prototype engine; at least we think so. Zech's spies have described a large ship in construction north of Tumult." "Then our fight isn't far off." "No. A couple months." Quatre's eyes met Duo's over top Heero's head as he had Trowa prepared to leave. "I'll be ready by then," Heero assured them. "Don't worry." "We won't." Duo led him inside, supporting him on one side while he used a crutch, resentfully on the other. From their bedroom window, night was born with a rich blueness, and the pale crescent of a moon came up from behind the Sanc kingdom hills, but sank in an hour. Winter would be upon them in full force by the time the ships would be prepared. "Here you go," Duo said, delivering Heero to the soft bed. "Here you come." "Yeah." They embraced and melted in one another's arms. Skin on skin contact created a beautiful catastrophe, the epicenter pulsating shockwaves through their terrestrial bodies. Together they made the music of the ages. They could sigh in concert. And when their lovemaking found completion, Heero could enjoy one last wonder. He could watch his lover sleep, study his serene face, watch his chest rising and falling with each breath. Heero was thankful to be alive, to have this home, and to have the wonderful life he'd found with one, Duo Maxwell. A/N: Thanks to WL for fine editing and SD for the pie to die for.
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