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"The Princess With The Purple Heart"Written By: ExecutiveShrimp Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs
to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not
profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Smut, angst, AU Pairings: 1x2, Summary: Don't ask, don't tell
"The Princess With The Purple Heart" Six They walk alongside the string of Humvees and two trucks, following the road at a cautious speed. Duo and Heero are at the front right of the caravan, scouring the ground, and with their rifles at their sides. The sun is setting and the low rays of sunlight cast a dark shadow behind every rock and mound, that makes it look like more than it is. The air is starting to cool as their spot on the Earth turns away from the sun, but heat still radiates from the ground. The road connects Ghazi in the North West with Shakin in the South East, at the Afghan-Pakistani border. Dotted along the road are several smaller settlements, including the town of Sharan mid-way and FOB Sharana not far from there. Yesterday, a company of traders was traveling from Sharan to Ghazi, to make money selling their handwoven tapestries and beaded jewelry at the large bazaar in the city this weekend. They had just continued on with their journey after a brief rest stop by lake Bande Sardeh, when one of their Jeeps ran over an IED. Four of the travelers were killed and six more were severely wounded. That bomb wasn't meant for them, that bomb was meant for the military force that the Taliban means to drive from the area, unaware that all they've accomplished was force the military to travel off-road whenever possible. They search the road for more planted explosives, committed to preventing more casualties, even if the casualties aren't from "their side". Duo is nervous, walking ten steps behind Heero. The sun is setting in the West and the bright light in their faces makes it hard to focus while they're squinting to protect their eyes. IED's scare Duo more than anything, because he's seen the aftermath too many times and these are the kind of gruesome sights that PTSD is made of. They had passed the site where the travelers ran into the explosive an hour earlier. There was a crater in the road. The sand was still stained red and the ground was scattered with the trinkets that they meant to sell. Duo had picked up a bracelet of black beads that had survived the blast and put it in his pocket, since it seemed disrespectful to leave it there amidst the destruction, as if it is worthless. They follow the road for hours, turning on the floodlights mounted on the roofs of the Humvee's to light their search as they continue tirelessly. They clear a long stretch of road and mark the point where they make a U-turn to go back to base, so the other patrol party that goes out tomorrow can start where they left off. The unit piles into the vehicles and they roll through the front gate of Camp Sharana at 2 in the morning, when the desert is actually very cold. Thankfully, they still have their shower-privileges for the day and the hot water is a blessing on their chilled bodies and exhausted muscles. Everyone is quiet. It has been a strange day that has left them on edge. Standing naked next to Heero again, Duo's gaze slips down to his scars. Death and danger are always close, but he used to be able to forget that, losing himself to the thrill, like he is in the comfort of his own home, playing a first-person-shooter video game. Not anymore. Duo has been witness to people dying before – at home and at war – but there was something about his "BSF" getting wounded and nearly dying that really hammers in how mortal they all are. Maybe because Heero is supposed to be the best of them – and he is, but apparently "best" doesn't mean "safe". No matter how good they are, how hard they train, it could still all end in a split second. It doesn't seem like a good plan to make your closest relationships with people who could be taken from you so easily. For the first time in three tours, Duo feels vulnerable. He's not afraid of getting shot or being blown up, he's afraid of losing his men. And he is most afraid of losing Heero, after he almost did. He didn't like it at all that Heero was walking in front all day on patrol. Duo was watching Heero's feet more than his own. "You okay?" Heero simply asks as they are walking back to their barracks, after splitting off from the rest of the group. "This day has me all fucked up," he admits. The red sand was more confrontational than he expected. Once they are in their barracks, Duo uses his weight to properly close the door and Heero closes the shutters on the window. Duo seats himself on the edge of his cot and plays with the bracelet that he pulls from the pocket of his trousers and he watches Heero settle in his bed. Heero's eyes are black like the beads in the dim light. "Did you find that today?" Duo nods. "For your collection?" "Yeah." He bends forward and pulls a box out from underneath his bed, which is stuffed with random items. Villagers give them stuff all the time; random things, anything they can spare, to show their gratitude for the protection they offer – to the best of their abilities. Duo can never refuse, he is always grateful whenever any of the locals show them that not all of them hate them and want them gone. It makes him feel better about the assignment. It lets him pretend that the militaries intentions are more pure than they probably are. He adds the bracelet to the collection of other jewelry, buttons, wood carvings and patches of fabric. The most treasured additions are the drawings the little kids make him, with the pens that he steals from the supply office and hands out to them. They draw him pictures of their life; their family, their house, sometimes just a goat, or the silhouette of the mountain range at the horizon, with a scratchy ball above it that is supposed to be the sun. After he stuffs it back under his bed, they both get ready for sleep and they each take a moment to themselves to wind down and relax before they decide to switch off the light. Duo listens to music on his MP3 – songs he's long gotten sick of, but it's all he has - while Heero reads his book, mouthing along with the French phrases. Duo lies on his side and watches his friend, who seems unaware of his spectator. Heero is such an amazing person, it is hard not to look at him; it is hard not to marvel. Nowadays, every time he looks at the man, he feels overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness. He's still here. After lights-out, he is haunted by a dream that has become too familiar to him and the horror of it is given extra power with the fresh memories from the sights that he has seen earlier today. The red sand. Heero lying in the red sand. Duo sees the red mist around the final insurgents head as he takes his shot and the rapid noise of gunfire comes to a sudden stop and in the silence he hears his wounded friend moan and whine. He drops down on his knees in the red sand and digs his hand into Heero's abdomen, applying pressure to the bleeding wound. The pained cry that his friend lets out cuts through him, but he has to try his best to keep the pressure on, until their medic scrambles towards them and pulls bandages and pads out of his kit. The entire unit surrounds them, becoming increasingly frantic as the seriousness of the Corporal's injuries dawns on them. Lindsey is the first to say it, with a face paper-white: "He's not gonna make it." "Shut up!" Duo bites, glaring at him over his shoulder before looking back at Heero and meeting his pale-blue eyes square on. "You're going to be fine," he asserts, because he needs it to be true. "That's a lot of blood," Follander joins in and with a panic he states their dire situation, as if it wasn't readily apparent. "We're four klicks out and the Jeep's completely shot up!" "Call in the MEDEVAC!" Duo orders. Their sergeant isn't with them and with Heero incapacitated, the Lance Corporal has become the highest ranking soldier in their unit and it is up to him to take charge – in the moment when he feels the least capable of taking charge. Follander nods and plucks the radio out of the Jeep to call for help. Heero never stops looking at Duo. The color is draining from his face. There is tension in his jaw and neck as he has to force his body to keep breathing. They don't know it yet, but the bullet that hit him in the shoulder split apart on his collar bone and a shard punctured his lung, causing it to collapse. The medic catches on and gets Duo to help him rid Heero of his vest. Duo stares at the red-rimmed holes in the Kevlar, realizing those weren't AK47's taking shots at them, but rifles of a much higher caliber and he feels angry, scared and all the more helpless. In the meantime, the medic hoists up Heero's shirt and stabs a tube into his right lung. Heero's chest expands as he sucks in his first, deep breath. Duo tears his gaze away from the useless vest when he feels Heero's hand claps his arm. He looks into his eyes. The man can breathe better now, but he is still losing a lot of blood. "MEDEVAC is on its way," he tells him, although he is not sure if Heero can even hear him, given the distant look in his blue eyes. "It's gonna be here any minute. Their gonna fly you to the trauma center at Camp Sharana, lucky bastard." He tries a grin, wanting to be as reassuring as possible, but he is failing miserably. He knows, as well as Heero, that even the trauma center might not be equipped to treat injuries this severe. The hand on his arm grows weak, until eventually it falls to the red sand. "Hang in there, Rookie Four," Duo urges, his panic is becoming evident in his voice. "Where is that fucking chopper?" Follander demands, throwing his gaze up to the sky and his hysteria doesn't help the Lance Corporal to keep his cool. Duo feels his lower lip quiver and he focuses on his anger rather than his fear and distress. "Don't you fucking die on me, Yuy. Mister Gotta-Be-The-Goddamn-Hero! Whose gonna keep me alive and sane if you aren't around?" Heero's expression is calm. He says: "It's okay." "You're damn right you'll be okay!" Duo snaps back at him, misunderstanding what he is trying to say. "No…" Limp fingers brush by Duo's arm but he can't get a hold of him. "It's okay… You'll be okay." It knocks the breath out of Duo. Heero is telling him to accept the inevitable. While he is dying, he's trying to reassure his friend that he can go on without him. At that point, the dream diverts from the memory. What really happened was that Heero passed out from blood loss, while they heard the rumble of the helicopter in the distance. They loaded him up and the unit was left behind in the desert to wait for another chopper to come extract them, staring at the MEDEVAC heli that became smaller and smaller until they could no longer see nor hear it. The unit was flown back to Delaram and by the time Duo and his men had thrown enough of a scene to convince the Gunnery Sergeant to let them visit Heero at the trauma center at Sharana, they were informed by the Staff that Heero was already on the Hercules, flying back to the States – having to endure a fifteen hour flight in the back of a military cargo plane while barely stable. It took two weeks for word to get back to them that he hadn't only survived the flight, but the surgery as well. In the dream, the red sand becomes quick sand and Heero is sinking into it. He tries to hold on to Duo, but his grips is too weak. Duo grabs the man's arm, but he can't pull him up and he watches his friend get swallowed up by the red sand and he loses his hold on him. The last thing he sees are pale fingers, clawing through the sand, until they, too, disappear. "Heero!" He screams and he starts digging, scooping away the sand, but it never makes a difference. He can't reach him. He can't find him! He looks around himself, begging his unit to help, but they aren't there with him anymore. Duo is all alone in a desert of red sand. He doesn't give up, he keeps digging. "Heero!" "Duo, be quiet," someone hisses and hands take hold of his shoulders, trying to immobilize him. Duo jabs his elbow at whoever it is that is trying to stop him from saving his friend. "Ow! Motherfuck- Duo!" His body gets shaken violently and he opens his eyes – having never realized that he had closed them. He had been lost in his dream and it had become his reality. He wakes up to himself sitting on his knees on his cot in the barrack he shares with Heero. He had not been digging at the red sand, but at the sheets that were pooled into his lap instead. And the person that had been trying to stop him was Heero himself. Duo is panting from the exertion. He has had this nightmare before, but it had never turned into such a night-terror that he was actually acting it out. The single light is switched on and Heero is cursing under his breath. Duo looks back at him and his heart sinks when he notices the dark blood gushing from Heero's nose, trailing down over his lips and chin and down his throat. Duo did that. His own elbow still aches from it. "Jesus- Shit, Heero. I'm sorry." He stumbles upright, nearly falling to his face as his feet get tangled up in the sheets. He wants to help, although he doesn't know how – a recurring theme. Heero backs away from him and holds up a hand to keep him at bay. "It's okay." Duo shivers. The memories and his dream are still too fresh for that simple phrase to not affect him. Heero lifts up the hem of his shirt to wipe away the blood, wiping roughly at his neck, chin and mouth, but carefully dabbing at his sore nose. "Did I break it?" "If you did, you'd know it," Heero snaps. "After you woke up from your coma." The joke relieves Duo, even though it's clear Heero is still angry with him. When he has cleaned himself as well as he can, using only his shirt, Heero finally throws his gaze up at his friend. "You were going to wake up the entire camp." "I'm sorry, I was having a nightmare." "Duh, Captain Obvious." Duo grins. "Thanks for the promotion." Captain was quite a step-up from Lance Corporal. Heero sighs and it's clear he's fighting a smile. He sits back down on the edge of his cot and Duo follows his lead. Now that Duo has calmed down, Heero is more sympathetic. He doesn't say or ask anything; he doesn't need to, he already knows everything and he understands and the look in his eyes is more calming to Duo than his words could ever be. They maintain eye-contact for a minute or two, while Duo focuses on his breathing. Heero lets him use him as an anchor and it helps. Soon, he is back to his old self again, but he doesn't feel like joking around. He states a painful truth: "I'd be a wreck out here without you." Heero offers his a smile. "You'd be okay." He shakes his head. He hates that Heero won't just accept his admission. Heero didn't see him during those two weeks, when Duo honestly thought that his friend had died. He had come close to quitting the Corps. He had been angry at everyone and everything, the useless Kevlar vests most of all. He'd been a pain in the ass and had suffered several full blown panic attacks, causing the Staff to pull him off from patrol duty. No one ever gave him shit about how he was dealing with it though – no matter how badly he was coping. Everyone understood. Duo and Heero were a unit within the unit. Duo was nothing more than a half to a whole. "No, I wouldn't be." "Well, you'll never have to find out." "You're damn right. Next time, I'm gonna beat you to that grenade." He expects his comment to make Heero smile, but Heero cocks his head and purses his lips instead. After a moment, he counters: "What makes you think I'd be any less of a mess without you?" He doesn't answer. He doesn't have an answer; it had been a mistake to think Heero didn't feel the same kind of unity and dependency. They didn't just keep each other safe, they kept each other sane too – some days, that was more valuable than anything. But it was easy to forget that war took the same toll on Heero as it did on everyone else, because he hides it more elegantly than the rest of them. "You're my better half, man," Duo says. It's not the first time he has said it, but it feels like a first time anyway, because there is a new layer to it that he hasn't felt before. This is what makes Heero smile. He doesn't say anything at first. He settles in his cot, pulling his sheets up and he turns his body away from Duo. "Go to sleep, pussy." Duo grins and switches off the light and crawls back into bed as well.
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