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"The Chronicler "Written By: t-shirt 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: Angst, fluff, mild language, mention
of lemon, briefly annoying Relena. Unbeta’ed Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 Summary: Duo learns a great deal about his perceptions
of the wars when Hiiro returns during his deposition to the chronicler.
"The Chronicler " Ch 3
The conversation about Wufei had been a bit confusing since Duo still wasn’t sure exactly what his relationship with the Chinese boy was. He was a hell of a fighter and a great guy to have at your back but there were some deep seeded emotional problems he couldn’t even begin to figure out. Still, he had a lot of respect for him. It isn’t everyone that has enough conviction to follow their heart even if it turns them into a demon. Tomino had been particularly interested in Duo’s take on the fact that Hiiro had played an enormous roll in bringing him peace and understanding. It had stalled him for a moment when Duo simply told him it was nothing more than he would expect from and encounter with Hiiro. They all learned from him in their own way, in their own time. Hiiro had sat silently through this part of the story and been very quite for the remainder of the night. It wasn’t until the next morning while they were working on dismantling an old hybrid engine that he spoke on the subject. ‘What did you learn from me?’ he asked casually loosening another bolt where he lay on his back under the chasse with his partner. ‘What do you mean?’ Duo asked. ‘You said all the pilots learned something from me,’ Hiiro reminded him. ‘What did you learn?’ ‘Don’t get caught,’ Duo quipped. He’d thought it was funny until he realized Hiiro had quit moving. ‘I don’t know,’ he told him more seriously. ‘That revenge is a shitty reason to start a war I guess,’ he said scrounging around for his lost nine sixteenths. ‘Is that really why you fought?’ Hiiro asked recovering from his momentary lapse. ‘It was at first,’ Duo admitted. ‘I wanted to kill as many of those Alliance scumbags as I could for burning the church,’ he told him seemingly unaffected by the subject matter. ‘And I did something that made you change your outlook?’ ‘Well... hand me the ten millimeter socket... thanks... you had that whole `do it for the greater good` thing going on so…’ ‘Duo,’ the Japanese boy said in a way that made the longhaired boy stop and look at him. ‘I just wanted to win.’ Duo just looked at him for a long moment then busted out laughing. ‘Ah! Ah, geez!’ he giggled trying not to get dirt and grease in his mouth. ‘When did you grow a funny bone?’ he chortled. ‘I guess I learned it from you,’ Hiiro told him sobering him up quiet a bit. When Duo looked again he was diligently working as if he’d said nothing of any consequence so he decided to just let it go. ‘Yeah, well... keep working on it,’ he told him instead. ‘It’s a little small and dry yet,’ he chided earning himself a bat in the head with Hiiro’s ratchet. * ‘...touch me!’ ‘But what about your husband?’ ‘I don’t care anymore! I need you... only you… yes!’ ‘We don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to,’ Duo said for the third time that hour. When Hilde had said she’d brought home videos for the three of them to watch together he really hadn’t considered one of them would be a fiery romance. ‘Its fine,’ Hiiro repeated. ‘I find it intriguing actually,’ he said chuckling at the way Duo rolled his eyes. ‘It’ll be interesting to see how her husband will respond,’ he smiled. ‘You think he’ll find out?!’ Hilde gasped chewing on the corner of her napkin. ‘Yeah,’ Duo groaned sinking further down into his chair. ‘Right about…’ his finger fell just as the husband burst into the room on screen. ‘Margaret! How could you!?…’ ‘Like this,’ Duo replied suddenly spreading his legs wide and groaning pathetically as he squirmed on the couch. He completely missed the way Hiiro had gone perfectly still in his annoyance as he sat back up. ‘Come on! Didn’t you get a thriller or something?’ he asked picking up the video bag. ‘Oh, all right,’ the girl sighed jerking the bag out of his hands. ‘Let’s watch this one,’ she said going to exchange the disks in the player. ‘What is it?’ Duo asked. ‘I don’t know,’ the girl smiled returning to her seat. ‘Hiiro recommended it.’ Duo smiled and picked up his bowl of popcorn before settling into his seat. This should be a major improvement! Well, it started out promising anyway but about halfway through it became apparent that the relationship between the young captain and his superior was blossoming into something absolutely …indecent. ‘Souji..’ ‘What about... the others... if they should discover us... nnn.’ ‘I know … but… Souji.’ ‘Ahhh! Ha ha unnnnn… ka...tan…nnnn!’ Duo swallowed hard as the pair of young men on the screen embraced each other. Unlike the previous film this one had a sultry air that seemed to suck him right into the scene. The music was Asian as were the actors. He didn’t have to read the sub titles thanks to Hiiro’s help in teaching him Japanese during the war which left him free to observe the dimly lit contours of the young men as they slowly caressed each other. It was done very tastefully, so tastefully that Duo soon felt himself daydreaming that the two on the screen were he and Hiiro. By the time the couple had reached a point of release which, due to it being a movie took all of about three minutes, he was so entranced in the vision of Hiiro moving slowly atop his heated form he actually heard himself gasp out loud just as the music climaxed and the pair reached the summit. ‘Shit,’ he breathed dropping his bowl of popcorn in his haste to remove himself from the room. ‘Duo?’ Hilde called after him but he didn’t bother to stop and address her. His hands where shaking, his heart was pounding and his groin ached to the point it actually hurt he was so aroused as he leaned over the kitchen sink and splashed water on his face. ‘Damn it,’ he breathed softly trying desperately to calm himself. ‘Did it offend you?’ ‘What?’ the long haired boy replied turning to peer through his dripping bangs at the face that had brought him so close to total meltdown just a minute before. ‘I didn’t think it would bother you,’ Hiiro told him evenly. ‘You seemed ok with Quatre and Trowa.’ ‘Oh... no… no, it’s fine,’ Duo told him reaching for the towel more so he’d have a reason to cover his face than because he wanted to dry off. ‘I just... it was ummm... it was...’ he stammered slowly loosing his grasp on the words as he lowered the towel and gazed into Hiiro’s warm, blue eyes. ‘Exciting?’ Hiiro supplied softly and for an instant Duo felt as if he’d been struck by lightening, a powerful force that had originated in the depths of the Japanese boy’s endless, sapphire eyes. He was still reeling from it when Hilde decided to join them. ‘Hey, you ok?’ she asked. ‘You didn’t make yourself sick with all that junk food did you?’ she went on getting more drinks for them out of the fridge. Duo couldn’t answer nor could he pull his gaze away from Hiiro’s. It was like there was a charge arching between them that held them both in place as the girl milled about and chattered away. ‘Come on,’ she said finally tugging at Duo’s sleeve. ‘You’re missing the big battle stuff you guys are always going on about,’ she told him pulling him along into the living room again. Duo went with her but he didn’t really see the rest of the movie as his eyes were still clouded with the sapphire energy of Hiiro’s gaze. He didn’t know how to face sleeping with him that night but Hiiro made it easy by not coming to bed until very late. When he did finally arrive in the wee hours of the morning he seemed reluctant to actually lay down choosing to sit half erect on the edge propped back against the head board with one foot on the floor. ‘Can’t sleep?’ Duo asked softly since he wasn’t sleeping either. Hiiro was quiet for a time as he sat staring out the window at the artificial night sky before he asked softly ‘How do you feel about Hilde?’ ‘What?’ Duo asked rolling over to look at him. Where had that come from? ‘Um... we’re friends I guess, why?’ he asked pushing himself up so he wasn’t prone during their conversation. ‘Friends,’ Hiiro repeated. ‘And that’s all?’ he asked still not shifting his gaze. It struck Duo suddenly that he might just be the biggest fool that ever lived. Could Hiiro have come to care for Hilde?! ‘Yeah,’ he told him burying all the emotions that thought had stirred in him. ‘I hope the movie didn’t upset her,’ Hiiro said softly. ‘She seemed ok with it,’ Duo shrugged. ‘Don’t worry about it. It was a good show,’ he smiled. ‘It’s a true story.’ ‘…………… no kiddin?’ Hn. ‘They were considered some of the greatest hero’s in Japanese history,’ Hiiro told him. ‘Must’ve been hard for them,’ Duo mused wondering how in the world such a relationship could have survived in such an era. ‘Not as hard as being apart,’ Hiiro said softly before sinking down onto his pillow. Duo had absolutely no response to that so he followed suit. Things were a bit more tense between the three of them the next day so when it came time for the evening call from Tomino Hilde quickly made herself scarce. Hiiro took his usual place leaving Duo to his interview which, for some reason, left him feeling a tad annoyed. ‘I’d like to discuss your relationship with Miss Relena tonight,’ the man told him as he set his recorder. ‘I stopped Hiiro from shooting her,’ Duo replied. ‘Next?’ Tomino laughed for a moment then stilled as he realized he was serious. ‘According to the others you have spent some amount of time with her,’ he said checking some of his notes. ‘We were in the same place a few times,’ the longhaired boy told him flat out refusing to even look at Hiiro during this discussion. ‘That doesn’t mean we spent any time together,’ he clarified. ‘You might have noticed she’s not too fond of me,’ he grinned seeming very satisfied with that fact. ‘She does seem to blame you for a great many things,’ Tomino chuckled. ‘Yeah,’ Duo sighed folding his hands behind his head comfortably. ‘I think she decided she hated me the moment I saved her life,’ he laughed. ‘You honestly believe Hiiro would have killed her.’ Duo chuckled at Hiiro’s mock shooting of the back of the vid screen again. ‘Oh, yeah... he would’ve opened her brain pan for sure,’ he told him. ‘You see,’ he began ‘The thing her Highness never understood was that Hiiro is a soldier first... and a man second. She just can’t comprehend that it doesn’t matter how pretty a face is if it’s got a hole in it. The mission was in jeopardy. He’d have killed her in a heartbeat,’ he said with confidence. It wasn’t really clear why Hiiro smiled at this but he was glad of it just the same. ‘I understand there was some sort of special bond that grew between the pair?’ the man asked noting the sag in Duo’s spirit at the question. ‘I couldn’t really say,’ he told him avoiding Hiiro’s eyes. ‘Weren’t you there when Miss Relena tracked him down and joined the school he was attending?’ ‘Yeah, I was,’ Duo admitted. ‘But she was always doing things like that. The girls got it bad for him but everyone knows that.’ ‘And you?’ ‘What?’ ‘You have no special feelings on the matter?’ Tomino asked gently. ‘What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?’ Duo snarled heatedly startling the older man. ‘I... I just wondered how you felt about her,’ he stammered. ‘Oh,’ the braided boy snorted softly feeling like a fool. Of course he meant did he have any feelings for Relena, why would he ask such a question about Hiiro!? ‘She’s a self centered twit with a hero complex,’ he told him absently as he pulled his shaken psyche back together. ‘No love lost there,’ Tomino chuckled making a note. ‘You realize she had a few things to say about you?’ he asked covertly. ‘No doubt,’ Duo chuckled again. ‘Let me guess. I’m the root of all the world’s problems right? The hairs too long the attitudes to childish the skills are lacking and she can never get a moment alone with her precious Hiiro because I’m always in the way. That about sum it up?’ he asked self assuredly. ‘Especially the part about Hiiro,’ he laughed. ‘I got the feeling he must have been using you as an excuse not to be alone with her,’ he chuckled but his words had sucked all the humor out of Duo’s eyes as he looked over at Hiiro again. It was very obvious from his steadfast `significant look` that he was telling him that the man couldn’t have been more right. Now that he thought about it, Hiiro had always kept him close by whenever she was around. Had his feelings for her frightened him that much? ‘Quatre also said that he played the buffer between the two while they were in Sanc,’ Tomino told him. ‘I’m having some difficulty working out just what there was between them. Perhaps you could shed some light on this subject?’ he asked. ‘Quatre implied that he held her in some regard and that it was this connection that eventually brought them back to earth and to her side?’ ‘I wouldn’t know,’ Duo replied softly. ‘I wasn’t with them then. All I know is that he almost killed her at least three times. She has a bad habit of putting herself in situations where he felt she needed to be removed,’ he went on. ‘He didn’t do it,’ he said softly. ‘I couldn’t tell you if it was because of some deeper feelings he held or if it was just because he felt it was best for the mission. It’s hard to say since he runs after her every time she’s in trouble too,’ he said memorizing that spot of grease on the carpet again. His mouth fell open when Hiiro’s sneaker covered it up. ‘H...Hiiro Yui!’ Tomino gasped softly. ‘I am not in love with Relena Peacecraft,’ the Japanese boy stated clearly as he held Duo’s gaze. * ‘Hiiro! It really is you!’ ‘Hiiro!’ ‘I knew you were still alive somewhere!’ ‘Hiiro!’ Relena breathed pushing the rest of the company aside so she could see him on the vid phone. ‘I knew you’d come back,’ she smiled. ‘When will you return to Earth?’ ‘I had not intended to contribute the chronicles,’ he told them as he sat beside Duo at his little desk. ‘However, there are some misconceptions I cannot allow to continue,’ he said. ‘First and foremost of which is the idea that I am in love with you,’ he told the smiling girl. Duo couldn’t help but feel a huge sense of relief as his words wiped the silly grin from her face. ‘W...what are you saying?’ she breathed backing away. ‘What’s happened?’ she asked looking very much like she needed to sit down. Duo had to fight to keep the grin from his face. It wasn’t a very nice way to feel but he just couldn’t help it. She’d been so smugly confident in her claim to the Japanese boy for so long he was really getting off on the poetic justice of it all. ‘Nothing happened,’ Hiiro told her. ‘I’m sorry,’ he offered but this voice was not soft or remorseful. ‘But I have never nor will I ever be in love with you,’ he said clearly. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse us I would like to say hello to the others,’ he added ignoring the way her expression had frozen as Quatre guided her away and Wufei took her place. ‘Yui.’ ‘Wufei,’ Hiiro smiled. ‘Lady Une has requested...’ ‘No, thank you,’ Hiiro cut him off. ‘You look well,’ he added before he could counter. The comment threw him so off balance he found no words to reply. The confusion on his brow only increased ten fold when Hiiro began to laugh lightly at his bewilderment. ‘Hiiro,’ Trowa smiled gently as he nudged the stunned Chinese boy out of the way. ‘Hello, Trowa.’ Duo’s chest tightened a little at the warmth in Hiiro’s tone when he greeted the tall mercenary and he was forced to subdue angry thoughts of him making indecent suggestions while Hiiro was laid up healing. ‘How’s the arm?’ the taller boy asked. ‘Right as rain,’ Hiiro replied smiling for him. ‘Quatre’s well?’ ‘As well as can be expected,’ Trowa chuckled glancing over at where his sensitive lover was no doubt consoling the Queen of the world. ‘Sorry.’ ‘You can speak to him after the session,’ the taller boy reasoned. Hiiro nodded and was then faced with the kind eyes of their chronicler. ‘Would you mind if we began with…’ ‘I had every intention of shooting Relena,’ Hiiro interrupted and he sat right down in his seat, started his recorder, picked up his pen and shut the hell up. ‘She confused me. I didn’t understand her infatuation so I was never sure just how to deal with it. Duo’s presence was the only thing that kept me from strangling her more often than not.’ The man stopped scribbling as sobs began to fill the air and someone, presumably Relena and Quatre; exited the room. ‘What I felt for her was no more love than what she feels for me,’ Hiiro went on. All Duo could do was sit there and stare blankly at him. For a guy that got through the war in fifty words or less he sure had a lot to say all of a sudden. ‘I don’t mean to be cruel,’ Hiiro said. ‘But this has gone on long enough and I can’t allow it to be put down in permanent records that this war was fought through a love affair that doesn’t exist,’ he told them. ‘As far as my not having killed her when the circumstance called for it,’ he said turning to face Duo as he spoke. ‘It was nothing more than a change in the circumstance. It became more advantageous to keep her alive than to allow her to die,’ he explained. ‘But you rushed off to Libra,’ Duo countered. ‘Just because she was ….’ ‘Because her brother was endangering the Earth,’ the Japanese boy cut in. ‘We needed her for leverage,’ he explained. ‘She was the only thing that could bring reason back to his heart,’ he explained leaning just a little closer to the braided boy so he could look him dead in the eyes as he stated firmly, ‘Not because I love her.’ ‘But when she was kidnapped…’ ‘I destroyed the mansion she was being held in,’ Hiiro reminded him. ‘Duo,’ he said gaining his full attention as he moved closer yet. ‘I went to stop a war. The fact that it was Relena that had been taken had nothing to do with it. I’d have done the same if it were any other head of state.’ ‘Why are you telling me all this?’ Duo asked feeling his mind and heart being twisted like a piece of salt water taffy. It was all just so damn confusing. He’d thought he had it all straight but now… ‘Because,’ the Japanese boy told him. ‘You’re living under the perception of a lie that I can no longer accept.’ ‘Well you’re the one that created it!’ Duo barked suddenly, standing so fast his chair flew back across the room. ‘Why do you want to mess with my head now?! Fine! You don’t love her! Great! What in the hell does it have to do with what I believe? It’s got nothing to do with me!’ he shouted before storming from the room. ‘Hiiro?’ Trowa questioned. ‘Tomorrow,’ Hiiro replied still staring at where Duo had disappeared. ‘But there are so many things I wanted to…’ Tomino’s words ceased as Trowa leaned over and disconnected the call leaving Hiiro sitting there utterly alone. Duo didn’t return for two full days. Hiiro gave in the next evening giving an account of his feelings and perceptions of the other pilots which continued on the second day of Duo’s absence but his words lacked any real emotion. When it came right down to it he was more than a little fond of all the others in his own way. Quatre was so smart and steadfast in his convictions. Trowa held a special place for him having been the one to watch over him while he returned from the grave. Wufei held such passion for his beliefs but he had flat out refused to discuss Duo in any way while he was absent. He returned in the early morning hours of that second day and crawled into the bed he and Hiiro shared without a word. They woke the next morning and went about their business as if nothing had transpired, each consoling Hilde as she pined over the unscheduled absence but she didn’t push any harder than was necessary to let him know he was missed and important to her. Tomino’s eyes grew wide when he saw the braided boy sitting beside Hiiro that night in front of the vid phone but he made no comment. ‘Where would you like to begin?’ he asked instead having grown accustomed to Hiiro’s preplanned synopsis. ‘Why didn’t you shoot me?’ Duo asked. He kept his eyes on the screen but his question was clearly intended for Hiiro. ‘This was during your rescue from the lunar base.’ the chronicler confirmed. ‘It wasn’t supposed to be a rescue,’ Hiiro interjected. ‘It was supposed to be an execution,’ Duo supplied clearly shocking their company. ‘You didn’t fire,’ he stated. ‘Why?’ ‘I… couldn’t,’ Hiiro said softly dropping his gaze. ‘Why?’ Duo asked again turning to look at him. ‘Did the circumstances change? Was I more valuable alive? Why did you risk loosing us both just to save me?’ ‘Selfish need,’ the Japanese boy said quietly. ‘What’s that suppose to mean?’ ‘I… didn’t want to loose you.’ ‘……………………………………..’ ‘It was pure selfishness,’ Hiiro went on. ‘I just couldn’t face never seeing you again.’ ‘……….. Yashiyuki-san.’ ‘Hai,’ the man answered. ‘What is your impression of us?’ Duo asked. Tomino paused for a long moment to consider them before he reached out and turned his recorder off. ‘Perhaps that is a question you should be asking each other?’ he told them in his quietly guiding manor. ‘We’ll continue tomorrow,’ he smiled before cutting the connection. ‘Duo?’ ‘What?’ ‘Do you understand now?’ ‘………………… Show me.’ ‘Sh…show you?’ Hiiro stammered for the fist time since Duo had met him. ‘Yeah,’ Duo said turning to face him. ‘You implied I’m important to you,’ he told him. ‘So show me what that means.’ ‘Duo... please,’ the Japanese boy pleaded. ‘I couldn’t bare it if I lost you now.’ ‘Why would you loose me, Hiiro?’ Duo asked. ‘What’s so horrible about caring for someone?’ ‘Yes, but I…’ Hiiro replied stalling as something wild and untamed washed through his eyes and a moment later he was leaning forward pressing his lips against Duo’s. ‘Do you see?’ he asked unable to open his eyes as he pulled away. ‘This is what I feel for you.’ ‘Is that it?’ Duo asked calmly in spite of the fact that his insides were seething and rolling like a storm whipped sea. ‘Isn’t there more?’ ‘Don’t tease me,’ Hiiro warned. ‘I’m not teasing,’ Duo smiled softly. ‘You know very well I’ve been in love with you forever,’ he told him. ‘Yes,’ Hiiro nodded swallowing visibly. ‘But I hurt you so much, and you’re my best friend.’ ‘You’re not going to loose me,’ the longhaired boy told him gently. ‘Not ever,’ he swore catching Hiiro’s blue gaze. The Japanese boy took one look into those bottomless violet eyes and moved in for a longer, more sustained kiss that quickly opened up a whole new world for the pair. Hilde walked in on them in the middle of this and turned and walked right back out without saying a word. They didn’t really notice her as Hiiro was fast pushing things towards a means to an end. ‘Nnnn… the bed,’ Duo ground out. ‘Really?’ Hiiro replied breathily. ‘Do you have any idea what it is I want to do right now?’ he asked. ‘Ah, gods, I hope so,’ Duo groaned. Hiiro had him in his arms and in the bedroom in two seconds flat. They spent the rest of that night and most of the next day exploring different ways of satiating their desires for one another. It became clear that they were going to need a lot more time to work things out so they decided they would move to Earth and take Une up on the Preventer’s positions. Since they had each other for a partner there was really no need to refuse any longer. The chronicles were completed some weeks later with a full account of their budding courtship included then Tomino disappeared never to be heard from again. It was odd really, how the man just seemed to vanish as quickly as he’d arrived. It didn’t really matter much to them, they had each other and for Hiiro and Duo, that was all they would ever need. owari
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