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"Moon Dance"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: Post war cannon/Five pretty boys save
the world! … again ^-^ Fluff, Sap, Light angst, mention of lemon,
moderate language Beta’ed by Mechante Fille *hugs* Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 Summary: Hiiro finds his feelings for Duo are
deeper than he had realized during a mission to correct a shift in
the moon's orbit. "Moon Dance " Ch 5 “Oh come on,” Duo chuckled, climbing ahead of his partner on one of the longer ladders. “There were only four of them. I did it when I was six.” “You were smaller,” Hiiro grumbled, glancing down the seemingly endless shaft. “The place did seem a lot bigger ba…AHH!” Duo suddenly screamed and Hiiro just saw the snout of a rat hissing in the intersection above as his heart stopped and Duo slipped, falling backward, his hands moving in slow motion as they desperately tried to grip the wet rungs and Hiiro’s mind suddenly locked on, each motion a clearly foreseeable conclusion as he reached out and caught the braided boy by the wrist. “DUO!” “Pull me up!” Duo cried, holding as still as he could as he dangled beneath his partner. “Grab the ladder!” “Can’t!” Duo replied, “Arms dislocated.” Hiiro looked up to find the rat snarling over the edge of the shaft, looking for a way to get to them but he couldn’t let go of the ladder to reach his gun. “Let go.” “Shut the hell up!” the Japanese boy growled so vehemently the rat scurried back down the tunnel. With a great heave and a boatload of raw determination, Hiiro managed to pull them up one rung at a time until he could see into the tunnel where the rat scurried around about fifteen feet away. As quietly as he could he continued his momentous climb, ignoring the painful grunts coming from his captive until, with one huge effort he tossed the braided boy into the tunnel, pulling his gun just in time to kill the rat before it landed on Duo’s head. A moment later the braided boy was cradled tightly in his trembling arms while he tried desperately to calm his raging heart. “Don’t you ever do that again!” he growled, “You never give up!” he exclaimed rocking them quickly as the terror slowly bled from his body. “Damn it! Are you all right?” he asked, holding Duo’s head in his hands, as he looked him over then crushed him in his arms again. “I almost lost you. Why didn’t you grab the ladder?! Shit, your arm!” he suddenly remembered, loosening his hold but his arms and hands were shaking too badly to be of much help to his injured partner. “It’s ok,” Duo soothed, finding himself in another bone crunching hug. “Hiiro, calm down.” “Don’t ever do that again,” Hiiro repeated. “Just calm down. We need to get out of here.” “Can you walk?” “My legs are fine, I just pulled my shoulder out,” Duo explained. “Here,” Hiiro offered the butt of his pistol, “Bite,” and Duo did just before he growled when Hiiro popped his shoulder back in place. “Sorry,” the Japanese boy apologized. “It’s easier if it doesn’t get a chance to settle.” “I’m not gonna ask how you know that.” “Should I carry you?” “My feet still work,” Duo laughed, adding a sarcastic, “But if you’re feeling froggy…whoa! Hiiro! Put me down! I was just kidding! I can walk damn it!” But Hiiro didn’t put him down until they came to the mouth of the final tunnel where Duo insisted he either set him on his feet before Wally saw them or learn to sleep with one eye open. It pained him to do so as he had quite enjoyed having his partner’s slender body so close but there was no reason to embarrass him since technically, he could walk. They were most of the way back to Wally’s place before the man burst from the door, grinning to beat the band. “You did it!” he hollered, heading straight for Duo but his enthusiasm took a major hit when Hiiro stepped firmly in front of his partner. “He’s injured,” he explained to the crestfallen Wally. “You broken kid?” Wally asked, peering around the steadfast form of Hiiro Yui. “Naw,” Duo smiled, favoring his arm. “Just bruised.” “But ya did it!” he gushed, moving to embrace him but Hiiro stiff-armed the man letting him know in no uncertain terms the hugging of Duo was over. Wally did not look pleased, going so far as to open his mouth to challenge Hiiro’s unspoken law but Duo smoothly settled the matter. “Hope you got that grill hot,” he interjected, breezing between the two. “Cause we left two for the barbeque in six and twelve.” “Did they get you?” Wally was suddenly concerned, following Duo into his shack. “Pulled my shoulder.” “Where the hell were you!?” the man shot at Hiiro while he opened the door for Duo. “Saving my ass from getting sucked down an output,” Duo snipped. “We need to test the engines,” he added, leading the suddenly melancholy group inside. Hiiro stayed close to his partner during their preparations for the trip to the main control center, so close in fact, Wally’s good mood was spoiled beyond repair, leaving him testy and anxious after the ten-minute walk. Most of the technicians assigned to the task of repairing the long dead engines lived onsite during the week, much as a military group would. Hiiro wasn’t surprised to find more of Duo’s old friends waiting for them. “Maxwell!? Should’a known it was you,” a toothless woman well into her forties grinned. She was large and round with a wide smile like a toad and eyes that reminded Hiiro of a beetle. “Hey, Truse!” Duo smiled, falling happily into her arms where he was squished beyond his capability to breathe until he grunted, “Ease up, arm’s had enough for one day.” “You hurt?” the woman asked, looking him over with the care and tenderness of a mother rhino. “Ah! Y…yeah… the arm,” Duo gasped, but he was laughing so Hiiro put a lid on the urge to peel the woman off. “Guess fixin our baby wasn’t as easy as all that then!” she laughed, raising her hand to clap Duo on the shoulder but he was suddenly not there anymore, leaving her to swat at thin air. She gave only a quick look to locate him by Hiiro’s side before dismissing the matter and smiling again. “So, you come all the way out here just to bust my bubble or what?” “We need to borrow your engines,” Duo informed her. “For what?” she asked, narrowing her eyes protectively. “You know, save the world, same shit different day,” Duo shrugged, moving around her toward where two others were busily studying the suddenly active control panels. “He bull shittin me, Wally?” she asked as Hiiro headed to the other side of the room where more panels were located. “Governor says he’s in charge,” the man informed her. “The Gov’ner?” she gasped, turning wide, black eyes on the new comers. “You don’t say.” “We’ll need access to your parts supply,” Hiiro told them. “Why’s that?” Truse inquired, shooing one of the young men that were doting about away from his station. “I’m afraid we’ll have to alter things a little,” Duo piped in, calling their attention. “Where is your tool locker?” Hiiro asked and the pair looked back to him. “Number two’s up,” Duo said, turning their heads again. “Four and six are less than eight percent.” “We’ll need magnesium. Wally? You got a ready supply?” “Might be able to bypass, it’d be quicker.” It was like watching a tennis match and Truse’s eyes were starting to cross watching the two boys volley. “Well never get enough power that way,” Duo shook his head. “If you can supply it,” one of the young men smiled. “We would be happy to assist in your alterations.” Duo paused to cock a brow at him and run an appraising eye over him. “He qualified, Truse?” “Best tech’s this bucket’s got to offer,” she grinned proudly. “What’s your name?” the braided boy asked. “Crank.” Duo’s eyes widened as if trying not to laugh but he was unable to hold back when the young man turned with a smile and introduced his partner, “And this is Ratchet.” “For real?” Duo laughed, receiving a satisfied smirk from both technicians. “Ok. You’re on,” he agreed, turning his console over. Hiiro did the same, leaving his to Ratchet to join his partner. “Where are we going to get a hundred pounds of magnesium on a colony?” Hiiro asked as they slipped into the car. “That’s raw ore you know?” Duo smiled cheekily, telling him to, “Turn left,” before claming up entirely. Hiiro considered prodding him about it, but he looked so cute gazing out the window in his smug security he didn’t have the heart to ruin it. He had a pretty good idea where they were headed anyway but it would be interesting to see how Duo intended to solve the matter. “How’s the arm?” he asked, giving his partners shoulder a tentative squeeze as he guided them through the drizzling rain. “Stiff, but I’ll survive,” Duo shrugged, groaning softly under Hiiro’s tender care. It sounded so good Hiiro dug a little deeper, massaging out the ache that always accompanied dislodged bones being snapped back into place. The tendons would be overextended, the joint sore and swollen. He didn’t realize how long he had been kneading the shoulder until Duo groaned deeply, arching his head to the side to expose a long length of the curvature of his neck and softly sighed… “Man, you’ve got nice hands.” The hand in question was jerked back quickly when the owner realized he had been feeling his friend up. “You’re onto me huh?” Duo chuckled, sending his partner’s mind scurrying for an explanation until the braided boy looked over at him quizzically. “I’m surprised you know where the junkyard is.” The junkyard! Of course, Hiiro sighed to himself. He was taking them there. “You worked there for awhile after the war,” the Japanese boy commented, drawing another curious look from his companion. “How did you know that?” “Quatre,” seemed to be explanation enough, then Duo smiled when they stopped in front of their destination. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she’s gets a load of us,” Duo chuckled and Hiiro smiled when he rolled his shoulder demonstrating some improvement in mobility. “Duo!” Hilde cried but it wasn’t from inside the office they had knocked on, she was standing on the sidewalk about half a block away with a bag of groceries in her hand. “Is it really you!” she grinned, flying into his arms. “Unless they’ve legalized cloning,” Duo smiled as he hugged her tight. “Is Kirsten here?” “He’ll be in the yard,” she smiled. “Hi, Hiiro. Are you two here on business?” she asked, leading them into the office. “Afraid so,” Duo nodded. “It’s that moon business isn’t it?” she asked, setting her bag down. “We intend to use the colony’s engines to correct its orbit,” Hiiro explained, pausing when the girl stopped to gawk at him. “What?” Duo prompted. “I just… I’ve never heard him talk before,” she laughed and though Duo joined her, Hiiro’s lips went thin. “I’m sorry,” she chuckled. “But it’s true. I never really realized until you just said something.” “We’re looking for a load of magnesium,” Duo informed her. “Not much luck around here,” she sighed. “You still taking in old batteries?” he grinned. “Sure,” she replied and Hiiro’s lips curled knowingly. ** “That’s the last of them,” Kirsten cautiously informed his rather grumpy looking work mate. “Load them on the truck,” Hiiro instructed as he stripped off his gloves. Dismantling old batteries to extract the magnesium wasn’t the most pleasant of jobs but it allotted them with a suitable supply. “I’ll see how Hilde and Duo are coming along.” Kirsten seemed like a nice enough fellow, albeit a bit dull when compared to working with Duo, but his longhaired partner had insisted on pairing up with Hilde. It wasn’t something that should have bothered him, considering Kirsten was the ladies betrothed, but Hiiro still felt a pang when he thought about it. Jealousy wasn’t something he was used to dealing with even when it came to simply sharing Duo’s time. He took a deep breath and sighed on the walk through the yard, determined to master these new feelings. Things had been so much simpler before he had the urge to push him down and kiss him senseless. “…said he’s been opening up more lately,” Hilde was saying. “I know,” Duo grunted as if working hard at something and Hiiro’s feet slowed. “It’s just… I dunno, he acts so… odd sometimes. It’s like I don’t even know him anymore.” “But this is good for him, right?” “Yeah,” Duo sighed. “Then why do you sound so depressed about it?” she chuckled. There was a long silence where Hiiro heard tools being returned to their box before Duo began to speak. “It took so long,” he began. “Back during the war. Hell, I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t kill me on sight for weeks. Then things seemed to change. It was like he started to really trust me, ya know?” “Soooo, you’re afraid something might change between you?” she prompted. “I guess,” he replied and Hiiro felt a sadness in his heart. “Pretty selfish huh?” “I don’t know. Considering the situation, that might be a good thing,” she reasoned. “You haven’t seen much of him since the end of the war, right?” “He wanted to be with Relena,” Duo replied softly. “Are they serious, then?” “Who knows,” he sighed. “I thought they’d be married by now but he said they’re not even dating.” “Then there’s no reason for you to run away,” she replied gently. Hiiro’s heart was in his throat, a lump of coal dry and choking as he began to understand Duo’s reluctance to accept the changes that were happening inside him. All his fears were confirmed when his partner softly intoned… “I just don’t want to lose his friendship.” He couldn’t breathe and stepped back into the yard, wandering down a likely isle between the stacks of discarded machines. Duo was his friend, his first friend, his best friend and he was upset that all that was coming to an end. He must have caught on to Hiiro’s awakening feelings and now feared the inevitable confession, a confession he was obviously not unfamiliar with as even Wally had openly expressed an interest in taking the beautiful boy as a mate. He didn’t want to loose Hiiro’s friendship by rejecting him. How would their relationship cope with such an occurrence? But he couldn’t keep it from him, the need, the desire to hold him was just too strong. His pulse slowed as a plan came to mind, they would have to talk but he would make it clear their friendship was very important to him, too. “Duo.” “Yeah?” the braided boy smiled suddenly, moving about. “The truck’s ready,” Hiiro informed him. “You’ll come back to visit before you leave?” Hilde asked as Kirsten stepped up behind her. “That all depends on if it works,” Duo grinned. ** “You sure they’ll be ok?” Duo asked, getting up to look out the tiny window of Wally’s shack again. “Relax,” the man laughed, tipping his beer. “Truse is up there with them, she’ll see that they don’t botch the job. Sit down and rest, you’re exhausted.” “We can’t afford any mistakes on this job,” Duo grumbled but did as he was bid and plopped back in the chair he had been bouncing in and out of all evening. “Never could leave it to anyone else,” Wally chuckled, smiling at him with open adoration. “I should call Relena,” Hiiro piped up. It was more of an excuse to leave the room before he cooked the side of Wally’s face with his eyes and embarrassed Duo any further but he had promised to call her before they left Earth. Duo’s expression softened but he nodded and lifted his leg to allow his partner to pass by. The action sent a hot flash down Hiiro’s spine that ended up plastered all over his face before he made it out the door and he reminded himself that they needed to talk very, very soon. “Hiiro!” Relena smiled brightly. “How are you’re preparations coming? You look so tired.” “The alterations are under weigh,” he informed her, feeling the truth of the statement. “You’ve repaired the engines already?” she inquired, looking suitably proud. “Duo repaired them,” he sighed, stealing away some of her glow. “What’s wrong?” she asked suspiciously. His mouth dropped open to assure her there was nothing to worry about but no words fell from his lips. Instead, he cocked his head and inquired, “Are you aware that most everyone assumes we are involved?” She blushed prettily and glanced away, “Most people assume what they wish to see.” “What do you see?” he asked very gently. He was sure he had dealt with the matter badly when she bristled up and stuttered a quick, “W…why I… never really…” but then her eyes rolled and she sighed deeply, forcing herself to relax. “Am I so transparent?” is what she ended up asking. “You’ve never kept you’re affection for me hidden,” he reminded her. “I’ve been waiting,” she smiled. “Waiting for the day when you would be ready to explore the greater meaning of a deeper bond.” “I am ready,” he said more to himself than her only realizing his blunder when her eyes brightened. “But I’m afraid,” he added, stealing his nerve to allow for the necessary honesty, “My heart has been waiting for someone else.” It hurt when her eyes misted over and he wondered if he hadn’t just damaged a friendship that was almost as important to him as Duo’s but she quickly forced the sorrow away and found him a sad little smile. However, he was wholly unprepared when she grinned and asked… “You care for him very much… don’t you?” For a moment he was too stunned to answer, every combination of the meaning of the question running at light speed through his head but there was no denying her meaning. “Apparently I’m the transparent one,” he chuckled finally. “How did you know?” “He’s all you ever talk about,” she sighed. Hiiro raised a brow at this comment and she laughed lightly. “You didn’t even realize it, did you?” She laughed again when he numbly shook his head. “Was it raining when you arrived?” “Duo said they should’ve waited…” His words faded away as he gazed into her smirking face and realized he had automatically begun with Duo’s reaction. “You’ve got it bad,” she laughed and he found himself laughing along. “Tell me about it. Are you all right?” he asked, fearing the loss of a good friend. She thought about it for a moment then sighed deeply, seeming to come to a decision. “No,” she replied. “But I will be.” “Relena…” he began but she cut him off. “You can’t save me from this one,” she told him. “Just make damn sure you call me if you need me,” she demanded then smiled and cut the call. She was right of course; he couldn’t save her from this pain. His feelings for Duo were too strong, the best he could offer was second place and that just wasn’t good enough. Not for either of them. Things had become intricately more complicated and though he knew the only path was to speak to Duo, the more pressing matter was seeing the moon’s orbit corrected. Still, he had to confront him one way or another. It was with a heavy heart that he made his way back toward the small living room of the shack and once again found his feet slowing when the conversation reached his ears. “…sure have grown into a fancy man,” Wally was saying but it was the purring quality of his voice that gave Hiiro pause. If he was trying to put a move on Duo he just really wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it. “Fancy is not a term most guys would find appealing,” Duo laughed and Hiiro scooted forward just enough to see that their heads were disturbingly close together. Duo was kicked back in his chair while Wally lazed along the arm and back cradling his chin in the crook of his arms. “You ain’t no normal guy,” the man smiled and Hiiro’s fist balled up to the point his nails cut into his palm. “I ain’t no woman either,” Duo chuckled, rolling his half empty beer bottle over his thigh. “Pretty enough to be one,” Wally cooed, inching a little closer and Hiiro almost stepped into the room until Duo softly sighed… “Lay off, Wally.” Wally snorted in frustration but backed away, looking decidedly displeased while Hiiro grinned from ear to ear. “You used to be a lot friendlier.” “I used to be a total flirt,” Duo laughed. “So what happened?” Wally asked. “Is it him? That partner of yours?” “It’s not like that,” Duo grumbled, seeming less than amiable all of a sudden and Hiiro’s spirit sagged down to his knees. “Don’t try that line on me,” Wally groused, falling into full pout mode. “You’ve got a thing for him.” Duo paused, staring intently at the brown bottle in his hand before he softly replied, “I thought he’d be happy with Relena.” “Well, then why don’t ya tell him to get on with it?” Wally suggested hopefully. “Then you can stop waiting around and move in with me!” he grinned but the amusement bled away rather quickly when Duo didn’t join in. “You’re seriously in love with this guy, aren’t ya, boy?” he asked and Hiiro suddenly felt as if the room had turned upside down. Duo moped about it for a minute before his faced screwed up in frustration. “I have no clue what he needs anymore,” he grumbled. “But I need him to be happy, ya know? I can’t sleep at night unless I know he’s ok.” “But he don’t feel the same?” Wally asked softly. “I… didn’t think so,” Duo replied. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I dunno.” Hiiro’s breathe stilled, waiting for the rest. “You should’ve seen him… down in the tunnel. He was so scared,” Duo said distantly, his eyes taking on a far away expression. “It was almost as if…” Hiiro almost swallowed his tongue when the vid phone suddenly rang. “Hiiro?” Duo called curiously, reminding the eavesdropper that he was supposed to be using that particular device. He had just enough time to slip silently into the bathroom before Duo entered the hall. “Hiiro?” “In here,” Hiiro answered evenly. The farce appeared to appease his curious partner as he soon heard him answering the call, giving Hiiro a moment to take a deep breath. He couldn’t think straight. From what Wally said it sounded like Duo might be more interested than he had originally thought but then Duo had never admitted to anything involving intimate feelings the likes of which Hiiro was feeling for him. What he had spoken to Hilde about seemed to contradict his conversation with Wally. Hiiro new he had to consider the fact that Wally might be seeing more than was there because of his jealously but he knew his own feelings and desires could very well be clouding his judgment where the longhaired boy was concerned. He jumped two inches off the floor when Duo suddenly banged on the bathroom door. “Step it up,” Duo said hastily. “We’re moving.” “Who was it?” Hiiro asked, suddenly right on his heels. “Truse. The alterations are complete. We’re ready for a test run.” “We’ll need to contact Quatre,” Hiiro commented. “We can call him from Control,” Duo reasoned. “Where’re you going?” Wally gasped softly when they strode through one after the other. “Time to fire this puppy up,” Duo, grinned tossing him his coat.
~ * ~ tbc... |
