What's Not to Use?

Pairing: 1x4

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Chapter 2: Used Innocence
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It had been a week since Quatre\'s encounter with Wufei. The day after the incident, Wufei had been sent on another mission, then Quatre was two days after. Now it was all quiet again at the mountain estate.

Since the only other people at the estate were a few maids and butlers, the pilots had to fix their mobile suits on their own. Quatre was busy doing just that inside the secret hanger that was hidden in a mountain a mile away from the mansion. The right half of Sandrock had been heavily damaged, and Quatre was almost finished with all the repairs. He was the only one in there at the time, so he was enjoying the solitude inside of his gundam\'s cockpit.

\"Well, Sandrock, you look just about good as new. Just a few more adjustments and you\'ll be completely repaired.... Now where did I put that ratchet? Shoot, I had it a second ago.\" Quatre reached around blindly while he was lying on his back, half way inside a console.

\"Here.\" A hand placed the ratchet in Quatre\'s.

\"Thanks..... What the?!\" Startled by the voice, Quatre sat up quickly... *BANG*

And hit his head on the upper paneling.

Quatre fell back on the floor of the cockpit in a daze. \"Ow.\"

\"You okay?\" an emotionless voice asked.

Aqua eyes blinked to clear his vision, and he groaned from the annoying pain. \"Unnnnn... I will be as soon as the room stops spinning.... Is that you, Heero?\" Quatre slowly inched his way out of the console, and looked to find the wing pilot sitting in his leather pilot\'s seat.

\"Yeah.\" Heero grunted.

Quatre slowly sat up and rubbed his forehead. \"God, that hurt... Ugh, that\'s gonna leave a mark.\" The blonde winced when he felt a small lump on his forehead.

\"Sorry.\" Heero said, though it didn\'t sound like he meant it.

\"It\'s not your fault, Heero. I should have had more sense than to do that.\" Quatre smiled at him sweetly. \"Now did you need something?\" he asked politely.

Heero looked the blonde boy over carefully like he was a curious sight. \"Not really.\" the Japanese stated flatly, but continued to eye him over.

Quatre was just in a pair of worn out, tight, blue jeans with various wholes in the legs that showed a good portion of the strong thin legs, and a white T-shirt that hugged his upper body like a second skin. He had several black streaks of oil and grease on his clothes and skin which gave him a slightly roughened look, but his hair was in the same state of disarray that it always was. The innocent smile just pulled the whole strange look together.

All and all, Heero thought Quatre looked very attractive, and it took him a moment before he realized that the blonde was speaking again.

\"Oh... Well I don\'t mind the company. Do you mind if I finish up here?\" Quatre asked as he pointed the ratchet at the console.

Heero snorted and turned toward the open hatch. \"Go right ahead.\"

\"Kay.\" Quatre slid back in the console and began tinkering with the wiring connections again.

As he looked around the cockpit, he felt a bit odd. He had never been alone with Quatre while he was working on his gundam. \"How long have you been working out here?\" Heero asked for some reason.

\"The biggest part of the day. Sandrock took a bad hit on the right side.... So I\'ve been working on it since this morning, and I\'m almost done. When did you get here?\" Quatre asked as he tightened a few bolts.

\"Ten minutes ago. Zero\'s loaded on a truck in the lower level.\" Heero stated, but still looked forward.

\"Hmmm... How did your mission go?\" Quatre asked innocently.

Heero glanced over at the console then back to the hatch. \"As planned... Zero sustained a few minor damages, but that\'s all.\"

\"I see.... Why don\'t you bring Zero up to this level? I already have all the needed equipment out on this level, and, if you want, I could help you.\" Quatre added politely.

Heero grunted and folded his arms across his chest \"Thanks, but I can manage.\"

\"Oh I have no doubt that you could, I was just offering to save you some time.\" Quatre replied.

\"Hn.\" Heero grunted and glanced at the console again. This time, though, Heero couldn\'t take his eyes away from what he saw.

Quatre laid out on his back with both feet on the ground so his knees were up in the air. His legs were spread apart, and the tight jeans just enhanced the effect it was having on Heero. He was jarred from his thoughts by the other\'s sweet voice speaking again.

\"It wouldn\'t hurt to ask for help once and a while, though. I mean we are all on the same side, so what could it hurt to help each other? If we helped each other we could get things done a lot quicker.\" Quatre stated optimistically.

\"Hn. You\'re starting to sound like Duo.\" Heero snorted, but kept staring at Quatre\'s lower half.

\"Am I beginning to sound like Duo?....\" Quatre looked out of the console at Heero. \"Or is Duo beginning to sound like me?\" He gave a small grin.

Heero\'s eyes grew wide. \"Hn.\" But it wasn\'t from what Quatre said.

~Why do those eyes, that smile, and hair look so familiar? That smile.... so innocent..... Like a child\'s..... Eyes so pure...... What is it?~ Heero was racking his brain for the answer when he noticed something beside the seat. He grabbed it and jerked over to where Quatre was still on his back. \"Quatre, what are these?\" Heero growled slightly.

Quatre scooted out of the console and sat up to see what Heero wanted. \"They\'re yellow buttercups, Heero.\" Quatre stated, and raised an eyebrow at his friend\'s odd behavior.

Heero glared at the blonde. \"I know that! What are they doing here?\"

The blonde boy blinked at the glare. \"The cook\'s daughter brought them when she gave me my lunch. Why? Are you allergic to them or something?\" Quatre was very curious at the Japanese\'s reaction toward simple flowers.

The normally stoic pilot was at a loss for a moment. \"No.... Here.\" Heero sat them down next to Quatre.

The blonde took the small bouquet and pulled one of the yellow flowers out. \"Here, Heero. Brighten up a bit.\" Quatre said as he held the flower out to him.

A blank expression fell over Heero\'s face. \"F...For me?\"

\"Of course silly. Who else is in here?\" Quatre laughed softly.

Heero took the small yellow flower in a shaking hand and brought it close to him. He looked it with wide, sad eyes as a painful memory came to him.

Quatre became a little worried when he saw a single tear roll down Heero\'s cheek. \"Heero? What\'s wrong? Heero?\"

Heero looked at the blonde and then it hit him. ~Innocent, blue eyes.... Sweet smile......... Soft laughter..... Yellow flowers.... Little blonde puppy......~ \"Mary....\" Heero whispered.

Quatre was surprised. \"Mary? I didn\'t know that you knew the cook\'s daughter, Heero.\"

\"Huh? No, I don\'t know her.\" Heero said, and composed himself quickly.

\"But you just said Mary, didn\'t you?\" Quatre asked, totally confused now.

Heero looked away. \"Yes.\" he mumbled.

\"Well that\'s her name.\"

Heero bowed his head a little. \"I\'m thinking of a different Mary...... Quatre?\"

\"Yes, Heero?\"

\"What do you think about the innocent?\" Heero asked softly.

The sudden question startled him. \"The innocent? Huh, well.... I would say that they are the exact opposite from us. The innocent.... they are the ones we are meant to protect. I guess the innocent are the people who have never done intentional harm to others. Why do you ask, Heero?\" Quatre looked at him questionably.

\"No reason.....\" Heero sighed.

Quatre watched the Japanese pilot for a moment, then decided to leave it alone. \"Okay..... I\'m gonna get back to work.\" he told him as he backed slowly into the console again.

\"Hn.\" The second the blonde was in the console, Heero began to stare at him again. ~The people we are meant to protect.... I let that little girl down..... She didn\'t deserve to die...... It\'s my fault she\'s dead.~ Heero felt tears in his eyes but quickly wiped them away.

\"How could you let her die?\"

Heero snapped out of his trance. \"What?!\" he almost shouted in fear that the blonde boy knew.

\"I said I think I\'m gonna fry. It\'s getting hot in here. Whew!\" Quatre crawled back out of the console and started tugging on his shirt.

Heero let out a breath he didn\'t even realize he was holding. When he had calmed down a bit, he looked at a near by thermometer. \"It\'s ninety-seven degrees. I thought you were supposed to be desert born or something.\" His cobalt eyes looked back just in time to see Quatre pull his shirt off.

After tossing the soiled shirt out of the way, he fanned himself lightly with his hand. \"I am, but why suffer when all I have to do is shed a little clothing? At least here I don\'t have to worry about a sunburn.\" Quatre grinned then proceeded to go back to work.

\"Why not just close the hatch and turn the climate control on?\" Heero grunted.

\"Heero, what console am I in?\" Quatre asked sarcastically.

Heero wondered at the question, then looked at it to see that it was the console that had the climate controls on it. \"Oh, never mind.\" Quatre suddenly began to laugh. \"What\'s so funny?\" Heero asked with a frown.

\"Nothing, just imagining the way your face must have just looked. Hey, hand me a flat head screwdriver please. There should be one in that tool box on the hatch opening.\" Quatre said while he placed the ratchet he had been using down outside of the console.

\"Sure.\" Heero got up and walked over to the tool box in question. He returned after a few seconds and kneeled down next to Quatre. \"Here.\"

Quatre reached out one grease and oil streaked hand and took the screwdriver from him. \"Thanks, Heero.\" Their hands touched for a moment and Heero jumped slightly at the touch.

~What was that? It felt sort of like a static shock, but it felt good... Quatre didn\'t seem to feel it..... I must be losing it... Now what was I just thinking of? Right, the girl... Wait a second.. I couldn\'t get her out of my head a minute ago, but when I touched Quatre\'s hand I almost forgot it completely.... Could Quatre\'s touch ease my pain? No, that\'s stupid and impossible...... But I have heard things about Quatre being an empath......~ Heero looked down at Quatre and felt suddenly tight. With Quatre in the tight ripped jeans, and now without a shirt, Heero was also getting a little warm. He was able to see a pale, flat stomach that was slightly detailed with fine sleek muscles, and numerous scars from battle. The fact that he was covered with a thin sheet of sweat didn\'t help matters any either.

Heero was startled when Quatre\'s hand came out of the console and placed the screwdriver down. \"There, done. Well that was certainly a good workout. Maybe I\'ll bring a radio out here next time so I\'ll have something to listen to. I do think I\'ve earned a cold shower and a hot cup of tea....... But I think I\'ll just lie here for a second and double check this first.\" Quatre seemed to say to himself more than anything.

Heero was still kneeling next to him and tried to think of what to do when the blonde came out. ~Should I...... No, Quatre would never. He\'s too innocent..... Why would he let me do something like that to him? I know I don\'t love him...... I just find him incredibly attractive..... But I don\'t think it\'s just that...... He\'s so pure and looks and acts so innocent...... I want to be like that.... I want to feel like that.~ Heero slowly started to slip into another trance.

\"Well I don\'t know about you, but I\'m going to go back to the mansion and get cleaned up.\" Quatre made his way out of the console, and was greeted by a pair of cloudy cobalt blue eyes. \"Uh.... Is something wrong, Heero?\" Quatre asked and fidgeted slightly under Heero\'s gaze.

Quatre was still on his back as he looked up at Heero curiously, and the Japanese just stared at him with a spaced out gaze. The blonde boy was the closest thing to him that didn\'t seem tainted by the war. Sure Relena was an innocent person, but Heero just tolerated her because she was an important key to peace. Quatre was different....

For one thing he didn\'t chase after Heero all the time....

But other than that, the blonde boy understood the horrors of the world and did his best to cope with them. He didn\'t have to become a gundam pilot, but he did, surviving with his look of innocence intact, and that fascinated Heero.

\"Heero? Why are you looking at me like that?\" Quatre sat up carefully, but didn\'t take his eyes off the Japanese boy. \"Alright, Heero, you\'re freaking me out. Is there something you want from me?\" Quatre asked, only now he recognized that stare. ~I think I have a pretty good idea of what he wants from me..... He must have figured it out.... Lucky me.~

\"Actually.... there is something I want to know.\" Heero said calmly.

\"And what might that be?\" Quatre asked, and wished Heero would hurry and get to the point he knew was to come.

Heero leaned forward slightly. \"I would like to know the extent of your empathic capabilities.\"

Quatre quirked a brow. \"They can reach rather far..... Why? I didn\'t think you believed in such things.\" he retorted. For some reason he wanted to play this out, and make him say it.

\"I usually don\'t. But lately I have been surprised by many things I didn\'t think to be true. So do you know how far you can reach?\" Heero asked again, and leaned in a little further.

\"It depends on certain things, but if I can come in full contact I can feel everything that has ever happened to one person. Every shred of their past will instantly be transferred to me and I will relive it all in seconds. Very painful process if done wrong... I have to be very careful when I do something like that. If I lose control even for an instant it could kill me...... But hey, what are the odds of that happening?\" Quatre grinned and shrugged.

\"What are the odds?\" Heero asked, getting very interested...

And very close.

The blonde thought for a moment. \"Well..... I\'d say it really depends on the person I\'m with. If the memories are too painful for me to handle I might lose control. Another thing is that if I get the other person\'s memories confused with my own it could put me in a state of mental shock. In other words I could be in a coma for the rest of my life.... Why do you want to know all this, Heero?\" Quatre asked again innocently.

Now their faces were extremely close to each other, and they could feel the other\'s breath on their skin.

\"Just curious.\" Heero stated simply.

But Quatre knew the look in the cobalt eyes all too well. He decided to just cut to the chase, so the blonde boy sighed. \"Heero, do you want to kiss me?\" Quatre asked plainly.

Heero got wide eyed. \"No! Of course not!\" he growled.

Quatre looked at him with an amused expression. \"Hmm, that\'s funny. I could have sworn that you wanted to. Oh well, if you don\'t want to you don\'t want to. Now if you\'ll excuse me I have to get cleaned up before dinner.\" Quatre was about to stand when Heero\'s arms shot out and held him in place. \"Something else, Heero?\" he asked calmly, but felt the urge to laugh.

\"You wouldn\'t care if I kissed you?\" Heero asked surprised.

\"No, why would I? A kiss is just a kiss.\" Quatre shrugged again. \"It\'s not like you would be the first.\" he smiled slightly.

Heero blinked at the statement. \"How many have you kissed?\" he asked, interested again.

\"Probably a lot more than you have, or any of the others for that matter.\" the blonde laughed. \"Now do you want to kiss me or not?\" he asked with a small smile.

\"I do.... But you do know that I don\'t love you.\" Heero said seriously.

The blonde boy nodded plainly. \"I know. Neither did any of the other people I\'ve been with. I can\'t stop you so go ahead.\" Quatre smiled.

Heero was confused at that. \"What do you mean you can\'t stop me? You\'re not that weak.\"

He shook his head and chuckled. \"It\'s not that I\'m weak, it\'s that I literally can\'t stop you. My empathic side won\'t allow me to stop anyone, who is in pain, take what they want from me. It\'s no longer my choice. It\'s yours.\" Quatre said like it was no big deal. \"And the only reason I\'m telling you this is that it won\'t let me lie either...... Well lie about certain things.\" he added lightly.

\"So you have no control over the matter.\" Heero said, and actually thought it over.

He shook his messy blonde head. \"None what so ever. I guess you could say I\'m at your mercy. Now what do you plan to do with me?\" Quatre asked him, a little curious.

With the question asked, this caused Heero to ponder the notion. The idea of having this angelic creature at his mercy was very appealing to Heero, and he was becoming extremely turned on by the thought. \"How close of contact would you have to be?\" Heero asked curiously.

\"What is the closest two people could possibly be?\" Quatre answered a question with a question.

\"You mean.....\" Heero trailed off, his eyes wide again.

The blonde nodded. \"Yes, Heero. Full physical contact...... That\'s the only way if you want all of your pain diminished. The only problem is that if you get hurt badly or have too much stress, all the past pains slowly come back. It\'s your call, Heero, what do you want?\" Quatre whispered as he stared directly into the cobalt eyes.

That news decided it for him. \"I..... Yes. I want to.\" Heero stated calmly.

Quatre accepted this and continued. \"Okay. Do you want me now, or after I get cleaned up?\" the blonde asked plainly.

\"Now!\" Heero almost growled.

Quatre smiled slightly. \"Fine.\" He held up his arms in surrender. \"I\'m ready when you are. Do what you want with me.\"

The Japanese was painfully aroused at the sound of that. \"Is there a certain way I should do this?\" Heero asked, and he suddenly felt slightly awkward.

Quatre raised a hand and placed it on Heero\'s cheek. \"No, Heero. Just do what you would normally do. Do what you think would be most enjoyable.\" he whispered soothingly.

Heero placed his hand over Quatre\'s and just stared at the blonde boy for a minute. Heero felt incredibly warm from the inside out. He looked at Quatre and saw his chance to escape all of his pain, even if for only a short time, and he wasn\'t going to let it slip away.

The Japanese leaned forward and closed the gap between him and salvation from a life full of pain. Their lips locked and began teasing and torturing each other. Quatre wrapped his arms around Heero and tugged lightly at his tank top. Heero helped the blonde by pulling his green tank out of his shorts. Quatre quickly yanked it the rest of the way off and threw it somewhere behind him. With top halves now bare, the two boys pulled each other closer as they kissed deeper and longer. After a few seconds both boys decide that it wasn\'t enough and demanded more contact.

\"Heero.....\" Quatre moaned in his mouth.

That was all the motivation he needed. Heero began to kick off his shoes and shocks, and Quatre followed suit. With lips still firmly together, Heero reached down and began to impatiently unbutton Quatre\'s tight jeans. Once he accomplished this he started to tug and pull at them. Quatre got the hint and stood up. Heero remained on the floor, and he pull down the blonde\'s pants along with boxers. When he stood bare in front of Heero, Quatre suddenly had a feeling of being trapped, but he ignored it and just looked at Heero.

Heero was taken away at the sight of Quatre in front of him. ~God, and I thought he was beautiful before.~ Heero started to stare again but soon was brought back to reality by a soft voice.

\"Heero... Don\'t just stare at me...... If you\'re going to do something do it now.\" Quatre said a little out of breath.

Heero snapped out of it and stood up too. Quatre placed his hands on the Japanese\'s hips, and slowly the blonde slid off the tight spandex shorts to reveal Heero\'s pent up passion. Quatre smiled softly again, amused that he hadn\'t lost his touch. Then in a split second their bodies were crushed tightly together and lips had found their way back to the other\'s. Without clothing to separate them, the two boys began an erotic dance, trying to keep skin to skin at all times. Hips pressed extremely tight, their erections rubbed harshly together, and both were unwilling to let up. Soon it almost becomes too much, so Heero breaks off.

\"I need you now!\" Heero demanded in a low, lustful growl.

\"Wait a jus a sec...\" Quatre let go of Heero and reached for a bag that was behind his seat. After rummaging around in it, Quatre came back with a small tube. Heero looked at the tube then at Quatre.

\"You aren\'t the first who wanted to take me in here.\" Quatre laughed.

\"Hn.\" Heero grunted and took the tube from him. \"Lay down.\"

Quatre shook his head. \"Don\'t bother. Just get yourself ready and let me do the rest.\"

Heero blinked but then just shrugged. He flipped the cap off of the tube and squeezed the cold gel into his palm. Then he slowly slathered the gel on his throbbing erection and shivered both at the pleasure, and the coldness of it. After a few seconds he forced himself to stop and waited for Quatre to make the next move.

\"Sit in the pilot\'s seat.\" Quatre said as he kicked the bag back behind the seat.

Heero did as instructed. \"Now what?\"

\"Now close your eyes and let your mind go blank for a moment.\" Quatre said softly.

\"Alright.\" Heero closed his eyes and let his head lean back against the seat.

Quatre stepped in front of the Japanese and prepared his mind for a very painful session. Then he stopped and looked at Heero softly. ~He\'s a great improvement over Wufei. I always thought Heero would be as much as a control freak as Wufei.... But Heero actually wants to be touched back... Guess even I can be wrong about some things. Oh well, better get this over with.~

Quatre gently straddled Heero\'s lap by placing one leg on either side of him. Heero opened his eyes and looked at the blonde questioningly.

\"Shhh..... Just relax. The more relaxed you are, the better this will go. Trust me and try to enjoy this.\" Quatre whispered and kissed Heero\'s forehead.

Heero grunted his consent and closed his eyes again.

Quatre kissed down his face and neck and began to nibble at the place where his shoulder met his neck. Heero moaned softly and tightened his grip on the armrests of the seat. While Heero was concentrating on his neck, Quatre was positioning himself above Heero\'s erect member.

\"Are you ready, Heero?\" the blonde asked quietly.

\"Yes.\" Heero breathed out.

\"Very well.\"

Quatre leaned down and captured Heero\'s mouth in a quick forceful kiss. Heero moaned in Quatre\'s mouth, and in the same second Quatre quickly lowered himself on Heero. Heero gasped at the sudden tightness that he was now wrapped in, while the blonde hissed at the pain but got over it quickly.

Quatre leaned over to Heero\'s ear and nibbled on it. “Let it go, Heero. Gather all of your pain and let it go. I want you to open your eyes, look at me, and then I want you to take over and give me everything you got.\" he ordered softly before he sat back up.

Heero opened his eyes and looked directly at the Arabian. His innocent, blue eyes sparkled and Heero was mesmerized by them. The Japanese wrapped his arms around the small blonde and stood up suddenly. Quatre gasped in surprise and wrapped his legs around Heero\'s waist. Heero was surprised at how easily he was able to lift the blonde, but soon forgot about it, and stepped forward then went down on his knees. He gently placed Quatre on his back on the cold metal hatchway, and then began to kiss him. Heero thrust into Quatre\'s tight heat, and got into a steady rhythm, while Quatre moaned and lifted his hips to meet Heero\'s, legs still around him to keep Heero deep within.

Both were steadily building up to their climax when a familiar voice barged in and scared the hell out of both of them.

\"Hey, Q-man! You in here?!\" Duo\'s voice yelled from below.

Heero got wide eyed and was about to stop until Quatre\'s hand reached up and stopped him. \"Don\'t stop now, just go slowly.\" he whispered.

\"But...\" Heero was about to object when Quatre\'s other hand covered his mouth.

\"Quatre?\" Duo shouted again.

\"I\'m still here, Duo!\" Quatre shouted back.

Heero was amazed out how Quatre\'s voice sounded so normal.

\"Oh, well Mary sent me to get you for dinner!\"

\"Thanks! I\'ll be there in a minute! I have one last thing to finish!\" Quatre looked at Heero and grinned.

\"Ya want me to help ya?\"

\"No, I\'ll be done in a minute! You go on without me!\" Quatre nudged Heero to pick up his pace a little.

\"You sure?\"

\"Positive! You go ahead! You better leave me something to eat, though!\" Quatre laughed and pulled Heero back on top of him.

\"Hey, I make no guarantees, pal! I\'ll see ya later!\" Duo laughed.

The two listened for Duo\'s foot steps to fade, then Heero glared at Quatre.

\"One last thing to finish?\"

His aqua eyes blinked innocently. \"I didn\'t lie. Now get going, it\'s not good to stop in the middle of this.\" Quatre started kissing him again.

\"I don\'t think I can hold back much longer.\" Heero grunted.

Quatre nipped gently at his nose, and stared into his eyes. \"I said give me everything you got. Just forget I\'m even here and do what you need to.\" he said like it didn\'t matter.

\"You sure?\" Heero looked skeptical. \"I could hurt you badly.\"

\"Please, I\'ve been with far worse, now just do it.\" Quatre growled softly and rubbed his own erection against Heero\'s stomach.

\"Okay.\" Heero pulled out most of the way and rammed back into the small blonde. Soon he was pounding mercilessly into Quatre\'s thin frame.

Quatre\'s entire body shook from each one of Heero\'s thrusts, but still held on tightly to him. ~This brings back fond memories..... He\'s getting close....... Gotta concentrate.....~ Quatre cleared his mind and held on tighter to Heero.

Heero gave one final thrust and stiffened as he was washed over with pleasure. Quatre arched his back and gasped as images flashed before his vision at rapid speeds.

Sounds of explosions and laughter deafened him....

He felt as if his flesh was being ripped from his bones, and then stitched back on......

He saw Dr. J and mobile suits repeatedly.....

But one image caught in his mind.....

It was of a little girl, a blonde puppy, and a yellow flower.......

Just as quickly as they appeared, the images disappeared leaving Quatre feeling totally drained of life. His ears rang from the sounds, and his eyes were tightly shut from the pain. Brought back to reality when he felt Heero pull out of him, Quatre slowly opened his eyes. His eyes grew very wide when he was able to focus on Heero......

The emotionless pilot of Wing Zero loomed over Quatre and was smiling brightly.

Quatre propped himself on his elbows and watched the Japanese pilot for a second. \"I take it that you enjoyed yourself....\" he said, a little out of breath.

The Japanese pilot seemed to purr. \"Uh huh. God, I have never felt this good in all my life. That was wonderful, Quatre.\" Heero leaned over and began to lick up the remnants of Quatre\'s climax off the blonde\'s stomach.

Quatre watched him in fascination and moaned a little. ~That\'s weird. I must have came when I was in my trance.... But that\'s never happened before... I must have been closer to the edge than I thought..... Oh well, I have accomplished what others had deemed impossible..... I got the Perfect soldier to smile.~ Quatre marveled over his latest conquest and began to laugh.

\"What\'s so funny?\" Heero asked as he worked on Quatre\'s stomach.

\"Heh, I was just thinking how funny it is that I got the great Heero Yuy to crack a smile, and all I had to do was lie here on my back to accomplish it.\" Quatre wiped a tear from his eye.

Also seeing the humor in it, the normally stoic boy let out a light chuckle. \"Well I think you did an excellent job...... Especially when Duo barged in. I was impressed at how you were able to speak normally even though I was still fucking you.\" Heero stated honestly.

\"I\'ve had a lot of practice. That wasn\'t the first time he has done that. Speaking of Duo, I better get back to the mansion before he decides to look for me.\" Quatre sat up and tried to stand, but Heero stops him.

\"Quatre, I want to thank you. You have helped me a great deal.\" Heero smiled again.

\"I\'m happy that you feel better, Heero. But you have to remember that it\'s only temporary. The pain will come back eventually.\" Quatre said seriously.

Heero gave Quatre a quick kiss. \"I know, but still, I feel absolutely great.\" he said softly.

Enjoying the fact that Heero wasn\'t as rough as the others, he gave in a little. \"Mmmmm..... Heero, I have to go.\" Quatre gently pushed away from him and stood up.

Heero stood up too. \"Yeah.\"

The blonde thought over what had happened, and what he had better do in order to appear normal. \"Now let me think..... I think I should go back alone and you come in about ten or twenty minutes after..... If you don\'t want them to start speculating anything.\" Quatre offered as he put his boxers and pants back on.

\"That sounds fine.\" Heero said as he stepped back to where his clothes were thrown. He looked down at his stomach and saw that he still had some of Quatre\'s seed on him.

Seeing it as weel, Quatre threw his white shirt at him. \"Here, just use my shirt to wipe it off.\"

\"Thanks, but don\'t you need to put it back on?\" Heero asked him with an odd look.

\"I don\'t need to put it on. I\'ll just say that it was getting hot and stuffy..... Which was the original reason I took it off in the first place.\" Quatre winked at him then looked for his shoes.

\"Alright.\" Heero agreed and began to clean himself up before he began to redress himself.

\"Okay..... What am I forgetting.......\" Quatre looked around. \"Oh, Heero, you better act like you normally do or the others will ask questions..... Especially Duo.\"

\"I\'ll just ignore them.\" Heero replied as he finished tying his shoes.

\"Do you think I should add a few more grease and oil streaks to my chest and back?\" Quatre asked and then giggled at how stupid it sounded.

Heero smirked. \"Just a little.\"

\"Alrighty. Hey, could you put a few streaks on my back for me?\" Quatre giggled again.

\"Sure.\" Heero grinned.

After a few more minutes Quatre was ready to go and Heero stood behind him.

\"Kay, I\'m off. See ya later, Heero.\" Quatre turned back toward the Japanese just in time to receive a deep forceful kiss.

It was long and passionate, and it caught Quatre completely off guard.

After a moment, Heero let go and just looked at him for a second.

\"What was that for?\" Quatre gasped.

\"Hmm... Just trying something...... Quatre, will you be able to help me again if I need it?\" Heero asked seriously.

\"I might...\" the blonde whispered. \"Only time will tell. Now I have to go. I\'ll probably see you at dinner. Bye.\" Quatre quickly climbed out the hatch and proceeded down to the floor.

Heero watched as the blonde left and sighed. ~If this is only temporary I will make sure that you can help me again...... Until then.... Rest up my innocent little angel.~ Heero grinned and then climbed out of Sandrock\'s cockpit.

~*~

It was a very peaceful walk back to the mansion. Quatre always enjoyed these walks alone in the forests.....

Especially after something like what happened with Heero.

\"God..... That hurt like hell. That was ten times worse than what happened last week with Wufei. I didn\'t mind the fact that he was fucking me into oblivion, but his memories... Still, I\'ve been with worse. At least now I know why he was going ballistic with those buttercups..... It wasn\'t his fault at all. I hope that he can learn that soon.\" Quatre sighed and looked up. \"Almost sunset. That means Duo should pop up in five... four... three... two... one...\"

\"Hey! There you are! I\'ve been waiting for you!\" Duo scolded as he ran up the trail to Quatre\'s side.

Quatre smiled at his overactive friend. \"Sorry. Guess I lost track of time.\"

\"You would.\" Duo smirked, but then noticed something missing. \"Hey, where\'s your shirt?\" he asked as he looked him over, but his violet eyes were mainly looking at that pale bare chest.

Ready for that question, the blonde began to explain. \"It got too hot in there so I took it off. When I was finished I was going to put it back on but had so many oil stains and tears in it that I just threw it away.\" he said in a dismissive tone as he started walking again.

\"You must have been working pretty hard. You look really tired.\" Duo said when he saw the blonde\'s face.

That almost made Quatre want to laugh, but he kept his expression normal. \"I guess I may have over done it a little, but all the repairs are finished and I don\'t have to worry about Sandrock.\" he added optimistically.

\"I still say you should have let me help you.\" Duo stated when he saw the blonde try to stifle a yawn.

Waving a pale hand, Quatre put on his normal carefree smile. \"Don\'t worry about it Duo. I\'m just fine, and you have to think about Death scythe. Have you even started on the repairs?\" he asked while giving him a light knowing glare.

\"Ummmm.. Yeah.. Kinda... Sorta... No.\" Duo admitted as he looked down at the gravel covered trail.

\"That\'s what I thought...\" Quatre chuckled, but then an idea struck him. \"You know, I think we should continue the rest of the evening like people would normally do. No talk about Oz or the gundams. Just a regular evening.\" Quatre suggested with a smile.

The idea made a braod grin quickly appear on Duo\'s face. \"Now that sounds nice... After dinner do you want to go out and do something?\" he asked, and hoped for a positive answer.

\"Hmmm.... We might do that. Depends on if anything else comes up.\" Quatre said as he thought it over.

\"Okay.\" Duo agreed. ~Well it\'s a start.~ Duo sighed to himself and looked back at the blonde boy. ~I just have to be patient.~ The braided boy sighed again and looked back to the trail.

\"Duo?\"

\"Hmm?\" Duo looked over at his friend curiously.

\"Do you mind if I stayed here a little longer to watch the sunset?\" the blonde asked softly as he saw the sky begin to change colors. \"You can go on if you want to, but I\'d just like to see it.\" he whispered as he stopped on the trail and looked up.

When Duo saw that familiar daydreaming look on the pale pilot\'s face a small smile tugged at his lips. \"No, I don\'t mind...... Would you mind a little company?\" Duo asked, but tried not to sound hopeful.

That offer was warmly welcomed as Quatre smiled brightly. \"Not at all. Hmmm......\" The blonde looked toward the darkening sky, then back to his friend. \"I think we have a little more time before sunset... Come on, I want to show you something.\" Quatre grinned and made a sharp turn at a small worn path that led straight up the mountain.

Duo almost tripped over his own feet when he tried to run after the blonde. \"Whoa, Quatre! Wait up!\"

\"Keep up, Duo! It\'s just a little ways up the mountain!\" Quatre laughed and ran on.

\"I thought you were tired!!\" Duo complained as he tried to keep up on the steep path.

Quatre looked over his shoulder at his friend as he ran. \"You thought wrong! Come on, Duo! Don\'t give up on me now! We\'re almost there!\" he encouraged cheerfully.

\"Where\'s \'There\' exactly?\" Duo asked after almost running into a pine tree.

Quatre laughed playfully. \"You\'ll see! Now move it!\" The blonde ran a little faster up the mountain.

\"Alright, but if I trip, fall, and break my neck, I\'m coming back to haunt you!\" Duo shouted and ran faster to keep up.

\"If it were anyone else that might actually scare me!\" Quatre shot back playfully.

\"Hey!\" Duo grinned as he began to gain on the blonde boy.

\"Just a little further, Duo!\" Quatre called out as he began to slow down to let Duo catch up to him.

After a few more minutes of running up the steep and winding path, they came across a very large bramble bush and that stopped them completely.

\"Now what?\" Duo asked, a little out of breath.

\"Oh this is just a deterrent. The path picks up again a little over that way.\" he explained and pointed over a few yards away where a very narrow dirt trail began. Not giving Duo any warning, Quatre turned swiftly and was soon running off again in another direction.

The American gave a loud groan of protest before picking up the chase again. \"Quatre! I hadn\'t planned on running a marathon today!\" Duo shouted. He was getting tired of running, but didn\'t want to stop.

The blonde boy threw a quick glance at the huffing and puffing boy behind him. \"Don\'t tell me you\'re tired! You\'re getting out of shape, Duo!\" Quatre jeered.

Insulted by the remark, Duo surged forward and quickly caught up with him. \"I\'m not out of shape! I would just like to know where the hell I\'m going!\" he shouted in annoyance.

Suddenly Quatre stopped and Duo almost tripped again. The blonde boy was still like he was waiting for something, a look of concentration etched in his face.

\"What?\" Duo asked when he saw Quatre\'s expression.

Quatre held up a hand to silence him. \"Shhh.... Listen.\"

Duo kept quiet and listened. His ears soon picked up the sound of....

\"Water?\"

The blonde nodded happily. \"Yeah, come on.\" Quatre took off once more.

\"Quatre!\" Duo groaned and began to follow. Soon Duo lost sight of the blonde and was beginning to worry. \"Quatre?..... Quatre!\" he shouted as he looked around the large trees that surrounded him on all sides.

He then heard the light alto voice he was looking for. \"Over here, Duo!\"

Duo followed the voice and found himself entering a small clearing surrounded by the large trees, and a few very large stone boulders with bright green moss growing around them. At the far end of the clearing, he saw a very large water fall that had to be at least fifty feet tall with small streams that branched out from the small pool of water at the base in all directions. Needless to say, it was quite beautiful.

\"Wow.\" Duo breathed out as he took in the scenery.

\"Duo! Over here!\"

Duo looked at the base of the water fall and saw Quatre waving for him. The braided pilot ran over to the blonde to see what was going on. \"What?\" Duo asked when he reached him.

Quatre smiled brightly and waved him to come. \"Follow me, I wanna show you something.\" he said as he began to walk behind the water fall on a small ledge of rock.

Duo looked skeptically at the wet ledge. \"Are you sure?\"

Quatre smiled and held out his hand. \"Of course, trust me.\" he said reassuringly.

\"Alright.\" Duo grabbed Quatre\'s hand and followed the boy into a cave behind the water fall. It was pitch balck until a small light lit up the cave. Duo looked over to see Quatre holding a small flash light.

\"Always be prepared.\" the blonde chuckled out when he saw the questioning look on Duo\'s face. \"Now just start walking down the cave.\" Quatre stated as he moved forward.

Duo looked around and felt a little nervous as he walked closely behind the blonde. \"Uhhhh... Quatre... Where are we?\" his voice cracked slightly, not too thrilled to be in a dark spooky cave.

\"Here.\" Quatre stated simply to annoy his friend on purpose.

Duo swatted at him and grumbled. \"Smart ass, where is here?\"

Avoiding the hand, he also avoided the question. \"You\'ll see. Just a little further.\" Quatre said with another grin.

\"That\'s what you said five minutes ago.\" the long haired boy groaned.

\"I mean it this time, see?\"

Duo could make out Quatre pointing towards a beam of light that was pouring through a hole in the roof of the cave. When he focused on it better he saw a ladder that was positioned at the hole that would lead someone straight up and out to the surface. \"A ladder? In a cave?\" Duo said in confusion, all of this seeming very odd.

\"I put the ladder there.\" Quatre explained as he moved towards the ladder. \"I\'ll climb up first. Here, hold this.\" Quatre gave the flash light to Duo and began to climb up the rungs. Soon Quatre made his way through the narrow opening and looked back down. \"Come on, Duo. You gotta see this.\" he insisted cheerfully before he disappeared again.

Unable to resist the happy look on the pale Arabian\'s face, Duo sighed in defeat. \"Okay....\" Reluctantly, he turned off the flash light and climbed up the ladder. Shortly, he climbed out of the cave and was stading on the grass covered ground. He noticed that he was now near where there was a large stream rushing by that lead straight to the top of the waterfall.

Instanly he found Quatre sitting on one of the large boulders that was next to the top of the water fall. Duo walked closer to where the blonde was, and stared for a moment at the image it made. Perched on top of the rock, Quatre looked content staring out into space as the fading light of day glistened off his pale skin from where he had sweat during their chase. It gave him an eerie glow that seemed to suit the kind boy in Duo\'s eyes. \"Quatre?\" he whispered the name of this seem-to-be angel, in hopes he wouldn\'t disappear.

\"Get up here, Duo.\" Quatre scooted over and Duo obediently climbed up and sat down. When the braided boy was settled, Quatre pointed forward. \"Look.\" ge whispered.

Duo looked forward and gasped slightly at what he saw.

Above the sky was an eruption of pinks, reds, and purples, while down below he could see the entire forest stretch out for miles until it met the borders of the closest city. Since they were next to the water fall, a small thin mist came up and hit their faces. It looked and felt like something out of a dream and Duo was astounded.

\"This is beautiful....... How did you find this?\" Duo asked as he kept staring off at the world below him.

The blonde pulled his knees to his bare chest and rested his head on them. \"I had heard stories about people living out here in the wild a long time ago. Gladdiss and Mary told me most of them. They said that there were still old cabins all over the mountain and old trails that lead to beautiful pastures and a few other things, but it sounded all farfetched. One day I decided to see for myself, so I packed up a lot of things, and headed off. I went everywhere that looked like it might be an old trail or path way. When I stumbled on this one I was rewarded by finding the water fall, but something told me that there was more to it.\" Quatre explained to his friend.

\"Is that when you found the cave?\" Duo asked curiously. The braided boy was enjoying this very much, and felt closer to Quatre than he ever had before.

He nodded lightly. \"Yeah. When I found the hole in the roof of the cave, curiosity got the best of me so I went to the hangar, grabbed a ladder, and drug it all the way up here.\" Quatre turned to him and smiled. \"I think it was all worth it, don\'t you?\"

Duo chuckled. \"Definitely.\"

\"Still upset with me?\" the blonde smirked at him.

\"Maybe.....\" he mumbled jokingly. Then something occurred to him. \"Hey, do we have to go back through all of that to get to the mansion?\" Duo started to get upset at the thought.

\"You can if you want to. There\'s another cave back there in the forest. Leads right to the main grounds.\" Quatre stated smoothly. \"Hn, wait till you see where I found that one.\"

\"I can barely contain my excitement.\" Duo smiled but then something clicked in his head. A memory from his past came back to haunt him. ~A beautiful place... All alone and secluded... This feels way too familiar.... Quatre wouldn\'t be trying to... No, he wouldn\'t do that to me... Would he?~ \"Quatre, I have one question.\" Duo looked at him seriously.

Quatre was surprised at this sudden change of mood. \"What is it, Duo?\"

\"Why did you bring me here?\" Duo looked forward again and waited for the blonde\'s answer.

The blonde blinked in confusion. \"Why did I? Duo, you\'re my best friend. I thought you might like this... I didn\'t think I needed any other reason.\" Quatre looked at him with a hurt expression.

Duo looked back at him and saw the hurt and worry in his eyes. \"I\'m sorry, Quatre...\" he said, now feeling about two inches tall. \"I\'ve just been in a lot of situations where someone leads me to a beautiful spot, and not because he thought I might like it.\" Duo mumbled as he looked away and sighed.

Realizing what he was referring to, Quatre felt a similar pain in his chest. \"Oh Duo... I\'m not like that... I wasn\'t even thinking that. I just wanted to share a special place with a special friend.... But I\'m sorry if I made you think of those other people.\" Quatre said softly and placed a hand on Duo\'s shoulder.

Duo seemed to wince away from the blonde\'s touch, and shook his head. \"You don\'t have to be sorry, Q. I should know better than to think that you might do something like that.... Sorry for doubting you... I mean here you are being nice to me and I\'m jumping to conclusions. I\'m sorry.\" Duo turned away from him completely and jumped off the bolder. He walked back to the cave exit, and felt completely low and worthless. ~Time to crawl back into my hole.~ He mused slightly.

\"Duo! Duo, wait!\" Quatre jumped of the bolder and ran towards the braided boy. \"Duo! Don\'t go!\"

He stopped but didn\'t look at the blonde. \"Why shouldn\'t I?\" Duo sounded miserable.

Quatre grabbed on to Duo\'s arm and held it tightly. \"Because it\'s getting dark and you could get lost... And I want you to stay.\" he insisted softly.

Duo looked up at him a little surprised. \"You want me to stay?\"

He looked at the American with pleading eyes. \"Of course I want you to stay. You\'re my friend, I\'d never turn my back on you.\" Quatre said honestly.

Moved beyond his imagining, Duo was at a loss for a moment. \"Quatre... Okay, I\'ll stay.... Now where\'s this other cave?\" Duo smiled brightly, but it was a forced one.

Quatre\'s eyes brightened greatly, and he broke out into a grin. \"It\'s this way.\" He gripped Duo\'s arm tighter and began to lead him off into the forest.

Duo smiled for real at the blonde\'s cheerfulness. ~I shouldn\'t have doubted Quatre at all. Especially since I\'ve been wanting him to drag me off somewhere alone... But he\'s just doing this as a friend. I bet he hasn\'t even considered me that way. With girls always chasing me I don\'t blame him. He\'s probably not that way anyway... And even if he was he probably wouldn\'t want a guy who\'s been kicked around and used as much as I have.... I guess just being with him like this is enough for now...... Maybe I\'ll find out how he really feels about me someday.~ Duo sighed and let himself be dragged off by the blonde.

But while Quatre was acting cheerful and all, he was thinking of something a little more serious. ~I wish I could help Duo ease his pain.... I have the power to, but he has to make the first move.... Damnit! I wish my life wasn\'t so complicated... But I should know by now that wishes never come true.~ Quatre led his friend deeper and deeper into the forest, and soon it was too dark to see.

The blonde slowed to a stop and turned to his friend. \"Duo, do you still have that flash light that I handed to you earlier?\"

Duo was already feeling through his pockets for. \"Yeah, just a second... Here.\" Duo handed him the flash light and Quatre quickly turned it on.

A small circle of light shined out, and it was just enough to see what was in front of them. \"That\'s better. Okay, it\'s just ahead.\" Quatre began to lead them off again.

\"What\'s just...\" Duo stopped his question when they entered another little clearing. It was rather plan, compared to the last one, but this one had a small log cabin the middle of it. From closer inspection, Duo saw that it was quite simple in making, but evidentially made well since it seemed to have been there for countless years.

The blonde kept pulling on the American\'s arm till they reach the cabin door. When they did Quatre released him and began to look for something.

\"What are you looking for?\" Duo asked puzzled.

\"I hid the key somewhere around here... Oh, there it is.\" Quatre bent over and retrieved a small bronze key from a little hole next to the front step. \"Alright. Now try to stay close because when we get in the cave it\'s easy to get lost.\" he warned as he unlocked and opened the door.

\"Lead on, Q.\" Duo laughed.

\"Alright, let me close and lock the door back....\" Once Quatre was done doing that, he bent down and pushed the key through a hole in the door.

Duo looked at him confused. \"Uhhh... No offense, Q, but how are we supposed to get in the cave if we\'re in here?\" he asked doubtfully.

Quatre giggled. \"That\'s easy, the cave\'s in here.\" he answered plainly.

\"Huh?\"

\"Just follow me.\" Quatre chuckled.

Duo followed the blonde to the center of the cabin. It was just a one room cabin, and from the look of it, Quatre had cleaned it up since there was no dust or cobwebs. Even though it was small, it seemed to have everything a person would need to survive. There was one old, big, wood framed bed in one corner of the room that was all made up and looked ready to sleep in, an old wood burning stove, wood already pile next to it, and a fire place.

\"When I found this I came in and fixed it up. It looked really bad at first, but I was able to repair most of the damages. I guess you could say this has been sort of a side project.\" Quatre smiled.

\"It looks pretty good..... Now where\'s this cave you\'ve been talking about?\" Duo looked around but only saw four walls and the other things he noticed earlier.

Quatre giggled again. \"You\'re standing on it.\"

\"What?!\" Duo jumped back.

\"Calm down and hold this.\" Quatre handed him the flash light and kneeled down. It was then that Duo noticed that the floor was made of slate, and Quatre was now moving one large flat slate pieces out of the floor. Under it were stone steps leading down into a dark void.

\"This is getting freaky.\" Duo laughed and rubbed his neck.

The blonde nodded in agreement. \"That\'s what I thought at first. Well, go on.\" Quatre pointed to the stairs.

Duo looked at the stairs skeptically, then back at Quatre. \"You sure?\"

\"I\'m sure. Go.\" Quatre smiled and stood. \"Or do you want me to go first?\" he jeered.

\"I\'ll go.\" Duo huffed and started down the stairs.

He walked down after Duo and closed the opening. \"My hero.\" Quatre laughed.

\"Hey, knock it off.\" After they reached the bottom of the stairs, Duo was amazed at how much room was in the tunnel. \"This cave is pretty big....\" Duo said as he looked around. When he pointed the light up, he saw that they were many interesting rock formations on the high ceiling.

\"I know. Hand the flash light over and stay close. First time I went trough here I got lost for five hours.\" he laughed at himself.

\"How long does it take to get to the mansion?\" Duo asked, still skeptical about the whole thing when he looked down the black tunnel.

\"If you go the right way..... About ten minutes, maybe less. Don\'t worry, I marked the right way to go the last time I was here on the cave walls.\" he reassured.

\"Then lead on, Q-man.\" Duo chirped, and felt better....

Especially since he was able to sneak his hand into Quatre\'s.

Quatre started forward and Duo was close behind, being lead by the hand.

~*~

Eight minutes later, Quatre lead Duo out into the open air.

\"Wow, those stalactites were awesome... I had no clue all of that was here.\" Duo said cheerfully.

Quatre smiled at him, and nodded. \"Nothing is what it seems. Come on, Gladdiss and Mary are going to be very upset with us if we\'re any later.\" he chuckled and began to walk off in the woods again.

\"Hey, how much farther are we from the mansion?\" Duo asked as he looked around.

The blonde stopped at a tree then looked back at his friend. \"Come and see for yourself.\" he said as he pointed.

\"Huh?\" Duo walked to the blonde and looked where he was pointing. \"We\'re that close?\" Duo was surprised because the mansion couldn\'t be more than a hundred yards away once they cleared the woods.

\"The cave leads right to the back gardens. Let\'s go through the kitchen entrance and get our scolding over with.\" Quatre laughed and started running for the mansion.

\"Hey! Cheater!\" Duo laughed and yelled as he ran after the blonde.

They raced each other across the lawn to the back entrance, but when they got there their welcome wasn\'t very...

Welcoming.

\"And just where have you two been? We have been waiting for you over an hour.\" a short, old, round faced woman asked them as they reached the door.

\"Sorry, Gladdiss. It was all my fault.\" Quatre apologized with a sweet smile.

\"It would be....\" Gladdiss mumbled. \"And just look at you! No shirt and all dirty! You march yourself to the bathroom and clean yourself up, or no dinner for you.\" she said sternly, and pointed to the door.

\"Don\'t be so hard on the lad, Mother. Knowing him he probably wanted to watch the sunset.\" a tall young, dark haired woman suddenly stated with a laugh.

\"You must be a mind reader, Mary.\" Duo replied.

Then young woman laughed musically. \"Oh, I\'m no mind reader. I just know little Quatre. Now be off before Mother loses her temper.\" Mary warned with a smile.

\"Okay...\" Quatre walked over to the old woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. \"Gladdiss, you\'re the best mother I never had.\" he smiled brightly then ran off.

The three watched him dash out of the kitchen door, and once he was out of sight the old cook sighed deeply. \"That boy....\" the old woman grumbled. \"Nothing but trouble... But the sweetest thing ever.\" Gladdiss gave sad look and sniffed a little before she returned back to her cooking.

The American boy looked at Gladdiss curiously, and wondered why she always looked so sad when Quatre was around.

\"Mother\'s a little emotional when it comes to Quatre.\" Mary whispered to Duo.

\"Why\'s that?\" Duo asked curiously.

\"He\'s had a rough childhood....\" she started, a little surprised that he didn\'t know. \"No friends growing up, and his father, God rest his soul, was very cruel. Always kept him locked away from the world. I\'m surprised that little Quatre was able to get away from him. Watched him like a hawk, he did.\" Mary said, and frowned deeply when she remembered all the horrible rumors that were passed through the different servants.

\"What about his sisters?\" Duo asked, and started to feel sorry for his friend.

\"Had no clue. They\'re all very sweet, but they hardly paid him any attention unless they had to. I wouldn\'t doubt if no one has ever shown that they cared for him.... Well, no one besides Mother and me....... And those maguanacs seem to, but it isn\'t the same.\" Mary shook her head and sighed again. \"Tis a shame.... The sweetest boy ever, yet no one seems to care... That\'s the way it is in this world, Duo. He\'s had everything handed to him on a silver platter, and he may not show it, but he\'s very lonely. That\'s why I\'m glad he has found such a good friend like you.\" she smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

\"Mary, come help me with this.\" the old woman called from the large oven.

\"Coming, Mother.\" Mary walked away from Duo to help her mother.

Duo slowly walked out of the kitchen to the dining hall, trying to understand what Mary had just told him.

~Quatre... How could no one care about him? And I thought the rich had everything they wanted... Looks like I was wrong... I care about him.... I should tell him... But how? I can\'t just go up to him and proclaim my love for him. That would be stupid. I have to wait for a good moment... At the water fall would have been perfect but I let that slip by.... And the cabin... And the cave. I could have told him all those times, but no..... I was too scared. Damn, this is complicated.~

Duo, deepin thought about his problem, kept walking, and didn\'t even notice that he wasn\'t the only one in the room.

\"What\'s with you?\" a deep voice asked.

Startled, the braided boy whipped around to find the voice. \"Huh? Oh, it\'s you, Heero. When did you get here?\" Duo asked, and grinned slightly.

Heero walked into the dining hall from another corridor, and gave Duo a curious glance. \"Few minutes ago. Now answer my question.\" Heero stated emotionlessly.

\"Oh.... Uh, nothing really. Just trying to remember something.\" Duo chuckled nervously.

\"Sure.... Anyone else here?\" he asked, still sounding flat.

\"Ummm..... Just Quatre. Wufei and Trowa are still away.\" Duo replied honestly.

Heero turned back in the direction he came from. \"Okay.\" he grunted before he started to walk off.

\"Hey, you gonna be down for dinner?\" Duo asked, just being friendly.

\"No, I\'m not hungry.\" Heero answered as he walked out of the room.

\"Oh.. Okay..\" Duo said, mainly to himself.

~That was weird.... Heero didn\'t seem as icy as he usually is... Oh well, maybe I\'m just looking for trouble.~ Duo shook his head to clear his thoughts. Then, with his hunger being pushed front and center, Duo sat down at the large dining table, and waited for Mary to bring out the food....

But his mind still replayed the last few moments he had shared with the blonde, and although it seemed too short, it brought a smile to his face for the rest of the night.

~*~

TBC