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The Road to Kindness	By : shinigamiinochi Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 7934 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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The Road to Kindness

Chapter 7

Part 18

�Wow,�
Fai murmured as he got out of Heero�s car after he parked it in his driveway.
The Yuy house was� impressive, yet it wasn�t. It was much bigger than Wufei�s
house, everything looking perfect and beautiful, but it wasn�t what he had been
expecting. It wasn�t a mansion, just a house, but a very nice, expensive house.

�� That what I thought when I first saw it,� Duo said with a
small, fond smile as he looked at the house, slinging his book bag over his
shoulder, �and now it�s home.�

�� Duo seemed to be less somber today, as though he had put
Wufei�s words from last night behind him, but Fai was sure that he hadn�t. He
thought that Duo was a person that often hid how he was feeling with either
silence or a smile. When Duo looked at the house, he seemed so� affectionate
and Fai realized that this house was everything to the other boy, his
sanctuary. He couldn�t imagine having such problems that he would consider
something so simple as a house with such a reverence.
He wondered what it took to be in Duo�s inner circle, to know why he looked so
sad and old all the time, and he was positive now that there was more to it
than his father abandoning him.

�� Heero unlocked the door and led the group of boys inside,
Fai and Wufei trailing behind Quatre and Trowa hesitantly. Duo seemed to
instinctively know what they were doing and turned to give them a reassuring
smile.

�� It�s ok,� he assured them, �Name isn�t even home yet.
She�s in Bangor
at some sort of conference and won�t be in until four or five.�

�� Heero glanced back at Duo and Fai was momentarily taken
back by the softness of his expression. He had only known the Japanese teenager
a few days, but in that time, he had acted so closed off and cold, but when he
looked at Duo, all sorts of emotions flitted to the surface, naked to anyone
looking. It was an amazing thing to watch and it made Fai wonder what sort of
horrible thing had happened to make him and Duo stop talking to each other. Hand�t Wufei said they were best friends?

�� You�re one to talk,� Heero murmured to Duo, his voice
small and soft, as though he was nervous just speaking to the violet-eyed boy,
�Remember the first time you came to sleep over? You were so scared, I had to
drag you into the house, you wouldn�t even move on your own.�

�� Duo blushed and looked at the floor, but his lips twitched
into a fond, reminiscent smile and he put his hand on the wall of the front
hallway where they had all gathered, running his fingers over its surface with
affection.

�� Yeah,� he said, his voice just as soft as Heero�s, �At
that moment, it was the happiest day of my life. I was so scared� of your
mother�s money, or her ability to hurt me, of making you ashamed of me, but
mostly� I was terrified of losing you, of losing the only good thing that�s
ever happened to me. Of course I remember� and when I almost lost you later,
that hurt more than anything Wes could do to me.�

�� Something seemed to click between the two boys and the rest
of them held their breaths, feeling something powerful in the air around them
as Heero and Duo, finally, after so long, made eye contact with each other.
Without even realizing it, Heero and Duo suddenly made a choice. Their friends
weren�t quite sure who broke the contact first, Heero, who turned to lead them
towards the steps, or Duo, who looked down again. Even Fai, who had no idea why
their sudden notice of each other was so wonderful, felt a deep pain when it
ended and they followed him down the hall towards Name�s room.

�� Um, why are we going into your mother�s room?� Quatre
questioned.

�� Fai wanted to see the kittens,� Heero
pointed out, �Besides, isn�t there something you need to tell Duo?�

�� Quatre blushed. Duo looked at him, one eyebrow raised in
question.

�� My sister is coming today for the kittens,� Quatre said,
ashamed that he had waited so long to tell Duo. He knew how much Duo loved his
cats, so, even though Duo had had no intention of keep the kittens, he had
hesitated in telling him he was going to have to give them up so soon.

�� Iria called this morning,� Quatre told him nervously, �She
said that today was the best day for her, since she has nothing important going
on, but Dad�s in a meeting and she doesn�t want him to know that she�s meeting
with me� I�m so sorry, Duo, I should have told you the moment I got her call
and asked if it was ok��

�� It�s fine, at least I have time to say good bye to them,
and I get to meet your sister!� Duo said with a grin. Trowa shook his head.

�� You�re too forgiving. You�re not even going to make him
grovel a little?� Trowa teased.

�� Hey!� Quatre snapped at his lover. Heero rolled his eyes
at his friend�s antics and opened the bedroom door. Fai right away gravitated
to the large basket where Patches and her numerous kittens were, some of them
curled up against their mother, some of them playing with various toys or each
other. Patches� ears perked up as she saw Duo approach her and leapt out of the
basket, running towards him.

�� Hey, sweetie,� Duo greeted her, scooping the calico into
his arms like she was an infant. Patches purred loudly, lying limp in his safe
embrace as he cradled her. Duo watched with an amused smile as Fai knelt down
by the basket and tentatively reached out his hand, palm up, to the kittens.

�� The kittens, though they were obviously bigger than they
had been, were still pretty small and didn�t have the motor skills that their
mother did. Duo had tried not to spend too much time playing with them, scared
that he would become too attached, like he had with their littermate and his
other cats and their parting would be too painful, but he still felt sad that
he couldn�t keep them. He had been around stray felines enough to know that
Patches wouldn�t be heartbroken at their departure, but watching the little
creatures romp with each other and stare up at the humans with curious eyes, he
felt far from happy that he had to give them away.

�� Fai watched with wide, amazed eyes as a tiny, female calico
stumbled towards him and sniffed his hand, batting at his fingers. Interested
in the human and wanting to play and explore, she tried to climb into his hand,
licking his fingers. Fai gently picked her up and nuzzled her white head. The
kitten looked a little like her mother. She was mostly white, though her paws
and the tips of her ears were black, like she was wearing mittens, and her tail
was a light copper brown with black spots, the copper traveling up, following
the line of her spine and ending at her shoulders. Like her mother, her eyes
were a brilliant blue.

�� She�s so sweet,� Fai said happily, smiling brightly as the
kitten rubbed her head against his chin and mewed. Duo caught the warm smile
that Wufei wore as he watched his lover.

�� Quatre followed Fai�s move and picked up the tiger-striped
kitten he planned on keeping. Patches watched them from Duo�s arms, making sure
that the humans weren�t going to hurt her babies. Duo mused that, as mother
cats went, Patches wasn�t very protective of her kittens, but she wasn�t
apathetic, either. Duo had seen some mothers try to claw the eyes out of
anything that so much as looked at their litter, and
others that had abandoned their kittens the moment they were born. He had
always felt horrible about the abandoned babies, but he couldn�t feed every
stray cat he found, he knew that. He knew how it felt anyway, suddenly realizing
your mother was nowhere to be found and you were alone, struggling to take care
of yourself. In the end, hadn�t that been what he was? Just a stray cat that
Heero, in an act of kindness that Duo still didn�t understand, had taken in and
cared for�

�� What are you going to name her?� Duo asked Quatre as the
blonde petted the kitten�s back.

�� Would it be too geeky if I called her �Maya�?� Quatre
wondered.

�� That means something like �wonderful� or �great�, right?�
Duo asked, �If that�s true, it suits her. She�s my gift to you and I hope she
makes you happy, because I trust you to take care of her, but it�s also a cute
name.�

�� Quatre beamed like a sun at Duo�s mention of trusting him.
Trowa and Heero were the only people who had ever trusted him before�

�� It�s also a popular cat name in Japan,� Heero chimed in,
�In Hansai, �Yamamaya� means Jungle Cat and with her
tiger stripes she kind of looks a little bit like an Iriomote cat.�

�� Well, why don�t we take �Maya� and that one,� Trowa nodded
his head towards the calico that Fai was holding, �Upstairs to Duo�s room. He
can show Wufei and Fai how to play some of his video games and I�ll get us some
snacks. We don�t need to start dinner until Name comes home. In the meantime,
we can fool around, maybe get some homework done.�

�� That�s fine,� Duo said, letting Patches down, �But
shouldn�t Heero or I get the snacks?�

�� Quatre and I live here, too,� Trowa pointed out dryly, �It
won�t kill me to do a little work.�

�� Duo shrugged and led the way to his room. Fai cradled his
kitten close to him as they walked up the steps, feeling bad about separating
the calico from her brothers and sisters, but she didn�t seem to mind. Besides,
he missed J�n and he didn�t mind playing with the
cute little kitten, he was just honored that Duo would trust him with her.

�� The Yuy household was so clean and perfect, yet clearly
lived in, Fai was amazed that they didn�t have any
maids or butlers. They could certainly afford it, but the absence of any staff
made him respect Name, and her well kept home, even more. Duo�s room, however,
made it clear to Fai that it was Duo�s and no one else�s. It wasn�t messy and
he hadn�t expected it to be, but it was still completely different from the
rest of the house. The art posters on the wall and the book case filled with
novels and classics spoke to Fai of someone who had a great deal of pride in
reading and education, but the abundant movies and video game systems screamed
�teenager�. The cleanliness of the room and the star designed blankets told Fai
that the room�s owner was someone who had turned this room into their sanctuary
and thus, was taking great care in it. In other words, the space was Duo
personified.

�� A black cat leapt off the bed and bounded over to Duo,
rubbing against his leg.

�� Hey, Shiva,� Duo said, leaning down so she could jump onto
his shoulder. Fai smiled at Duo�s affectionate look as he stroked the cat�s
ears and she rubbed her head against his cheek. Lounging on the desk was a cat
that looked more like an Iriomote cat than Maya ever could, but wasn�t paying
much attention to them, simply glancing over with golden eyes. The tawny cat on
the bed, however, was glaring at them, looking like a cougar ready to defend
his den.

�� Um, Duo?� Fai squeaked, realizing
that he was being silly, afraid of a cat, but said cat kept staring at him like
he was a mouse.

�� Oh, don�t mind him. Toby, off the bed,� Duo ordered. The
tom flicked his tail at him in annoyance and haughtily, with a great deal of
attitude, but also a lot of grace, smoothly jumped from the bed to the window
sill, an impressive feat.

�� He�s as well-trained as a dog,� Wufei mused. Toby glared
at him, but Fai couldn�t tell if it was because of the comment or just because
Wufei was a stranger.

�� He�s not trained,�
Duo scoffed, as though he were telling a child that the sky was indeed blue,
�He�s just very smart and well-behaved.�

�� Toby seemed to give them a smug look, making Wufei wonder
if the large cat could understand them.

�� He doesn�t bite, does he?� Fai asked, still nervous.

�� Sometimes,� Duo admitted, �He�s still kind of feral, but
he knows that I�ll be mad with him if he bites someone. Just don�t hit me or
step on his tail.�

�� Both of the Chinese boys glanced over at the Javanese,
wondering if Duo was joking, but the cat�s constant stare told them
differently. The five of them clustered around the bed as Duo turned on the
console and started up a fighting game that they all could play. As he was
explaining to Fai, who had never played a video game before, how to work the
controller, Trowa came in with the snacks.

�� Heero thought that watching Duo show Fai how to play was
strange. It had seemed like forever since he had been the one to teach Duo how
to play, though he knew it had only been a few months, not even half a year.
That time, before he had known about Duo�s past, seemed so far away, ancient,
and it made him hurt. Back then, there had been so much� stuff between them, but at least they had been speaking to each
other. Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa were right. What was the point of this? He just
felt that his and Duo�s friendship was stuck, stagnating. This had to stop,
somehow. Either they had to return things back to normal, or break it off
altogether. He didn�t want that. He didn�t want to lose Duo, and now he knew
that Duo was still scared of losing him, too. He had to do something, he knew
that, but he was still scared.

�� Video games were kind of fun, Fai thought, though they fell
on his father�s list of things that were frivolous and wrong. Actually, Fai
suspected bitterly, that they were so fun was the reason why his father had
denied their use in his house. However, he wasn�t very good at them and he
quickly surrendered his controller to Trowa to play against Duo. It was more
entertaining watching the two boys play, especially when they gave up the
fighting game for a more story-based horror game. Their glee for the game, and
their experienced playing, made it more fun than his clumsy button pushing.

�� They played, switching turns, and chatted about nothing,
silly things, for another hour before they heard the door open downstairs.
Wufei and Fai shared an anxious look realizing that it had to be Heero�s
mother.

�� Come on,� Wufei urged, though he wasn�t feeling very
brave. Duo and Fai had confessed to being scared of Name�s power, but Wufei
felt that he was the only one who had a good reason to be scared of her. Duo
had kept secrets from Heero, but any rage Name could have possibly felt at his
actions had, obviously, vanished when he had almost died in the hospital and he
had told her the truth. She had absolutely no reason to not like Fai, but after
what he had said to Duo after his confession�

�� Heero and Duo raced down the steps with Trowa and Quatre
following them more sedately, Trowa shaking his head at the younger boys� actions.
They caught Name in the hallway, her back to them as she talked to someone that
they couldn�t see. She turned and raised an eyebrow at them.

�� I�m sorry, were you raised in a barn?� she scolded Heero.

�� Sorry,� he mumbled.

�� Oh, really? And what if Duo had
fallen on the steps? Did you think of that?� she prodded. Trowa smirked. Name,
like any good mother, had correctly pinpointed Duo as Heero�s one true weakness
and wasn�t afraid to stab at it.

�� But, it wasn�t Heero�s fault that I was running,� Duo protested.
After his surgery, he wasn�t very confident about his side. He didn�t know if
it was primarily a psychological reaction to the injury, or the surgery had
made him physically unbalanced, but he was clumsier than he had been and as a
result, Name always ended up worried about him falling. He hated that she had
to worry about stuff like that, just like how he hated that he was weak to
begin with.

�� Just don�t run up and down the steps anymore, ok? Save me
a heart attack,� she pleaded.

�� Movement behind her gained their attentions and a tall
woman, looking about Name�s age or a bit younger, stepped around her. Despite
her height and her darker features, with her short, dark blonde hair, pale
skin, and dark blue eyes, Duo realized who she was right away.

�� Iria!� Quatre exclaimed, hugging
the older woman tightly. She eagerly hugged him back.

�� Quatre,� she breathed, �It�s been awhile,� she pulled him
off of her to get a good look at him.

�� You look well,� she smiled, �Much better than the last
time we saw each other.�

�� From behind Duo, Trowa shifted nervously. This was the
first time he had met any of Quatre�s family and he wondered how she would
receive him. What if she hated him and alienated Quatre because of it? He
wasn�t worried that Quatre would break their relationship because of it, but he
never wanted to be the one to cause Quatre pain. He suddenly felt very alone
and fought the urge to grab on to Duo�s braid or shirt, the one person who he
could relate to, who wouldn�t condemn him, but wasn�t he supposed to be the one
protecting Duo? Then again, they could protect each other, right? He just
wanted to grab Quatre and demand to know that things would never change between
them.

�� It�s wonderful to see you!� Quatre said, and how happy he
sounded at seeing his sister made Trowa feel ashamed, �I thought I would have
to go back home just to see you!�

�� And you won�t come home,� Iria said sadly.

�� Not unless Father is willing to see reason,� Quatre said
coldly, his statement more a question. Iria shook her head.

�� Father and I haven�t seen eye to eye since I helped you
leave. My only consolation is the knowledge that you are happy. You are, aren�t
you?� she asked hopefully.

�� Quatre nodded.

�� You know I am. I always say so in my letters. It�s a good
thing you don�t live in the main house with Father or we would never be able to
communicate,� he said.

�� No,� Iria said with a shake of her head, her short, wavy,
dark blonde hair blushing against her fair cheeks, �I don�t think Father would
keep us from speaking. You may have not seen him in awhile, but you remember
how impossible it is to hide anything from him. He probably know
we are writing to each other at the very least. Now, who is who?� her
intelligent, navy eyes moved from boy to boy, finally falling on Heero and Duo.

�� You must be Duo and Heero,� she shook their hands
respectively.

�� That�s right. It�s nice to meet you,� Duo said politely,
�Thanks for offering to take the kittens.�

�� No problem,� Iria assured him, �Quatre has told me about
your hardships, but also how kind you have been to him and how accepting you
are of his relationship.�

�� Duo and Quatre simultaneously blushed.

�� I�m sorry,� Quatre apologized.

�� It�s ok,� Duo assured him, �She�s your sister, so I trust
her. What happened to me happened, maybe it�s a good thing if I stop hiding it
from everyone. It doesn�t help, pretending those things never
happened, it never has. It only makes me feel more ashamed.�

�� Quatre�s right, you are far too mature for your age,� Iria
said sadly. Duo bit off his protests at that, knowing that it was true.
Everything he had seen and learned during his childhood had destroyed any
chance he could have had at maintaining his ignorance, optimism, and na�vet�.
Iria looked at Trowa and smiled brightly.

�� And you must be Trowa. I�ve been wanting
to meet you ever since Quatre told me he had fallen in love,� she confessed.

�� Trowa blushed, something that happened so rarely, Quatre
stared at him in astonishment.

�� Thank you for helping Quatre leave. If it hadn�t been for
your help, he would have been miserable and we never would have ended up
together,� Trowa said in a clipped tone, �But I would be a fool if I assumed
that that meant you approved of our relationship, or of me.�

�� And if I said I didn�t approve?� Iria asked in amusement.

�� I would say that I love your brother very much, just as
much now as when he felt the need to run away from home. I would be sad if you
couldn�t accept me as his boyfriend, because that would hurt Quatre. But, in
reality, it wouldn�t change anything for me. Regardless of his family
situation, I love Quatre and that isn�t going to change,� Trowa put a hand on
Quatre�s shoulder and the blonde looked up at him with adoration and love.

�� Trowa�� he murmured, �I love you, too. Even if my entire
family hates you, and me for loving you, I will always choose you over them, even if it
costs my sisters and father, and my inheritance. I want to be your boyfriend, you gave me strength to stand up for myself.
That�s more important to me than �being a good son�. Because
of you� I finally feel proud of myself. I�m not just the Winner Heir, I�m someone who believes in his life, and his
feelings.�

�� Iria ruffled her little brother�s golden hair, which Quatre
bore with an annoyed expression.

�� Well said,� she said with respect, �And you�re right. I
would have helped Quatre whether or not I approved of his choices, because I
knew that the best thing for him was to leave. However, I�m willing to accept
him for who he is. That�s why I agreed to come here. I wanted to see if Quatre
was really happy, if his choices are the right ones, if Father�s prejudices
were correct or not. I can�t say I disapprove of homosexuals, but this is my
baby brother, so I had to know��

�� And what have you found out?� Quatre asked, �You never said
you disapproved, I know you don�t, and can�t you see that Father is wrong? My
love for Trowa is not a sin. You have always been a great source of support for
me. Please, don�t take that away from me.�

�� Iria matched his annoyed look.

�� Of course I won�t, silly boy,� she scolded, �I came here
to meet your boyfriend and to be sure you�re being taken care of, not to force
you to sever all ties to your family. Trowa is lovely and I can tell he is in
love with you, too. I only wish I could make Father see that this is the true
path for you. It makes you happy, and right now, in your youth, that is the
most important thing. There is plenty of time to fight over the future of
Winner Enterprises when you are older.�

�� Quatre smiled gratefully at her. At this point in his life,
he wasn�t even sure that he wanted to
take over the family business. It was his duty, a position any sane person
would be chomping at the bit to have. It would give him power, wealth, and
respect. Besides, it was something he would be good at, given his intelligence
and training in business and negotiation at such a young age. These were things
that he had been told over and over again by his father, sisters, teachers, and
advisors, but they weren�t good enough reasons for him, they never had been. He
was positive he would be great at the job, but to take it would mean he would
have to adhere to the hundreds of bylaws, which stated that he had to produce
an heir, which meant he had to marry, or surrender the position to the next
male in line, which was no one. Trowa would either be forbidden to be near him
or treated like his concubine. Even if he rewrote the laws his ancestors had
written, Trowa would still be hated by his family and employees. He didn�t want
to live that way and he especially didn�t want Trowa to live like that. But, if
he didn�t take up after his father, who else could? Still, his father was
healthy and cautious, it was like his sister said he
had a good long while before he had to worry about it.

�� Thank you, Iria, for accepting my choices,� he said. Trowa
nodded his agreement.

�� It means a lot to Quatre, so it means a lot to me,� the
Italian said.

�� Name watched all of this with a soft smile. She was glad
that Quatre had at least someone from his family to talk to. When she had met
the woman on her doorstep, she had worried about the sort of turmoil she would
cause, but it seemed like she had had nothing to worry about. Name knew the
doubts that Quatre had about controlling Winner Enterprises. She had never
agreed with his father�s personal ideals and practices, even though their
companies had contracts together. She was just glad that her own company had no
such rules about who should lead it. Traditionally, it had always been, until
her, the oldest male child, but ultimately, it was the current owner�s
decision. Secretly, Name had always hoped that Heero would decide to decline.
She loved her son and she knew that he would be miserable at the job. With his
temper and quick to impatience, he was ill-suited to negotiations and meetings.
At least Quatre was good at it. Besides, now that Duo was a part of the family,
she hoped that Heero would decide a less stressful future, and a less time
consuming one.

�� Name finally noticed Fai standing next to Wufei, watching
all of this with curiosity and anxiety. She walked up to him, gaining his
attention and stretched out her hand to shake his.

�� You must be Fai. It�s a pleasure to meet you. I�m Name
Yuy, but please just call me Name. The only people who call me Mrs. Yuy are the
people I do business with and people I don�t like. I don�t think I�m going to
dislike you,� she said cheerfully. Fai stared at her with wide eyes, unable to
believe the powerful woman was being so� casual with him.

�� It�s a pleasure,� he said hesitantly. The Head of Yuy
Corporation was being nicer to him than his own mother had ever been. Name�s
black eyes fell on Wufei and he felt a chill go down his spine.

�� Mrs. Yuy,� he murmured. She had made it abundantly clear
the last time they had spoken that she certainly didn�t like him. She smirked
at him.

�� Wufei, I chewed you out once, there�s no need for me to do
it a second time unless you�re too stubborn or too stupid to learn from your
mistakes. Are you?� she asked in a piercing tone. Wufei shook his head quickly.

�� I didn�t think so. According to Heero and Duo, you�ve
changed considerably and have been a good friend to them. So, I see no reason
for us to be cold to each other. Do you understand?� she said, giving him an
amused look.

�� She meant what she said. Name didn�t regret what she had
said to him in the hospital, though she knew that she had been harsh to the
boy. What he had said to Duo, during a very bad point in Duo�s life, had been
much worse. However, Duo had confessed that Wufei had profusely apologized to
him for it several times and he had forgiven him, so why should she still hold
a grudge? Duo didn�t often get angry, or want revenge, but he also didn�t
forgive someone unless he was being completely sincere in his forgiveness.

�� Yes, Name,� Wufei replied, feeling weird about calling her
by her first name. He felt like he was disrespecting someone that definitely
deserved to be respected. It seemed so backwards, he had been taught that
calling someone, especially an adult, by their first name was shameful, but she
had told him to call her �Name�, so wouldn�t he be disrespecting her by calling
her by her surname?

�� Good,� as Name turned to Duo, Wufei and Fai were shocked
at how soft and affectionate her tone became, �Duo, honey, why don�t you show
Iria to the kittens so she can be on her way? We�re going to have a turkey pot
pie today since it�s a bit cold out still. I�ve already made the crust and some
of the gravy, but you can help me with the rest when you�re done so we can eat
soon.�

�� Duo nodded eagerly.

�� Okay,� he said brightly, leading them all down the hall.
Name ruffled his hair in passing as she went into the kitchen, but Wufei
realized that Duo wasn�t annoyed by it, it actually seemed to make him happier.

�� She really is Duo�s
mother,� Wufei thought in shock. He knew that Duo respected Name a great deal
for taking him in, but the violet-eyed boy actually loved her, and even more shocking, Name loved him, too. Iria seemed
to see it, too, and watched Duo with a mix of fondness and amusement as they
went into Name�s room.

�� Oh, they�re darling!� she exclaimed as she kneeled down by
the basket. Patches seemed irritated by the constant flow of strangers, but
when she saw Duo amongst them, she settled down, realizing that they were safe.
Duo stopped walking towards the cats as he felt Wufei tug on his shirt.

�� I�ve been meaning to ask,� Wufei whispered so no one else
could hear, �Can I keep one of the kittens?� he asked shyly, blushing. Duo gave
him a knowing smile. He had seen the way his friend had looked at Fai earlier,
when he had been playing with the calico. He knew exactly which kitten Wufei wanted and his heart warmed at the sweet
gesture. This was what he wanted, someone who cared about him enough to catch
little things, like Fai�s affection for the kitten. It was such a small thing,
a small moment, but Wufei had picked up on it immediately. He nodded to him and
Wufei relaxed.

�� Are there only four?� Iria asked, �Quatre mentioned
seven.�

�� Fai opened his mouth to mention the kitten he had left
upstairs, though he, selfishly, didn�t want to, but Duo interrupted him.

�� We found homes for three of them, so it�s just the four,�
Duo told her. Fai looked at him in confusion.

�� You know someone who will take good care of them, right?�
Duo asked nervously.

�� Don�t worry,� the tall blonde assured him, �I� can�t have
any children, nor do I wish to marry just for the company. However, my place is
large, I have the money to take care of all of them, and I love cats. I�m
lonely all alone in my home and I�m sure I can take care of only the four.�

�� Duo let go of his fears that the babies might be abandoned,
neglected, or abused. Iria seemed so nice and she was eager to take them.
Besides, Quatre vouched for her and he trusted Quatre. He kneeled down to
stroke Patches� ears.

�� I�m sorry, Patches, but you�re going to have to say
goodbye to them and it looks like you�ll be sleeping in my room again. There�s
no need to separate you from the other cats anymore,� Duo said mournfully.
Originally, they had decided to put Patches and the kittens in Name�s room to
give her space and to keep the other cats from attacking the kittens. However,
Patches would be lonely now and Duo missed her.

�� Patches seemed completely unconcerned by all of this and
simply jumped into Duo�s lap, purring loudly. With Iria petting any kitten that
got within range of her fingers, the kittens didn�t seem to care, either, not
even crying for their mother. At this stage of their development, the kittens
could survive on bottled milk and solid food, they
only really needed attention and play, which they got from each other, so they
really didn�t need their mother anymore.

�� Iria carefully picked up the basket and walked out of the
room, patiently listening to Duo tell her what food they liked and their
different personalities. His concern for the kittens was quite endearing, Iria
thought. He was a lot like Quatre, kind and a worry-wart, she could see how
they got along so well.

�� Bye, Name,� she called as she went past the kitchen. Name, busy chopping carrots and cooking peas, waved at her.
Quatre hugged his sister when they got to the door, awkwardly trying not to
disturb the basket filled with kittens and toys. Iria vowed to buy them some
carriers and blankets before she caught her flight.

�� I wish you could stay longer,� Quatre said sadly.

�� I know,� she said, hugging him with her free arm, �I�ll
try to see you soon.� ��

�� She said her goodbyes to the other boys and left. Trowa
hugged Quatre from behind, feeling his lover�s tension.

�� You can call her when she lands and you�ll see her again,�
Trowa tried to assure him. Quatre nodded half-heartedly.

�� Can you take her?� Duo handed Patches to Quatre, hoping
that she could cheer the blonde up as he ran to the kitchen to help with
dinner. Patches curled up against the short boy�s chest, making Quatre smile
down at her.

�� I�ll put her upstairs, why don�t you help Duo?� he asked
Trowa. Trowa and Heero left them and Wufei, Fai, and Quatre went back to Duo�s
room.

�� Quatre let Patches down and Shiva immediately ran over to her
sister. Quatre and Fai smiled as the two cats rubbed their heads against each
other in greeting. Wufei saw the calico kitten curled up with Sammy on Duo�s
pillows and picked her up, presenting her to Fai, who was watching him with
confusion and surprise.

�� Happy anniversary,� Wufei said with a deep blush. Quatre
was torn between not wanting to make any noises and leaving to give them some
privacy. Fai took the kitten from him with shaky hands, cuddling her to his
chest, overwhelmed with emotion.

�� Fei,� he whispered.

�� I know,� Wufei said sheepishly, �Our two year anniversary
isn�t for three more weeks, but you�ll be in China. I wanted to give you
something special, but I don�t have any money and I know you like cats and
plants more than jewelry� I know you are still mad at me, but I didn�t want you
to leave without some sort of reminder of how much I love you-,�

�� Fai silenced his lover�s ramblings with a passionate kiss.
Quatre quickly looked away. The kitten looked back and forth between the two
boys, mewing in confusion.

�� Hush,� Fai ordered when they parted, �I know how much you
love me, just because you�ve stuck by me for two years, and I love my present.
I just wish I had a present for you��

�� That you�ve decided not to break up with me after what I
did is enough,� Wufei mused. Quatre discreetly snuck out the door, blushing.
Did he and Trowa look like that so close and brimming with love? At least,
since they were in Duo�s room, they wouldn�t do anything�

�� Sure enough, as Quatre got to the kitchen, he heard the two
of them come down the stairs after them. The pie was already in the oven and
Duo was looking after the peas, which were his favorite vegetables.

�� Fai, are there any vegetables you like?� Name asked as
Trowa and Heero finished setting the table.

�� Anything you make, I�ll eat,� he told her.

�� Well, we have peas and carrots, plus the pie, mashed
potatoes, and homemade rolls. We also have milk, water, soda, or tea. I think
you�d want the green tea, unless I�m mistaken,� she asked.

�� Fai nodded eagerly.

�� It�s not� store bought, is it?� he asked suspiciously.
Name chuckled.

�� No. I hate American tea. This is made from leaves I
brought from Japan,�
she told him, �American tea, at least the store stuff, is little more than
tea-flavored juice. I�ll pour you, Quatre, and Wufei some. I know Duo, Trowa,
and Heero will want milk.�

�� Fai sighed in relief. Finally, real tea! By the time all the drinks had been poured, the pie was
ready and Name filled all their plates. Name gave Duo an odd look, which Fai struggled
to decipher. Duo nodded and Name gave him more than the others, though Fai
couldn�t figure out why. He greatly preferred this sort of meal to the take out
they had had yesterday. Everything was homemade, looking, smelling, and tasting
delicious. Even though he had never had turkey pot pie before, he liked it a
lot more than the pizza.

�� Your father called me yesterday,�� Name told Wufei as they
ate, �He told me about your and Fai�s situation.�

�� Wufei groaned in embarrassment. His parents were just as
stubborn as he was, unable to accept anything, but to call Name about it.

�� Don�t be angry at him,� she soothed, �He just wants to see
the two of you happy. Now, let me work this out. You have two problems. The two
of you want to hear from each other and see each other more often, but Fai�s
father doesn�t want him to have anything to do with Wufei. So, in order to
solve these problems, Fai needs to find a way to get away from his father, or
at least hide his actions, and he needs money to pay for plane tickets, is that
right?�

�� Wufei and Fai nodded.

�� It�s hard enough to hide from my father,� Fai admitted,
�The only time I can do that is when I�m working or he�s working. I work in
meat and packing plants, so I can�t get away to call �Fei, even if I had access
t a phone, which I don�t. We are not allowed to use the phones, especially not
long distance, and I have no money for a cell phone. I had to wait for time off
during my father�s working hours just to come here, but now I will be in
trouble for it. It will be hard to get away again and getting enough money to
come here is hard.�

�� It�s probably premature, but I think I have a viable
solution,� Name offered. Fai and Wufei stared at her, Duo smiling and Heero
snorted, both thinking the same thing, that Name was incredible with finding
solutions. She had solved so many of Duo�s problems,
she just seemed to have a gift for it.

�� How?� Wufei demanded eagerly. He
would do anything to communicate with Fai, to see him more often.

�� You can get a job at National Star Shipping. I know your
town has a plant there. My company owns them and I�m friends with the owner.
You can write Wufei letters and give them to the manager. They also pay very
well and I can pay for the rest. Your father will just think you�ve gotten another
job. As long as you pay for the ticket yourself and go when he�s working,
there�s little he can do to stop you. If he makes too much trouble for you,
just tell the manager and he�ll help you. He owes me.�

�� But� why would you do so much to help us?� Fai whispered,
tears in his eyes. Underneath the table, his hand gripped Wufei�s.

�� It isn�t so much,� Name said kindly, �It is simply
something I can do to help. Yuy Corporation makes the airplanes that both America and China uses, so getting tickets are
easy. If something so small makes you happy, if I didn�t try, I wouldn�t be a
very nice person, would I?�

�� A few tears escaped Fai�s amber eyes.

�� See? I told you she�s a good person,� Duo whispered to
him. Wufei stood and bowed to Name.

�� Thank you,� he said sincerely, �I�ve hurt someone you
love, but you�re still so kind to me��

�� Sit down, Wufei,� Name said softly, looking fondly at Duo,
�I helped Duo because he needed me and he was in trouble. In turn, he�s shown
me how important these little things are, that even though it isn�t a huge
thing for me, I can make a world of difference.�

�� Duo blushed at her words. He had really made her realize
such a thing?

�� I�ll never be able to repay her, any of them,� Fai
realized, digging into his meal to hide his blush. Suddenly, Duo�s expression
lightened, an idea coming to him.

�� Hey, maybe when you�re old enough, you can get a green
card and get a place with Wufei,� Duo told Fai, �You�re smart and your English
is great, so it should be easy for you. You guys don�t care where you live as
long as you�re together, right? America
isn�t perfect, but you two probably have more freedom here. You could start
fresh here, or somewhere else where no one could hate you for your
relationship, though it�s easier to immigrate here��

�� Fai beamed at Duo.

�� I would love to live here, to be with �Fei and all of
you�� he exclaimed.

�� Even if you had to leave your family
behind?� Quatre asked, thinking of his own situation. Fai nodded sadly.

�� I�m the youngest of four boys,� he told them, �My family
is lower class and we do not have much money, so I am more a burden than
anything else for my parents. My father is strict. He hates that I am smaller
than my brothers, that I am more interested in reading and gardening than
construction, sports, or marrying into a wealthy family. My mother calls me
stupid and foolish because I am not strong willed and ambitious like my
brothers. My brothers bully me because I am not physically strong and I choose
to wear my hair long, because I look too feminine to them. My father keeps me
from seeing Wufei, not because he cares for me, but because he�s ashamed of me.
Maybe I will miss them, but not nearly as much as I miss Wufei. He and his
family have treated me better than my own family ever has.�

�� Everyone looked at him sadly. None of them had ever been
treated like that by a family member. The only one that came close was Trowa�s
uncle raping him. Heero had been treated coldly by his Uncle Mizu, but he saw
him so rarely, it didn�t really matter to him. As Name�s only child, he had
been doted on by grandparents on both sides, and especially his parents. Wes,
though the only authoritative person in Duo�s childhood, no one but Duo would ever consider his father.

�� Trowa, despite being abused by his uncle and having no
parents, I was greatly loved by Catherine, his older sister. After witnessing
the death of their parents, Catherine had become overprotective of Trowa, not
wanting to lose what tiny family she had left. They had been poor, living out
of a circus trailer, but Catherine had tried to give her baby brother
everything he needed. After getting him back from their uncle and finding out
what had happened to him, she had become even more protective to the point that
Quatre had had a hard time proving his intentions to her.

�� Quatre had come fairly close to neglect in his childhood,
but it hadn�t been because his family hadn�t liked him. With his father
constantly busy and most of his sisters old enough to work for him, Quatre had
been looked after by maids and teachers and had hardly ever seen his sisters or
father. Truly, he had grown up lonely. But, he thought that they all had, in
their own way, been alienated from normalcy. Wufei from his culture, Trowa from
kids his age, and, maybe, even his own sexuality until he had met Quatre,
Quatre from his family, Heero from the entire normal
world and, eventually, alienated from a father�s presence. Duo� Duo had been
alienated from people, from communication and affection, from all the good
things Quatre could think of.

�� They finished their meal in silence, thinking of their
childhoods and the trials they had faced or, in Duo�s case, trying not to think of those things. As they
cleared the table, Duo approached Fai.

�� If you�re serious about getting a green card, there are
some books you can borrow,� Duo suggested, �if not,
there�s still some books I have that I think you�d be interested in.�

�� Alright,� Fai smiled at him, �I�d love to.�

�� I have to feed my kitten anyway,� Duo said, already
getting out Shei�s milk and food.

�� Kitten?� Fai asked. He hadn�t
seen a kitten when they had been upstairs.

�� I decided to keep one of Patches� kittens, but Shei is a�
special case,� Duo told him.

�� I�d like to meet her,� Fai said eagerly.

�� They went back to Duo�s room, Duo placing the two bowls on
the floor and he knelt to look under his bed.

�� She was the runt of the litter, so until she can defend
herself, I have to feed her separately or the adult cats will eat her food.
She�s outgoing, but she also likes to hide in dark places,� Duo made a small
whistling noise, �C�mon, Shei, dinner time!� he called.

�� A tiny black kitten darted out from under the bed and dove
into Duo�s hand, mewing loudly. Wufei and Fai were both shocked at the gangly,
limping creature, though her black fur looked well maintained.

�� Good girl,� Duo praised her, gently placing her in front
of the bowls. The kitten eagerly dug into her meal, a day of play stalking
under the human�s bed making her hungry. Duo, after making sure that Shei was
eating, he went to the bookcase and took out a few books.

�� Your English is already impeccable,� Duo said to Fai, �but
I have some books on English grammar you might like.�

�� Fai took the books from him.

�� But why do you have these?� the amber-eyed boy asked.

�� I grew up with little education,� Duo explained, �I had to
teach myself most of what I know, including proper English, instead of slang,
so there�re things I�ve missed because I never had books teaching me how to do
those things. You can give them back to me when you visit again,� Duo said
slyly. Fai bit back a smirk at Duo�s poor insinuation that he hoped Fai would
be back.

�� I�m sure you�ll be back soon,� Duo murmured, almost to
himself. Fai silently agreed with him. The only thing keeping him from coming
back was money, otherwise, he would come every month,
every week.

�� Wufei kept his eye on the tiny kitten, watching her weak
leg and moon-colored eye.

�� What�s wrong with her?� he suddenly asked.

�� Her leg muscles were underdeveloped, but all her playing,
plus the medicine we give her, is strengthening it. We all thought her eye was
blind, but it turns out she has a pigment mutation similar to mine, so, it�s
just a different color. Her vet says that she should be much healthier when she
hits four to five months,� Duo explained, feeling proud at Shei�s improvement.

�� But� why?� Wufei asked in confusion, �You had your pick of
six healthy kittens, why would you pick the smallest and weakest of all of
them?�

�� Duo�s expression turned cold and haunted.

�� It isn�t about the �best� kitten, it�s about which one
needed me the most,� he said flatly, almost bitterly. Wufei shook his head.

�� I still don�t get why you would put your hopes in an
animal that might die before it even
becomes an adult! They�re all babies, so they all need you��

�� Duo looked pained by Wufei�s words and Fai wanted to smack
his boyfriend for his ignorance. Didn�t he get that Duo saw himself in the
kitten? Duo clearly felt like everyone had given up on him, because he was
different, before he had gotten the chance to even live, and that abandonment had hurt him a great deal, so how could
he possibly allow for the kitten to go wanting for affection like he had? If he
really felt that way, it was no wonder why Duo loved Name so much, the one
person who had given him a chance. Fai put a hand on Duo�s arm.

�� I get it,� Fai told Duo, �No one gets left behind.�

�� Duo�s deep violet eyes widened and pain struck at his
heart. No one gets left behind� he had been left behind his entire life. No one
cared, no one loved him. Abandoned, neglected, unloved� and yet, Name and Heero
had understood, they had seen him,
and now this boy, who he had only known for a few days, had gotten it, too. He
hugged the other longhaired boy, startling Fai, but Fai seemed to understand
this affection and gratitude, too, and hugged him back.

�� I�m glad �Fei has you for a boyfriend,� Duo murmured, �and
I�m glad that I had the opportunity to meet you and be your friend. You�re good
for him and I don�t care what your parents say, you�re nice and kind and smart,
that matters more than ambition or obedience.�

�� Fai was shocked by Duo�s words. Having lived most of his
life with little or no friends at all, he understood what Duo was trying to say
to him. Duo, like Fai, had never had many friends. In fact, he often looked at
the small group of boys with wonder, making Fai consider that they might be
Duo�s first, real friends. Duo was saying that though friendship was rare to
him, he considered his companionship with Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, and Heero
special, not because he was lonely, but because they were people he respected.
Maybe that was one of the reasons why Duo had so few friends, because he
couldn�t be so close to anyone unless he trusted them and found them to be good
people. But� Duo had just said that they were friends�

Fai
was nothing special, he had always known that about
himself. It still shocked him that Wufei had found things in him to love when
he couldn�t see anything at all. It was easy to understand Duo, though the
violet-eyed boy had seemed impressed with it. Even without Wufei telling him
so, and knowing everything about Duo�s past, Fai knew that the two of them were
similar. They had both come from poor families and backgrounds, had lived
isolated childhoods, and were still terribly lonely because of it. But, Duo was
saying that it was more than that, he had called him kind. Such praise was alien to him, like friendship itself, and he
found himself struggling to understand it, why someone like Duo could possibly
want him for a friend.

�Are�
are we really friends?� he asked in a small voice. Duo let go of him, looking
him in the eye.

�Of
course you are!� Quatre scolded before Duo could say anything, �It�s like Duo
said. Sure, you�re Wufei�s boyfriend, so it would be awkward for us to not like
you, but you�re easy to get along with. You�re a good person,
you�re certainly good for Wufei, so why wouldn�t we consider you a friend?�

�I�m
not-,� Fai started to protest.

�You�re
wonderful,� Wufei corrected, �You think that I love you just because you�re
pretty and were available at the time? You know I�m not like that!�

Quatre
and Trowa pointedly looked at Duo with smirks of irony.

�� That was different!� Wufei snapped at
them, �Duo�s definitely right,� he told Fai, �You�re smart. You got why Duo was
upset long before I did and you barely know him. It�s no wonder why everyone
says you�re good for me. This isn�t the first time I�ve said something
insensitive and hurt him, but you know exactly what to say, you understood him.
You know that I�m stubborn and have a temper, but you�re so kind and mellow,
you even me out. You�re so patient with me� how could I not love you?�

�� You�re welcome back here,� Heero spoke
up in agreement, �Even if you aren�t with Wufei anymore, you�re still our
friend, so you�ll have a place here.�

�� T-thank you,� Fai stammered. Wufei
nudged him.

�� It�s getting late,� he pointed out.
Fai nodded and bowed to Heero, who blushed at the formal show of thanks.

�� Thank you for your hospitality� and
your friendship,� Fai said.

�� It�s no big deal,� Heero said in
embarrassment. The only other person who had thanked him so sincerely� was Duo.
He had been bowed at before, but because he was a Yuy, not because he was
friends with someone.

�� Do you two need a ride back home?� he
asked.

�� I�ll just call my parents when we go
outside. They both should be back from work by now,� Wufei told him. Fai picked
up his kitten, who had jumped from the bed where Fai
had put her when she had seen Shei and the two of them were currently,
playfully wrestling with each other.

�� Tomorrow is the start of the weekend,
isn�t it?� Fai asked shyly. Back home, they had classes Saturday, but Wufei had
told him that Friday, after classes were over, was considered the start of the
weekend in America and he didn�t have any school on Saturday and Sunday.

�� Yes,� Quatre said with a grin, �and
only Duo has plans.�

�� I have to work tomorrow, Saturday, and
Sunday night,� the American said. His words sounded like they would be spoken
with a groan, but Fai noted that he actually sounded happy about working. He
wondered where the other boy worked, since all of Fai�s jobs were nothing to be
happy about. He kept miserable hours in places that often were very cold or
very hot and felt very stressful.

�� We can go to the movies Saturday
before Duo goes to work,� Wufei suggested to Fai, who seemed excited by the
idea of going to an American movie theater. Sure, they had a small one back
home, but he never had the money to go and the best movies came from America,
so he wanted to see what it was like.

�� But you�re going back Monday morning,
right?� Duo asked, �I don�t want to eat into your time with Wufei.�

�� It�s fine,�
Fai assured him, �I want to see more of the town while I can and I can spend
the evenings with Wufei.�

�� I�ll look up movies tonight,� Trowa
told them, �And Wufei and you can decide tomorrow.�

�� Plans made, the two Chinese boys said
their goodbyes to the boys and Heero�s mother, who wrote down the name of the
NSS plant and the owner�s name for Fai. Outside, though Name had been right
that the air was a little chilly, the beginning of spring air was vastly
different from the winter they had just gotten through having. To Wufei, who
disliked the cold, it was a relief. It was March and he wondered what spring in
Maine would
be like. According to Duo, it was beautiful, but the weather got hot very
quickly and summers were hell with tourists. He had warned him that their town
got their fair share. While they didn�t have a beach, they were still very
close to one and they got a lot of business because of the parks and forests.

�� Wufei quickly called his parents and
reveled in the cool air of the evening, the street which the Yuy�s lived was
quiet, the street lamps shining softly, giving him a great view of the stars in
the cloudless sky above them. Next to him as they stood in the Yuy�s driveway,
Fai was smiling, lost in his own thoughts. He now had five friends. That number seemed so huge to him, and unbelievable.
Wufei was the only person in his life that he could ever call his friend and
now, because of him, he had so many! He couldn�t help but feel incredibly happy
about that, and Heero had said that he was always welcome in his home, him, not
just �Wufei�s boyfriend�.

�� Do you think that they were telling me
the truth?� he asked his lover, �Am I really their friend, with or without
you?�

�� Wufei smiled at him.

�� You can trust Duo. You can especially
trust Heero, since he seldom speaks about stuff like that lately. He seldom
speaks at all lately, actually. Hopefully� well, you can trust both of them. If
they say that you�re their friend, then you are. I think all of us are hesitant
about making friends. Until Heero met Duo, he only had Quatre and Trowa. It�s
odd, but Duo seems kind of like a magnet when you look at us as a group. He met
Heero, who brought Trowa and Quatre in as friends. I�m still not sure exactly
why they let me be friends with them, but Duo was the one who caught my
attention to begin with. For someone who acts so shy and closed off most of the
time, Duo�s actually quite good at making and keeping friends. Anyone who can
befriend Yuy so quickly and strongly without getting sniped at has to be good
at it,� Wufei mused.

�� He supposed that that wasn�t a very
fair assessment on both accounts. He knew that Heero had been the one to make
the first step towards Duo, but Trowa and Quatre weren�t the type to be friends
with him just because Heero was. Heero had only become so� emotional over the
last few weeks, after that damned trip, but there had always been an edge to
him, a quickness to anger that only Duo or his mother had been able to quell.
So, he supposed that maybe it was fair to assume Duo had to be something
special to get Heero to be so connected to him.

�� Fai looked up at the sky. He wondered
if the sky was so clear back home. Probably not. When
he had left, it had been raining for days, not to mention freezing. According
to Duo, who had experience with these things after spending his entire life in
this town, it was going to be sweltering hot tomorrow. He had said he could
�feel it in my bones� and didn�t need a forecast to tell him otherwise. Fai
wondered at how anyone could predict the weather in such a way, but took his
word for it. His smile grew, thinking of Duo and the others, but his smile
quickly faded into a more morose look. He really, really wasn�t looking forward
to Monday. He didn�t want to leave. That had been the truth the second he had
arrived here, but that feeling of desperation and hopelessness was even
stronger now. He had so much to look forward to, not just seeing Wufei, but the
fact that he had friends here, too. If he had the courage, he would have asked Wufei�s
parents if he could stay here forever. What was waiting for him in China
besides more loneliness and people who simply didn�t care about him? But he
couldn�t ask them for such a thing, and if he did, he would still be an illegal
immigrant.

�� Fai shook his head at himself. Down the
street, Wufei recognized his parents� car pulling up. Fai resolved that he
would keep Monday out of his mind, as though such a concept as the end to a
weekend couldn�t possibly exist, it was just a nightmare, a figment of his
imagination. He wanted to enjoy what time he had left.

*****

�� As he opened his eyes, waking from a
muffled sleep, Duo groaned. He hated being right sometimes. Well, most of the
time, since his opinions were mostly pessimistic in nature. It was Friday night
and his prediction that it would be hot out had turned out right. It was only
the middle of March, but it had reached 89 degrees today, which meant that this
summer was going to be long and torturous. Just his luck.
He hated summer, always had, even as a child. He had a very low tolerance for
heat and had a hard time sleeping in it. He was actually looking forward to
tomorrow because the day would be spent in a cold movie theater and the night,
at work, which was also cool, especially out back.

�� Duo nearly jolted out of bed at a loud
whirring sound that he couldn�t quite place. Suddenly, the temperature in his
room dropped several degrees and he blinked in the near darkness. What the hell
was that? He sat up and looked around, trying to place
where the coolness was coming from, but he didn�t have any fans. He had come in
late tonight from work and hadn�t had the chance to ask Name if she had any he
could borrow. Though he hated the heat, he was used to it. Wes� apartment had
been small and since their next door neighbor had been a poorly ventilated
Chinese restaurant, they had gotten most of the heat from their kitchen, making
the place absolutely unbearable in the summer. It had actually been cooler
outside at times, in the sun, instead of in the apartment. They had only had
one fan, too, which Wes had put in his bedroom or the kitchen. They had,
obviously, been too poor to afford what all the other houses had and Wes was
far too cheap to buy� air conditioning. That�s what this was. Name had put on
the air conditioning!

�� He lied back down and closed his eyes
in bliss. So this was what air conditioning was? It was really, really nice. He
could get used to this, he thought happily. He wondered what other secrets this
house had. Of course, he knew that he shouldn�t be so excited about it. Almost
all houses now had air conditioning, but he had never experienced for his own
home before. If they kept it on during the summer, Duo thought that he wouldn�t
hate the season so much. In the past, the heat had only been a part of it.
Summer back then had meant no school, which meant he had to whore himself all
the time. During that time� he felt like he was in an endless loop of
blackness, taking just one job after another, no rest besides his restless
sleep. Those times had been unbearable for him and he had quickly learned to
hate summer like he hated every vacation that normal kids his age looked
forward to.

�� But� he didn�t have to go through that
this year. He didn�t have to go through it ever again, for the rest of his
life, if he even dared to think of something so scary
as the future. The concept that he never had to let some stranger have sex with
him ever again was still something that he had a hard time wrapping his head
around. He had been living with the Yuy�s for months now, and he still couldn�t
accept that things were so much better. He knew that, of course, but he had
been living in fear and depression for so long, he had a hard time shaking off
those dark feelings. He wrapped his star-covered blanket around himself
tightly. He didn�t want to think of these things, he was still trying so hard
not to think of them because they hurt, they would probably always hurt. He
wanted to solidly separate himself from his past forever, never wanting to
admit that that scared little boy who had let himself be whored out, abused,
and neglected for so long had been him. But� he couldn�t escape the truth that
he was, now and forever, that person.

�� Duo closed his eyes tightly, as though
he could block out such thoughts that way. Heero� he had fought so hard to keep
him, but the other boy was slipping away from him. When Heero had found out
about him and Zechs, and he had run away from school because of it, he would
have given anything, anything at all, just to be friends with him again. Was he
really letting Chris take that away from him? Hadn�t he found Heero again, and
weren�t things good in his life for once? So why did something like this have
to happen? Why couldn�t he ever be happy? Was it really a case that his past
wouldn�t let him go, that people like Relena, Zechs, Wes, and Chris would never
leave him alone? Or was Wufei right, was he really his own worst enemy, too
afraid of happiness to reach for it? Was he so scared of his guilt and the
possibility that he could possibly get what he wanted that he was pushing Heero
away when he could just apologize and mend things between them? That wouldn�t
make Heero safe again, but no matter what he did, he couldn�t make Heero safe,
so what was the point of avoiding him?

�� It hurt too much. He and Heero had been
so close� they still were, really. He couldn�t destroy that feeling of
dependency and closeness just because they weren�t talking to each other. Was
Heero even really mad at him, or were his problems only in his head? Heero had
been his entire world not too long ago. He had been his dreams, his strength�
he had been there for him in the hospital, when he had been trying so hard to
recover his mind and his body. He had always been there for him, no matter how
stupid and stubborn Duo had been. Even if Heero was pissed at him, shouldn�t he
still try to make things right? He didn�t want to let go. He wanted to be free,
to dream for the first time in his life.

�� He didn�t want Wes to win�

�� And yet, time and time again, his
past had found him. Hadn�t that been what Chris had told him when he had
kidnapped him? He couldn�t escape his past, no matter how hard and how deep he
buried it, it always came rising to the surface. Even now, he hated Wes so
much� yet he didn�t. He loved him because he had been with him for so long,
they were just so entangled with each other� yet he couldn�t stand the man for
what he had done to him. He had chained him up in the dark, had turned him into
something less than human and he was still chasing after that humanity, just
starting to win it back again. So� why did it have to be this way? Why did he
have to keep forcing himself not to think of the bastard?

End
Part 18
- 23
- 24
- 25
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The Road to Kindness