Born Again

AUTHOR’S
NOTE: Look now towards the heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number
them, so shall the pages of this chapter be... ^^;;;;

style='font-:10.:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>BORN
AGAIN

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>CHAPTER
SIX-

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana'>LIGHT
OF MY LIFE

*   *   *

Tall and endless mountain
ridges covered with snow were the only thing you could see from the top of
Hermon Mountain. Fir
trees loaded with snow covered the steep mountain surface, the landscape
glowing in pure and endless white, reflecting the soft rays of sunshine that
filtered through the clouds. At the top of the mountain was a huge ski
reservation, surrounded by old country style buildings, the largest of them
being a large and wealthy hotel. The architecture was clearly old 19^th
century design, the structure made of rich and thick wood, large windows
decorated for the holidays.

This hotel was well known for hosting society’s higher
class. Rich men and politicians were all regular visitors to this site. Many
VIPs- from movie actors to world leaders- were currently staying at the famous
Mt. Hermon Hotel. And so, it was a very peculiar sight when an old AC 189 Dodge
made its way up the twisting road that led to the hotel. The car stood out when
it parked next to all the fancy shmanzy vehicles around, but its owner didn’t
seem to mind much as he exited the car with a smile, closing his eyes and
inhaling the crisp mountain air.

Duo smiled to himself and opened his eyes. He stretched
his limbs a little, looking around with shining violet eyes. “Ain’t it great?
Just look at this place!” He called happily, still looking left and right.
“Sure worth a whole day of boring driving, eh, Heero?” He looked back towards
the car, and then frowned. “Heero?” He leaned down to look into the car, and
then frowned again. “Heero, why are you still in there? C’mon, get out. You
gotta check this place out!”

In the passenger seat, Heero sighed and bowed his head. He
was sitting with his hands on his lap, his shoulders slumped and his features
wary.

“Heero? What’s wrong?” Duo asked in concern, climbing back
into the car. He closed the door behind him and then turned to look at his
friend. “Is everything all right?” He asked worriedly, placing a gentle hand on
Heero’s shoulder. “Do you feel sick? I told you not to eat so many snacks...
and the road was all winding... are you okay?”

“...no.” Heero answered quietly, his head still bowed, his
blue eyes looking down at his fidgeting hands.

“No? Why? What’s wrong?” Duo hurried to ask, his face
paling and his eyes extremely worried. “Do you need anything? Should I call a
doctor? Wha-what’s wrong, Hee-chan?!”

Heero sighed and pulled away from Duo’s grasp on his
shoulder. He looked down at his hands for a few moments, before taking a deep
breath. “I want to go back home.” He mumbled, turning to look up at Duo, his
cobalt eyes shimmering with uncertainty. “I changed my mind. I don’t want to
come.”

Now realizing what this was all about, Duo relaxed and
sunk back into his seat. He looked up at Heero, his gaze compassionate. “Heero,
we discussed this five times already. You said that you wanted to come.”

“Yeah, but... but now I don’t.” The boy let out, turning
his gaze to look out the window.

Duo chuckled. “Heero, it’s a little too late for that,
don’t you think?”

font-family:Verdana'>Heero sighed and cast his gaze down. “But... but what if
they won’t like me? What if they... what if they laugh?”

Duo sighed and closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep
breath. When he opened his eyes again, the violet orbs were both warm and
serious, as he looked up at Heero with reassurance. “Heero, no one is going to
laugh at you. I told them what happened, and they understand. Really, Heero,
they’ll just be glad to see you. They’re really looking forward to it.”

Heero sighed, casting his gaze down sadly. “They’ll think
I’m stupid.”

Silence fell over the small car as Duo struggled for
words. His eyes narrowed in pain and sympathy for his friend. For the longest
of time, he just looked at Heero, biting his lower lip in thought. At last, he
reached up a hand and cupped the boy’s chin in his palm. He gently turned his
head so they were facing eye to eye.

Taking a deep breath, Duo looked deeply into those
doubtful cobalt eyes, and smiled gently. “Heero, you’re not stupid.”

Cobalt eyes looked away sadly.

“Heero, look at me.” Duo sighed quietly and nudged Heero’s
head up, forcing the boy to look at him. “You’re not stupid.” He repeated
slowly, looking intensely into the boy’s eyes.

Heero sighed, trying to pull away from Duo’s gentle hold.
But the braided boy wouldn’t let him. He pulled the boy’s head closer, their
lips nearly touching.

Cobalt eyes widened in surprise as they were faced with a
determined violet stare.

“Say it.” Duo spoke sternly, his eyes bearing holes into
Heero.

The Japanese boy sighed for the umpteenth timestyle='color:fuchsia'> and
looked away.

“Heero...” Duo nearly growled, pulling Heero’s
closer, his hold on the boy’s chin tightening.

Violet glared at blue and blue at violet for what seemed
like three eternities. Eventually, Heero gave in sighed and pulled away,
shoulders slumped and his head bowed.

“.....I’m not stupid.”

Duo smiled, pulling away a little. “What was that, Heero?
I didn’t hear you...”

Heero frowned in irritation and rolled his eyes. His head
still bowed, his hands fidgeting, Heero spoke again, louder this time. “I’m not
stupid.”

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Duo let out teasingly. “I
thought I heard you say that you’re---”

“I’M NOT STUPID!!!!!!” Heero shouted, his head jerking up,
a burning blue fire in his eyes. He was now panting a little, glaring at Duo
for pushing him so far.

Duo grinned. “Good boy.” He complimented with a smile,
tapping lightly on Heero head. “Now lets go get the bags.”

And with that, he got out of the car.

Heero let out an exasperated breath of air and bowed his
head again. He looked down numbly at his hands, and took a deep breath. “Not
stupid...” He looked up at the rear view mirror, seeing Duo pull out their bags
out of the trunk. He sighed and turned to look out the window, at the large
hotel towering nearby. Taking a deep breath to calm his nervousness, he repeated.
“I’m not stupid... not stupid...”

But no matter how many times he said it out loud, he could
never convince himself. He always felt stupid.

“Hey, Heero, c’mon! How about some help here, huh?”

*  
*   *

The lobby, as it was to be expected of it, was quite fancy
and posh. Thick carpets covered the polished wood floor, and a huge fireplace
was located at the small lounge area across of the registration desk. The walls
were all decorated for the holidays, and a beautiful Christmas tree stood tall
and proud by a large window, over-looking the mountains. The soft chime of
bells was in the air, and a small orchestra was playing old Christmas carols to
the various people hanging around the lobby.

Duo dropped the bags down to the floor, just gaping at the
sight. Behind him, Heero stopped as well, looking around in awe. Wide and
stunned eyes drank in every bit of the warm colors and the luxurious furniture.
Even the registration desk seemed to be of pure gold, and it blended just great
with the warm red and brown colors that ruled the large hall.

“Duo!” A delighted voice called through the crowd, and the
two young men at the door looked up in the direction of the voice.

Duo’s lips lifted up in a smile, and the minute he spotted
that little blond head running past the lobby, his smile turned into a grin.
“Q-man!” He called happily, running to greet the boy with a big bear-hug.

Behind him, Heero took a few steps back, bowing his head
and trying his best to disappear in the small crowd. He looked up from behind
messy bangs, not allowing himself to lift his head up completely. He looked
silently at the short, golden haired boy Duo was now hugging, and backed away
some more. When he saw the boy hug Duo back, his aquamarine eyes shinning,
Heero swallowed and bowed his head again.

“You finally made it!” Quatre called happily, retreating
from Duo’s bear hug.

Duo chuckled, his violet eyes happy. “Yep! I sorta took
the wrong turn around Avie village, but we managed somehow...” He explained
with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.

Quatre smiled. “Only you can manage that, Duo. Didn’t you
get the map?”

“Ahh... yeah, well... about that... heh...” Duo mumbled
sheepishly, his voice trailing off. All along, a pair of shimmering cobalt eyes
watching hiom aom afar. “Are the others here yet? Sally and Chang were right
behind us, but I think I lost them somewhere around that wrong turn...”

Quatre chuckled and then nodded his head. “Yeah, they
arrived about an hour ago. The rest and I are here since yesterday.” The blond
answered kindly, and then looked around, his eyes searching the lobby. He
looked back at Duo, confused. “Is Heero here with you?”

“Oh yeah! Sure!” Duo hurried to answer, turning around to
face the door. “He’s just a little shy, that’s all.” He explained, his eyes
lighting up with joy as he spotted the Japanese boy still standing by the door,
looking very uncertain in this new, and crowded, surrounding.

“Heero!” Duo called, waving at him. When he saw the boy
turn to look at him, he gestured for him to come. He noticed Heero’s slight
hesitation before the boy picked up his small travel bag and began to slowly
advance towards the two.

Duo smiled slightly and turned back to Quatre. “He was a
little uncertain about coming to meet you guys.” He explained to his friend.
“He thinks you won’t like him cuz he’s different and all that.”

Quatre looked up at Heero’s direction, and smiled softly.
“I don’t see how that could be.” He whispered back, just as Heero came to stand
before them. Quatre smiled at him kindly. “Hello Heero.”

“Uh... h-hi.” Heero answered quietly, fidgeting in his
place. He was looking at anything BUT at Quatre, his cheeks blushed with
embarrassment.

“I’m Quatre Winner.” The blond boy introduced himself.

“I know.” The Japanese boy answered, finally looking up at
the boy. “I saw your picture.”

Quatre smiled and nodded his head. He then hugged the boy,
feeling him tense at the unexpected contact. He only hugged Heero once in his
life, at the end of the war, and even thought so much time had passed, and
Heero had been through some... changes, he still reacted the same. It made
Quatre smile as he slowly withdrew.

“It’s good to see you, Heero.” He spoke with a smile,
looking at Heero kindly.

Heero smiled shyly, slightly blushing. “H-hai. Thank you.”
He mumbled, still a little sheepish, and then suddenly he could feel Duo pat
him forcefully on the back, nearly knocking the air out of him.

“Heh, get used to it, Hee-chan!” Duo called, grinning.
“You’ll be doing a lot of these greeting stuff by tomorrow night!”

“I will?” Heero asked, his voice fearful.

“Sure! There’s lotsa people for you to meet!” Duo went on,
smiling broadly.

“That’s right. A lot of old acquaintance will be here this
weekend.” Quatre agreed, leading them to the registration desk.

“Yup! People we knew during the war... people we fought
with, that sort of stuff.” Duo continued as he handed his reservation to the
clerk.

Heero, who was following them silently, swallowed and
looked around the lobby with doubt in his eyes. “People... people I used to
know? People who know me...” He whispered quietly to himself, his blue eyes
shimmering with anxiety.

“It’s gonna be great, Hee-chan! You’ll see! Everyone will
be glad to see you again!” Duo promised as he took the keys to their suite. He
grinned, waving the key at Heero. “Plus, it’s for free! So lets go up and get
some room service!”

Quatre chuckled. “Why won’t you two get some rest and I’ll
see you down at the restaurant in a few hours?”

Duo grinned. “Sure! I can’t WAIT to see the rest of the
guys! Man, I wonder if Tro’s anti-gravity bangs got any BIGGER!”

Again the blond chuckled, shaking his head. “Heh, you’re
in for a surprise, Duo...”

Heero frowned, having a hard time keeping up with the
conversation. They were speaking so fast, he felt like he was watching a
ping-pong match! Not to mention that he had little idea about whom they were
referring to.

“... Okay! I’ll see ya tonight, Q-man! C’mon Hee-chan!”

And before Heero had a chance to protest, Duo grabbed him
by his wrist and ran towards the elevators. Having no choice but to run after
Duo, Heero swallowed again and looked around the lobby once more. He looked at
all the people around and wondered if he was supposed to recognize any of them.
There were so many people outside... so many people he didn’t know... so many
people who only knew the ‘Old Heero’...

Heero sighed and looked away.

No matter what Duo said, he still didn’t feel very happy
about coming here.

*  
*   *

“Hey, Heero, did you see my white sweater? The one with
the stupid red reindeers on it?” Duo called from his bedroom, while rummaging
through his suitcase. “Maybe I put it in your suitcase?”

“I didn’t see it, Duo-chan. I’m sorry.” Heero answered
quietly.

The two young men were now at their large suite, refreshed
after a long shower and a little rest. The suite, as the rest of the hotel, was
worthy of kings, everything in it classy and posh. There were two bedrooms,
each with its own, private bathroom. There was a huge living room with a TV the
size of a movie screen, a fireplace and a dinning table. Next to the large
living room were two glass doors that led into a large balcony, overlooking the
snowy valley. The mini bar was more like a small and fancy supermarket for two,
and heck- there was even a Jacuzzi!

Heero was currently standing in the living room, already
showered and dressed. He already unpacked his things, and placed Yoshi on the
bed, and now he was waiting for Duo to come out of his room. He busied himself
with studying this strange and new environment, tracing his fingers over the
smooth fireplace; the glass-made dinning table, and the other various artifacts
that decorated the suite. He was impressed, but he didn’t see the use in having
all these things around.

He stopped to look down at a large bouquet of flowers that
lay on the dining table. It was set inside a large basket, which was filled
with sweets and such. His eyes lighted in joy as he spotted a certain candy
bar, his favorite of all sweets in the world: a chocolate-coated granola bar.
Duo-chan usually made a face when he ate it, cuz he thought that granola was
“Aewww… yucky!”. Duo also told him that he ALWAYS liked that candy bar, and
that even back during the war, he caught him carrying such a sweet in his bag
once or twice. Heero smiled at the thought of liking something the ‘Old Heero’
liked, and he reached to take the sweet.

When he picked it up, he was surprised to see that there
was a small card tucked under it. Curious, he lifted it up.

There was only one problem, and that was that he didn’t
know how to read. Duo-chan promised to teach him soon, but they didn’t get
around to it yet. And so, sighing, Heero could do nothing but examine the neat
handwriting, musing that it looked like a girl wrote it, and not a boy. It was
too pretty for a boy to write it like that. The card also smelled nice, like
women’s perfume, and Heero wondered what it said.

“Ah! Found it!” Duo called from his bedroom, his voice
full of triumph. “No one shall escape the mighty Shinigami- bwhahahaha!!! Oh
wait, wrong sweater.”

Heero chuckled and shook his head. He looked up at the
large grandfather clock across the dinning table. He frowned as he saw that
they’d be late. They were supposed to meet a few people down at the restaurant,
but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Not that Heero cared; he would do
anything to postpone the time between now and that meeting.

Sighing, Heero eyed his treat again and went to sit on one
of the fluffy armchairs, facing the balcony. He threw himself into the soft
cushions, and turned to look in the direction of the bedrooms. He could hear
Duo still looking through his stuff, pleading the silly sweater to be found.
Deciding that he won’t have his dinner for some time, Heero unwrapped his
favorite treat, smiling to himself. He began nibbling his sweet, sinking into
deep thoughts.

Duo-chan could be so silly sometimes. It was funny most of
the time, so he forgave him for being a total baka. Moreover, he was happy to
see Duo smiling and cheerful. He was very different than the Duo-chan he
remembered from the beginning. Ever since he came back to him, Duo-chan was
much happier. He was smiling again, and he didn’t get mad a lot. Sure,
sometimes he got a little upset or angry or sad, but it was normal, because
Heero knew that he felt the same from time to time.

It’s been a year since Duo-chan rescued him from the Bad
Dark Place, and life was much better now, for both of them. They did a lot of
fun things together. Duo took time off from work and went out with Heero on all
sorts of trips. They went to museums and parks, and they went hiking and to the
beach and theme parks and EVERYTHING. Heero had a LOT of fun during those
times, not to mention that he learned a lot. No matter where Duo took him, the
braided boy always managed to teach him something in the process. Heero loved
to learn, and if he could have, he would have sat down all day and read books
and learn from them. That’s why he couldn’t wait for Duo to teach him the ABC.
He couldn’t wait to read and write like everybody  else.

Heero knew that no matter how much he had learned, he was
still different from everybody else. Duo-chan kept trying to convince him that
it was not true, and that he was NOT stupid, but it still bothered Heero when
he couldn’t understand some things. He was sure that if he knew how to read, he
could have helped Duo with the map, and then they wouldn’t have gotten lost on
the way. Or if he knew how to do all the things Duo did around the house, then
Duo wouldn’t have to work so hard for him. He felt like a nuisance at times,
and no matter what Duo said or did, the feeling didn’t change. How could it
possibly change? He was living under the shadow of a man so much greater and
different from him... how could he EVER live up to him?

The answer was, that he couldn’t. He couldn’t possibly
match up to the great war-hero everyone around here remembered. That’s why he
didn’t want to come here.

It was the third anniversary to the end of the war, a war he
helped to end. Duo told him that everyone he knew during the war will be there,
and that thought frightened him more than anything else in the world. How can
he possibly face all these people? Those people didn’t know him; they knew the
‘Old-Heero’! They knew the smart and the strong soldier Heero.

They didn’t know him. They probably didn’t want to know him.
The one who took the ‘Old-Heero’ away. The one who can do nothing but to be
stupid...

“Okay, I’m ready!” Duo’s voice called happily as the
braided boy walked into the living room. He gestured down at his sweater,
looking at Heero with a silly grin on his face. “What do ya think?”

Heero looked away from the window, turning to face Duo.

He frowned. The combination of Duo and bright/cheery
clothing was not something you saw everyday.

Heero smiled weakly, studying the sweater with slight
apprehension. “It’s, uh... nice.”

“You mean it’s stupid.” Duo muttered, frowning down at his
sweater.

Heero’s eyes widened painfully for a second and he looked
away.

“Ch! You’re right! I’ll go change it!” Duo announced,
walking back to his room. “Don’t wanna look TOO silly when I meet the gang
tonight!” He continued talking from the bedroom. “I can just SEE the look on
Wu-man’s face!”

“Yeah...” Heero mumbled and returned to nibble at his
candy bar. “Change it...” He sighed quietly, his blue eyes shimmering sadly.
“Don’t you wish that you could, Duo-chan?”

*  
*   *

About an hour later they were all seated by a large table,
at a fancy restaurant. Like the hotel itself, the restaurant was beautifully
designed like an olddir=RTL> inn.
Everything was made of thick and rich wood, and large windows over-looking the
snowy valley. It was the late evening hours, and everything was washed in pure
blue moonlight, reflecting off the snow that covered the fine fir trees. The
midnight blue skies were clear and offered a view to the beautiful sea of
stars.

Cobalt blue eyes slowly closed and looked away from the
twinkling sea of stars. With a sigh, Heero bowed his head and looked down at
his hands, which rested on his lap.

Despite the large amount of time it took Duo to get ready,
they were among the first to arrive at the restaurant. Sally, Meiran and Chang
were there, already seated, but the rest were yet to come. Heero found himself
fidgeting in his seat while they waited for Quatre and the others to arrive. To
say that he was nervous would have been an understatement. He was a fidgeting
and squirming wreck of nervous energy. Even Duo-chan wasn’t this bad
when he was nervous!

Surprisingly enough, the meeting and greetings went on
pretty well. He was quite shocked when he was suddenly pulled into a tight hug
from a girl he didn’t even know. When he flinched and shied away, the girl just
laughed in good-humor and introduced herself as Catherine Bloom, Trowa’s
sister. That’s when Heero heard Duo shriek in surprise and then start laughing
like the three stooges just walked in.

When he turned around, he could see Quatre, and next to
him, stood a taller boy, at which Duo was pointing and laughing. Heero blinked,
a little confused, because he didn’t see anything funny about the boy.
Actually, he was looking quite pissed at Duo’s behavior.

It took him a few seconds, but then he realized that the
boy was Trowa Barton. It was a little hard to tell, for Heero only saw his
picture once or twice. And in the picture, his hair was VERY different. While
in the picture he had bangs that defied gravity, now he had shoulder-length
hair that was held back in a short ponytail[i]style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>. Heero’s lips lifted up in a
small smile. He could sort of understand why Duo was laughing so hard.

Trowa, on his behalf, just ignored the laughing boy and
walked over to greet Heero with a handshake. It was fifteen minutes later when
Duo was finally capable to choke out an ‘hi Trowa!’ and then keep
laughing. 

Yet after that warm, but brief, introduction, all took
their seats around the table and the conversation began. That’s also when
everyone seemed to have forgotten about Heero’s existence. It took them about
three minutes of small talk before they launched into a full scale conversation
about the war, talking about what only they could understand. Private jokes and
codes only they knew the meaning of. They were completing each other’s
sentences, laughing before the punch line was even spoken. There was a glow in
their eyes unlike any glow Heero had ever seen before. Even though they were
talking about something as horrible as a war, it seemed like they were reliving
the best moments of their lives. Their excitement clearly showed in their
speech, and they were all talking so animatedly, their hands moving objects
only they could see.

Heero sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had
given up on smiling at jokes he failed to comprehend and he had stopped
following the highway-of-a-conversation long ago. He busied himself with
separating the different foods he had in his dish, arranging them neatly around
the edges of his plate.

Next to him, Duo burst out laughing again, nearly falling
back with his chair.

“Oh gosh! I remember that! Man! You like came busting in
there with ten charges and the guy went like ‘Don’t put it here, we need it for
the--’”

“Gundam destroyer!” Quatre finished the sentence and the
two boys burst out laughing.

Heero swallowed and bowed his head, raising his fork up in
order to squash a few veggies.

“That’s nothing.” Trowa began, leaning back in his seat
and crossing his arms over his chest. He looked up at Wufei. “Remember Gilo
One?”

Heero looked up at Wufei, seeing a small smile slowly
creep up his lips.

“How can I forget those assholes?” The Chinese man
snorted, smirking.

Trowa nodded, a sly smile on his face. “Don’t press that
button or I’ll make sure the---”

Trowa didn’t even complete the sentence, and Wufei was
already laughing so hard that he was out of breath. The rest were soon to join.

Heero sighed and turned to pick on his food, using two out
of his FOUR forks in order to shove some potatoes aside.

“Ha!” Duo choked out, nearly punching the table. “And who
was the genius who decided that floating lattés is a good distraction?!”

Heero returned to forcefully squash his food, his fork
descending down mercilessly.

Quatre chuckled, wiping a tear of laughter out the corner
of his eye. “I don’t remember, but I do remember how OZ freaked out when they
discovered all the supplies are floating around the space station!”

“Ha! I even had some time to shoot some hoops, with a
melon and an freaking-out OZ cadet!” Duo continued laughing. “Heck, they had so
many veggies flying around, you could think OZ opened a new market place!”

Trowa and Wufei chuckled and Heero squashed another
defenseless piece of food.

“Man! That was some GOOD thinking.” Duo now muttered,
scratching his head. “Who did that anyway?”

“Heero did.” Sally suddenly answered.

And silence fell around the dining table.

For a long time, they were all seated in a heavy and tense
atmosphere.

Heero squashed another piece of his meal and the silence
grew prolonged.

“Oh... Right.” Duo mumbled, now feeling a little
uncomfortable. Subdued, he turned his eyes Heero's way, eyes which soon
narrowed painfully as he caught sight of the boy’s blue orbs. The usually raging
blue oceans were now calm and quiet, their light gone and their color dark.
Heero was sitting with his shoulders slumped and his head bowed, playing
quietly with his food, a sure sign that he was upset.

Duo lowered his gaze sadly, turning his head away.style='color:fuchsia'>

All the occupants around the table fell silent as well,
their heads bowed in shame. The awkward silence lasted until the end of the
meal, as each of the people seated by the table concentrated solely on their
meals, speaking quietly between themselves from time to time.

Duo took a long sip from his drink and Heero continued
sitting quietly, refusing to lift his gaze up from his meal as he played with
his food. He angrily squashed the various vegetables, deliberately ignoring
everyone around him.

“So, uh, I heard you had a little trouble on the way?”
Trowa spoke up after a while, breaking the heavy silence. “What happened? Did
you take the wrong turn?”

Duo took a deep breath and looked up. “Yeah, something
like that...”

They were all back to the ‘small-talk’ conversation,
spending the rest of the meal in an awkward silence punctuated by short and
forced-out sentences.

Heero remind silent though, knowing that once again, he
was the reason the smiles disappeared from everybody’s faces.

*  
*   *

Later that night, Duo walked heavily out of the bathroom,
after brushing his teeth. He was already in his pajamas, ready for bed, but
instead of walking over to the king size bed, he made his way out of the large
bedroom, padding towards Heero’s room. Taking a deep breath, he stood before
the closed door, raising his hand up in order to knock.

When they came back from the restaurant, Heero went
straight to bed. He didn’t mutter a single word the whole evening, and his
whole demeanor radiated misery and gloom. Duo cursed himself a thousand times
for leaving Heero out of the conversation. He was so happy to be sitting around
the same table with the WHOLE gang, that he got completely lost in his joy. It
was just like all time, the whole bunch of them sitting together, swopping
stories and fooling around. And just like old times, he was the one to dominate
the conversation, Quatre was the one to giggle, Wufei to snort and Trowa to
offer a few comments here and there. And just like old times, Heero would be
sitting next to him, completely silent and unsociable. For a moment, Duo could
have sworn that he was three years younger.

But it was NOT the same. Heero’s silence was not the same.
When once he could have regarded the boy’s silence to be a lack of interest or
even boredom, now it was there for a different reason. It’s not that Heero
didn’t want to talk. He just didn’t know how to fit in. The boy loved it when
someone paid attention to him and spoke to him. All you had to do was start the
conversation and already those big blue eyes would light up with joy.

Duo knew that despite the fear and doubt, Heero had looked
forward to meeting his ex-comrades. He was fascinated with everything that had
to do with his old self. He was probably looking forward to ask his questions
and fill in more blanks about the person he once had been.

But no one paid attention to him. They had rendered him
silent and continued laughing. Heero’s silence was not there because lack of
interest, it was there because they scared him off. They shoved him into his
own silent little corner and didn’t give him a chance to come out. Heero
probably thought that, once again, no one took interest in him. And like so
many other times, he probably blamed himself for it.

Duo closed his eyes sadlyllinlling his hands into fists.
Yet again, he had managed to hurt Heero. No matter what he did, he was never
good enough for the boy. Somehow, he always managed to do the wrong thing!

Sighing, Duo slowly knocked on Heero’s door.

There was no answer, and he wasn’t expecting one either.

Duo sighed again and reached down for the doorknob.
“Heero, I’m coming in.”

He found Heero lying silently in his bed, his back to the
door. Only pale lighlight illuminated his slim figure, reflecting off the white
sheets of his bed. The blanket was tossed carelessly aside, revealing the boy’s
body, for he was wearing only a pair of boxers and a sloppy tank top. Yoshi was
slumped somewhere next to  Heero,
looking like he had been tossed aside.

Duo frowned when he notichat hat Heero was slowly rubbing
his upper arm, his movements slow and careful, as if it will hurt if he’ll
brush over it too hard. Now getting worried, Duo took a few more steps into the
room. “Hee-chan? Are you okay?”

He could hear the boy sigh, and then shift in his bed, sheets
rustling in the darkness of the room. He didn’t turn to face him though, and
only shifted a little so he was closer to the wall.

Duo sighed, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. He ran a
hesitant hand through his long bangs and turned to look down at the boy. He
took a deep breath, still searching for words that can explain his terrible
crime. The room was silent as he searched for the right thing to say, the
seconds slowly ticking by. On the bed, Heero remained motionless, his back
still facing Duo as he looked down at his hands.

Duo sighed, bowing his head sadly. “Hee--”

“These scars...” 
Heero cut him off with a silent whisper, slowly lifting his hand up. He
rested his palm on his upper arm again, slowly brushing against a small mark
that scared the fair skin. “They’re on my body, but... but I don’t feel like
they’re mine...”

Duo's heart clenched painfully, his eyes shimmering sadly
in the darkess. He slowly reached down and placed a hand over Heero’s, looking
down at him compassionately. “Heero...”

Sighing, the boy pulled away from his touch, slowly
turning around so he could look up at Duo. His cobalt eyes were also
shimmering, tears glistering under pale moonlight. “I don’t... I don’t feel
like I’m me...” He whispered, closing his eyes sadly. His fist closed around
his slender arm, squeezing the scared flesh. “I don’t know... I don’t remember
how I got them...”

Duo swallowed, resisting the urge to whimper. He closed
his eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears that insisted on flooding his
eyes. His fists clenched and he looked away for a moment, unable to meet those
hurt blue eyes.

“My body...” Heero continued sadly, curling into a small
ball as he looked down on his body. “It’s like it doesn’t belong to me...” He
sniffed, tracing a hand over another small scar, on his thigh. He slowly
caressed it, his long fingers trembling ever so slightly. His gaze was numb and
tearful, glazed over with bitterness and tears. “They were talking about a
different Heero Yuy today... I’m... I’m not him...”

Again, he nearly let out a choked whimper. It took him a
few long moments to pull himself together. Slowly, he turned around, facing
Heero again. The boy was loo dow down at his thigh, a lone tear running down
his pale cheek.

Taking a deep breath, Duo reached down to wipe that tears
away. “These scars...” He began, his voice soft and gentle. “You got them when
we first met.” He continued, now caressing Heero’s cheek, his hand slowly
trailing down to brush over the small scar on Heero’s upper arm. He looked down
at it for a moment, and then chuckled bitterly. “Actually, I shot you. Twice.”

Shocked, Heero jerked his head up, wide blue eyes looking
up at Duo. Tears were stihinihining in his eyes, but they ceased from coming.
He gaped at Duo in utter shock and surprise.

Duo smiled bitterly, just a little sad tug at his lips.
“Yeah... it wasn’t very nice of me, now was it?”

Heero swallowed, bowing his head down briefly. He looked
back at Duo, his blue eyes still stunned. “You sh-shot me!? Wh-why? Di-did I
try to kill you?”

Duo’s smile grew a little and he shook his head. “No...
but you were going to shoot someone else. I stopped you.” Again he chuckled,
his smile growing evore.ore. The light was slowly coming back to his violet
eyes, and he couldn’t help but chuckle again at the memory. He was looking up
ahead, lost in a sea of memories. “Ch! I shot you once, but you still went at
it. I shot you again and you just kept on coming.” He looked down at Heero with
a kind smile, and reached down to ruffle the boy’s messy hair. “You were always
one tough, stubborn, stone-headed sonofabitch. Ch. stilstill are.”

The tears now completely gone, Heero smiled shyly, bowing
his head in embarrassment.

“There’s no stopping you once you put your mind into
something.” Duo continued with a smile, stroking Heero’s hair as he spoke. He
sighed in amusement, looking down into Heero’s shining cobalt eyes. He smiled,
flicking the boy’s tender cheek with the tip of his finger. “I guess you’ll
never change...”

Heero’s lips lifted up in a small smile, his cheeks
slightly blushed. “Hontou ka..?” He mumbled, looking down at his fingers as
they played with the white sheets.

Duo sighed, shrugging a little. “Like I said, you’ll
always be one stubborn bastard.”<:p>

Sheets rustled as Heero shifted on the bed again, turning
so he lay on his back, looking up at Duo with his shimmering blue eyes. “Was I
the bad one?” He asked quietly, his voice uncertain and his eyes fearful. “Is
that why you had to shoot me?”

Duo laughed lightly, shaking his head. “Nah... as it
turned out, I ended up as the bad guy...” He sighed in amusement, looking down
at Heero with an apologetic gleam in his eyes. “Like always, ne?” He smiled
wistfully, and ruffled Heero’s hair again.

Heero cast his gaze down sadly. “Not always...”

Duo sighed, settling more comfortably on the bed. He sat
down so that Heero’s head was at the same level as his hips, and he leaned
against the wall. He smiled as Heero slowly came to rest his head in his lap,
his arms wrapping themselves around him. He bent down to kiss the boy’s
fead,ead, and then returned to simply stroke his hair gently.

He took a deep breath, leaning his head back against the
wall. His eyes gazed up at the ceiling, shining with a distant gleam. “It was
just a big misunderstanding.” He explained quietly, his fingers running between
thick strands of chocolate brown hair. “You were trying to shoot Relena and
destroy my Gundam, along with yours.”

Heero frowned, turning his head up so he could look at
Duo’s face. “Re-Relena? The one who invited us here?”

Duo rolled his eyes and then looked down, smiling kindly
at the boy. He nodded his head. “Hm hmm. That’s her alright.”

Heero’s frown deepened and he lay his head back on Duo’s
lap, looking up ahead in confusion. “Why did I try to shoot her?”

Duo snorted. “Don’t even get me STARTED on that one,
Hee-chan...”

Heero made a displeased face, suddenly thinking about the
card he found in the basket of treats. He dismissed it though, knowing that he
will find out sooner or later.

The silence returnedthe the dark bedroom as both boys sunk
deeply into their musings. Duo continued to caress Heero’s hair, as the boy lay
on his lap, looking a little sleepy. After a while of silence, Duo could feel
him turn, and he looked down, only to meet a pair of expressive cobalt eyes,
looking up at him uncertainly.

“Anou...they... they said, on... on TV,” Heero began
quietly, looking around for a moment and then back at Duo, his eyes a little
hesitant. “There was... there was a show about all the mobile suits.” con continued, shifting a little, as if suddenly uncomfortable.

Duo looked down at him in questions, now seeing that the
boy was more than a little sheepish.

Heero smiled nervously and looked up at Duo again. “Anou,
I just wanted to know... uh...” He took a deep breath, and then looked up at
Duo, determined. “Whi-which one was mine?”

Duo sighed quietly, his hand ceasing its play with the
chocolate strands. “Wing.” He answered quietly, suddenly feeling a little
uneasy with the conversation.

Heero frowned. “Which one is that?”

Duo sighed again, shifting a little. He looked down at
Heero, his violet eyes serious. “Zero One.”

Heero’s eyes seem to light up again, as the boilediled
sheepishly.  “Ah, style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>souka... it does have
wings...” He chuckled at his own silliness, looking up at Duo with eyes that
shone with curiosity. “And yours?”

Duo forced himself to snap out of the gloom, and looked
down at Heero again. He smiled slightly. “Deathscythe. That’s the black one.
Zero Two.”

“Oh.” Heero let out, bowing his head. He seemed to deflate
a little, his shoulders slumping.

Duo frowned, raising himself up a little, trying to see
Heero better. “Heero? What’s wrong?” He asked worriedly.

Heero shrugged. “Nothing... It’s just that I... I was
kinda hoping that...” He paused, unsure, then slowly turned around to face Duo,
smiling sheepishly. “I was kinda hoping it would be mine...”

It took him about three seconds to realize what the boy
had just confessed, and then Duo Maxwell burst out laughing.

Heero smiled, happy to be hearing Duo’s rich laughter. His
smile grew even bigger when he realized that he was the one who made him
laugh.

“Ha!” Duo choked out, still laughing. “You wish, buster!
Deathscythe’s MY buddy!”

Heero giggled, ducking his head between his shoulders as Duo
roughly ruffled his hair. His eyes shone happily as he looked up at his
laughing friend, unable to get enough of that joyful sight.

“Ha! I can’t believe that I finally managed to get YOU
admit that Deathscythe is cooler! Hahaha! That was precious!”

Heero’s smile slowly faded and he bowed his head down
again.

Noticing Heero’s silence, Duo also managed to calm down,
and looked down at his sulking friend. Heero was still resting on his lap, but
his gaze was far away, his fingers slowly playing with the sheets. Duo sighed
heavily, realizing that he had spoiled the moment. Lost for words, he merely
stroked Heero’s hair, the two of them sitting quietly in the darkness.

“. . .Duo-chan?” Heero whispered after sometime, not
turning his gaze away from the wall as he spoke.

“Yeah?” Duo whispered back, looking down at Heero, still
stroking his hair.

The boy sighed, slowly detaching himself from Duo as he
sat up. They were now sitting face to face, looking eye to eye.

Heero sighed again, casting his gaze down sadly. “Do
you... do you feel sad when you think how different I am?”

“What do you mean?” Duo asked cautiously.

Heero shrugged, keeping his head bowed. “You know... now
that I’m stupid and I don’t remember all the things.”

Duo shook his head. “Heero,” He began softly, reaching a
hand down and taking Heero’s hand in his. Heero looked up, a bit surprised, and
Duo smiled at him kindly.

“Heero, as a person, I don’t think you’re that different
at all. And you are definitely NOT stupid.”pan>

Heero sighed, looking away. “Yeah, but... but don’t you
miss the ‘Old Heero’? Don’t you wish that he was here instead?”

Duo swallowed, now facing a trick question. How
should he answer that? Bowing his head down for a second, he quickly made his
decision and looked up again. Tightening his hold on Heero’s hand, he captured
the boy's uncertain gaze.

“Heero, ‘he’ is here. You’re here.”

Heero’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Heero, I’m just glad to be with you. It shouldn’t matter
if you don’t remember the war, and you have no idea which Gundam was which. I
still enjoy being with you. I’m happy when you’re with me. That’s all that
matters, Heero. You’re with me. Nothing else matters.”

Heero’s lips lifted up in a small smile. “Even if I don’t
always say smart things?”

Duo chuckled. “Like I’m a fucking brainiac!”

Heero’s smile broadened.

Duo chuckled n, ln, lifting Heero's hand up to press a
soft kiss on the warm palm, his own eyes shining with warmth and love. “Heero,
I don’t think that you’re stupid, and I don’t mind that you’ve changed. I just
want you to be with me, and I want you to have fun this weekend. Don’t let
things get you down. Fuck what everybody thinks! You’re gonna go there
tomorrow, and you’re gonna eat all the shmancy food they have there and I’ll
even let you drink wine!”

Heero chuckled and Duo took a deep breath, now looking
seriously at Heero. “Promise me you’ll have fun?”

Heero nodded. “Aa. Promise.” He smiled and then jumped up
to hug Duo tightly. “Arigatou, Duo-chan...”

Caught by surprise, Duo flinched for a second, but then
quickly brought his arms up and squeezed Heero tightly. He felt the boy rest
his head on his shoulder, and his hold on the boy tightened. He closed his eyes
in content, leaning his head on the top of Heero’s. Sighing pleasantly, he
carefully guided them both so they were lying down and prepared to go to sleep.

//Heero, as from tonight, I’m gonna forget that you’re so
different.. And maybe one day... one day, I’ll be able to tell you that I love
you...//

*  
*   *

“Ne, Duo-chan! Look!” Heero called towards his friend,
waving his hands and gesturing down at a pile of snow at his feet. It was the
morning before the Anniversary Ball, and they were spending it outside, in the
snow. Sally and Chang were also there with their daughter, and the rest of the
ex-pilots (and one ex-pilot’s sister) also joined them. They were currently in
some small forest, surrounded by green fir trees that were covered with snow.
Duo and Quatre were sitting by a small picnic table, drinking coffee, while
Wufei and Sally were taking a walk with Meiran. Trowa and Cathy went to do some
skiing and were due back for lunch.

Duo smiled, looking up at Heero. “Wow, man, that’s a hell
of a lot snow. What are you gonna do with it?” He called with a smile.

Quatre chuckled. “Well, as long as you two won’t start
another snowball fight, I think it will be safe...”

Heero chuckled as well. “Baka! I’m not gonna throw
something THIS big at Duo-chan!” He snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’m making a
snowman!” He pointed at the large pile of snow, looking up at Duo. “You wanna
help me?”

Duo smiled and shook his head. “Maybe later, Hee-chan. I’m
just gonna finish my coffee, kay?”

“Okay.” Heero replied, shrugging. He turned back to make
his snowman, shaping the pile of snow into a large ball. Duo watched him as he
made another ball and another, each one smaller from the others. Heero was
looking like he was very focused on his job, his face a mask of concentration
and resolve. When Heero began placing the snowballs on top of each other, Duo
had to admit that he was impressed by how quickly and accurately the boy had
managed to put the snowman together.

But when he saw Heero take his sweater off and put it on
the snowman, he wasn’t so pleased. He hurried to put his coffee aside and ran
over to Heero.

The Japanese boy looked up, smiling at Duo as the other
approached him. “Is it good?” He asked, his eyes shining with hope and delight.

“Yeah, Hee-chan, it’s great, but I why did you take your
sweater off?” Duo answered, looking down at him worriedly. He bent to pick up
the sweater.

Heero frowned, looking at him in confusion. “To put it on
the snowman. So he won’t be cold.”

Duo chuckled, nudging the sweater towards Heero, signaling
him to put it on. “Hee-chan, a snowman can’t be cold.”

“Why?” Heero asked, raising his hands up so Duo could
slide the sweater over his head.

Duo sighed, arranging Heero’s sweater and the collar of
his shirt. “Well... it’s made of snow, right?”

Heero nodded, glancing at the snowman.

Duo smiled. “So if it’s made of snow, it can’t be cold,
right? But you’re not made of snow, so you can get a cold if you don’t wear a
sweater.” He explained with a smile, tapping lightly on Heero’s head.

Heero frowned again, looking a little confused. He glanced
at the snowman and then at Duo, and then back again. “Anou... but what if he
just looks like he’s cold on the outside, and he’s warm on the inside?
What if he just wants you to think that he isn’t?”

Duo just gaped at Heero, completely lost for words. “Well,
uh...”

“Maybe he just wants to pretend.” Heero continued, shrugging.
“And now he is cold, cuz he covered himself with snow.” He looked up at
Duo, cobalt eyes sparkling. He smiled. “So I’m gonna give him a sweater and
make him warmer, ne?”

“Uh. . .” Duo stuttered, still a little lost. “I think it
would be better if you keep it on.”

Heero pouted and looked away. “Oh.” He let out, sniffling.
“I’m sorry, Duo-chan. I said something stupid again, huh?” He bowed his head
down miserably, his fingers playing with the snow. “I’m sorry...”

Duo, who was still standing over him, looked at Heero with
a wretched expression on his face. His eyes shone with sympathy and regret. He
took a deep breath, and knelt down on the snow. He rested his hand on Heero’s
slumped shoulder, and smiled when the boy turned to look at him. “No, Hee-chan.
You didn’t say something stupid at all. It was actually quite thought
inspiring. Maybe the snowman is cold, I don’t’ know, but to be honest, I just
want you to be warm.”

“Don’t you care about the snowman?” Heero pouted, looking
at Duo with big blue puppy-eyes.

Duo chuckled. “What am I gonna do with you, huh?” He spoke
in amusement, taking off his jacket, which he wore over his sweater, and gently
placed it around the snowman.

Heero smiled.

“Here, all done. He’ll be so hot- he’ll melt!” Duo turned
to Heero, smiling. “Ha”

“Aa.” The boy nodded, his eyes sparkling with joy.
“Arigatou, Duo-chan.”

“Anytime.” Duo grunted as he climbed up to his feet,
catching the sight of one giggling Quatre as he did. He rolled his eyes and
turned to look down at Heero. “I’m gonna finish my coffee now, kay? Make sure
to bring me back my jacket after sdudedude here is done melting, kay?”

Heero nodded, already ignoring Duo and turning back to his
work. “Maybe if he’ll melt you’ll get to see if really covered himself with
snow.”

Duo chuckled. “Maybe.” He shook his head at Heero
reasoning, and walked back to the picnic table.

Quatre giggled as Duo came back to drink his coffee.
“You’re fussing over him.”

Duo rolled his eyes, sipping his coffee. “I am not.”

Again Quatre chuckled. “Right.” He shook his head in
amusement, and turned to look at Heero’s direction, watching the boy as he
adjusted the snowman’s jacket. He sighed and turned to look at Duo. “How old is
he by now?”

“Huh?” Duo let out, turning to face his friend as well.
“What kinda question is that? He’s approaching twenty. Just like the rest of
us.”

Quatre sighed, shaking his head. “No... I mean mentally.”

“Oh...” Duo let out, his smile slowly fading. He took a
deep breath and sipped his coffee. He then looked up at Heero again, and
sighed. “Sally says that he must be around six or seven.” His solemn expression
suddenly turned angry and he whirled around, looking at Quatre sternly. “But if
you treat him like a six-year-old, I’m gonna punch you in the face!” He
growled, his violet eyes threatening.

Quatre nearly flinched. “Wow, Duo... relax...” He tried to
calm the boy, gesturing him to calm down. “I had no intention of doing so. I
was just wondering, that’s all.”

Duo sighed, looking away in shame. “I’m sorry Q-man...
it’s just that I hate seeing people treat him that way. And I know that Heero
hates it as well. He understands a lot, even if it doesn’t really show it. The
problem is that he is still very inexperienced. Not to mention naïve... I guess
that it just scares me sometimes...”

Quatre giggled silently. “Which explains why you fuss over
him like a mother hen.”

“Hey! I do not!”

“Right.” Quatre rolled his eyes, smiling teasingly. “Duo,
you should have seen yourself just a few moments ago! I wish I had a camera
with me!”

“I did NOT fuss! I was merely making sure that he
wouldn’t be cold.”

“You mean you were fussing.”

“Was NOT!”

“You just keep saying that, Duo...” Quatre finished with a
smile, waving the braided boy goodbye as he slowly walked away.

He also noticed that Heero had removed his gloves and
immediately sco. He. He began marching towards the boy, but not before he went
to pick up the discarded gloves. Ch! Quatre had NO idea on what he was talking
about! He was so not fussing!

*  
*   *

“Ne, Duo-chan?”

“Huh?”

“Can I put it on myself?”

Duo smiled, looking at Heero with pride. “Sure.” He said,
handing Heero a bottle of shaving cream. “Just be careful not to spill it.”

“I won’t.” Heero promised, opening the bottle.

Duo smiled, watching Heero as he worked thoughtfully to
smear the white foam on his face. It was evening, and they were both standing
in the bathroom, after each one had taken his shower. They were still wearing
nothing but boxers and an undershirt, standing in front of the mirror. Duo was
drying his hair with a hair drier, after already shaving. He was looking at
himself in the mirror, scowling at his stubborn hair that wouldn’t be brushed.

“I swear I’m gonna chop it all off one day...” He
muttered, wincing as he tugged his own hair too hard. “It just ain’t worth
trouble, ya know?”

Heero chuckled, pouring some more shaving cream into the
palm of his hand. “You as sas say that and then when we go to cut it, you don’t
want to anymore.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the thought that counts.” Duo mumbled,
running a brush through his long and thick hair. He sighed and turned his gaze
so he was looking at Heero’s reflection. He smiled as he watched the boy smooth
the white foam on his features, looking very concentrated on his work. His
movements were careful and almost graceful as he made sure to cover every inch
of exposed skin, looking at himself in the mirror as he worked. He watched as
Heero leaned down to wash the foam off his hands and his eyes narrowed as he
saw the boy reach for his razor.

He gasped and hurried to stop him. “Wow. Wow! Wait a
minute here, buddy... I thought I told you to wait until I’m finished with my
hair...”

Heero sighed, letting go of the shaver. He looked at Duo
and pouted. “I want to try alone this time.” He let out carefully, his blue
eyes shimmering with plea. “I think maybe I can...”

Duo bit his lower lip, looking at Heero thoughtfully. He
was always the one to shave Heero, for he didn’t think it was a good idea to
let the boy handle a sharp razor blade on his own. It wasn’t that he thought
that the boy was too stupid to handle such a simple task, it was just that he
was worried...

“Please, Duo-chan? I think I can do it. And then we won’t
be late cuz you can dry your hair and I’ll shave alone.”

But if he was trying to make Heero understand that he is NOT
stupid, he had to make him feel like he was trusted when it came to handling on
his own. And if he was right here next to him, he could make sure that
everything is all right. After all, Heero had watched him shave countless of
times and he knew what needed to be done. Quatre was right; he WAS fussing over
Heero like a mother hen. And it was not helping in Heero’s development.

Sighing in defeat, Duo slumped his shous ans and nodded
his head. He took a deep breath and then smiled at Heero. He handed him the
razor.

“Just be gentle with it, okay? Take it nice and easy so
you won’t cut yourself, okay?

Heero smiled broadly and hurried to nod his head. He took
the shaver in his hand and turned to the mirror. Duo watched him carefully as
he began to shave, his blue eyes narrowing in deep concentration.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 

Duo smiled in satisfaction and turned his attention back
to his hair. “I gotta hand it to you Hee-chan, you’ve really come a long way.”

Heero frowned, his cobalt eyes glancing at Duo’s
reflection in confusion. “Where did I go?”

Duo chuckled, shaking his head. “No, silly, I mean that
you’ve managed to learn a lot. In one short year, you’ve managed to achieve so
much.”

Heero made a face, as if not agreeing with Duo’s
statement. But he remained silent and continued his work. He washed the blade
in the water that filled the sink and then brought it back up to his right
cheek.

Still smiling, Duo put the drier aside and began to brush
his hair, looking down at his work, but his eyes shone with pride. “That’s why
I think that you’re being a little too harsh on yourself.” He continued,
lifting his hand up in order to untangle a knot of hairs.

Heero rolled his eyes and turned to shave his other cheek.

“I mean, the fact that you don’t remember all the stuff we
were talking about the other day, doesn’t make you less of a person. You are a
very capable person, Heero. Don’t let ANYONE tell you otherwise.” He put the
brush aside and gathered his lush hair in his hands, quickly braiding it. His
movements were automatic, and he looked up at Heero’s reflection. He then
turned to look at the boy himself, his violet eyes shining with the light of
his smile.

“I’m proud of you, Heero.”

Heero winced and quickly shifted the blade away from his
face. He scowled at himself, glaring at his own refection. He then sighed
heavily and turned to Duo, offering him the razor.

“I cut myself.”

font-family:Verdana'>Duo’s smile didn’t waver. He shrugged. “No big deal,
happens to me all the time.” He turned to take some toilet paper and soaked it
with some water. He turned back to Heero. “Here, put it on for a few seconds
and it’s all gone.” He covered the small cut on Heero’s cheek and then flicked
the boy’s nose with the tip of his finger. “No biggie.”

Heero sighed, dejected. He turned away from Duo, his blue
eyes slowly filling with tears. “You can do the rest now...” He mumbled, his
voice sad.

Duo shook his head, looking at Heero in sympathy. He
placed the blade back in his hands. “No, you can do it. C’mon.”

Heero looked down at the blade resting in his palm and
sighed. He looked up at Duo. “And if I cut myself again?”

Duo smiled warmly. “Then I’ll be here to give ya some more
paper.”

Heero smiled and nodded his head thankfully. He turned
back to the mirror, and finished shaving himself. Duo’s eyes were on him all
along, shining with warmth and pride.

*  
*   *

An hour later Duo and Heero walked into the main ballroom
of the Hermon hotel. Duo stopped at the doorway, gaping in awe at the posh
surrounding. As to be expected, the ballroom was ten times fancier than the
hotel itself. Large windows instead of walls, each window framed in gold,
surrounded the entire structure. Golden candlesticks separated each large
window from the next, about half a dozen candles burning bright on each stand.
Outside the ballroom, the view was outstanding: an endless sea of stars
sparkling above snowy ridges. In the middle of the large ballroom, was a great
fountain. The water flowing from it seemed to be glistering in gold under the
warm orange lights that illuminated the place.

Many waiters and waitresses walked around the numerous
guests, serving drinks and appetizers. An orchestra was performing on a large
stage in the back of the room, facing the dance floor. And between the bar and
buffet, that stood by the entrance of the hall, and the d flo floor that stood
on the other side, were many tables for the diners.

Duo forced himself to swallow and reached up a hand,
unconsciously fixing his tie. He was dressed in a black evening suit, something
elegant, but not too fancy, giving the braided youth a young and sexy look. And houghough he knew that his outfit was suitable for such an event, and looked
rather good on him, he felt very out of place all of a sudden. And if he felt
out of place, Heero must have felt like he had just landed on an alien planet.

Taking a deep breath, Duo slowly turned to look at the boy
standing next to him. Heero was dressed in a light-blue jacket, a white shirt
and a matching blue vest. His trousers were also light-blue, but unlike a few
months ago, Heero didn’t need a belt to support his trousers, which were
usually too big for his thin form. He had gained some weight over the past few
months (thanks to Sally’s suggested diet), and he was now filled right in the
right places. The jacket was designed so it narrowed at the waistline,
highlighting the boy’s well-shaped figure. Also, much to Heero’s displeasure, adir=RTL> style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>dark blue ribbon-tie adorned his
slender neck. Needless to say that the Japanese boy managed to turn quite a few
heads when the two ex-pilots walked into the room. Though he was too nervous to
notice.

“Heero, you okay?” Duo asked quietly, looking at the boy
in concern.

Heero took a deep breath and tore his eyes off the large
ballroom. He looked up at Duo and swallowed. “There’s lots of people...” He
mumbled, looking a little uncertain of himself. “I have to know all of them?”

Duo smiled and shook his head. “No. No you don’t. C’mon,
it’ll be fine. Lets go look for Q-man and the others, kay?” He took Heero’s
hand and together they walked into the crowd.

Heero did his best to shy away, refusing to look anyone in
the eye as they walked among the sea of people.  He could feel some people stare at him, and it made him VERY
uncomfortable. He did his best to keep up with Duo’s pace, but it was hard to
concentrate under all the gazes directed at him. Every time he passed by
someone, when they thought that he was out of hearing range, they started
whispering behind him. He wondered what they were saying. He knew that it
mustn’t be good...

They found Quatre by the bar, along with Wufei and Sally.

“Yo! Wu-man! Wussup?” Duo called happily, waving at his
friend.

“Hey Duo, hey Heero. Looking good.” Quatre greeted with a
smile, gesturing towards the two with his glass of orange juice.

“I’m surprised you weren’t half an hour late.” Wufei
muttered sarcastically, smirking at Duo.

Duo chuckled. “I figured you’ll say that so I’m not even
gonna bother with an answer.” He looked around and then back at the couple.
“Where’s Mei-chan?”

“In our room.” Sally answered with a wary smile. “The
hotel offered a baby-sitter... but I think I better go check on her...”

“Oh, c’mon, woman! She’s fine. Just try to enjoy yourself
for one night!”

“I can go see her.” Heero finally spoke, looking up at
Sally. By the look on his face, it was obvious that he was desperate to get out
of there.

Sally smiled kindly at him. “That’s sweet, Heero, but
Chang is right. Meiran will be fine.”

“I’ll just go check to make sure. I’ll be back soon. I can
run really fast.” Heero insisted, his blue eyes desperate. He turned to Duo,
his eyes shining with plea. “Ne, Duo-chan? I can run real quick and then come
back.”

“Heero, you just got here.” Duo reminded him, and then
reached for his hand again. He smiled at the boy, his face reassuring. “Just
relax, it’ll be fine!”

“You have nothing to fear, Heero.” Quatre spoke up after
finally finishing his drink. “You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t
want to.”

“I don’t?”

Sally chuckled. “Of course not! No one is here to force
you into anything. People are just glad to see you.”

It was then that a high-pitched voice suddenly cut through
the air, calling out towards the group:

“Heeeeeeeeeeeerooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Oh oh...” Duo let out, burying his face in his hand and
looking away.

Heero turned to look at him, confused. “Who’s she?”

He got no answer for the voice was back again, louder and
screechier than before:

“Heero! Heero! You’re here!”

Heero looked up in the speaker’s direction. He frowned as
he noticed that it was a young woman, about his age perhaps, running towards
him while waving her hands up in the air like an excited chicken. He wasn’t so
sure who she was, but he already thought that she was weird.

“Oh Heero! You’re really here! I can’t believe it!” The
girl let out in a rush of words, coming to stand in front of Heero, panting
from the effort of her run. She smiled broadly at the stunned boy, her large
blue eyes sparkling with joy. “I just couldn’t believe it when I contacted Duo
and he said that you’re back again, and I was so surprised that I nearly fell
off my chair then and I just couldn’t believe it! And now you’re here! This is
so great! There’s SOOOOOO much I want to tell you! C’mon!”

And before Heero could mutter a protest, or squeeze in any
word at all, the girl grabbed his arm and dragged him into the crowd.

“Hey!”

He could hear Duo call after them, and when he looked back
he could see the braided boy try to run after them, but someone who wanted to
have a word with him stopped him. Unable to refuse, Duoan tan talking to the
person, glancing up at Heero from once in a while, until he was out of sight.

Heero swallowed and slowly turned his head back to look at
the girl. She was still pulling him with her, chatting none stop about
something he didn’t quite follow. He looked back over his shoulder, his blue
eyes searching desperately for Duo to come and save him...

“... and then they said that if the ceremony would be
today then I won’t be able to... and she went like ‘oh no, that would kill the
goldfish!’ so I had to... and maybe next year we’ll be going back to space in
order to settle that contract so I will have to...”

“Anou...” Heero tried to speak between the girl’s rush of
words, his face a little uncertain.

But the girl just kept chatting on, guiding him through
the crowd, not even bothering to look back at him as she dragged him along with
her. “I bet she can’t even SAY the word! I mean, really, who would listen to a
girl who’s spent half her life in...”

“Anou ne... ojousan...” Heero tried again, looking a
little desperate. “Who are you?”

The girl stopped, her face stunned. She slowly turned to
face Heero, her features pale from shock. She smiled at him, a faltering little
smile, as if not believing what he said. “Heero, it’s me. Don’t tell me that
you’ve forgotten all about me! That’s ridicules!”

Heero swallowed and bowed his head in shame. “I’m sorry,
ojousan, but I don’t remember a lot of things...” He looked up at her, smiling
apologetically. “I thought Duo-chan told you that...”

“Duo... chan?” The girl let out, baffled. Her eyes
suddenly widened and she let out a nervous laughter. “Oh! That’s right! He did
say something about amnesia! It’s so silly of me to have forgotten! I was just
soitedited when I heard that you were coming, that it completely slipped my
mind!” She chuckled again, and squeezed Heero’s hand tightly. “Heero, I’m
Relena Peacecraft. We’re friends.”

“Oh.” Heero let out, dumbfound. He examined the young
woman in front of him, and frowned. “I tried to shoot you, right?”

The girl grinned from ear to ear. “Yes! That’s right! See,
I knew you wouldn’t forget about me! There’s just no way that you can possibly
forget about us!”

“Us?” Heero mumbled in confusion, his frown deepening.

“Ch! I knew that punk was just trying to pull my chain! I
mean, I know he’s been, ya know... interested in what’s not his in the first
place... it’s quite disgusting if you think about it...” Relena was now back to
her full-force chatter, pulling poor Heero with her again.

The Japanese boy just frowned, not understanding what she
was trying to say. The girl just managed to confuse him with her none-stop
chatter.

“...when on Earth did he get the idea that he should be
the one for you, I don’t know! And that silly story about you not remembering
me! That was so far fetched I could have seen it a mile away!”

“Re-Relena...” Heero tried to gain her attention, sending
nervous glances over his shoulder, his blue eyes begging Duo to appear within
the crowd.

“To tell you the truth, this whole mess could have been
prevented if you would have taken my offer to stay here with me! It would have
saved everybody so much trouble!” Relena carried on with her chatter as she led
Heero towards a large and long dining table, which was meant for the guests of
honor.

Heero sighed and slumped his shoulders, giving up on the
struggle to break free of the girl. Whoever she was, she was probably someone
very important to the ‘Old Heero’. And if she was so happy to see him, the
least he could do was keep his mouth shut so she would not get upset. He knew
that if she found out how different he was, she would be all sad and that will
ruin her party. After all, she was the one to invite them there. He should at
least try to be nice to her...

*  
*   *

“That took some nerve, Relena!” Duo growled the minute he
found the two. They were sitting by the large dinner table, Relena’s chair at
the middle of the long table. Heero was seated to her right, his head bowed and
his shoulders slumped. To Relena’s left, sat Zechs, who was currently busy
talking to Noin who was by his side. There were a few more “guests of honor” by
their side. To her right side, next to Heero’s chair, were four more chairs,
designated for each ex-Gundam pilot. Each seat had a small nametag on it. Duo’s
eyes narrowed in anger as he saw that the chairs next to Heero was for Trowa
and Catherine, the next for Quatre, the other two for Sally and Chang, and the
last one, the furthest one, was for him.

Duo snorted and came to sit by Heero’s side. No nametag is
gonna take him away from Heero. Trowa would just have to forgive him for
this one.

“Why, Duo! What a pleasure it is to see you again!” Relena
droned sweetly, a smug look on her face. “Having fun?”

Duo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, up until you showed
up...” He muttered under his breath. He then decided to ignore Relena
completely and turned to Heero. He reached a hand under the table in order to
hold Heero’s hand. “Are you okay, Hee-chan?”

Heero looked up slowly, sending a nervous glance to the
girl sitting next to him. He swallowed and looked back at Duo. “She talks a
lot...”

Duo chuckled. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry I couldn’t catch up
with you two. I became popular all of a sudden...” He reached for the small
menu resting on his fancy plate. “Did you order ye--”

“Heero, what looks better to you?” Relena suddenly cut
into their conversation, leaning closer to Heero and shoving a small menu in
front of his face. She pointed at one of the s. “s. “This one or this one? I
can’t decide...”