Everything I Own The next day, the two boys boarded a shuttle for the next colony over. Duo sat by the window, and Heero in the aisle, should the butterflies in his stomach turn to bats. They both wore turtle neck shirts to hide the red marks on their necks from the previous day. Duo flipped absently through a magazine and Heero stared absently no where. Duo looked out the window and groaned. "We haven't even left the port yet? Damn." He brought out a CD player and headphones. "Wake me when we get there." He put the headphones on, leaned his head back on the seat and shut his eyes, though he didn't fall asleep. Heero murmured something in response. A few moments later, Duo could hear the stewardess with the cart stop by. He shook his head, but he could hear Heero ordering. The song passed, and another, and during a musical period, he could still hear Heero ordering. The stewardess was making strange, confused sounds. What was that annoying tink of glass?? Duo turned down the volume but didn't open his eyes. "And that, too." "Sir..." The stewardess said uneasily, "I don't think I should let you buy all that." "Why not?" Heero asked indigantly. "Anou, the other passengers might want some...and if you drink all that buy yourself, I think you'll be well past the legal limit by the time you're done." Duo opened his eyes, uttered a shrill "ACK!", hit Heero upside the head and returned the 42 one-ounce bottles of vodka to the stewardess. She moved on quickly. "Heero!!!" Duo scolded quietly. "That's a great thing you'd want your mom to see. Her son dead drunk." Heero didn't respond, just nodded. "Daijoubu ka?" "Nervous." Heero said distractedly. Duo grinned. "I'll bet you are." To comfort him, Duo kissed Heero lightly before leaning back in his seat and turning the volume back up on his CD player. He was amused to hear a little girl in the seat in front of them ask her mother, "Mommy, why were those boys kissing?" (1) Through the space between the seats, Duo could see the girls' mother regarding them with wide eyes. Heero and Duo glanced at each other sideways and grinned. Then Heero remembered why he was on the shuttle in the first place, and the nervous knot in his stomach loosened. But not in a good way. "Duo..." Heero said thickly. "Aa?" "I'm gonna be sick." Duo looked at him through half-opened eyelids before seeing Heero was serious. He unbuckled Heero from his seat himself. "Go, man!!! Run!!" He shrieked. He gestured frantically towards the back of the shuttle. Heero nodded and took off running. "Airsick?" Some guy a row over asked. It struck Duo as funny that Heero or ANY of them got airsick or seasick after all they went through, but he didn't laugh. He just nodded. The man nodded back and settled back in his seat. Duo shrugged. At least the guy wouldn't be surprised if it happened again. *And,* Duo thought, replacing his headphones, *neither will I.* ~~~~~~~ Heero was quite pale for the rest of the trip. As the trip dragged on, Duo was often shook and asked a very simple and stupid question by Heero. "How much longer?" Duo groaned. "Like another hour, Heero. Be patient!! Please!!" He tried to put the headphones back on but was stopped by Heero. He finally gave up on the CD player and put it away. "Do I look all right?" Heero asked. "You're a little pale...but you look good to me." Duo said suggestively. "Not like that! In a maternal way, would she like what I look like??" "I don't think you should care." "I don't know why I do." Heero mumbled as he slid back into his chair, slouching way down. "Sit up straight, Hee-chan." Duo teased. "Urusai(2), Duo." Heero snorted. "Sit up sraight and I'll shut up." Duo continued. Heero grunted and sat up straight. "Now smile." Duo taunted. "Uru-SAI, Duo." Heero hissed. Duo just sighed. This may take a while. ~~~~~~~~~~~ "I don't think she'll like my shirt..." Heero muttered as they walked up the street to Hanake's house. Duo groaned. "Lets go buy another one..." Heero turned around and walked in the other direction. Duo dove in the other direction after him and pulled him back. "If you run away one more time Hee-chan, I'm gonna have to take desperate measures." Duo advised. "Want me to tie you up and hit you with a whip or something?" "You can't." Heero monotoned. "We left the leash at home." (3) Duo groaned and pulled Heero halfway up the block before Heero squirmed out of his grasp. "I can walk by myself, you know." "Then walk up to that door." Duo said softly, looking up at the house in front of them. Heero looked up and his blood ran cold. "This is it, Heero. Are you ready?" Duo asked him firmly. "I don't know..." Heero whispered. "I don't think I can do this...I feel sick again..." "Then go regurgitate behind that tree. I don't think she'll mind." Duo said dryly. Heero smiled and shook his head. "I'll be fine." "Then walk up there." "I'm waiting for you." Heero said stiffly. Duo nodded and walked up and stepped onto the small porch. Heero slowly followed, his hands digging tunnels in his pocket. "Are you trying to bury your arms in there?? Take your hands out of your damn pockets, Hee-chan." Then the door opened without a sound as they stood there, arguing. "Can I help...you..." She trailed off. "Oh my God..." She whispered breathlessly. Heero looked in her direction and lost all feeling in his body. A middle aged oriental woman stood in the door, dark chocolate colored hair mixed with gray that gave her the appearance of a teacher. Hell, maybe she was. Not like he'd know or anything. Duo smiled and pushed Heero forward. There was no doubt in the braided boy's mind that Hanake was Heero's mother. Her hair...her face...her general outlook. Slightly bewildered yet accepting. "I think I have your son here, ojou-san." He said cheerily. Heero gulped as she stood there, one hand resting against the door and one hand hanging limply at her side. "Konichi wa...Mrs. Raleigh..." Heero said softly, staring at her Welcome mat. He heard her stifle a small sob. He looked back up at her, and her eyes were brimming with tears. *Are you ready, Heero?* Something said deep inside him. *I don't know* *Her face, see her face?* *Yes* *It's your face. See her hair?* *I do...* *It's your hair. She--is--your--mother. So...are you ready?* *I'm ready* @--->---- 1- This happened to me when I was like six. Not in a plane, though. It was a *little* unusual and I stared point blank at them. So technically, that was a self-insertion! Hehehe! But my mother didn't respond like that little girls' mother did. 2- That means 'shut up' or something, right? My Japanese is a litle limited. 3- Kinky! They're inta something I figure none of us wanna see.... I'm kidding people, I added that as a joke...bad joke...