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People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
-Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
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Stained Glass Windows- Part Four
Heero laid Duo softly down to the bed on his back. Duo
was soaked, and the bed would become wet if he didn't do something about those clothes. As
long as he didn't think about what he was doing, he would be ok. Just think about
something else.
Heero unlaced Duo's black combat boots and undid the buckle. He pulled the boots and socks
off, discarding them onto the hardwood floor.
He unbuttoned Duo's black jeans and pulled the zipper down. Carefully, so as not to brush
over any open wounds, he slid the sticky clinging pants off of Duo's hips, and then off of
Duo's legs, and then slung the dripping article beside the combat boots.
Thunder rumbled and the lights overhead flickered a bit.
Heero looked up to the ceiling, as if expecting his glare to halt the jumping of the
lights. Eventually, they did stop, and Heero went back to the task at hand.
He looked down at the almost completely nude body below him. Duo seemed so thin and lanky
with all that clothing. However, looking over his body now, Heero could make out every
defined inch of muscle and physique. He wanted to run his palms over the body and trace
every line with his fingers… with his mouth… with his tongue… with…
Heero shook his head. What was happening to him? He'd never had thoughts like these
before. And to have them for a fellow pilot as well as a male? Intolerable! Just wipe out
those thoughts and concentrate.
Heero wrapped his fingers around the elastic band of the black silk boxers. Were as they
would probably be rich and silky, the water had drenched out their flare. With a deep
breath, he quickly pulled the boxers off of Duo and put them into the pile with the other
clothing. Just concentrate… concentrate… oh fuhuuhuck.
He couldn't resist. He drowned in the glory that was a nude Duo Maxwell. His eyes started
at the top and did a complete diagnosis.
There was the perfectly sculptured heart shaped face. Every bit as smooth looking as soft.
Duo's sturdy neck connecting to a chiseled chest that was rising and falling with each
intake of breath. Duo's lean stomach and abdomen. Heero could see the muscle even when
some of it was partly bandaged. Duo's ample hips, with tight trimness and small dimples.
Duo's wonderfully shaped manhood. Heero's eyes widened a bit. It was large, very large for
someone his age. Heero imagined how it might look with an erection.
NO! He had to stop. This was wrong… wasn't it? But it felt so good. Heero looked back
down at the limp member and felt a hot rush starting at his stomach and reaching to his
groin. Heero's own prize was becoming harder by the minute.
He was getting aroused by this?!
Heero looked away, he had to calm his body's reactions. Without looking back to the nude
boy, he pulled the covers over Duo's body right up to the bandaged abdomen.
There, now he wouldn't have to look at him anymore and he could finish cleaning his
wounds.
Heero unwound the old bandages and threw them in the wastebasket. He walked into the
bathroom that was linked to their bedroom and began rummaging for some rags in one of the
drawers.
Duo slowly opened one eye. He moaned a little. He was still in some amounts of pain. Maybe
running from Heero hadn't been the best idea he had ever had, but it sure felt worth it at
the time.
Heero. Where was Heero? He heard someone in the bathroom and saw light shooting out of the
tiny room and flowing onto the floor. He must be looking for something to clean my wounds
with.
His wounds, he had forgot all about them really. Sure, he felt the pain, but he hadn't
really registered that it was coming from the bullet wound in particular until now. His
hand ventured to where it was bandaged, only, there were no gauze there anymore. He
figured Heero had already unwrapped them. Duo felt a little twinge of coolness on his
body, must be the wet clothing.
Clothing?
Duo wiggled his feet. No boots, no socks. Duo brushed one leg against the other. No jeans.
Duo shifted his hips. No…
Duo gasped, he was totally naked! OK, calm down. That wasn't so bad. Of course it was
nothing Heero hadn't seen before. After all, they were both males. He didn't have anything
to be ashamed of.
Duo's thoughts were interrupted by Heero reentering the room. He looked up at Heero's face
and Heero froze mid-step for a moment and then resumed his path to the bed, wet rag and
fresh gauze in hand.
"You're awake."
Duo snorted. It seemed Heero's questions and statements were getting more and more obvious
every time he spoke.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Not really." Duo said hazily. Even if he was in a lot of pain, he wasn't going
to let Heero know that.
Duo subconsciously raised his arms and threaded them behind his head. Duo felt a slight
draft as the blanket slid down a little further at this movement. He knew it hadn't
revealed anything, but it was pretty close to falling below the comfort zone. Duo was glad
Heero was immersed in fixing the wound and didn't see the falling blanket or his slight
blush.
Out of the corner of Heero's eye, he could definitely tell the blanket was slipping below
Duo's hips, but said nothing about it. He even pretended he didn't see it. After all,
Heero had already seen everything, and frankly, Duo had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Nothing at all.
Heero scolded himself and tried to focus on the task at hand. Heero carefully cleaned the
wound, applied some salve, and then put new wrappings on. Heero stood up and looked at
Duo's face.
"Finished."
Duo touched the new gauze lightly with his fingertips.
"Thanks, man."
Heero nodded and carried the med kit back into the bathroom, turning the light out as he
exited it.
The lightening cracked and the lights flickered again.
Heero took the kit Trowa had given him and placed it on his own bed. He then walked over
to the closet, extracting some dry clothes for himself.
Duo looked outside and then to the dancing lights above.
"It's getting pretty bad, huh?"
Heero laid blue boxers, dry jeans, and a white tee shirt out on his bed before turning to
Duo.
"Trowa said there's a tornado heading on this direction. He gave me some essentials
in that kit," he pointed to the plastic box on the bed "and said when it got
really bad we were to evacuate to the basement."
Duo nodded.
Heero slipped out of his wet clothing with his back facing Duo. It took every bit of
strength Duo had not too look over in that direction and watch the boy dress. It had never
bothered him before when Heero changed in his presence, why was it now?
After what seemed like ages, Heero was fully dressed and turned back to Duo who was
obviously trying his best to stare blankly at the ceiling. Duo looked over at Heero.
"But you don't think it will actually get that bad, do you?"
Before Heero could even answer, another loud rumble sounded in their ears and the lights
blinked once… twice… then complete darkness.
Duo spoke through the total dark.
"Um, I guess that answers my question."
"Hn."
* * *
Wufei stumbled blindly through the dark. He couldn't
find it anywhere. Where had he sat it before the lights went out?
"Aha! Found it!"
A 'click' was heard as Wufei turned on the flashlight and shined it around the room. Trowa
was standing by the coffee table and Quatre was still glued to the couch.
"Bring it here, Wufei."
Trowa held out his hand and Wufei shined it in his direction. Moving the path of the light
to the floor to ensure he didn't knock or trip over anything, he moved in the direction of
the green eyed boy.
"Here."
Trowa placed the flashlight under his chin and reached into his pocket, pulling out a
matchbox. He took out three matches and lit three candles sitting on the table while still
gripping the flashlight with his chin. He took the flashlight out and placed it in his
right hand. Then, one at a time he took a candle and strategically placed them in places
that caused the whole living room to have a healthy glow. He walked over to the kitchen
entrance and lit on more. Now it was very clear to see every nook and cranny in the
powerless room. Well, almost every nook and cranny.
Wufei yawned. He was rather sleepy, and now any activities he may have involved himself in
would be cut off by the absence of light and electricity.
"I'm taking a nap. Wake me if it gets really bad."
Trowa nodded and handed the Chinese pilot the flashlight.
"Take this. You'll need it."
Wufei nodded his head in thanks and headed up to his room right at the top of the stairs.
Trowa waited until he heard the audible sound of Wufei's door shutting, and then walked
over to the table placed at the center of the room. He picked up a small radio and checked
the back to see if the batteries he had put in there earlier were securely inside. He sat
the radio back down and flicked it on. He searched the channels until he found a station
giving a weather report.
Quatre sighed. Alone at last. Trowa looked over at him still sitting on the couch. Quatre
quietly beckoned Trowa with his hand, patting it on the empty space beside him. Trowa
obediently made his way across the room and snuggled up next to the Sandrock pilot. Quatre
wrapped his arms around his lover and gave him a quick peck on the forehead.
* * *
The darkness was disturbing. Heero hated the darkness.
There was always something about it he didn't like. He liked the reassurance the light
gave you. You knew where you were going, and you knew what you were doing. Heero's life
was based upon tangibility, things he could rely and count on. In the dark, there was
nothing you could be sure of. There wasn't anything really tangible, and you could never
find you way. You were always left groping for some path in the darkness. All his life he
had based everything around a set course and plan. That required light to guide you. No he
didn't like the dark at all.
Duo's eyes adjusted quickly to the absence of light. Black, utter darkness, something he
had grown to be a part of. Duo found himself drawn to the darkness since his youth. The
dark helped you to hide in an alley from watchful eyes. The dark let you escape from an
angered merchant you had just stole a mere apple from in order to survive. The dark helped
you drown out the visions of a crumbling church and a dying dream. Duo disliked the light.
It was so pure and untainted, nothing like he is. The light was bold and bright, no where
to run, no where to hide. 'I run, I hide, I never lie.' It was hard to do that in the
light. But most of all he enjoyed the dark because you never knew what surprises hid
around the corner.
A faint click sounded in Duo's ear and he turned to where the sound had originated. He saw
a beam of light shooting through the darkness. For a brief moment, Duo compared the bright
beam to his thermal Deathscythe blade in his mind. Man, was he in need of a vacation.
Heero shined the flashlight at Duo, causing him to raise his hands in a shield manner.
"Are you all right?"
Duo's eyes burned.
"I will be when you stop shining that damned light in my eyes."
Heero immediately shone the beam to the floor. Duo could hear the regret in his partner's
almost hushed voice.
"Gomen."
Duo sighed mentally. Heero sure was moody tonight. Better to change the subject.
"Oi, Heero, How about some candles or something? Did Trowa happen to pack any?"
Duo's only answer was a match scraping to light and touching the tip of a candle sat
strategically in between the two beds on the night stand. Heero shut off the flashlight
and stuffed it back into the box.
"Not going to leave it on?"
"We need to conserve batteries." Heero stated matter of factly.
"What about another candle? One candle isn't much light you know."
"We may need these to last all night. We can't waste anything."
So like the perfect soldier. Duo didn't care about conserving supplies or rationing light.
There was something about being in the middle of a storm, completely naked, with no light,
and a moody Heero Yuy he found… unnerving. Duo shifted in the bed. If nothing else,
the extra light would have comforted him in some strange amount.
Duo sighed loudly this time. It was going to be a long night.
* * *
Heero sighed loudly. This was one damned long night. It
had already been one hour by his wristwatch sitting on the table, and the silence was
driving him insane. Duo hadn't spoken in what seemed like ages, and Heero hadn't ventured
to start a conversation on his own. He's never this quiet. He must be asleep.
'Boy, am I glad he's sleep.' Duo thought. 'I thought I might actually have to keep up some
kind of conversation all night.' Duo was good, but not that good. Even the God of Death
needed a break now and then. But he had to admit, not hearing his voice in so long was
strange. Duo had grown used to the sound of his own mellow tone in rants of chatter.
Although Heero was asleep, he had to do something, the silence was driving him insane.
So, he did something.
"Some where there's speaking
It's already coming in
Oh and it's rising at the back of your mind
You never could get it
Unless you were fed it
Now you're here and you don't know why"
Duo sang sweetly and softly into the dark. His eyes were clasped shut and he was leaning
against the headboard. He slowly folded his arms over his bare chest.
'Duo can sing?!' was the first thought that registered into Heero's mind. The second one
was why was Duo singing? Realizing that Duo must have thought him sleeping, he let the
boy's sung words seep into his head. The words seemed to contain a familiar ring to his
ears. Heero closed his eyes and let the beautiful sound grip his soul.
"But under skinned knees and the skid marks
Past the places were you used to learn
You howl and listen
Listen and wait for the
Echoes of angels who won't return"
Heero felt light headed and dizzy. Was it Duo's words or just his voice that was making
him feel so alive? Mindlessly Heero wondered if the song he had chosen had some kind of
fleeting meaning to it. But Heero couldn't shake the feeling that the words were so close
to him.
"He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be
He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why"
Duo stopped. The words themselves were almost enough to bring him to tears. He didn't
think he could finish the song, even if no one was listening. He knew the song was
ancient, something he had dug up in old library sound files many years ago. When Duo had
first heard the song in that lonely, empty study building, he instantly felt an urge to
play it over, and over, and over. He made it his business to memorize the tune and the
words. He thought that the words had some special uncloaked meaning to them.
"Please continue."
Duo would have jumped out of his skin if it were possible. He opened his eyes and strained
to look across the room to the other bed. The occupant was looking tenderly at him, with
eyes that were asking for completion. Duo shivered. How long had he been listening?
"You're… you're awake?"
"I was awake the whole time, Duo."
Duo felt a lump form in his throat. Was it getting hot in the room? He watched in wonder
as Heero rolled off his own bed and sat down beside Duo on his. Duo remained against the
headboard with his arms still neatly folded over his chest. He didn't know what to say. He
didn't know what to do.
"Finish the song, Duo."
Ok, that was one option. The lump in Duo's throat got bigger and he swallowed dry air,
pushing it down. Duo racked his brain. He wasn't sure if he could even remember the words
now. Feeling his face get hot under Heero's icy stare, he closed his eyes again. There was
no escape. Heero had him in a corner, he might as well just subdue.
"You're waiting for someone
To put you together
You're waiting for someone
To push you away"
Heero laid his back down across Duo's legs. Somewhere he heard himself say he hoped all
the angels in Heaven could sing like this.
"There's always another
Wound to discover
There's always something more
You wish he'd say"
Heero looked at his callused hands. His fingertips were tingling and his whole body felt a
little numb. Heero's mind sorted and processed each phrase Duo sang, clinging to every
word. The meanings flushed over him with understanding, with familiarity.
"But you'll just sit tight
And watch it unwind
It's only what you're asking for
And you'll be just fine
With all of your time
It's only what you're waiting for"
Heero winced a little in the dark. That last phrase really hit home. Heero could relate
with every word Duo was spewing forth.
"Out of the island
Into the highway
Past the places where
You might have turned
You never did notice
But you still hide away
The anger of angels
Who won't return"
Duo's mouth was getting dry and sour. He hadn't actually sang for anyone since his days
with Sister Helen. Realizing the song was almost over, he pushed on.
"He's everything you want
He's everything you need
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be
He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why
I am everything you want
I am everything you need
I am everything inside of you
That you wish you could be
I say all the right things
At exactly the right time
But I mean nothing to you and
I don't know why"
Heero wanted to release a tear so bad it hurt. He'd never cried before, not really, and he
didn't think he was capable of the action. The words were beautiful, just like Duo's
voice. The last chorus echoed through his mind. 'But I mean nothing to you and I don't
know why'. Oh Duo, you meant so much to him. So much he wasn't sure what it was.
Heero reached over and laid his hand on Duo's shoulder. Duo looked up, half expecting
Heero to laugh or make some ill comment about his singing.
"Thank you, Duo."
Duo looked at the hand resting on his shoulder.
"You're welcome, Heero."
Heero sat up and was mere inches away from Duo's face. It was close, very close. Duo
searched his eyes, trying to register what his intent may be.
"Why didn't you tell me you could sing?"
Duo shrugged his shoulders.
"You never asked. It's not something I tend to broadcast to the world you know. I'm
very self conscious about it. The only people I ever sung for where the church folk. That
way I knew if I ever sounded really lousy, at least they would be kind enough not to point
it out to me. It's one of those things you don't really share with people."
Heero covered Duo's mouth with his hand.
"Duo, you're babbling."
Duo sighed from underneath the hand.
"Mri Mrow."
Heero raised his eyebrow.
"What?"
Duo casually removed Heero's hand by the wrist.
" I said… I know."
Without warning, everything got dark. Duo looked to where the single shard of light had
been. Duo's mind started to panic. He released Heero's wrists and scooted farther back
against the headboard. Heero hadn't budged a bit.
"Um… Heero?"
"Hai?"
Heero's breath brushed against Duo's lips and realized that Heero had indeed budged some.
He was much closer. Dangerously close.
"The candle burnt out."
"So?"
Duo tried to speak, but Heero's warmth was embracing his face. He knew Heero's lips were
hanging right in front of his. What was Heero doing? Shit, why not ask him yourself?
"Heero, what the Hell are you doing?"
"Is that all your mouth is good for?"
Duo was hurt, what did he mean?
"Huh?"
"Talking. Is that the only thing your mouth is good for."
Duo snorted. No, it was good for singing, and eating, and smiling, and kissing… uh
ohh. Did he just say kissing? Suddenly he had a vague inclination about where Heero was
going with this.
"Why don't you find out…?"
The voice was barely above a whisper. 'Wait- oh my gawd! That was my voice! I said that
out loud!' Duo's mind began racing. How could he have blurted something out like that!?
What was he trying to prove to himself, to Heero, here? He didn't really want Heero to
take his challenge, or did he?
"Heero?"
Heero couldn't stand it anymore. He barely pushed forward. His lips brushed across Duo's
lightly, just a butterfly kiss. He could hear Duo's startled gasp. Suddenly, Heero's body
felt numb again and his mind was a haze. All he could find was a tiny voice repeating
"more, more!" in his head.
And Heaven forbid the perfect soldier disobey an order.
* * *