Authors: Deathangelgw and Sarit
Disclaimer: we don’t own the boys, but boy are we gonna have
fun with them!!!
Warnings: AU, shounen-ai, angst, sap, fluff, yaoi, lemon!!
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: and now to the good stuff…hinted 2x5x2 and for
certain 3x4x1 *purrs*
Note: Whoa...forever and a day in posting! Enjoy and please
review!!
‘thoughts’
Running his fingers through his blond hair, Quatre stretched
as he left the courthouse. A small
frown was on his face as he descended the stairs, briefcase in hand.
He could see his friends and lovers waiting for him at the bottom of the
stairs. He sighed; things were not
going to be easy if they wished to adopt Shaina, even with his connections.
Heero looked over as he heard the sigh, noting Trowa's
observant gaze tracking the blond as he came down to them. They had started the
proceedings so they could adopt Shaina and all had high hopes. Trowa, Heero, and
Duo had joined up with the Preventers, finding themselves actually enjoying
themselves in what Wufei had termed 'overly glorified cops' positions.
Wufei glanced up at Quatre, his eyes soft with hope. "Well?
How'd it go?"
"It went well, considering." Quatre gave them a smile, though
he couldn't suppress another sigh.
"We have a lot against us, but also a lot going for us."
"Why don't you tell us what is against us so that the good
stuff seems better?" Wufei said wryly as Trowa reached over and took Quatre's
hand, lacing their fingers together. Heero's face blanked as he hid his
emotions.
"Of course." Quatre squeezed Trowa's hand, taking Heero's in
his own and doing the same thing.
"It's pretty much what we expected.
They're concerned over Shaina being with a single, gay couple.
But I think the fact that Shaina responds to Heero will make all the
difference."
"Do you think?" Trowa asked quietly as he rubbed Heero's back.
Heero looked bleakly at them both, filled with worry and remorse.
"Anything else, Quatre?" Wufei asked as he leaned into Duo.
"They don't know about all of us living together, do they?"
"No. I managed to
keep that from them, at least for now." Quatre admitted, squeezing Heero's hand
tightly. "I'm not going to lie.
There is a lot against us.
The biggest thing, I think, will be the fact there is no female role model for
Shaina when she moves in with us."
"Well...can't we use Sally or someone else as one?!" Duo
asked, frowning thoughtfully. Maybe
Hilde would be willing...
"We could always ask. I mean...Shaina was responding to her as
well." Wufei said thoughtfully as he caressed Duo's hand.
"Let's get home and discuss this. I believe we also have to
clean house a bit for Shaina's visit tomorrow, yes?" Trowa said with a smile as
Heero smiled softly and nodded.
"That's right!" Duo grinned, bouncing excitedly as he hugged
Wufei impulsively. "It'll be fun
having her over for once!"
"True..." Quatre blinked, and then smirked.
"And I may have just thought of a way to make sure they see just how much
good Shaina does with Heero."
"What are you thinking, Quatre?" Wufei asked, suddenly
concerned as he gazed at his friend.
Heero looked at Quatre, eyes impassive as he waited for the
pronouncement from his lover.
Quatre smirked, winking.
"Why don't we show the court just how well Heero does with Shaina?
If they see how much she responds to him, compared to others, they'll
have to admit that she would be better off with him, as opposed to someone
else."
"Iiee...." Heero's voice was soft, almost blank with both fear
and worry. "Iiee, Quatre..."
"Why not, Heero?" Trowa asked quietly as Wufei stared at Heero
in surprise.
"I don't want them to see me with her!! I don't want her to
worry that that's all we'll have to deal with!" Heero said, sounding more upset
as he spoke.
"Heero, I wasn't proposing anything horrible.
Perhaps just having them there when we go visit at the orphanage...or we
could even video tape it." Quatre frowned thoughtfully, gazing at Heero with a
slight frown. What was making his
lover so upset? "Heero, it would be
done in such a way Shaina wouldn't know they were there or what it was
about...wouldn't that be all right?"
Duo frowned, gazing at his friend.
Why was Heero so adamant against this?
If it worked, they'd be able to take Shaina home with them!
"You can't guarantee it, Quatre...." Heero whispered softly,
and then looked away, closing his eyes tightly as a tear slipped down. He ran
down the sidewalk, escaping them as he trembled.
"Heero!" Trowa called out, and then sighed softly. "What is
wrong...." He whispered softly.
"It's almost like....he's afraid of being observed. Perhaps he
thinks that if he knows he's being watched he'll mess up or something." Wufei
said with a frown.
"I don't know but I'm going to go find out." Quatre said
softly before handing his briefcase to Duo.
"We'll meet you guys later. I'll go talk to him."
"Wait...Quatre. Let's let him go for a bit." Trowa said
quietly as he took Quatre's hand. "He knows he can come to us, but something
else is bothering him. I think it might be the past." He said softly, eyes
worried.
"But then it would be better if someone was with him so he
would know that we are worried about him and there for him, yes?" Wufei asked in
confusion.
Quatre frowned at Trowa, equally confused.
"But, shouldn't someone be with him that can help him with working
through his past? He shouldn't be
alone to deal with that."
"Not everything can be fixed with us there and he might just
need to be alone." Trowa said softly as he looked down.
"I think we shouldn't leave him...Duo. Why don't you go and be
with him?" Wufei suddenly said, smirking slightly as he gazed at his lover.
Duo narrowed his eyes, gazing at his lover.
Did Wufei realize just what he was asking of him?
"Why me?"
Quatre was wondering the same thing.
Why, of all of them, would Wufei suggest Duo?!
Trowa cocked an eyebrow in surprise as Wufei smiled softly at
Duo. "You'd be the best, love...you can just talk to him like you talk to me."
He said lovingly.
Crossing his arms, Duo all but glared at his lover.
"Fine. But you owe me for
this one, Wufei."
"I know love...I know." Wufei said softly as he smiled gently
at his lover. Trowa blinked in surprise. Was there something that wasn't shown
all the time??
Shaking his head, Duo sighed.
Leaning over, he gave a peck to Wufei's cheek, then stuck his hands in
his pockets and headed after Heero.
Quatre blinked, shaking his head.
"Uh...okay. Well, let’s get
back before Shaina starts to worry about us."
Wufei chuckled softly as he headed for their car, confident.
Trowa cocked his other eyebrow and looked at his lover. "I think that we don't
have to worry, ne?"
"We'll see." Quatre sighed, linking his arm with Trowa's.
He gave his lover a sad smile, and then followed after Wufei.
Trowa smiled softly back and nodded in encouragement as they
followed Wufei. Hopefully, things would work...
With his hands in his pockets, Duo headed in the direction
that Heero had gone. He hoped that
he'd be able to help his friend, though he felt very apprehensive about sharing
his past with anyone, even Wufei, let alone Heero.
Heero didn't react as he sat in the park in the swing. He
stared unseeingly at the ground as he slowly swung back and forth, lost in his
own thoughts...or memories.
Stopping for a moment, Duo gazed at his friend.
He closed his eyes, and then gave a wry smile.
Out of everyone, he knew that he was probably the only one out of them
that could help Heero.
Sighing softly, Heero hugged the chains closer to him as he
swung silently. His eyes were shadowed, sad and filled with fear.
Gazing at his friend sadly, Duo went over and sat down in the
other swing. He gazed up at the sky
in thought. "It's hard, isn't it?
The past always seems to come and haunt us."
Nodding silently, Heero sighed and curled up slightly. He toed
the ground as he said quietly, "I just...don't know what to do, Duo." He
whispered softly, sadly.
"I know. It's
hard. The past always seems to want
to hurt us when we least expect it." Duo tilted his head, turning to gaze at
Heero thoughtfully. "You're afraid,
aren't you?"
Nodding silently, Heero gripped the chains slightly before
relaxing. "If...they watch us...they'll just take notes...then change the
program so I can't be with her, Duo. That's what always happens." He whispered
softly, resignedly.
Frowning, Duo gazed at Heero thoughtfully.
"Is that what Dr. J would do, Heero?
Take notes and then make you change something about yourself?"
Hesitating, Heero stared at the bark he was toeing before
nodding sadly. "It was standard procedure. Observe and change. Change scenario,
observe, then change program and perimeters." His voice said flatly, hiding any
of his pain.
"Heero..." Duo reached out, lifting Heero's chin to gaze into
his eyes. "This isn't a lab, Heero.
No one will make you change if you do not want to."
"Yes they will, Duo..." Heero said quietly, but his eyes were
filled with turmoil and despair. "They will...they'll take everything away
because we don't...we don't follow perimeters." He whispered, his voice
cracking.
"Well, to hell with the perimeters!" Duo growled, his blue
eyes flashing with anger. "This
isn't a lab, Heero! Once they see
just how much of a wonderful father you will be to Shaina, no one could fault
you for anything." He looked down, sighing.
"I've never followed the 'perimeters' in my life.
I've always gone the way of the rebel, the outcast."
"Demo...that's who you are, Duo. You're...you fight life and
fate. I....I can't." Heero said softly as he looked back down, hugging the
chains closer to him as he gazed bleakly at the ground.
"Yes, you can...and do." Duo moved off the swing, then knelt
in front of Heero. Taking his
friend's hands in his own, he squeezed them gently.
"Heero, ever since I've known you, all you've ever done was fight.
Do you want them to take Shaina away from you?"
Shaking his head as he gazed hopelessly at Duo, Heero found
himself sniffling. He sobbed softly and lunged at Duo, hugging him tightly.
"Don't let them take her away!" He cried out, shaking.
"I won't, Heero. I
promise I won't." Duo hugged Heero back just as tightly, trying to soothe his
friend. "I know you love her very
much, we can all see that. Just as
we all know you will make a wonderful father to her, Heero.
You just have to have faith in yourself."
"If they watch...Duo I don't want them to. I don't want Shaina
to see that. I don't want any of you to see that..." Heero whispered softly as
he held onto his dear friend.
"To see what, my friend?
What would we see?" Duo asked softly, trying to get to bottom of all
this. "What are you afraid of us
seeing?"
"Me...failing," Heero whispered after a minute of silence.
"I...I don't want to fail you or her anymore. I don't...I don't want to lose you
and they'll take you all away if they watched us. They don't care...they don't
care at all what we'd feel! It's all about perimeters!" He cried, shaking with
his pent-up emotions.
"Heero, that's not true." Duo hugged his friend tightly,
feeling for him. He knew what it was
like to be the outcast. "No one will
take you from us, I swear. They
won't take Shaina either." He looked into Heero's eyes, his own blue eyes filled
with pain. "I lost some very
important people in my life, and I'll be damned if I let you or anyone else in
my life be taken away from me."
"Duo?" Heero's eyes were filled with sorrow as he gazed at his
friend, seeing and almost feeling Duo's pain. He clutched at Duo's arms and
nodded firmly, his face firming with resolve. "Hai...Hai I won't lose you...any
of you. Not anymore." He whispered softly, firmly.
"That's right. We
won't lose anyone anymore. We're too
strong for that." Duo whispered softly, gazing at his friend with shadowed eyes.
"So what are you going to do, Heero?"
Slowly, Heero brought his hand up and cupped Duo's cheek,
smiling softly. "Fight." He whispered softly, and then hugged his friend
tenderly. He'd seen Duo's soul and knew then that he could live as long as he
had them all with him.
"Good. Because I'd
hate to have to kick your ass." Duo grinned, returning the hug tightly.
He pulled back, and then winked at his friend.
"Come one. I know of a little
girl that will be most happy to see you."
"Hai. Arigato...Duo." Heero whispered softly as he smiled
gently at his friend. "Arigato...for being my friend."
"You are most welcome.
I should be thank you in turn for being mine." Duo smiled at his friend,
squeezing his hand. "Come on, let's
go."
"Hai. I'll always be there for you, Duo. Even if I didn't show
it in the past," Heero said quietly as he got up and looked away sadly.
"Oh, hush now. I
always knew you did." Duo smiled lightly, lifting Heero's chin up and smiling at
him. "Don't worry about it, okay?
We're friends, that's all that matters."
Nodding sharply, Heero smiled softly. "Let's go. I miss her
and them already," he said with a smile before grabbing Duo's hand and walking
off.
Smiling, Duo bounced to his feet.
Grinning, he trotted after Heero, feeling very happy.
He'd done what he'd set out to do and his friend was feeling better
because of it.
TBC
