Gundam Wing/AC 1. ch 1: Chance and Charity

"Catch Me When I Fall"

Chapter 1: Chance and Charity

PG-13

1x2

I do not own Gundam or anything of the characters mentioned.

* * *

Early evening peeked out from behind the controlled cloud-filled skies. The sun shone orange and lit the concrete with a surreal glow of fire, fuelled by the light wind that sent litter scratching along the ground and caused the sparse trees, lit from behind by the demonic glow, to sway in eternal affliction. Wrappers flit by hiking-boot clad feet, causing them to stop and allow the owner to pick up the offending object. Slim hands lifted the garbage to his face; tendons beneath the slight cover of flesh cast overly dark shadows across the valleys of his hand. Cobalt eyes wrinkled slightly and the man sighed slightly, shoving the garbage into his pocket to dispose of later. The slums were bad enough off, even without the litter. 

He was just following the routine that he'd made for himself only a week back. His arrival at L2 had sent him searching for stability, organization, and cleanliness: the three things that L2 were in great want for. When the man had stepped off the shuttle and wandered out into the streets. There had been orphans running past and under his feet, bumping into him at every corner. Each encounter sent him immediately searching for his wallet and each time he shot off after the homeless children, cornering them, and reclaiming his money. Despite his frustration, the man allowed his pity to take a hand, so he always found himself leaving them with enough for something to fill their stomachs. Regrettably, his charity had greatly exhausted his funds and made him particularly late to meet up with the owner of the apartment he was renting.

That was one thing that L2 did have: a lower price of living, despite the drastically increasing rate of insurance and medical bills. Doctors could catch a high price, since medical care was still in such high demand. Then again, by the looks of the war-torn colony there was no real question as to why. Even still, his own company, being Earth-based, would be willing to pay him well for the trouble of moving to such a stricken war ground. Nobody else had been willing to face the wreckage.

After he'd managed to wake the owner and move in however, the man was having severe doubts as to whether or not he could manage to stay for the full duration of his trip. Exhausted and quite a bit short on money, he'd collapsed into bed and fallen directly to sleep.

It wasn't until the walk home from the office the next week that his mood had brightened. The streets, eerily quiet, whispered of nothing but absence. No one dared wander the streets so close to dark. He'd turned into the back roads and cut through the darker area of the colony. At first he'd thought to ease into the silence and take advantage of it to lighten the tension of his shaky nerves. However as he tried to relax his shoulders, a chill ran up his spine and tensed all of the muscles in his back far worse than they had been previously. He usually wasn't one to trust his instincts; the need for reasoning often pushed petty emotions from view, but something about this particular feeling of interest, curiosity… danger… he couldn't keep himself from looking up.

A man stood casually on the corner, chewing on what seemed to be a bagel, a paper grocery bag in the hand hanging at his side. At first the businessman had been sceptical. The man on the corner could very well be a drunk. He had a paper bag. Who asked for paper bags if whatever was in the bag wasn't supposed to be seen? Paper on the colonies was expensive enough to not ask for it frivolously. Then again, as the man finished his bite and flipped his long, chestnut braid over his shoulder to brush against the back of his tightly-clothed thighs, he reached into the bag to pull out a small red wrapper and opened it, popping small, brightly-coloured tablets into his mouth.

Candy. The bag was filled with candy. As the man approached a young boy sped around the corner and stopped at the booted feet of the braided man. The child fought to catch his breath before telling the elder something and, to the businessman's surprise, the lean man on the corner handed the child the grocery bag with a smile brightening his face, mouth just slightly too wide, but only enough to add the burst of character into his cheeks and mischievous eyes. The child grinned and nodded before speeding down the road. Cobalt eyes had eagerly watched the trail the boy had followed to catch a glimpse of the man at the corner as he passed, locking gazes only long enough for the braided man to wink and pop another coloured tablet into his mouth before turning down the alleyway behind him, not showing a single sign of discomfort or fear of the darkened, dangerous corners deep within the cavernous mouth.

After that, the businessman had made sure to alter his original plans of taking the safer main roads home to the back streets in hopes of catching another glimpse of the braided image taunting him within the confines of his mind. However, since then he'd seen neither hide nor hair of the man. The businessman stood at the corner of the main road and the alluring alleys on a later subsequent day and asked himself quietly, "Heero, what is this going to accomplish…?" But still he'd given into temptation and followed the dirty concrete into the slums.

Today, however, the road wasn't quite so silent. Upon nearing the corner where he'd seen the braided man, shouts immediately rose to his ears. He grit his teeth together and tightly closed his eyes, fighting off the feeling of impending heroics and the want to rush forward and step into whatever it was that was happening. There was no sense to it. Sure, Heero was very fit, trained to protect the people of the colonies just as well as the Earth armies rising to prevent the colonial rebellion, perhaps even more so. That didn't mean that it would be smart to step in and settle a conflict that didn't involve him in the least, so he resolved to keep walking, but, steeling a glance into the alley, the motion of a far less casually dressed man caught his eye. The braid was held firmly in hand of a man twice Heero's own size and the familiar lithe figure twisted to pull out of the firm grip but only fell into the rough handlings of another thug in the circle. He jumped up and spun to face each of them individually and sighed heavily.

"Well, looks like I've got no choice but to take on all of you." He shrugged and slid a dress-shoed foot back to help him maintain balance. "It's too bad. I wouldn't want to ruin all your pretty faces." The tenor of his voice forced Heero to take a step towards the situation, but he immediately stopped. Pointless. This was pointless! He had no clue who this man was or what his problems were and to assume familiarity and the responsibility to involve himself were far from sensible, perhaps wavering on suicidal. But as he moved to turn, the image of that casually welcoming, mischievous face bloodied and fighting to breathe caused a lump to form in his throat.

Heero sighed. It seemed that fate had it in for him to rekindle his emotions. By the time he looked up again, the thugs had set into the braided man and although they landed far more frequent heavier blows, the lean man's speedy almost messy looking assaults had still put a few men out of commission. For a moment Heero thought that perhaps the man could take care of himself and was tempted to turn away again, but as he took thought to action he caught sight of the largest man fisting the braid once more and swinging so that the man connected to it flew face-first into the rough, crumbling brick wall.

The large man leaned in and ground the braided man's head against the stone. Heero grit his teeth together and sent himself flying, colliding with the muscled skinhead with a solid impact. He stared with cold eyes down on the man, hands clenching together at his sides. Sending a side-long glance to the coughing braided man, he decided that he was glad he'd stepped in, but the thug was working to stand again and a laugh rose up from his throat. "I don't know who you are, kid, but you made a big mistake getting involved."

Heero's brows furrowed and icy cobalt eyes locked onto the much taller man. Fury was rising into his chest, heating his body with adrenaline. Using it to fuel his body rather than cause the muscles to shake, he took a step forward. "I advise you to leave." He growled, feeling the death glare creeping into his eyes as his vehemence rose to overflow in them. His accent was apparent, albeit slight against the L2 common.

At first curious, then amused, a smile began to spread over the large man's face. "It looks like we've made the Asian mad, boys. 'I adbize yoo to reeve.'" He exaggerated before erupting into laughter. "Go back home and have your mommy teach you Kung foo, kid."

This was one of the reasons he didn't usually speak. Even the slightest lilt in his voice stirred up controversy and in the kind of work he was in, that didn't do well. The only thing left to do was to take care of things his own way. He relaxed momentarily before sending his elbow into the guffawing man's diaphragm then snapping the move into an uppercut, throwing the large man's head backwards before moving into a roundhouse to send him to the ground, gasping for air. "Get up."

The man pushed the upper half of his body from the ground and wiped the blood from his lip. He chuckled. "Ya' nicked me, kid. Is that _honourable_?"

Heero grit his teeth together. "Is it honourable to rely on others to fight your battles for you?" He glanced at the increasingly angry men circling around him. "You hide behind them to make yourself feel strong. You hide behind your muscles to make yourself happy. Everything is about hiding and it's not honourable to lie to anyone, including yourself."

The man was sneering now, the amusement completely erased from his face. "Who do you think you are? You fight battles for others and then you preach about your honour like you follow it every step of the way." He pushed himself off the ground and worked his way back into the circle. "Let's teach him about _our_ honour."

Immediately the circle rushed in, throbbing around him in a wave of slow-moving fists. Heero ducked and punched when necessary to clear himself from the group. He caught sight of the largest man standing with his arms crossed and the same smug look marred his already scarred face. A weight pressed against his back and he very nearly spun to increase his power in that direction, but a casual tenor floated low among the sounds to his ears. "They don't understand the difference between hierarchy and comradery." Heero nodded and moved into the mass of people, weaving in and out, landing blows where he could, seeing the braided man doing the same beside him. There was an empty area to the wall behind the smug leader and Heero immediately went for it, running the wall three steps before back flipping off, elbow aimed directly for the leader's head and with the impact, the man went down, immediately unconscious.

The braided man was joining him, chest heaving. A smile crossing his face as the few remaining thugs dispersed. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it…." He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by a series of violent coughs that sent him to the ground. Heero was not far behind, nervously kneeling next to the braided youth. Eventually the man waved him away and attempted to catch his breath. "It's okay. I'm just sick."

Heero turned away for a moment. "You shouldn't be outside, then," he mused, trying to be vocal about his worry, but the sentence sounded much more like an accusation.

"C'mon man, what happened to all that articulate talk?" He looked up to Heero and smiled, but Heero merely stared, mouth agape. The braided man's smile faltered and he broke eye contact, only to find that Heero was still staring. "W—What?"

Catching himself, Heero looked away from the shockingly dark violet eyes that he'd counted as blue when they'd met the first time. "Nothing… We should get you somewhere safe. They may come back."

The man nodded. "Yeah. Probably." He pushed himself from the ground and offered his hand for Heero to pull himself up. "My name's Duo Maxwell."

Accepting the hand, Heero pulled himself up. "Yuy Heero."

"Heero, then," Duo accepted as he turned away. "Let's find that safe place you were talking about."

* * *

Sun setting, the same warm, surreal light drifted in through the open windows surrounding the second story flat. The harsh glare was easily softened by the long, sheer drapes that reached to the floor with the window's expansive plane. The dimmed evening light poured over deep garnet furniture and reflected the heavy-wood legs of chairs and stools in the scuffed wooden floors. Upon entrance, Duo whistled to himself and Heero took a second thought to the detail, realizing only now, so long after his arrival that the trees were a scarce trade product, especially in such a war-stricken land. He slid out of his jacket and loosened the tie around his neck and discarded it-- sneering when he saw the distasteful snag on the front-- over the back of the couch. 

"Make yourself comfortable," Heero advised as casually as he could, removing his shoes at the doorway. "I'll be back. You need to get yourself cleaned up." When Duo looked up from examining the floors, the businessman realized that his guest hadn't noticed that he'd been hurt. "Once the adrenaline wears off, your face is going to start hurting."

At this the man nodded and Heero left him to his own devices. What was he thinking? Bringing a stranger into his house? What ever happened to the strictly reasonable Yuy? What ever happened to the emotionless Yuy? Unless it was work, nothing mattered, right? Precisely. However, if this was the case, why was it that this… Duo Maxwell had caught his attention so quickly? Heero looked down at the first aid kit, still without an answer. For all he knew, the man could be gone, having taken all of Heero's money while he was here, looking for the first aid kit. He exhaled. Somehow that didn't seem likely. With Duo's insistence on their temporary joining be a form of comradery, it didn't seem as though he had any intention of leaving without things being thoroughly finished.

Still, Heero couldn't help but doubt that his interaction had been for the best. Perhaps if he'd just watched from afar, Duo could have managed on his own. Heero shook his head since, again, the thought was unreasonable. There had been no other way. He took the first aid kit and padded back out into the living room where, to his relief, Duo was staring out the window. "If they followed us, they would have no problem finding you."

Duo exhaled and smiled, not even turning to look back at his host. "I'd see them coming. People don't usually look up, you know?" Without reply, Heero pulled up a stool from the counter and motioned for his guest to sit. Duo obliged, but continued to look out the window while Heero washed his scrapes. "It's been a long time since I've gotten to sit down and watch the sun set."

"Don't look too hard," Heero murmured in warning, "You'll go blind."

The braided man chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, L2 has UV protection built into the atmosphere. It's the one thing they did right here." He fell silent for a while, catching Heero's eye with his impossible stillness. When the businessman managed to finish putting away the materials, Duo had stood again and pulled himself away from the window, the final glimmers of golden light reflecting in sullen violet depths.

Heero watched him from the kitchen, eyeing his thoughtfully slow movements without comment. What was there to say to a person who was possibly just starting to suffer the effects of a rather serious head injury? Heero would have taken the man to the doctor, but the ungodly high prices for one were completely out of his budget, despite his company's best effort to provide him with adequate pay. "How are you feeling," he quested, figuring that it would be better to keep Duo in the real world rather than in the dream state he seemed to be creating for himself.

"Tired," the man replied, but shook his head. "Why _did_ you help be back there, anyway?" Heero looked up, but didn't reply. "I mean, I can't pay you for it, if that's what you want." Slim fingers worked at the collar of his shirt. The pale skin moved over slim digits and tendons like water. "That's why they were after me. I owed them money." As the buttons of his shirt slid free of their holes, the light fabric of his dress shirt slipped down the back of his shoulders revealing the base of his neck and top of his shoulder blades. Heero's brows furrowed at the singular bareness of the area, at the sexual current of his guest's disrobing. "Isn't it funny? When you're a kid, if you take money from people they'll just blame it on your upbringing and let you go, but as you get older people expect payment for everything that they do and interest for anything you borrow." He turned to Heero, continuing to speak as he walked towards him. "The funny part is I'm one of the kids, but I still got to work for everything I get. Being poor doesn't let you skip out on responsibilities; I got kids to take care of and I didn't have money for it. I can't let them starve just cause I don't _want to_ help them."

Heero caught himself staring directly into the man's eyes, violet accusation matching cobalt defence turn for turn. Duo cocked his head, only inches away from Heero's face. "I don't have money, but tell me what you want and I'll do it."

The businessman shook his head and backed away. Duo's appearance was far different on close observation than from afar. The man's sunken cheeks and shaded eyes proved his illness and exhaustion. Even if Heero had expected anything in return, he couldn't ask it of a man so stretched and poverty stricken. "People help people. I don't want anything from you."

Duo for a moment looked struck, "What do you mean? People here don't _do_ things without wanting something!" He laughed slightly. "You can't tell me that you went through all this trouble for free? You know, there are people who get paid to do that kinda stuff out here. You don't give away services for _free_."

"Life isn't something to be thrown away." Heero used the words, just as he'd been taught to so many years ago, but he was nothing but a walking contradiction to the very phrase that had led his way of life for so many years. "I don't consider that much of a service." A lie…

Duo moved to close in on the other man, but his chest seized up, throwing him into violent, spasmodic coughs. Heero rushed forward and held up the braided man as he rocked from the force of his sickness and when Duo's coughs subsided, helped him to the couch where he could sit down. Violet eyes followed Heero, confused, across the apartment to the closet where he produced a heavy blanket and carried it back to the sick man. Heero handed it to him, but Duo merely held it in his hand, shaking his head. "I don't understand. Why do you…"

"Because." Heero paused, looking back on Duo from the hallway. "No other reason." He sighed with a shake of his head. Duo would never understand… truthfully, Heero, himself had no answer to give and so could only vaguely explain. "You're sick. Get some rest while you can."

"And what if they find me again and I'm still not strong enough, Heero? What then? This'll all be pointless."

Duo seemed desperate for a secure answer as Heero turned off the lights. "Then I'll just have to be there again." He padded down the hallway, the entire apartment engulfed by the blue night, the sunset long forgotten.


	2. ch 2: Responsibility and Poverty

"Catch Me When I Fall"

Chapter 2: Responsibility and Poverty

PG-13

1x2

I do not own Gundam or anything of the characters mentioned.

* * *

Yoghurt. It stared up at him with shining pink near-gelatine formations and made wet noises when he replaced the spoon thoughtlessly. Heero hadn't wanted yoghurt that morning, nor did he want much of anything. However, the thought that the entire day before had been nothing but a dream drove him to select the same flavour of breakfast as he had in his "sleeping wanderings". He sighed and picked up the container only to drop it into the nearby waste bin, disgusted. Something about the morning was making him feel ill, out of place and overall restless. Had he actually seen Duo the night before? Heero ran a hand through his hair, scolding himself for being so childish as brushing off the bruises on his body from the fight as well as the proof from the folded blanket on his couch that Duo had, in fact been in his apartment. Still the surrealism of the situation and the uncharacteristic nature of the actions he had taken left him speechless. 

Duo had been right; people didn't help others without wanting something in return.

The image of Duo standing at the street corner, selflessly handing the paper bag to a small, orphaned child stuck barbs into the theory. Back when Heero had first seen him, Duo had been filled with such vitality that even from afar, Heero (who had never really liked people his entire life) felt drawn to him. That overly wide smile and comfort of motion was something that Heero had never seen in anyone before and when Heero had rushed in to defend that same individuality and opened up enough to offer help, Duo's smile had been absent. The businessman bit the inside of his lip slightly. He'd wanted to have a part of that smile but, without even thinking about it, had ended up erasing it.

It didn't matter, Heero decided after rinsing off the spoon that he'd been using and dropped it into the dishwasher, he'd probably never see Duo again anyway. He paused to stare at his hands under the running water. If he was never going to see the man again, why was he so hell bent on finding him and proving that not everyone wanted something? Slowly he turned off the water and picked up his coat from the sofa, slipping on his shoes at the door. He still had work.

Heero hoped he could focus enough to get it done.

* * *

For the next few days, Heero followed the same, expressionless back streets more from habit than in hopes of finding Duo again. After a long, unfocused day at the office, he'd managed to work himself back into the pessimistic mind frame that he'd never possibly see Duo again, much less on the same street. Lighting never struck the same place twice, after all and Duo was as close to human lighting as was possible. 

He'd gotten out of work late that night, the sun already long set under the edge of the colony. The shadows hovered just outside the lamplight and seemingly fought to get in so as to become a part of the life it displayed. Heero walked outside the lights, just as it had become habit for him to do. After all, there was no need to display oneself when the thieves wouldn't bother checking the shadows for victims. What civilian in their right mind would wander the back streets of the L2 slums in the shadows? Perhaps Heero wasn't in his right mind. He curled his lip at the thought. Perhaps he was hardly any different than the scum who wandered here beside him.

Passing by the corner store only blocks away from the back of his complex, Heero felt a form behind him and he slowed to a stop, the light footsteps behind him stopped as well for a moment before starting up again. He could feel the heat from the person's body, let it seep through the cold exterior of his coat as he forced his instincts to subside. Whoever this was, it wasn't something that Heero didn't handle on any other usual day. There were lips close to his ear, causing the businessman's hackles to rise, a tenor coo vibrated against the shell and sent a shiver down his spine. "Fancy seeing you here, stranger." The man chuckled slightly and circled around so that he was facing Heero. The silhouette against the streetlight revealed nothing but a thin frame and tied back hair. "What're you doing out this late at night, Heero?" This time the voice was more conversational, but the heavy L2 accent, now more audible caused Heero to listen closer.

"Duo?" When the silhouette shrugged, Heero let out his breath. "It's good to know that you're alright."

For a moment, Duo didn't respond and Heero strained to see his face in the shadows. "I can take care of myself, you know," he quipped when he realized that he hadn't spoken. "I'm not a kid, you don't have to watch out for me." At this the shape of his head ducked down slightly and looked to the side, away from Heero. Bells were ringing in the businessman's head, brows furrowing in doubt. He placed firm hands on Duo's shoulders and slowly walked him backwards into the globe of light, despite his hushed protests.

At first, Duo kept his face down, eyes covered by his bangs, but Heero's urging fingers forced him to look up, revealing a blackened eye and various untended lacerations. Duo forced a smile, seeing the disappointed worry in Heero's eyes. "C'mon, don't look at me like that. It's not like I didn't try."

Heero released him and shook his head. "What happened?" He asked, pulling Duo back into the safety of the shadows as they worked their way the couple of blocks towards Heero's flat.

"Work." Duo replied, hesitant to continue. He thought for a few moments, "The bastard didn't pay."

A sigh escaped Heero's lips, the stress weighing down on his shoulders just as it did his conscience. Where had _he_ been when Duo had needed him again? "So you followed him for it?" Duo's silence answered his question well enough. "I see…"

Duo gave a bitter laugh. "Anywhere else that would be considered rape, but here on L2, there's no such thing. People take what they want with no regards to others. If there's another Babylon, this is definitely it." He scoffed. "Not that God could divide people up much more than they are already: the rich, the poor… all the nationalities and genders and jobs… but it's just the money that matters in a place like this. There's just not enough to go around."

"Where are you staying?" Heero asked, only now thinking that Duo may not even have enough money for a roof and a bed, since all his money went to food for the children he cared for. Duo was silent. "I see…"

"I have a place," Duo murmured. "It's just an empty building, but it keeps out the wind. It gives the kids a place to sleep when it's raining you know?"

Heero nodded, but he knew that his walking companion couldn't see him. He pulled out the key to the outdoor lift and entered. He punched in the pass code number to reach his floor. The lights on the inside, while dim, Gave the businessman a clear view of the damage done to Duo's face, including the split lip and black eye. Heero reached out to brush the dark purple cheekbone and Duo flinched away just as the lift jerked to a halt. "Still hurts real bad," he explained as Heero shook his head and entered into his loft.

Just as they had the first night, Heero cleaned Duo's wounds in silence and then he pulled out the blanket and insisted that Duo take the bed. "I need to talk to you tomorrow," he said as Duo slipped into the bedroom, "So don't leave." Curious, Duo nodded and closed the door and left Heero with his thoughts.

He couldn't believe the things that were running through his head, but more than anything, Heero wanted to help. For the first—no, second time in his life, Heero wanted to put himself on the line to help someone and he wasn't about to take no for an answer.

* * *

Light had been shining directly into his eyes for quite some time, but the annoyance hadn't quite struck until just then. The obnoxiously severe red-orange seared into his retinas, causing it quite difficult to fall back to sleep once the realization had hit. Morning light was hard to ignore when you'd lived for so long afraid of the night, hoping and longing for the days to bring some sort of rest. When the light came, you could let your guard down, pretend to be normal for a while. The morning wasn't something to be passed by, but was supposed to remain a precious thing to be savoured like the fine cuisines of which the poor could hardly dream of tasting. 

Just like the light, food had become a sought-after blessing.

The bed beneath him was so comfortable, though, calling him back into the first heavy sleep that he'd been allowed nearly his entire life. The man rolled over, willing to take the offering, but upon closing violet eyes once more, flashes of reality forced him back to full consciousness. He'd let his guard down too long and now the consequences were taking their toll. There was nothing more to do now than to get up and try to piece things back together so that he'd have some chance of facing the world outside. So, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, the man made to climb out from under the covers,

Sharp lines of red and blue crossed his vision, temporarily blacked out from the screaming agony of his lower back. The man doubled over his knees, braid falling over bare shoulders as though being pulled downwards by the currently overwhelming force of gravity. Shaky breaths slowly evened out, becoming less rigid as the pain set in, becoming just another pain in a long line of injuries that would go ignored as nothing but "a scratch" or "a bruise." He ran a hand over his forehead and felt the perspiration from his flashing pain in near disgust. On the streets, weakness like that couldn't be tolerated.

The weak died, and that was all there was to it.

With this in mind, the man pushed himself off the bed while he forced the pain from his mind and made his way to the doorway into which he'd retreated the night before with no mind to protest against brief comfort in a torrent of anguish. Now, disconnected from the events, the man traced a small round handle set into deep-coloured wood panelling. Expensive… wood was a luxury that the orphans in L2 couldn't imagine even in their wildest dreams. He leaned in, pressing a shockingly warm cheek against the starkly contrasting surface. The smooth graining seemed to darken in the presence of the man's pale complexion as though it longed to reflect it back to him but lacked the gloss to do so. He inhaled, long and full (all the while ignoring the sharp pains it caused his chest and back) and took in the organic smell. In a world of metal and false landscaping, just a touch of life could prove to be healing and as the man straightened, he could feel the weight of stress lighten just a bit.

The hand resting on the knob slowly turned to emit him out into the hallway and reveal the empty house. Silence filled the flat like a thick and uncomfortable fog. There was too much room in here for comfort… alone there was nothing but danger. Passing through the hallway nervously, the man passed by a mirror and paused to look into it. The glossy surface reflected the swollen split lip and purple cheekbone, daylight revealing the sunken cheeks, as Heero had never seen them in the night. Duo, now able to see the extent of just his facial damage alone, shuddered to think of how he'd looked the night before when he'd run into the flat's renter. He shook his head and turned away from the mirror, abashed and insulted by the image it had shown him.

In the living area, Duo caught sight of a set of clothes draped over the back of the sofa, a small yellow note on top of it reading in perfectly scratched print, "Shower and get dressed; I'm at the store." Duo lifted the note in his hands and sighed. There wasn't much else he could do but follow instructions. If Heero wouldn't accept anything from him—flashes of the first night filled his head almost immediately. Duo could see the shock on Heero's face when he'd started speaking, offering himself as payment just as he always had in years before. He'd felt hurt, insulted, that his payment had been rebuked and discarded as a foolish sentiment. He'd felt his chest seize up with emotion, but released the heavy current of coughing. It had torn at him, ripped him from the inside just as that single scornful look from cool cobalt eyes had bared his soul and his illness at the roots where he'd never before revealed anything. For the first time in his life, Duo felt completely naked to the world, to those striking eyes that refused to let him leave. He knew that if he didn't leave while his host was sleeping, he'd never leave at all. But now, when his choices of fleeing only left him with the slim chance of survival, Duo could only use his compliance with his host's wishes a slight payment to the severe debt Duo had been creating for himself.

Duo collected the clothing and shuffled through the hallway (his back itched all the while due to the wide-open windows in the main room to which Duo had previously had no problem. He could only really place excuse of his ease on Heero's presence, but Duo was loathe to add another debt onto his list and so ignored his discomfort) to the bathroom where he undressed, turned on the shower and soon after stepped into the spray.

The droplets spilled over his shoulders and down his back, drawing a gasp from parted lips. It had been far too long since he'd felt warm water on his skin, comfortably massaging the aches out of his tense shoulders and chest. Duo closed his eyes, looking up into the nozzle as he focused on the areas where he couldn't feel the water. He sighed at this, the account of all his injuries measured up to far more than he'd expected. The man the night before had sure done his damndest to be sure the money he hadn't paid would be well worth the services offered. It was nothing that Duo hadn't seen before… the tearing feeling of muscles and joints were just a price he had to pay for the sins he knowingly committed. It hadn't taken many nights like the one before for Duo to discover that water was the easiest way to find damage done since so many years on the streets had taught him to push out pain and therefore didn't notice most of the time when he'd been hurt. Water, however, revealed it all. Where the wetness couldn't be felt, his body was hurting, whether or not his brain wished to acknowledge the fact.

He untied the bottom of his braid and pulled the plaits free so that the quickly dampening locks could fall around the backs of his knees. It tickled at the joint there, brushing against skin that had once been far more sensitive. Duo reached for a bottle on the ledge of the shower and squeezed out a clear gel, rubbing it in his hair as he inhaled the shampoo's heady fragrance. He couldn't put his name on the scent, though he knew he'd smelled it while shopping in town on the occasion that he'd had money left after buying food for the orphans. Beyond the spicy smell was the slight tinge of salt from the recycled water pouring over his body in shamelessly wasteful amounts. Duo furrowed his brows at this and decided it was almost time to get out, despite his enjoyment. Quickly, he rubbed a bar of soap over his body while he made sure to be careful with the tender areas where finger bruises had been left in his flesh, rinsed and jumped out.

The mirror had fogged up, Duo noticed upon stepping out and grabbing blindly for a towel he knew he'd seen. He couldn't say that he wasn't thankful, since he didn't necessarily want the reminder of the previous night's events. Just seeing his own face again would surely trigger something besides the residual pain of his beating. The man slipped into the clothes Heero had put out for him, suddenly grateful for the feeling of clean clothes against his skin. The jeans were soft, not itchy like Duo's own were and not nearly as worn at the knees and the plain white long-sleeved shirt felt more like they should be for sleeping than wearing outdoors. Smiling slightly as he took the armful of his own clothing, Duo guessed that his host had tried to be sure of his comfort. The man's heart swelled for a moment and then he opened the door only to be greeted with a rustling sound.

He dropped the clothes on the ground and flattened against the wall. Someone was inside the flat. What if the collectors had followed him the night before and had waited until Heero was gone to find him? Duo exhaled, making himself smaller against the wall as he slid down the hallway, brows furrowed and nerves twitching anxiously. Again came the rustling and Duo nearly dove into the living area in a blind dash for the door, but held himself down.

"Duo?" A voice finally called from the kitchen, "Are you done?"

For a moment the tenor didn't register, faint accent not quite recognizable to his ears, though too familiar to discard. Accent… Duo eased and allowed himself to step back out into full view. "Yeah, I'm out." He paused. "Um… what should I do with the clothes I wore here?"

"Laundry bin," Heero called, apparently crouching as he dug for something in the cabinet, "It should be in the hall closet."

Duo obeyed, placing the soiled clothing on top of other articles in a small basket at the floor of the closet before padding into the kitchen where he found his host leaned half way into the cabinet with his lower end sticking out, legs bent uncomfortably. "What're ya' doing…?" He questioned, perplexed, in an effort to direct his attention away from the only visible part of his host.

A hand appeared from inside the cabinet, "Looking for a box," Heero answered with a wave. "Here…" he muttered and pulled himself out, said box in hand. He sighed and looked up at Duo with as close to a smile he'd shown to this point. "Needed something to put that in," the businessman explained with a nod to the pile of grocery bags filled with food and supplies.

Duo laughed in spite of himself. The absurd nature to Heero's joy… if that was what it could be called…. was infectious. "For what? You gonna have a party? I never would've thought it from you, Heero." He threw a mischievous grin over his shoulder.

Heero stood box in hand. "Hardly. Put a jacket on, we're going out."

* * *

Walking alone with Heero down the normally empty back alleys, Duo almost felt as though he was living someone else's life. He didn't have to worry about making money, about paying debt, about surviving anymore. All he needed to do was tighten the jacket around him and carry one of the boxes filled with groceries. Before he'd even really thought about the prospect, a smile had planted itself on Duo's face. Something good was finally happening for them. Someone wasn't just there to take and take and take, but to selflessly give to those to whom the world didn't even turn their heads. 

"It's not much further now," Duo commented with a wide grin as he checked a corner before turning out of habit. "The kids are gonna be so surprised, Heero." His heart, which had been so pained just hours before now tied itself in anxious knots. "This is like a Christmas for them, or at least as close as they ever got." He slowed his pace a little; they were just about to enter the territory of one of the most infamous group of L2 orphans in that part of the cluster. Duo knew, since he'd been the one to teach them everything they needed to get them by. "Brace yourself now," he warned upon hearing small steps from behind them.

Heero had hardly expected the warning, but right on cue, a small boy bumped into him, only edging away to apologize with largely false emotion. The businessman murmured his reply, only to see Duo place a hand on the boy's head and keep him from running any further. He opened his mouth to protest, but Duo was already talking.

"Tyler, you should know better by now to check company before stealing." The boy looked up, shocked, but soon a wide grin spread across his face to mirror Duo's own. The braided man winked, held a finger to his lips and led the boy on in front of him. Duo himself fell back into step with Heero and pointed at the boy. "Second oldest. Likes to think he can fool anyone." Dumbly Heero nodded and allowed himself to be ushered along these unfamiliar alleys. He had to keep reminding himself that this had all been his idea.

Slowly, as they moved forward through the deep grey city trenches, more children emerged, all of them smaller than Tyler, though most plenty more scuffed and neglected. Heero felt a tug in his chest for one little girl in particular, who carried a small ragged bear by the arm and held a thin blanket closed around her shoulders. She had a hard time walking, her shaking breaths often interrupted by coughs much the same as Duo's. Before Heero could figure out a way to help her, Duo had the girl on his shoulders, holding onto his neck as his arms were filled with the food. Soon after this the pace slowed and many of the children made their way into an abandoned church, scorch marks rising up the sides in sign of past flames.

Duo lifted the small girl from off his shoulders and set her down on the front porch where she coughed and tightened her blanket before sitting in a bony crouch. The braided man stretched his neck a bit before lifting up the box once more, not showing sign of discomfort, despite all the aches and pains Heero knew to be there.

He would just have to watch more carefully….

The braided man was smiling again, quietly climbing the stairs with Heero just behind him, children crowded around his ankles. He leaned into the door, ear against the old, singed surface. "Home isn't pretty," Duo called, his tenor voice rising above the giggles and murmurs of the small kids at his feet. He bit his lip in a smile, paying no mind to the split there, not even giving a flinch in response.

"No home for me," a voice replied from the other side, the slapping of feet against the hard ground echoed for a moment before the doors of the church were flung open to reveal a twelve year old girl who threw herself around Duo's waist. "Maxwell, where have you been?" She demanded, her face buried in the jacket that Heero had lent him. She straightened a bit to look at the jacket and released the man, backing up to take in full view of him. "Where _have_ you been…?" She whistled softly to herself.

Duo smiled and pointed a thumb back to Heero. "It's his fault, y'know. Spoiling me is all."

The girl's brows furrowed slightly and she eyed the businessman who merely matched her stare for stare. This one, out of all of the children certainly seemed pushy enough to be the leader of them all. Heero guessed that the eldest had constantly led the troupe and this girl certainly fit the role. She finally rested on his eyes and gave a solid, almost jealous glare. "He's not gonna do anyone any good if ya' spoil 'im." She warned and Heero could feel his own glare begin to form. What had she expected him to do?!

Thankfully intervening, Duo laughed. "Don't be so hard on Heero, he brought gifts for everyone." He nodded to Heero who blinked and relaxed into a nod.

The troupe leader thrust her jaw forward into a decisively stubborn pout, but ended up sighing. "Alright, Maxwell, but only because you brought 'im in." She rolled her eyes and pointed a finger up at him as though she was the elder of them. "Just this one, alright? We can't bring people here anymore, Maxwell. What'll we do if we get run out of the church? We won't have anywhere to go and _then_ what kind of bad luck would we be in?"

Duo laughed again, his mood obviously lifted from the scolding she offered. "Alright, alright, I got it. No more strangers home without checking in." He gave a mischievous glance to the group of children behind him. "I guess we shouldn't tell them that we brought food."

* * *

"This could be good," Cathlene said suddenly through her still childish anger. She pushed her honey-brown hair out of her face and placed the cans and boxes of dried food into the plastic cabinets of the dilapidated church kitchen. 

Duo grinned widely and the violet of his eyes sparkled keenly in the afternoon light pouring in from the window. Despite the split lip and black eye he was every bit as vibrant as usual. "What's this? Did I just hear you admit to needing help?" He leaned back recklessly in his chair and ignored the protests of his lower back. "Hell must've frozen over."

The young girl huffed. "That's not what I mean," she claimed with a sharp glare. "I'm saying this Heero guy. We could use him to our benefit."

The braided man's smile immediately vanished and he glanced out of the entrance to the room only to see Heero huddled in an overused chair with piles of children on his lap, sound asleep with full stomachs. Duo stood and slid the door closed as tight as it would go, an inch gap still remained between the door frame and the bottom half of the warped panelling. "What makes you think we should use him? He's trying to help us as much as he can as it is."

Cathlene rolled her brown eyes, "Can't ya' see he's head over heels for you? I don't know where ya' picked this guy up, Maxwell, but I've gotta say your taste is getting better."

"Cathlene."

"It looks like he's got the money to get us on our feet, so I don't see what the problem is if ya' lead him on a little bit."

"Hey," Duo attempted to interject, but the girl just rambled on.

"Just a little tease here and there, offer some of your specialties and you'll have 'im hooked for a long time," She smiled with a wink, "You always said that you could do that to someone, so if you can why not try it now and get us all livin' the good life?"

"Stop!" Duo hissed and Cathlene's smile disappeared. "You can't just take advantage of him like that. I owe this man my life and then some. I'd rather not owe him for anything else."

The girl's brows knit together and her eyes narrowed. "You were aways the one who told us to use the tools we have to get the best results. This guy is a tool, so ya' need to use him for the rest of us."

The man shook his head fervently, "Look, I'm not going to use him!" Duo could feel his face flush with anger. "So far he's wanted to help on his own. There's no reason to lead a guy on when he just means to do good."

"There's no such thing as a good man, Maxwell," Cathlene warned. Her worn expression was as demanding and motherly as any of the orphans had ever seen. The girl's own starvation was apparent on her revealed wrists and along the collarbone where her shirt had been torn by one of many scuffles. "You've taught us all we know, so ya' can't just go against your own schooling."

Duo couldn't believe his ears. Cathlene was actually trying to guilt him into listening to his own advice. He gave a frustrated laugh. "You don't understand, do you? He's different. Heero went out of his way to fight in a fight that didn't involve him. If Heero hadn't have shown up I probably wouldn't be here at all. You need to appreciate what he's done and leave it at that!"

Cathlene fell silent for a moment, her stubborn jaw thrust out as she seemed to size up her elder. Duo couldn't quite read her expression. It seemed like she was entirely re-evaluating the situation. Maybe he'd finally gotten through her thick head. Finally she abruptly said, "You like him."

"What?" Duo whispered, stunned.

"I said, you like him," Cathlene repeated. "You've never made excuses to avoid your responsibilities before."

Scoffing, Duo retorted, "Responsibilities? You're old enough to help take care of this bunch, too you know. You're too old to go out pick pocketing like the rest of them. Why don't you go out and make some money, too? You could probably do better than me with that attitude of yours.

The girl bared her teeth, "Yeah, but then I would just make more of us, wouldn't I and there would just be more and more problems. We're trying to get outta this situation, not dig ourselves in further."

"There's no getting out of this, Cat. We were born rats and that's all we'll ever be. None of us know anything beyond basic reading and writing—some of us don't even know that! There's no way we can work out of this shit. Unless you go to school, the colony won't want to do anything with us but exterminate us one by one."

"So do what has to be done, Maxwell to keep us safe!"

There was a shuffling on the other side of the door and Duo immediately tensed. Heero pushed the door open with a yawn while he held the little sick girl in his other arm. "Is everything okay?" The Asian asked after his yawn. "I thought I heard someone arguing."

Duo smiled broadly over his shoulder, "Don't worry about it. We just had a little disagreement is all." He returned his attention to Cathlene and through a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, told her, "I'm going to do what I can, but within reason. I just need some time to come up with an alternate plan."

Cathlene pouted a moment, but nodded her head and turned back to stocking the cabinets as Duo turned back out of the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Heero asked as he put the little girl back on the chair with the rest of the bundle of children.

"It's nothing," Duo informed him with a shake of his head, "She just forgets how young she is, sometimes and needs to be reminded." He crouched down to pick up one of the last boxes and flinched when his knees nearly gave out. Duo gave a laugh to cover, "Heero, be a pal and help me with this, would you? I think I overdid it a while ago."

Cobalt eyes narrowed and Heero pulled out his wallet. "Duo," he said as he pressed a fold of cash noted into the braided man's hand, "I want you to stay off the streets a little while. You need to recover."

Duo's stomach very nearly dropped. "Heero, I can't take this." He tried to push the money away, but Heero held firm, "I owe you too much and you won't let me pay you back."

"Look, pay me back by getting some rest. Take the money and get these kids some warmer clothes." When Duo opened his mouth to reply, Heero held up his hand. "Please don't fight me. You can't do all of this on your own and trying is killing you." The businessman gave a ghost of a smile when Duo accepted the money quietly, then Heero looked at his watch. "I need to get back for a phone conference. If you need anything…."

Numbly, Duo nodded and Heero warmly gripped Duo's shoulder. "Take care of yourself and stay in touch."

Then he was gone and Duo was left standing in an empty church with only the sounds of content children to act as a buffer between him and hollow silence. What was Heero thinking? He was playing into Duo's hands and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was use the man. Duo blinked once, twice and then shook his head. He suddenly felt tired and with a few airy coughs, the braided man slumped down with the children and fell asleep with a very empty feeling in his chest.

Heero was gone and Duo couldn't believe how frightened he was.


	3. ch 3: Escape and Illness

"Catch Me When I Fall"

Chapter 3: Escape and Illness

PG-13

1x2

I do not own Gundam or anything of the characters mentioned.

* * *

Heero smiled to himself as he closed the door to his flat. It had been a long time since he felt so accomplished. The Asian man loosened his tie and looked out of the wide windows at the dusk sky. Everything had become smoky and difficult to see. He closed his eyes and sighed. It was just that kind of evening. It was amazing the things colonials could accomplish. They had succeeded in creating a liveable pile of floating scrap metal. They had given it an atmosphere and climate control and engineered false plants and edible foods. 

To Heero, the most amazing thing was the adaptability of the people. He thought back on the orphans he'd seen with Duo almost a week prior and shook his head. Despite such horrible circumstance, they had managed to find a new way of life and thrived as well as they could. It was Heero's interest in the orphans of L-2 that had led him to suggest to his company the formation of a government faction, like those on Earth, to protect those who had come across such terrible times.

He slung his tie over the back of the couch and removed his blazer. Today he'd managed to help appropriate funding to provide food to these orphans. If there was no need to steal, why would they? It had been one of Heero's more influential ideas that had made this possible. L-2 was already hard enough to live on after the rebellions, so even if the price of physical care couldn't be lowered, the government could certainly tax the income of these high-end professions more strictly. This would not only provide money to help the orphans of L-2, but would also put money back in the government bank for long-term improvements in lifestyle.

After arguing so extensively for his company to the L-2 government, Heero was exhausted. All he really wanted to do was climb into the shower, and then pour himself a congratulatory glass of wine. He had made it to the bathroom door with his towel when a resonating knock banged on the front door. Heero frowned and laid his fresh clothing on the closed toilet seat before he made his way to the door. He peered out the peephole and immediately ripped open the door.

Cathlene's face was swollen and soot covered her from head to toe. If it wasn't for her terrified eyes peering out from behind the blackness, Heero would have never recognized her. The newer clothes that Heero's money had afforded her were already torn and hung in rags on her young frame. "Heero!" She pleaded immediately when she saw him.

Heero dropped to his knees, "What happened? Where's Duo?" He demanded with firm hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Debt. They came for Duo and when he said he couldn't pay, they lit fire to the church. He sent me to come get you."

Heero's eyes widened and he immediately threw on his shoes and ran out the door. "Cathlene, I need you to use the phone and call the authorities. We have to get the fire squad out there as soon as possible."

She stared blankly for a moment, but then gave a dutiful nod. "Alright," she said in confirmation and passed by Heero on her way inside. She stopped and looked back at him, "You'd better do everything you can, Heero," Cathlene warned and then disappeared inside the flat.

The Asian narrowed his eyes. "I will," he told the doorway and sped down the stairs into the chill evening.

* * *

The Church wasn't hard to find. The sky was lit with the unholy copper glow of fire that belched black smoke into the night sky. Heero sped through the back streets as though he'd been raised on them and as he neared the site he had to cover his mouth from the bitter smell of burning. He dove into the Church courtyard at breakneck speeds and clambered to a stop in search of Duo, but he could only see the horde of children checking over one another as quickly as possible. 

Slate eyes desperately searched the clearing again, but there was no Duo. The burning building looked like it was about to buckle under itself and Heero fought to ignore the feeling of dread that told him exactly what his logic did, but before he could manage to identify it, a frantic voice called out to him, "Heero!" The sooty blonde was practically screaming. His usually broad mouth looked cracked at the edges from yelling above the din. "You have to help! Duo ran inside to get Isabelle and he hasn't come out!"

"No…" Heero whispered in disbelief, but turned to stare at the flames licking at the previously scorched walls. "Duo…." He threw himself at the building, fighting back his natural urge to shy away from the heat.

The supporting structure of the building burned black against the glowing interior. Heero had to narrow his eyes to shield himself from the ash blowing around the foyer. "Duo!" he called, but the roar of the fire drowned any sound out. He worked his way further in with a slouched back and a raised arm. He needed to be able to protect himself from anything in here and while it wasn't a very good situation in the first place, he had to do what he could in regards to his primal instinct.

The burning worked its way into his skin and suddenly, Heero felt cold. His mind had entirely shut off the heat. It had happened before due to pain, but he'd never been in a situation where fire had entirely washed his body freezing cold. He had to duck under a lesser support beam to get into the main sanctuary. "Duo!" he bellowed again and faintly, as though from very far away, he heard a voice reply.

"Duo…" Heero whispered to himself with a sore voice and worked his way through the maze of burning matter to the altar where the wooden cross had tipped over. A block of ice felt like it had sunk to the bottom of his stomach. Had it fallen on Duo? Would he be able to get him out? He rounded the corner of the altar and saw an almost crazed, guilt-stricken Duo staring up at him with his violet eyes in stark contrast to the yellow and orange fire licking at the cross that lay just behind where Duo knelt. It silhouetted him like a beautiful fallen angel, unexpectedly stricken by the hand of God.

"Heero, she—" Duo shook his head, wide-eyed at Heero as though he didn't even notice that the building was about to fall around him. "The cross. She was trying to catch up and—if I had just carried her like normal, then this wouldn't have."

The Asian could see the denial in the braided man's face. He was in shock and no amount of yelling and forcing could make Duo understand. Heero knelt and placed his hands on Duo's face and he told him just loudly enough for him to hear, "You can't blame yourself, Duo. You two did what you thought was best, but Isabelle isn't going to come back. You and I can escape. There's still time, so I need you to stand up and come with me." It looked as though tears were about to come streaming down Duo's sooty face, but dried out from the heat before they could even escape. "All the other children are depending on you to make it."

It was this that made Duo come to his senses. "The others." He blinked a few times and pushed his hair out of his face. "That's right." The braided man pushed himself off of the ground and regained his composure. "Follow me, this is the fastest way." Duo led the way as though it had been exactly what he'd done his whole life. It was as though Duo had done this before. He avoided the flames at just such a distance so they wouldn't burn him, but didn't waste time in moving too far away. Without shying away from the heat, Duo looked like he owned this disaster, as though everything he'd come across in life was like this frenzied catastrophe. He led light-footed as though he was dancing—or fighting. Heero watched and silently agreed that their escape was a fight.

They were defying the elements and betting against fate. They hurried down a hidden corridor where a tapestry had fallen and burned to embers. The red-hot glow winked at them as they passed, but the two stepped over it without much notice. The building was falling around them in pieces as they passed. The tinder collapsed to the ground and seemed to almost blacken and dissolve like defeated spirits. The markers of many such occurrences scarred the foundation with charcoal stains. Duo approached a burning door and, without warning, kicked it in and a rush of cold air slapped against their faces. Heero could feel the heat against his back again as they dove out of the Church. The Asian rolled on his shoulder to catch himself and continue running, but Duo just catapulted himself onward with his hands. They didn't stop until they made it back to the children.

In near unison, they smiled up at Duo but their faces fell one by one as they noticed the absence of the single girl.

"Isabelle…." The blonde boy asked almost inaudibly. He looked forlorn. His bright blue eyes stared widely in hope, but he seemed to know exactly what answer would come.

Duo frowned and dropped to his knees, then wrapped his arms around the young boy, "Oh, Tyler…." He started, the tears finally made their way from his violet eyes, "I'm so sorry. She didn't make it."

Small hands gripped duo's scorched shirt and his face contorted into a moan. He buried his face into Duo's arms and broke into shaking sobs. "My sister…." Heero could hear him cry, "Isabelle…. Oh God…."

The rest was drowned out by the wailing of fire engines and the yells of the squad over one another. Heero watched in silence as the flames were extinguished and as Cathlene received the news of Isabelle's death. Heero felt as though the whole scene had been put on mute. He could see the mouths moving and he could see the grief on their faces and he saw the fire squad coldly announce to the orphans that the church was taken care of and that they would leave the rest to the penniless children to take care of.

Through it all, Duo refused to let go of the sobbing Tyler.

It wasn't until Heero returned with food and Tyler had cried himself to sleep that Cathlene could even pry him away to be his relief. With puffy eyes, Duo shuffled to Heero's side. The Asian handed him a sandwich and told Duo to sit down. The braided man listened and followed Heero's instructions obediently. "Eat something," Heero told him softly. His voice hurt from talking over the fire, but he couldn't even imagine what Duo must have felt. Duo nodded and took a bite, chewing mechanically as he listened to Heero talk. "I called my superiors at work and told them what happened. We've been trying to set up a government-funded help group for the orphans of L-2 and so far, the government seems… compliant." Duo looked up when Heero said this, but with his surely aching throat and his full mouth, said nothing.

"None of what we've done so far will have any effect for another couple of years still. We'll be able to provide education and at least a meagre place to live…. But we can't depend on any of that currently." Duo's expression fell and he continued to chew the flavourless bread. Heero sighed and scratched his head. "I work for a company that… we're mercenaries of sorts. Some of us do government work; some of us are lawyers, doctors and the like. I don't normally deal with people…." Duo kept chewing, silently. "We managed to pull some strings at the last minute and we've arranged so we can ship the kids to Earth where they'll be adopted out or raised in government homes. They'll be provided with food, security and education—even remedial learning to teach those who don't know how to read and write."

At this the braided man forcibly swallowed and stared. "Are you serious?" He asked. It sounded like his voice was nearly gone. "They can do that?"

Heero nodded. "It will take some work, but I think we can make it happen." He frowned, "The only problem is that you're over age to be part of the program. I was told that they could provide homes and care to the ones too young to care for themselves, but you were over the age limit."

"I don't care," Duo admitted with a laughing cough. "If you can get safe places for even half of us, that would be enough for me. I can care for myself if I need to, but I can't leave the kids behind. They're my responsibility and I wouldn't give them up just because I wanted to."

With a sigh, Heero continued. "That's what I thought you'd say, so they're sending out a shuttle immediately to pick up the children." He paused, "But what are you going to do?"

Duo shook his head. "I don't know. I can find somewhere for just me pretty easily. If I start working again, I could even save up for a real place of my own."

"Why don't you stay with me?"

Duo blinked. This simple statement caught his attention like nothing else had. There was confusion in his eyes and doubt. Heero didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling, but there was the dread of refusal hanging over his head. Duo's smile had disappeared and that overly wide mouth parted just enough for Heero to see the teeth under Duo's heat-cracked lips. "Heero, I—" He cleared his throat once as though something was caught in his chest, then swallowed and was overtaken by body-shaking coughs. Heero knelt and reached across to steady the man, but before he knew it, Duo was sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, blood staining the sooty flesh around his mouth.

* * *

Morning shone through the window and lit carefully along the heavy and warm coverlet of the bed. Duo felt it slowly wake him and embrace him like the familiar arms of the Sisters ages before. At first he tried to sink back into the protective heat, but his mind was plaguing him with something far more important. There was something he should remember. There was some reason that he shouldn't just lay there in bed—whoever's bed it was—and get up. He had a responsibility and…. 

Memory rushed back to him in an instant: the fire, the children, Heero coming to save him… and Isabelle. Guilt stabbed him in the chest and Duo started coughing. He rolled over to lean off the bed and held his hand up to cover his mouth. When the chest spasms finally died down, he rolled back onto the bed and swallowed the coppery liquid seeping in from his throat. Violet eyes narrowed. That had never happened before…. Slowly, he lifted up his hand to look at it and simply stared at his blood-covered palm.

"You've tested positive for tuberculosis," a soft voice told him, kindly. Duo immediately dropped his hand and sat up straight to look where the voice had come. A young blonde man was sitting in a chair across Heero's bedroom. He pushed himself off of the chair with long, delicate hands and while his mouth smiled in greeting, his cornflower blue eyes seemed uncharacteristically stern.

Duo swallowed. "What do you mean? You trying to tell me I'm gonna die?" His stomach felt cold.

The blonde man shook his head and pulled out his handkerchief. "That's not necessarily true." He handed the cloth to Duo and smiled when the braided man cleaned off his hand. "I'm Doctor Quatre Raberba Winner and I'm a friend of Heero's."

"I thought Heero came to this hellhole alone," Duo commented. He wasn't trying to be tart, but his annoyance with not knowing Heero as well as he though was getting to him.

Dr. Winner—or was it just Quatre—nodded. "He did. I came in on the shuttle yesterday morning to help with Heero's government battle." He crossed his hands in front of him and his smile softened. "I'm sure he told you about it. It's amazing that someone could get Heero feeling strongly about anything. He usually follows his assignments to a T and leaves it at that." Quatre pursed his lips. "I assume he doesn't think it's any of his business to get involved, but with the unfortunate circumstances of you and your children—"

Duo furrowed his brows. "Hold on," he interrupted, "Let me get this straight: all of those things that Heero's company is trying to make happen is because he went out of his way to make them that way and _we_ were the ones who got him to do it?"

"I guess Heero isn't exactly the guy to tell you the details." Quatre sighed and ran a hand through his tidy platinum blonde hair. "As much as he seems to be the strong and silent type, he's really very uncomfortable with people. I think that's why he mostly shut off his emotions; he never really learned how to show them."

Duo's brows furrowed and he frowned. Heero had gone out of his way to give the kids food and to help Duo take care of them. He'd jumped in and protected Duo without even really knowing him. If that wasn't showing his emotions, Duo didn't know what was. To Duo, Heero was like an unkempt oasis in the L-2 wasteland. Sure he was rough around the edges, but he knew what was important and he would give everything he could to protect what mattered….

"He never used to be this way." Quatre said while watching the emotions play on the braided man's face. "Something about you changed him, Duo." The doctor reached out to Duo's inner arm where an irritated patch of skin stood out red against his skin. "When I came off the shuttle, Heero was comforting all of your children. It was something I had never seen before. It was like he had known them his whole life. He called them by name and hugged each of them goodbye."

He had what? Heero had gone to the shuttle lift and… Duo could feel golden warmth in his chest expand. He felt elated. Heero had done what Duo couldn't be there for. He had held each and every one of them for him and soothed their fears. The braided man blinked away the tears in his eyes and he smiled. "So they're all safe?" Duo was lonely. He was afraid for them. He wanted to run see them, but his children were already long gone. A piece of him cried out that he shouldn't have given them up so easily, but…. A sharp pain in his chest acted as a reminder of his illness. "Let's talk business, doc. How much longer have I got?"

Blue eyes seemed troubled. "What makes you think you're going to die? Yes, tuberculosis is a serious disease, but if you take your medication as directed, it should be taken care of in a few months."

Duo laughed, "Where do you think I'm gonna get that money?" He tugged at his braid, irritably. "I'm a prostitute, you know. I can't make enough to afford medical care, much less the drugs to go with it." He smiled broadly, almost mockingly, "But the kids are okay, so I'm fine with dying. My responsibilities are taken care of."

"What are you saying?" Quatre demanded. For the first time since their meeting the blonde was genuinely upset. If Duo had looked closely, he would have seen more than a troubled Quatre, but a positively fuming one. "After all the things that Heero has done for you, you're just going to leave it at that? You're just going to leave him hurting? When you passed out at the Church, how do you think you got here? Who do you think arranged for me to come by? He was worried sick. He couldn't eat; he hasn't slept. I had to send him away so that he would even move from your bed. He's unlocked his heart to you and you're just going to throw it away and hurt him again? You can't just take what he has to give and leave him this way." Quatre's hands were balled into fists. "Don't you love him?"

All of the responses that Duo had formed were wiped away from the slate of his brain. Love? "What?"

"How much more simply can I put this? Do. You. Love. Him?"

Love Heero? Was it even possible? Duo didn't know how love should feel, much less if Heero was the one he was _supposed_ to love. "I don't…"

"Then you still have a responsibility." Quatre exhaled and forced himself to calm down. "Don't die until you figure it out." He pulled out two orange bottles filled with pills and placed them on the dresser. "The Company is funding your medical care. They would like for you to work as a spokesman to help speed along the legislation." He gave a slight bow with his hand to his chest. "It's been good meeting you. I hope you come to a positive solution." With that, Doctor Quatre Raberba Winner (what a presumptuous name, Duo thought) was gone.

Duo fell back onto the pillows behind him and closed his eyes. He could see the flames of the Maxwell church all around him. Isabelle was crushed beneath the flaming cross and he could hear the voices of all the ghosts. He could hear all of his orphan friends; he could hear the nuns and even Father Maxwell. They called to him in warning, but he wasn't listening. All he cared about was that they were all there with him, but Isabelle… she was gone. He couldn't hear her voice. Was she still alive? He couldn't get her out. The flames were too hot and the cross was too heavy. Duo stared at the cross, helpless. Had he really cursed himself so strongly that God wouldn't even spare this girl's life? Was he really so guilty? Then he heard a voice. _Duo!_ It called, distant but clear. "I'm here!" Duo returned. He didn't know who would save him in this Hell. God wouldn't send someone to save a person like him. The voice whispered his name just behind him and Duo turned to see a glorious figure standing triumphant in the blaze. Those ice blue eyes fended off the heat and the wavering glow made him appear to be a saviour in this accursed Church. "Heero…."

The bedroom door opened with a light squeak and Duo opened his eyes to see a much-stretched Heero Yuy enter the room. His cool eyes had dark circles beneath them and suddenly, Duo knew that all of Quatre's words had been true. Despite his own exhaustion, Heero managed a smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's alright," Duo said with a broad grin as he pushed himself up to sit on the bed. "I was just thinking." His chest seemed to swell. Ever since Quatre had mentioned love…. It seemed to make sense, but Duo just wasn't sure. "The doc came to visit me."

Heero's face seemed to fall. "Did he already tell you?"

Duo nodded. "Tuberculosis, huh? That's contagious isn't it?" Heero nodded. "You sure you should be around me?"

"I've been vaccinated." Heero assured him, sat down where Quatre had been and stared at his hands. "The kids will be, too before going into the orphanage."

"Quatre told me that you went to the lift to see them off. How did that go? Were they okay?" He flinched, "They weren't mad at me, were they?"

The Asian pursed his lips. "Tyler was still a bit shaken. He said he can't imagine starting a new life without Isabelle. Cathlene was pretty mad, though. She said that she shouldn't have to go just because she was underage." Heero gave a sad smile, "She seemed to think that she should be able to stay with you."

Duo nodded. "To her, I'm one of them and leaving me behind is abandoning one of our own. We never did anything alone."

Heero reached over to the dresser and picked up the antibiotics. After reading the label, he pulled out the proper dose and walked to the bed to give Duo the pills. "Here. The label says that it could cause liver problems, so we'll just have to watch your blood readings." Duo accepted the pills and the glass of water in hand, but didn't take the pills. Instead he just stared at Heero, violet eyes wavering between the Asian's two cobalt blue. Heero took a step away, but held Duo's gaze. "Are you alright?"

Staring, the braided man furrowed his brows and asked suddenly, "Do you love me?"

Heero never faltered. He returned the gaze sincerely and clearly admitted, "Yes. I love you."


	4. ch 4: Business and Comradery

"Catch Me When I Fall"

Chapter 4: Business and Comradery

PG-13

Still in Progress

1x2

I do not own Gundam or anything of the characters mentioned.

**Note:** _Okay, everyone: this is the end of the actual story. I've been pretty tempted to go and write an Omake for poor Trowa who couldn't make an appearance, but I need some suggestions. I have an idea in mind, but it's pretty lacklustre and I'm not a big fan of circuses. If anyone has an idea, feel free to pitch it to me. :D I would love to have an excuse to write in this universe again. Ochiba_

* * *

Duo had never meant to ask, he mused as he gathered up his suit jacket and briefcase, and he was sure Heero hadn't meant to tell. Ever since his awakening and the proposal of his new life, Duo had been almost entirely incapable of keeping the scene from his mind. Heero's sincerity pissed him off—a little bit of him—but the rest of him was entirely doubtful. How could he be so sure of himself? That firm, _"Yes. I do love you."_ Was so convincing that Duo could have sworn that it was fake. It had to be fake.

He grinned at Heero on his way out the door and the Asian man nodded. "Are you sure you're ready for this? It's only been a few days since the fire."

"Well, the news needs something different to talk about, right? There's no point in keeping them waiting." He winked to Heero as he pressed the button for the lift to take them to ground floor. _But,_ Duo mused, _If he's lying, I should be able to know. I should be able to see it, right? I'm a master of recognising lies, and how to avoid them. So how is it that I can blindly follow Heero like this?_

He saved your life.

_But he took my kids from me._

So that they could live a better life. So that _you_ could live a better life.

_How is it better if the gang is gone? They were everything._

You are everything.

_What?_

To Heero.

Duo shook off the thought. He needed to be thinking about his interview, not Heero. _That's right_, the braided man reminded himself as he tugged on his blazer. (It was pretty cool outside, but Duo would never admit to it.) Heero tossed a scarf to him, though Duo had never seen him take it from the house. "Hey, I'm fine, Ro. What makes you think I need your hospitality?"

"I can see your breath," Heero stated calmly with a smile and Duo obediently wrapped the scarf around his neck.

This interview would double as a news interview as well as his job interview. He knew that the press would be asking questions about the true state of L-2, about the fire at the church, about how the government treated them, about what he wanted to do about it—it was the future planning that the big cheese would be listening to. From what Heero and the Doc said, he wanted a new perspective on the L-2 dilemma. Duo had to defend the misnomer that the vagrants weren't people who simply didn't want to work (sure, some of them were, but the program would need to weed these people out) but were mostly thrown into poverty by the rebellions on L-2 as well as the entire colonial war….

It seemed that he was thinking about it and the next thing he knew, he'd been ushered into a chair and was having his face primped. Heero was nowhere to be seen and that made Duo more nervous than usual. His stomach felt empty, even though he'd been sure to eat and he was beginning to feel the cold. Before long he was looking up for the person working his make-up so that she wouldn't get powder in his eyelashes and being pushed out on stage.

He smiled to the flashing cameras and hid his fear beneath the layers and layers of caked face paint that he felt around the wrinkles of his grin. This was just another act. Not untrue, but an act nonetheless. Duo felt like a politician put on the stand for the first public speech, only there were no lines, there was no ear-bud whispering answers into his brain. Duo was alone on stage and entirely open to the crowd. The Orphan in him was screaming.

Outwardly, he said into the microphone. "Hello, I'm sure most of you know who I am, but for those who missed the memo, my name's Duo Maxwell. I was the only survivor of the Maxwell church massacre and, more recently, of the Church fire on the outskirts of town." He grinned, "I'm sure some of you saw the smoke." There was a little bit of uncomfortable laughter, but then the sounds died down. "That's all I can think of right now, so why don't you start asking some questions?"

News reporter hands flew up while others flipped open palm pilots for notation. Duo whistled and a few people laughed. "Didn't know I was so important! Okay, let's start with you, in the green," The young man didn't hesitate a moment, "Chang Wufei, I was wondering what was it like on the streets? How were you able to find somewhere to stay, especially with all the children you were looking after?"

"Well," Duo began, "I hesitate to say that it was the same as any other kind of work… just a bit more cut-throat in the most sincere sense. Usually to even afford food I had to work—we knew that we wouldn't be able to get by without some form of currency, but the amount of jobs offered to people without houses is pretty limited. Most of us didn't know how to read or write in the beginning. Except for the few years I lived with the Maxwells, I didn't have any sort of schooling whatsoever. So the unschooled jobs available were pretty rough. Sometimes I would do odd jobs, but usually I had to work as a prostitute because there was simply nothing else that would accept me."

There was some murmuring in the crowd. "Though, let me clarify that this kind of work certainly wasn't my top choice, but when you borrow money from people and can't pay them back, they tend to take it out of whatever you've got—and if that means what family you have, they'll threaten them. That's how the church fire began this past week. Next question."

"How do you feel about the new proposal to increase spending to rebuild the slums of L-2?"

Duo gave a feral sort of grin, "You're asking a very biased person," he laughed and fell into a much more personable demeanour. "Honestly, I don't think it'll happen. After so many years of the slums being the way they are, clearing them out would be like taking the reeds away from fish. All the people living there would die out and you should know that there are a lot more of us orphans that you'd be willing to bet on. In fact, I'd like to call your attention to the attempt quite a few years ago to entirely wipe the homeless population from L-2. They would use any means necessary—guns, fire, poison, even new strands of illness. The extreme numbers of the people who died could have caused disease of catastrophic proportions if it hadn't have been for the few of us left over cleaning up the remains. I lost my first street home that way."

"What about the Peacecraft-Winner organization trying to use that same funding to help educate the orphans and provide safe places to stay."

"Now there's a good idea," Duo stated. He could feel the joy in him swell. Heero had proposed this very same idea for him and his orphans. "I am a firm believer in educating the orphans. This will not only increase the workforce and help spur further development in the L-2 colonies – we're quite a way behind most other places after all—but will also help even out this disastrous balance of power. Now I understand that this is a dangerous thing to say, but the weakened middle class on L-2 is increasing the separation between upper class and the destitute. I'm not saying to tax the higher income (although I think that would help a little, at least) but to reinforce and strengthen the middle class."

Chang Wufei paused in typing, "So you would like to see L-2 with the traditional bell-curve class-ratio?"

_Bell curve?_ Duo thought the shape out and moved the idea around in his head before the new idea clicked. "Yeah, I guess that's what I'm trying to say." He looked at his watch and asked the timer in the back of the room, "How's my time looking? Can I get one more?" When he saw the timer give the thumbs-up, he called out one more reporter. "Alright, make this good," he said with a friendly wink to show he was joking.

"What about health care? How did you take care of yourselves when you got sick?"

Duo felt a little colder inside. He could see little Isabelle's face and the coughing much like his own. "We couldn't. If one of us got a scratch or something, we had a few things on hand, but there was never a guarantee that they were functioning products anymore. If we had gauze, it certainly wasn't sterile. Sometimes it would possibly be washed out and reused. As for illnesses, since we were exposed to so many different bacteria we developed a decent immunity to most things we came across, but one of our company came down with, what I'm sure was Tuberculosis and there was nothing we could do. She didn't survive through the fire, but she went for a very long time with this illness and we just had to care for her in every way we knew how. I've been informed that the rest of the children will be given vaccines for Tuberculosis, so the parents who adopt them won't have to worry about the contamination spreading. Health care for anyone on L-2 is pretty hard to come by, but it was devastating for us on the streets." He saw the timer give him the motion that the session was over and nodded. "Alright. We've gotta stop now. I hope you all got enough information. Thanks for your time."

He smiled for the camera as he exited, but by the time he got to the inner hallway Duo felt the adrenaline run from his body. Dizziness swept him up and he had to lean against the wall to catch his breath. He smiled to himself, _Well. At least I'm not coughing._

He wasn't coughing, but he could feel his breathing become ragged. Duo closed his eyes and tried to control his nerves. _Slowly,_ he told himself, _inhale…. Exhale…. Slow. Just take it easy._ It wasn't until he had begin to get control of himself that he even noticed the comforting hand on his back and the slow mantra that echoed his own, "It's alright, you did fine. Just take it slow. Inhale… exhale."

Duo gave the Asian man a smile and gave a duck of his head. "Sorry, Ro. Didn't mean to worry you. Maybe I wasn't ready for all that."

Heero shook his head. "No, it's alright. You did just fine. I was watching from the balcony." He minutely flinched, "I was on security watch."

"Security watch?" Duo asked, then everything seemed to fall together. That was why Heero was able to fight so well in the alleyway weeks before, that's why he knew exactly what to do whenever anything happened. Duo knew that he should have been irritated for not having been told before, but he was too tired to really care. Besides, it felt like a whole new door had been opened. Despite this exhaustion and despite his worry that his new position would require him to work entirely against his nature, he honestly felt that this was the beginning of a new life.

Then, suddenly he was calm and everything in him went quiet. All there was inside of him was that slow, calm breathing and a sense of absolute peace. If this was a new life for him, a voice inside him echoed, at least there's someone waiting. His chest swelled at the memory of Heero's angelic rescue in the fire. He could see the haloed form once again. Then there was Heero, walking the slum at night as though he belonged with them. Duo had felt his soul reach out just then. Maybe this person… this person who had saved him so many times was the one he had never had the chance to look for. Duo pushed himself off the wall and turned startling violet eyes to the Asian man just by his side.

Heero had come to L-2 for business—a job he could have easily turned down for something better. It was as though Heero's soul had come looking when Duo was unable to find him.

Heero's previous assuredness now echoed inside of Duo's chest and before he even thought to talk himself out of it, he raised a hand to Heero's face and brushed some hair aside. "You fought for me since the beginning," Duo mentioned softly, "Everything you've done for me—for us, it's been so perfect. Too perfect." He smiled, "I don't know how you were so sure this whole time and I feel like I'm just now opening my eyes." Heero's lips parted as though to ask a question, but Duo shook his head. "Heero, thank Quatre for me the next time you see him. He'll know what I'm talking about," and then he leaned in, pressing his lips against Heero's. The soft flesh gave against his weight, the pads of it like velvet cushions returning the gesture. Duo closed his eyes and for the first time since the Maxwell fire, he felt safe.

He was finally home.

After all this time he'd been falling, Duo was finally able to see straight ahead to the future that had been so indistinct his whole life. He could feel Heero's hands on his back and he knew that there was no one else he wanted to be with his entire life. Heero had caught him from that eternal fall. He'd saved him from the abyss and flown him up to the world where he belonged—where he could repay the world by making change for those, like him, who couldn't help himself. He had meaning in his life and he owed all of it to this man holding him in his arms.

Duo was home and he would never let it slip away from him again.

Slowly, when he had exhausted most of the breath he'd regained, Duo pulled away and rested his forehead against Heero's and smiled, "I love you, Ro."

Heero smiled and turned his eyes down in the slightest sign of embarrassment. "Let's get home, Duo."

Duo nodded and laughed, but didn't say anything. There was no reason to state what he knew both of them were thinking. It was one of those rare moments when Duo just wanted to be quiet and still. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and inhaled Heero's smell as he took the Asian man's hand. With violet eyes forward, he could feel himself step foot on the path he had ignored his whole life.

Heero was with him, now, and they would walk this new, frightening road together.

* * *

Those same violet eyes blinked at the sun that shone so brightly for the first time on his face. The weight of this planet was shocking and his legs wobbled beneath him. Duo felt Heero's arm fly around his waist and he gave a reckless grin. "So this is your home?" He asked, eyeing the plants growing outside the quaint front door. The colours were so much more vibrant than anything he'd seen. The reds and blues bobbed on the natural wind and Duo couldn't help but feel, again, like he'd been blind his whole life.

"It is," Heero admitted, "try not to tease me too much." He made sure Duo was steady on his own two feet again and then left to unlock the front door.

Duo chased after him on unstable legs and draped himself over the back anyone else would have considered cold and uninviting. "I would never, Ro. You know me better than that." He grinned and pushed his finger against Heero's flushed cheek, "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here with you?" The door swung open to reveal an opening room decorated in warm green and dark wood.

Heero grabbed Duo's hands and gently guided him into the house. "Duo," he said with a low tone, "take a look at this place and tell me that it's anything but a somewhere I used to work and sleep." He sighed and shook his head. "This house may as well have just been another office. I want to turn it into a home, but I was never able to do it on my own."

The braided man fought to suppress the butterflies in his stomach at this, the more he was around Heero, the more he was surprised. After the past few months since his hiring on L-2, Heero had been released to return to Earth and had requested a transfer for Duo. He had said that it would be the best way to see the Orphans, but also would get him away from, what Heero called "bad memories." He had been reluctant at first, but the underlying message to Heero's statement had almost set him quiet. _Home won't be home without you,_ the tone in his voice seemed to say.

Duo gave a wide grin and tightened his grip on the Japanese man's hand. "Then we had better break everything in."

"Break—" Heero began, but when Duo's long fingers began to unbutton the front of his dress shirt, Heero smirked and replied, "We'll unpack later," then with a kick of his foot, closed the front door to create the first memories in their new home.

The only thing he was worried about was waking up for work the next day….

Owari


End file.
