Part 50
Duo ducked into his room and slammed the door. Heero didn't bother trying to follow. Instead, he went to his room and through the bathroom to Duo's room.
"Duo, you're being ridiculous," he growled. He stopped. The room was empty.
::Where in the hell...?::
Then he saw him, huddled on the floor, in the corner behind the desk.
Heero sighed and moved to sit on the floor in front of him.
"You absolutely refuse to do the responsible, intelligent thing." Not a question.
"That's right," Duo muttered, his face hidden in his crossed arms. "The Banshee is going to be willfully stubborn."
"Why? And don't go on about not wanting pity; you know that's crap."
Duo didn't answer. Heero waited.
He waited quite a while.
"I'm an idiot," Duo whispered eventually.
Heero ran the possibilities, then touched Duo's hair gently. There was no explosion.
"If you won't talk to a healer, at least talk to Q, or even to me. Please, Duo, just talk. Your attitude makes no sense."
"All I remember is walking into an alley, Heero. Then I woke up on the ground. That shouldn't happen to me. No one should have gotten that close to me without my knowledge." Barely a whisper, even Heero had to listen hard to hear him. "I should have felt him long before he got close enough to hit me."
"Yes, you should have."
"I fucked up, Heero. You think I want that to get around?" A heavy, miserable sigh. "I'm supposed to be capable of working independently. This makes it look like I need a keeper..." He rubbed his face against his arm.
Heero couldn't tell if he was crying; he edged closer to him.
"I'd been doing solo investigations for over a year when I stupidly turned my back on a Werewolf. He almost tore my throat out."
Duo looked up. "Are you trying to make me feel better?"
"Yes." A beat. "Is it working?"
"Is that true?"
Heero held up his hand. "On my parents' graves."
"And you let people know about it?"
Heero smirked. "Since I was bleeding like a disemboweled Vampyre, it was a little hard to hide." He thought he detected a quiver at the corner of Duo's mouth. "I was changing; he caught me before my hide toughened."
"But you got him?"
"Um... Yes. I got him."
"I feel like I fucked up so royally... A complete fool... Typical smart-ass, loser Banshee behavior!" Duo hid his face again.
Heero blinked.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You mean you haven't heard it?" Duo turned his head to look at Heero. "How male Banshees are just breeding stock? That they don't have any cajones. How you can't trust them in a situation. That they'll run and hide at the first sign of trouble. You haven't heard all that?"
Heero bristled. "Where did you hear that? Who said it?"
Duo shook his head. "A few words here, there. A comment behind my back. An opinion overheard in a hallway. But it's what people think. I'm a male Banshee; therefore, I'm a coward and a fuck-up. Do you see why I don't want to talk about this?" He closed his eyes for a moment. "You're about to say a bunch of really kind things to try to make me feel better, aren't you?"
Heero glared. "I am not." Actually, he had been, but he'd thought better of it. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Duo's cheek. He hadn't kissed Duo since returning from Japan, after that ludicrous episode in the library, but now seemed like a good time. "I do not feel that way. Trowa and Wufei do not feel that way."
Duo blinked at him. "Why did you kiss me?"
"Would you prefer I didn't?"
"No... I just..."
"I like you," Heero responded gruffly. "I care what happens to you and how you feel. I don't think you're a fuck-up and I know you're not a coward, and anyone who thinks you are, just doesn't know shit about Banshees!" He got to his feet and pulled Duo up. "If you ever hear that said again, I want to know!"
"Why?" Duo asked, mystified.
Heero snorted. "Because my father was a Banshee!"
Duo stared at him. "You're... half Banshee...? But..."
"I take after my mother. My Wyvern side is dominant."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why tell me now?"
"Because I'd like to kiss you again, and it might help."
Duo stared at him, obviously off-balance. He grinned lopsidedly. "Is that a bribe, Heero?"
"Would you like it to be?"
"I'd like to think you're doing it because you want to..."
"Oh, that too."
"Well, then..." Duo brightened and smiled. Not a brash grin or a sly smirk, but a sweet, genuine smile. Heero kissed him tenderly, drawing it out, but not trying to push. He would let Duo make the next move.
When they finally parted breathlessly, they just looked at each other.
"Um... That went better than the first time," Duo said slowly. "Don't you think?"
Heero snorted. "Considering I managed not to knock over half the furniture and dump us both on the floor, I'd say it went much better."
Duo grinned and giggled. "I guess that means you can do it again."
"I guess that means I will."