"Delicate--4"

[Daniele_Marx]

Delicate?4
By
Daniele_Marx
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Standard disclaimer applies.

This story is something to show A sensitive side to Heero. Hopefully it?ll have worked. Duo?s observations as he walks from office to anywhere else. He doesn't realize this, and neither would you unless I actually told you.
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Sitting in his office on the tenth floor of the Preventer?s office section, Duo sat while going over some documents he made up for the boss lady. If he hadn?t been there, he would?ve been at the hospital guarding Relena from attackers. He was tired from doing nothing all day. Well, there were things he had been doing, but there was no physical activity to settle his mind.

When people didn?t do anything they did two things: get tired, and get chubby. Right now he was getting tired, and he seriously needed to take a trip to the gym. He felt so useless. At least if he was working out, he could impress the ladies and get his workout done for the day. Yep, the ladies loved his physique, but he was off limits thanks to a beautiful woman named Hilde. But one thing still remained.

He was tired.

He wasn?t bored. On the contrary, things had become interesting if not downright weird. Guarding Relena had never been more entertaining. People would come into her room and give her a hug, and then they would avoid the subject of her attack until she bossed it out of them. She was not someone to take lightly when she was irritated. She usually held in her emotions when it came to stress. Her lion stayed in its' cage when she was anything but downright furious. When she was angry, she let you have it.

Yes, Relena Peacecraft was irritated because of the people around her. She didn?t like it when people avoided the truth that she was in real danger of dying or not being able to wake up one morning without a baby to feed. Sure she was able to have children as she was told, but she was also in danger of losing it should she have one bad turn during the nine months.

Treat her like a doll, why don?t you, he thought. Throw her emotions around until they?re unrecognizable and don?t let her know you?re uncomfortable around hospital scenes and injured people. It's not like she had an amputated leg or anything. She was just attacked and she's completely sane and in her right mind. Her conversations were becoming longer as she settled back into the gist of conversation and nothing could stop her; it seemed as though she had changed her frame of mind overnight.

She had convinced herself that she would never be able to bear the child of her honey and now that she had been reassured otherwise, she was feeling a little less than giddy but better than upset. He, of course, could talk to her about whatever she wanted. She was comfortable around him as a sister would be to a brother, not her brother per say, but some would say they were ?romanticizing the brother/sister relationship,? making it the model friendship to everyone including themselves.

Guarding her was like taking extra time off for lunch, you really thought you had to be working, but a few more minutes were too good of an offer to miss. They talked about the progress they had been making on getting the terrorists (or, as he called them, just plain ?assholes?), and since they hadn?t been catching anything really helpful, he basically spent his time talking to her about her thoughts and Hilde.

Thoughts of Heero when he showed up everyday for at least two hours so he could ask her how she was doing ran through his mind. Heero Yuy, talking about the present, was rather boring. What made Relena fall for him was beyond Duo.

The man didn't know how to talk to the ladies.

Heero Yuy did not talk about the future or the past very often. Granted, Duo mused, he probably thought too much about it, but aloud everything was still. Apparently, they didn?t do a lot of talking the other day considering her flushed face and slightly heavy breathing when he returned. He was a gentleman for the most part, so he teased them as much as he possibly could.

Then again, Duo went out to lunch when Heero appeared, so most of the things he thought were merely speculation. Personally, there was only one way for a woman?s lips to swell like that, and only one way she would get that dreamy look in her eyes, but it definitely could?ve been something not lusty?yeah right, Duo corrected himself.. Heero looked a bit disoriented afterwards, but most of the time Duo was sure his eyes were just playing games on him.

Anytime where Heero was in a good mood was a good time.

In addition, his friend later on had always become quieter than usual, but not in the manner that he just snogged with his girlfriend kind of way, but more jumpy than anything. He probably shouldn?t be like this so early in the game; it seemed he was more regretful of something he had done as he stared at his water bottle and glared at things that were placed out in front of him.

In the surveillance and operation field for this fire, he really shouldn't have been acting this way. He was naturally a very quiet man, very intent, but not anxious. Perhaps he was jumping the gun a little too much since the love of Heero?s life had been maliciously attacked with intent to kill. No, Duo thought. It was probably just his way of coping with the incident. He was angry and wanted to do something more than just sit there listening to static; Duo could relate.

In the hallways between shifts, when Heero wasn?t taking over for Duo, Zechs often showed up later and suddenly Duo had another lunch break. It wasn't anything too out of the ordinary really. The two glared at each other in the hallways, passing one another without acknowledgment and usually continuing as though merely walking. Usually Duo was exiting the cafeteria sector after a meal to hold him off until dinner, and decided to take that usual route when he began to notice that this meeting was becoming rather interesting. Right away Duo noticed something unusual about their routine pass through the hallway.

After a week of this, Duo had begun noticing more peculiar observances. At first he just let them be and sauntered off because he wasn?t needed. Then he saw something as he waited for the two to move on; Zechs? left hand was stagnant while the other swung gently, casually, by his side. His thumb was turned in towards his palm while it swung as it did.

Heero had slipped Zechs a note. No one but him saw it. The signals and flashing lights went off every time he saw it happen, and when he calmed himself down from the sheer intensity of the moment, he began to think of everything he knew about the two and of his training.

If there was one thing Duo knew about living on the streets for the first few years of his life, it was how to pickpocket without letting anyone be the wiser. He decided to mull it over after a few minutes of walking in the opposite direction as Heero and Zechs both. Should he find out what that was supposed to be about? On first instinct, every sign, every voice screamed out a resounding ?YES!?; but his logic came shortly after and he opted for waiting instead. If there was anything he knew about the two it was this:

If they were working together for a common goal, say revenge in this case, and no one else was to know about it, did he really, really want to know?

Perhaps he didn?t want to know. Who knows, he thought. Maybe I?d be much, much better off not knowing what?s going through their heads right now. Heero knows I?m good at what I do; he knows I saw it. Hell, he probably even planned on me knowing! But I?m not biting this time. No way, I?d rather sit by Relena?s hospital bed without something on my mind. I?ll sit there like a good boy and talk to her as though there?s absolutely nothing on my mind?yep, absolutely nothing on my mind?

They were definitely up to no good. Those two setting aside their differences was big, Duo thought. Those two passing off information to one another was even bigger, and those two planning anything under any circumstances without anyone's permission or orders was bad news. Duo almost cried from the unfairness of it all.

"I'm in trouble." Duo talked openly with Relena. She confided in him. She trusted him. She could read anyone and everyone because of her association with the best in the business--politicians and Gundam Pilots. If Relena had a small inkling or notion that Duo knew something troubling, she would squeeze it out of him without needing to raise a finger. Sitting there in bed with nothing better to do than focus all of her energy on one person instead of several documents or politicians, Duo knew his card had come up. He knew he shouldn't tell anyone what he noticed. He knew he shouldn't let anyone think he had some kind of secret. He knew if he walked in to say hello to that woman in the state he was in, he would not hear the end of it, from Relena or Heero.

So wait, he thought. Find out more. Heero and Zechs were professionals themselves. There was a good possibility that they knew he saw them. Perhaps it was a setup. It could've been their way of getting him to choose whether or not he wanted to join them. Duo kicked the wall near him and watched a couple of Preventers send a stare his way. They said nothing, though. He was an elite kind of guy. No one messed with him. Being a special guy, no one messed with him; it got lonely at times, but he knew he had friends he could trust.

"Hey, Duo!" a voice from behind him said. Duo turned only to see Trowa approaching him with a serious tone according to his demeanor. When the Heavyarms pilot reached him, his voice became an uttered ghost of a sound. "I need to talk to you in private."

So, Duo thought. He saw it too. Looking over to scan for anyone suspicious, Duo saw Heero at the end of the hall, staring at him silently before disappearing around the corner. Duo could've sworn the man had been watching their reactions. Great, now he's got us in one spot: the target under our feet. "Sure." His voice was tired as he followed Trowa to one of the lesser traveled hallways, his mind picturing the conversation. When Trowa wanted to speak he usually had something important to say.

The door closed behind Duo as they escaped the hallway to stand in a dark office. ?It?s just them, isn?t it,? Trowa said. Duo nodded. ?Should we get involved?? Duo stretched on his toes and raised his hands up high as if reaching to touch the high ceiling. When he relaxed, his face was worn and raw with graveness of the situation. Looking out the window to see the city sprawled out as far as the eye could see, he found himself wishing he were somewhere out there with Hilde, drinking coffee as they walked through a park, a store, anywhere but here. Running a hand over his face, he turned his stare to Trowa.

?I?d rather not. Relena would turn to me if she suspected anything going on. This is Heero we?re talking about.? There was a pause. ?I didn?t think you?d want to get involved.?

?I have issues with this group.?

?Care to elaborate??

?No.?

?How about generals?? Trowa stared at Duo blankly, thinking of everything this incident had caused. He had to leave his home to work at the Preventers in order to make everything better, to allow the sleepless nights to disappear for everyone. Relena did her part, Heero too, and now they were suffering. It only seemed right that their strain be lightened with the knowledge that they could depend on his loyalty.

??I joined the Preventers to keep the peace. They took that away from us. I found I was happier knowing they didn?t, and shouldn?t exist.?

?Then why come to me??

?They need our loyalty, someone they can depend on. You know they can?t do this on their own.?

?Aww, I didn?t know you cared.?

?I don?t.?

?Like I?m supposed to believe that?? When Trowa glared at him, Duo rolled his eyes. ?Man, what?s with everyone and glaring?? When his friend refused to answer, Duo sighed and smoothed down his hair. Of all the times in need, he never once refused to help. Call me sentimental, he thought. I never could turn down the help of a friend. ?Of course, I?m in. Can?t let Heero have all the fun now, can we?? When a ghost of a smile appeared on Trowa?s lips, all Duo could hear was the cries of the opposition when they got their punishment. It turned his stomach sickly as he thought of what Trowa was capable of, what Heero and Zechs and the rest of them were capable of. He didn?t really want to help make all that happen, but perhaps Heero would let him sit on the sidelines to cover up his tracks. Anything beyond that and Duo knew he would harbor some serious regret.

Sure it would feel good at first, but he would be damned if he saw Relena?s face as she said that she thought better of him.

[APerfectSoldier87]

Good.

[lilac310]

I can't wait for the next installment!!!

[AnShino]

Very nice. Can't wait for the next one!

[Raspberry]

Wow! This chapter was amazing!

All was about Relena and Heero, and now Duo...

It's extremely interesting!

I BEG YOU to continue and great work!

[simmer]

Keep it up!