Important Chapter Note: A lot has been skipped in the series in this chapter and the ones after it, for obvious reasons. One, I'm sure you don't want to read all that when you can easily watch the series; two, the boys are split up so drastically, it's near impossible to work on their relationships. Thus, the dramatic leap in time halfway through this chapter. It's more like a filler, really. *cough* Moving right along...

Chapter 11
"Restless"

    While Wufei and Duo were busy escaping and venting their frustration on the Lunar Base with their newly customized Gundams, Heero was watching the one thing he'd tentatively started to appreciate about his life get blasted away.

    The impact of the Mercurius and Wing Zero colliding as they tumbled into the colony's hangar jarred him as he clung to the controls and gritted his teeth, depending on the restraints to keep him from flying free or cracking his head against the control panel. Quatre was shouting over the comm in a voice laced with panic. "Heero! Stop fighting! We have to save Trowa-!"
    Heero managed to roll his mech free and lashed out with a fury that was visible only in the cold blue of his eyes. Quatre cried out as he was knocked aside, and Heero's voice snapped like a whip over the net. "He's dead, Quatre. You killed him."
    "No-! I-"
    The Mercurius got its feet underneath itself again and Heero barreled towards his opponent.
    Trowa had- Why had he...?
    Wing Zero's shield lifted hastily, deflecting the blow, and Quatre fought back out of desperation, all the while pleading for Heero to stop, to get out of the way, to save Trowa.
    In his mind's eye Heero watched again and again as Wing's powerful buster rifle fired, the deadly beam coming directly at him, intent on destroying him and the helpless colony behind him. He saw a shadow cross his video screen, stared in stunned silence as Trowa maneuvered the Vayeate to take the blow meant for him. And then watched the suit float away before erupting in an explosion unheard in the darkness of space, his last words an attempt to pull Quatre from the hold Zero had on him.
    Trowa had been protecting the colony- maybe even Heero himself. Heero should have seen it coming. None of them would have stood by and watched a colony be destroyed. But...
    Now Trowa was...
    Heero swung with his thermal sword, knowing even as he did so that his suit didn't have a chance against the dangerous Wing Zero and its trained pilot. Quatre was upset, but he fought back instinctively. He seized the arm holding the sword and hurtled forward, pinning the smaller mobile suit beneath him.
    "I never meant for any of this to happen!" Quatre shouted, his voice strained. "But Trowa- he can't be- He.."
    Heero snarled, heaving against the controls and slipping free of the larger Gundam's hold.
    "Heero! Hurry up and kill me if you have to," Quatre cried, retreating slightly. "Just go and save Trowa!"
    Heero felt a fresh rush of anger and hammered at the larger suit with his saber. "Kill you- so that Trowa died for nothing?" he demanded harshly.
    Quatre screamed in a mix of anguish and anger and swung at Heero with his own saber, putting all of the Gundam's considerable strength and bulk behind the sudden attack.
    The Mercurius was knocked back like a rag doll, slamming against the far wall. Heero's head snapped back, then forward, cracking against the control panel. As the edges of his vision began to blacken, he fought vainly to keep from passing out, fingers slowly slipping from the throttle.
    For some reason he saw a sudden flash of Wufei's familiar sneer in his mind's eye, heard the other boy's scornful voice as if the warrior was leaning over his shoulder.
    "Going down so easily, Yuy?"
    Quatre was approaching in Wing, suddenly afraid he'd seriously injured his opponent. In one last surge of defiance, Heero threw his suit forward, catching the Arabian off guard. Quatre cried out in surprise as the two suits collided, tumbling out of the abandoned hangar and into space. Wing Zero's saber was knocked aside and went spinning away.
    "Heero! Heero!!"
    The perfect soldier could no longer hear Quatre's frantic shouts; his head fell forward as unconsciousness rushed up to claim him at last. (1)

-*-*-*-

    It was a long time before Heero saw Trowa again.
    Accepting that the other pilot was dead, he pushed back any annoying emotions that got in his way and strode right back into battle, this time alongside Quatre and Noin in defense of Relena Peacecraft back on Earth.
    He did it mostly to protect her ideals in the fight for peace. But a very small part of him that he refused to acknowledge also accepted the new mission due to her offer to seek out Trowa Barton with her considerable influence and resources.
    The remaining two pilots were busy wrecking havoc in space. Neither Heero nor Quatre had heard from the two; the blond seemed upset at the lack of communication from Duo, worried that the hard-headed pilot might get into more trouble than he could get out of without backup. Because Chang Wufei fought his battles alone. Heero was certain he was not going to stick around with a loud-mouthed, grinning joker like Maxwell.
    Heero hadn't allowed himself many chances to reflect on the two warriors he'd come to know and respect. Thinking about Trowa- and about his death at Quatre's hands -only made him suddenly want to hurt his compassionate partner for some reason.
    And the one time he had allowed himself to wonder idly if Wufei was successful in his destruction of Oz forces up in space, he had remembered quite clearly that strange, awkward almost-kiss they'd shared in the prison cell. Which also made him think about those few heated moments with Trowa in the hangar.
    So it was easiest to just not think about them at all. Those memories distracted him, and he didn't like not being able to focus on his mission. And he didn't like being confused. So he just blocked the two of them from his mind, and decided that was that.
    He soon discovered the subconscious- and dreams -could be just as cruel as nightmares sometimes. After the third time jolting awake in a sweat, body tingling strangely, he began redoubling his efforts on the battlefield, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion so that by the time he was able to catch a few hours' rest, he was too deeply asleep to dream at all.

-*-*-*-

    Inevitably the war called them back to space once more.
    It was then that Heero saw Wufei again, when Sally picked him and his battered Gundam up in her shuttle.
    Whatever Wufei had learned about himself while he had fought his private battles, it had not helped the man's aloof and disdainful attitude any. If anything, it only made it worse.
    When the slender pilot entered the control room, eyes flitting sideways to meet Heero's dispassionate glance, Heero found himself wondering if the other boy had heard of Trowa's untimely demise. If he had, it didn't show, and the thought was drowned under more pressing thoughts of Heero's own upcoming battles.
    He still had a score to settle with the Lightening Count.

    By then he didn't expect to finish what they'd started back in the prison block on the Lunar Base. He'd been successful in diverting his mind, thinking only of his mission. That little scene between them had been... odd, to say the least. Awkward. More a result of adrenaline and sudden insight and respect than... well, it wasn't the same as that day in the hangar with Trowa. And Trowa was gone.
    Wufei seemed to feel the same way. The two of them hardly spoke, and the proud warrior seemed determined to leave them as soon as his precious Shenlong was fully functional, despite Sally's pleading.
    It was as Heero, arms crossed as he stood beside Sally watching the monitors, watched Wufei throw himself into battle against a flight of dolls with his own Wing Zero that he began to recall the respect this young man had earned from himself and from Treize Kushrenada.
    He was the dancing death in their midst. Even in a hulking mobile suit, it seemed the swordsman could fight with the grace and speed that came to him when he was using blade or martial arts against his enemies. He faltered only halfway through the battle, proof that the Zero system was beginning to wreak havoc on his mind.
    Heero had studied the techniques and fighting styles of each Gundam pilot with a critical eye as he met each of them and discovered they could easily fall into the category of either enemy or ally. He had been surprised that they had not disappointed him.
    Duo was cocky for a good reason. He was the one man Heero would trust to infiltrate an entire base with him and cause the most damage. And when he was in the cockpit of Deathscythe, the two of them were a formidable force. Duo would not give up. His pride had a part in that. He viewed himself as the unbeatable God of Death. Failure was not an option. Heero approved of that.
    Trowa's methods of fighting in his own suit were a little predictable, but dangerously effective. Mow them down, and don't leave any left: a tactic with devastating results. And the man was skilled in a staggering number of fields that hinted at a background as a mercenary. His poker face and his ability to blend in made him the perfect undercover agent... as he had proven when he'd slipped into the ranks of OZ and placed himself neatly as Colonel Une's favorite.
    Once Heero had discovered how compassionate Quatre was, he'd been leery of how good a soldier he would be. The boy was too willing to put the mission at risk to save a friend, and he preferred his enemies to surrender rather than be killed. The gentle-eyed Arabian had quickly put most of his fears to rest. He'd proven that he could, indeed, do what was necessary. His opponents got one chance and one chance only to throw down their weapons. Then Sandrock was in the thick of them, dealing death no matter how reluctantly. And his sharp mind made him a tactician not to be taken lightly. Heero had learned to ignore the boy's lapses in this soldier persona. What Quatre said and did when he wasn't on a mission didn't concern Heero, as long as he performed well in battle.
    Heero watched expectantly, his face a cold mask of stone, as Wufei returned, entering the cockpit with a slightly haunted look to his dark eyes. When he agreed to go with them- for now, he added grudgingly -Sally was smart enough to smile only when he wasn't looking her way.
    When Wufei left to shower, Heero pushed himself off the wall and followed.
    He knew better than to ask what Zero had shown the other boy; what was seen in that cockpit was for the pilot alone. If Wufei wanted to talk about it, fine. But Heero needed some intel, and Wufei had been in space while he and Quatre had been on earth protecting Relena's ideals. He would be able to brief Heero better than anyone else they might run across. Heero wasn't interested in the political viewpoint older men might give him. He wanted to know about the battlefield he was preparing to throw himself into.
    Wufei didn't bother to turn and look at him as he strode down the hall, glancing around for the shower room- a small closet-like space with a vacuum hose and soapy cloths, as good as it got in a transfer shuttle like this one. Wufei peeled off his shirt as he walked. "I'm surprised Barton isn't with you," he shot over his shoulder.
    Heero felt his mouth tug downwards in a frown as he stared at the sweat-slicked back ahead of him, muscles rippling under the skin like a stalking jungle cat. So he hadn't heard. "Barton was KIA," he said bluntly, with no preamble.
    Wufei's step faltered just a little, his shoulders stiffening. "..Oh?" he said finally, his voice light and disinterested. "When?"
    "After the Lunar Base," Heero grunted. This was not really a subject he wanted to linger on. He switched to debriefing. "How-"
    Wufei came to a dead halt. Only Heero's precise reflexes kept him from running into the other boy from behind. He frowned at the rigid back before him. Wufei was silent for a long moment. Finally he turned his head, looking at Heero out of the corner of his eye. "Lunar Base," he repeated softly. "While Maxwell and I made our escape?"
    Heero nodded once. His time in the presence of Quatre and Relena's compassion was the only thing that checked his tongue, preventing him from demanding a briefing just then. Wufei was not taking the death well.
    "Yes," he said briskly. "Winner was under the influence of the Zero system and Barton-"
    Wufei turned his face away, and his whole body relaxed minutely. "He isn't dead," he said quietly.
    It was Heero's turn to tense up. His eyes narrowed, and his heart gave a little thump of surprise and- hope? "What?"
    "He isn't dead," Wufei said again, starting off again in his search of the shower room. His voice was back to its normal harsh tone. Heero strode after him briskly so that he was walking beside the slightly shorter boy. "Maxwell contacted me," Wufei continued with a fleeting scowl, "to tell me he'd found Barton on a colony, traveling with that silly circus again. Whatever happened to make you think him dead, however, had other effects."
    "What kind of effects?" Heero demanded.
    Wufei's eyes flickered sideways towards him. "Head injury, space fever, trauma... whatever it was, he seems to have amnesia. Either that or he's in denial. Maxwell said he didn't even recognize him, and didn't know what he was talking about. The woman there," his lips curled slightly at a private memory- as if he knew her, "chased Maxwell off and called Barton her brother."
    Heero silently let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
    Alive.
    A scowl lit his face, erasing his fleeting relief. Amnesia. That made Barton useless. Damn it. He might as well be dead. One less Gundam to fight the war.
    Wufei stopped again, turning a raptor gaze on his partner. "Where the hell is the god damn shower room?" he snapped impatiently, evidently sick of his fruitless search.
    Heero blinked and looked around. He turned and led the other boy back a few doors.
    He opened the correct one, stepping aside to let Wufei through. The other boy paused in the doorway, looking at him with intense dark eyes. "You knew, didn't you?" he accused. His gaze flicked back, towards the back of the shuttle, where the Gundams were held.
    Heero realized he was talking about the Zero system and lifted one shoulder in a minute shrug. "Zero only shows what we already know subconsciously," Heero said, ignoring the question.
    Wufei studied him for a long moment, eyes still narrowed suspiciously. Finally he gave a little snort that could have been nothing or could have been irritation, and shut the door firmly behind himself. Heero turned his steps towards the room with their Gundams, a strange weight he hadn't even known was there mysteriously lifted.
    Trowa was alive.

-*-*-*-

    There were no further attacks for almost five hours.
    After the third, Wufei got restless and disappeared. Heero remained in the cockpit for another half hour before leaving to check on his Gundam. He'd already checked while Wufei had been taking his shower, but he was restless himself. And he was anything if not meticulous.
    He found Wufei under the two dead gazes of the mounted Gundams, towering over him like sentinels as he whirled around on the floor in a flurry of movement, his slender body moving with deadly grace as he practiced his martial arts, feet and arms scything imaginary foes.
    Heero remained in the doorway for several minutes, watching with a calculating eye. In this, he wondered idly, did Wufei have him beat? The boy used his entire body as a weapon as easily as others drew air into their lungs. Heero could incapacitate and even kill with his bare hands if need be, but he preferred the cold weight of a gun in his hand when it came to killing. Easier, and more effective. Heero was strong enough to break a grown man's neck with one brutal twist, and his reflexes were top-notch, but as he watched the other soldier dance across the floor in a silent, invisible battle, he was forced to admit to himself that if the two of them were to go at each other bare-knuckled, the results might surprise the both of them.
    He was sure the other pilot knew of his presence, but Wufei didn't acknowledge him as he wrapped up his kata five minutes after Heero had appeared. He stilled his movements, back to Heero, fists at his sides and feet planted together as he slowly regulated his breathing. Heero watched him another minute before uncrossing his arms and walking into the room. As he passed Shenlong, he glanced up at its battle-scarred surface, mentally judging just how much work would have to be done on it. It was a wreck. Wufei must have fought against staggering odds, refusing to admit any weaknesses in himself or his suit until he could simply fight no more. It was an upgraded model, he noted. The scientists had been busy while they'd been captives of OZ at the Lunar Base. No doubt they'd tinkered with Deathscythe as well. Duo was probably out there somewhere happily bringing doom to his enemies in his newly customized Gundam. And laughing in their faces as they died.
    Wufei finally turned to face him, face as stern and arrogant as always. Already his breathing was almost regular, though the sheen of sweat on his bare arms and forehead was evidence enough that he'd pushed his body in a grueling one-sided match. His eyes flickered over Heero as if considering making it a real match, but Heero wasn't interested in a useless test of skills when they could be attacked at any moment. Maybe another time.
    Wufei recognized the loose stance to his partner's body as a refusal, and gave an almost unnoticeable shrug of acquiescence. He folded his arms across his chest, lips curving just slightly in the little smirk Heero recognized so readily. "Don't tell me even the great Heero Yuy gets bored?" he taunted.
    Heero grunted in lieu of an answer, still watching the other boy. "Did you exhaust yourself already?" he asked bluntly. It could have been a prod at the warrior's pride, or a simple question concerning his ability to fight if another attack came. Even Heero wasn't quite sure which it was.
    Wufei chose to view it as a mix of the two, and offered a dark scowl. "Don't be stupid," he snapped. He strode past and seated himself on the floor below his Gundam, leaning back against the massive leg as he plucked up the hand towel he had left there and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. Heero came over to stand over him, hands on his hips as he arched one brow.
    He was restless. Might as well banter with the other boy. It was a little amusing to get Wufei riled up. It would be a nice change from his talks with Quatre and Relena. "Then why are you sitting down?" he asked.
    Wufei tensed as if about to leap to his feet, his face like a storm cloud. Abruptly he relaxed, gazing up at Heero with lidded eyes. "Fuck off, Yuy," he said in a bored tone. "Not all of us had a nice long vacation on Earth."
Heero glared down at him. He caught the denial before it left his mouth, lip curling slightly in grudging acceptance. He'd forgotten the barbs hidden on Wufei's tongue. He should have expected a brutal retaliation when it came to verbal sparring with this one. "Is this war proving too much for you, then?"
    Wufei gave a disdainful sniff, not falling for the trap. He offered Heero a look usually reserved for cockroaches. How he managed to look down his nose at Heero when the Wing pilot was standing over him was somewhat impressive. "Did Winner and the Peacecraft Prodigy manage to tame the bite of the infamous Yuy, or do you think you'll still be able to kill someone without first offering them the chance for surrender?"
    Heero's lips lifted just slightly in a cold little smile that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't bother to respond. The stony glint to his eyes was all the answer required. His gaze flicked towards a bandage on Wufei's arm. He'd been pretty banged up when they'd picked him and Shenlong up. Sally had tended to his wounds, but it didn't look like he'd bothered to redress this particular one, and his exercises had caused the wound to start bleeding again, seeping through the gauze and bandages. He dropped into a crouch, reaching out to check the bandages. Wufei immediately stiffened at the sudden move into his personal space, ready for a fight, but when Heero's strong fingers touched the wound experimentally, he forced himself to relax slightly.
    "You need to dress this again," Heero pointed out tonelessly, lifting an edge of the bandage to try and get a glimpse of the damage.
    Wufei hardly even spared the arm a glance. "It's fine," he said dismissively. "When the arm falls off, there will be a problem. Until then, I can take care of myself, Yuy." He lifted his eyes to glare warningly at him, and Heero found himself caught in that intense stare for a few still moments.

    He wasn't sure how it happened-- it didn't seem to be by any conscious decision.
    But a moment later he had leaned in and was pressing his mouth to the other boy's.
    Wufei didn't react to the close-mouthed kiss, other than to go completely rigid, caught off guard by the spontaneous move. Heero remembered that it had been Wufei's reaction the last time, too, and wasn't discouraged. He shifted, supporting his weight on one knee and a hand he braced against Shenlong's leg by Wufei's head, moving his lips against the ones underneath his own. Wufei's breath gave a little hitch, his hands curling into fists on the floor by his thighs, but he otherwise made no move to either encourage Heero or push him away. He was fighting an internal battle, and Heero was prepared for either outcome. He hoped.
    He coaxed the mouth under his with firm pressure until at last Wufei drew a shuddering sigh and opened his mouth timidly, just enough to make the kiss a little more intimate. Heero turned his head for a better angle and kissed him more firmly, forcing the other's mouth open a little more with the pressure. His tongue flickered out to lap at Wufei's bottom lip, and with a fine tremble, Wufei relaxed against the Gundanium leg and let his eyes slide closed. He opened his mouth wider, raising one arm hesitantly and placing his fingertips on Heero's shoulder in a feather light touch that could turn to a rough shove at any moment, but didn't.
    Heero remembered what Trowa had done. He remembered how it had felt, but he also remembered how much it had startled him. Cautiously, expecting to be thrown back at any second, he covered Wufei's lips under his own and slid his tongue into the other boy's mouth.
    Wufei jumped, eyes flying open to stare into Heero's in shock. The hand on his shoulder suddenly turned into a tense grip. Heero withdrew his tongue, giving another chaste kiss before once again slipping his tongue past thin lips and running it across the top of Wufei's.
    Wufei took a sharp breath in through his nose, still staring into Heero's eyes a little wildly. The hand on Heero's shoulder trembled slightly, as if he couldn't make up his mind: to continue, or make Heero rue the day he was born. When Heero carefully retracted his tongue and settled for sucking on Wufei's bottom lip stubbornly, Wufei's eyes finally slid shut in defeat, his grip relaxing marginally.
    Heero didn't realize he'd shut his own eyes until he turned his head blindly to change the angle and bumped noses with Wufei. This time when he sent his tongue questing into the other's mouth, Wufei lifted his own tongue hesitantly to meet his own. Heero found himself leaning forward, trying to capture as much territory as he could, sweeping his tongue against Wufei's and then across the inside of his cheek. He lifted his free hand on impulse and tugged the bottom of Wufei's tanktop from his pants. Wufei muttered an incoherent protest against his mouth- Heero quickly gagged it with his tongue and slid his hand underneath the damp cloth to splay his hand against the tight abdomen he'd found. He felt the muscles bunch in a sudden spasm, and knew he'd startled his partner, but he wasn't willing to stop unless Wufei shoved him off. Ignoring the muffled noise the other soldier made, he shifted his hand, wrapping it around the other's slender side and rubbing his thumb up and down against the side of his abs. He could hear Wufei's breathing quicken, and swallowed the beginning of a groan in his throat, tucking his tongue in between Wufei's upper lip and teeth.
    He gave a little grunt of surprise when Wufei retaliated suddenly, turning his head to dislodge Heero's tongue and thrusting his own inside Heero's mouth. This time Heero was unable to choke back the thready groan that trickled out of his throat as the other's tongue swept across the inside of his mouth, the hand on his shoulder moving up to tangle in his thick hair, insistently pulling his head closer. Heero tried to pull back, determined to regain control of the kiss, running his hand up Wufei's front until he could flex his palm against a firm pec, his finger brushing a nipple. Wufei gave another little start at that sensation; he retaliated by nipping Heero's lip suddenly, eliciting another noise of surprise from Wing's normally stoic pilot.
    Wufei's indecision melted away, and the kisses quickly became aggressive and hard. Heero's hand roved across sweaty skin, and Wufei's fingers in his hair tightened and tugged, trying to control the kiss. Their ragged breathing filled the large room. Belatedly Heero realized he was practically in Wufei's lap, their legs tangled. Wufei had lifted his other hand, and his strong fingers were digging into Heero's hip, alternately pushing and pulling. Heero couldn't seem to make himself stop kissing the other boy, and his heart was pounding in his ears as his body tingled and tightened. The brief glimpse of lust he'd experienced in the hangar back on earth with Trowa was now pounding through him, demanding release. Wufei squirming at his touch, pressing his tongue against Heero's, and biting at his bottom lip wasn't helping matters. He realized abruptly that it was either call it off immediately or...
    Or what?
    His mind went blank, and he had a brief feeling of uneasy confusion. Heero wasn't completely sheltered. He had a basic idea of male/female coupling. And as vague as his knowledge was, he knew in the back of his mind that even a virgin would only have to rely on the primal instincts of his body to get that accomplished.
    But... two males... What exactly were they supposed to do? He knew it could be done. There were gay couples everywhere, and surely they had found a way to... well, do that. He wished suddenly for Trowa's knowledge. The other pilot had certainly seemed to know what he was doing.
    Either Wufei had a vague idea, or he hadn't stopped to think about that step, yet. He pushed Heero away a bit and tucked his feet underneath himself so that they were kneeling in front of each other. They attacked each other's mouths again, hands roaming. Heero had gotten both his hands underneath Wufei's shirt and was mapping the strong, wiry body with his palms and fingers. Every time he brushed against a nipple, Wufei's breathing hitched, and so Heero made sure to slide his fingers or knuckles against them more often.
    One of Wufei's hands remained stubbornly cupped against the back of Heero's skull, fingers threaded in his hair, while the other slid across Heero's hip so that his hand was against Heero's lower back. After a brief hesitance- Heero's lips spontaneously moving to his earlobe seemed to make up his mind -Wufei wriggled his fingertips underneath the band of Heero's shorts and slipped his hand inside.
    It was Heero's turn to jump as the calloused hand slid down and rested hesitantly just on the side of his ass. It lit his already smoldering libido aflame, and he ran his hands up abruptly, lifting Wufei's shirt past his chest as he seized the boy in a rough grip behind his shoulders and tugged him forward. Their chests met, and an instant later so did their groins. This time Wufei let out a startled groan, and Heero felt a flash of triumph. He thrust his tongue into the open mouth in front of him and ground his hips instinctively against the slender ones pressed to him. Wufei gasped, and his hand flexed, fingers gripping Heero's ass in a sudden, aggressive hold that almost made Heero choke with the combination of sensations front and back.
    Wufei's own hips surged forward, hungering for that feeling again; Heero met him halfway, and within moments they were grinding against each other, gasping as their clothed erections rubbed against each other. It wasn't enough, Heero thought with the small part of his mind still able to function. Not enough...
    He dropped his hands down so that one was pressed against the small of Wufei's back, and with the other he deftly undid the cloth sash around Wufei's pants. Before Wufei could so much as stammer a protest, he had flicked open the buttons with surprisingly steady fingers. He delved his hand inside before he could hesitate and before Wufei could react. He fished around, staring into Wufei's wide eyes, and found what he was looking for. He wrapped his hand around Wufei's hard member and watched dazedly as Wufei's head fell back, a throaty moan forcing its way out of the swordsman's mouth. Heero had a sudden craving to get more noises like that out of the normally hard-faced swordsman.
    Wufei recovered quickly and retaliated, ducking his face away from a searching kiss and dragging his hand around from Heero's ass to pull out Heero's own erection. A jolt of pure undulated lust shot through Heero at the feel of another man's hand around him, and he almost forgot to breathe.
    He reached in between them, pushing Wufei's hand away. A flash of confusion rode in Wufei's lust-filled eyes, and he leaned back a little, panting for breath. His eyes flicked downwards, and Heero caught himself staring at the furious blush that suddenly lit his partner's cheeks. Still watching Wufei's face, he wrapped his hand around both their erections, holding them together, and began to slide his hand up and down. Wufei gave a strangled choking noise, his body arching against Heero's. Heero fought to keep a steady rhythm as he seized the other boy's mouth in an almost savage kiss. Wufei's hand returned to his ass with a vengeance, the fingers in his hair twisting almost painfully. Heero kept his free hand splayed against Wufei's lower back in a failed attempt to control the rocking rhythm Wufei was setting in a determined effort to speed things up.
    Finally Heero's control shattered around his feet like so many shards of glass. His hand, wrapped around them both, slid up and down almost frenziedly, their bodies writhing against each other. At last Wufei reached his climax. He arched against Heero, throwing his head back, and something like a hoarse cry or groan of release escaped his open mouth. Heero lunged forward, latching his teeth almost brutally into the exposed neck, sucking on the sweaty skin under his lips and tongue. Wufei gave another short cry at the attack, and an instant later release hit Heero like a thunderbolt. His body tightened against Wufei's, his hips thrusting forward. His own deep moan was muffled against Wufei's neck.
    Wufei's entire body relaxed, any bit of tension seeping from his frame, and he sagged forward bonelessly. Heero released their spent members and supported the other boy's weight with the hand against his back. He pulled his mouth from Wufei's throat and lifted his other hand. He grimaced at seeing the mess on it, and dropped it by his side. They leaned against each other for a few moments, slowly getting their labored breathing under control, their bodies tingling pleasantly in the aftermath. For the first time he could remember, Heero felt completely relaxed and sated.
    Nice stress relief, he thought sardonically.
    Wufei's breath puffed against his ear, and Heero shuddered slightly. "What," Wufei demanded groggily, "was that for?" The usual harshness was gone from his voice, though the sarcastic undertone was still there. Heero felt his lips twitching into a small grin, and pulled his hand away from Wufei's sweaty back, gripping one of the warrior's shoulders to push him back slightly. They knelt, a few inches apart, studying each other's faces as their breath slowly began to return to normal. Wufei's face was still a little flushed from passion. His earlier cry of release and his groans rung in Heero's head, and he tucked the memory deep inside for later.
    Heero offered the other boy a smirk that would have made Duo proud. "I was bored," he said dismissively, shrugging one shoulder.
    Wufei rolled his eyes. Before he could give a retort, the intercom crackled overhead. "Hey, guys, I need one of you to watch the cockpit for a few minutes," Sally's voice came, a little tinny over the old equipment. "I need to use the bathroom real quick." The speakers gave a short buzz and went silent.
    Wufei looked down at their laps and frowned a little.
    Heero caught the look and shifted back slightly. "Go ahead and take a shower. I'll go to the cockpit."
    Wufei grunted his agreement, glancing around. He twisted and snatched up his hand towel. After wiping himself off, he handed it over to Heero, who tactfully didn't mention the faint blush on the soldier's high cheekbones.
    Heero tucked himself back into his shorts and rose to his feet, stretching a little. His entire body felt relaxed. Except for maybe his knees, which felt a little raw from their position, but he ignored it as he absently scratched his tingling scalp from where Wufei's fingers had pulled on his hair, looking down at the other boy as he buttoned up his own pants.
    Wufei rose gracefully to his own feet, not quite meeting Heero's eyes. His mouth was pulled down in the corners, and he seemed suddenly unsure about something. Heero paused, watching him.
    Wufei cleared his throat quietly, studying Heero's cheek rather than look him in the eye. "What about Trowa?" he asked grudgingly.
    Heero blinked, lowering his hand and looking curiously at the other boy. "What?"
    Wufei scowled slightly, looking away and crossing his arms defensively over his chest. "Trowa," he snapped. "Aren't you and him... Isn't he...?" He trailed off.
    It took Heero a moment to figure out what the hell Wufei was talking about. When he did, he frowned a little, cocking his head, hands on his hips. "Trowa has amnesia," he pointed out bluntly.
    Wufei scowled at him. Obviously that hadn't been the right answer. Heero's frown deepened as he studied the other boy's face, trying to figure out how to explain himself. A part of him irritably wondered why he should have to explain himself to anyone in the first place. The other half of his mind pointed out that he probably owed Wufei at least that much. After all, they both held Trowa in some varied form of high regard, and the two of them had just...
    The words came out of his mouth of their own volition, and Heero wasn't sure exactly where they came from. "Why should I choose?" he demanded.
    Wufei stared at him, startled, his eyebrows shooting up nearly to his hairline. That certainly hadn't been the answer he'd been expecting.
    Odin's words- "follow you emotions" -echoed in the caverns of Heero's memories. Words he in turn had imparted to Trowa himself. Heero suspected the episode in the hangar back on earth hadn't been a one-time thing. If he got the chance, he admitted to himself, he would be more than willing to finish what they'd started. On some basic level of need and emotion, Heero wanted Trowa.
    But he also wanted Wufei.
    He wanted both. Why should he bother with choosing? What was the use of feeling guilty? Especially since there was obviously the hint of a spark between Wufei and Trowa as well. Whether it was on the same level as Trowa and Heero viewed each other was none of Heero's business, and frankly he didn't care.
    He wasn't going to choose unless he had to.
    Wufei was studying his face, his expression carefully neutral as he considered Heero's simple question. Finally the tension in his shoulders eased, and the faint defensive aura disappeared.
    "Aa," he murmured finally.
    The intercom crackled to life once more. "Helloooo," Sally's impatient voice came over the speaker. "Are you two still alive?"
    Wufei rolled his eyes, lip curling. He muttered something in his native tongue that Heero was relatively sure had something derogatory to do with women. The corner of Heero's lip twisted in a slight smirk before he turned and headed off towards the cockpit to relieve the older woman.

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(1) Hey, it wasn't my idea to have Heero pass out. -.-; It was in the episode. I just tweaked it a bit XD;;; wahaha *scuttles off*
Author's Notes: I apologize for anything that might have been incorrect concerning the storyline, as far as the brief interlude on earth went. I haven't been able to get to the scripts since I got to Germany, so just bear with me. This chapter took a long time in coming out partly due to the move, and partly because I was so wrapped up in my WK fic.
*lecherous grin* Finally a bit of action, eh? *cackles madly and scuttles off to get ready for bed*
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 12
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