Fate Part 5
Heero was focused on the belt. He hadn't realized how badly it had been damaged. There was spell work involved, enchantments woven into the pattern of the metals, precise and delicate work that required all of his attention. He didn't know how long he'd worked on it, but he knew he was nearly finished, the last little bit needed to be snapped into place, the enchantment completed-
He pushed his bangs out of his eyes, forcing himself to focus. He was so damned tired- how long had he been working on this?
But he couldn't stop- not so close to the end. Not if he wanted to see Duo...
He put the last pieces together carefully, making sure there was not even the sign of the faintest crack, and carefully let them meld together.
Finished. He looked up at the window. It was morning- how long had he been working? The tools dropped from his hands and he felt his knees tremble. He dropped to the floor, exhausted. Between the lack of rest and the effort that fixing the belt had taken, he simply had no energy left at all.
The floor was cold and hard, but he couldn't summon up the will to move. He'd rest, then he'd take the belt and seek out Duo's mother. He closed his eyes and let his exhaustion sweep over him.
"Heero?" Something touched his forehead, but he couldn't open his eyes. The voice was familiar- but it wasn't Duo's. "Heero?"
He managed to crack his eyes open enough to glimpse the person who hovered over him. "Quatre?"
"It's me. What did you do to yourself?" The blond's voice was faintly scolding, but Heero could hear the warmth underneath. Maybe Quatre could help him?
"Duo left. My fault." He managed to lift his arm, held the belt out to Quatre. "You- can you- find his mother? I fixed- the damn thing-so she'd help me. I need- to find him."
He was relieved when Quatre took the belt from him and he could let his arm drop back down. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he made himself focus on the blond's surprised expression. "Please?"
"You fixed this so she'd help you find Duo?"
"Yes. Need to apologize-" His eyes wouldn't stay open.
Quatre's voice was warm and reassuring. "Don't worry, Heero. I'll help you."
~*~
Duo could hear his mother and Trowa arguing in low voices outside his door. He didn't really care what they were saying. It was hard to care about anything.
Except Heero. What had happened to him? If he hadn't gone back to his father- then where was he? Was he all right?
Why hadn't he listened to his father? If only he'd never made that damn bargain... but what else could he have done? Heero had been badly injured- and demigods weren't as invulnerable as their parents... they could still die...
Like he was.
It wouldn't be that much longer. If only he could be sure that Heero was okay before...
The argument in the hallway grew suddenly louder. A new voice had joined in. Duo turned his head to find Quatre standing in the doorway, an unconscious Heero leaning heavily on his shoulder.
"What--?" He started, sitting straight up. Quatre grinned at him.
"Relax. The fool just exhausted himself." He closed the distance between himself and the bed, depositing Heero carefully on the pillows beside Duo. Leaning over, weariness forgotten, Duo carefully traced the lines of Heero's face.
"What was he doing?"
"He was working on this." Something golden twinkled in Quatre's fingers.
"My belt!" Duo's mother snatched it out of Quatre's hand. "He fixed it! But- why?"
"In order to find you- so that you would take him to Duo. From what I can tell, he's been working on it the last few days nonstop."
Duo ignored his mother, who was running the golden links between her fingers delightedly. "Is he okay?"
"He's just tired." Trowa reassured him. "I would guess he hasn't slept for a few days."
"You didn't do something to make him-?" Duo glared at his mother, who looked away from her recovered treasure long enough to snort at him.
"Certainly not. He did this all on his own. In order to find you." She arched an eyebrow at him.
Duo looked at Quatre, who nodded, still smiling. "He said he needed to find you. Something about apologizing."
"Idiot," Duo said softly, putting his head down beside Heero's on the pillow. "It was my fault- not his..."
"Doesn't matter," Trowa interjected. "What you both need right now is rest." He turned and made a shooing gesture at Quatre and Duo's mother. "We'll let you sleep."
Quatre raised his eyebrows in a silent question and Trowa nodded with a smile. "The fading?" Duo's mother asked in a quiet tone as they stepped out into the hallway.
"Didn't you notice? Duo snapped right back the moment Heero appeared. I think he's going to be fine."
She stood for a moment, studying her son and his lover, and then she smiled. "So he will. I need to go home and pass along the good news."
~*~
"Heero?" Gentle fingers touched his face. "Heero? Can you hear me?"
Heero opened his eyes. Was he dreaming? "Where am I?"
"With me." The man leaning over him smiled, a familiar smile. One Heero hadn't thought he'd see again.
Reaching up carefully, he traced the other's cheek. His skin was warm under Heero's fingers. He didn't feel like a dream. But...
"Are you real?"
"Very much so." The other's forehead creased a little in worry. "I didn't know you were looking for me- I didn't know what you were doing-"
What was he talking about? The belt? "I needed to find you. I needed to apologize."
"There was nothing to apologize for-"
Nothing? But there was! "I shouldn't have said those things to you- I should've tried harder to understand-"
"It wasn't-."
"Can you forgive me, Duo?"
The smile returned. "There's my name. I was hoping you hadn't forgotten again."
"I couldn't forget!"
"Then you can remember what I said to you the first time you woke up in my bed. I'm yours."
Heero's heart sped up and relief swept through him.
"Still? Even after-?"
"Always. Can you forgive me? Will you stay with me?"
It was easy to answer. "Of course. I'm yours."
OWARI
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