Author: Merula

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Yaoi, AU

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.

Secrets Part 1

Twenty minutes and counting.

Heero smiled slightly as the thought crossed his mind- it wasn't a big launch- just uncoupling his ship from the docks of L2 and starting the trip down to Earth. He checked the manifest one more time- Quatre was a considerate employer, but Heero didn't want him to regret hiring one of his old 'war buddies'.

Everything looked good. He'd overseen the loading of the cargo hold- everything was locked down and set there. The ship was fully stocked and they'd just finished the refueling. Casting a glance over his screens, he was relieved to see that things looked quiet- the fuel crew had left- the chute leading down to his ship was empty. In another five minutes, he'd close the airlock and get ready to free his ship when given the all-clear.

He looked up at the dull pockmarked surface of the colony and frowned a little. L2 was a lot better than it used to be- but it still wasn't the safest place in the Earth's Sphere by any stretch of the imagination. Not that he ever declined trips out to it...

"Idiot," he told himself. "If you want to find him, you'll have to do more than just dock here."

Not that there would be anything to find. Duo was an expert at running and hiding- and apparently that's what he'd done according to Hilde- vanished over a year ago... Heero tore his gaze away from the station and focused on the tasks in front of him. His own fault- he'd been wandering himself until six months ago... and it wasn't like they had made any promises... hell, wasn't like they'd even...

Something pounded on the hatch, echoing down the hallway to the bridge. Heero's attention snapped to his screens. What the hell?

Someone stood in front of his hatch- someone dressed in dark clothes, with a ragged cap pulled down over their face. Heero took a deep breath- thanking any god listening that he hadn't closed the airlock and inadvertently spaced someone...

The person raised their fist and pounded on the hatch again. Heero hit his speaker button, but before he could ask the stranger what they thought they were doing, the person raised their head and looked directly into the camera. The words dried up in his throat.

"Heero?" Duo whispered. "Heero? Are you there? Please let me in before they find me..."

Heero hit the button that opened the hatch and Duo stumbled inside. He closed the hatch and then, after checking to make sure the chute was clear, he sent the command to start the uncoupling procedures. He watched for a brief second, making sure the airlock door had started to close before he raced down the hallway towards the hatch.

Duo was sitting against the wall, his breath coming in wheezy, panting gasps. He looked up as Heero reached him and gave him a weak smile. "Sorry about dropping in on you like this..."

"Are you injured?"

Duo shook his head and winced. "A little bruised..." His eyelids fluttered for a moment and then he forced them wide. "They caught me- tried to rough me up a little..." He started coughing and Heero cursed under his breath.

"Let me get you up- then I have to go cancel the launch-"

"No!" Duo grabbed his arm. "No- please. I can't stay here-"

"I'm headed to Earth- is that okay?"

"Perfect," Duo blinked rapidly and Heero realized that he was fighting fatigue. What the hell had happened to him? But now was not the time for questions. "Maybe- maybe I could lie down somewhere while you get underway?"

Heero carefully slid an arm around Duo's shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. "Just a few steps this way-"

Duo balked at the door. "Can't put you out of your bed-"

"I'm not going to be using it for a while- I think it's the best place for you."

"I'm all grimy-" He was, Heero could smell it, but he just shrugged a little.

"Easy enough to wash the sheets." He lowered Duo down on the bed, thankful that this was an easy launch- he wouldn't have to strap Duo down or worry about the g forces. He could take it nice and easy getting away from the colony.

"Thanks Heero," Duo's eyes were already closed. "I don't know how I can pay you back for this- don't suppose the old way works anymore..." He laughed a little, and Heero flinched.

"Get some rest," he said instead of the other words that rose to his tongue and hurried down the hallway to the bridge. Throwing himself down in his chair, he contacted the tower control and let them know that he was ready and waiting for their signal.

The old way of paying... hell, why had he ever started it? And why the hell had he never...

His comm. unit beeped, relaying the message that he had an all clear and sending the route they wanted him to take leaving the station. Acknowledging the instructions, he set his hands on the controls and started the needed sequences. Focus, he chided himself. Time enough to wonder what the hell sort of trouble Duo had gotten himself in- and what sort of trouble he was going to cause Heero- later. Right now he had to focus on getting them away from L2...

TBC...

 

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