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"Boot Camp"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence, references to NCS (especially in later chapters) Pairings: 1+2, 3+4 (to start with) A/N: This is the first time I'm getting up the nerve to post a story...hope it's not too similar to anyone else's (haven't seen one just like it). Candid, kindly-delivered critiques will be greatly appreciated...please don't rip my head off too much? Um, and the old "don't like, don't read" phrase holds true. Oh, and it's fiction, and I don't have a law degree, so there's sure to be some inaccuracies...can we just pretend, please? Thanks in advance. Rating: NC 17 Summary: Four boys in the juvenile justice system
receive a last chance to make something of their futures. Will boot
camp make or break them? And can they ever learn to be a team? "Boot Camp"
The next day marked a turning point in the boot camp regimen. Having decided that his recruits had a little too much excess energy, Captain Chang increased their activities. Morning and afternoon calisthenics were extended to a half an hour each, and the daily run was upped to three miles. On top of that, along with classroom time, the boys would be doing more hiking and survival activities. All in all, Wufei thought it was the most effective way to minimize pranks and physical altercations. Under his new regimen, the boys would be lucky if they had enough energy to stagger back to their bunks at night. The first day’s endeavor was scaling a cliff, using standard military issue climbing gear. And if that wasn’t enough, the recruits had to hike the five miles to reach their rock wall. It was late morning by the time the forty recruits and their overseers arrived at their destination. And when they got there, the soldiers who had gone out by jeep trail had already set up safety lines and anchors. All that remained was the actual instruction in how to harness up, climb, and then rappel back down. For this exercise, the boys weren’t broken into teams, although they stayed in the usual groups. Teams Wing and Clip hung out together, as did some of the others. Five climbing routes had been prepared by the soldiers, so that at any given time, there were five inmates being guided through the process. With his acrobatic experience, Trowa had no trouble mastering the skill, climbing with the ease and grace of a monkey, and rappelling down as fearlessly as a mountain goat. His three teammates, while less adept, proved to be superior pupils, quickly learning how to find the best hand and foot holds, and use the terrain to their advantage. When their turn ended, Trowa was enlisted to help with some of the more challenged students, while Heero, Duo, and Quatre ended up seated in a group with Jason’s team, catching their breath and watching. They finished their climbing and rappelling by mid-afternoon, and hiked the five miles back to camp, arriving barely in time for showers and supper. And although Monday and Wednesday nights were Team Wing’s turn at the library, using the internet, they elected instead to go straight back to the barracks and turn in early.
The auburn-haired boy knew the team leader would insist he not go alone, but on this particular occasion, he had a second stop in mind; one that he didn’t want Quatre to know about. And much as he hated to ask a favor of Maxwell, the braided boy already knew about the pain pills, so he wouldn’t have to conceal making a purchase on the way back from the kennels. “Hey, Maxwell…” He caught his teammate as they were walking to breakfast, and pulled him just far enough aside so they could speak quietly. “I need a favor.” Duo eyed him warily, and then smirked. “Sorry, Barton. You’re not my type.” “Asshole,” Trowa growled. “Just listen for once. I need you to go with me to the kennels between breakfast and weapons class.” The braided boy gave him a sidelong glance. “Why me? Why not Quat?” “Don’t pry, Maxwell. Just…help me out,” Trowa said quietly…urgently. Duo’s eyes narrowed as he caught on. “Making a buy, Barton? Where? Is one of the handlers your supplier?” “No…but I can swing by him on the way back.” “You’ve got to get off that shit,” Duo warned. “It’s addictive, you know.” “No shit,” came the snide response. “Why d’you think I need more?” Trowa gave an impatient sigh. “I quit now and I’ll be sick as a dog for days. Won’t be much good to the team that way.” “And what if Chang orders a random drug test?” Duo countered, narrowing his eyes. “Or a foot locker search?” “Well at the moment, he wouldn’t find anything in the foot locker,” Trowa grumbled. “Look, my shoulder’s feeling a little better. I’m gonna cut back, and eventually quit. But I’ll need at least two or three weeks’ worth, so I can do it slowly.” “That’s what all the junkies say,” Duo replied flatly. He glanced over at their teammates, and then back at Trowa. “How will you explain to Quatre that you want me to go along instead of him?” “Wouldn’t you like to see Nanashi?” “Sure I would. You know I love the mutt.” “Then I’ll just tell Quatre you want to go with me. You know he’ll insist on staying with Yuy for safety.” “And I’m supposed to—what? Look the other way while you buy drugs?” Duo scoffed. His indigo eyes were wary. “You sure Kushrenada isn’t trying to set us both up?” “He’s got nothing to do with this,” Trowa retorted with a scowl. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go see the dogs with you. But you do your dealing away from me. And if you get caught, I don’t know a damned thing. You got that?” The boy from L2 gave his teammate a hard look. “I’m not going to prison over this, Barton.” “I swear, you won’t,” Trowa assured him. “Even if I get caught, you’re out of it entirely.” Duo gave a small, frustrated sigh. “All right, Barton. But so help me, if you don’t go through with getting off the shit…I won’t let you near Quat. He doesn’t need someone that messed up in his life.” Heero and Quatre had reached the door to the mess hall, and were waiting for Duo and Trowa to catch up to them. “A little protective for a best friend, aren’t you?” Trowa muttered suspiciously. “You have no idea,” Duo warned. His deep eyes were haunted. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Barton. I’ve lost everyone I ever cared about in my life, except for Howard and Hilde…and now Quatre. You bet your ass I’m protective of the people I cherish.” “I won’t hurt Quatre.” “Not on purpose.” Duo still eyed him searchingly. “But if anything happened to you, it’d cause him pain.” He shook his head. “And if he finds out I didn’t stop you, he might never forgive me, either. You really promise to quit that crap as soon as you can?” “Yeah, I do.” “Fine.” Duo jerked his head towards their waiting teammates. “Let’s go, Barton. Before they get suspicious.” He gave a wry smirk. “I don’t want Yuy thinking I’m hitting on you or anything.” Trowa gave him a sidelong glance. “So it is him you’re interested in.” “Psh, yeah…right,” came the sarcastic reply. “I just meant he’d probably kick my ass if he thought I was distracted from the big ‘team competition’ next week.” “Bullshit,” said Trowa, a pleased glint in his green eyes. “You like Yuy.” Duo turned sharply, glaring. “D’you want my help or not? Cuz you’re about two seconds away from me telling you to go fuck yourself, Barton.” “Okay. Okay…” Trowa walked over to their teammates, shaking his head slightly, but unable to refrain from smiling.
Even the stoic boy from the circus found himself smiling at his teammate’s enjoyment of the friendly dog. “Aw, Duo…you’re just making him worse,” he said ruefully. “How will he ever become a guard dog if you keep hugging him like that?” “He won’t!” Duo asserted. “He’ll be nice and friendly, and never attack innocent little juvenile offenders like us.” “But that was supposed to be his job,” Trowa lamented. “Then he’ll have to stay unemployed,” joked the other boy. He gave his teammate a genuine smile. “I’m glad you invited me to come,” he said quietly, grateful that Kushrenada was nowhere to be seen. “I don’t know when any of us will get another chance,” Trowa sighed. “Chang’s gonna keep us busy for at least the next two weeks.” “He’s a slave driver, that’s for sure.” Trowa glanced at the clock. “Damn. We’re going to have to get going.” “What? Five minutes? You call that a visit?” Duo protested. “It is when we have to stop on the way back to the barracks.” Recalling Trowa’s secondary mission, Duo sobered, favoring him with a scowl. “Yeah, I know,” sighed the green-eyed boy. “I’ll quit. Soon.” Nodding acknowledgment, Duo gave Nanashi a last hug, and ushered the dog back into its pen. “Bye for now, mutt,” he said teasingly, glancing at Trowa for a reaction. But the other boy let the insulting nickname slide for the moment. They headed back towards the barracks, and when they reached the commissary, Trowa paused. “Why don’t you wait on the bench there in the shade?” he suggested. “I’ll be just around the corner, in case anyone gives you trouble. And if I’m caught, you won’t be involved. Good enough?” “Sounds fair,” Duo conceded, sauntering over and settling comfortably onto the park bench. He made a point of not watching where Trowa went, or who he dealt with. That way, if asked, he could honestly say he had no idea where the auburn-haired boy had gotten his drugs. At the same time, he knew he was treading a fine line between being a loyal teammate, and being an accomplice. And if Trowa got caught, he was sure looking the other way this time would come back to haunt him. “Let’s go, Maxwell.” Trowa had returned as quickly as promised, and together they headed back to the barracks to rejoin the others before weapons class.
The team leader shrugged, sparing him a brief glance. “I might’ve suggested a little variety last time I spoke to Chang.” His dark blue eyes had an amused glint in them as he looked at the braided boy. “You know you want to.” “Yeah, but if I end up busting Kyle or Austin in the nose, I don’t want a lecture,” Duo muttered. “If Li’s got half a brain, he won’t pair you or me with either of them,” shrugged the team leader. Lieutenant Li divided the gym into four “rings,” and had his corporals overseeing the activity in each. Apparently he did have at least half a brain, for he had the inmates sparring against trained corporals, who could keep things relatively controlled, and teach techniques and maneuvers as they sparred. A half hour into the exercise, Captain Chang arrived and made his way from ring to ring, taking a moment to observe each group. When he got to the ring where Duo was currently sparring against Corporal Carter, he paused, watching a bit longer. “Li?” “Yes, sir?” “Who taught Maxwell that move he just used?” The lieutenant shrugged. “It’s not in our curriculum, sir. I think he just made it up.” He gave a slight smile. “And that?” Chang asked, as Duo ducked under one of Carter’s punches, spinning around behind him and tapping the back of his head with an open hand that could have, in a real fight, been a wicked back fist. “Again, he seems to be making this up as he goes,” admitted the other officer. The Captain called a brief halt to the match, gesturing Duo over to his side. He eyed the boy up and down. “Interesting style you have, Maxwell…not exactly textbook, though.” “Whose textbook?” Duo grinned back, dusting off his uniform and straightening to regard the officer slyly. Wufei turned to the lieutenant. “Li? Would you be so kind as to give Maxwell a lesson in textbook technique? A little combination of kenpo and tae kwon do might be effective against his methods.” “Aye, sir.” Duo looked apprehensively at the lieutenant as he walked onto the mat. “Did I do something wrong?” “Not at all. I’m just going to demonstrate what you could do with a few more conventional moves.” He gave a polite half-bow and dropped into a slight crouch, circling warily. Duo mirrored his moves, watching for an opening. The young military officer finally took the offensive with a series of strikes and kicks aimed at unbalancing his opponent. Duo parried and dodged with catlike speed and grace, then countered with a spinning hook kick that narrowly missed Li’s face. They circled again and then Li switched to a different style of attack, trying to close in on his quarry. Duo fended him off again, and then with a feral grin, ducked and came in close, almost as if surrendering to his attacker. But as Li grabbed, Duo spun away, throwing his head back to whack the officer in the face, sending him staggering back a step. Quick to react, Li ducked what might have been a match-ending roundhouse kick, and grabbed hold of Duo’s leg. The boy instantly swung his head so his braid thwacked Li across the face, and while he was startled, Duo dropped to the floor, pulling Li with him. His free foot scooped under Li’s crotch, propelling him over Duo’s head to sprawl on his back on the mat. Just as quickly, Duo twisted onto his stomach and wrapped an arm around his victim’s neck in a chokehold. “Say ‘uncle,’ Li…” “That will do, Maxwell,” Wufei said calmly. Duo looked up smirking, barely out of breath, and released his hold, allowing the gasping soldier to roll clear and get up. The boy from L2 stood up, dusting himself off nonchalantly. Wufei walked over to him, a frown creasing his forehead. “Your methods are highly unorthodox, Maxwell.” “Yeah--? Not to any L2 street rat,” Duo shrugged. “We do whatever works.” “And what about the rules of combat?” Duo eyed him with a dangerous gleam in the indigo eyes. “Say what you will, Cap’n, there are no rules. Not in real life.” “Civilized society dictates that--.” “‘Civilized’ has nothing to do with fighting,” Duo cut in sharply. “Survival has everything to do with it…where I come from.” He gave a brief, feral grin. “And as pretty as your textbook moves are, they can’t compete with down and dirty street fighting.” Wufei raised an eyebrow at that, glancing over at Heero, whose face was completely impassive. “Yuy…you’re up next.” As Duo started to walk off the mat, Wufei put a hand out to stop him. “You, too, Maxwell. You’re up against Yuy.” Duo hesitated, a little nonplussed. “But—he’s my team leader…” he ventured uneasily. The Captain gave a slight smile. “Try not to hurt him then.” He paused next to Heero as the Japanese boy stepped onto the mat. “Beat him, Yuy. I don’t care how you do it. Use every dirty trick we practiced as kids.” Heero paused. “But, Chang…what about justice?” he asked with a smirk. “It will be,” muttered the Chinese officer, continuing off the mat. Duo eyed Heero warily. The Japanese boy gave an almost mocking half-bow. “Ready, Maxwell?” “Haven’t you been watching?” Duo asked cockily. “Of course…and I’ve spotted a dozen flaws in your tactics.” The indigo eyes narrowed. “You’re asking for it,” he cautioned. “Less taunting…more sparring!” ordered Captain Chang coolly. “Don’t expect any favors, Yuy,” Duo warned. “Ditto.” Heero attacked without warning, using a combination of a front jump kick and a spinning hook that nearly caught Duo in the ribs. The boy from L2 dropped back, circling and dodging until he had more room to maneuver. But Heero didn’t spare him the time to counterattack. Instead he pressed his advantage, driving Duo back on the mat. Ducking a particularly nasty spinning kick, Duo cursed under his breath, dropping to the ground to sweep Heero’s ankles out from under him. The team leader fell, but just as quickly rolled clear and bounded to his feet, jumping over the next kick, and landing a stinging back knuckle on his opponent’s shoulder. “Fuck!” Duo snarled, eyes narrowing. It hadn’t really hurt, at least not anything but his ego. But he began to seriously want to beat his teammate. The braided boy launched a series of attacks that pushed the other boy back, forcing him to go on the defensive for a moment. But just as fast, Heero recovered and countered, and so they continued a very fluid dance, neither gaining a clear advantage for several moments. “Well, you’ve got to give them credit for stamina,” Li pointed out to his superior. Captain Chang shrugged impassively. “I want to see what happens when they figure out that Maxwell’s too fast to be taken out by conventional tactics, and Yuy’s too powerful and skilled to be felled by a street fighter.” “How long are you going to let them spar?” asked the lieutenant. Sparring matches were usually only a few minutes, as the pace was grueling. “Until Yuy proves my point.” And so another couple of minutes passed in combat, and other groups that had finished their exercises began to drift over to watch. Finally, when he felt himself tiring…slowing…Duo decided he had to do something drastic. He made a series of technically perfect attacks, ending with a spinning kick that should have knocked Heero flat. But the Japanese boy did the exact opposite of what his instincts told him; he moved into the attack, instead of away. And as the other boy spun for the kick, he reached out and caught the end of the trailing braid, looping it around Duo’s throat, and then twisting it into a deadly noose he could tighten at will. “Fucking sonofa--!” Duo gasped, fingers wrapping around the braid to keep it from tightening on this neck. “Not…the…braid, Yuy!” “Give it up, Maxwell. I told you the hair was a menace!” Heero whispered in his ear. Yeah…a menace that felt like spun silk in his hands…that made him want to run fingers through it, instead of use it as a lethal weapon. At any other time, having Heero pressed up against him, feeling the warm breath on his neck, and hearing that low, growling voice in his ear, would’ve turned Duo’s knees to jelly. But that infernal show-off was using his own hair against him! But, Gods, the warm body was pressed full-length to his, and between the panting breaths, and the sweat, and the adrenaline of the fight…Duo almost groaned with desire. Then Heero laughed quietly, as if sure of victory. Letting out a growl of pure rage, Duo thrust back with his head, narrowly missing Heero’s face as the Japanese boy dodged. They continued to stagger in a circle, vying for control as Duo kicked, squirmed, and cursed as best he could with his air supply being slowly cut off. Then, abruptly, the boy from L2 went limp, hands dropping to his sides and knees buckling under him. Heero realized he was holding him up by the braid around his neck, and hastily let go. Duo slumped to the floor, as the onlookers gathered to see what had happened. “Duo! Are you alright?” Heero demanded, his voice hoarse with worry, as he dropped to his knees beside his teammate. “C’mon—talk to me!” He lightly patted the other boy’s flushed face. “Duo!” Dark blue eyes fluttered open, and Duo whispered something hoarsely… unintelligibly. “What?” Heero asked, his face within inches of Duo’s. He totally missed the evil gleam in the half-lidded indigo eyes, and leaned in closer. Like lightning, Duo slipped an arm around Heero’s neck, flipping and twining his legs around his teammate’s torso. One hand was on Heero’s chin, and the other on the back of his head, in the classic position to snap a neck. “That’s enough!” Wufei called, just before he burst into unrestrained laughter. “You lose, Yuy!” Duo hissed in satisfaction, releasing his hold on the startled boy, and pushing him away. Wufei doubled over, laughing at the play of emotions across Heero’s normally stoic face…surprise…indignation…sheepishness…and outrage. “Maxwell, you sneaky little bastard!” Duo stood up, brushing himself off and smirking. “No rules, Yuy…except one. Nobody touches the hair!” “You are a total freak,” Heero muttered with a glare. He might have been angrier, but Duo looked so adorably smug, and Wufei was still laughing so hard he couldn’t straighten up. By the time the Chinese officer sobered up enough to catch his breath, even Heero was smiling slightly, though there was an ominous glint in his eyes. “Y’know, payback’s a bitch, Maxwell,” he muttered with a half-hearted glare. Duo leaned closer, smirk widening. “Love ya, too, Yuy.” “Can anyone tell me Yuy’s mistake?” Wufei asked the class at large. “—grabbing the braid!” someone volunteered between snickers. The Captain shrugged. “Actually, that was a sound tactical move. Maxwell lost his temper, and quite frankly, was losing the fight.” “Hey--,” Duo protested. “No, he’s right,” Quatre piped up. “Heero had you there. Until you played dead, it looked like there was no way out of the hold he had you in.” Duo tuned out for a moment, wistfully recalling the hold Heero had him in. Except for the fact that they were sparring, it would’ve been pretty damned enjoyable. “So what was Yuy’s mistake?” Wufei asked again. “Emotion,” Trowa said flatly, speaking up for the first time. “What emotion?” Heero demanded, face slightly flushed. From behind Wufei’s back Duo grinned maniacally at Heero and mouthed the word ‘love.’ “Baka!” Heero snarled, giving his best death glare. “Fear,” Quatre interrupted, recalling the burst of that emotion from Heero as Duo slumped to the floor. “He thought Duo was really hurt.” “So—his concern for his teammate cost him,” Captain Chang noted. He glanced back at Duo, who promptly stopped making faces at Heero. “If he were an enemy, Maxwell, your little ploy might not have worked. When you played dead, a real enemy—at least one that was any good—would have made sure you were.” Heero was, by now, glaring at the ground, irritated as hell that he’d let emotion get in the way of his mission. All the military strategy he’d read said that singleness of purpose and willingness to sacrifice were vitally important to success. And he’d let a little con artist totally distract him. A really, really hot con artist, to be sure… “Don’t feel badly, Yuy,” Wufei said quietly, dropping a hand onto his shoulder. “If it had been a real battle, you wouldn’t have been facing a teammate, but a mortal enemy. And that would have made all the difference.” “Hn,” he replied, only marginally comforted. “Besides, you proved the point I wanted to make…that Maxwell’s raw skill won’t always be enough to defeat a trained opponent.” Duo walked over, shrugging slightly. “I s’pose so,” he conceded. “See why the training is necessary?” “I never said I didn’t,” Duo replied a little stiffly. “You want to reconsider what the Academy could do for you?” the Captain asked quietly. Duo scowled at him, some of his old defiance seeping back into his stance. “I don’t know what you expect me to say, Chang. I’m putting in my time. What more do you want?” Wufei exchanged a brief glance with Heero, shaking his head slightly. “Alright, boys…class dismissed. You’re already running late for supper, so I suggest you double-time it!” He strode off at his usual briskly efficient pace. “You heard him,” Heero said to his teammates. “Unless you want to go hungry again, Maxwell, we better hurry.” “You don’t have to ask twice,” Duo asserted, his appetite having fully recovered from the previous week’s stress. He was the first one out the door, but slowed down waiting for Heero to catch up. Trowa and Quatre were right behind the team leader, talking together about Nanashi’s training as they walked companionably close. Supper was fairly quiet, as all of the recruits were too exhausted for much banter. They simply consumed their meals in record time, put away the trays, and eagerly headed for their bunks.
Heero shrugged. “It worked.” “Yeah, but only because we’re—well—friends.” They walked on a ways further, Duo frowning slightly in thought. “We are friends, aren’t we?” he asked finally. “Hn.” Heero nodded once, clarifying the all-purpose response. Duo tightened his grip for a brief instant. “Thanks, Heero.” “For what?” “—being my friend.” Heero shook his head wonderingly as they walked. “Baka.” “Heh…tomodachi?” Duo countered. Heero glanced aside at him. “Just how much Japanese do you know, anyway?” “Enough to get my face slapped,” grinned the braided boy. At that Heero chuckled briefly, and a brilliant and genuine smile graced Duo’s face. “You have the best laugh, y’know?” he told Heero. A gleam entered the Prussian blue eyes. “I have the best of a lot of things,” he said slyly. Duo promptly tripped over his own feet, only staying upright thanks to his grip on Heero’s shoulders. He cast a wide-eyed look at his team leader. “Are you flirting again, Heero? Cuz if you are--.” Heero slipped an arm around Duo’s waist, without breaking stride. “What’ll you do about it if I am?” “Um…ah…” Duo walked along numbly, struggling for a coherent thought with Heero’s warm arm around his waist. “I’ll…um…er…enjoy it?” he finished a little breathlessly. Heero chuckled again, and the butterflies in Duo’s stomach did cartwheels. God, how he loved that laugh! “Yeah, you will,” Heero said rather smugly. Duo had no idea how to take that comment. Did it mean he’d enjoy the flirting? Or was Heero implying there was something else Duo would enjoy him doing? Not that the braided boy couldn’t think of about a dozen amazingly enjoyable things he’d want to do with (and to) Heero. But, damn! The inflection in Heero’s voice almost made it sound like a promise. Duo was nearly panting by that time, between the walking and the flirting and Heero’s arm still snug around his waist. “Don’t overthink it,” Heero chided, with a smirk, practically able to hear the wheels turning in Duo’s head. They were at the barracks by then, and Heero released Duo’s waist and ducked out from under his arm, trotting up the steps and inside. Trowa was right behind him, while Duo paused to catch his breath, and Quatre stopped beside him, grinning knowingly. “That looked like fun.” “Aw, Quat--.” Duo looked wistfully at the door. “I don’t know how to take a damned word he says,” he admitted frankly. “He likes you, Duo. That much is pretty obvious.” “Maybe, but…I don’t know what he wants…what he expects.” Duo sat on the steps, leaning on the side of the building. “Shit, Quatre…this camp’s only going to last a few weeks. And then Yuy will be at the Mobile Suit Corps Academy. And I’ll be…” He shrugged slightly. “Why won’t you be there, too?” Quatre asked. “Face it. I’m not Academy material,” Duo sighed. “Even if I wanted to go—I’d probably wash out in the first week.” “You didn’t wash out here,” Quatre pointed out. He sat beside Duo, throwing his arm around the other boy’s shoulders in a reversal of their usual roles. “I think if you want to attend the Academy, you’ll be great at it.” “Yeah…if I want to,” Duo echoed. “That’s the part I’m not sure about.” Quatre gave him a reassuring smile. “I’d be there, too,” he offered helpfully. His blue eyes sobered as he thought what it would be like without his best friend around to watch his back and keep his spirits up. He turned a soulful gaze on his friend. “I don’t want to be there without you, though.” The braided boy smiled wryly. “You’ll have Trowa.” A faint blush crept up the blonde’s cheeks. “It’s not the same, and you know it. You’re my best friend. He’s…” His voice trailed off. “He’s your hot, wiry circus acrobat…” Duo finished for him, smirking. He rolled his eyes speculatively. “I’ll bet he’s very flexible.” “God, you can be so perverted!” Quatre accused. “You have no idea,” came the amused drawl. “Yeah, but I’m sure you’ll explain it to me if I ask,” the blonde retorted snidely. Duo laughed at that. “C’mon. Let’s go inside before they start thinking we’re up to something again.”
Heero rubbed a hand across his face, muttering a curse. The last thing he needed was a distraction from the opportunity provided by this boot camp, and Duo Maxwell was a seriously diverting person. From the luxurious hair, to the wide, expressive eyes, he was absolutely striking. Heero would have said ‘beautiful,’ except that it implied a femininity that Duo lacked. Aside from the long braid, there was nothing remotely feminine about Duo; in fact, that was what Heero found the most attractive. His teammate was lean and muscular, with a temper and attitude that lent fire to his personality. He was smart, charming, and curious; and yet he’d grown up on the streets, under the toughest of circumstances. There was no way he should have the boundless resilience and humor he exhibited at every turn. Complex, Heero decided. Duo was nothing short of complex, and the Japanese boy could picture himself spending an eternity trying to decipher the puzzle that was Duo. This was exactly why he had to try to distance himself
again. He’d allowed the other boy to coax him right into flirting,
teasing, and joking around. Duo was downright contagious. And Heero
needed to keep his objectivity intact, which so far had proven nearly
impossible. Sighing deeply, he turned on his side, pulling his blanket
tighter around his shoulders, and resolving that he’d regain
control of himself somehow. After all, he was striving to be a perfect
soldier, wasn’t he?
tbc... |
