gmen-32a

Author’s note: Someone asked whether Duo was actually invisible in the last part, or if he just felt like he was. I can say at first he just felt that way – by the time Heero was gone, only Hiei could say for sure (since he could see Duo with his jagan, whether Duo was invisible or not). Duo was at the point where he couldn’t tell, so that’s how I want the readers to be. AKA – I’m not telling, and neither is Hiei. ;p
A name dropped in this part comes from ‘Unwanted.’ I know I haven’t updated that ‘prequel’, since I don’t want to spoil things here, but what has been written so far should tell you who Austin is, and give you an idea of why he’s important. For those who haven’t read it and don’t plan to read it, just know that he was Hiei and Yukina’s foster brother, and Hiei’s first friend.
This Part: Featured characters include Kurama, Zechs, and Quatre.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho
Warnings: fluff, shonen ai, minor angst, possible humor, action
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina-hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www . geocities . com / arigatomina

Gmen: Awakening

Part 32: Pressing On

Kurama didn’t speak when Hiei slipped into their room, his eyes locked on the glowing screen in front of him.

Hours had passed since he’d gone upstairs and been informed of
Hiei’s quick departure. It hadn’t taken much to guess where Hiei
had gone, and why. And as much as it angered that jealous part of
him, he’d known it wasn’t his place to follow. He’d returned to
their room instead.

His computer was quite different from the small laptop Heero used.
Not only was it large and bulky – because he knew he wouldn’t be
traveling with it - it was rarely used.

A few low hanging bits of ivy and it remained hidden in a corner of
their room. That was the way he liked it because every time he
used the thing, he was in a dark mood. Not the computer’s fault,
of course, but it made him keep it out of sight when it wasn’t in
use. He was in just such a mood now.

He waited, listening to the silence as Hiei hesitated close to the
door. Then he heard a quick, indrawn breath as the boy caught sight of what he had on the screen. Kurama let Hiei stare for a minute before turning to look at him.

“I thought you’d be gone longer,” Kurama admitted, his voice soft and toneless. “Did he cry?”

Hiei flinched at that, his eyes darting off to the side as his shoulders
hunched. His expression was dark and clouded, his teeth visibly
clenched.

Sighing at himself, Kurama sent another sharp look at the screen.
The boy there didn’t look anything like Duo, and nothing like him.
His hair was too short and messy, his eyes too pale and tired.
Kurama just couldn’t see the resemblance. He stared a while
longer, not to make Hiei wait, but to force himself into a better
mindset. Then he turned back and held out a hand.

His voice remained soft, but there was a commanding edge to it.
“Come here, Hiei...”

A tense moment passed where he wasn’t sure if Hiei would
respond, or if the boy would dart from the room. Then a cold
hand slipped into his.

Kurama tugged him closer so he could wrap his arms around that tense form. He hugged him as fiercely as he could, the sort of embrace that would suffocate or actually injure anyone else. Hiei melted into it, heaving a long shaky sigh against his chest.

“I didn’t realize,” Kurama admitted. “If I had known what you’d see when you went upstairs, I’d have kept you with me. But I thought you’d be gone longer.”

“He has friends.”

Those words were given in a sharp, bitter tone. Kurama winced in reaction.

“I’m sure they would have caught up to him if you hadn’t,” Kurama said quickly. “Wufei cares about him a great deal.”

Hiei lifted his head, dim eyes shifting up to look at Kurama. “I know. That’s why I left.”

“I see.”

With a bit of prodding, Kurama arranged Hiei so he was curled in his lap, letting them both face the computer. Hiei took one glance before looking away again.

“Then you stayed until Wufei got there?” asked Kurama. “It must have hurt...not being able to help. But Duo isn’t like Austin.”

The name did it. Kurama tightened his arms as Hiei jerked around to glare at the computer. He could feel light, furious tremors shaking that slender body, and he compensated with as much warmth and force as he could. Now that Hiei was facing it, he dropped his head on the boy’s shoulder and lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Look how tired his eyes are,” Kurama murmured. “He was older, and he’d already been through so much by himself. You said that Duo has friends, and you’re right. Even if he were tired, his friends wouldn’t let him give up. You don’t have to worry about that. He might be hurt now, but he isn’t the sort to let it keep him down. His friends will support him, and you can. He’s like me now, you know? His eyes changed. They won’t go back just because one thing upset him.”

“He looked broken.”

Hiei trembled as he hissed that out, but Kurama recognized it as anger being controlled. His friend was suppressing it so he wouldn’t burn him. Kurama brushed his cheek against Hiei’s, thanking him for the consideration.

“He’s not broken, Hiei, just stricken. Tears work as a release, no matter how much you hate seeing them. You never saw Austin cry. Look at his eyes here. He held it all in until he didn’t have the strength to go on. If Duo cried, then it’s proof that he isn’t holding back until it festers inside.“

With a sharp growl, Hiei shoved the button across from them, turning the monitor off.

“I hate it,” he spat. “I wanted to kill him for doing that.”

Kurama knew he was talking about Heero. He wasn’t about to try dissuading Hiei from being furious – it gave him an outlet. Unlike most people, Hiei never cried. He got angry instead.

“And I offered,” Hiei continued, his voice tight and bitter again, “I offered to bring him back. I’m glad he said not to.”

“Duo told you not to?” asked Kurama.

“Before he-“

Hiei stopped suddenly, his face tightening in an expression that caught Kurama by surprise. It took a while before he recognized it as embarrassment. That was such a startling contrast to Hiei’s former anger that Kurama couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“Before he...?” Kurama prodded. “Exactly what did he do, Hiei...?”

Dropping his head as if he could hide his face with his hunched shoulders, Hiei glowered. “Hugged me.”

“The devil he did,” Kurama teased, his voice soft. “Taking advantage of you like that...”

Hiei growled at him, but Kurama could feel the tension lifting. He leaned forward so he could flash the boy a smile. Then he lifted Hiei and drew him over to the bed. A bit of concentration and the computer was hidden once more, leaving him to hold Hiei without the reminder.

It was difficult for him, accepting that Hiei would react so badly to
Duo’s pain. Kurama liked to think that he wasn’t jealous, but the
first time he’d seen Duo’s picture he’d known this was someone
important. It wasn’t until a year later that he’d learned why the
mystery boy in the picture was important – because of his eyes.
And it always led back to Austin.

He’d looked the boy up, with a hopeful Hiei watching over his
shoulder. Kurama had been hopeful as well, only he’d hoped that
the boy wouldn’t be found. He hadn’t wanted to share Hiei, even
back then. But once he learned of the suicide and saw Hiei’s
horrified reaction to the news, he had promised himself not to ever
begrudge Hiei’s feelings for others. He did, after all, have Austin to
thank for his being with Hiei right now.

It was in the eyes. He’d told Wufei as much, though he’d said it
in a teasing tone. Hiei really did have a weakness for those lost,
hopelessly stricken eyes. He’d kept Duo’s picture because of that
expression – a terrified, tearful boy running from the death of everyone he loved. And Kurama knew, Hiei had kept him for the same reason – the eyes he’d raised when he first saw Hiei and had expected to die by that blood-soaked sword.

Hiei’s reaction to tears was simpler to understand. Yukina. It hurt her to cry, weakened her. Kurama had tried to explain it before, that it was her mutant talent that made crying so painful for her, and that his own tears didn’t hurt that way. He’d given up after a while, though. Hiei simply couldn’t stand to see him cry any more than he could Yukina. And the same held true for Duo.

Kurama worried about what would happen when Heero returned – when not if – and Hiei confronted him. If there was one thing Hiei couldn’t forgive, it was making a loved one cry.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

He heard the boy before he saw him, one of those loud thoughts that were usually lost in the general murmur of a crowd. Since most of the students had retired to bed hours ago, that lone thought was particularly striking. The fact that it was bitterly resentful and directed right at him also helped to catch his attention.

Don’t you ever sleep?

Zechs gave a wry smirk as he glanced up from the table he was sitting at. As ruffled as Wufei looked, standing half in the doorway, half in the dark hall, he knew the boy hadn’t meant the thought to slip out. He looked as if he didn’t know whether to enter the room and – heaven forbid – be sociable, or to duck back out in hopes that he hadn’t been noticed.

Zechs caught his eyes, gave a quick nod, and looked back to his coffee. If Wufei chose to slip off, now he could do it without losing face.

A sigh sounded in the quiet room. Then Wufei crossed over to the coffee, snagged some, and took a resigned seat across from Zechs.

“If I didn’t know better,” Wufei muttered, “I’d think you were an insomniac. But you wouldn’t be stupid enough to drink coffee when you’re trying to fall asleep.”

His lips twitched a bit at the disgruntled tone, but Zechs hid it behind an innocent expression.

“Do you know that some people react to caffeine by becoming more relaxed and controlled? It’s rare, but it has been proscribed as a treatment to hyperactive people in the past. Ironic, that...”

“Are you saying you’re one of those people?” asked Wufei with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Zechs smiled pleasantly. “Just making conversation.”

“Avoiding the issue, you mean.”

The boy’s expression was irritated, but Zechs could tell it wasn’t really because of him. He let the silence hang for a while, just sipping his coffee and watching to see if his suspicion was right. Unless he’d miscalculated, Wufei wouldn’t be able to stay quiet for long. He might have come down looking for ‘solitude,’ but he wouldn’t have entered the room if silence were what he really wanted right now. Sure enough, another sigh broke the quiet.

“I have you figured out, you know,” Wufei sniffed. “You already know everything about us, so there’s no exchanging stories. You don’t give straight answers, don’t encourage prodding, and just sit back on the sidelines watching. Must be nice to be so uninvolved.”

Zechs didn’t respond, his gaze steady. He waited until Wufei scowled and looked away. Then he broached the subject that was really bothering Wufei.

“How is he?” asked Zechs.

“I don’t know,” Wufei said sharply, glaring down at his cup. “He wouldn’t talk to me at all. He just said he was tired and that he wanted to sleep it off.”

“But?” Zechs said quietly.

“Hiei was with him.”

Wufei shook his head, a hint of hurt flashing past his angry eyes. Hiei had looked decidedly uncomfortable when he’d found the boy in Duo’s room, earlier. But Duo had smiled at Hiei as he left. Duo hadn’t smiled at Wufei. He’d barely even looked at Wufei. How was he supposed to react to that?

“Why would he talk to Hiei and not me? I thought...”

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk with a stranger than it is with a friend,” said Zechs. “But I’d guess it’s more that Hiei didn’t talk at all. Duo wouldn’t want you to see him with his guard down, and he would assume talking about it would keep the wound fresh. He should be able to discuss it in a few days. Right now, he’s probably trying to protect himself from his feelings, to find a way to handle the situation on his own.”

“Hiei shouldn’t have even been there,” Wufei glared. “Accusing me of hurting him, then looking guilty when I caught them alone. If I didn’t know better...”

“Kurama wasn’t surprised,” Zechs commented, his voice still soft. “He came up after the two of you left to find Duo. He wasn’t surprised to hear that Hiei had gone as well. He wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t surprised.”

Dark eyes snapped to him, and Zechs met them calmly. “Resigned, is how he looked.”

“He told me once that if Hiei had met Duo instead of him, he’d have fallen in love just the same.”

It was given as a challenge, as if he hoped Zechs would say something to counter it. Zechs didn’t respond to that.

“You’re still his best friend,” said Zechs. “When he’s ready, he’ll need you there to support him, without this resentment. He’s just not ready yet.”

“Ready to share with Hiei, but not with me.”

That former hint of hurt was now a frustrated blaze in those dark eyes. Zechs watched it for a long moment before leaning closer, his gaze sober.

“Do you want me to tell you what happened with Hiei?” asked Zechs. “To look in Duo’s mind and tell you whether or not you need to be jealous? Do you want to attack Hiei instead of thanking him for being there when your friend needed a shoulder to cry on? Do you really resent Duo for not wanting to be weak in front of his friends any more than you do?”

Wufei’s face was a picture of anger, hurt, and tired frustration. He shook his head, dropping his eyes to stare down at his hands.

“I should have said something earlier,” Wufei said quietly. “Before he left. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would help.”

“You can’t stand being helpless. You feel like he turned to someone else because you failed him.”

“I did, though,” Wufei sighed.

He shook his head again, giving a bitter smile at Zechs. He had a strong urge to sneak off and burn energy until he was too tired to be angry with himself. But Duo had taken away that option.

“Duo said he’d be down in the morning,” murmured Wufei, “and that he’d help me with my talent since he can’t practice his own for a few days. He was all business, dismissive, and cool. I don’t think I’ve ever...seen that side of him. I don’t like it.”

“Everyone has his own way of coping,” said Zechs. “Just be glad he isn’t isolating himself.”

“Right.”

Most of that anger had faded to the point where Wufei was fairly slumped at the table, his expression tired and drained. Zechs followed the boy’s gaze and frowned at his hands.

“Let me,” Zechs offered, waving at the dark bruises marring Wufei’s wrist.

Wufei blinked in surprise, a faint smile pulling at his lips. “From what I hear, your healing hurts more than a few bruises do. I think I’ll pass.”

“No faith at all...” sighed Zechs.

He reached out and caught Wufei’s hand with his left, ignoring the boy’s startled expression as he laid his right over the bruised wrist. It only took a moment. Then he released him with a wry smirk.

“Did you think I was a slow learner?”

“How much have you been practicing?” asked Wufei, his eyes suspicious. “I barely felt anything.”

“Us insomniacs have to find something to pass the time, you know.” Zechs flashed a teasing smile. “Mutilation in the name of training is one thing, but healing shouldn’t hurt. It’s been trial and error, but I think I have it down. Now I’m more likely to use too little energy, rather than too much.”

“In just a few nights? On top of working with Hiei-“

“I haven’t worked with him since that first time,” Zechs reminded him. “I’ll resume tomorrow if everyone is ready to get back to the training, but a mutant should have at least one thing he can do without being instructed every step of the way. Now that you know how to work your lightning, do you need Kurama to hold your hand until you master it? Of course not.”

Wufei’s eyebrow twitched at the reference, mostly because he remembered how Kurama had held a lot more than his hand. But he didn’t really see the two as similar. Kurama hadn’t shown Zechs how to control his healing energy.

“He said Hiei couldn’t teach you that,” said Wufei. “Kurama said Hiei would work on the telepathy, but that he’d have to handle the energy control.”

“Hiei taught me well enough. He told me to watch how much I used, and to use less the next time. Like I said, trial and error. Besides which,” Zechs smirked, “I don’t think Kurama would be comfortable working with me. He considers me the enemy, you know.”

Wufei raised an eyebrow at that, but Zechs didn’t elaborate, he just smirked. Then the white-haired man stood and leaned across the table to take away his coffee cup.

“You don’t want to pick up my bad habits,” said Zechs. “It’s...fifteen after two in the morning, and you need your sleep. Be a good boy and go to bed.”

Bright spots flushed on Wufei’s cheeks and he bristled at the order, his hands curling into embarrassed fists. Where did raccoon eyes get off telling him that he needed sleep?

“You’re one to talk,” Wufei glowered.

“I’m an insomniac, remember?” Zechs smirked, holding his hands up in a helpless gesture. “I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. But you have your work cut out for you tomorrow – practicing your talent and cheering up Duo. Think of your responsibilities.”

“You’re changing the subject again. If you wanted to sleep, you wouldn’t be down here drinking coffee.”

Zechs nodded, not losing his smirk. “Unless I was one of those people for whom caffeine has an opposite effect.”

“Which you’re not!” Wufei blurted.

“Right,” Zechs smiled.

Wufei’s eyebrow twitched twice before settling into a droll expression. He heaved a deep sigh and pushed away from the table.

“You really don’t like straight answers,” said Wufei. “Be glad I’m too tired to continue this discussion.”

“Not at all,” Zechs smiled, escorting Wufei to the cafeteria door. “I would have liked the company. But you do have an obligation to be wide awake come morning, so I won’t keep you.”

The boy tossed him a frustrated glower, and Zechs watched until he disappeared in the dark hall. Once Wufei was gone, he smirked and shook his head, turning back to the table. As Heero might have said, the mission was accomplished.

Telepaths didn’t read their friends. Since he’d spent considerable time without friends, that restriction hadn’t stopped Zechs from reading innumerable people. Duo had seen it back when he first met the group – his familiarity with manipulation. It wasn’t something he used often, certainly not with his newfound friends. But knowing exactly how to change a person’s mood was useful at times. Wufei wasn’t upset now, just tired.

He’d offered him comfort for his doubts, honesty to clear up his own false targets – he was angry at himself and not Hiei or Duo, and a distraction, something else to focus his frustration on. Treating Wufei like a child had made his proud self-reliance spring into place, all but erasing the lasting effects of his helplessness that morning.

He might have manipulated a friend, but he’d done it with good intentions, and he was satisfied with the results. More than satisfied. It was nice to feel useful. For one brief moment, he’d felt like part of the group, and it was a good feeling.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was an unusual bunch at the table that morning. Kurama and Hiei had come up a good hour before anyone else – except Zechs, who’d never left. They were seated when the others came in, as if to make up for the missing place at the table. Duo came downstairs before Quatre and Trowa, another unusual occurrence since there hadn’t been anyone there to wake him up. And Wufei was the last, dragging his feet and yawning all the way to his seat.

Duo sent one hesitant look at Hiei before plastering a wide smile on his face and beaming at his wary friends.

“So,” Duo drawled, “training! What’s the plan?”

Zechs answered, mostly repeating the plans that had been postponed the day before. He gave a nod to Hiei before speaking.

“Hiei and I are going to be working in the forest, with Quatre doing sweeps from the yard. The distance should work as a dampening effect.”

Kurama nodded and caught Trowa’s eyes. “It’s a good chance to start on you,” he told the boy. “You should be far enough away that you won’t effect Quatre any more than Hiei would. And if Zechs can handle Hiei’s mind, I’m sure he’ll survive the exposure to yours.”

Eyebrow twitching at that smug remark, Zechs sniffed. “I’ve read Trowa in that state before. It’s painful, but not deadly. With my focus on Hiei, it shouldn’t be more than a minor distraction.”

“Right,” Kurama smiled back. “And considering Trowa’s own mind is painful to telepaths, I’d wager he won’t be affected by Hiei – at least not too much. He won’t be using his mindreading abilities for this.”

“What would I be using?” asked Trowa.

“Whatever other powers you have,” said Kurama. “We’ll take the valley. You drop your shields and face my plants. They’ll be your targets, so you shouldn’t have to worry about hurting me. I promise, if you so much as touch me, Hiei will feel it and intervene.”

That last bit was given in a teasing tone, with a sidelong look at the boy in question. Hiei’s eyes narrowed, and he gave a tight nod.

“I’ll be within a few seconds distance,” he said. “With my speed that should be enough.”

“And I can work with Wufei,” Duo said brightly. “There’s a way I could help him, isn’t there?”

Kurama nodded, his smile just a tad encouraging. “Yes. He’d strain himself if he went against my plants so soon, but a slower moving target would be reasonable. Rocks or sticks – anything you can throw. From a tree that would give him a few seconds to try tracking it.”

“That sounds good,” said Wufei. “But if you’re going to experiment with Trowa’s powers, you might want to include someone who uses energy the way he does. He glowed when he dropped his shields. Yusuke might be helpful if he can test his energy on him without being a visible target.”

“He did say he had a distance attack,” said Trowa. He looked a little wary, but was willing to give it a chance.

“He’s probably still asleep,” Kurama smiled. “We can stop by his room on the way and pick him up.”

“If he’s willing,” Duo frowned, “you mean.”

“I’m sure he’d be all for it,” Wufei assured him, giving the boy a knowing smile. “He likes to fight and show off, and this would let him do both.”

“Then we’re set?” asked Quatre. “I’ll bring Une her breakfast. It looks like she’ll be getting the day off again.”

With the plans laid, they split up, Quatre staying at the school while the rest headed for the forest. Kurama had picked up Yusuke on the way. Quatre watched them go from his place beneath the tree on the front lawn.

Once they were out of sight down the hill, he sat and started his sweeps. It would be a while before they were in position for Zechs to actually start reading, but a bit of flexing before the session couldn’t hurt. He was making a wide encompassing sweep of the entire area when two very close minds caught his attention.

Quatre opened his eyes and blinked to find two girls standing a few feet from him. He smiled at Yukina, but was surprised to see Relena standing next to her. If he hadn’t been sitting comfortably, he’d have gotten to his feet out of respect.

“Hello,” said Quatre. “Good morning to you both.”

“You’re out early today,” said Yukina. “It’s a lovely morning.”

“I’m working on my talent,” Quatre said honestly. “Zechs and Hiei, and the others, are working in the forest today. I’m going to be doing sweeps of them to test myself against Hiei’s jagan.”

He didn’t mention that he’d also be feeling Trowa’s mind for the very first time. He didn’t need to. Yukina gave him a wide-eyed look the moment he mentioned Hiei’s jagan.

“It’s painful to telepaths,” Yukina warned. “Do you think the distance will be enough to protect you?”

“I’m sure it will,” said Quatre. “If not, I’ll pull back.”

“I see.”

Yukina flashed him a bright smile, her dark red eyes glinting in the morning light. Then she turned her gaze on the tree he was seated by. She stared at the branches for a moment before hopping onto a nicely curved one and making herself comfortable.

Quatre stared in surprise, and a little unease at having a girl in a dress above his head. The way she was half curled, half stretched on the slanted limb was a stark contrast to how ladylike she was. It made him feel awkward.

Patting a hand on Quatre’s shoulder, Relena gave a knowing smile as Yukina beamed from above them. “She gets that from her brother,” Relena confided.

It was plain that the two girls were fond of each other. They were sharing a look like best friends with a secret. Despite himself, Quatre felt his heart contract in a surge of jealousy. Not of one of the girls, but of that look, the feeling they shared. It made him miss his sisters. He hadn’t seen them in so long, but he remembered that look. They had the twinkling eyes of girls who knew each other better than anyone else ever could. Best friends.

Quatre had dropped his eyes, wishing now that he had picked a different place to read from. The memories that ran through his mind were painful, wistful, and distracting from the work he wanted to do.

“Well,” said Relena, “I wish you luck. I’d be a distraction if I stayed, once the students get active, so I’ll be going in now.”

The girl gave Quatre a polite nod, and flashed Yukina another of those ‘insider’ smiles. Yukina beamed back before glancing down at Quatre.

“Will my being here distract you?” asked Yukina.

She looked unreasonably cute up in the tree, and Quatre couldn’t hold onto his sad jealousy for long. He shook his head with a wry smile.

“No,” said Quatre. “You won’t bother me from up there.”

He turned back around, making himself more comfortable against the tree. Just as he was closing his eyes to start another sweep, someone bounced over, nearly landing on his crossed legs.

“Yukina-sama~!”

Quatre’s eyebrow jerked at the boy’s happy wail, and he gritted his teeth. He wouldn't dream of criticizing the boy, but now really wasn’t the best time to have Kuwabara simpering all over the place. He’d never be able to concentrate with that mutant dancing around the tree.

Yukina’s eyes widened and she held a finger over her mouth, giving Kuwabara a pretty frown. “Shh...”

The tall boy froze, his eyes shifting around to see what he was supposed to be quiet for. Since it was Yukina, his first thought was that she was trying to coax a bird onto her wrist. She was good at that, but she’d taught him that one had to be very quiet or the birds would be too afraid to land. He held his breath, eyes darting over the branches near her, looking for the bird.

“Quatre-san is practicing his talent,” Yukina whispered. “He needs quiet to concentrate. If you can be very quiet, you can come up here so you won’t distract him. Do you think you can be that quiet?”

Quatre sent a harried look up at Yukina, absolute disbelief flashing over his face. One look at the orange haired boy was enough to tell a person that ‘very quiet’ wasn’t in his vocabulary. But when he glanced back at Kuwabara, he was surprised to see the boy’s mouth clenched firmly shut.

Kuwabara’s eyes were wide and sparkly, almost frighteningly happy and shiny, and he fairly floated up to the limb to the left of Yukina. He never made a sound, but the worshipping expression plastered on his face was dripping with the sticky sweet scent of puppy love. Quatre sweatdropped.