Disclaimer: The characters belong to Sotsu, Sunrise, Bandai Entertainment, I neither claim them nor certainly make any money off them!
Pairing: 6x2
Rating: Lemony in places
Time Setting: Post-series, three years later (minus events in Ground Zero, Blind Target, Endless Waltz as when I started this, I hadn't seen or read about these yet)
Summary: A chance meeting leads to the recovery of a wounded heart.
When Zechs came out of the therapist's office and saw Duo sitting waiting for him, his baseball cap scrunched up in his hands, his first thought was that the little beauty had missed him and was anxious to see how his appointment had gone. He gave him a little smile, but it faded when he realized Duo was far more upset... and trying desperately to control it.
"Duo, what's wrong?" Zechs inquired, slipping one arm around Duo's waist to draw him close, his free hand brushing the unruly tendrils of hair out of his eyes.
The gentle care with which the older man touched him served to firm Duo's determination to tell his news to Zechs as carefully as he was capable. "Zechs, you've got to promise me that you won't freak when I tell you something... please, love? Please, Heart?"
"Angel," Zechs breathed, already alarmed by the other's words. "What is it?"
Another voice behind him interrupted them. "Is this your young man, Mr. Peacecraft?" The voice was feminine and very kindly.
"Yes," Zechs murmured, turning back to face his therapist. "Dr. Sehn, this is Duo Maxwell."
A middle-aged woman with curly black hair and a wide smile shook Duo's hand. "Hello, Duo - and I understand I have you to thank for encouraging your friend to come to see me. Thank you!"
Duo blushed and ducked his head, shaking her hand briefly. "Nah, I didn't do anything - he knows he has to have his head together, that a lot of people are depending on him. That's what will keep him grounded, I hope." He looked embarrassed at this last. [Who the hell am I to be telling his *therapist* anything?]
"That's very wise, Mr. Maxwell. Well, I'm glad that Mr. Peacecraft has come, and I'm personally gratified to be allowed to help." Dr. Sehn sobered a little, nodding at Zechs. "He is well regarded in the colonies... more than he knows. He doesn't seem to realize it, but his tour through the colonies as an ambassador left quite an impression. And more know about his charitable work than he knows, as well. But I'm biased; I've worked with the orphans at Peacegarden myself."
"Oh!" Duo relaxed considerably, hearing this. "Well... thanks."
"Mr. Peacecraft," Dr. Sehn said, "would you mind if I spoke privately with Mr. Maxwell for a few minutes?"
Zechs turned and glanced at Duo. [What was he going to tell me?] But he nodded. "I'll wait here."
Duo nodded, and followed the doctor back into her office. [A few more minutes that he doesn't know won't matter...] he thought.
Within, he closed the door and then sat in a chair before her desk. "Dr. Sehn," Duo started in first, "I don't know what, er, Mr. Peacecraft has told you about me, but I just know..."
"Yes, it's okay, Mr. Maxwell," the woman said softly, then sighed as she sat down. "I've been wanting to get him in here for some time - I knew he needed to talk to someone about the war because it was obvious that he hadn't. So much on his shoulders... and he's so young. I also understand that he might have been under another influence... during the end of the war. That's what I need to ask you about, Mr. Maxwell."
Duo had thought she might have wanted to grill him about his relationship with Zechs, but this... he hadn't expected. "Huh? Oh, you mean... how did you know..."
"Actually I don't know," Dr. Sehn interrupted, looking embarrassed. "Mr. Maxwell, I've been acquainted with Mr. Peacecraft for about four months. I've been helping out at the orphanage as a counselor from time to time, you see. In all that time, I can't see anything in him that would have caused him to... to do some of the things he did. It's hard to believe, even. I just wonder what made him do what he did. If I had an idea, I could help him with it. He needs to open up more to me... hopefully he will in time."
The terrible image came back to him. Barge. "Yeah, well, I don't know a whole lot more than you do..." He thought of something then. "But I know someone who might know. We'll be seeing him soon, so perhaps..." Duo thought again about the latest stunt from the White Fang. "I'll make sure you talk to this guy, I promise. It's... my brother, Heero. They both flew the, ah, same type of mobile suit in the war." He looked down at the scrunched cap in his hands suddenly, not wanting to talk about it. [He's out there wondering... I have to tell him about Unter.]
Fortunately the doctor read plenty in his body language. "I look forward to meeting the other Mr. Maxwell, then," Dr. Sehn said, standing up. "I don't want to keep you waiting; it was nice to meet you, Duo."
"Er, thanks!" Relief washed through Duo's face as he left the office. [No way do I want to talk about Epyon right now!!] He went immediately to Zechs who stood up when he came out of the office. Looking up into the tall man's worried eyes, he asked, "Can we please just go home first and talk there? Something has happened, but I'm not going to let you fly off the handle..."
Zechs shook his head, bewildered. "Duo, what is going on?" He spied Dr. Sehn leaving her office. "Doctor," he called after her, "may we use an office, please? I need to speak to Duo in private."
Smiling, she gestured to a lounge on the other side of the reception area and continued on her way. Duo grabbed Zechs's hand and pulled him over to it.
Once in the room with the door closed, Duo immediately slid one hand around the older man's waist, the other laid flat against his chest as he looked up into his face. "Promise," he murmured softly, searching the ice-blue eyes boring into his. "You won't panic. Promise me..."
"I... promise," Zechs spoke roughly, feeling a rush of emotion for his little Angel. "I know you'll help me deal with it, whatever it is." He folded his long arms around Duo's back as he spoke.
Duo nodded, relieved. [Just hold onto me - we'll get through this!] he thought, then took a deep breath. "Unter... is missing. He's got Judo with him."
"WHAT?!" Zechs exclaimed, gasping. His face contorted with sudden fear. "What... why?"
Zechs's whole body had tensed against Duo's. Hastily Duo rubbed at his chest, then reached up to his cheek, stroking it to soothe him. "There's a group of White Fang somewhere else," he spoke quickly. "I think they're trying to get Danzer back through Unter. Or else Unter's been secretly working for them the whole time. Kausch called with what he knew and the authorities are onto it. Plus Heero is coming back - he and Trowa are heading for C-125 right now."
"I must go there," Zechs muttered, making as if to shove Duo out of his way, but the smaller man had too tight a hold on him. "You must let me, Duo!"
"No, Zechs, you must stay here! Kausch wants you to call him, but you have to wait to see what Heero finds out," Duo insisted. "They'll be there sooner than you and I could get there. Trust Heero!"
Zechs groaned and he tried to push away again. "But... Judo..." He squeezed his eyes shut, seeing in his mind the image of the troubled little boy who had seen too much war. "Of all children to involve!"
Instead of getting away, however, Duo was pushing back, steering him over to a sofa to sit down. "Please, just sit with me for a bit, try to calm down... you promised..."
The older man had been about to protest again, but at the word "promise", he subsided and allowed Duo to tug him over to the sofa. Once Zechs fell onto it heavily with a deep sigh, Duo was snuggling in comfortably, getting himself tucked in under an arm, his own around the broad chest. "We're going to get him back, you know that..." he murmured.
"This is my fault," Zechs sighed brokenly. "Why did I trust Unter? Why didn't I know he was just waiting me out, waiting until I was out of the way again before he could make a move... Am I that bad a judge of men?"
"Hell, no, you fell in love with *me*, didn't you?" Duo teased, hugging him tighter. "You are *not* going to second-guess yourself on this, Zechs - the important thing is to find them so we can get Judo back. That's all that matters."
Zechs sighed deeply, leaning forward a little to wrap his arms around his little lover. "Yes, you're right." He leaned his chin on the top of Duo's head and closed his eyes. "Damn... what was Unter thinking?"
"We really don't know," Duo murmured, tingling with the warmth of being so close to him. "For all we know, he could have been blackmailed into this action. Kausch said Unter mentioned another, more radical group of former White Fang somewhere, calling themselves Dark Moon. Maybe they had something on him..."
"Dark Moon..." Zechs puzzled over the name. "I think if Quinze had ever mentioned that to me I'd remember it. Then it's something that's come about within the last three years. Damn... there's no end to it, is there, Duo?"
Duo felt a twinge in the center of his chest, a sympathetic ache for his lover. "No, there isn't, Heart. There will always be rebellions - which is why the Peacecraft Foundation must work to help the government see to the colonies' needs. That's what we're about now, Zechs... and I'm going to help you."
Moved, his heart aching, Zechs tipped up Duo's chin and bent down to kiss him deeply. [He's completely here for me,] he thought, feeling the love in his heart swell for the younger man. [If it wasn't for him, I think I would go right off the deep end... and maybe I would finally be able to end my life. But now I have so much to live for! I can begin to heal because he accepts me completely. Even so... I feel so powerless right now. Judo...]
Zechs broke the kiss and turned his face away. "Please," he muttered brokenly. "Let's go home."
Duo, still melted from the kiss, hugged him hard, then kissed his cheek. "You said it, Zechs!"