Disclaimer: Gundam Wing? Sure, it's mine. And also you're stupid.

Sub Rosa

Chapter Eighteen

Worthy To Stay

We slept in.

Well, we may have slept in, but we'd gone to sleep late, so...

Either way, we were woken up by the damn doorbell, and though Heero just rolled over and got up, I pulled the pillow over my head and huffed, trying to ignore it. My ass hurt.

"Duo. You know you should get up." Heero sounded rather chipper this morning, the bastard. I didn't even deign to glare at the man.

The doorbell rang again, and Heero went to the window before shouting, "in a minute!" He threw on his jeans and shirt and headed for the door.

"Heero, are you serious? I mean, I know we cleaned ourselves up, but-"

But Heero just grinned at me and cocked his jaw. "They woke me up."

I blinked as the man left the room.

Oh, shit.

I scrambled up from the bed as Heero went down the stairs. I was stripped and in the shower before he opened the door. The water was hot, and my ass was protesting my quick movements enough that I winced, and hell if I'd remembered the damn bandages before it was too late and they were soaked, but at least I wasn't being as obviously negligent as Heero. That guy...!

I came down about ten minutes later to the sound of something frying on the stove. My hair was wet and pulled in its braid, still dripping slightly – long hair did that – and Heero was at the stove, making omelets. Quatre turned to me with eyes that made my back straighten.

Trowa snickered.

"Come on, Duo, it's not that bad."

Wufei turned his gaze from Heero to me and smirked, leaning on one elbow. He looked like a box of popcorn should be sitting in his lap.

I ignored him and sauntered into the room, popping myself on the counter and swinging my legs back and forth. "So before you go into your conspiracy, can you tell me what happened yesterday?"

Quatre's brows furrowed. "Heero didn't tell you?"

"He just told me we won and that he was attacked more than Zechs. And that Trowa was hurt." I turned my gaze to Trowa. "I thought you were still in the hospital?"

"Got out this morning," he said, but he was sitting in a chair, different than usual, and he was leaning back. "I got hit in the arm, then again five inches beneath the right ribs. The Kevlar caught most of it, but it was close enough to the intestines to merit some worry." The man didn't shift where he sat, but he looked a little uncomfortable. "As long as I take it easy, I should be fine."

Should be?

But Quatre was already leaning over and saying something in Trowa's ear, and the man turned and smiled down on the blond. "I know," he said, just barely loud enough for me to hear. Wufei was blushing and looking at Heero's wall.

"I was in hiding through the most of it," Wufei said then, getting back on-topic, "since I'm not quite as good at stealth as you, Maxwell."

"Trowa and I fought one of those... one of our predecessors," Quatre said, even as I watched him lace his fingers with Trowa. "He was fast, and ugly. I think the doctor he was with had done something to his physical features. Or something." And Quatre gave me an account of the battle, of Quatre and Trowa dancing around the guy, managing a few shallow shots before he'd gotten in front of Quatre. Trowa had moved then, stopping the kill shot, and once Trowa had gone down, Quatre had gone ape-shit and managed to take the guy out. I applauded him as Heero put down omelets for Qat and Tro, and Heero started telling his story in more detail as he did Wufei's. I asked if he wanted me to take care of the rest, and he told me to shut up. Just as well. Damn, my ass hurt.

"Anyway," Heero said, spreading the cheese over the eggs and adding the sausage a bit later, "Zechs and I got through the throng of guards and were stopped by the other predecessor. It was good to plan for both, at least." Heero tested the eggs, then let them rest in the pan for a bit. "Zechs was almost ignored. The man was obsessed with me. He didn't see anything else."

Heero flipped the egg onto its side. "It helped sometimes; when guards came over, Zechs could take care of them while I fought the man. We fought, both of us not really getting a good shot in until he got my leg and I his arm. I don't know how long it was after that, but he got me once in the chest, close enough to get me on the floor." My eyes widened. "He hit right around my collarbone, after all." My mouth fell open. "He came up and shot me five more times, and when he aimed for my face, I shot him. Zechs finished him off then, and shortly after shot himself."

He sprinkled a little more cheese on the top of the omelet – something I'd never thought of doing before I'd seen him do it – and handed it to Wufei. He'd already cracked the next three eggs before I'd gotten my mouth to work.

"We did it after all that?"

The words probably weren't the best; Wufei started making choking noises. He thumped his chest as I turned and grabbed tea Heero must've given him at some point. He drank it all down and gasped. Quatre laughed through the whole thing.

"Yes, we did." Heero, I saw when I turned back to him, was grinning that chipper, triumphant grin I'd heard in his voice when we'd woken up. The man seemed to almost be vibrating.

"Jesus Christ, would the two of you please shut up?" Wufei sputtered. He stood from the table and stalked over to the fridge. While Wufei refilled his drink, Quatre got up and came to me, his arms out to hug. I leaned awkwardly down to accept. "I'm so happy for the two of you! I'd thought maybe I'd missed it, since... but I'm so happy you came together."

That one was spoken innocently, but I had a street rat mind, and I started thinking about the double meaning. "Uh, thanks, Qat."

"It's about time," Trowa chimed in, and I looked over Qat's shoulder to see a smirk on the man's face. Apparently he'd gotten his a long time ago. I narrowed my eyes and squeezed Quatre that little bit tighter. The grin slipped to an acceptable degree. I stuck my tongue out.

"Duo, stop antagonizing the guests." Heero reached for a plate as Quatre let me go, giggling. I snatched it for him and leaned over with it. His eyes judged how safely I was seated before he dropped the omelet on my plate. I grinned at him and licked my lips at the plate. And got to see his eyes darken.

"Yay! Thanks, Heero." And I grabbed a fork and dug in where I was. "Ah! Hot!" I put the plate down and ran to the fridge, grabbing my apple juice. Heero had a glass on the counter by the time I had it in hand. He was grinning victoriously at the pan again. Smartass.

He put in one last omelet and Quatre went to Trowa, sitting down to eat his food, leaning over every once in a while, most likely to ask mother-hen questions. Wufei looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"So," I asked, once more on the counter, "how're things between you and Sally, 'Fei?"

The man went red.

"Maxwell!" He glared coal daggers at me. "That is most certainly none of your business."

"Aw, come on. That relationship of yours is the only chance we have of seeing kids." I said it without thinking, but things got a little quiet. I stopped eating with the fork halfway to my mouth and looked at the table. At Heero. Everyone was really quiet. "Um, what?"

"Actually," Quatre said quietly, "that's one of the things I want to talk about. I... Trowa and I are considering adoption." The blond's eyes were on his omelet.

My jaw dropped. "Qat! Really? That's... that's so fucking awesome!"

It surprised a laugh from everyone, and I saw Quatre's shoulders relax. "Good," the blond said. "Because if I can get it okayed, I want you and Heero and Wufei to all be godparents."

I snorted. "Us? Really? Are you crazy?"

But Heero paused in his omelet-making and turned to Quatre. "Absolutely," he said, voice dead-serious. "I would want nothing more."

"Nor would I," Wufei said. Quatre nodded, then turned to me. A full-blown blast of baby blue was just unfair.

"Look, I would be honored. But I'm a rat, Quatre. I don't know shit about normal kids." I had the plate on my lap – burning a hole through my jeans, by the way – and my hands in the air. I'd look like I was surrendering if I didn't still have the fork in my hand.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Heero frowning at me.

But Quatre seemed to be happy then, for some reason. "So you'll do it."

"Qat–"

But Quatre was already nodding. "Wonderful. Thank you, Duo."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Heero spoke then, still looking at the omelet as he put it on a plate. "Duo. Do you really think any of us know what it's like to be 'normal'?"

My mouth snapped shut. Oh. Of course. Trowa even went through life on the streets, in a way, living with a mercenary unit that couldn't been killed at any time. Quatre wanted us all to have this child, to raise him or her and create with our own hands the happiness of the next generation.

Oh. Our blond friend really was the smartest of us all. "I'd love to," I said, voice quiet, and Quatre beamed. Trowa raised his left hand and put it on Quatre's leg. They shared a smile that made Wufei look at the wall again.

"So that aside," I said, still unable to think straight, "is everything going well between you and Sally?"

Wufei gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, Maxwell, thank you."

I nodded and returned to eating. We all ate then, the silence companionable, until Quatre started fidgeting in his seat and Trowa sighed. "Just do it," Trowa said finally and I looked up in time to see Quatre blush.

"Uh-oh," I said, as all eyes turned to me. "What?" I turned to Heero, but he was only smiling some mystery smile at me. Shit. "What?" I turned again to Quatre.

"Um, Duo. Do you remember when we came to you before, with a message from Une?"

I thought back. "Honestly? No. Not really."

Quatre rolled his eyes and bounced in his seat. He actually turned around to the side of the seat and put his hands on the back. He looked like a puppy begging on its hind legs. "We came and told you about Une wanting to see you because of the files about Caribol."

I shrugged. "Okay?"

He huffed. "And I asked you if you would let me publish your poetry?"

I paled. Everyone was watching me, and I turned to Heero again. He looked like he was trying to fight his smile, but it really wasn't working. I glared at him, but that just made his control slip enough that he full-out grinned. My glare turned up a notch. "Hey," Heero said smoothly, "I don't have a thing to do with this."

"Then how do you know?" Heero just shrugged and ate another bite of food.

"I told him as soon as we came in," Quatre admitted, and I turned my glare on him... for about three seconds. Shit, it was impossible to glare at Quatre. Cheater knew it, too. "I wanted to know what he thought of it..."

"Of course the bastard loved it," I hissed, glaring at the man again out of the corner of my eye. Heero kept grinning unrepentantly.

"Duo, please?" The bastard was pulling out all the stops. He was even pouting. If I could've leaned back, I would've. "I swear I won't be asking much from you. I could even change your name if you want. I just really want others to see those words of yours. Please?"

What the hell could I say to that? "Qat, I couldn't let you do all the work–"

"I don't mind," the blond said quickly, stopping that argument cold. "I want to. It would be my little project. Please, Duo?"

The bastard fucking had me, and he knew it. I snarled anyway. "I don't want people reading that trash."

"Duo."

I turned to Heero, the first person to interrupt the argument between Quatre and me. Wufei was back to looking at us, that movie-goer look in his face again. Heero was looking up through his bangs, his smile gone. "Don't call them trash."

I blinked.

Most probably, I should've been pissed. He was telling me what to do, and he'd definitely gotten top position, so I should've been making sure he didn't let the position get to his head or anything. But mostly I was just... warmed. Embarrassed as hell and warmed. Because Heero thought those stupid things were percious.

I grumbled and looked down at my plate. At this rate, my food was going to get cold. I dug out another bite and enjoyed the taste. I had no idea how Heero did it, but his omelets were great. Maybe it was the extra cheese, or whatever he put into the eggs when he first scrambled them in the pan, but in any case, they were always delicious. I looked up at Quatre again and sighed. "I'm surrounded, aren't I?"

Quatre clapped his hands together again and hopped once more from his seat to grab me in a hug, hardly remembering to avoid my plate at the last second. I swallowed and hugged the boy as best I could. That second hug had hurt my chest. Ouch.

When Qat pulled back, there was an evil little grin on his face. I'd known it was coming, but the sign of his manipulative victory still burned. I glared at him now without a problem. "Bastard."

"Thank you, Duo," was all he said, and he walked calmly back to Trowa.

Gods, that guy was a weapon in and of himself.

And so Wufei had a few things to laugh about as we all finished eating.

I cleaned up the dishes, then stacked them all in their cupboards. Heero had gone into his bedroom, saying he wanted to change the linens – probably a good idea – and somehow managed to give me a smile that made me blush again.

Okay. So maybe the only thing that changed in our relationship was a new level of secret glances. I had to make sure I wasn't the only one blushing all the time, or else I was going to end up being the butt of Wufei's jokes twenty-four-seven.

The good news was that I had some time to myself to think about what Quatre had managed to worm out of me: the promise to send him my poems for publication. I was hoping he would send them in without using his name, which would definitely get them sent back to him with a note saying not to waste the publisher's time. It would serve him right, taking my half-ass poems and trying to put them in print.

But what if they did make it? What if... if people read such private things? I mean, most of those were for Heero. Written either about Heero or to Heero or... well, they were always influenced by Heero. Always Heero. Could Heero really be okay with that? Could I be okay with that?

Well, Heero certainly hadn't seemed concerned about it. He'd gotten defensive over the stupid things. And no matter how much of a warm fuzzy that was, it was still weird. It wasn't like I'd gone to formal schooling for longer than a freaking year. What did I know about language? I was lucky I knew basic grammar.

Still. I threw the towel I used to dry the dishes in the hamper to be washed and stretched. Really, I shouldn't worry about it. It would be rejected, it would be forgotten, and I wouldn't have to deal with Quatre looking at me all pity-party because it wouldn't be my damn fault. Out of my hands.

I really hoped the poems were rejected.

I heard Heero coming down the steps and frowned. Why were his steps so out of character? A little softer, a bit slower. What was he doing now?

I went to meet Heero on the landing, deciding it would be better to get whatever torture was coming out of the way. Heero's hand was behind his back, and he was grinning again. Like a loon. I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow. "Dare I ask?"

Heero shook his head. "I wouldn't answer, anyway." He nodded to the living room. "Couch."

I sighed and took a seat as told. The man looked like a little kid again, and it made my heart race. So stupid to get mushy over that face just because it was the Perfect Soldier's. Just because I'd ever wondered if the man could ever look so happy. So seeing it made everything in me melt. It was cheesy, and if he knew it, I'd be toast. "All right, what is it?"

Heero came and sat down beside me, still making sure I couldn't see what he was hiding in his hands. "I want you to know, first of all, that I love you."

Um, and where was this going? "I love you, too," I said, but the admission may have been lost behind the suspicion lacing my words. I narrowed my eyes.

"And second, that I won't accept 'no' for an answer."

And again, my mind dropped to the gutter. "Exactly where are you going with this?"

That grin, if possible, widened even more, and then he pulled his hands around. Something skinny and rectangular was wrapped in tissue paper, plain silver and slightly shiny. My eyes widened. "Did... did I forget something? I thought... I didn't think we were together a full year just yet–"

Heero stopped my stammering with a chuckle. "No. This is something I've been looking for for you. That's all."

I reached out for it, my hand shaking slightly. He'd searched for something for me? I looked at that gift like it was an alien. A potentially rabid alien. How many gifts had I received in my life? None on the streets, none but a home from the church – as if a church would have anyone on L2 give a shit to donate – and none while I was a Gundam pilot. I'd received peace, but that was through my own work. I received friends, but that was luck. I received love, but you couldn't touch that so much as see it.

I was receiving a very tangible gift.

I blinked back the waterworks and touched the thing. It was hard to the touch. Not a book or anything, then. It looked almost like a Ray case – a movie recording device, one that matched almost any computer system made. Heero let go then, and it was mine. In my hands and everything. I didn't know what to do with it. I just stared like a fool.

"Duo?"

I looked up at Heero with eyes wide and mouth agape. He searched my face before smiling gently. "Open it."

I looked back down. Open it? Ruin the wrapping? It was simply done; Heero had probably never wrapped a gift before. I wondered if he'd ever gotten a gift, or even seen a gift, before. "Heero, I'm sorry."

Heero was silent for a beat. "I told you I won't accept no–"

"That's not it. I don't... have a gift for you."

I looked up, but he was smiling. "You gave me one. Remember?" Heero leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "You gave me your poems. And your body." I blushed again at that one, and the bastard had the audacity to chuckle. "And your love."

I grunted at that one. "But you can't touch that one."

"No," he agreed. "But it touches you."

I blinked at his chest. "That... that's true." So I leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "That's a thank you, then," I said, and gave him a little grin. My eyes were dry again. "Just in case I hate it."

He snorted. "Just open the damn thing."

That was better. I still felt strange when Heero pulled out those little nuggets of his. It didn't mesh with his former 'omae-o-korosu' persona. (1) Like, at all. It still took me by surprise.

So I found the places Heero had taped the thing and gently pried it off. Heero snorted out a laugh. I glared at him before I looked back down and unwrapped it.

I gasped.

There in my hands was a Ray copy of Lady and the Tramp. I felt my voice leave me. Felt my hands start to shake. It was the movie I remembered, the movie from my days in the Maxwell church. The one children's movie I'd ever watched. Ever known. "I... how...?"

"You mentioned it when we first met again, on-board your ship." I ran my fingers over the glossy surface. "You said you'd never been able to find it, and you looked like you longed for it." Heero chuckled, and it made me look up. His eyes were warm, like the ocean, like the sky turning night, as he looked at me. "It took me forever to find it, but I did. It just happened to be on the colony we docked at while dealing with Troit, and I went and grabbed it while we were there. I've been waiting for the right moment since." Heero leaned forward, until our foreheads were touching. "This seemed like it."

I tried to speak again, but my voice was clogged. I struggled against it. Boys didn't cry. "I..." My fingers wrapped around the little movie, and I clutched it to my chest. "I love it," I whispered.

"I'm glad."

We just sat there for a while, me struggling to keep myself together, Heero just sitting with me, supporting me. Finally I gave up and slid one of my arms around his neck, the other still holding my gift. "I love it," I said again, even though it'd been forever since I'd said it before. "I love you."

Heero wrapped his arms around me, and I don't know who started it, but we were kissing, and something in Heero's touch made my control break and the tears were there before I could rein them in again. One even slipped down my cheek. Heero pulled back and watched me. "I love you, too."

"You're making me cry, asshole," I told him, and buried my face in his chest.

He laughed. "I'm sorry?"

"Good," I said, but it sounded muffled and petulant and decided it might be best to shut up.

And that's what we looked like for quite a few minutes.

And that's how we would look for the rest of our lives.

A/N: (1) "Omae o korosu" means "I'll kill you."

Oh, did I neglect to explain Zechs' douchiness? Yes, well, it didn't want to fit in the chapter. Let's just say that Zechs has no idea who the hell he is – he's still a soldier, but soldiers aren't needed anymore. And of course, he's pissed about Heero seeming to adapt so well. So he's of course wanting what Heero has, which eventually leads to wanting his friends, his life – and maybe Duo a little, as well.

I also have another note! Writing this, I realized that there could definitely be another Saga. /glares murder at the story arc/ However, for now, this sucker is DONE. I wanna write something else for a change! So though I think another Saga could easily come about, it will by God have to damn well wait. /nods/

So I hope you've all enjoyed Sub Rosa, and I thank you all for making it all the way through. (Talk about a marathon read!) You all are what got this story finished. There were several times I wanted to give up and say to hell with it, but your kind reviews helped me make it through every single time. For anyone who cares, yes, I will have another story up soon, one called "By Your Side." It's rather different from all this, of course, but I've wanted to write a new GW story for a while and haven't because of this sucker.

Again, I thank you all for all of your support and time, and I hope this has helped give, if not a completely satisfying ending, one that's good enough. I love you all. /bows for the final time./