Beta: Kidishcaresh
Genre: Sap/fluff. Mild humor and slight angst.
Summary: Some habits can't be broken.... (And luckily, some won't need to be!)
Spoilers for both Duo and Heero's Episode Zero. Timeline: On Earth, during the first war.

Sleeping Habits
by StandingOnTheRooftops

"Get in there, you rotten street-rat!"

The chocolate haired boy didn't even blink an eyelash as his cell-mate was pushed none-to-gently into the small room. The other boy stumbled, barely managing to catch himself against the wall as the door was roughly slammed shut again, the fading voiced proclaiming that their captors were leaving again.

"Ugh," Duo growled, heaving his handcuffed hands against the wall, the cuffs making an echoing ring through the small cell.

"Status?"

Duo raised an eyebrow at Heero, who still only had the one eye open, observing him even as he leaned casually back against the wall, legs stretched out in front of him on the small cot, bound hands in his lap. Duo snorted in wry amusement, figuring that this would be the closest that Mr. Bullets-for-Brains-Yuy would come to asking 'How are you? Did those mean bastards hurt you?'

"I think they broke a rib," Duo grimaced. "And I'm sure as Hell that I've got a shiner now to go along with all the other bruises.

Heero blinked both eyes open and silently observed Duo for a moment as the braided pilot leaned against his hands on the wall. In the dim light of the cell, Heero could see that yes.... Duo did have a dark shadowing around his eye, and a long scratch on his left cheek that hadn't been there when they'd first gotten captured. And there seemed to be a weariness to him, as well. It was evident in the way he held himself up.

"The truth, Maxwell," Heero ordered.

"They got a little rough," Duo let out a sound, halfway between a snort and a sigh, knowing he shouldn't have tried to down-play his injuries. Heero would see them anyway. The man really was damn-near-perfect.

"I'm just a little tired," Duo continued. When he lifted indigo eyes to meet with Prussian ones, Heero could see the weariness there. Yes, Duo was tired. Maybe there was more. Maybe there wasn't, but Heero wouldn't press the issue. Yet.

"Hn," he grunted. "Then sleep. I'll take first watch."

Duo blinked at him, trying to fathom the meaning behind those words. Was it Heero's way of saying "It's okay, Duo. I understand." Or was it his way of saying "Let's humor the weakling." Sometimes Duo couldn't tell the difference.

Duo sighed, giving up on trying to be all introspective for the moment. He truly was tired and all he wanted to do was sleep. He cast a quick glance around the room -- what little room there was, that is. Then with a mental shrug, he walked over and clambered onto the small single-person cot with Heero.

He had no idea what kind of state the floor was in. And he was the injured one after all. He would not be sleeping on the ground, even if that meant sharing a tiny little bed with Heero Yuy.

He expected some sharp remark from the so-called 'Perfect Soldier' as he twisted himself up as close to the wall as he could -- thus putting his head right against Heero's (remarkably) firm abs -- but all Heero did was tense up for a moment, then grunt and relax again. Duo pondered this response from his fellow pilot for all of five seconds... then he let sleep claim him.

Less than ten minutes of restless fidgeting later, he was awake again.

"What's wrong with you?" Heero asked. Duo felt the strong reverberation in the chest under his ear.

"Can't sleep," Duo admitted.

"Pain?"

"Nah," was Duo's reply. "That's not it." He sighed, knowing it was useless. He twisted and turned until he was sitting up. The cot was really too small for even one person, he thought. Fitting two people on it was a tight squeeze and very uncomfortable. He pretended not to notice that one of his legs was draped carelessly over one of Heero's.

"Then what is it?" Heero asked in his usual monotone. Again, Duo guessed it might be Heero's version of a caring and friendly inquiry. Damn, but he could really use a translator for the guy. Heero-nese wasn't his native language -- although he was becoming fairly efficient at translating.

"Forget it," Duo said, suddenly and inexplicably overcome with anger towards his comrade. It was unfair, he knew. But he felt it all the same. "It doesn't matter. Just a stupid little hang-up I have. Hmph. A weakness in your eyes probably. We can't all be perfect."

"What is it, Duo?"

The voice was so quiet, so soft, that Duo had to glance up at Heero to see if the other had really spoken.

'He called me Duo,' the so-called God of Death sighed mentally. His anger, which had blossomed as quickly as a flame when a match was struck, dissipated like so much smoke in the wind.

"Silly, really," Duo said, ducking his head so that he couldn't see Heero's face -- and hopefully so Heero couldn't see his. "I've got this.... bear. Ratty little thing. I think it used to be neon green, but it's kinda like.... faded. Sage green, just about. It has a bow on its neck. Black, used to. Kind of smokey gray now. I've had it for years. One of the few things I've had that long, really. And well... I can't sleep without it. Bad habit, I guess."

"You can't sleep..." Heero echoed. "Because you don't have your stuffed bear?"

Duo ducked his head further away, expecting a lashing about his weakness.

"It gives you.... security, no?" Heero asked. Duo blinked, but nodded. That wasn't what he'd expected.

Heero nodded. "Like my need to have someone on watch. Security. It all amounts to the same thing. Only you have something to attribute the need to, a personification. I.... I have nothing."

"That's why you hardly ever sleep," Duo found himself saying, realizing that Heero, just like he, had a rather bad sleeping habit. It was more statement than question, but Heero nodded in affirmation. "That's not healthy," Duo continued. "Even a perfect soldier needs sleep. Sleep without nightmares."

"Nightmares were part of the deal," Heero murmured. He'd no idea those years ago, when he'd first wandered across that strange man who'd told him he had 'kind' eyes. He'd had no idea the nightmares he'd agreed to when he'd told him that sure, he'd pilot a Gundam. If he'd have known.... would he have accepted? Had he known about the nightmares about that little girl and her puppy... had he known, would he have accepted?

Probably, he admitted. After Odin, he'd had little purpose in life. He'd rather have nightmares and a mission... than no nightmares and wandering aimlessly.

"Tell me about it," Duo sighed. There wasn't a night that went by he didn't remember the heat of the flames... the pain in his heart as he held the closest person to a mother he'd ever had as she died. Maybe Heero had such dreams, too. Maybe they weren't all that dis-similar at all.

"You know," Duo said quietly, "You can let me take watch. I won't let anything happen. I'll... I'll watch your back."

"And yet you're the tired one," Heero chided in a soft tone, one Duo hadn't heard before. Maybe he was going crazy in this cell. Maybe the lack of sleep, the pain were causing him to lose his mind.

"Yeah, but at least one of us should be able to sleep," Duo argued. "I can't, but if you'd trust me...."

"Why don't you just try? We're both very... messed up."

Duo let out a chuckle. Yes. Yes, they were both very messed up people. But then... they were Gundam pilots. Messed up was part of the job requirements, it seemed. Although he could only speculate that the others were as messed up as he and Heero. Except Quatre. He knew Quatre was messed up -- only the blond was more successful in hiding it than they were. And Quatre had hinted at Trowa being just as messed up. Duo had often wondered about that. He'd known Quatre knew the other pilot.... but the way Quatre talked sometimes had been as if they were best friends, though Duo could only pinpoint a handful of times the two had actually met, and Trowa had never seemed the 'heartfelt conversation' type person.

Then again... Heero didn't either. But what exactly was happening here?

Mutual stubbornness, he decided when Heero let out a grunt that said he wasn't about to go to sleep.

"Why don't we both go to sleep," Heero snorted. He'd decided that Duo needed sleep. And he didn't know why... but he felt he would do anything in his power to see that Duo was safe and happy. It was a strange feeling, and one he didn't quite understand. Was this friendship? Something less -- something more? All he knew was he wanted Duo safe, and if that meant going to sleep himself in order for Duo to sleep.... then so be it.

Duo looked up, only to find Heero to be perfectly serious.

"Wha....?"

"It's either neither of us... or both of us," Heero shrugged. "I'd prefer you sleep. You will need it when it comes time to break out of here."

Duo thought for a moment. "Same thing goes for you," he said quietly, then nodded. Could he use Heero Yuy as an acceptable replacement for his teddy bear... tucked away safe in a hidden compartment in Deathscythe's cockpit?

Maybe.

He rolled over just a bit, his head resting against Heero's chest, his bound hands laying across Heero's stomach, and his leg still draped carelessly over Heero's own.

His teddy bear didn't have a heartbeat, he thought as he tried to bring the darkness of sleep closer to him. But that just made Heero better.

Heero unconsciously tilted towards his companion. The heat seeping from Duo into himself was so comforting. And having Duo there, next to him... he didn't feel so much in danger. Maybe he could do this, he thought. Maybe he could fall asleep with Duo.

And neither boy noticed when they both did, indeed, drift off into a light and nightmare free slumber.

Heero startled awake at the hand on his shoulder, looking into bright emerald eyes.

"As cute as Quatre would say this is... we need to go. Wufei is going to blow the place as soon as I've got you to a secure location, and I'm not sure how long Quatre can keep up the distraction."

Duo's indigo eyes blinked open. "Trowa?"

"Time to go," The tall pilot said, then moved back to the open door, to keep a watch.

Heero and Duo untangled themselves from their sweet little position, both of them noticing how Duo was sprawled across Heero, their legs intertwined, breaths mixing. And both noticing how right it felt.

"Where are we going when we leave?" Duo asked, as he joined Trowa, who had a key and unlocked his cuffs.

"I'm meeting Quatre at one of his safe-houses. Wufei is going.... well, wherever he goes. Do you two have safe-houses nearby, or will you be joining us? Quatre has more than enough room."

Heero blinked at all the nuances in that short paragraph. Trowa was going with Quatre? Not to his own safe-house or to the circus. And moreover, he was secure enough with his own invitation to extend the invitation to others. Maybe there was something more to his comrades' relationship than he'd previously guessed.

"So we're bustin' outta this joint?" Duo asked cheerily. "We'll be happy to meet up with Kitty Cat again, too! Lead the way, Tro!"

Trowa grunted, and took point, leading their way. Heero fell in line beside Duo.

Neither boy mentioned what had transpired between them; neither felt the need to. They let it rest, let it lie as it was. A dreamy, hazy memory to keep them company on the lonely nights they knew where ahead of them.

And if, months later, Duo awakened from a drug induced slumber to find an overly worn teddy-bear tucked under his arm and a sleeping Heero in a chair next to him.... well, that was just another memory to cherish.

And if, years later, Duo awakened with a smile on his face, and Heero in his arms.... well, that was just another memory to cherish. A new sleeping habit that he didn't really want to break.