Pairing/Characters: 1+2 (pre-relationship), mention of 3x4, Wufei, Une
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word count: 6,087
Warnings/Kinks: Natural Disaster, profanity.
Summary: Written for the Moments of Rapture 2010 Fanfiction Cliches contest.
Disclaimer: In another time and another place they would be mine, but sadly not in the here and now.
Beta: Much love to Anne.

A/N: The dimensions of the tree are based on giant redwoods in California which can grow to a diameter of 26 feet.

The Earth Moved
by Lil_1337

This was why he preferred to be in space. There the climate was regulated and you never had unexpected rain or heat waves that melted your brain. To put the cherry on the sundae his contact was late. Two hours late. Duo was no punctuality freak like some people he could name, but this guy was pushing his luck in a big way. He checked his watch and grimaced. Make that two and a half hours late.

Ten more minutes Duo decided, trying to shove his hands deeper into the pockets of his light jacket. Ten more minutes and then he was gone. Someone else could do the meet next time. Quatre loved all this being in nature crap; Une could give it to him. That or they could reschedule it for some place warm and dry like the coffee shop around the corner from Preventers headquarters. He would even spring for a latte for the guy, possibly a muffin if the information was good.

The anticipation of hot java and freshly baked pastry warmed him a little and eased the frown lines between his eyes. Maybe he'd stop on the way back to the office so that he could work out the kinks in this neck before going to tell her Ladyship that her mole had stayed underground. She was not going to pleased, but at least she'd given up her wartime habit of killing the messenger. Not that Duo was afraid of the ex-OZ commander though the woman did command a healthy level of respect even when she was at her most benign. Actually, that was when he was the most wary of her.

Appearing harmless and being it were two completely different things and Duo rarely confused them. Doing that had a tendency to get you killed. Stifling a yawn he checked his watch and mentally declared that the time was up. It took him three steps to get out from under the overhanging branches of the pine. In the open air the full impact of the sun's warmth hit him, erasing the cold, if not the wet from his clothes and hair. When he was in the clear he stopped and made a signal knowing that Heero would see him from whatever vantage point he was currently perched on. This was supposed to be a one man mission, but when Heero had found out the informant had insisted on a communications black out he had put his foot down and demanded that Duo have back up.

It had been touching in a way that involved death threats and regulations being quoted. But then that was how Heero Yuy expressed his affection. Or at least concern. The cynical part of Duo figured it was because they shared an apartment that neither one could really afford on his own. The other side, the one that knew Heero considered Duo his best friend, knew there was more to it than financial worries. Just how much more was something that Duo was still trying to work out. One of these days they might have to have the talk, but not today. His future had stacks of paperwork and a very unhappy Lady Une in it.

Taking a minute to enjoy the warmth, Duo turned his face to the sky in the middle of the grove of trees. After a moment of quiet contemplation he was willing to entertain the fact that he might have been hasty in his original assessment of Mother Nature. The lushness of the cool spring air almost made up for being rained on. His mood slowly lightened to almost forgiving when he felt the ground beneath his feet buck and roll. The sensation was neither the sharp jerk of an explosion or the steady swell and fall of being on a ship at sea.

It reminded him of the time he had gone with Quat and Tro to the carnival and they had decided to go through the house of mirrors. At the entrance way was a warped cylinder with a surface that was pitted with random hills and valleys. It was spinning slowly enough that it appeared to be an easy thing to traverse, but only Trowa had made it across without holding onto the railing at least once. At the time it had been fun, but experiencing the same sense of disorientation and vertigo in the middle of the woods took away all the entertainment value.

Despite good reflexes and a solid sense of balance, Duo stumbled, caught his foot on a slick patch of still wet grass, and went down hard. He landed on a reasonably soft patch of ground, one leg tucked up under him and the other straight out in front. It was a far from graceful landing, but after a quick check over he determined that, other than the scrapes on the heel of one hand and a tender shin from where it took the impact force, he was fine, ego not withstanding.

Muttering under his breath, Duo shifted to a more comfortable position and slowly counted to one hundred. Once he got there he started back at one and did it over again, repeating the pattern two more times until he made it all the way through without feeling any ripple of movement through the ground. With one hand on a nearby fallen log to brace himself in the event of another tremor he carefully climbed to his feet, repeating the exercise before starting across the clearing at a nice slow trot.

The car was hidden partway down an old logging trail that cut away from the main road right before the clearing where Duo had been waiting. He jogged slowly down it, keeping to higher part between the ruts. Here the ground was more even and less likely to trip him up if another aftershock hit. He forced himself to stay focused on the walk and not to think about Heero. He was one of the best agents Preventers had and he was a superb woodsman too; much better suited for this environment than Duo would ever be. If, and only if, Heero failed to show up as they had arranged before separating earlier would Duo allow himself to worry. Until then he would assume that his partner was fine and making his way back to their vehicle.

Everything was still; even the birds who had sung through the rain shower were quiet. There was a silent anticipation as if all the creatures were holding their breath waiting for to see what would happen next. Duo sped up a little, moving from a jog into an easy run, dodging the broken branches and large rocks that littered the road. He tried to remember how many of them had been there earlier and found that his memory was lacking. Heero had been driving while Duo had looked over the map and the notes on the case so he would know what questions to ask. Swearing softly, then louder, Duo let go of his denial that he wasn't worried and kicked into a full out run down the dirt road.

Rounding the final curve he spotted Heero leaning back against the hood of the car with his arms crossed over his chest. Skidding to a stop, his breath coming in quick gusts, Duo blamed the way his heart was pounding on the unexpected run, shutting down his worries and filing them away for another day. "You're okay?" Duo grinned, bouncing from his toes to his heels to cover the way his eyes roamed carefully up and down Heero looking for injuries. "No bones to set? Cause we have a wrench in the trunk if you need it. I'm not watching this time. I still have nightmares from before. That was just gross." Duo shuddered half jokingly and half in earnest. "I'm okay, you know, if you were worried you might have to shoot me so I wouldn't slow you down."

"The radio has no reception here." Heero's quirked eyebrow was the only sign he had even heard Duo's little ramble. "We are in a valley and the mountains interfere with the signal. Once we are up on the ridge we should be able to radio in and determine the situation."

Duo was already moving, heading for the passenger side of the car. "I'll tell Une then her completely reliable source did a no show. It will give her time to throttle her urge to kill the messenger."

"She gave that up when she took the position with Preventers. It made recruiting new agents too difficult."

Heero's face was hidden by the door frame as he climbed into the car, but Duo could have sworn he heard a slight hint that there was something hidden under the words. Could it be that Heero Yuy was developing a sense of humor? Then again this was Une they were talking about. Duo could almost see her following that train of thought. She could be a scary woman, but she was completely devoted to Preventers and the work they were doing.

Une had changed after Treize's death and the end of the war, but then they all had. In the four years that had passed since the second eve war Heero hadn't tried to self destruct even once. Duo had hung up his priest garb for good. Wufei actually smiled once in a while and not just when he was feeling superior. Trowa had given up soldiering and was working with, for, and under Quatre designing shuttles. Quatre, well he was Quatre just a little less guilt ridden and more relaxed. A hell of a lot more relaxed, but then regular sex often had that side effect.

Duo fought the urge to snicker as he got into the car. He really didn't want to explain the way his thoughts had drifted. Most days it was bad enough being in his own mind the idea of letting someone else in was more than a little disturbing. Still, Duo turned his head so that he could study Heero's profile if anyone was going to be allowed to go romping through Duo's headspace it would be Heero. At least he would know where the landmines were and how to avoid them.

Then again thinking like that brought on a whole new set of possible explosions and none of them the good kind. These thoughts were friendship ending and potentially life destroying, two things Duo had no desire to do. He snapped his seatbelt closed a little harder than necessary and slouched down in the seat. "Let's blow this popsicle stand." Keeping his eyes on the stretch of dirt road ahead of them, Duo intentionally missed the 'popsicles are not sold at stands and we are not authorized to blow anything up' look that Heero aimed in the direction of the passenger's seat.

With slow precision Heero steered the car, avoiding most of the debris that littered the already less than ideal road. The main highway, if it could be called that, was smoother and had been graded fairly recently so the ruts were much less noticeable, though the gravel that had been added to level the ground was still loose in places. It made the tires tend to loose traction and slip but at the speeds they were traveling it was easy to compensate for any side to side movement. Heero was certainly capable of handling the conditions at a higher speed than he was currently settling for. But Duo was sure that the knowledge that more shocks were not only possible, but likely, looming in the back of his partner's mind Heero was giving himself extra time to react to anything that might occur.

They'd covered a couple of miles when they reached a series of banked turns that would take them up out of the valley. The way around the first one was clear of any debris, but as they started into the second the car began to shimmy, sliding back and forth, causing Heero to have to correct first right then left in an attempt to keep from going off the embankment on one side or into a solid rock wall on the other. Using a complicated combination of downshifting and understeering Heero slid the car around the curve and managed to regain some control before heading into the next one.

As they rounded the third and final curve, one of the old growth pine trees that had been leaning at an acute angle to the road groaned and, in slow motion, began to tilt until the top branches came to rest against the mountain about two feet from the ground. Slamming on the brakes and spinning the wheel, Heero spun the car to the right so the driver's side was now parallel with the downed tree. The forward momentum with the help of the loose gravel kept the car moving towards the barricade at a speed that made avoiding impact impossible. The car and tree connected solidly accompanied by the sounds of shattering glass, grinding metal, and breaking branches.

In the moment that followed the silence was broken by a harsh whisper. "Heero? Hey, man, are you okay?" Fear and anxiety was woven through Duo's words belying their seeming casualness. Heero's side of the car had taken the bulk of the impact and while he was tough, Duo was well aware his partner could be killed.

In response Heero shook his head as if to clear it then carefully moved each of his limbs one at a time, cataloguing his injuries with practiced ease. "I have minor contusions and bruising. No broken bones or internal injuries that I can detect at this juncture." His voice softened, losing most of the mechanical tone that he tended to default to. "Are you injured?"

Duo shook his head then punched Heero on the arm, glaring at him. "What the hell did you do that for? You could have been killed. That is, if you are mortal like the rest of us."

"The chances of the passenger in the front seat surviving a head on collision are statically lower than in a drivers' side impact." He rubbed at his arm though it really didn't hurt considering Duo had pulled his punch. "It was the most viable option available for the desired outcome."

"What about the driver?"

"Irrelevant. The driver is responsible for the safety of his passengers and that should be his primary consideration. His health and wellbeing is secondary."

"Bullshit." Duo's voice could have cut glass and helped reverse global warming. "You purposely took the hit on your side knowing it was more dangerous."

Heero's eyes never wavered as they studied Duo's face. "I have a higher tolerance for pain and a faster rate of healing. It was the logical thing to do. As I stated previously, your safety was of paramount concern."

"Fuck that! Just because I didn't self destruct and live through it doesn't mean I need you to take care of me. Don't fucking protect me, Yuy."

Giving Heero one last glare over his shoulder Duo slammed the door open and climbed out leaving it hanging open and somewhat askew. He crossed around the front ignoring Heero as he crawled over the center console and out of the totaled vehicle. Making his way to where the tree top met the wall, Duo squatted and studied the dense brush. It had caught about two thirds of the way up with the tip at a ninety degree angle from the trunk. Eventually time would rot the wood and the tree would end up flat on the ground if the crews that cleared the roads didn't remove it first.

"We have two choices." Heero had freed himself from the car and had come to stand slightly behind and to the right of Duo so that he was not in Duo's line of sight. "We can stay here and wait or we can start walking. Eventually someone will come looking for us. If we choose the first option, however it might be a considerable amount of time before a search and rescue team is able to make it up the mountain depending on the damage to the city and the rest of the road from the earthquake. We have no food or water and the radio is badly damaged, therefore an extended wait would not be viable. Conversely we have no intel on the condition of the road ahead which could lead to being stranded under conditions where we no longer have a vehicle for shelter from the elements or native creatures."

Duo nodded slowly, they had no way of cutting or moving the tree and even if they could clear the road the car was most likely undrivable in its current state which left the options Heero had listed out. "I don't want to just stay here. They're gonna need us down there if the quake hit the city."

"I presumed as much." Heero knew his partner well and neither of them had the kind of personality that was willing to sit and do nothing when people could be hurt or in need of help. It was why they had become Gundam pilots and then Preventers instead of moving into the private sector when the second eve war was over. "We are uninjured and capable of extracting ourselves from this situation therefore there is no reason to utilize manpower when there is a greater need for it elsewhere."

"We just need to get past this fucking tree first. There's no way to get under it, I already looked. The branches are too damn thick." Duo gestured to where he had been looking, then stood and brushed dirt off his jeans.

Heero nodded in agreement then pointed to where the tree intersected the road. "Going around is not a viable alternative. It would require scaling the wall and hiking through the forest. Staying with the road is preferable as it increases the chances of intercepting anyone who might be looking for us."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Duo grabbed his braid and tucked in down the back of his shirt securing it out of the way. "Let's do this."

From the hood of the car they climbed onto the roof using the extra height to their advantage. The branches were less dense here though not by a large amount, acting as both as rungs and obstacles for the two men. Smaller branches and twigs slapped at them and dropped needles as they were pushed out of the way or broken off to allow for passage. Towards the top of the tree the outer edges of the branches were covered with copious amounts of spider webs and light coating of dust. The inhabitants themselves ranged from the size of a dust mote to that of a small hummingbird. Most of them did their best to avoid the large beings now crashing through their homes, though a few braver souls stood their ground and had to be brushed away.

Duo swore, loudly and colorfully, adding spiders to the list of things he hated about nature. Pulling his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth he plowed through, scattering frightened arachnids in front of him. To the side he could hear Heero making progress even though he couldn't be seen through the foliage. Making a mental note to tell Quatre what he thought about the old growth preservation project WEI was currently working on Duo turned sideways and edged between two branches that were as thick as his legs and swung himself up onto the top of the trunk.

Fortunately, weaving between branches was easier than pulling himself up and it wasn't long before he felt the curve of the trunk under his shoes that told him he was at the point where across turned into down. He took a minute to breathe and look around, trying to spot Heero. Sounds of movement were close, off to Duo's left, but there was no visual confirmation to go with it. From this vantage point he would have a great view of the valley behind them and the road ahead if he could have seen more than a foot or so in front of where he was standing.

Down, it turned out, was not as bad as up or across simply because it was feet first. Kicking spider webs clear was less traumatic then walking into or through them. It also afforded Duo the chance to brush away loose or dried needles that would otherwise attempt to invade his person in one way or another. It wasn't long before he was back on the ground working his way free of the branches that had gotten tangled when the tree toppled over. Once free of the offending fir he made the promise to himself to never use another pine scented product as long as he lived.

Not long after Duo broke clear he saw Heero do the same. Both of their clothes were coated in tree sap and spider webs along with a healthy dose of dust and grime that would probably never completely come out. There was sap in Duo's hair but it was the needles that had fallen down the collar of his jacket and shirt that were bothering him the most. Carefully he tugged the back of his shirt from his jeans, muttering about how much he hated being out in nature. After pulling it over his head along with his jacket he shook it out.

"Damn it!" Needles had definitely worked their way down into his jeans and were making his skin crawl. They rubbed against him scratching in such a way that Duo was not completely sure he didn't have spiders down there as well. He lowered the zipper and let them fall down around his ankles before pulling the front and back of his boxers away from his body.

"Duo, what are you doing?" Heero's voice had a rough edged and hoarse tone to it that made Duo look up from where he was trying to inspect himself for hidden creepy crawlies.

"I've got fucking needles in my boxers. They're stuck to my butt crack and making me itch like hell. Probably fucking spiders too." He shuffled in a small circle turning his back to Heero before pulling down his boxers. "Did I get them all?"

Heero cleared his throat, but kept his eyes glued as firmly to pale skin of Duo's ass as before. Several needles clung there stuck in place by a combination of tree sap and sweat. "No." The single word carried a wealth of meaning in tone and inflection.

Frowning, Duo's gaze shifted from trying to see down his back to his partner. "What's wrong? Do I have ticks on my ass too? Fuck I hate nature!" He brushed across one cheek then the other in an attempt to dislodge whatever it was that had the unflappable Heero Yuy staring like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding truck.

Heero stepped closer, his movements as mechanical as if he was the personification of Wing. In contrast, the touch of his fingers was gentle when they dislodged the stubborn needles. "No ticks or spiders." A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips when Duo sighed, accepting the reassurance.

"Thanks, Heero." Duo pulled his boxers back up and quickly redressed. "Do you want me to check you?"

"No." The words were quick and sharp, as cutting as one of Cathy's throwing knives. "I kept my shirt collar raised to deflect them. It appears to have been an effective countermeasure."

Duo snorted his face relaxing as he tucked his braid back down inside his shirt. "That just figures. I'm drowning in needles and shit, but they bounce off you. Nothing touches you does it, Yuy?" The tone was light and playful though the words brought a frown of confusion to Heero's face. "When do you think we will get back?"

Heero's features shifted visibly into mission mode as the question brought him back to more familiar ground. "It was thirty one and seven tenths miles from Preventers to where we parked the car. We had traveled five and three tenths miles on our return route which leaves twenty six and four tenths miles left to cover. The average person walks three miles per hour. We should be able to achieve twice that so it should take four and four tenths hours if we can maintain a constant speed. However, factoring the possibility of additional aftershocks, road hazards, earlier sunset because of the higher altitude and other incidental delays our current E.T.A. is twenty two thirteen."

"Shit. That long?"

"Affirmative."

Duo took off at a slow jog of someone who is used to covering long distances on foot and knows the need to pace himself. Heero fell into step on Duo's left placing himself between his partner and the sheer drop off. For a while there were only the sounds of steady, controlled breathing and the crunch of gravel underfoot. The road was broader here, wide enough to allow them to run side by side without crowding each other. Their legs moved in sync and despite Duo's longer stride, Heero had no difficulty keeping pace with him. There was no idle chatter, all movements were clipped and efficient, designed to preserve strength and air.

When they had covered a couple of miles the terrain leveled off into a plateau of sorts. The wall on the inside of the road gradually disappeared as did the drop off on the outside. The landscape slowly morphed into a grassy meadow highlighted with patches of color from what was left of the first wave of spring flowers. Here and there both bees and butterflies stopped to drink nectar, ignoring the two strangers in their midst. The birdsong had returned, though the calls were different from those higher up on the mountain. It was if the earthquake had never occurred.

On unspoken cue both men lengthened their strides taking advantage of the relatively flat ground. The road was less rutted here and the gravel was pressed into the dirt making for a safer running surface. Off to their left a small stream was visible through the trees. The road ran parallel to it following the path of least resistance through the hills. Another couple of miles passed before the road began a slow curve away from the water when Heero gestured for them to stop.

"We should drink. Remaining hydrated is a necessity particularly in the absence of food."

Duo nodded taking a moment to let his breathing slow to a normal speed. "That sounds like a good plan." The water quality on the mountain was generally known to be safe and considering they had no food, cleaning drink water or way of boiling it taking the risk was the best option available. Besides, they had been inoculated against pretty much every disease known to man as well as a few that Sally probably made up. The woman had an unhealthy obsession with needles that manifested in freaky ways.

The grass was tall and dense as they pushed their way through it, watching for soft areas and hidden hazards. Clumps of weeds slapped against their jeans but left no lasting impressions, courtesy of the heavy denim. Near the water the soft ground turned rocky again, years of heavy run off having stripped the area of its coating of topsoil leaving the bones of the mountain exposed to the air and elements. The rocks themselves were smooth on top, rounded and softened by time.

Lying on his stomach near the edge of the stream Duo lowered his head and drank using his cupped hands. The water was icy cold but clean and almost sweet in a way that is invariably lost once humans have filtered, purified and processed it. He was careful to sate his thirst slowly to avoid causing a quick drop in his body temperature or stomach cramps.

Having drunk his fill he rolled over onto his back and looked up at the sky. The sense of urgency was still there driving a need to keep moving, but he knew that the occasional break was needed to replenish his reserves. This was not a mission and he didn't have to push himself to the breaking point to make sure it was accomplished within a set time frame. He shoved his concerns for his friends to the back of his mind not wanting to focus on that unless it became necessary.

"Take fifteen."

Heero settled down next to Duo and closed his eyes, giving the appearance of relaxation. Duo knew better. If he needed to, Heero would be on his feet and ready for action in the time it took for a lesser man to open his eyes. It was closer to thirteen minutes when they were up and making their way through the weeds back to the road, but Heero didn't feel the need to point out the discrepancy.

Once the road began its curve away from the stream it started a steady ascent again. The cliff wall that had faded into the meadow reappeared, growing in height as the drop off on the other side grew in depth. It was as if someone had dug out one side of the road and thrown the dirt in a pile on the other. Signs of the earthquake were more visible here hinting that it was closer to the epicenter than higher up where Heero and Duo had been. Several times they had to scramble over or around fallen trees though none as large as the one that had totaled their car. Here and there boulders and small landslides made the road more hazardous, but it was a simple matter to navigate around or over as the situation dictated.

It was past dusk with full dark fast approaching when they rounded a hairpin turn to discover that the road was completely gone, leaving a gulley that was at least fifty yards across. A dark scar down the side of the mountain showed where several tons of rock, dirt, trees and scrub had dislodged, taking a portion of the road with it. Under different circumstances they could have worked their way down, across and back up. But, in the quickly failing light it was impossible to pick out the best route or which boulders were balanced on still precarious ground.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Duo kicked a loose piece of rock and growled at the resulting ping it made as it bounced off a rock before disappearing into the darkness. "Unless you've got a mobile suit we aren't getting across that."

"We'll move again at first light. Even with this delay we should be back at Preventers by o nine hundred hours."

"Night is worst for looting and people taking advantage of downed power and phone lines. They need us now not at o nine hundred." They were both fully aware of the need for heightened police and rescue presence to reassure the population that they were safe. Two more sets of hands could make the difference between crimes averted, lives saved and civilians who fell prey to panic, shock and fear.

"It is, but if we injure ourselves and need to be rescued, that will tie up resources that could be better utilized elsewhere."

Duo sighed, his pacing slowing a little. "I know. It just sucks. What if they need us and we're stuck here."

Neither one of them needed to clarify who they were. The safety of their friends was upper most in both of their minds. "They've been through two wars and survived. Our friends are capable of caring for themselves and each other. I'm sure they are equally concerned about our well being and we're uninjured."

"Yeah." Duo huffed out a breath and his pacing slowed until he was standing in the middle of the road. "Yeah." He repeated the word as if saying again would give it more chance of being real. "Wufei is probably going to complain we got stuck up here to get out doing the work."

Heero laughed softly the sound magnifying as it echoed off the rock walls. "That does sound like something he would say." He moved over to sit near the wall, leaning against a boulder that would serve as a windbreak, and then gestured for Duo to do the same. "The rock has held some warmth though it will not last long."

With a sigh of resignation Duo joined him and the two men watched silently as the sun slipped lower and the first stars appeared offering meager light and comfort. The temperature dropped steadily with the setting sun. Duo pulled his jacket tighter around himself and shivered. It was going to get a lot colder before it warmed up again, but it wouldn't be life threatening, just uncomfortable.

As the dark deepened the sounds of a small nocturnal animal scurrying through the brush were highlighted in counterpoint to the far away hoot of a hunting owl. A high breeze ruffled through the leaves of the trees both above and below but didn't stir a hair on either man's head. Darkness and shadow, something that both Heero and Duo had often seen a friend as it allowed them cover for covert operations had turned on them today becoming an enemy they were unequipped to fight.

"Am I really untouchable?" Duo jerked, his head coming up in surprise. He hadn't been aware that he had dozed off until the sound of Heero's voice pulled him from the light sleep he had gradually drifted into. "Huh? Wha?"

"Am I untouchable?"

Frowning, Duo turned to face his friend though all he could make out was a vague silhouette. "Why?" It was a big question with lots of potential meanings and pitfalls and Duo was not prepared to answer it without being completely sure of what was driving the question in the first place. "What makes you think that you are?"

"When you were removing the pine needles from your clothes you stated that nothing touches me. Does that then make me untouchable?"

"Oh." Duo paused, frown deepening. "I didn't mean anything by that. I was just pissed off there were needles down my boxers and sap in my hair while you were standing there looking like you'd been on a walk through the park."

"I am touchable then?"

Those four simple words wrapped themselves around Duo's heart and squeezed until he wondered if the weight of the mountain had settled on his chest. The man that the world knew as Heero Yuy was the picture of independent strength and self sufficiency. While that was true there was another person underneath that, one that only a few people had ever glimpsed who was still a small child stumbling his way through establishing friendships and learning how to function as a member of society. "Yeah, buddy. You're touchable. I didn't mean anything thing by that stupid comment. You shouldn't listen to my shit."

"Am I touchable by you?"

Duo froze, and then relaxed, feeling the beginnings of a silly grin curving his lips. "Yeah, Heero, by me." He scooted closer lifting Heero's arm so that he could mold himself to his friend, partner and hopefully much more.

Heero shifted closer wrapping his other arm around Duo, holding him firmly yet gently in the way that something precious and fragile is guarded and kept close. "We should rest. Our bodies need the energy if we are going to move at first light."

"I don't know," Duo chuckled already feeling warmer both from the sensation of being in Heero's embrace and the knowledge that they felt the same way about each other. "Suddenly I'm not in such a hurry to get back."