Leo: Okay this is actually my second song fic to Sting's "Desert Rose." Just a different series and different basic theme. Featuring Duo and Quatre being very elusive. Pairings: HeeroxDuo and TrowaxQuatre! Plus a little hint of DuoxQuatre mixed in there.

Relocated here!

I Close My Eyes

"Quatre, turn the radio on for god's sake. I can't stand all this quietness." Duo yawned lounged on the far end of the bath. Sometimes doubled bathing rooms were okay, but when your roommate insists on reading while reclining in the bath, it gets to be quite a drag.

"What for? Most of it's overdone garbage anyways." The blonde replied, looking up exasperatingly from his book. Not often did he share accommodations with the American, since usually he paired with Trowa and Duo with Heero, but this mission they were specifically instructed not to share rooms with their 'objects of affection' as the doctors so touchingly put is as. And so he ended up with Duo, since he knew Trowa would be more equipped to handle Heero.

"Well it's better than absolute silence and music is more than just noise! It's a power of being! Man you really got to get out more…you know. I bet you would like MY music!" A smiled touched the lips of the longhaired pilot.

"Oh? And what kind of music do YOU listen to?" Quatre set the book at the floor and looked up as Duo pulled himself out of the water, grabbing for the towel to place around his waist. He shook his long hair until it stopped dripping for the most part, and he made a wave to Quatre.

"Be right back Q-bean, I'll go get my laptop. I got my music on that. You'll see!" He grinned broadly, before he hopped out of the room, leaving Quatre to wonder which drug has afflicted his friend's crazy mind this time. Duo was much more enthusiastic about everything in comparison to himself. And sometimes that really confused him more than anything else.

Duo bound back into the room with his precious laptop. He placed it far away from any water source, so as not to fry the precious thing. His laptop was almost as important to him as Heero's laptop was to Heero, but not quite as much. That was a very tight relationship. That man and machine interface Heero had going on. He plugged in the cord, not wanting to drain his battery and end up without power to it when he needed it the most.

"Okay, most of my music is pre-colony music. Mainly from the late-late Twentieth Century. And some from the first five or so years of the Twenty-first Century. After that the music gets kind of repetitive and boring. Just like their movies, neh? You can only remake something so many times before it gets tiring, you know? Oh…I'm talking too much again aren't I?"

"It's okay Duo, I'm not like Wufei. I don't mind listening to you talk." The blonde smiled warmly. He did actually like to hear what the self-acclaimed 'God of Death' had to say. Because every now and then, slipped in between nonsensical gibberish, the brunette had something insightful to say and often unveiled more about him every time he talked. Only few people noticed this. And Quatre, already tuned to human emotions, was one to catch the ever so subtleness in Duo's ecstatic behavior.

He watched with a deal of interest, the level of concentration in Duo's actions. He seemed determined to bring something new to Quatre. Something that wasn't the normal and something he liked. Straying for a single moment, away from the war, he was bound to attach himself to the single thought of everyday living, and for a single instant, bring that to every one else around him. That was Duo's way. For the very next day he may have to wear the wings of Shinigami once again, just like Quatre would walk behind the scimitars for the sake of peace.

"Ah! Here it is! There are other songs in here, but I think you'll like this one the best I think it fits your style very well!" He spoke with cheeriness that no one, even the demon that he may represent, could possibly fake. Tapping his fingers on the touch pad of the laptop he clicked the play button on his media player.

He sat back as he waited for the song to open up. Soft melodies filled the large white tiled room. The steady flow of blending sounds echoed off the walls creating a very pleasant surround sound environment. It wasn't long before the vocal backdrop faded in and created a sound atmosphere that was almost entrancing.

"That…that's Arabic!" Quatre's voice came as a whisper, so as not to disturb the song. The soft almost fluid Arabic lyrics poured from the laptop with such a harmonious follow-up beat as the tempo increased.

"Yep! That's why I knew you would like this song. I think it's my favorite…it's by an artist from the classics, Sting. He was really good. I wish I'd been around during that time."

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my mind

"Even the lyrics are intriguing…" The whisper was so soft only the speaker could hear the words as they fell to nothingness from the drowning sound of the music.

Duo stood in front of the long mirror. He ran his hands through his long tresses as he felt the song flowing into his body and invading his soul with its seductive rhythm, enticing him to move according to. He knew Quatre's eyes were on him as we slowly began to fall prey to the dancer within him.

He could not help but to close his eyes as his arms moved away from his body in a way that most certainly brought a pale hue of crimson to his viewer. Dressed so scantly, hair flowing all about him and still dripping wet, yet he showed little care as he let the melody take over him completely.

I dream of fire
Those dreams that tie two hearts that will never die
And near the flames
The shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

Slowly, yet surely enough. He turned to face Quatre. "Certainly you can dance, eh Q-bean?" He asked between lyrics, yet quick enough to follow up the next lines vocally himself, having memorized every detail of his favorite song.

The blonde as almost enticed to follow suit, the music certainly had the effect. However…He was uncertain…His ability to dance diminished before he realized there may have ever been an ability to begin with. And yet to dance to such an elaborate song? Laced to English and Arabic, surrounded by an African feel and a chilly tone, that almost made one feel in a desert, covered by the light of the pale moon over the dunes of floating sand, wearing nothing but a robe and dancing into the night barefooted and carefree.

Hair let down with the second light turned down, Duo almost seemed able to fit into that scene with perfect ease. Neither Arabic in look or sound, it was almost as if the song alone transformed him to fit the environment, of which he might normally be deemed an outsider.

The Desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this

"Come on Quatre." He felt a hand out. "I know you can dance with me."

Quatre could almost hear the hints of Duo's thoughts as he mentally pictured his fellow pilot adding in with utmost insistence, 'come on Q-bean, you need to live a little!'.

Reluctantly at first he pulled himself from the bath, following Duo's steps to pulling a towel about his waist, and slowly but surely trekking closer to Duo, who's arms were out as if waiting for an invitation to be accepted.

The sweet tenor voice called to him, in the lyrics of the song and was soon joined by the gentle insertions of octaves just high enough to be heard, but low enough not to effect the originality of the original artist. Duo's voice flowed very well against the Arabic chanting behind the smooth English and having listened to the repetitive Arabic and learning slowly the phrases, Quatre almost felt as if he could join him, but simply out of fearful embarrassment, did he hold back from letting his own voice see the gentle light of fusion of melody and intonation.

And now she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

A pale hand reached to meet Quatre's and his heart almost skipped a beat as he felt the sudden rush of energy in the motions of the person making the contact. Duo was at complete ease, and desperately tying to invite him into that completeness.

"I don't know how…"

"I'll teach you." The whisper came louder than any words the American had ever spoken before as he showed the Arabian how to open up to the flow, and live to the music and not the scattered thoughts of a worried mind.

The larger boy's arms guided the inexperienced hands into a steady pattern, a rhythm that was like an ocean wave against the shore of the song. The two fell into a state of complete and utter reverie as both of them simply relished in the echoing of the song in their ears, while enjoying the company of each other's wordless presence.

Duo curved from Quatre bringing the Arabic boy closer to him in an intimate, yet non-sensual way.

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Duo's body felt warm against his. Flushed from the movement and sudden closeness he'd found himself in with his comrade, the blonde closed his eyes as he was rocked to delicately. Like a flower against a gentle breeze. Or perhaps like the metaphorical desert rose with sand cast about its fragrant and luxurious form. His arms moved to take place at the base of his partner's back as the two alternated motions and began a pattern that may have almost looked professionally practiced, yet still attained the beauty of amateurs simply moving to the cadence within their respective souls.

"Duo…"

"Shhh…It's the music's turn to speak for us."

Hands slowly slid between the locks of blonde hair and the response that came was the one originally desired. Two hands moved over the slender waist of the teacher, as the student moved around him to take his place at his side, hands crawling up the brunette's back and curious fingers curling around the chestnut colored hair.

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love

Duo circled around Quatre and his pace quickened as he pulled the blonde along with him, hips swaying as hands locked and they moved in accordance to the speed at which the song played to. Naked feet gingerly swept the floor making barely audible taps as they moved in a synchronized form.

Quatre's soft voice began to hum the delicate backdrop as the Arabic flowed to him with ginger ease. A small smile played on the lips of the other pilot as his voice joined once again and molded against the other's like a layer of sounds woven into a chorus made to produce a certain euphoria to the ears.

"I dream of rain. I dream of gardens in the desert sand …I wake in vain…" The American sung in a whisper that seemed to dominate the room with its rich tenor octaves, "I dream of love as time runs through my hand."

Duo dipped lower as he faced his back to Quatre's back and brushed against him, encouraging him to open up and feel himself at his highest sensuality with out having the sexual reference behind it. Tension that the little Arabian was feeling would surely diminish if given uncharacteristic coaching.

The two, ensnared in their hypnotic dance, could not have heard the silent creak of the bathroom door. Or the very faint hint of footfalls on the steam covered tiles. Neither stopped, nor did they even hint to open their eyes. They simply continued on, allowing their unexpected viewers an up close view of their performance.

Duo smiled inwardly. A simply song can change the mood of everything so fast, and make an over stressed, anxiety stricken teen, loosen up and get to feel himself for a moment. Really feel. And lose himself into something that had so much a deeper meaning spiritually. To duo, music was not a way of breaking silence, but a way of tearing down the walls that build themselves under constant, infuriating, tension.

Sweet desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this

"How do you do that Duo?" A pair of blue eyes bore down on a similar set of amethyst.

"Do what?" The whispered reply fell on the ear that was close to his mouth as he held the other teen with dare.

"How do you open up a whole new world like that…"

The brunette never answered, but instead pulled him into a tender embrace and smiled against the shoulder his face was buried against. He loved Quatre, maybe not in the sense that he loved Heero, but Quatre would always be his best friend. And the only other human being worthy of his embrace in such a way.

Sweet desert rose
This memory of hidden hearts and souls
This desert flower
The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love

The music dwindled to an echoing close and as the track moved on to the next song on the random shuffle the two pulled apart, as if is never happened.

"To answer your question…I just close my eyes…and it takes me somewhere where I don't have to hurt like I do, like you do, like we all do. For me, it is a song, a dance, a single group of minutes that I can lose myself in. I knew you would feel the same. And don't lie to me…I know…"

"Duo…"

"Ahem…" The two turned on heel, with Duo losing his balancing and falling against Quatre who instinctively reached up to prevent him from plummeting to the tiled floor. Both looked upon their viewer with widened eyes as they realized what the intruders had witnessed.

"Something to explain?" Heero questioned, his expression remaining emotionless in tone and a rocklike expression plastering his visage.

"Uh…seriously guys…that was NOT what you think!" Duo came quick to defend.

"Looked quite serious."

"Hee-chan, for god's sake, speak in intervals of more than three words please!" Duo exasperated, itching to throw off the flush making it's way to his face.

"You're changing subjects…"

"You're doing the three word thing again!"

"Heero…It really wasn't anything…He was…just teaching me to dance that's all." Quatre blushed looking down, yet noticing out of the corner of his eye that both Trowa, who'd said nothing, and Heero had both found themselves before Duo's laptop.

"Hee-chan…Don't hurt it please! I promise I won't do it again! Forgive me?"

"I'll forgive you on one condition…" Heero smiled is only barely.

"Which song was it again? The 'Desert Rose' song?" Trowa didn't bother looking up from the laptop, already knowing he was right on the money.

"Yeah…and what's this condition Hee-chan…" Duo looked up at Heero with his head slightly down and a skeptical look written in his lowered gaze.

"Do everything you just did…again…"

"Both of you." Trowa added.

"Oh…" Quatre blushed as his head shot up. "Both of us?"

"Yes."

"Oh you sly dogs! And here I though you were more machine than human! And damn it all I was ALMOST convinced!"

"You've got three seconds before I click the play button Duo."

"Uh…heh…Just close your eyes Quatre." The American turned to Quatre and placed a hand over the other's eyes as an opposing hand laid against the lashes of his own eyes.

With both pairs of eyes shut from the existing world, the song began to echo through the room once again as it started over from the beginning…

Thank you for reading!