Spoot: I decided to fix this one! I love it so!
Duo: I don't think it needs it!
Spoot: Oh what do you know!
Wufei walked into the safe house. It was dark, the only thing he could see was the gleam from a lit cigarette. He approached slowly, to make out the form, it was Duo. "Maxwell..." Duo didn't move, he slowly brought the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag, then exhaled slowly. "It's five in the morning..." Wufei said, cautiously. Duo ashes his cigarette in the tray on the table, then brought a bottle to his lips. Wufei nodded to himself, knowing what this was. This was 'Duo thinking too much time' and there was really nothing Wufei could do. So he sat down in the chair next to the sofa Duo occupied with his entire body.
"Need to say something?" He asked the Asian. Wufei looked up at him. "I don't." He said calmly, "Can't I just sit here?" Duo looked over at him, then chuckled. The young man had gotten woke up, as he explained it, rudely. Someone had flushed a toilet or something. on nights like this, it never really took much. Any other night, he could sleep through anything. But, as he explained it, he just needed peace and quiet tonight. Duo Maxwell, Mr. Manic, needed quiet. That's when you know its bad. He wasn't sleeping well, and tired. You could see it in his eyes.
He brought another cigarette to his lips, and lit it. The silence in the room was deafening at this point. Wufei knew how Duo was, seeing this from time to time. The subtle things, like looking out the window on a long car ride home, or sitting in a dark room smoking and drinking at 5 in the morning. Duo was a social man. Loving every moment spent chatting with his comrades, playing the fool. But that's all it was, playing. He was far more than Mr. Manic. there was more to him. More than the others saw. Wufei wished they could just see the Duo he knew, and loved. Alas, this was something for his eyes only. Duo was drunk, and tired, and he wanted peace of mind at 5 in the morning. Searching for it. He lifted the bottle.
Wufei knew not to say anything. He's been here before. Duo was losing his mind...He needed to now and then, to keep himself sane. That made more sense on paper, as they say. "I won't do it..." Duo said suddenly, Show time, Wufei looked up at him. "I wont Roll over and play dead, I can't take it any more." He brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a long, unhealthy drag, and letting the smoke roll from his nose like a sleeping dragon. "What can I do?" Wufei asked, making Duo let out a raspy chuckle, making Wufei nodded. "I couldn't sleep...I haven't really slept in a few days. I don't want your sympathy...that's not what I'm asking for..."
"What are you asking for." Wufei asked. Duo brought the bottle to his lips, before sipping, he said, "For everyone to just shut the fuck up." Then, with that, he took a sip. Wufei nodded. processing everything quietly, like a good friend. Duo let out that sound, "Ugh" the sound of disgust. The drink was brown, and harsh. He set the bottle down on the table. "Maybe I'm just board, or retarded, or mental...What do you think?" He asked, looking over at Wufei. "All of the above, is this gunna be on the test?" Duo chuckled harshly at his friends attempt at humor. That Early morning sun had begun to leak into the room, slowly. Lighting up the floor a bit. Blue carpet.
It was the kind of Light that said you were getting ready for school, or work. Or, that you had stayed up past your limit. it was almost ominous, even though it was beautiful. Duo stared long at the light creeping in. You knew it was damp outside, and chilly. Wufei usually liked the early mornings, sitting outside with a cup of coffee and a paper. Duo was a ' nooner', as they say. Getting up some time around 1 or 2 in the after noon. He never really paid much attention to the early morning light, the sounds of the birds waking up, and chirping good morning. No, this was something that bothered the long-haired boy.
He looked over at Wufei, making him sit up straight. "Tired?" He asked. Wufei nodded. He couldn't lie to Duo, never has, never will. "Go to be then." Duo said, reaching out for his bottle. Wufei got to it first. He snatched it away from Duo's grasp. "No, not yet, not 'till you get some sleep." He snapped. Duo narrowed his eyes. A look made famous by Heero. Wufei had to smile. "You're treading on unstable ground, and you look like shit, there's an odor in the air..." Duo turned his head to the side, and closed his eyes. "Thanks." He snapped. "you know I'm right Maxwell." He finished. Duo looked over at him, with narrow, tired eyes. "No, you're an ass hole." He said with a scoff. Wufei nodded. "I know."
"I'm fine Wufei, if that's what you're worried about." Duo said, reaching for the bottle. Wufei pulled it from his reach. "Who said I was worried?" He said slyly, taking a sip of the harsh brown swill, without making a face. Duo had to smile. With that, Wufei got up, taking the bottle with him. He entered the kitchen to put away the rum. Like always, Duo followed. "What you're doing isn't fair!" He shouted. Wufei turned to him from putting away the bottle. "SHHH! You wanna wake the whole house?!" Duo put his hands on his hips. "What if I do!" He said, with his usual scoff. Wufei shook his head and smiled. "Fine, you explain it to Trowa..." With that said, he pushed past Duo, and back to the living room he went. Like always, Duo followed.
Wufei sat in the chair, and watched Duo cross the room to the sofa, watching as the boy threw face first into it. He let out an exasperated groan. The poor boy needed sleep, not booze. Wufei stood up, leaned over, and pulled the blanked off the back of the sofa, shook it out, and draped it over Duo. He rolled over and looked up at the other boy. "I'm fine..." Wufei began to tuck him in, ignoring him deliberately. "I said I'm fine!" Duo snapped, shoving Wufei, who instinctively, looked hurt. normally, he would have taken a more defensive stance, but with Duo, he was hurt. Duo pulled the covers up over his shoulder, and rolled on his side. "Sorry..." He mumbled. Ashamed, but unwilling to let him know that. Wufei shook his head, "It's fine." He spoke softly as he watched his friend begin to drift off. Wufei sat down in the chair across from the sofa. Never leave Duo, a lesson he learned long ago.
A person like Duo needed rest from time to time, but never really gets it. constantly on guard, always needing to be the Manic Man. never really getting to be himself. his true self, and it was destroying him. He was self destructing with his finger glued to the button. Nut Case behind the button. Duo Maxwell. Duo closed his eyes for a few brief moments. Wufei was sure he was almost asleep. Just when he decided to stand up, Duo spoke. his voice dripping with something new, innocence.
"Do you love me?" He asked. Wufei sat down swiftly, saying nothing for a moment. He smiled when Duo opened his eyes and looked up at him. "Yeah..." He answered softly, letting out a light chuckle. Duo closed his eyes. He had the covers pulled up to his mouth, speaking with his eyes at this point. Duo rubbed the blanket, softly, on his lips. Something he did to comfort himself. They all had their own ways of comfort. Trowa cuddled with his pillow, Quatre needed something teddy like, Heero needed a light, and Duo rubbed a blanket on his lips. Wufei, His mode of comforting himself? Duo Maxwell.
Duo opened his eyes again, and Wufei smiled. "Why?" He asked, making Wufei looked confused. "You love me right..." He rubbed the blanket on his lips, then spoke again. "Why?" Wufei bit his lower lip, in thought, for a moment, then smiled. "I don't really know." Duo blew air from his nose, indicating a light giggle. He then rubbed the blanket on his lips. Wufei stood up and crossed the room, Stopping at the sofa, he leaned down. Duo opened his eyes. Wufei removed the covers from his mouth, and put his lips on the other boys, softly, and only for a second, then he stood up. Duo's eyes were wide. "I don't know." He said again, then covered Duo back up. He instinctively grabbed up the corner of the blanket, and rubbed it in his lips. "I just don't." With that said, Wufei pat Duo's hip, and turned to go. "Thank you." being the last thing Duo had to say.
Duo: Little fixes!
Spoot: Yeah!