Angel heart
Author notes: I watched the video clip of Concrete angel and this is what it inspired me to write. I am not sure where these death fics keep coming from, but I hope this will be the last one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's.
Chapter 1,
"Why do you let him do that Duo?" Quatre whispered gently pressing a tissue against Duo's eyebrow to stop the bleeding.
"He isn't a bad guy Quat…he wus just drunk again. It'll get better…I know it will…if he can just get a job it'll get better." the injured boy whispered flipping his classmates the bird before pressing his hand over the tissue and letting Quatre fuss over him.
"Sitting with your friends again?" Zechs called teasingly at the braided boy sitting alone on the bench. The other boys surrounding the tall blonde laughed at this.
Duo sighed softly. This wasn't the first time they did this. It was almost like he was the only one who saw his 'friends'. He could see why no one noticed Heero or Trowa; the two quiet teen might as well have been ghosts with how silent they were. Quatre was understandable too as the boy was only ever around for music classes and at the school yard whenever Duo got to school in the morning. Quatre had told him he was often sick. What really surprised the braided boy was that no one paid head to Wufei. The Chinese teen was in full rant mode as Duo called it and made enough noise to wake the dead.
"Really Fei, just let it be okay? Really Damien is a good guy. I know he is. He's just got a rough time now cuz of getting' fired." Duo murmured. The Chinese boy looked at him with that intense look that reminded Duo of a fire blazing deep within the boy's soul that he could see right there in those brown eyes.
"It still doesn't give him the right to hurt you. Why doesn't anyone do anything about it?" Wufei said his fists trembling.
"Cuz they dunno. I dun talk bout it to anyone but you guys. Sides Damien was on the force so who'll they believe me or him? He's not a bad guy Fei…jus stressed n worried." Duo said again.
Hours later as the sun set the four boys watched Duo go home. As per usual Duo stayed after school and for a measly 3 dollars a day helped out with anything that needed cleaning or fixing.
"Can't we do anything to help him?" Trowa asked as he wrapped his arms around his blond haired lover.
"Nothing…" Wufei growled angrily pacing the classroom.
"It'll be soon…I-I wish we could do something…he's so kind…he doesn't deserve this…" Quatre whispered as he let Trowa soothe him.
At his home Duo sighed staring at his math homework. He'd finished it before the teacher even told them what they were to make for homework and was now double checking it for any mistakes. Damien was late again. He knew that meant little good. He was just glad Meia was staying with a friend today. At least she'd be safe for one night now. Duo looked up and felt a shiver go through him when he heard the front door unlock. He had a bad feeling about it.
The next day at school Duo had been trying to fix his collar so the bruises would be hidden by them when his school's principal asked him to come to the office. Duo swallowed uncomfortably and went to the principal's office wondering what it would be about and how angry Damien would be that he had to go to the principal again.
"Sit down Duo. You're not in any trouble. I just want to talk." Treize said as the boy quietly entered his office and stayed at the door.
"What about sir?" Duo asked politely.
"A few things, you remember Libby don't you?" Treize said motioning to the girl that was trying to hide behind him.
"Yeah, she's Meia's friend…I-is Meia okay?" Duo said worriedly.
"Yes, but this is about her though. Tell me again child." Treize said quietly.
"Yes papa." the girl whispered before slowly telling them what she'd told her adoptive father before.
"I didn't mean to walk in on her. I thought she'd be done already, but she was still in her undies and then I saw…" Libby whispered.
"Thank you sweetie, you can go to class now." Treize said. Libby nodded and quickly ran from the room. Treize waited until she was gone a few minutes then turned back to Duo.
"Tell me Duo…do you and Meia often fight?" Treize asked. Duo who'd gone very pale shook his head quickly.
"N-no sir, we never fight at all. We disagree sometimes, but we dun fight." Duo said wide eyed.
"I see. Then tell me, do you know where your sister might get such heavy bruises from? Marimeia said she fell down the stairs a few days back, but I can't help but feel there is more to it. Your reaction just now only amplified my suspicion." Treize said quietly. He sighed mentally when he saw the boy look away. The wall he'd hoped to breach with the sudden revelation was back up and stronger than before.
"It was just an accident…a bad fall is all." Duo said defensively.
"I see, well could you please pass this message to your father? Libby has asked for Marimeia to come spend the summer with us if it is okay with your parent of course." Treize said smiling slightly when he saw relief wash over the boy.
"I'll pass the message to him. I'm sure it won't be a problem sir. I'll call you tonight if he says it is okay." Duo said before getting up and quickly leaving the room.
"So he suspects something, but he dunno for sure." Duo finished his story.
"Oh Duo…you should really tell him." Quatre said hugging his friend.
"If I do they'll stuff us back in that orphanage and no one's gonna adopt us no more cuz we're not cute kids no more. Besides…right now Treize thinks I have something to do with her bruises…" Duo whispered. He tensed when Zechs and his pals came over to him. Zechs began to mock him until he realized that Duo was tuning him out. Then he tried to take a swing at the braided boy only to be overcome by nausea suddenly.
"Dun do that Quat!" Duo hissed.
"I will do it again if I have to. It's bad enough that you suffer at home. I won't let them add to it. At least this is something I can do to help you." the blond haired boy said putting up his best attempt at looking tough and failing. Duo laughed at the utter cuteness of it all.
"Sorry Quat, you can't pull off threatening. Ya look as dangerous as a fluffy kitten." Duo gasped between laughter.
Trowa walked over to Heero who had kept his distance all day.
"What's wrong? Normally you're the first to try and stop that asshole." Trowa asked quietly so Duo wouldn't hear them.
"It's tonight isn't it?" Wufei asked knowingly.
"Yes…it can't be stopped…at least we could safe one of them. Good job on influencing that libby child." Heero said looking pointedly at Wufei.
"I…merely sped things up with the open door; the rest was bound to happen sooner or later if not for tonight." Wufei murmured.
"Duo!" a deep angry voice boomed over the school yard. The four boys and the rest of the school's populace stared at the tall man at the gate. Duo tensely got up and with a wave to his friends left.
"What's wrong? You never pick us up. Oh I almost forgot Libby's parents asked me to ask you if it's okay for Meia to spend the summer at their place." Duo said as he got in the car.
"Is that so? That's nice of them. I had to be around here now shut up." Damien said coldly. Duo shivered involuntarily. He could smell the booze on his adoptive father.
At the school that evening Quatre hung on Trowa and sobbed uncontrollably. Wufei paced the room angrily and cursed in at least five languages that Trowa understood and a dozen more he couldn't place. Heero had left the building a few minutes earlier without giving them an answer as to why.
Wufei suddenly stopped at the window and watched as Treize ran out of the school building.
"Is he…" he murmured. He knew Treize wasn't due to leave for home for another 5 hours. It was still early in the evening and the principal never left for home earlier then eleven at night.
"We have to go to Duo." Quatre suddenly gasped.
"Hang on. Just a bit longer, someone is coming I can feel it." Heero murmured as he helplessly watched Duo being beaten repeatedly by the tall man towering over his broken body. Under Duo Marimeia cried frightened. She'd only come home to grab her bag when she found her father was home earlier than usual and was beating her brother. She'd tried to stop him when he turned his anger toward her only to have Duo press her to the floor and cover her petit frame with his own. It'd seemed like hours had passed since then. At first Duo had grunted with every strike and shouted obscenities. Then he'd started to plead for their father not to hurt Meia and finally he'd become quiet. It'd been more than 20 minutes at least for Meia since her brother last moved or made a sound. She could only look at his face that maintained its usual happy smile despite everything. She couldn't do anything to help him and could only listen as a voice near them urged them both to hang in there.
It seemed like forever when the door suddenly burst open and two men and three women burst in. The men threw themselves at Meia's father and pressed him against the floor away from the children. One of the women told her not to move while the other fussed over her brother.
"Help Duo, please! Help him! He's not moving anymore! Please don't let him die!" Marimeia cried hoarsely. The smallest of the three women told the black haired one of the three to help her move the boy. Marimeia sat up the minute they moved her brother and crawled over to him.
"Duo, please hold on. D-don't leave Me." she whispered running her small fingers gently through his bangs.
"M-Meia…p-please…help…help Meia…" Duo hoarsely whispered his eyes intensely staring at the woman he'd come to know as Libby's mom Anna. Anna Une nodded quietly.
"Focus on yourself. That man won't hurt either of you again. Meia can come and stay with us until you are better." she said smiling sadly at the boy. Anna was no fool. She had known the second they arrived that they'd been too late to save him. Duo smiled and raised a weak hand to his sister's cheek.
"B-be a good girl…d-don't f-forget…d-do your h-homework and…n-no boys…" Duo murmured before coughing roughly. Marimeia cried and kept begging her brother to hold on.
Heero and the other four watched quietly. Right now they were helpless to do anything, but be present and watch. Duo looked at them; his eyes glazed and the light in them slowly faded.
Three weeks later the whole school was gathered at the graveyard. Treize stood beside Marimeia and stared into the open coffin at the boy who looked so peaceful.
"Don't worry, Marimeia can stay with us from now on. She'll have a good home. Your father is receiving help with his alcohol problems." he said quietly.
"I'll work hard brother. Give them hell up there." Marimeia said quietly as she tried to grin despite wanting to cry.
"Feels weird doesn't it?" Quatre asked as he stood next to Duo watching the funeral.
"Yeah…doesn't feel like that's me…" Duo murmured.
"That's because that's no longer you. Your soul has moved to a higher plain and what's left is just an empty shell." Trowa said as he wrapped his arms around Quatre.
"Ready to go Duo?" Heero asked smiling for the first time since they met. Duo smiled back and nodded.
Marimeia smiled as she waved at the five boys heading up the hill. Her brother smiled too and waved back.
"Meia?" Treize asked quietly.
"It's nothing sir, let's go home. I'm tired." Marimeia said allowing the tall man to push her wheelchair toward the gate with Libby and her mother following closely.
At the top of the hill the five boys watched the car with Marimeia in it leave for the city.
"Yer gonna explain this to me now? I thought you guys just didn't stand out or they ignored you on purpose or something." Duo said as they walked off.
"Would you have believed us if I said something like: 'hi my name is Quatre and I died because I had an epileptic seizure at the top of a flight of stairs and fell down breaking my neck in three places. Wanna be friends?'? "Quatre asked chuckling softly.
"Good point and crappy way to die." Duo said grinning.
"Meh could be worse." Quatre said.
"Really?" Duo asked.
"Yes, I died in a ditch next to the road after a hit and run." Wufei commented dryly.
"I worked in a circus during the summer and went to school here during the winter. I worked with all kinds of wild animals and walked tightrope and despite all that I die because of a foot ball to the head." Trowa said.
"Ouch." Duo said wincing. He turned to Heero and looked at the boy expectantly. Heero said nothing though. Quatre nudged him.
"Tell him Heero." Quatre said smiling knowingly.
"Same as you." Heero finally reluctantly said. Then he walked faster taking the lead to where they were headed.
"He doesn't like talking about it. That's why he was so intense about your situation. His guardian killed him…" Quatre whispered quietly.
"How?" Duo asked suddenly feeling a sense of dread.
"He shot me. Come on we're almost there." Heero said as he joined them again and pulled Duo after him toward the light.
Hope you enjoyed it!