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The Larger Game
Alright, it was time for a change of tactics. he had tried the jovial lad approach. maybe it was time to meet him on his own ground?
Heero continued to tap sullenly on his computer. The night idly washed through the window, and bathed the whole battered room in dim, white light. Duo lay back on the floorboards, still looking at the Japanese boy's features, chiselled by the light from his laptop.
"So. whatcha doin' there anyway?"
"Somebody has to cover our tracks."
"Hey- there's nobody in this town! It's deserted. who do you think is gonna trace us." He stopped. Own ground. The American stumbled, "Ahem, well. then again, now I come to think about it, maybe it's safer."
The typing ceased for a moment.
".not going to argue? Hmm. first time for everything."
Duo again bit his lip. He would have shot that out of the water without another thought. but tonight it was gonna be different.
*
He blearily came back to reality. and then with a start, he opened his eyes. Why was there no typing?
"Heero?"
".what?"
His room mate was sitting on the window sill, looking out onto the nearby sea.
"Finished on the computer?"
A slight nod was his answer.
Why didn't Heero even look at him? There had to be some way. Duo got up, and stretched slightly, making his back crack. He roamed his eyes, looking for something- anything to talk about.
"Hey!"
".what now?"
"Wanna play a game?"
There was no answer, but his comrade turned round to see what the American was talking about. Duo was reaching up onto the top of the scarred cupboard.
"Hey cool!"
"What is?"
"Look!" He triumphantly lifted down a small stack of games.
"Board games?"
"Why not?"
Heero rolled his eyes, increasing his tone to one of anger.
"Don't you think we have better things to do?"
Own ground.
"Aww, come on. it won't hurt- and a little rest will do us both some good- tomorrow morning we'll be better than ever!" He paused. "Don't you think?"
The Japanese boy looked back out of the window.
"If I say yes to ONE game, will you quit annoying me?"
"Yup!"
Duo shifted down onto the floor, crossing his legs. Heero came down and sat silently down opposite him.
"Whatcha wanna play, huh?"
"I don't care."
"Alright then. I'll choose." He had a quick look over the pile of games. "Hehe, prepare to be trounced! You are dealing with the MASTER of Snakes and Ladders."
"Snakes and Ladders?" Asked the other, almost in disbelief.
"You said I was to choose."
"Alright. just get it over with."
"What colour?"
"Huh?"
"What colour would you like to be?"
"I don't care." Said Heero again, this time even more firmly.
"How about red?"
"Fine."
"Okay, I'll be blue. you go first!"
Heero rolled the die.
"Six."
"Wow- nice lead."
He didn't get an answer. Heero threw another six.
"Won't be a long game at this rate." Smiled Duo.
His roommate rolled again, and landed squarely on a snake, trailing him all the way back to square one.
"Too bad, back to the start!"
"What?"
"Hehe, you've gone back to the start."
The game continued for a few minutes, but Heero couldn't make up the lead which the American now had on him. He turned away from the game.
"Satisfied now?"
"Yea, told you I could beat you." Time for the master stroke. "You never stood a chance."
"At a child's game? Like that bothers me."
Hadn't seen that one coming. think fast.
"Wanna get your own back then?"
Blue eyes turned back to him.
"How?"
"Best of three?" Heero was silent. ".Unless of course you think I'll beat you again."
"You said you'd leave me alone."
"So you ARE afraid!"
*
Duo threw the next two games. He tried to cut it close enough so that Heero wouldn't see through him. the Japanese boy was still as cold and stony as ever, but Duo was sure he was glowing inside at his victory.
"Good game, Heero!"
".thanks."
"See, games aren't that bad?" Phase two.
".Guess not. I've had enough of Snakes and Ladders though."
The Japanese boy got up to leave, but Duo was ready.
"Ever played Monopoly?"
Heero stopped.
"Let me guess. you want to play ANOTHER game?"
"Lots of time, and are you just gonna sit and stare out of the window? Why not thrash me at Monopoly as well?"
".Never played it before."
"I'll explain it!"
So the American started a "warmup" game, demonstrating to his roomy how to play, and all the while shifting his position. Sometimes he wouldn't move, sometimes he would move back a few inches, but overall he slowly, but surely, moved around to where Heero was sitting.
He justified it as 'getting a better view', and tried to do it subtly, such that the other might not notice. Duo was now laying next to Heero, most of his weight on his stomach. His boots had been kicked off some while ago, and he was waving his feet idly in the air.
"Ha! That's my house! $75, please?" He grinned, and Heero quietly pushed over a small stack of money.
"I do believe that is my HOTEL." said Heero smugly, after Duo had made his move. "$475 please?"
Duo pressed his face as close to the Japanese teenager as he dare.
"Hehe- see, I'm not such bad company!"
"Maybe not."
Own Ground.
"You're good company too. I've been your ally since the beginning, but I think I'm finally starting to understand you."
The other looked puzzled.
"Understand me?"
"Yeah. you're kinda hard to get on with at first, but I think I'm starting to understand you." Phase three. "Wanna be friends?"
"I don't have friends."
"Not in war. but how about in an abandoned city, with the guy who you just stung for five hundred bucks?" Duo smiled again.
Heero couldn't help it. He chuckled, and smiled.
"See, you CAN have fun AND you can smile as well! So how about it, want to be friends?"
"Long as you realise on the battlefield."
"Yeah, yeah I know, on the battlefield the mission comes first, blah blah blah- friends?"
".alright."
"Well, friend, it appears I'm bankrupt! You win again."
".any more games?"
Did I finally get through to him that he didn't have to be all serious and macho all the time? Or maybe he actually believed me when I said playing games and relaxing makes you a better fighter.
".sure. You're getting into this, aren't you?"
Heero grunted, and then added after a few moments,
".guess so."
"Well, there's chess, but that's a bit beyond me."
"You know how to play all these others but you don't understand chess?" Asked Heero, almost snickering. "One of Dr. J's training methods was based on chess."
"You'd have to teach me."
".Alright."
*
"How long until sunrise?" Asked Duo.
"Another couple of hours."
"Aren't you tired, Heero?"
"A little. Want to play again?"
Heero was too good at this, but he'd made the initiative. he'd started him playing games, so he couldn't turn him down now he was actually indulging the American.
"I'm getting tired. about 4:00am?"
"About."
"Say- you know that's the best time to go look at stars?"
"So you don't want to play again?"
"This is better, friend!" He added quickly, so perhaps he wouldn't notice. "Lets go out and see what stars there are- we'll have a little." he yawned. ".contest to see who can spot the most constellations!"
With that, the American clambered up out of the window, and out onto the tiled roof into which the window was set. Heero slowly followed, matching Duo's gaze up at the skies, and sitting down next to him.
"They look different than on the colonies. nicer. Ursa Major!"
"Aquarius."
"Ursa Minor!"
He had to keep going. he had made all this progress he couldn't let it slip away!
"Orion." He paused. "Yes, the stars are beautiful. I've never watched them with a. friend before."
Heero wasn't quite sure what to make of the silence from Duo. Maybe he should go on.
"Hey, Duo. I'd like to ask."
He turned, but the only answer from the figure next to him was. soft breathing.
".Maybe it doesn't matter." He got up and headed back for the window. "Or maybe, so long as it doesn't get onto the battlefield. maybe. maybe. I'll just tell you in the morning. Chan."
The Larger Game
Alright, it was time for a change of tactics. he had tried the jovial lad approach. maybe it was time to meet him on his own ground?
Heero continued to tap sullenly on his computer. The night idly washed through the window, and bathed the whole battered room in dim, white light. Duo lay back on the floorboards, still looking at the Japanese boy's features, chiselled by the light from his laptop.
"So. whatcha doin' there anyway?"
"Somebody has to cover our tracks."
"Hey- there's nobody in this town! It's deserted. who do you think is gonna trace us." He stopped. Own ground. The American stumbled, "Ahem, well. then again, now I come to think about it, maybe it's safer."
The typing ceased for a moment.
".not going to argue? Hmm. first time for everything."
Duo again bit his lip. He would have shot that out of the water without another thought. but tonight it was gonna be different.
*
He blearily came back to reality. and then with a start, he opened his eyes. Why was there no typing?
"Heero?"
".what?"
His room mate was sitting on the window sill, looking out onto the nearby sea.
"Finished on the computer?"
A slight nod was his answer.
Why didn't Heero even look at him? There had to be some way. Duo got up, and stretched slightly, making his back crack. He roamed his eyes, looking for something- anything to talk about.
"Hey!"
".what now?"
"Wanna play a game?"
There was no answer, but his comrade turned round to see what the American was talking about. Duo was reaching up onto the top of the scarred cupboard.
"Hey cool!"
"What is?"
"Look!" He triumphantly lifted down a small stack of games.
"Board games?"
"Why not?"
Heero rolled his eyes, increasing his tone to one of anger.
"Don't you think we have better things to do?"
Own ground.
"Aww, come on. it won't hurt- and a little rest will do us both some good- tomorrow morning we'll be better than ever!" He paused. "Don't you think?"
The Japanese boy looked back out of the window.
"If I say yes to ONE game, will you quit annoying me?"
"Yup!"
Duo shifted down onto the floor, crossing his legs. Heero came down and sat silently down opposite him.
"Whatcha wanna play, huh?"
"I don't care."
"Alright then. I'll choose." He had a quick look over the pile of games. "Hehe, prepare to be trounced! You are dealing with the MASTER of Snakes and Ladders."
"Snakes and Ladders?" Asked the other, almost in disbelief.
"You said I was to choose."
"Alright. just get it over with."
"What colour?"
"Huh?"
"What colour would you like to be?"
"I don't care." Said Heero again, this time even more firmly.
"How about red?"
"Fine."
"Okay, I'll be blue. you go first!"
Heero rolled the die.
"Six."
"Wow- nice lead."
He didn't get an answer. Heero threw another six.
"Won't be a long game at this rate." Smiled Duo.
His roommate rolled again, and landed squarely on a snake, trailing him all the way back to square one.
"Too bad, back to the start!"
"What?"
"Hehe, you've gone back to the start."
The game continued for a few minutes, but Heero couldn't make up the lead which the American now had on him. He turned away from the game.
"Satisfied now?"
"Yea, told you I could beat you." Time for the master stroke. "You never stood a chance."
"At a child's game? Like that bothers me."
Hadn't seen that one coming. think fast.
"Wanna get your own back then?"
Blue eyes turned back to him.
"How?"
"Best of three?" Heero was silent. ".Unless of course you think I'll beat you again."
"You said you'd leave me alone."
"So you ARE afraid!"
*
Duo threw the next two games. He tried to cut it close enough so that Heero wouldn't see through him. the Japanese boy was still as cold and stony as ever, but Duo was sure he was glowing inside at his victory.
"Good game, Heero!"
".thanks."
"See, games aren't that bad?" Phase two.
".Guess not. I've had enough of Snakes and Ladders though."
The Japanese boy got up to leave, but Duo was ready.
"Ever played Monopoly?"
Heero stopped.
"Let me guess. you want to play ANOTHER game?"
"Lots of time, and are you just gonna sit and stare out of the window? Why not thrash me at Monopoly as well?"
".Never played it before."
"I'll explain it!"
So the American started a "warmup" game, demonstrating to his roomy how to play, and all the while shifting his position. Sometimes he wouldn't move, sometimes he would move back a few inches, but overall he slowly, but surely, moved around to where Heero was sitting.
He justified it as 'getting a better view', and tried to do it subtly, such that the other might not notice. Duo was now laying next to Heero, most of his weight on his stomach. His boots had been kicked off some while ago, and he was waving his feet idly in the air.
"Ha! That's my house! $75, please?" He grinned, and Heero quietly pushed over a small stack of money.
"I do believe that is my HOTEL." said Heero smugly, after Duo had made his move. "$475 please?"
Duo pressed his face as close to the Japanese teenager as he dare.
"Hehe- see, I'm not such bad company!"
"Maybe not."
Own Ground.
"You're good company too. I've been your ally since the beginning, but I think I'm finally starting to understand you."
The other looked puzzled.
"Understand me?"
"Yeah. you're kinda hard to get on with at first, but I think I'm starting to understand you." Phase three. "Wanna be friends?"
"I don't have friends."
"Not in war. but how about in an abandoned city, with the guy who you just stung for five hundred bucks?" Duo smiled again.
Heero couldn't help it. He chuckled, and smiled.
"See, you CAN have fun AND you can smile as well! So how about it, want to be friends?"
"Long as you realise on the battlefield."
"Yeah, yeah I know, on the battlefield the mission comes first, blah blah blah- friends?"
".alright."
"Well, friend, it appears I'm bankrupt! You win again."
".any more games?"
Did I finally get through to him that he didn't have to be all serious and macho all the time? Or maybe he actually believed me when I said playing games and relaxing makes you a better fighter.
".sure. You're getting into this, aren't you?"
Heero grunted, and then added after a few moments,
".guess so."
"Well, there's chess, but that's a bit beyond me."
"You know how to play all these others but you don't understand chess?" Asked Heero, almost snickering. "One of Dr. J's training methods was based on chess."
"You'd have to teach me."
".Alright."
*
"How long until sunrise?" Asked Duo.
"Another couple of hours."
"Aren't you tired, Heero?"
"A little. Want to play again?"
Heero was too good at this, but he'd made the initiative. he'd started him playing games, so he couldn't turn him down now he was actually indulging the American.
"I'm getting tired. about 4:00am?"
"About."
"Say- you know that's the best time to go look at stars?"
"So you don't want to play again?"
"This is better, friend!" He added quickly, so perhaps he wouldn't notice. "Lets go out and see what stars there are- we'll have a little." he yawned. ".contest to see who can spot the most constellations!"
With that, the American clambered up out of the window, and out onto the tiled roof into which the window was set. Heero slowly followed, matching Duo's gaze up at the skies, and sitting down next to him.
"They look different than on the colonies. nicer. Ursa Major!"
"Aquarius."
"Ursa Minor!"
He had to keep going. he had made all this progress he couldn't let it slip away!
"Orion." He paused. "Yes, the stars are beautiful. I've never watched them with a. friend before."
Heero wasn't quite sure what to make of the silence from Duo. Maybe he should go on.
"Hey, Duo. I'd like to ask."
He turned, but the only answer from the figure next to him was. soft breathing.
".Maybe it doesn't matter." He got up and headed back for the window. "Or maybe, so long as it doesn't get onto the battlefield. maybe. maybe. I'll just tell you in the morning. Chan."