Title: Real Beautiful
Author: Ryoko no Shinigami Rated: R Warnings: 1x2 yaoi. OOC-ness. Duo and Heero don't really follow their G- Wing persona's, I just. I wanted to write this story the way I thought it ought to have been done, or the way I would have done it if I had been the one to make a movie of it. Duo and Heero were just a convenient way for me to do that and have a way to share it with peope. Author's Notes: This is based on Jonathan Harvey's marvelous play 'Beautiful Thing', which was later turned into an equally extraordinary (though frustratingly ambiguous) movie. Just as a warning, all of the characters but three retain the original names and characteristics of Harvey's original. The exceptions are Duo for Jamie, Heero for Ste, and Hilde for Leah. The first two I changed because, well, they're so perfect for the parts. The third I changed for that reason, and also because I know a real-life Leah who would be most upset if she thought I had written her into something of mine. Especially if I wrote her as this. I made no other cast changes than that. Sandra is not Sally, Tony is not Treize, Trevor is not Zechs, though you are welcome to picture them as such if you wish. I didn't reassign their roles because they are perfect as they are, and I felt I couldn't possibly improve on them. Also, even though I know Heero's Japanese and Duo's American, in this you'll just have to think them speaking with South London accents. Or they could be in Japan, speaking with an Osaka accent. Whatever feels right to you. This is dedicated to Mallory, who showed me the movie, lent me the play script, explained the confusing bits, and then said what I expect she was thinking all along: "You should really write a Gundam Wing fanfiction for this." I did, Mal, and thank you. ***
Duo tried to stick to the back alleys as he ran away from the school. He didn't want to be seen, not like this. Not crying like a fucking baby.
It all had to do with sport. He hated sport. And he hated the boys who loved sport, hated them most of all. So they thought it was fun to go rushing after a goddamned football in the mud, did they? Well, jolly good fun for them, then. Duo thought it was all bollocks.
They would phone his mum, of course. They always did when he skipped out on sport. "Yes, Ms. Gangel, you're son's gone and done it again. Now, you know he must get his PE in, we want him to grow up strong, don't we?"
Then Sandra would hang up the phone, and look at Duo in that way she did, shaking her head and tutting. Start on about 'Next thing you know they'll bang you into one of them homes. Say I'm an unfit mother, can't even get her son to do his PE.' Bugger that. Bugger her and sport and all of them. Bugger all Southeast London, while he was at it. He didn't care.
He ran up the steps to the fourth floor of the apartment block, to where his flat was. The doors to most of the flats were open, trying to catch what little breeze there was in the sweltering early summer. Hilde was out front of her flat, next door, leaning on the landing balustrade the way she did all day now that she wasn't in school. She was gazing up at the cloudy afternoon sky, humming. He threw her a half-hearted wave.
"Hey, Hilde. Oright?"
She looked him over. "Uh-oh. You're home early. What was it today, then?"
"Football." He looked at the old rusty tricycle that rested in front of his flat, ancient relic of his childhood, then fished it closer to him with one foot, and sat on it. "Buncha wankers running after an old ball. Ain't my cuppa tea."
Hilde turned around to look at him. "Just like last Wednesday it was a buncha wankers and netball, and the Wednesday before that it was buggers and badminton."
Duo shrugged. "Yah. It's all bollocks to me." He toyed nervously with the end of his braid.
"I told you to give it a try, it ain't all bad."
"And I did try it, didn't I? Yeah, and nearly got laughed off the field. Buncha jerks know more names for a bloke."
"They'll call your mum again. She'll lay into you."
"Lay into him for what?" Sandra asked as she came to the door carrying a large garbage bag. Then she looked at Duo, and the fact that he was there registered.
"Oh, Duo, not again! Honestly, why can't you just do your PE like everyone else? I was brilliant at sport when I was at school. 'Watch out for the girl in plaits', the other teams used to say. I could run fast as anything. I was a brilliant netball player."
"In plaits?" Hilde tried to suppress a snort.
Sandra shot Hilde a foul look. "Yeah!" She began to hurry off towards the rubbish chute with her bag, but Duo reached up and stopped her.
"What've you got here, then?" he asked, pawing the bag open. Reaching in, he pulled out a worn teddy bear.
"Just some old junk. I've gotta clean out that closet, we need the extra room. Not like we're rich on space here, you know."
"Nor anything else," muttered Hilde.
Sandra again gave Hilde a dirty look. "I don' like you hanging around out here, Duo. I want you inside. She's a bad influence."
"She's a bad influence," Hilde mimicked Sandra's tone.
Sandra stalked off to the chute without another word. Duo looked after her a trifle sadly.
"She takes it out on the cupboards, you know. When she's angry, or worried. Throws away all the stuff I've been saving for me kids. Books, toys, all that rubbish."
"Kids are cunts," Hilde muttered, taking Duo's vacated seat on the old tricycle and pushing herself back and forth. "I don't want any. Dirty little buggers."
"Takes one to know one, and I don't think someone like you's got to worry at all about kids. You need a man for that, and I don't see one in your future, madam," Sandra snapped, returning empty-handed from the chute.
"Slag."
"Hah!" Sandra walked back to the apartment. Duo turned to watch her, then forgot her and turned to regard the sky again, leaning against the balustrade. After a few minutes, he turned back to Hilde, who was staring with curious intentness at the cloudy blue.
"Whatcha think about?"
"When?"
"Out here, doin' this."
"I sing some. Helps me concentrate."
"I never heard you sing."
She snorted. "In me head, you stupid git. Not out here, buggers in the next flat down start yellin' at me. Who knows, one day they might get it in their head to throw stuff, too."
"What d'you sing? What sort of songs, I mean?"
"You heard of Mama Cass?"
"I might have done."
"Yeah, I sing her. Mama Cass, helps me to concentrate."
"And that ain't natural," said Sandra, coming to the door again with another bag, "for a girl of your age to be into Mama Cass. What's the matter with Madonna?"
"She's a slag!"
"Hypocrite."
Duo had been going to join in, but just as he opened his mouth he saw Heero mounting the steps. He was still in his red and white sport uniform, and he had his schoolbag over one shoulder.
"Oi! Heero!"
Hilde turned, too, and spotted the other boy. "Oright, Heero?"
He waved at the two of them. He was Duo's polar opposite, taller and with darker hair, cut short and shaggy. "Duo, Hilde. Been bunging off together, have you?"
"Not together, no," said Duo. Heero grinned, then turned his smile at Sandra.
"Oright, Ms. Gangel?"
"Hello, Heero. Nice to see someone around here can stay at school the full day without bunging off sport."
"Yeah, s'oright. We done football today."
"Yeah, Heero, we see that." Hilde snickered. "You're all dirty, ain't you?"
Duo muttered. "You do get all muddy playing football."
"Nothing wrong with a bit of mud," Sandra said. Then a thought seemed to strike her and she rounded on Duo. "Is that your problem? Mud?"
"Nah."
"And ain't it the wrong season for football anyway?" asked Hilde.
Heero shrugged. "Yah. Student teacher. Bloody great git."
"So is that your problem?" Sandra asked Duo.
"No! Stop bothering me, will you? Lay off me, Sandra!"
Sandra shook her head in annoyance and went in, shutting the door after her. Heero scratched his head, then turned to Duo. "Y'know, mate, you wanna do football, give your mum a break."
Duo sagged into a sitting position, his back to the wall. "Here, now, don't you start in on me, too." Heero didn't have a mother, he didn't understand what it was like.
"People will talk to you then. You did it in juniors."
"That was different." Duo scowled.
"People talked to you in juniors," Hilde piped up.
Duo threw a dead leaf from one of his mother's potted geraniums at her. "Oh, shut up. What do you know, Hilde, you haven't even been at school for six months!"
"Ain't my fault," she sniffed. "S' the fault of the system, ain't it? My mum said so. I've been left to fall through the crack."
"Yeah," Heero chuckled. "Coz that's what they found you smokin' in the locker room, ain't it."
Hilde started after him, fists clenched. "Why you.!"
Heero grinned impishly. "Well, guess I'd better get in, then." He fished his key out of a pocket and slotted it into the door to his flat. Duo grabbed quickly at his sleeve.
"Aww, stay out here, Heero."
The other boy made a face. "I'm doing the tea."
Hilde slumped down beside Duo, momentarily pacified. "So put it on then and come back out."
"Can't. It's bubble and squeak tonight. Can't just leave bubble and squeak, you've got to watch it. Like a hawk!" He made a parody of a hawk face and curled his fingers into claws for effect, then laughed at his own joke. "See you." He swung closed the door.
Duo leaned his head back against the wall and let himself space out for a moment before Sandra reappeared at their door, adjusting one of her earrings. She was all done up, now, in a green skirt suit and makeup. Duo had to admit it, his mum did look like a million, all dolled up like that. The illusion of beauty was shattered, though, when she began to lay into him again.
"Your teacher phoned, Duo, says one more incident like this and you're up for punishment. The headmaster's gone home, his secretary says I can speak to him in the morning. Now, I'm off to work. There's a cheese salad in the fridge for you. The one with beetroot in's for Tony."
Duo's head shot up. "Tony? What's he doing here? You're off to work, ain't you?"
Sandra nodded. "Yeah. He's coming round in a bit to watch you."
"Watch me? I don't need a baby sitter, Sandra! I'm bloody sixteen!"
"Fifteen, Duo, and you just watch your language. He's just coming to check up on you, so's you ain't here alone. I shall be checking your homework when I get in, too, so be warned."
"Aww," moaned Hilde plaintively. "And just when we was thinking of having ourselves a sex orgy."
"My son's got taste, love," said Sandra, walking off. "See you, Duo. And do your homework!"
"Yeah, yeah." Duo shook his head at his mother's retreating back, full of disdain for grown-up authority. Then Hilde stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off her backside.
"Where're you off to, then?"
"I'm goin' in," she said. "S'getting late, y'know. Don't wanna be sitting out here when the bugs come out."
Duo snorted and let her go. It was peaceful out on the flatblock, now. Just after the late afternoon rush of people coming home, still too light for the gangs to be out. The moon already hung low over the trees and other flatblocks, even though the sky was just beginning to turn darker. He wondered how long it had been since he'd seen the moon like this. So peaceful.
The peace was shattered, roughly and thoroughly, by a huge crash, almost a wall of sound from Hilde's flat. The bold, American tones of Mama Cass boomed through the closed door loud enough for people to hear from miles around. Duo jumped up and ran to Hilde's door, banging on it with a fist.
"Here, Hilde, stop that now!" There was no answer from inside.
Heero's door flew open and Heero ran out, a dish towel over one arm. He looked hassled.
"Here, now, me dad's trying a get some kip!" he shouted over the noise.
"Yeah? Tell that to her, then!" Duo winced and pointed at the offending door. "Go on, Heero, give her what for!"
Heero began banging on the door, shouting in an effort to make himself heard. "Hilde! Turn that down in there! Me old man's trying a get some kip in there! Hilde! Turn it down or I'll fuckin' brain ya!" He reached out to try the door, but at that moment, Hilde threw it open. She had a hairbrush in her hand like a microphone and was mouthing along with the song. She casually waved two fingers in Heero's direction.
"That's my idol, that is!" Even she had to shout over the sound.
"I couldn't give a shit who it is! He'll kill you if he don't get his kip!"
Duo couldn't help butting in. "Yeah, Hilde, please. You know what his dad's like."
Heero rounded, turning all his anger on the other boy. "And you can just shut up and all. Don't you start!"
Duo looked hurt and offended. "Who's starting?"
"God," snapped Hilde. "It's only on volume six."
"But, Hilde, you know what happened last time," said Duo.
"Shut up!" screamed Heero.
"Your dad may scare you, Heero, but he don't scare me. Someone's gotta stand up to the bugger." Hilde added as an afterthought.
"I'll fucking scare you in a minute. TURN THAT DOWN!" Heero nearly roared.
In the midst of all this, nobody noticed Tony mounting the steps behind them until he was right beside them. His face was twisted in a confused frown as he listened to the music.
"Mamas and Papas?"
Hilde made a 'tch' sound. "Mama Cass, you thick git."
"Hey," Duo pointed out. "He's closer than anyone else around here would guess." Then he seemed to realize who he was standing up for. "Bloody great git."
Hilde made an exasperated sound and went in, slamming the door behind her. Within moments, the deafening music was turned down, until it was only a murmur in the background. Heero clapped Tony on the shoulder.
"Thanks, mate, I owe you one."
Tony waved off the thanks. "I didn't do nothing," he said, starting towards the door to Sandra's flat. "C'mon, Duo, s'almost time for Eastenders to be on."
Duo went, grumbling. "You live on the east end, you bloody prat." But he went just the same.
Heero stood watching the closed door for a moment. Duo just didn't know, did he? How lucky he was to have a mother. That boyfriend of hers wasn't all bad, neither. Heero walked to his own door, wiping his hands on the dish towel. He shut the door behind him, sparing a glance for the prone figure stretched across the sofa. There was no way a sober man could have slept through that racket, but luckily that was not a condition his father often shared. A look at the bubble and squeak told him all was as he had left it, the two plates waiting only for his father to wake and Trevor to come home. He walked on, into the room he shared with his brother, and fished a pair of white running shoes from under his bed.
He began to studiously scrub with a corner of his shirt wet with spit at the small green stain at the toe of the shoe. Trev would lay into him for sure if he knew Heero had borrowed his shoes. But the other boys at school had been laughing at him in sport for not having new games shoes in almost three years. And the ones he'd had then hadn't really been new either, had they, Heero thought. Those were just ones Trevor had finished with when they still had a bit of use left in them, a size too big for Heero at first, but he grew into them. He had just wanted the shoes for one day, to show the others that he did too have the money for new shoes, just he didn't wear them because the old ones were so comfortable. He jumped as he heard the key in the door. Dammit. Trev was back early. Heero hastily shoved the shoes under Trevor's bed, then lay hastily on his own, face to the wall so he wouldn't give himself away by looking scared.
He heard Trevor come in, grumbling and reeking of booze and fags. The heard him sit on the bed and kick off his black Dr. Martins that he wore for kicking around the streets late at night. Heard the boots fall to the ground, and Trevor fishing around under his bed. Heard him get up and come nearer.
"You little shit," Trevor ground out, voice full of quiet anger and deadly promise. "I'll kill you, you see if I don't." Then he wrapped his hand in Heero's hair, pulling him up off the bed. He couldn't help the soft whimper that escaped him, but he hated himself for letting it slip.
Trevor, at least five inches taller, forced him upright before slamming a fist into his abdomen. Heero doubled up with pain, collapsing forward as the hand left his hair. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Trevor's legs for support, leaning his head against his brother's thigh as his body kept collapsing. Then the knee he was using as support was brought up to crash against his skull, and he fell back against the bed, head ringing, seeing stars of pain.
He made barely a sound through the entire beating. The walls in these flats were paper-thin, and he'd only get it again from his father, ten times worse, if the neighbors complained.
When Trevor was finished and sitting on his own bed, Heero dragged himself painfully up, and staggered out of the room. As he passed the living room, he glanced in, and met the eyes of his father, sitting on the couch with a fork of bubble and squeak raised halfway to his mouth. There was no pity there. Heero could expect no help from that corner, only more pain. He stumbled the rest of the way out in a hurry.
There was no one outside, which was a blessing. He didn't want company, but he couldn't go far. If his father called for him and he didn't come, he'd only get it again when he came home. He leaned his arms on the balustrade and laid his head down under them. The rough concrete scraped his forehead, but it felt blessedly cool and real compared with the fuzzy pain in his body. He felt he would choke with the effort of keeping quiet when what he wanted to do was howl his pain and anger and frustration. When he heard a step behind him, he whipped around, eyes wide with fear.
"What's wrong, Heero?" It was Sandra, so close that he couldn't believe he hadn't heard her coming. He opened his mouth, realized it was a mistake, since he couldn't answer her anyway, and closed it with a snap. His body jerked spasmodically with repressed sobs, but he just stood staring at her, silently.
"Oh, Heero," she sighed, and came closer to him, put her arms around him in a comforting hug. He gasped, couldn't help it, as the sympathy and pity washed over him and a small piece of his control shattered. But she soon pulled away, brushing her fingers over the bruise on his forehead.
"You'll be top to tail with Duo, I'm afraid."
"Anything!" Heero gasped. "I'd rather that than be in there."
"Alright, then," she said, and led him to the door of her flat. "Was it your father this time?" she asked as she fished out her key.
"Our Trevor." When the door was open, and Heero began to make his way to Duo's room, she called out.
"Wait!"
He paused. Sandra reached into the refrigerator, then passed him the plate.
"Eat this. Beetroot salad. You look half starved."
He managed a half smile. "Cheers, Sandra."
She smiled back. "Yeah, Heero."
Duo was sitting up in bed, wearing a pair of reading glasses and looking at a magazine. He looked up as Heero came in. He didn't look surprised.
"You don't mind?" Heero asked, taking in the salad and himself with a gesture.
"Nah."
"I could take the floor if you like."
"You hate sleeping on the floor. 'Sides, it'd hardly be hospitable of me, would it?"
"Well, if you don't mind." Heero set the salad on the bed and began to take his shoes off. After a while, Duo spoke up.
"Haven't you eaten?"
"What?" Heero had been lost in his own thoughts.
"The salad."
"Oh. No. It's not yours, is it?"
Duo shook his head. "No. D'you want the light off?"
"Do you mind it on?"
"No."
"Coz of the salad, you see."
"Ah. Right." Duo went back to reading his magazine. He glanced up when Heero started to take his shirt off, but looked away again quickly when he saw the bruises that marked his back.
"D'you want another t-shirt?"
"Nah," Heero said. "I'm all right."
"You sure?"
"Sure."
"Well, if you do."
"Cheers. I'm getting in now."
"Right." Duo moved aside as much as he could on the small bed as Heero got in, head on the opposite end. He passed him a pillow.
"Here, have this."
"Cheers."
Heero arranged the pillow behind his head and sat up, eating his salad with his fingers. A small, considering frown crossed his face.
"Here, d'you sleep with your hair like that. All braided up?"
Duo nodded. "Yeah. Just fix it in the morning, y'know, before school and all."
"And d'you always wear glasses when you read?"
Duo shrugged. "Supposed to."
"You don't in school."
"Yeah, well, it's hardly fetching, is it?" Duo said with a half grin.
"Nah, looks all right."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, I'm telling you."
Duo went back to reading for a moment, then looked up again. "How's your salad?"
"Great food."
"S' good for your sports."
"Yeah, that's right," Heero said. "Good for your spots and all."
Duo frowned. "You haven't got any spots at all!" He returned again to the magazine, but the pause this time was even shorter before he looked up again.
"D'you fancy her next door?"
Heero had leaned over to put his empty plate on the floor. Now he looked up from this position, frowning at Duo. "What, fancy Hilde?"
Duo nodded. "She fancies you, you know."
"Don't, Duo."
"I'm only just saying."
"Duo."
Duo cleared his throat. "Right. What time shall I set the alarm for?" He picked up the clock from the bedside table, then looked at Heero quizzically.
"Quarter to eight." Heero shifted himself, settling down in the bed. Duo set the alarm.
"You goin' to sleep now?"
"Yeah," said Heero. "I'm knackered."
"Right. I'll put the light out." There was a click, then darkness and silence for a moment.
"Heero?"
"Mm?"
"You all right?"
"Yeah."
There was a pause. Then,
"Heero?"
"Yeah?"
"Night."
"Night, Duo."
Then Heero let himself be pulled down into sleep.
Darkness reigned over the flatblock. Most of the residents were either asleep, or out on their nightly pursuits. Hilde was the only one up, reading a geography textbook by the blue light of the bug lamp outside her door. She only glanced up when Tony came to the door of Sandra's flat, then returned to her reading. He leaned against the doorjamb and lit a cigarette. After a moment's silence, he nodded towards her.
"Good book?" he asked.
She nodded without looking up. "Bang on job. Getting to the part about the San Andreas Fault, I am."
He nodded sagely, though she didn't spare him a glance to see it. They stood apart, silent, largely ignoring each other. Then Hilde spoke up suddenly.
"I shouldn't tell anyone around here you was seeing her. I'm not saying nothing, but she's got a reputation."
"Who does?"
"Your bird."
"I'll be sure and tell her that," Tony said, frowning.
Hilde dissolved in giggles. "She already knows!"
Tony went in, shaking his head in mock disgust, but in truth smiling. Just a little.
The next day found him and Sandra out on the sun chairs outside her flat. Duo came out with his arms full of lager cans.
"Want a lager, anyone? Great day to get pissed, ain' it?"
"Oh, Duo, you're a godsend. Give me one of those, you cheeky little monkey," Sandra said, holding out her hand. Duo passed her one.
"Great specs, Duo," Tony said as he claimed his own lager.
But Duo wasn't listening to him. He had looked up as soon as Heero opened his own door, bringing out a load of drying for the clothes horse outside his flat. He called over to him.
"Want a lager, Heero? Just what you need on a day like this!"
Heero looked over at the three of them, sunning themselves on the landing. Then he glanced back through the open door of his flat. He glanced back at the sunbathers again, and seemed to come to a crucial decision.
"Stick it right there," he said. "I'll be out in a sec."
As soon as his door closed, the door to Hilde's flat banged open, and all eyes swiveled to her. She was dressed in a marvelous yellow bathing costume, as for a day on a Hollywood beach. She spread her beach towel on the landing, sat down, and proceeded to apply suntan lotion to her legs and arms. Seemingly noticing the trio's scrutiny for the first time, she glanced over. Then she held out her hand.
"Here, toss me one of those, Duo, there's a chap."
Duo obliged, throwing her the can. Sandra chose this point to speak up.
"Here, you're gonna get me thrown in the clink for that. Serving alcohol to a minor."
Duo snorted. "You didn't mind when it was Heero and me."
"Heero and you ain't gonna get pissed drunk on it, neither."
Now Duo shrugged. "We might just do, at that."
Sandra shook her fist at him. "Ooh, you cheeky little bastard, you."
Hilde took a deep swig, then gazed admiringly at the can. "Man, this is beautiful."
Sandra lit a cigarette with a flourish as Heero came out with another bundle of washing.
"Here, Sandra, watch out," Duo protested. "You're gonna get smoke all over Heero's clothes now."
"Don' matter, s' only me dad's," said Heero with a grin. "And he won't notice it over the beer stink, anyway."
"Yeah, Heero, c'mere and have a lager with us, there's a good lad." Sandra looked into her can. "Bah. I'm almost out. Fancy another, Tony?" When he shook his head, Sandra levered herself up and made her way towards her door. As she passed Heero popping the top of his lager, she shook her finger under his nose. "And mind you don't go getting drunk of that, y'hear me? You don't want them going and throwing me in the clink."
"Yeah, that'd be a pity," Hilde snarled when Sandra was gone. "She's so full of shit."
"My mother's the fountain of all wisdom and knowledge," Duo said mock- seriously, saluting her absent form with his can. "Surely you should know that by now, Hilde?"
"Yeah, bullshit." Unfortunately, Hilde said this just in time for Sandra to come back and hear both remarks. Duo used the resulting row as cover to pull Heero off to one side.
"Here, Heero, fancy coming over tonight?" he asked casually.
Heero looked uncomfortable. "I can't."
"Aww, come off it. Please?"
"I said I can't! I have to go out tonight!"
Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where? Clubs?"
Heero looked around, clearly nervous. When he had ascertained that there was no one listening, he whispered. "My brother Trev's got a deal going tonight. I have to finish it."
Duo's eyes widened. "Again? What is it this time?"
Heero lowered his voice even lower. "E."
Now Duo looked like he might jump out of his skin. His voice came as a harsh whisper. "What! Ex? Man, they'll throw you in the clink for real if they catch you with that!"
Heero shook his head. "No. S' cause I'm a minor, see? They hafta let me off. Besides, Trevor'll make me do it. We need the money, see, and the rent's coming up due.." he broke off, aware that he had said too much.
"But, Heero."
"Enough! Listen, I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
Duo's shoulders sagged. "Right. I guess."
Heero turned to leave, then, on the spur of the moment, looked back. He cleared his throat, nervously.
"Oh, by the way. I like your glasses."
Author: Ryoko no Shinigami Rated: R Warnings: 1x2 yaoi. OOC-ness. Duo and Heero don't really follow their G- Wing persona's, I just. I wanted to write this story the way I thought it ought to have been done, or the way I would have done it if I had been the one to make a movie of it. Duo and Heero were just a convenient way for me to do that and have a way to share it with peope. Author's Notes: This is based on Jonathan Harvey's marvelous play 'Beautiful Thing', which was later turned into an equally extraordinary (though frustratingly ambiguous) movie. Just as a warning, all of the characters but three retain the original names and characteristics of Harvey's original. The exceptions are Duo for Jamie, Heero for Ste, and Hilde for Leah. The first two I changed because, well, they're so perfect for the parts. The third I changed for that reason, and also because I know a real-life Leah who would be most upset if she thought I had written her into something of mine. Especially if I wrote her as this. I made no other cast changes than that. Sandra is not Sally, Tony is not Treize, Trevor is not Zechs, though you are welcome to picture them as such if you wish. I didn't reassign their roles because they are perfect as they are, and I felt I couldn't possibly improve on them. Also, even though I know Heero's Japanese and Duo's American, in this you'll just have to think them speaking with South London accents. Or they could be in Japan, speaking with an Osaka accent. Whatever feels right to you. This is dedicated to Mallory, who showed me the movie, lent me the play script, explained the confusing bits, and then said what I expect she was thinking all along: "You should really write a Gundam Wing fanfiction for this." I did, Mal, and thank you. ***
Duo tried to stick to the back alleys as he ran away from the school. He didn't want to be seen, not like this. Not crying like a fucking baby.
It all had to do with sport. He hated sport. And he hated the boys who loved sport, hated them most of all. So they thought it was fun to go rushing after a goddamned football in the mud, did they? Well, jolly good fun for them, then. Duo thought it was all bollocks.
They would phone his mum, of course. They always did when he skipped out on sport. "Yes, Ms. Gangel, you're son's gone and done it again. Now, you know he must get his PE in, we want him to grow up strong, don't we?"
Then Sandra would hang up the phone, and look at Duo in that way she did, shaking her head and tutting. Start on about 'Next thing you know they'll bang you into one of them homes. Say I'm an unfit mother, can't even get her son to do his PE.' Bugger that. Bugger her and sport and all of them. Bugger all Southeast London, while he was at it. He didn't care.
He ran up the steps to the fourth floor of the apartment block, to where his flat was. The doors to most of the flats were open, trying to catch what little breeze there was in the sweltering early summer. Hilde was out front of her flat, next door, leaning on the landing balustrade the way she did all day now that she wasn't in school. She was gazing up at the cloudy afternoon sky, humming. He threw her a half-hearted wave.
"Hey, Hilde. Oright?"
She looked him over. "Uh-oh. You're home early. What was it today, then?"
"Football." He looked at the old rusty tricycle that rested in front of his flat, ancient relic of his childhood, then fished it closer to him with one foot, and sat on it. "Buncha wankers running after an old ball. Ain't my cuppa tea."
Hilde turned around to look at him. "Just like last Wednesday it was a buncha wankers and netball, and the Wednesday before that it was buggers and badminton."
Duo shrugged. "Yah. It's all bollocks to me." He toyed nervously with the end of his braid.
"I told you to give it a try, it ain't all bad."
"And I did try it, didn't I? Yeah, and nearly got laughed off the field. Buncha jerks know more names for a bloke."
"They'll call your mum again. She'll lay into you."
"Lay into him for what?" Sandra asked as she came to the door carrying a large garbage bag. Then she looked at Duo, and the fact that he was there registered.
"Oh, Duo, not again! Honestly, why can't you just do your PE like everyone else? I was brilliant at sport when I was at school. 'Watch out for the girl in plaits', the other teams used to say. I could run fast as anything. I was a brilliant netball player."
"In plaits?" Hilde tried to suppress a snort.
Sandra shot Hilde a foul look. "Yeah!" She began to hurry off towards the rubbish chute with her bag, but Duo reached up and stopped her.
"What've you got here, then?" he asked, pawing the bag open. Reaching in, he pulled out a worn teddy bear.
"Just some old junk. I've gotta clean out that closet, we need the extra room. Not like we're rich on space here, you know."
"Nor anything else," muttered Hilde.
Sandra again gave Hilde a dirty look. "I don' like you hanging around out here, Duo. I want you inside. She's a bad influence."
"She's a bad influence," Hilde mimicked Sandra's tone.
Sandra stalked off to the chute without another word. Duo looked after her a trifle sadly.
"She takes it out on the cupboards, you know. When she's angry, or worried. Throws away all the stuff I've been saving for me kids. Books, toys, all that rubbish."
"Kids are cunts," Hilde muttered, taking Duo's vacated seat on the old tricycle and pushing herself back and forth. "I don't want any. Dirty little buggers."
"Takes one to know one, and I don't think someone like you's got to worry at all about kids. You need a man for that, and I don't see one in your future, madam," Sandra snapped, returning empty-handed from the chute.
"Slag."
"Hah!" Sandra walked back to the apartment. Duo turned to watch her, then forgot her and turned to regard the sky again, leaning against the balustrade. After a few minutes, he turned back to Hilde, who was staring with curious intentness at the cloudy blue.
"Whatcha think about?"
"When?"
"Out here, doin' this."
"I sing some. Helps me concentrate."
"I never heard you sing."
She snorted. "In me head, you stupid git. Not out here, buggers in the next flat down start yellin' at me. Who knows, one day they might get it in their head to throw stuff, too."
"What d'you sing? What sort of songs, I mean?"
"You heard of Mama Cass?"
"I might have done."
"Yeah, I sing her. Mama Cass, helps me to concentrate."
"And that ain't natural," said Sandra, coming to the door again with another bag, "for a girl of your age to be into Mama Cass. What's the matter with Madonna?"
"She's a slag!"
"Hypocrite."
Duo had been going to join in, but just as he opened his mouth he saw Heero mounting the steps. He was still in his red and white sport uniform, and he had his schoolbag over one shoulder.
"Oi! Heero!"
Hilde turned, too, and spotted the other boy. "Oright, Heero?"
He waved at the two of them. He was Duo's polar opposite, taller and with darker hair, cut short and shaggy. "Duo, Hilde. Been bunging off together, have you?"
"Not together, no," said Duo. Heero grinned, then turned his smile at Sandra.
"Oright, Ms. Gangel?"
"Hello, Heero. Nice to see someone around here can stay at school the full day without bunging off sport."
"Yeah, s'oright. We done football today."
"Yeah, Heero, we see that." Hilde snickered. "You're all dirty, ain't you?"
Duo muttered. "You do get all muddy playing football."
"Nothing wrong with a bit of mud," Sandra said. Then a thought seemed to strike her and she rounded on Duo. "Is that your problem? Mud?"
"Nah."
"And ain't it the wrong season for football anyway?" asked Hilde.
Heero shrugged. "Yah. Student teacher. Bloody great git."
"So is that your problem?" Sandra asked Duo.
"No! Stop bothering me, will you? Lay off me, Sandra!"
Sandra shook her head in annoyance and went in, shutting the door after her. Heero scratched his head, then turned to Duo. "Y'know, mate, you wanna do football, give your mum a break."
Duo sagged into a sitting position, his back to the wall. "Here, now, don't you start in on me, too." Heero didn't have a mother, he didn't understand what it was like.
"People will talk to you then. You did it in juniors."
"That was different." Duo scowled.
"People talked to you in juniors," Hilde piped up.
Duo threw a dead leaf from one of his mother's potted geraniums at her. "Oh, shut up. What do you know, Hilde, you haven't even been at school for six months!"
"Ain't my fault," she sniffed. "S' the fault of the system, ain't it? My mum said so. I've been left to fall through the crack."
"Yeah," Heero chuckled. "Coz that's what they found you smokin' in the locker room, ain't it."
Hilde started after him, fists clenched. "Why you.!"
Heero grinned impishly. "Well, guess I'd better get in, then." He fished his key out of a pocket and slotted it into the door to his flat. Duo grabbed quickly at his sleeve.
"Aww, stay out here, Heero."
The other boy made a face. "I'm doing the tea."
Hilde slumped down beside Duo, momentarily pacified. "So put it on then and come back out."
"Can't. It's bubble and squeak tonight. Can't just leave bubble and squeak, you've got to watch it. Like a hawk!" He made a parody of a hawk face and curled his fingers into claws for effect, then laughed at his own joke. "See you." He swung closed the door.
Duo leaned his head back against the wall and let himself space out for a moment before Sandra reappeared at their door, adjusting one of her earrings. She was all done up, now, in a green skirt suit and makeup. Duo had to admit it, his mum did look like a million, all dolled up like that. The illusion of beauty was shattered, though, when she began to lay into him again.
"Your teacher phoned, Duo, says one more incident like this and you're up for punishment. The headmaster's gone home, his secretary says I can speak to him in the morning. Now, I'm off to work. There's a cheese salad in the fridge for you. The one with beetroot in's for Tony."
Duo's head shot up. "Tony? What's he doing here? You're off to work, ain't you?"
Sandra nodded. "Yeah. He's coming round in a bit to watch you."
"Watch me? I don't need a baby sitter, Sandra! I'm bloody sixteen!"
"Fifteen, Duo, and you just watch your language. He's just coming to check up on you, so's you ain't here alone. I shall be checking your homework when I get in, too, so be warned."
"Aww," moaned Hilde plaintively. "And just when we was thinking of having ourselves a sex orgy."
"My son's got taste, love," said Sandra, walking off. "See you, Duo. And do your homework!"
"Yeah, yeah." Duo shook his head at his mother's retreating back, full of disdain for grown-up authority. Then Hilde stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off her backside.
"Where're you off to, then?"
"I'm goin' in," she said. "S'getting late, y'know. Don't wanna be sitting out here when the bugs come out."
Duo snorted and let her go. It was peaceful out on the flatblock, now. Just after the late afternoon rush of people coming home, still too light for the gangs to be out. The moon already hung low over the trees and other flatblocks, even though the sky was just beginning to turn darker. He wondered how long it had been since he'd seen the moon like this. So peaceful.
The peace was shattered, roughly and thoroughly, by a huge crash, almost a wall of sound from Hilde's flat. The bold, American tones of Mama Cass boomed through the closed door loud enough for people to hear from miles around. Duo jumped up and ran to Hilde's door, banging on it with a fist.
"Here, Hilde, stop that now!" There was no answer from inside.
Heero's door flew open and Heero ran out, a dish towel over one arm. He looked hassled.
"Here, now, me dad's trying a get some kip!" he shouted over the noise.
"Yeah? Tell that to her, then!" Duo winced and pointed at the offending door. "Go on, Heero, give her what for!"
Heero began banging on the door, shouting in an effort to make himself heard. "Hilde! Turn that down in there! Me old man's trying a get some kip in there! Hilde! Turn it down or I'll fuckin' brain ya!" He reached out to try the door, but at that moment, Hilde threw it open. She had a hairbrush in her hand like a microphone and was mouthing along with the song. She casually waved two fingers in Heero's direction.
"That's my idol, that is!" Even she had to shout over the sound.
"I couldn't give a shit who it is! He'll kill you if he don't get his kip!"
Duo couldn't help butting in. "Yeah, Hilde, please. You know what his dad's like."
Heero rounded, turning all his anger on the other boy. "And you can just shut up and all. Don't you start!"
Duo looked hurt and offended. "Who's starting?"
"God," snapped Hilde. "It's only on volume six."
"But, Hilde, you know what happened last time," said Duo.
"Shut up!" screamed Heero.
"Your dad may scare you, Heero, but he don't scare me. Someone's gotta stand up to the bugger." Hilde added as an afterthought.
"I'll fucking scare you in a minute. TURN THAT DOWN!" Heero nearly roared.
In the midst of all this, nobody noticed Tony mounting the steps behind them until he was right beside them. His face was twisted in a confused frown as he listened to the music.
"Mamas and Papas?"
Hilde made a 'tch' sound. "Mama Cass, you thick git."
"Hey," Duo pointed out. "He's closer than anyone else around here would guess." Then he seemed to realize who he was standing up for. "Bloody great git."
Hilde made an exasperated sound and went in, slamming the door behind her. Within moments, the deafening music was turned down, until it was only a murmur in the background. Heero clapped Tony on the shoulder.
"Thanks, mate, I owe you one."
Tony waved off the thanks. "I didn't do nothing," he said, starting towards the door to Sandra's flat. "C'mon, Duo, s'almost time for Eastenders to be on."
Duo went, grumbling. "You live on the east end, you bloody prat." But he went just the same.
Heero stood watching the closed door for a moment. Duo just didn't know, did he? How lucky he was to have a mother. That boyfriend of hers wasn't all bad, neither. Heero walked to his own door, wiping his hands on the dish towel. He shut the door behind him, sparing a glance for the prone figure stretched across the sofa. There was no way a sober man could have slept through that racket, but luckily that was not a condition his father often shared. A look at the bubble and squeak told him all was as he had left it, the two plates waiting only for his father to wake and Trevor to come home. He walked on, into the room he shared with his brother, and fished a pair of white running shoes from under his bed.
He began to studiously scrub with a corner of his shirt wet with spit at the small green stain at the toe of the shoe. Trev would lay into him for sure if he knew Heero had borrowed his shoes. But the other boys at school had been laughing at him in sport for not having new games shoes in almost three years. And the ones he'd had then hadn't really been new either, had they, Heero thought. Those were just ones Trevor had finished with when they still had a bit of use left in them, a size too big for Heero at first, but he grew into them. He had just wanted the shoes for one day, to show the others that he did too have the money for new shoes, just he didn't wear them because the old ones were so comfortable. He jumped as he heard the key in the door. Dammit. Trev was back early. Heero hastily shoved the shoes under Trevor's bed, then lay hastily on his own, face to the wall so he wouldn't give himself away by looking scared.
He heard Trevor come in, grumbling and reeking of booze and fags. The heard him sit on the bed and kick off his black Dr. Martins that he wore for kicking around the streets late at night. Heard the boots fall to the ground, and Trevor fishing around under his bed. Heard him get up and come nearer.
"You little shit," Trevor ground out, voice full of quiet anger and deadly promise. "I'll kill you, you see if I don't." Then he wrapped his hand in Heero's hair, pulling him up off the bed. He couldn't help the soft whimper that escaped him, but he hated himself for letting it slip.
Trevor, at least five inches taller, forced him upright before slamming a fist into his abdomen. Heero doubled up with pain, collapsing forward as the hand left his hair. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Trevor's legs for support, leaning his head against his brother's thigh as his body kept collapsing. Then the knee he was using as support was brought up to crash against his skull, and he fell back against the bed, head ringing, seeing stars of pain.
He made barely a sound through the entire beating. The walls in these flats were paper-thin, and he'd only get it again from his father, ten times worse, if the neighbors complained.
When Trevor was finished and sitting on his own bed, Heero dragged himself painfully up, and staggered out of the room. As he passed the living room, he glanced in, and met the eyes of his father, sitting on the couch with a fork of bubble and squeak raised halfway to his mouth. There was no pity there. Heero could expect no help from that corner, only more pain. He stumbled the rest of the way out in a hurry.
There was no one outside, which was a blessing. He didn't want company, but he couldn't go far. If his father called for him and he didn't come, he'd only get it again when he came home. He leaned his arms on the balustrade and laid his head down under them. The rough concrete scraped his forehead, but it felt blessedly cool and real compared with the fuzzy pain in his body. He felt he would choke with the effort of keeping quiet when what he wanted to do was howl his pain and anger and frustration. When he heard a step behind him, he whipped around, eyes wide with fear.
"What's wrong, Heero?" It was Sandra, so close that he couldn't believe he hadn't heard her coming. He opened his mouth, realized it was a mistake, since he couldn't answer her anyway, and closed it with a snap. His body jerked spasmodically with repressed sobs, but he just stood staring at her, silently.
"Oh, Heero," she sighed, and came closer to him, put her arms around him in a comforting hug. He gasped, couldn't help it, as the sympathy and pity washed over him and a small piece of his control shattered. But she soon pulled away, brushing her fingers over the bruise on his forehead.
"You'll be top to tail with Duo, I'm afraid."
"Anything!" Heero gasped. "I'd rather that than be in there."
"Alright, then," she said, and led him to the door of her flat. "Was it your father this time?" she asked as she fished out her key.
"Our Trevor." When the door was open, and Heero began to make his way to Duo's room, she called out.
"Wait!"
He paused. Sandra reached into the refrigerator, then passed him the plate.
"Eat this. Beetroot salad. You look half starved."
He managed a half smile. "Cheers, Sandra."
She smiled back. "Yeah, Heero."
Duo was sitting up in bed, wearing a pair of reading glasses and looking at a magazine. He looked up as Heero came in. He didn't look surprised.
"You don't mind?" Heero asked, taking in the salad and himself with a gesture.
"Nah."
"I could take the floor if you like."
"You hate sleeping on the floor. 'Sides, it'd hardly be hospitable of me, would it?"
"Well, if you don't mind." Heero set the salad on the bed and began to take his shoes off. After a while, Duo spoke up.
"Haven't you eaten?"
"What?" Heero had been lost in his own thoughts.
"The salad."
"Oh. No. It's not yours, is it?"
Duo shook his head. "No. D'you want the light off?"
"Do you mind it on?"
"No."
"Coz of the salad, you see."
"Ah. Right." Duo went back to reading his magazine. He glanced up when Heero started to take his shirt off, but looked away again quickly when he saw the bruises that marked his back.
"D'you want another t-shirt?"
"Nah," Heero said. "I'm all right."
"You sure?"
"Sure."
"Well, if you do."
"Cheers. I'm getting in now."
"Right." Duo moved aside as much as he could on the small bed as Heero got in, head on the opposite end. He passed him a pillow.
"Here, have this."
"Cheers."
Heero arranged the pillow behind his head and sat up, eating his salad with his fingers. A small, considering frown crossed his face.
"Here, d'you sleep with your hair like that. All braided up?"
Duo nodded. "Yeah. Just fix it in the morning, y'know, before school and all."
"And d'you always wear glasses when you read?"
Duo shrugged. "Supposed to."
"You don't in school."
"Yeah, well, it's hardly fetching, is it?" Duo said with a half grin.
"Nah, looks all right."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, I'm telling you."
Duo went back to reading for a moment, then looked up again. "How's your salad?"
"Great food."
"S' good for your sports."
"Yeah, that's right," Heero said. "Good for your spots and all."
Duo frowned. "You haven't got any spots at all!" He returned again to the magazine, but the pause this time was even shorter before he looked up again.
"D'you fancy her next door?"
Heero had leaned over to put his empty plate on the floor. Now he looked up from this position, frowning at Duo. "What, fancy Hilde?"
Duo nodded. "She fancies you, you know."
"Don't, Duo."
"I'm only just saying."
"Duo."
Duo cleared his throat. "Right. What time shall I set the alarm for?" He picked up the clock from the bedside table, then looked at Heero quizzically.
"Quarter to eight." Heero shifted himself, settling down in the bed. Duo set the alarm.
"You goin' to sleep now?"
"Yeah," said Heero. "I'm knackered."
"Right. I'll put the light out." There was a click, then darkness and silence for a moment.
"Heero?"
"Mm?"
"You all right?"
"Yeah."
There was a pause. Then,
"Heero?"
"Yeah?"
"Night."
"Night, Duo."
Then Heero let himself be pulled down into sleep.
Darkness reigned over the flatblock. Most of the residents were either asleep, or out on their nightly pursuits. Hilde was the only one up, reading a geography textbook by the blue light of the bug lamp outside her door. She only glanced up when Tony came to the door of Sandra's flat, then returned to her reading. He leaned against the doorjamb and lit a cigarette. After a moment's silence, he nodded towards her.
"Good book?" he asked.
She nodded without looking up. "Bang on job. Getting to the part about the San Andreas Fault, I am."
He nodded sagely, though she didn't spare him a glance to see it. They stood apart, silent, largely ignoring each other. Then Hilde spoke up suddenly.
"I shouldn't tell anyone around here you was seeing her. I'm not saying nothing, but she's got a reputation."
"Who does?"
"Your bird."
"I'll be sure and tell her that," Tony said, frowning.
Hilde dissolved in giggles. "She already knows!"
Tony went in, shaking his head in mock disgust, but in truth smiling. Just a little.
The next day found him and Sandra out on the sun chairs outside her flat. Duo came out with his arms full of lager cans.
"Want a lager, anyone? Great day to get pissed, ain' it?"
"Oh, Duo, you're a godsend. Give me one of those, you cheeky little monkey," Sandra said, holding out her hand. Duo passed her one.
"Great specs, Duo," Tony said as he claimed his own lager.
But Duo wasn't listening to him. He had looked up as soon as Heero opened his own door, bringing out a load of drying for the clothes horse outside his flat. He called over to him.
"Want a lager, Heero? Just what you need on a day like this!"
Heero looked over at the three of them, sunning themselves on the landing. Then he glanced back through the open door of his flat. He glanced back at the sunbathers again, and seemed to come to a crucial decision.
"Stick it right there," he said. "I'll be out in a sec."
As soon as his door closed, the door to Hilde's flat banged open, and all eyes swiveled to her. She was dressed in a marvelous yellow bathing costume, as for a day on a Hollywood beach. She spread her beach towel on the landing, sat down, and proceeded to apply suntan lotion to her legs and arms. Seemingly noticing the trio's scrutiny for the first time, she glanced over. Then she held out her hand.
"Here, toss me one of those, Duo, there's a chap."
Duo obliged, throwing her the can. Sandra chose this point to speak up.
"Here, you're gonna get me thrown in the clink for that. Serving alcohol to a minor."
Duo snorted. "You didn't mind when it was Heero and me."
"Heero and you ain't gonna get pissed drunk on it, neither."
Now Duo shrugged. "We might just do, at that."
Sandra shook her fist at him. "Ooh, you cheeky little bastard, you."
Hilde took a deep swig, then gazed admiringly at the can. "Man, this is beautiful."
Sandra lit a cigarette with a flourish as Heero came out with another bundle of washing.
"Here, Sandra, watch out," Duo protested. "You're gonna get smoke all over Heero's clothes now."
"Don' matter, s' only me dad's," said Heero with a grin. "And he won't notice it over the beer stink, anyway."
"Yeah, Heero, c'mere and have a lager with us, there's a good lad." Sandra looked into her can. "Bah. I'm almost out. Fancy another, Tony?" When he shook his head, Sandra levered herself up and made her way towards her door. As she passed Heero popping the top of his lager, she shook her finger under his nose. "And mind you don't go getting drunk of that, y'hear me? You don't want them going and throwing me in the clink."
"Yeah, that'd be a pity," Hilde snarled when Sandra was gone. "She's so full of shit."
"My mother's the fountain of all wisdom and knowledge," Duo said mock- seriously, saluting her absent form with his can. "Surely you should know that by now, Hilde?"
"Yeah, bullshit." Unfortunately, Hilde said this just in time for Sandra to come back and hear both remarks. Duo used the resulting row as cover to pull Heero off to one side.
"Here, Heero, fancy coming over tonight?" he asked casually.
Heero looked uncomfortable. "I can't."
"Aww, come off it. Please?"
"I said I can't! I have to go out tonight!"
Duo's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where? Clubs?"
Heero looked around, clearly nervous. When he had ascertained that there was no one listening, he whispered. "My brother Trev's got a deal going tonight. I have to finish it."
Duo's eyes widened. "Again? What is it this time?"
Heero lowered his voice even lower. "E."
Now Duo looked like he might jump out of his skin. His voice came as a harsh whisper. "What! Ex? Man, they'll throw you in the clink for real if they catch you with that!"
Heero shook his head. "No. S' cause I'm a minor, see? They hafta let me off. Besides, Trevor'll make me do it. We need the money, see, and the rent's coming up due.." he broke off, aware that he had said too much.
"But, Heero."
"Enough! Listen, I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
Duo's shoulders sagged. "Right. I guess."
Heero turned to leave, then, on the spur of the moment, looked back. He cleared his throat, nervously.
"Oh, by the way. I like your glasses."