Author's Notes: I love you guys! Thanks for reviewing! Ok, thanks to Li-
chan, and to Chibi-sora, two great people who are so nice 'cause they
review every chapter. Yeah, Heero has gotten himself in a very delicate
situation. How will things turn out? And by the way, how's Duo feeling
about this? Lets read….
"Healing a Friend's Wounds"
Chapter Two
The room was filled with steam as the warm water started to fall from the shower. Duo closed his eyes, letting the water splashed over his head, his long beautiful hair cascading around him.
He winced at the sharp pain in his right side, which was covered by a large bandage. The fabric was supposed to be white, but the blood had painted it red. The American boy proceeded then to remove it, feeling a bit of relief as the warm water washed the gash in the right side of his torso. He was silent all the time.
Just as usual, he wanted to keep his wounds to himself. He knew good old Cat would scowl him for that, but he had never liked to show any weakness before the others. Before anyone, to be exact. So, as the good actor he was, he just pretended everything was fine when he stepped into the house. His dark clothes were useful for that.
Besides, he didn't want Heero to know about it. He had acquired that wound in the battle he was left alone to fight. There were too many Dolls and he had to face them by himself enough time to allow the children to escape. He had found his DeathScythe surrounded by enemy fire and the cockpit had almost exploded. The result had been that wound.
'The second one that day. Though the first one was far much worse. Maybe because this one in my side was caused by a stupid machine and the first one by…'
Duo shook his head, trying to erase the Japanese boy's name from his thoughts.
'It's not important. I mean, who cares? It's not like I'm dying because of it, or like Heero cares that much…' –Duo shrugged mentally.-'The mask has never betrayed me. It won't do it now' –he decided with a smile in his lips. He was going to play his role once again. The role of the jokester, the always cheerful one. No matter if he had a bleeding gash in his soul.
The night had already fallen in the woods when the braided boy made his way downstairs, to have dinner with everyone.
"Hummm!! Smells good!" –he said, eyes closed, when he took his place at the table.
"Trowa made it" –Quatre smiled while serving the food.
"No wonder. Tro-man and you are the best of the best!" –Duo laughed as Wufei rolled his eyes at the obvious hungry American.
"Just make sure not to eat the food from our dishes, Maxwell" –the Chinese warned.
"I'll try" –was the response from the 02 pilot.-" So, thanks for the food!" –he exclaimed as he started to eat.
"We better hurry, or he'll really try to take it from us" –Trowa half smiled, and everyone started to eat.
"So, I'm sure you'll want to rest, right Duo?" –Quatre asked while taking a small bite.
Duo smiled as he took the fork out of his mouth and lifted his glance to the one addressing him.
"Wait! Don't answer now!" –Wufei warned in disgust- "Swallow it first. Don't you dare to show it like you did the last time" –the 05 pilot frowned at the memory.
Duo's smile grew wider and he nodded in agreement. He drank a bit of his orange juice and then answered.
"Ok, ok, I won't do it. And yeah, Q. I'm thinking in sleeping like the following four days" -he said while searching with his eyes something in the table.
"Is something wrong?" –Trowa asked at the other's movement.
"No, I just would like to try it with pepper but…where's the…?" –he cut his question when he spotted the little bottle in Heero's hands.
The Wing pilot had been very quiet during the evening. In fact, no one had heard a word from him since he finished his report and went out of the bedroom. So now, when Duo turned to see him, he remained silent.
"Hmmm, Heero?" –the American asked with a curious smile- "What are you staring at? I mean, if you don't want to share the pepper 'cause it has some new OZ's poison I will understand it…"
"Here" –Heero said at last, handing it to the boy two chairs from him.
Duo took it and smelled the bottle. He started to cough as his eyes were forcefully shut.
"Oh, I'm dying!! Save me! I'm paralyzed! It's…it's…just pepper" –he said, acting like a choking person among giggles.
"Behave at the table, Maxwell" –Wufei scolded, but he couldn't help the little twitch of his mouth at the other's funny pouts.
"But I'm dying! I can't behave at the table when I'm dying!" –he smiled in return, his eyelashes batting like in plea.
"O.k, as you're dying, can I have the food you haven't touch then?" –Quatre asked with a smile.
"Huh? No way! I think I'll live after all" –the braided youngster replied immediately, gaining the others' brief laugh.
Heero tried to smile, but he merely managed a slight twitch of his lips. Why was he feeling so uptight? Duo was acting normally. Like a clown, usual. He was joking and treating everyone as always. He smiled and talked, even to him. Maybe Heero had just imagined that the American was acting weird some moments ago. Or maybe not…
***
Heero opened his eyes slowly. He didn't even change his breathing rhythm in order not to let the other boy notice his awakening.
It was dark all around, and the clock on the table read 1:15 am. Everyone had supposed that the talkative boy would fall asleep instantly when he reached the bed, but here he was, Heero mused, the longhaired boy fully awake.
If Heero remembered well, he had heard slight noises almost two hours ago. It was then when he first peeked through his eyelashes, just to discover that his roommate was sitting on his bed, his pillow tightly embraced, totally silent.
Heero had tried to sleep again, but with now avail. He kept awaking every fifteen minutes, only to see his partner in the same position. This time though Heero didn't closed his eyes immediately. He wanted to see what was keeping 02 awake, what the pilot was looking at…
Duo remained in his position. The soft pillow felt warm between his arms as he rested his face on it. He had all the intention to sigh, but he held the impulse. He was staring blankly at the front, his eyes fixed in some other memories, playing in his head.
The cold breeze slipping through the half-closed window was chilling him. He was wearing only his black boxers, but he had the blanket tightly wrapped around him, in case the others entered, they wouldn't see his bandaged side.
He was very tired. Physically and mentally. But the fact was he couldn't sleep. He couldn't help but keep having nightmares about his past, the streets, the children…He had always had those kind of nightmares, but for some reason, that night was being plagued with them. And the worst was the memory of the two days ago outburst from his roommate.
'So what? They're just street urchins!'
Duo did sigh this time. -'Yeah, so what? We're just street urchins, street rats. It doesn't matter if we were starving, if we had no clothes, if we were sick or afraid…who cares?'- He thought sourly, but then he shook his head, his hair swaying at the movement.
'Do not continue with that, Duo. You have nothing to pity yourself.' –he scowled silently- 'Besides, it wasn't on purpose. Heero didn't do it on purpose…I guess so…'
"Duo?"
The voice made the American jerked in his place. He then perceived the other's boy breathing in his awakening. Or had been Heero awake before and he hadn't noticed it? Anyhow, he couldn't help but to turn to see the Japanese boy in the other bed.
Heero had called hesitantly the other's name when he realized the time was passing and the boy didn't move, staring like in a mesmerize trance at the wall. However, when Duo turned to see him, he almost let his eyes grew wide in surprise.
The amethyst eyes in front of him were so…different. No, they were the same, but the light in them…so unreal. Heero felt like if those eyes were boring inside of his own blue eyes. The glance was so void but strong and somewhat…sad.
'Who is he? Is this Duo? I've never seen him like this…' –Heero thought while still looking directly at the violet orbs in the other side of the room.
"Sorry, I was just…err…like I am going to sleep now, ok? I was having this strange dream about Tro and Wu in fireman suits and then Cat was in a zoo with a big green monkey. The best part was when you showed in punk clothes with spiky hair and I was singing the Traviatta in the Central Park…"
Duo kept rambling while he settled himself back on bed, turning his back at the 01 pilot. In that way, Heero wouldn't see the little wince of remorse on his face for the lies he was so stupidly retorting.
He heard no sound from his partner until five minutes later, when he discovered the blue-eyed boy at the foot of his own bed. Heero was standing there with a wistful glance in his eyes, while Duo kept still in his position, not wanting to fully turn to see him.
"Shh, Duo. You better rest now." –Heero hushed softly, not really knowing what to say. He then proceeded to take another blanket from the closet and settled it over the now quiet boy.
Duo closed his eyes and remained like that, while Heero made his way back to his bed.
"Were you having a nightmare?" –came the soft question some minutes later.
There was a long pause before Duo answered. –"I don't want to talk about it. I'll appreciate some quiet now…I'm tired, I wanna sleep…"
Heero shut his eyes in a slight wince of hurt for the harsh tone Duo had used to answer him. No doubt now, Duo was deeply hurt for what he had said before. The voice he had heard and the eyes he had seen that night were a clear proof. A proof of a hidden side, a proof that their cheerful pilot was not what everyone supposed him to be.
Heero found himself with a weird feeling lurking in the back of his mind. Fear. A feeling he instinctively had learned to reject. That night, the Japanese boy turned impatiently in his bed, his interior voice telling him one time and another…
'What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of this different Duo? Are you afraid of how to face him? Or are you afraid of not being able to accomplish the task to talk to him?…'
A sudden lightening crossed the sky, as the muffled sound of the rain started to fall over the house.
To Be Continued…
***Shinigami's Voice***
A/N: Ok, sorry for such odd ending of this chapter. I was on a hurry, since my dad came and threatened the poor laptop. But I know you guys are gonna be so nice and kind-hearted and you're surely gonna leave a review for me to be happy, right? Please R&R! And, just between you and me…I like the scene of the shower (blush)
"Healing a Friend's Wounds"
Chapter Two
The room was filled with steam as the warm water started to fall from the shower. Duo closed his eyes, letting the water splashed over his head, his long beautiful hair cascading around him.
He winced at the sharp pain in his right side, which was covered by a large bandage. The fabric was supposed to be white, but the blood had painted it red. The American boy proceeded then to remove it, feeling a bit of relief as the warm water washed the gash in the right side of his torso. He was silent all the time.
Just as usual, he wanted to keep his wounds to himself. He knew good old Cat would scowl him for that, but he had never liked to show any weakness before the others. Before anyone, to be exact. So, as the good actor he was, he just pretended everything was fine when he stepped into the house. His dark clothes were useful for that.
Besides, he didn't want Heero to know about it. He had acquired that wound in the battle he was left alone to fight. There were too many Dolls and he had to face them by himself enough time to allow the children to escape. He had found his DeathScythe surrounded by enemy fire and the cockpit had almost exploded. The result had been that wound.
'The second one that day. Though the first one was far much worse. Maybe because this one in my side was caused by a stupid machine and the first one by…'
Duo shook his head, trying to erase the Japanese boy's name from his thoughts.
'It's not important. I mean, who cares? It's not like I'm dying because of it, or like Heero cares that much…' –Duo shrugged mentally.-'The mask has never betrayed me. It won't do it now' –he decided with a smile in his lips. He was going to play his role once again. The role of the jokester, the always cheerful one. No matter if he had a bleeding gash in his soul.
The night had already fallen in the woods when the braided boy made his way downstairs, to have dinner with everyone.
"Hummm!! Smells good!" –he said, eyes closed, when he took his place at the table.
"Trowa made it" –Quatre smiled while serving the food.
"No wonder. Tro-man and you are the best of the best!" –Duo laughed as Wufei rolled his eyes at the obvious hungry American.
"Just make sure not to eat the food from our dishes, Maxwell" –the Chinese warned.
"I'll try" –was the response from the 02 pilot.-" So, thanks for the food!" –he exclaimed as he started to eat.
"We better hurry, or he'll really try to take it from us" –Trowa half smiled, and everyone started to eat.
"So, I'm sure you'll want to rest, right Duo?" –Quatre asked while taking a small bite.
Duo smiled as he took the fork out of his mouth and lifted his glance to the one addressing him.
"Wait! Don't answer now!" –Wufei warned in disgust- "Swallow it first. Don't you dare to show it like you did the last time" –the 05 pilot frowned at the memory.
Duo's smile grew wider and he nodded in agreement. He drank a bit of his orange juice and then answered.
"Ok, ok, I won't do it. And yeah, Q. I'm thinking in sleeping like the following four days" -he said while searching with his eyes something in the table.
"Is something wrong?" –Trowa asked at the other's movement.
"No, I just would like to try it with pepper but…where's the…?" –he cut his question when he spotted the little bottle in Heero's hands.
The Wing pilot had been very quiet during the evening. In fact, no one had heard a word from him since he finished his report and went out of the bedroom. So now, when Duo turned to see him, he remained silent.
"Hmmm, Heero?" –the American asked with a curious smile- "What are you staring at? I mean, if you don't want to share the pepper 'cause it has some new OZ's poison I will understand it…"
"Here" –Heero said at last, handing it to the boy two chairs from him.
Duo took it and smelled the bottle. He started to cough as his eyes were forcefully shut.
"Oh, I'm dying!! Save me! I'm paralyzed! It's…it's…just pepper" –he said, acting like a choking person among giggles.
"Behave at the table, Maxwell" –Wufei scolded, but he couldn't help the little twitch of his mouth at the other's funny pouts.
"But I'm dying! I can't behave at the table when I'm dying!" –he smiled in return, his eyelashes batting like in plea.
"O.k, as you're dying, can I have the food you haven't touch then?" –Quatre asked with a smile.
"Huh? No way! I think I'll live after all" –the braided youngster replied immediately, gaining the others' brief laugh.
Heero tried to smile, but he merely managed a slight twitch of his lips. Why was he feeling so uptight? Duo was acting normally. Like a clown, usual. He was joking and treating everyone as always. He smiled and talked, even to him. Maybe Heero had just imagined that the American was acting weird some moments ago. Or maybe not…
***
Heero opened his eyes slowly. He didn't even change his breathing rhythm in order not to let the other boy notice his awakening.
It was dark all around, and the clock on the table read 1:15 am. Everyone had supposed that the talkative boy would fall asleep instantly when he reached the bed, but here he was, Heero mused, the longhaired boy fully awake.
If Heero remembered well, he had heard slight noises almost two hours ago. It was then when he first peeked through his eyelashes, just to discover that his roommate was sitting on his bed, his pillow tightly embraced, totally silent.
Heero had tried to sleep again, but with now avail. He kept awaking every fifteen minutes, only to see his partner in the same position. This time though Heero didn't closed his eyes immediately. He wanted to see what was keeping 02 awake, what the pilot was looking at…
Duo remained in his position. The soft pillow felt warm between his arms as he rested his face on it. He had all the intention to sigh, but he held the impulse. He was staring blankly at the front, his eyes fixed in some other memories, playing in his head.
The cold breeze slipping through the half-closed window was chilling him. He was wearing only his black boxers, but he had the blanket tightly wrapped around him, in case the others entered, they wouldn't see his bandaged side.
He was very tired. Physically and mentally. But the fact was he couldn't sleep. He couldn't help but keep having nightmares about his past, the streets, the children…He had always had those kind of nightmares, but for some reason, that night was being plagued with them. And the worst was the memory of the two days ago outburst from his roommate.
'So what? They're just street urchins!'
Duo did sigh this time. -'Yeah, so what? We're just street urchins, street rats. It doesn't matter if we were starving, if we had no clothes, if we were sick or afraid…who cares?'- He thought sourly, but then he shook his head, his hair swaying at the movement.
'Do not continue with that, Duo. You have nothing to pity yourself.' –he scowled silently- 'Besides, it wasn't on purpose. Heero didn't do it on purpose…I guess so…'
"Duo?"
The voice made the American jerked in his place. He then perceived the other's boy breathing in his awakening. Or had been Heero awake before and he hadn't noticed it? Anyhow, he couldn't help but to turn to see the Japanese boy in the other bed.
Heero had called hesitantly the other's name when he realized the time was passing and the boy didn't move, staring like in a mesmerize trance at the wall. However, when Duo turned to see him, he almost let his eyes grew wide in surprise.
The amethyst eyes in front of him were so…different. No, they were the same, but the light in them…so unreal. Heero felt like if those eyes were boring inside of his own blue eyes. The glance was so void but strong and somewhat…sad.
'Who is he? Is this Duo? I've never seen him like this…' –Heero thought while still looking directly at the violet orbs in the other side of the room.
"Sorry, I was just…err…like I am going to sleep now, ok? I was having this strange dream about Tro and Wu in fireman suits and then Cat was in a zoo with a big green monkey. The best part was when you showed in punk clothes with spiky hair and I was singing the Traviatta in the Central Park…"
Duo kept rambling while he settled himself back on bed, turning his back at the 01 pilot. In that way, Heero wouldn't see the little wince of remorse on his face for the lies he was so stupidly retorting.
He heard no sound from his partner until five minutes later, when he discovered the blue-eyed boy at the foot of his own bed. Heero was standing there with a wistful glance in his eyes, while Duo kept still in his position, not wanting to fully turn to see him.
"Shh, Duo. You better rest now." –Heero hushed softly, not really knowing what to say. He then proceeded to take another blanket from the closet and settled it over the now quiet boy.
Duo closed his eyes and remained like that, while Heero made his way back to his bed.
"Were you having a nightmare?" –came the soft question some minutes later.
There was a long pause before Duo answered. –"I don't want to talk about it. I'll appreciate some quiet now…I'm tired, I wanna sleep…"
Heero shut his eyes in a slight wince of hurt for the harsh tone Duo had used to answer him. No doubt now, Duo was deeply hurt for what he had said before. The voice he had heard and the eyes he had seen that night were a clear proof. A proof of a hidden side, a proof that their cheerful pilot was not what everyone supposed him to be.
Heero found himself with a weird feeling lurking in the back of his mind. Fear. A feeling he instinctively had learned to reject. That night, the Japanese boy turned impatiently in his bed, his interior voice telling him one time and another…
'What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of this different Duo? Are you afraid of how to face him? Or are you afraid of not being able to accomplish the task to talk to him?…'
A sudden lightening crossed the sky, as the muffled sound of the rain started to fall over the house.
To Be Continued…
***Shinigami's Voice***
A/N: Ok, sorry for such odd ending of this chapter. I was on a hurry, since my dad came and threatened the poor laptop. But I know you guys are gonna be so nice and kind-hearted and you're surely gonna leave a review for me to be happy, right? Please R&R! And, just between you and me…I like the scene of the shower (blush)