Title: Understanding Part 2
Author: Tahlia
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Feedback: Always helps a suffering ego.
Author's Note: Here's the second part. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. It helped motivate me to crank this part out. Thanks always to my wonderful beta for catching my mistakes.
-----
The muted moonlight shown through the cheap blinds of the small dorm room, washing over the silent figure laying on the bed closest to the window and illuminating him in a dull light. He rolled over onto his back, trapping his long hair beneath him. Frowning, he lifted his body and pulled his hair out from under his backside and threw it off to the side, causing half of the silky mass to cascade down the side of the bed, the tips of the long tendrils just skirting the floor.
Duo glanced over at the alarm clock, green numbers broadcasting the early hour to his bleary eyes. A soft sigh escaped his lips before he turned his head to stare up at the ceiling, eyes blank. 'I could try to go back to sleep, but I only have half an hour before I have to start getting ready for class. It takes so long to fall asleep, lately. With my luck, I'd fall asleep right before the alarm goes off.' A frown wrinkled Duo's forehead with the thought. 'I know I should expect nightmares with all I've done to plague my conscience, but couldn't they wait until after this damn war to haunt me? Of course not. That would be too good for a cold blooded killer like me. Still-'
Duo sighed and looked passed the alarm clock at the boy asleep in the next bed. He rolled over on his side and observed the sleeping form of his partner. Heero's face held a peaceful expression, a rare site on the usually tense boy. 'He looks like he did that day in the park, so calm,' Duo reflected.
He rolled onto his back to stare at the cracked ceiling once again. 'Things sure have changed since then. With each passing day our relationship improves. I'd swear we're becoming friends. After our first few arguments, I was ready to give up on that idea. He didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me, and I have to admit the feeling was pretty mutual at times. Threatening defenseless girls, jacking Deathscythe's parts, acting so smug about everything -- the guy really rubbed me the wrong way. I guess things can change.'
Duo glanced at Heero again, examining him in his sleep. 'There's just something about him that seems so different. I can't help but wonder about him. He's so dedicated to the missions. He gets so focused, it seems like nothing else matters to him. I know that isn't true, though. There are so many things that he cares about. It's just not obvious right away.'
A small smile graced Duo's features. 'I still can't get over the nature nut he turned out to be. I almost died laughing when we went down to the pond to feed the ducks, something he apparently does almost everyday here, and the stupid ducks chased him all around the pond, quacking their little heads off. You'd think they were trying to kill him!' Duo tried hard to suppress his laughter at the memory. 'He enjoyed it, though. He had the biggest smile I've ever seen on him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were sparkling when he got away. He even laughed with me instead of looking at me like I'm crazy. He seemed so normal. I wish he'd let that side out more often.
Duo sighed. 'I'm glad he decided to show me that part of him. I never would have guessed that he knew how to let loose and have fun. He just has his priorities, is all. As long as there aren't any pressing matters at the moment, he knows how to enjoy himself. I think I misunderstood him as much as he misunderstood me.'
Duo tried hard to stifle a yawn, but it was too persistent. He stared at the clock, willing the numbers to hurry up and go by faster. He didn't want to try to go back to sleep. The nightmares were waiting for him, lurking just below the surface of dreams. Duo fought to keep his eyelids open, but as the seconds passed, it felt as if another pound was added to each one. As his eyes fluttered closed, one last series of thoughts passed through Duo's mind before loosing all traces of consciousness. 'I'll have to skip a shower. Forty extra minutes of sleep. Heero better not wake me up.'
Duo's eyes began to flutter with the commencement of his dreams. Hopefully, the nightmares would leave him be and allow him the rest he desperately craved.
-----
Heero woke one minute before the alarm would have gone off, glancing over at Duo to make sure he was still asleep before turning off the alarm before it could go off. He knew Duo hadn't slept well the night before; he'd heard him shifting around in his bed at the wee hours of the morning. He knew from past experiences that Duo did not like to be woken up after a near sleepless night. The last time Heero tried to stir Duo when he had chosen to ignore the persistent alarm, he had ended up on the receiving end of the same pillow that had shut 'that damned thing' up.
'Let him have his sleep,' Heero thought as he rose from bed. 'He's hardly been getting any lately. He's been having nightmares again. He won't say anything, but I'm almost positive that he's avoiding going to sleep because of them.'
Heero tried to keep as quiet as possible as he moved about the room to get ready for the day's classes. He'd taken a shower the night before, so he had some spare time before he had to wake Duo up. Looking around him, he sat down at the only desk in the room and looked for something to do. Idle time was never something he liked to deal with; at least, not when he had any time constraints as he did now.
Heero sat back in the chair and looked down at his clasped hands in his lap. He twiddled his thumbs absently, a habit he had picked up from Duo, before catching himself. 'There has to be something to do,' Heero thought. He ran through his mental check list to see if any part of his morning routine had been overlooked. Finding nothing, he began to twiddle his thumbs again.
Heero was unaccustomed to unexpected downtime. A leek had been suspected in their sources, so all communications had been put on hold for the time being. Duo and Heero had moved to this school to get away from the safe house they had been staying at in case their location had been compromised. Heero kept waiting for some type of signal indicating how to proceed or what to expect, but none came. He was becoming quite agitated with the whole situation.
Duo was just as on edge as he, if not more so. The past few days, Duo had been nothing but a nervous bundle of energy. He was good at finding ways to distract himself, if only for a little while, and could always be found doing something. He often tried to include Heero in his activities, finding it more soothing to have someone with him that understood what he was going through, why he was edgy, or why he may be acting strangely.
For his part, Heero was enjoying the time spent with Duo. Things had become more comfortable between the two over the last few days, the amount of time they shared together growing more and more every day. They both understood why the other was nervous or a bit uneasy, and they helped each other to relax, if only a little bit.
'I don't know why he calms me,' Heero thought as he looked over at the sleeping figure sprawled out on the bed, shifting in his sleep every few minutes. 'The way he fidgets and keeps in constant motion when he's nervous should set me more on edge than I already am. His company shouldn't have the relaxing effect that it does.'
'Maybe seeing him settle down when we're exploring whatever new thing has captured his attention is what causes it.' Heero shifted in his seat to better observe Duo's sleeping form. 'I like to watch him when he's calm. I can read him so much more easily when he's not preoccupied with pretending nothing bothers him. These past few days have shown me the side I was hoping to see.'
'I knew there was a part of him he kept hidden away, only letting it out when his defenses were down. I'm not so dense as to believe I've actually seen him completely unguarded, but I've gotten closer than ever before. Something made him open up. I don't know what, but whatever it was, I'm glad he did. I've come so much closer to understanding who he really is.'
Heero glanced away from Duo, looking over at the clock. It was late enough for Heero to safely wake Duo up without fearing the wrath of Shinigami. 'Duo is not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination,' Heero thought to himself, amused. He rose and walked over to the bed, crouching down next to the edge and gently shaking Duo's shoulder to rouse him.
Duo glared at him from under hooded eyes, before asking for the time. He was seriously considering murdering Heero if he hadn't let him have any extra time to sleep.
"I've let you sleep in an extra half hour. You should get ready now or we'll miss breakfast," Heero replied as he rose to his feet. He walked over to the desk and pretended to busy himself with already finished school assignments while Duo rose and got ready for class, grumbling under his breath all the while. Heero hid a smirk. 'Definitely not a morning person.'
TBC
Author: Tahlia
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Feedback: Always helps a suffering ego.
Author's Note: Here's the second part. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. It helped motivate me to crank this part out. Thanks always to my wonderful beta for catching my mistakes.
-----
The muted moonlight shown through the cheap blinds of the small dorm room, washing over the silent figure laying on the bed closest to the window and illuminating him in a dull light. He rolled over onto his back, trapping his long hair beneath him. Frowning, he lifted his body and pulled his hair out from under his backside and threw it off to the side, causing half of the silky mass to cascade down the side of the bed, the tips of the long tendrils just skirting the floor.
Duo glanced over at the alarm clock, green numbers broadcasting the early hour to his bleary eyes. A soft sigh escaped his lips before he turned his head to stare up at the ceiling, eyes blank. 'I could try to go back to sleep, but I only have half an hour before I have to start getting ready for class. It takes so long to fall asleep, lately. With my luck, I'd fall asleep right before the alarm goes off.' A frown wrinkled Duo's forehead with the thought. 'I know I should expect nightmares with all I've done to plague my conscience, but couldn't they wait until after this damn war to haunt me? Of course not. That would be too good for a cold blooded killer like me. Still-'
Duo sighed and looked passed the alarm clock at the boy asleep in the next bed. He rolled over on his side and observed the sleeping form of his partner. Heero's face held a peaceful expression, a rare site on the usually tense boy. 'He looks like he did that day in the park, so calm,' Duo reflected.
He rolled onto his back to stare at the cracked ceiling once again. 'Things sure have changed since then. With each passing day our relationship improves. I'd swear we're becoming friends. After our first few arguments, I was ready to give up on that idea. He didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me, and I have to admit the feeling was pretty mutual at times. Threatening defenseless girls, jacking Deathscythe's parts, acting so smug about everything -- the guy really rubbed me the wrong way. I guess things can change.'
Duo glanced at Heero again, examining him in his sleep. 'There's just something about him that seems so different. I can't help but wonder about him. He's so dedicated to the missions. He gets so focused, it seems like nothing else matters to him. I know that isn't true, though. There are so many things that he cares about. It's just not obvious right away.'
A small smile graced Duo's features. 'I still can't get over the nature nut he turned out to be. I almost died laughing when we went down to the pond to feed the ducks, something he apparently does almost everyday here, and the stupid ducks chased him all around the pond, quacking their little heads off. You'd think they were trying to kill him!' Duo tried hard to suppress his laughter at the memory. 'He enjoyed it, though. He had the biggest smile I've ever seen on him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were sparkling when he got away. He even laughed with me instead of looking at me like I'm crazy. He seemed so normal. I wish he'd let that side out more often.
Duo sighed. 'I'm glad he decided to show me that part of him. I never would have guessed that he knew how to let loose and have fun. He just has his priorities, is all. As long as there aren't any pressing matters at the moment, he knows how to enjoy himself. I think I misunderstood him as much as he misunderstood me.'
Duo tried hard to stifle a yawn, but it was too persistent. He stared at the clock, willing the numbers to hurry up and go by faster. He didn't want to try to go back to sleep. The nightmares were waiting for him, lurking just below the surface of dreams. Duo fought to keep his eyelids open, but as the seconds passed, it felt as if another pound was added to each one. As his eyes fluttered closed, one last series of thoughts passed through Duo's mind before loosing all traces of consciousness. 'I'll have to skip a shower. Forty extra minutes of sleep. Heero better not wake me up.'
Duo's eyes began to flutter with the commencement of his dreams. Hopefully, the nightmares would leave him be and allow him the rest he desperately craved.
-----
Heero woke one minute before the alarm would have gone off, glancing over at Duo to make sure he was still asleep before turning off the alarm before it could go off. He knew Duo hadn't slept well the night before; he'd heard him shifting around in his bed at the wee hours of the morning. He knew from past experiences that Duo did not like to be woken up after a near sleepless night. The last time Heero tried to stir Duo when he had chosen to ignore the persistent alarm, he had ended up on the receiving end of the same pillow that had shut 'that damned thing' up.
'Let him have his sleep,' Heero thought as he rose from bed. 'He's hardly been getting any lately. He's been having nightmares again. He won't say anything, but I'm almost positive that he's avoiding going to sleep because of them.'
Heero tried to keep as quiet as possible as he moved about the room to get ready for the day's classes. He'd taken a shower the night before, so he had some spare time before he had to wake Duo up. Looking around him, he sat down at the only desk in the room and looked for something to do. Idle time was never something he liked to deal with; at least, not when he had any time constraints as he did now.
Heero sat back in the chair and looked down at his clasped hands in his lap. He twiddled his thumbs absently, a habit he had picked up from Duo, before catching himself. 'There has to be something to do,' Heero thought. He ran through his mental check list to see if any part of his morning routine had been overlooked. Finding nothing, he began to twiddle his thumbs again.
Heero was unaccustomed to unexpected downtime. A leek had been suspected in their sources, so all communications had been put on hold for the time being. Duo and Heero had moved to this school to get away from the safe house they had been staying at in case their location had been compromised. Heero kept waiting for some type of signal indicating how to proceed or what to expect, but none came. He was becoming quite agitated with the whole situation.
Duo was just as on edge as he, if not more so. The past few days, Duo had been nothing but a nervous bundle of energy. He was good at finding ways to distract himself, if only for a little while, and could always be found doing something. He often tried to include Heero in his activities, finding it more soothing to have someone with him that understood what he was going through, why he was edgy, or why he may be acting strangely.
For his part, Heero was enjoying the time spent with Duo. Things had become more comfortable between the two over the last few days, the amount of time they shared together growing more and more every day. They both understood why the other was nervous or a bit uneasy, and they helped each other to relax, if only a little bit.
'I don't know why he calms me,' Heero thought as he looked over at the sleeping figure sprawled out on the bed, shifting in his sleep every few minutes. 'The way he fidgets and keeps in constant motion when he's nervous should set me more on edge than I already am. His company shouldn't have the relaxing effect that it does.'
'Maybe seeing him settle down when we're exploring whatever new thing has captured his attention is what causes it.' Heero shifted in his seat to better observe Duo's sleeping form. 'I like to watch him when he's calm. I can read him so much more easily when he's not preoccupied with pretending nothing bothers him. These past few days have shown me the side I was hoping to see.'
'I knew there was a part of him he kept hidden away, only letting it out when his defenses were down. I'm not so dense as to believe I've actually seen him completely unguarded, but I've gotten closer than ever before. Something made him open up. I don't know what, but whatever it was, I'm glad he did. I've come so much closer to understanding who he really is.'
Heero glanced away from Duo, looking over at the clock. It was late enough for Heero to safely wake Duo up without fearing the wrath of Shinigami. 'Duo is not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination,' Heero thought to himself, amused. He rose and walked over to the bed, crouching down next to the edge and gently shaking Duo's shoulder to rouse him.
Duo glared at him from under hooded eyes, before asking for the time. He was seriously considering murdering Heero if he hadn't let him have any extra time to sleep.
"I've let you sleep in an extra half hour. You should get ready now or we'll miss breakfast," Heero replied as he rose to his feet. He walked over to the desk and pretended to busy himself with already finished school assignments while Duo rose and got ready for class, grumbling under his breath all the while. Heero hid a smirk. 'Definitely not a morning person.'
TBC