Artist
Chapter Three
Duo was very close to turning around and walking away. His anxiousness and temptation to swing open those huge wooden doors was nerve-racking. 'Maybe he's not home.' The braided boy thought as he stared up at the doors; the only barrier keeping him the object of his affection. He had rung the doorbell for the second time over thirty seconds ago, and still no word from whoever might be living there. Maybe it wasn't Heero. Maybe he had the wrong house. Maybe-
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the doorknob squeak. He jumped nearly two feet in the air in surprise and slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out. 'Play it cool, Duo. Just play it cool.' Regaining his composer, Duo stood, both feet on the ground, both arms at his sides, and waited as the wooden doors finally opened, slowly, almost hesitantly, until the process was complete.
Duo's breath caught in his throat as he met those eyes. Those eyes he had dreamed about looking deep into for the past five years. Those eyes that he dreamed would be staring right back at him in such a way that he would drown in those eyes. However, the first thing he noticed about them were that they had lost the coldness that they had possessed in the past. They were no longer threatening, daring, searing. They were warm, welcoming eyes with just a tint of confusion from the moment.
Neither of them said a word.
Heero took this opportunity to look over Duo, from head toe, remembering. He remembered him now. The memories of the past flooded back into his mind as he stared. The huge violet eyes, the long chestnut braid that looked as though it had grown even longer. Instead of hanging to his mid-thighs, it hung just a tad above his knees. He too, had grown taller. Not as tall as himself, but Heero could tell by looking at his long legs, clad in black denim. His shoulders were broader, and were sporting the fabric of a gray T-shirt, that clung to his muscled chest and stomach. 'He's defiantly been working out.' Heero thought, he sides of his mouth twitching upward. Despite all of this, Duo's face hadn't changed noticeably. He still had that cheerful look in his eyes, and that heart shaped face. 'Even more beautiful than I remember him.'
Duo too had been looking over Heero features, starting at the feet, bringing his eyes up the long, slender legs that always fit into the tightest jeans, but this time in nice, black slacks. As Duo's greedy gaze traveled up to Heero's chest, he noticed he wasn't as bulky, and his body had filled into his muscled nicely, *very* nicely. Duo froze when his wandering gaze met Heero's met, and a *huge* smile that nearly reached his ears spread over his face.
Heero's expression turned from curiosity to shock as Duo took a step forward, grabbed in by the shoulder with one hand and with the other, spun him sideways just enough so Duo could get his hand on the braid resting against his back.
"Oh, Heero! It's wonderful!" He cried, running his fingers over the woven, silky, dark brown hair that he had always loved, but never even dreamed about being this long. He was tempted to remove the blue rubber band Heero had used to tie it at the end, and run his fingers through that gorgeous hair, but decided not to take the risk of scaring Heero away. Instead and stepped back, the huge grin still plastered on his face and looked back at Heero's face, which was now a dark shade of crimson.
"S-sorry." Duo said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders, "It's just that..I..well." Heero waited until his blush subsides and smiled, shaking his head.
"No, it's all right. Here, why don't you come in?" Duo jumped at the invitation, following his old friend into the huge house. Once inside, a wave of jealousy and shame hit him. Heero's house was beautiful. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen such a nice house before. Certainly nothing *he'd* ever lived in. Heero had worked so hard with his painting to get this house, and he had settled down and made a living. Duo, on the other hand, well all he had was a couple roach infested apartments and a few crummy jobs. He tried to make it seem like he wasn't in complete awe, like it was your ordinary, everyday house.
"I know it's a little much." Heero explained when he saw the look of wonder of Duo's face that he wasn't hiding too well.
"Oh, no! It's great, Heero!" He beamed. He saw Heero flinch at that last word. Duo gave him a confused look, but then it passed when he remembered that Heero had changed his name. He wasn't sure if it would feel right calling him Mitchell.
"Would you rather I called you-"
"No!" Heero shouted, startling Duo a bit and he looked away with a hurt expression. Heero sighed, "I'd rather you called me Heero, it'll just take some getting used to. I haven't been called by that name in a while. Duo sighed, remembering he had shouted that name out by the porch. He hoped it hadn't made him flinch like he did that time. That was a bad first impression after five years.
Heero led them to the living room, where he offered Duo a seat on the couch, but Duo shook his head nervously, leaning against one of the armchairs in the room. He wasn't quite ready to sit on Heero's couch. They weren't that comfortable yet. After all, he was sure Heero was wondering why he was there in the first place. How would he react when Duo told him the truth?
"I'm sorry I haven't contacted you. I've tried but I could never find you." Heero explained, and it really wasn't *much* of a lie. He *had* tried to contact Duo, but it was during the end of the war where he hadn't even gotten settled in his home yet, and most of those times it was just to ask Duo what he had done with his gundam. He wanted to make sure every gundam was destroyed.
Duo shrugged, "I travel a lot." He grinned, "That's part of the reason why I'm here. Talking on the phone just isn't enough for me. Plus, I wanted to see how you were doing." That wasn't much a lie either. Duo *had* wanted to see how Heero was doing, but that was *not* why he was there. Somehow, someway, he would have to tell Heero the truth. He would have to tell him about his feelings for him. He would simply explode if he left Heero's house without knowing if Heero shared those feelings. However, now was not the time to speak of those feelings. He wanted to get comfortable around Heero first.
"So, how did you ever find me, anyway?" Heero asked, breaking the errie spell of silence. He on the couch in the seat that Duo had refused, sitting directly across from him. Duo let out an exasperated sigh.
"It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. It took me four years to get here." Heero smiled.
"One of the reasons I don't have many visitors." He said softly. Duo smiled back at him, and then suddenly looked away as their eyes met. Heero could sense how nervous he was, but why? 'Duo never used to be nervous around me. He was always talking away, but now he hesitates to say a couple words.' Heero stiffened.
"Well, I'm sorry for the trouble. You can, uh, stay here as long as you like. I haven't had company in a while and it might be nice." He offered. Duo's eyes lit up and he beamed at him. 'He invited me to stay!'
"Wow, thanks Heero. I *really* appreciate it. It's just that...I don't have anything." A faint blush spread across his cheeks. Now Heero was going to find out he was poor. How could he tell him that he didn't have any clothes or money, or any other necessary accessories? How could he tell him he had sold everything just so he could come and see him?
"I'm sure we can manage something. Clothes shouldn't be a problem. We're probably very close to same size. And as for money, well, you can use my stuff for a while, until you get a job and start making some of your own. I'll go by the store later and pick up an extra toothbrush. And..um, what kind of foods do you like?" Duo stared at him, mouth opened slightly, hardly believing Heero was opening up his home to him, *and* letting him borrow his clothes. Even cook for him? 'What in the world happened to Heero Yuy over these past five years?' It suddenly hit him that Heero was waiting for an answer.
"Oh, anything you make will be fine. As long as it's edible!" He flashed Heero one of his trademark grins, which was unintentionally followed by a yawn.
"Hmm, sorry. It was a long way here from LA you know." Duo explained, stretching his arms up over his head in a sleepy gesture. Heero looked concerned.
"You can lie down for a while, while I go to store and make dinner." He was about to tell Duo how to get to his bedroom, but he wasn't quite sure he wanted Duo in there. A lot of his paintings were stored in that room, and he knew of Duo's curiosity, and frankly, there were some paintings he preferred Duo didn't see, for his own sake. Duo could tell Heero was debating something in his mind.
"It's all right Heero, I'll take the couch. I'm not planning on invading your privacy." He said. At that, he flopped on the couch, sighing at its comfort and got into his sleeping position, "Wake me up when dinners ready." He said, stifling a yawn. In a few moments Heero could here a light snore coming from the sleeping boy on the couch. He let a warm smile cross his features before grabbing his keys and leaving. As soon as he was gone Duo sat up, "Yet."
_________________
Duo did fall asleep after all. He hadn't been lying about being tired, but he'd been tired ever since he was a little kid. It wasn't often one got to sleep a huge, comfortable couch when fighting in a war, and Heero's couch was so tempting, it would be nice to get some decent sleep. Duo's sleep turned out to be far more than decent. He slept for hours, inhaling the sweet smell of Heero's home, breathing the fresh air, dreaming of Heero. That was normal for him, anyway. He dreamt of Heero on a regular basis, sometimes he didn't even know what the dreams were about, but as long as Heero was in them, he never wanted to wake up. Despite that, there was one thing that could always wake Duo Maxwell up from a peaceful sleep. The smell of good food.
Stirring awake, Duo turned his body on the couch so he could see the kitchen. A smile teased at his lips as he saw Heero in an apron, standing over some sort of fancy grill, sprinkled seasoning on something that smelled delicious.
"Mmmm..Japanese food." Duo moaned, inhaling the sweet aroma of Heero's cooking. That must have been another skill the "Perfect soldier" had picked up over the years. Heero turned his head at Duo's voice. He looked at him for a moment, smiled and turned back grill.
"Hai." He said, still smiling. Duo sighed happily and stretched out luxuriously on the soft couch. So far his visit was wonderful. Heero seemed happy to see him, was letting him stay, and was cooking him a wonderful meal. Still, Duo wasn't quite ready to admit his feelings. After all, they hadn't really talked yet. Duo had so many questions to ask him. But wasn't sure how to bring them up, and before any talking could be done, Duo *needed* to take care of something.
"Hey, Heero?" At the sound of his name Heero jerked his head towards him, his smile gone. He was still uneasy at the sound of that name. That wasn't helping Duo, either. He didn't want to make Heero even more upset by asking for money, but if he didn't pay back Wufei soon, he couldn't stay here much longer. Even though Wufei wasn't the one to do it, he could have Duo arrested.
"Listen, I didn't have the money to get here. I borrowed some from Wufei when the Preventers were in LA The thing is, he says I have to pay him back within two weeks." There. He had said it, and Heero knew he didn't have any money. Heero was silent for a moment, just standing there flipping chicken on his grill.
"I'll loan you the money." He said firmly, after a while. Duo flinched at the tone of his voice. It was the same tone he talked in during the war. That serious, "I'll kill you," voice. Duo regretted asking him. He would rather be arrested than have Heero be mad at him.
"Thank you." He meant it, he really did, but the subject was dropped. Duo was curious why Heero had decided to loan him the money. It was really none of Heero's business, after all. Duo was actually expected something more along the lines of, "I'll help you find a job," but Heero was going to give him the money, plain and simple. He didn't even say when he wanted the money back. Duo swore to himself that Heero would get that money. He didn't want to be in debt with someone he had very strong feelings for.
"Dinner's ready." Heero announced, his voice a little more cheerful than before, like it had been that afternoon. Duo smiled and hopped up from his place on the couch, giving his body a nice stretch before walking into the kitchen just as Heero was dishing the food into plates.
"That smells wonderful, man." Duo declared, practically bouncing to his seat in excitement. Heero resisted the urge to smile and set a plate full of food in front of Duo, who's eyes grew as wide a saucers. The smile then escaped from Heero's lips.
"Arigato." He said, sitting in his seat across from Duo on the kitchen table, scooping some chicken on to his own plate. He had handed Duo some silverware which he was now greedily using to stuff food in his face, while he had placed a pair of chopsticks by his plate for himself. Duo watched curiously as Heero fed himself using the chopsticks.
"Since when have you adapted to these Japanese customs?" Duo asked, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Then, realizing he was being rude, picked up a napkin with a guilty grin. Heero just shrugged, and continued to eat. 'Now would be a perfect time to ask him about the paintings.' Duo thought. He cleared his throat, causing Heero to look up at him.
"I heard that you..paint." Duo told him, looking down into his nearly empty plate, plucking a piece of chicken with his fork. Heero swallowed, rather loudly, and dabbed his face with the napkin, eyes searching anywhere but Duo as he did so.
"Yeah, it's what I do for a living." He finally admitted. Duo wondered why it was so difficult for Heero to talk about anything personal. He was tempted to tell him about the copy of Heero's painting he had bought in LA There was really no harm in that. Perhaps it would make Heero feel better to know that Duo liked his painting.
"There are some copies being sold in LA" Duo said. That didn't seem to have an effect on Heero, he just continued eating, nodding once at Duo's comment. "They're really beautiful, Heero." That caught Heero's attention. He put down his chopsticks and looked back at Duo, a tint of sadness in his eyes. Duo's eyes narrowed. Something was bothering Heero. First the deal about his name and now this. He opened his mouth to say something but was silenced at the sound of Heero's chair screeching backwards so he could stand up. Duo watched as he picked up his plate, placed it in the sink and began to walk off.
"Heero!" Duo called, pushing his chair back and standing up. He was about to chase after him when Heero spun around, anger flashing in his eyes like bolts of lightning. Duo froze where he was, holding his breath and gripping the edge of the table.
"I *don't* want to talk about it, Duo! Just be grateful I'm letting you stay here, and leave me be." The was a frightful tone in his voice that no body would argue with. Duo's expression turned to hurt and confusion as Heero stormed off, a few seconds later hearing a door slam shut. He hoped it wasn't the front door. He hoped Heero hadn't left.
"What did I say?" Duo whispered to himself, sliding back into his chair, but as he looked back at the meal Heero cooked, he no longer had an appetite. Maybe he *had* crossed his boundaries. After all, he had just barged in, asked Heero for his hospitality and money, and dug into the rare delicacy that Heero had prepared for him. Duo felt a tightening in his stomach as he realized he had no way of showing his appreciation. Worst of all, Heero was mad at him. Heero had yelled at him, which made the situation he was in about confessing his feelings, a lot more difficult.
_________________
That night, Duo had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV, after he had figured out how to work in of course. It was one of the most high-tech televisions he had ever seen. The TV did *not*, however, calm the burning feeling in his chest. He couldn't get that picture out of his head, of Heero yelling at him, eyes filled with such hatred and rage. Knowing that he deserved it just made Duo feel worse.
Duo couldn't often sleep comfortably most nights. He would wake up occasionally, thirsty or having or go to the bathroom. When we woke he'd be sticky with sweat and uncomfortable, and have to splash cold water on his. However, at Heero's house it was different. The temperature inside of the house was relaxing, not to cold or hot, and when he woke up, he wasn't thirsty, he didn't have to go to the bathroom and he wasn't uncomfortable; especially on that big, soft sofa. Still, he found it hard to get back to sleep. He kicked off his shoes, which he had accidentally left on, and stole a pillow from the other side of the couch to rest his head on. It wasn't a very comfortable pillow. Couch pillows usually weren't ideal for sleeping. He sighed and tried to get comfortable again, when he heard footsteps coming towards the couch.
Immediately, he pretended to be asleep, knowing it had to be Heero. He didn't want to face Heero right now. Not after the incident in the kitchen. So he fluttered his eyes closed, bringing his hand up to his face to hide it. He could almost feel Heero approach the couch, standing, observing him. To his surprise, Duo felt a soft fabric touching his skin, covering him. 'A blanket.' He thought. Then, he felt Heero's cool hands on his shoulders, lifted him up just enough to slip the couch pillow out from under his head, and replace it with a much more comfortable one. Slowly, He lowered his shoulders, and Duo settled his head on the new pillow. Once he was sure Heero was gone, he opened his eyes.
"Heero.." He whispered. Heero had been angry with him, so why would he come out there to ensure his comfort. Now Duo was completely confused. Something was going on with Heero's emotions, as were his own, and he wanted to find out just what those emotions were. Duo slid out from under the blanket and off the couch. He went in search for master bedroom. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, remembering telling Heero that he wouldn't invade his privacy, but something was bothering them both, and he needed to tell Heero the truth.
He stopped at several doors while creeping down the hall, peeking inside each one to see if it was Heero's bedroom. He came across two bathrooms and a closet before he reached the end of the halls. There was a "T" shape at the end of the hall, with two doors at each side. Both were large, wooden doors, much like the ones at the front. He decided to check the one on the right first, stepping as silently as he could towards it. He slowly turned the wooden handle and pushed it open just a crack, and peeked inside. What he found was not Heero, but his painting storage room.
Duo's eyes widened in awe when he laid eyes on all of Heero's magnificent paintings. Even in the dark, the colors were stunning, and they came in all shapes a sizes, brightness and darkness. Duo couldn't tear his eyes away, as they scanned over each and every painting, studying it. He froze when he saw what it appeared to be, a self portrait of Heero. He couldn't help the slight drop of his jaw as he stared a the painting. Heero was standing, back pressed against glass that looked as if it was tainted with blood. There was complete sorrow and sadness in his expression and his fingers were drawn trying to dig into the glass behind him, drawing fresh blood from the flesh. There were tears streaming down Heero's face, dripping on the white T-shirt he was wearing, one side of the collar sliding down his shoulder. Duo felt tears filling up in his eyes when he realized Heero was painting his sorrow.
"But why?" He whispered, eyes never leaving he beautiful but frightening painting. His breath stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. He was caught. Before he could even turn around and explain a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him away the door. He turned and met Heero's fiery eyes. A guilty look crossed Duo's face as he tried to apologize, but Heero slammed him up against the wall before he could even get one word out.
"I can't *believe* I trusted you in my home! If I wanted you in there I would have put a welcoming sign on the door!" He shouted. He was holding Duo firmly to the wall so he was forced to the look into the other boys eyes.
"Heero..I-I'm sorry! I was looking for you, I just wanted to tell you that-"
"That what?!" Heero demanded. Some of the anger had vanished from his eyes, but was replaced with sadness, emptiness. Duo felt a burning in his own eyes and isn't want Heero to see him cry.
"Just let me go! I won't go into your stupid room again!" He broke free of Heero's grasp and ran down the hall, pouncing the couch and burying his head in the pillow to muffle his sobs. He had lied. It wasn't a stupid room. It was the most beautiful room he had ever seen, why would it be so forbidden?
A few minutes later, when it was so quiet Duo could only hear the sound of his own, sharp breathing, he got up once again, and walked to the door of Heero's bedroom. His eyes widened as he heard the soft, muffled sobs, similar to ones he had been making just a few minutes ago.
Something was terribly wrong.
TBC