1.1 Kryptonite

 

The old car seemed to be driving into the sunset as it was heading

down the never-ending highway. Heero yawned and stole a glance at Duo,

who was on the verge of driving him nuts. "As usual," Heero thought

as he reached and turned the radio volume down some. The way Duo was

refusing to sit still and stop singing aloud was getting to him.

Duo's jaw dropped a bit as he quit slapping his knees as if they were

a drum set. "Hey! Now come on, it's not that loud!" He looked at

Heero who merely snorted in response. "Oh sure, act like you didn't

do anything wrong. Always perfect, aren't you?"

"Remind me that this is our last road trip together. Next time, we

fly straight into San Francisco," Heero said as Duo turned up the

music again, only louder this time. Heero wondered if he could reach

his gun. His gun could solve this radio problem so fast...

"Argh, I hate this song," Duo muttered, turning down the volume a bit

as he began switching stations.

Heero wondered why they hadn't just flown into Los Angeles, but then

remembered it was his idea to get some peace and quiet on the road.

The thought nearly made him laugh. Next time, Duo would fly in while

he drove. He glanced at Duo again as he came across a radio station

claiming to play all the classics from before the After Colony. This

was the music that Duo lived for. Heero's headache was only gonna get

worse from here on in. At least San Francisco was only an hour away.

"Yeah!" Duo said as he realized what the station was gonna play.

Suddenly he was drumming on his legs again, with the volume raised,

and singing along with The Bloodhound Gang. "Sweat, baby, sweat, sex

is a Texas drought," he said, knowing all the words to one of his old

favorites.

Heero blinked his eyes, watching the sun set on the horizon. He

propped his arm on the door and leaned his head on his hand. Would

the torture stop anytime soon? Stealing another glance at Duo, he

wondered for a second why he had given up a life with Relena for Duo.

But then, seeing Duo in his uninhibited craziness, he remembered. He

sighed, understanding why people believed that love sometime sucked.

He would have never been able to love Relena.

Duo kept singing along with his music. Being cooped up in the

passenger seat of the car for nearly a full day was getting to him.

Listening to music and moving around as little as he could was

keeping him sane. It seemed to be annoying Heero, though. "Tough," he

thought. "He was the one who wanted to drive anyway. This is what he

gets. Love's all about sacrifices."

The next song came on sending Duo into an even happier state. He

reached and turned up the volume a bit more. Heero reached the end of

his last nerve before the words to "Everything You Want" started.

He quickly grabbed hold of the steering wheel with his left hand,

punching the radio with his right. Inadvertently, he hit the power

button, making the music stop.

"What is your problem!?" Duo yelled.

Heero pulled the car over. "I have a headache. I need a little rest

from that crap," he said calmly, wiping the sweat from his brow. It

didn't help that there was no air conditioner in the old beat up car

Duo had pieced together for Heero's last birthday.

"Since when has a little headache bothered you, Mr.-Get-Shot-Twice-

With-No-Problems?" Duo asked.

"I never said it didn't hurt. Can we just please come to a solution

with this radio?" Heero was rubbing his temples.

"I'm going crazy cooped up in this car, Heero! That radio is the only

thing that is keeping me from dying of boredom! God knows you won't

hold up your part of a decent conversation, so I have to listen to

something!" Duo yelled.

"Stop yelling at me. I said I have a headache. You could've told me

you hate long rides before we got halfway here, for starters. Can we

just leave the radio off if I promise to talk with you?"

"Nope. I need some music. Why don't you set the volume and the

station and talk with me, then if you hold true to your deal, I'll

cut the radio off." Duo was fidgeting with the end of his braid.

Heero sighed deeply, eyes shut. "Fine." He turned the radio back on

to a level just loud enough to make out the music and words, but one

that didn't seem to grate his nerves too much. "But you're gonna sit

still." He turned the radio to a station that had a cool guitar intro

going and left it alone. Duo just stared at him with a blank look as

he pulled onto the road again. After a few more strains of music,

Heero recognized it as "Don't Fear the Reaper" by The Blue Oyster

Cult. It was another song from before the After Colony. Duo was still

staring at him. He finally looked back, big violet eyes seeming

confused.

"You're cruel," Duo muttered.

"Maybe so," Heero admitted.

"My favorite song ever and to please you, I have to sit here, not

sing along, or anything," Duo muttered, turning to look out the

window. Night was falling quick now that the sun had lowered beyond

the horizon.

Heero was actually listening to the words though, comparing them for

the first time to his Shinigami. His headache seemed to be

subsiding. "Say something." If Duo wanted conversation, he'd have to

start it.

"Sumpthin'," Duo muttered. After a moment, he turned back around to

face Heero. "Hey, you don't fear the reaper, do you?"

"Not at all," Heero said.

"Oh yeah. Sometimes I almost forget those suicidal tendencies of

yours. Why are you so willing to throw away your life?" Duo asked.

Heero snorted. "Why do people think I'm suicidal?"

"What!?! After I watched you fly from that window without caring if

you died or not when I saved you that first time, you're gonna try to

convince me that you're not suicidal?" Duo sat with wide-eyed at the

calm boy next to him.

"You're Death, right? Dying means I get to be one with you forever.

Why should I fear what I love most?"

Duo's mouth opened, but Heero's words halted any words. A deep blush

set into Duo's cheeks as a warm feeling rose inside him. He was so

happy to hear those words that he reached over and turned off the

radio in the middle of his favorite song. He laid his head back on

his seat and stared out the window at the stars beginning to fill the

sky with the goofiest of grins on his face. He felt so loved.

Heero smirked quietly in his seat as he began to enjoy the silence.

It wasn't until he saw the sign reading, "San Francisco, Corp. City

Limits" that Duo stirred again, rather angrily. "Damn," Heero thought, knowing what was coming.

"What the hell are you trying to pull on me! You didn't even my name

well when I broke you out of there, much less the fact that I am the

Great Destroyer!" Duo yelled.

Heero sighed. It had shut him up for longer than he expected...



(Author's notes: Ugh, I'm used to writing 3x4, not 1x2, can you tell? I don't know if I'll continue this or not, it depends on the reviews. This is dedicated to solely to my sister in crime, Tiana.)