Author's note: Thanks Skip - I'd forgotten about the timeline.... Erm, set sometime before the end of the war and Endless Waltz etc. (I couldn't be more vague if I tried.)





d o w n w a r d s p i r a l





Chapter Four.







Idiotic.

Disgusting.

Inexcusable.

I fainted.

I FUCKING fainted!

02 - the big, bad Gundam pilot: God of Death himself - can't deal with his problems and faints at a little blood loss.

Pathetic.

I feel my face twist into an ugly sneer at my behaviour: a far cry from my usual, cheerful grin.

Fists clenched tightly: I want to throw something - to hurt somebody.

Which is exactly why I'm sitting on the dark, freezing cold roof, hugging my knees.

I really don't want to embarrass myself in front of the others; and anyway, I think that I've received (caused) enough damage for one day.

Footsteps startle me out of my thoughts: purposeful and sure, despite the dusting of glittering frost.

Heero - No-one else could get so close without me knowing about it.

I place my left hand over my fresh cuts, reassuring myself for the thousandth time that my sleeves hide the self-inflicted damage.

I feel nauseous at the mere idea of anyone knowing.

"What are you doing, Duo?"

A pause.

"Counting the stars."

The heat of his gaze on the back of my neck.

I wonder what he's thinking.

What am I saying? Who cares what the bastard thinks of me.

Seconds stretch into minutes, before he turns and gracefully stalks back the way he came.



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By the way, in case you're wondering - I'm not planning to make anything of these 1x2/2x1 hints - they just suit my purposes in this story.

Reviews please - and its great to see so many accomplished writers reviewing my work - thank you.