^^ So many nice reviewers! I feel so loved! Thanks you guys
for so faithfully reviewing to meh little fic here! Your
comments have fed my overly large-sized ego and have inspired me
to write the next chapter and get it up sooner than I thought I
would. ^^
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to GW. Wish I did. But
don't. I have no money, so please don't sue.
Warning!!: Angst, Angst, Angst, and more Angst! (*sigh* I got choked up just writing the end of this chapter) Oh yeah, and the general...Language, drunkenness (not Heero though), and more over...Angst! And if you thought I was really tweaking the emotions throughout this story, be prepared to have a lot more heartstrings wretched...Beginnings of the 1x2x1 relationship (Finally, ne?)...
The chapter's a bit of a song fic too, but oh well...On with the show!
***
Heero jogged up to the barracks on the shipyard, only presuming that that was where the Sweepers were staying considering they were there for the broken cargo crafts. His assumption was confirmed as he approached a bunch of guys in black overalls hanging around outside, having their own little booze party. He ran a hand back through his still damp unruly hair and forced his voice to remain monotonous as he addressed the nearest Sweeper.
"Is Duo Maxwell here?"
"Nah, he left a coupla minutes ago lookin' kinda scared," the guy jabbed a thumb in the direction Heero had just come from, obviously -very- intoxicated. "Said somethin' 'bout someone tryin' to kill 'imself..."
Heero only replied with a flat "Hn." Though inwardly he was wondering of how Duo could have possibly known about his intentions of letting himself slip into death by the ways of freezing water and hypothermia. At that thought, he shivered slightly. With a curt nod to the drunken Sweeper as a thank you, Heero turned and began to retrace his steps to search for the braided Shinigami.
***
Duo burst into the neglected 'Elite' Apartments complex at full speed and started banging his fists on the shabby door to number 1, what used to be creamy white paint chips falling like fake snow with every blow. "Heero?! Heero! C'mon open the damn door!" he yelled gaspingly, a stitch tearing up his side as he tried to catch his breath.
'Please don't've done anything stupid...' he added anxiously in thought.
No answer.
Waiting a minute or two more, Duo remembered that the door was unlocked when he brought Heero home and tried the doorknob. Still unlocked. He slipped inside and came into the living room, the scenery unchanged.
The hole in the wall only ground in the harsh truth that what occurred a couple of hours ago wasn't a dream and Duo was surprised to see Heero's gun still on the threadbare carpet in front of the moth-eaten couch where it had been dropped in shock. He bent down and picked the gun up, effortlessly knocking out the cartridge onto the palm of his hand. Only one bullet used, so at least he knew Heero wasn't lying around the apartment somewhere with a gaping, bleeding gunshot wound. It wasn't very heartening though.
Clicking the cartridge back into place, Duo hesitantly placed the gun in its spot on the floor and moved on into the kitchen. Nothing. He continued on to the bedroom, biting his bottom lip; there was a pile of soaking wet clothes at the foot of the bed and a damp towel, it looked, and felt, like Heero had attempted to swim in an ice lake. But the body that had been in the freezing wet clothes wasn't anywhere to be seen.
'Damn it.'
Well, at least Duo knew that he was out and about some place and not what he had feared.
Though now he didn't have the slightest clue where else the Japanese boy could be, he highly doubted that he would go back to the bar, but since he didn't have any other clues, Duo left without a trace and started out on the sidewalk once more.
***
Heero jogged down the street as carefully as he could, every jarring step sent renewed throbbing pains to split his hungover head because in his pensive, post-suicidal haste, he had forgotten to take some aspirin. It didn't matter though, as long as he didn't dwell too much on it, he could ignore the pounding hangover, besides there was a more important thing occupying his focus.
And that more important thing occupying his focus came skidding around the corner at the end of the block and running in full acceleration right in Heero's direction.
Duo slowed as he saw an approaching figure and stopped within the beams of light streaming murkily from the bar's large front window, a sense of irrepressible anticipation fluttering in the pit of his stomach like a million butterflies.
Heero looked worse than he actually was with the hazy, smoke filtered light darkening the redness in his bloodshot eyes, which definitely wasn't from the hangover that was for sure, and making pale skin appear much more ashen, but either way, he still looked like he was feeling pretty shitty.
Which he obviously was, all things considered.
Heero couldn't seem to get his voice to work properly at the sight of Duo standing there awkwardly before him, apparently having the same speaking difficulties.
The lump in his throat had painfully returned along with a fresh bout of shameful guilt.
"D- Duo-" He turned his gaze away, struggling to stop the prickling in the corners of his eyes, knowing what was coming next. "- G- gomen nasai...I am so sorry- I didn't mean to-" Not able to get control, hot tears started to stream down his face.
If Duo was in indescribable shock before, it was nothing to compared to what he felt then, seeing the 'Perfect Soldier' break down right in front of him. He suddenly found himself moving towards the crying Japanese ex-pilot and taking his face in his hands, brushing the tears away. It all seemed like he was watching the scene from outside himself, like a beholder happening upon them by accident.
//There must be something you can recommend, I've lost my faith in man again//
//So sick of trying to pretend, same pain over and over again//
//How much longer do you think we'll stand, so little left here to live for//
//By the time my life is at its end, I'll want it back one more time//
Duo's touch was enough to reassure Heero that he was well forgiven for the mistakes he made, but it only helped ease open the long shut torrents of pent up pain and suffering that had been building since the day he 'disappeared'.
//Let me try one more time//
//To live my life one more time//
//We never seem ready for this//
//It keeps on, keeps on//
//It keeps on haunting me day after day, am I going about things the right way?//
//Which truths to pass and with which truths to say//
//It's all so hard, I'm just so damn afraid//
//Had about as much as I can take, so little left here to live for//
Duo held Heero close, whispering soft "Just let it all out"s as he cradled the taller boy's head on his shoulder, soothingly running his fingers through his unruly dark brown hair. Heero's stoic resolve melted.
//By the time my life is at its end, I'll want it back//
//One more time//
//I need the chance to live my life one more time//
//One more time//
//Give me the chance to live my life one more time...// [1]
***
[1]'One More Time' by Flaw. I just thought that song suited this fic so perfectly when I heard it while writing this chapter. So I put it in there for a bit of a dramatic effect. ^^ (A very good band too, by the way, if anyone likes good hard rock, go find Flaw's 'Through The Eyes'. Very, very awesome CD. *nod nod*)
Warning!!: Angst, Angst, Angst, and more Angst! (*sigh* I got choked up just writing the end of this chapter) Oh yeah, and the general...Language, drunkenness (not Heero though), and more over...Angst! And if you thought I was really tweaking the emotions throughout this story, be prepared to have a lot more heartstrings wretched...Beginnings of the 1x2x1 relationship (Finally, ne?)...
The chapter's a bit of a song fic too, but oh well...On with the show!
***
Heero jogged up to the barracks on the shipyard, only presuming that that was where the Sweepers were staying considering they were there for the broken cargo crafts. His assumption was confirmed as he approached a bunch of guys in black overalls hanging around outside, having their own little booze party. He ran a hand back through his still damp unruly hair and forced his voice to remain monotonous as he addressed the nearest Sweeper.
"Is Duo Maxwell here?"
"Nah, he left a coupla minutes ago lookin' kinda scared," the guy jabbed a thumb in the direction Heero had just come from, obviously -very- intoxicated. "Said somethin' 'bout someone tryin' to kill 'imself..."
Heero only replied with a flat "Hn." Though inwardly he was wondering of how Duo could have possibly known about his intentions of letting himself slip into death by the ways of freezing water and hypothermia. At that thought, he shivered slightly. With a curt nod to the drunken Sweeper as a thank you, Heero turned and began to retrace his steps to search for the braided Shinigami.
***
Duo burst into the neglected 'Elite' Apartments complex at full speed and started banging his fists on the shabby door to number 1, what used to be creamy white paint chips falling like fake snow with every blow. "Heero?! Heero! C'mon open the damn door!" he yelled gaspingly, a stitch tearing up his side as he tried to catch his breath.
'Please don't've done anything stupid...' he added anxiously in thought.
No answer.
Waiting a minute or two more, Duo remembered that the door was unlocked when he brought Heero home and tried the doorknob. Still unlocked. He slipped inside and came into the living room, the scenery unchanged.
The hole in the wall only ground in the harsh truth that what occurred a couple of hours ago wasn't a dream and Duo was surprised to see Heero's gun still on the threadbare carpet in front of the moth-eaten couch where it had been dropped in shock. He bent down and picked the gun up, effortlessly knocking out the cartridge onto the palm of his hand. Only one bullet used, so at least he knew Heero wasn't lying around the apartment somewhere with a gaping, bleeding gunshot wound. It wasn't very heartening though.
Clicking the cartridge back into place, Duo hesitantly placed the gun in its spot on the floor and moved on into the kitchen. Nothing. He continued on to the bedroom, biting his bottom lip; there was a pile of soaking wet clothes at the foot of the bed and a damp towel, it looked, and felt, like Heero had attempted to swim in an ice lake. But the body that had been in the freezing wet clothes wasn't anywhere to be seen.
'Damn it.'
Well, at least Duo knew that he was out and about some place and not what he had feared.
Though now he didn't have the slightest clue where else the Japanese boy could be, he highly doubted that he would go back to the bar, but since he didn't have any other clues, Duo left without a trace and started out on the sidewalk once more.
***
Heero jogged down the street as carefully as he could, every jarring step sent renewed throbbing pains to split his hungover head because in his pensive, post-suicidal haste, he had forgotten to take some aspirin. It didn't matter though, as long as he didn't dwell too much on it, he could ignore the pounding hangover, besides there was a more important thing occupying his focus.
And that more important thing occupying his focus came skidding around the corner at the end of the block and running in full acceleration right in Heero's direction.
Duo slowed as he saw an approaching figure and stopped within the beams of light streaming murkily from the bar's large front window, a sense of irrepressible anticipation fluttering in the pit of his stomach like a million butterflies.
Heero looked worse than he actually was with the hazy, smoke filtered light darkening the redness in his bloodshot eyes, which definitely wasn't from the hangover that was for sure, and making pale skin appear much more ashen, but either way, he still looked like he was feeling pretty shitty.
Which he obviously was, all things considered.
Heero couldn't seem to get his voice to work properly at the sight of Duo standing there awkwardly before him, apparently having the same speaking difficulties.
The lump in his throat had painfully returned along with a fresh bout of shameful guilt.
"D- Duo-" He turned his gaze away, struggling to stop the prickling in the corners of his eyes, knowing what was coming next. "- G- gomen nasai...I am so sorry- I didn't mean to-" Not able to get control, hot tears started to stream down his face.
If Duo was in indescribable shock before, it was nothing to compared to what he felt then, seeing the 'Perfect Soldier' break down right in front of him. He suddenly found himself moving towards the crying Japanese ex-pilot and taking his face in his hands, brushing the tears away. It all seemed like he was watching the scene from outside himself, like a beholder happening upon them by accident.
//There must be something you can recommend, I've lost my faith in man again//
//So sick of trying to pretend, same pain over and over again//
//How much longer do you think we'll stand, so little left here to live for//
//By the time my life is at its end, I'll want it back one more time//
Duo's touch was enough to reassure Heero that he was well forgiven for the mistakes he made, but it only helped ease open the long shut torrents of pent up pain and suffering that had been building since the day he 'disappeared'.
//Let me try one more time//
//To live my life one more time//
//We never seem ready for this//
//It keeps on, keeps on//
//It keeps on haunting me day after day, am I going about things the right way?//
//Which truths to pass and with which truths to say//
//It's all so hard, I'm just so damn afraid//
//Had about as much as I can take, so little left here to live for//
Duo held Heero close, whispering soft "Just let it all out"s as he cradled the taller boy's head on his shoulder, soothingly running his fingers through his unruly dark brown hair. Heero's stoic resolve melted.
//By the time my life is at its end, I'll want it back//
//One more time//
//I need the chance to live my life one more time//
//One more time//
//Give me the chance to live my life one more time...// [1]
***
[1]'One More Time' by Flaw. I just thought that song suited this fic so perfectly when I heard it while writing this chapter. So I put it in there for a bit of a dramatic effect. ^^ (A very good band too, by the way, if anyone likes good hard rock, go find Flaw's 'Through The Eyes'. Very, very awesome CD. *nod nod*)