You've got a sad face
You don't show it
And you're smiling too
Even in deep, deep outer space
-"Sir Rockaby", Frank Black
"Teenager of the Year"
Heero rubbed the sleep from his eyes as the digital clock on his bedside flashed an arrogant red twelve on and off again. //Damn// Heero, being the punctual type, forced himself out of bed in order to go see what time it was in the kitchen. The combination of bare wooden planks and air conditioning to protect the boys from the sweltering summer caused the tips of Heero's toes to become numb by the time he had reached the end of the hallway. Opening the door of the fridge, he slung himself over and grabbed a cola. Allowing himself to yawn, he fumbled with the tab and turned to look at the clock. Four in the morning.
A stream of cold adicity washed the fuzziness from his throat, and he lost all of the information that was just in his mind. Wasn't he thinking about a dream he had? He pushed the inquiry from his mind, knowing it was useless to know. After he remembered he'd regret it anyways.
Deciding sleep was too far away to regain now, he went into the adjoining living room and sat on a frayed grey recliner. He found the remote to the crappy television Duo had bought that morning and clicked the power button. When it didn't work, Heero, mumbling to himself, sat up and leaned forward just far enough to turn it on to whatever channel Duo had been watching the morning before. He was greeted by a psychic who was now giving him reasons to call. Apparently, she knew everything about you.
//She should meet The Girl.// Heero had taken to calling that tiny kid "The Girl". //Yeah, The Girl knows more than you.// He snorted in response to himself. After sitting in the dead glow for a few minutes, Heero became bored. Swishing down the last of his bubbly picker upper, he quietly made his way back to his room. But as he slept, he felt two burning holes in the back of his head.
"Hey," Duo snapped as the little girl crawled into his lap, "I can't see!" He pulled her off and placed her next to him, putting his arm around her so she wouldn't feel unwanted. He hoped she couldn't sense that anything was wrong. He looked down at her smiling face, and was certain she was dry-spelling at that moment.
"What are you watching?" She smiled brightly, closing her eyes and cocking her head to the side. Ever since she had been around the boys it was obvious she prefered Quatre and himself.
"Nothing. I bet there's some cartoons on somewhere, it's Saturday right?" She nodded. "All right, kid, here you go." Duo clicked his tongue and attempted to change it with the remote. Finding it didn't work, he leaned forward as far as he could and pushed the channel button with the tips of his fingers.
"Here we go, kid. 'Power Rangers Light Rescue Rangers'. Hey, I used to watch this when I was a kid!"
The girl smiled. "Wow, really?" Duo nodded. "Of course, it was called 'Power Rangers Time Space Adventure' back then. God, this show's been on forever."
"Duo," Wufei walked through the doorway. When he saw the little girl, he stopped and crossed his arms, his eyes glinting as he looked her up and down. "Heero wants to speak with you and Quatre."
"Sure, Wufei, but you'll have to sit with the kid." Duo smiled like a proud brother who had just taught his sister how to do something bad when she grinned and said, "You can watch 'Power Rangers' with me. I bet *you'd* like it."
Wufei looked Duo up and down. "All right," he took a place on the recliner, away from the child. "He's already talking to Quatre, so get in there now." After a few seconds of silent retaliation, Duo left and went lazily into the adjoining kitchen. Wufei sat still, looking straight at the screen, when he felt an eerie presence.
"Why are you looking at me?" He sneered at the child. She smiled, leaning forward. "Because you interest me."
"I'm a human, not a test subject, kid. I don't want you studying me." She leaned her head to the side. "You don't trust me, do you. And it makes you mad. Because I'm just a little girl, but..."
Wufei got up and pointed a finger at her. "Don't you dare! You will not read me! I haven't given you permission to look inside my brain, you little freak!"
He pulled back, half in shock, half in regret, when tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't cry, though. She held them back and stared at him for a few seconds. Finally, she looked down, as if ashamed, and mumbled, "I'm not a freak."
Wufei wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to leave her there, alone and sad on the couch, but he was too disgusted to stay. Disgusted with himself. He had seen the way she looked at him when he said that, he knew he wouldn't forget. //But// he thought as he stepped onto the patchy, harsh grass in 'their' front yard, //I couldn't let her say it. If she had said it...It would have been true.// He watched a car pass by on the dusty road. //I couldn't allow her to say I was afraid of her.//
You don't show it
And you're smiling too
Even in deep, deep outer space
-"Sir Rockaby", Frank Black
"Teenager of the Year"
Heero rubbed the sleep from his eyes as the digital clock on his bedside flashed an arrogant red twelve on and off again. //Damn// Heero, being the punctual type, forced himself out of bed in order to go see what time it was in the kitchen. The combination of bare wooden planks and air conditioning to protect the boys from the sweltering summer caused the tips of Heero's toes to become numb by the time he had reached the end of the hallway. Opening the door of the fridge, he slung himself over and grabbed a cola. Allowing himself to yawn, he fumbled with the tab and turned to look at the clock. Four in the morning.
A stream of cold adicity washed the fuzziness from his throat, and he lost all of the information that was just in his mind. Wasn't he thinking about a dream he had? He pushed the inquiry from his mind, knowing it was useless to know. After he remembered he'd regret it anyways.
Deciding sleep was too far away to regain now, he went into the adjoining living room and sat on a frayed grey recliner. He found the remote to the crappy television Duo had bought that morning and clicked the power button. When it didn't work, Heero, mumbling to himself, sat up and leaned forward just far enough to turn it on to whatever channel Duo had been watching the morning before. He was greeted by a psychic who was now giving him reasons to call. Apparently, she knew everything about you.
//She should meet The Girl.// Heero had taken to calling that tiny kid "The Girl". //Yeah, The Girl knows more than you.// He snorted in response to himself. After sitting in the dead glow for a few minutes, Heero became bored. Swishing down the last of his bubbly picker upper, he quietly made his way back to his room. But as he slept, he felt two burning holes in the back of his head.
"Hey," Duo snapped as the little girl crawled into his lap, "I can't see!" He pulled her off and placed her next to him, putting his arm around her so she wouldn't feel unwanted. He hoped she couldn't sense that anything was wrong. He looked down at her smiling face, and was certain she was dry-spelling at that moment.
"What are you watching?" She smiled brightly, closing her eyes and cocking her head to the side. Ever since she had been around the boys it was obvious she prefered Quatre and himself.
"Nothing. I bet there's some cartoons on somewhere, it's Saturday right?" She nodded. "All right, kid, here you go." Duo clicked his tongue and attempted to change it with the remote. Finding it didn't work, he leaned forward as far as he could and pushed the channel button with the tips of his fingers.
"Here we go, kid. 'Power Rangers Light Rescue Rangers'. Hey, I used to watch this when I was a kid!"
The girl smiled. "Wow, really?" Duo nodded. "Of course, it was called 'Power Rangers Time Space Adventure' back then. God, this show's been on forever."
"Duo," Wufei walked through the doorway. When he saw the little girl, he stopped and crossed his arms, his eyes glinting as he looked her up and down. "Heero wants to speak with you and Quatre."
"Sure, Wufei, but you'll have to sit with the kid." Duo smiled like a proud brother who had just taught his sister how to do something bad when she grinned and said, "You can watch 'Power Rangers' with me. I bet *you'd* like it."
Wufei looked Duo up and down. "All right," he took a place on the recliner, away from the child. "He's already talking to Quatre, so get in there now." After a few seconds of silent retaliation, Duo left and went lazily into the adjoining kitchen. Wufei sat still, looking straight at the screen, when he felt an eerie presence.
"Why are you looking at me?" He sneered at the child. She smiled, leaning forward. "Because you interest me."
"I'm a human, not a test subject, kid. I don't want you studying me." She leaned her head to the side. "You don't trust me, do you. And it makes you mad. Because I'm just a little girl, but..."
Wufei got up and pointed a finger at her. "Don't you dare! You will not read me! I haven't given you permission to look inside my brain, you little freak!"
He pulled back, half in shock, half in regret, when tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't cry, though. She held them back and stared at him for a few seconds. Finally, she looked down, as if ashamed, and mumbled, "I'm not a freak."
Wufei wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to leave her there, alone and sad on the couch, but he was too disgusted to stay. Disgusted with himself. He had seen the way she looked at him when he said that, he knew he wouldn't forget. //But// he thought as he stepped onto the patchy, harsh grass in 'their' front yard, //I couldn't let her say it. If she had said it...It would have been true.// He watched a car pass by on the dusty road. //I couldn't allow her to say I was afraid of her.//