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Widening Gyre
A Gundam Wing FanFic by shärl-tn
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Part 4
Heero had just swung his legs lazily over the edge of the mattress and was running a hand through sleep-tousled brown hair, debating the merits of food versus cleanliness when the door swung open making the decision for him.
"Dinner!" Duo proclaimed joyfully, closing the door behind him with a foot, grinning from ear to ear.
Heero looked up at him tiredly, an eyebrow raised in mock surprise, offering only a quiet, "Hmph," in greeting.
Duo laughed at the quiet response, full-well catching the subtle movement the eyebrow had provided that showed Heero's slight amusement, "What, did you just get up? Awh.. Poor Heero who can normally manage to sleep through whatever comes his way…" He quickly picked up the random bits of clothing he had left on the ground, throwing them into his closet before carefully lowering the trays onto the floor and having a seat.
Heero slowly slipped off his mattress and on to the carpet risking a glance at today's dinner options. Not too bad, potatoes, chicken and a mystery vegetable, but overall pretty good fare. He grabbed a fork and slowly began to eat, glad for a good meal after a few days eating rations.
Raising the fork to his lips he looked up to watch Duo as he literally devoured his meal, seemingly just as tired of rations as he was, but also, as was natural, more eager to show it openly. Heero took another bite, about a quarter done his plate as Duo finished, pushed the tray aside and leaned back into the side of his own mattress.
It took Heero a few more bites to realize that something was off. He slowed; realizing that he could in fact, hear himself chew. His brow twitched in slight confusion at the new sensation. He'd been sharing dorm rooms with Duo in various schools for the last month, and not once during a meal had he been privy to the sound of his molars demolishing some perfectly innocent morsel of food.
He finished his meal, depositing the fork on the edge of the tray, and sat back, pulling his knees up to his chest to sit. Slowly he brought his eyes over to Duo, and fully took in the fact that for the last ten minutes or so his friend had not made a single sound. Duo, the usually talkative to the point of white noise, cheerful to the extreme, was currently sitting, silent, and staring off into space. Or perhaps more correctly, staring off at his shoes, still un-done and resting in a heap by the door.
Heero, full of curiosity springing back from the night before was debating whether he should ask Duo what was wrong. He was beginning to feel more than a little anxious from Duo's behaviour and was having trouble connecting the various faces of his roommate. He could hardly believe that this thoughtful gazed, silent youth was the same as the maniacally grinning boy who had walked through the door not twenty minutes past. And there was no connection at all between him and the vulnerable, tortured soul from the night before.
"Heero?" The sound of his name broke the silence.
Heero lifted his head from where it had been resting on his arms, "Yes, Duo?"
Duo's eyes narrowed slightly, still looking at the shoes. "Heero, why are my shoes all the way back there?"
"Well…" Heero started slowly, "Well, that's where I left them."
Duo turned quickly to search his face for answers, pursing his lips together in a nervous gesture, "and why, exactly were you taking my shoes places?"
Heero just stared back at him, face expressionless, "I removed them before I put you to bed last night."
"Oh." Duo's gaze dropped and he brushed a loose bang behind his ear. "…When you put me to bed…" he said slowly to himself, considering.
"You were asleep in the middle of the floor, I wasn't just going to leave you there." Heero offered quietly, offering words to still the uncomfortable silence that was settling over the room.
Duo stood, Heero's eyes following his movements as his put his shoes on, "I guess I should thank you then," he offered up a wan example of his normal grin, "I probably wouldn't have enjoyed waking up on the floor."
Heero opened his mouth in slight protest, but no sound came out. He didn't know if he wanted to apologize, berate, demand an explanation or offer sympathy.
Duo had his hand on the doorknob when he turned to face him again, "I'll try my best to make it to my bed in the future." He opened the door, "Later, I'm going for a walk." He offered before shutting the door behind him, leaving Heero alone again.
Heero sighed to himself, decidedly annoyed with his behaviour. "Guess you won't be finding out what was wrong any time soon, then…" He rose, gathering the trays and piling them by the door. It was time for that shower, he'd just have to try to ask Duo later.
TBC
Widening Gyre
A Gundam Wing FanFic by shärl-tn
-----
Part 4
Heero had just swung his legs lazily over the edge of the mattress and was running a hand through sleep-tousled brown hair, debating the merits of food versus cleanliness when the door swung open making the decision for him.
"Dinner!" Duo proclaimed joyfully, closing the door behind him with a foot, grinning from ear to ear.
Heero looked up at him tiredly, an eyebrow raised in mock surprise, offering only a quiet, "Hmph," in greeting.
Duo laughed at the quiet response, full-well catching the subtle movement the eyebrow had provided that showed Heero's slight amusement, "What, did you just get up? Awh.. Poor Heero who can normally manage to sleep through whatever comes his way…" He quickly picked up the random bits of clothing he had left on the ground, throwing them into his closet before carefully lowering the trays onto the floor and having a seat.
Heero slowly slipped off his mattress and on to the carpet risking a glance at today's dinner options. Not too bad, potatoes, chicken and a mystery vegetable, but overall pretty good fare. He grabbed a fork and slowly began to eat, glad for a good meal after a few days eating rations.
Raising the fork to his lips he looked up to watch Duo as he literally devoured his meal, seemingly just as tired of rations as he was, but also, as was natural, more eager to show it openly. Heero took another bite, about a quarter done his plate as Duo finished, pushed the tray aside and leaned back into the side of his own mattress.
It took Heero a few more bites to realize that something was off. He slowed; realizing that he could in fact, hear himself chew. His brow twitched in slight confusion at the new sensation. He'd been sharing dorm rooms with Duo in various schools for the last month, and not once during a meal had he been privy to the sound of his molars demolishing some perfectly innocent morsel of food.
He finished his meal, depositing the fork on the edge of the tray, and sat back, pulling his knees up to his chest to sit. Slowly he brought his eyes over to Duo, and fully took in the fact that for the last ten minutes or so his friend had not made a single sound. Duo, the usually talkative to the point of white noise, cheerful to the extreme, was currently sitting, silent, and staring off into space. Or perhaps more correctly, staring off at his shoes, still un-done and resting in a heap by the door.
Heero, full of curiosity springing back from the night before was debating whether he should ask Duo what was wrong. He was beginning to feel more than a little anxious from Duo's behaviour and was having trouble connecting the various faces of his roommate. He could hardly believe that this thoughtful gazed, silent youth was the same as the maniacally grinning boy who had walked through the door not twenty minutes past. And there was no connection at all between him and the vulnerable, tortured soul from the night before.
"Heero?" The sound of his name broke the silence.
Heero lifted his head from where it had been resting on his arms, "Yes, Duo?"
Duo's eyes narrowed slightly, still looking at the shoes. "Heero, why are my shoes all the way back there?"
"Well…" Heero started slowly, "Well, that's where I left them."
Duo turned quickly to search his face for answers, pursing his lips together in a nervous gesture, "and why, exactly were you taking my shoes places?"
Heero just stared back at him, face expressionless, "I removed them before I put you to bed last night."
"Oh." Duo's gaze dropped and he brushed a loose bang behind his ear. "…When you put me to bed…" he said slowly to himself, considering.
"You were asleep in the middle of the floor, I wasn't just going to leave you there." Heero offered quietly, offering words to still the uncomfortable silence that was settling over the room.
Duo stood, Heero's eyes following his movements as his put his shoes on, "I guess I should thank you then," he offered up a wan example of his normal grin, "I probably wouldn't have enjoyed waking up on the floor."
Heero opened his mouth in slight protest, but no sound came out. He didn't know if he wanted to apologize, berate, demand an explanation or offer sympathy.
Duo had his hand on the doorknob when he turned to face him again, "I'll try my best to make it to my bed in the future." He opened the door, "Later, I'm going for a walk." He offered before shutting the door behind him, leaving Heero alone again.
Heero sighed to himself, decidedly annoyed with his behaviour. "Guess you won't be finding out what was wrong any time soon, then…" He rose, gathering the trays and piling them by the door. It was time for that shower, he'd just have to try to ask Duo later.
TBC