A/N: Yatta! So many reviews! Love you all! And my work is currently being
archived at Moffit's site,
if you care to know. Check it out, it's a nice site!
Have fun with this chapter, after this the action, humour and angst pick up with a vengence!
Now, enough of my rambling, here's the awaited
Chapter 4: A New Mission
"Duo!" WuFei roared, "Heero doesn't speak English."
Duo's mouth dropped open in perfect timing with the other two pilots to thud upon contact with the floor. Even Trowa, usually unswayable was floored by this revelation. Quatre looked like he was about to shoot himself for not noticing. Duo... well, Duo was Duo.
"You gotta be kidding!?" Duo said incredulously "You're kidding me right?"
"No, I'm not kidding." WuFei coolly replied.
"But-"
"Ask him something, something he can answer easily, something he would answer, then tell me what you think."
Quatre and Trowa looked on, eyes still wide with shock as Duo thought up a question that would shock a rock into speaking to his own defense.
"Ok, Heero." Duo said jovially. "I'm ready"
Heero looked up at him having heard his name and rose to his feet to stare up into Duo's eyes.
"I heard you and Relena had a fun night last night!" Duo said in a singsong voice, thinking the stoic pilot would jump in anger. Duo knew that Heero didn't care for the girl, he also knew that such a question would make him angry. Quatre and Trowa winced at the question, thinking Heero would pound Duo for suggesting it, if he was lucky. If not, they'd be picking up little Duo pieces all night.
But, Heero just stared at him and glared. However, now that he was looking for it, Duo could see the tangle of confused thoughts flying through those Prussian orbs.
'Okay, okay' Heero thought in an effort to calm down 'He said, Relena's name and you, meaning me, and night. He said night twice. Something about Relena and I and a night. But what? Arg! I can't stand this, this not knowing!'
"God, WuFei," Duo breathed "You're right. He doesn't have a clue what I said."
The other two pilots walked over, sadness and guilt in their eyes, especially Quatre's, for not having noticed this grave problem sooner.
'Damnit!' Duo thought angrily 'He didn't understand all this time! That was the reason for his grunts and glares! Damn it all! I can say I care for him..even love him, but how can I if I take such things for granted? Not speaking English? That must be horrible. I feel terrible! I can't believe I never cared to discover the reason for Heero's "Language of Grunts and Glares"! I can't deserve to love him until I help him! I must make up for lost time!'
With iron conviction, Duo spoke up in his usual energetic voice, "Okay, boys!"
"Men!" WuFei grumbled
"Fine. Okay, MEN, we've got to help Heero learn English!"
With that, he reached out and grabbed Heero's left forearm and pulled him behind him up the stairs and toward the living room. The others followed with bemused glances at a more sedate pace. All wished to help Heero, but they all acknowledged that Duo should be the one to break the barrier. After all, they had to be blind to not notice the tone Duo used to talk about Heero, or the softer phrasing he used in reference to him.
********
Up in the living room, Duo had forcibly sat Heero on the couch and now stood before the vid-phone with a look of intense concentration on his face.
Heero simply stared at his back in frustration, they were going too quickly for him to pick out anything but names. But, Heero had gotten the fact that they knew that he didn't understand English. Also, that WuFei had told them, gauged by their reactions to his statement after the fight. He figured out WuFei knew he only spoke Japanese and minimal English when he spoke in Heero's native language in an effort to calm him after the fight.
'Now, I will have their pity' Heero thought dejectedly, 'and that is the last thing I want.'
The others came up to encounter the scene. They glanced at both and then took seats in the three large red leather armchairs scattered around the glass coffee table.
The room they sat in was the largest in the house. It stood on the first floor and had a high ceiling. The walls were painted pale yellow, and the floor was polished hardwood. A couch and three red leather armchairs, now occupied by four of the five pilots, stood around a low glass table. Between the furniture were small glass tables, almost nightstand looking, each with a small red lamp on them. The vid phone was in the wall opposite the dark brown, polished door. On the adjacent wall a brick fireplace added to the homey feeling of the room.
Finally, WuFei broke the silence.
"Maxwell, either say what your doing or sit down so we can think about what to do about this!"
"WuFei." Duo said calmly.
"Yes?" WuFei asked slowly, surprised at the calm tone.
"Do you know of anyone who speaks Japanese?" Duo asked as he turned to look at them, "Do any of you guys?"
At their negative responses, Duo sighed and flung himself down on the couch next to Heero, who looked at him questioningly.
"Knew that was too good of a possibility."
The others sighed at his antics. Then, faces grew serious as they contemplated the problem. Silence permeated the room as they all considered the problem.
"I know a little Japanese, but not enough to really help." WuFei spoke up.
"I can say 'idiot'" Duo added in.
"Duo, that would insult him, not help him." Trowa pointed out.
"Yeah, I know."
Silence reigned again.
"Well, we could teach him as you'd teach a child. For vocabulary at least." Quatre added the last part quickly, seeing Duo's annoyance at his comparison of Heero to a child.
"True." Trowa said.
"What about the sentence structure and question words and such, you know not straight up vocab. We can't teach him that not knowing his language." Duo said sadly.
"There is a way." WuFei spoke up suddenly.
"There is?" Duo said in surprise and anticipation, "What is it?"
The other pilots looked intensely at WuFei, even Heero who had been watching the conversation from lowered eyelids, looked at Wufei, sensing he was about to say something important. Heero had tried to pick up what they had been saying. So far, he knew they were talking about him. And about English. The conversation confirmed his suspicion that they knew he was unable to speak their language. The guilt Heero felt at letting them fund out was equal to as if he failed a mission. Indeed, he had failed his own mission to never let them know.
Taking a deep breath, WuFei spoke, "We could teach he vocabulary as Quatre said, pointing it out and repeating it until he got it. For the language structure we could get him a book to learn English, one that taught in Japanese, we can find one in a store."
"Yeah.." Duo said processing the information, "Yeah! That'd work!"
The other pilots nodded their agreement and turned to look at Heero, who glared back.
"Okay!" Duo cried exuberantly, "Let Mission: Teach Heero English, begin!"
'I won't fail you this time my Heero! I promise!' Duo thought with conviction, staring into the eyes he loved so much.
Heero looked into their eager and slightly psychotic expressions, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of dread.
'What have I gotten myself into?'
TBC...
Have fun with this chapter, after this the action, humour and angst pick up with a vengence!
Now, enough of my rambling, here's the awaited
Chapter 4: A New Mission
"Duo!" WuFei roared, "Heero doesn't speak English."
Duo's mouth dropped open in perfect timing with the other two pilots to thud upon contact with the floor. Even Trowa, usually unswayable was floored by this revelation. Quatre looked like he was about to shoot himself for not noticing. Duo... well, Duo was Duo.
"You gotta be kidding!?" Duo said incredulously "You're kidding me right?"
"No, I'm not kidding." WuFei coolly replied.
"But-"
"Ask him something, something he can answer easily, something he would answer, then tell me what you think."
Quatre and Trowa looked on, eyes still wide with shock as Duo thought up a question that would shock a rock into speaking to his own defense.
"Ok, Heero." Duo said jovially. "I'm ready"
Heero looked up at him having heard his name and rose to his feet to stare up into Duo's eyes.
"I heard you and Relena had a fun night last night!" Duo said in a singsong voice, thinking the stoic pilot would jump in anger. Duo knew that Heero didn't care for the girl, he also knew that such a question would make him angry. Quatre and Trowa winced at the question, thinking Heero would pound Duo for suggesting it, if he was lucky. If not, they'd be picking up little Duo pieces all night.
But, Heero just stared at him and glared. However, now that he was looking for it, Duo could see the tangle of confused thoughts flying through those Prussian orbs.
'Okay, okay' Heero thought in an effort to calm down 'He said, Relena's name and you, meaning me, and night. He said night twice. Something about Relena and I and a night. But what? Arg! I can't stand this, this not knowing!'
"God, WuFei," Duo breathed "You're right. He doesn't have a clue what I said."
The other two pilots walked over, sadness and guilt in their eyes, especially Quatre's, for not having noticed this grave problem sooner.
'Damnit!' Duo thought angrily 'He didn't understand all this time! That was the reason for his grunts and glares! Damn it all! I can say I care for him..even love him, but how can I if I take such things for granted? Not speaking English? That must be horrible. I feel terrible! I can't believe I never cared to discover the reason for Heero's "Language of Grunts and Glares"! I can't deserve to love him until I help him! I must make up for lost time!'
With iron conviction, Duo spoke up in his usual energetic voice, "Okay, boys!"
"Men!" WuFei grumbled
"Fine. Okay, MEN, we've got to help Heero learn English!"
With that, he reached out and grabbed Heero's left forearm and pulled him behind him up the stairs and toward the living room. The others followed with bemused glances at a more sedate pace. All wished to help Heero, but they all acknowledged that Duo should be the one to break the barrier. After all, they had to be blind to not notice the tone Duo used to talk about Heero, or the softer phrasing he used in reference to him.
********
Up in the living room, Duo had forcibly sat Heero on the couch and now stood before the vid-phone with a look of intense concentration on his face.
Heero simply stared at his back in frustration, they were going too quickly for him to pick out anything but names. But, Heero had gotten the fact that they knew that he didn't understand English. Also, that WuFei had told them, gauged by their reactions to his statement after the fight. He figured out WuFei knew he only spoke Japanese and minimal English when he spoke in Heero's native language in an effort to calm him after the fight.
'Now, I will have their pity' Heero thought dejectedly, 'and that is the last thing I want.'
The others came up to encounter the scene. They glanced at both and then took seats in the three large red leather armchairs scattered around the glass coffee table.
The room they sat in was the largest in the house. It stood on the first floor and had a high ceiling. The walls were painted pale yellow, and the floor was polished hardwood. A couch and three red leather armchairs, now occupied by four of the five pilots, stood around a low glass table. Between the furniture were small glass tables, almost nightstand looking, each with a small red lamp on them. The vid phone was in the wall opposite the dark brown, polished door. On the adjacent wall a brick fireplace added to the homey feeling of the room.
Finally, WuFei broke the silence.
"Maxwell, either say what your doing or sit down so we can think about what to do about this!"
"WuFei." Duo said calmly.
"Yes?" WuFei asked slowly, surprised at the calm tone.
"Do you know of anyone who speaks Japanese?" Duo asked as he turned to look at them, "Do any of you guys?"
At their negative responses, Duo sighed and flung himself down on the couch next to Heero, who looked at him questioningly.
"Knew that was too good of a possibility."
The others sighed at his antics. Then, faces grew serious as they contemplated the problem. Silence permeated the room as they all considered the problem.
"I know a little Japanese, but not enough to really help." WuFei spoke up.
"I can say 'idiot'" Duo added in.
"Duo, that would insult him, not help him." Trowa pointed out.
"Yeah, I know."
Silence reigned again.
"Well, we could teach him as you'd teach a child. For vocabulary at least." Quatre added the last part quickly, seeing Duo's annoyance at his comparison of Heero to a child.
"True." Trowa said.
"What about the sentence structure and question words and such, you know not straight up vocab. We can't teach him that not knowing his language." Duo said sadly.
"There is a way." WuFei spoke up suddenly.
"There is?" Duo said in surprise and anticipation, "What is it?"
The other pilots looked intensely at WuFei, even Heero who had been watching the conversation from lowered eyelids, looked at Wufei, sensing he was about to say something important. Heero had tried to pick up what they had been saying. So far, he knew they were talking about him. And about English. The conversation confirmed his suspicion that they knew he was unable to speak their language. The guilt Heero felt at letting them fund out was equal to as if he failed a mission. Indeed, he had failed his own mission to never let them know.
Taking a deep breath, WuFei spoke, "We could teach he vocabulary as Quatre said, pointing it out and repeating it until he got it. For the language structure we could get him a book to learn English, one that taught in Japanese, we can find one in a store."
"Yeah.." Duo said processing the information, "Yeah! That'd work!"
The other pilots nodded their agreement and turned to look at Heero, who glared back.
"Okay!" Duo cried exuberantly, "Let Mission: Teach Heero English, begin!"
'I won't fail you this time my Heero! I promise!' Duo thought with conviction, staring into the eyes he loved so much.
Heero looked into their eager and slightly psychotic expressions, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of dread.
'What have I gotten myself into?'
TBC...