When Heero saw Duo's face, a small spark, a dull flicker of hope,
shone in his Prussian blue eyes. After that is became anger, the fury
taking only seconds to manifest within his intense orbs.
"Hey, buddy," Duo said gently.
Duo tried to step inside, but Heero efficiently blocked his way.
"Where have you been?" Heero snapped, the hurt in his voice making Duo cringe.
"Well, after the war, we all thought you might need some down time, you know? And you refused dinner, so."
"So you just decided to leave me alone like everyone else?"
Heero slammed the door in the American's face, his cheeks burning; his eyes gleamed with moisture, but the tears never fell.
"Heero?" Duo's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
"Leave me alone."
Heero locked the door, then turned and stalked down the hall. He went into the kitchen and opened the top drawer beneath the sink, picking out a long, serrated knife. He ran his thumb across the edge of the blade, feeling its sharpness. Satisfied, he turned and headed for the bathroom.
Duo's insistent door pounding was easily ignored as Heero stepped into the washroom. He shut the door behind him and locked it, then slipped over to the bathtub.
He stared at the tub for a matter of minutes, carefully contemplating his actions. Death could never be painless, and the mess he would leave with his gun would not do. He would rather have time to think about his decision, have at least a few moments to truly understand exactly what he was getting himself into.
He didn't truly want to kill himself, but as the Perfect Soldier, he felt that he had to. He felt that it was his duty.
"Mission accepted," he said in a soft whisper.
Turning the water on hot, Heero kept his hand under the streaming heat, feeling it burn. He shut his eyes and stripped down, folding his clothes neatly and placing them on the toilet seat. He brushed a hand through his shaggy dark hair, then stepped into the tub.
The sizzling heat was like a pit of molten metal. It burned against his skin, making him choke out a breath of air. When he drew a breath in, it was like inhaling pure fire. A long shudder coursed through his flesh, but he bared the pain despite his near inability to breath.
Was this enough punishment for his past? Did it make up for the lives he had taken during the war? No. Nothing would ever make up for that.
Heero glanced over and lifted the knife from the edge of the tub. With his other hand he turned off the water, and everything became silent except for his breathing. Duo had long since stopped pounding on the door.
So he would not change his mind, he placed the blade against the inside of his left wrist and drew it across, hard enough for it to slice apart his skin, cutting through flesh and veins.
"Look, I know something's up with Heero," Duo said stubbornly.
Wufei sighed and rolled his eyes before launching a kick at the door of the safe house. It flew open with the force of the kick, and smashed with a bang against the wall.
Duo winced slightly, then trotted inside, concern making his eyes look much larger than any eyes should be. The American searched the kitchen and the living room, then through the halls to Heero's usual room. Upon finding nothing, he let his violet eyes drift over to the bathroom across the hall. Everything was silent.
"Heero?" Duo called.
There was no reply. Wufei stepped into Heero's room, then followed Duo's eyes to the bathroom.
"Wufei, could you-"
"Knock first," Wufei said quickly.
Nodding, Duo moved to the door and knocked firmly three times. There was nothing. Next, he tested the door knob, and he found that it was locked. He looked to Wufei.
"It's locked," he told him.
Wufei gave a deep sigh. There was no way he was going to pay up the money in order to replace these doors.
With a soft hiss, the Chinese boy lunged at the door and brought up his right leg. He struck out with it and slammed it into the door. It lurched open, the lock breaking as small splinters of wood clattered over the foor.
Both of them gasped at the sight before them.
"Hey, buddy," Duo said gently.
Duo tried to step inside, but Heero efficiently blocked his way.
"Where have you been?" Heero snapped, the hurt in his voice making Duo cringe.
"Well, after the war, we all thought you might need some down time, you know? And you refused dinner, so."
"So you just decided to leave me alone like everyone else?"
Heero slammed the door in the American's face, his cheeks burning; his eyes gleamed with moisture, but the tears never fell.
"Heero?" Duo's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
"Leave me alone."
Heero locked the door, then turned and stalked down the hall. He went into the kitchen and opened the top drawer beneath the sink, picking out a long, serrated knife. He ran his thumb across the edge of the blade, feeling its sharpness. Satisfied, he turned and headed for the bathroom.
Duo's insistent door pounding was easily ignored as Heero stepped into the washroom. He shut the door behind him and locked it, then slipped over to the bathtub.
He stared at the tub for a matter of minutes, carefully contemplating his actions. Death could never be painless, and the mess he would leave with his gun would not do. He would rather have time to think about his decision, have at least a few moments to truly understand exactly what he was getting himself into.
He didn't truly want to kill himself, but as the Perfect Soldier, he felt that he had to. He felt that it was his duty.
"Mission accepted," he said in a soft whisper.
Turning the water on hot, Heero kept his hand under the streaming heat, feeling it burn. He shut his eyes and stripped down, folding his clothes neatly and placing them on the toilet seat. He brushed a hand through his shaggy dark hair, then stepped into the tub.
The sizzling heat was like a pit of molten metal. It burned against his skin, making him choke out a breath of air. When he drew a breath in, it was like inhaling pure fire. A long shudder coursed through his flesh, but he bared the pain despite his near inability to breath.
Was this enough punishment for his past? Did it make up for the lives he had taken during the war? No. Nothing would ever make up for that.
Heero glanced over and lifted the knife from the edge of the tub. With his other hand he turned off the water, and everything became silent except for his breathing. Duo had long since stopped pounding on the door.
So he would not change his mind, he placed the blade against the inside of his left wrist and drew it across, hard enough for it to slice apart his skin, cutting through flesh and veins.
"Look, I know something's up with Heero," Duo said stubbornly.
Wufei sighed and rolled his eyes before launching a kick at the door of the safe house. It flew open with the force of the kick, and smashed with a bang against the wall.
Duo winced slightly, then trotted inside, concern making his eyes look much larger than any eyes should be. The American searched the kitchen and the living room, then through the halls to Heero's usual room. Upon finding nothing, he let his violet eyes drift over to the bathroom across the hall. Everything was silent.
"Heero?" Duo called.
There was no reply. Wufei stepped into Heero's room, then followed Duo's eyes to the bathroom.
"Wufei, could you-"
"Knock first," Wufei said quickly.
Nodding, Duo moved to the door and knocked firmly three times. There was nothing. Next, he tested the door knob, and he found that it was locked. He looked to Wufei.
"It's locked," he told him.
Wufei gave a deep sigh. There was no way he was going to pay up the money in order to replace these doors.
With a soft hiss, the Chinese boy lunged at the door and brought up his right leg. He struck out with it and slammed it into the door. It lurched open, the lock breaking as small splinters of wood clattered over the foor.
Both of them gasped at the sight before them.