Hell's Angel
Chapter 7
By: Lady of the Mystics
AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a really, really long time. I've been really sick. Like seriously. Anyway, this is the next chapter. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Usual ones apply.
I sighed and looked around, leaning on my mop. The house was now completely spotless. Except for the kitty box. Yes, I did say kitty box. I know, I know. I didn't have a cat before, but now I do. Remember, Hilde gave it to me?
Quietly, I packed away all my cleaning supplies in a subdued manner. I had to admit, Hilde's death was having an effect on me.
She wasn't really your friend, I kept telling myself. You were using her.
Still, another part of me said, not all of that could've been acting.
Hilde's original Monet hung in my living room, the whole area now designed to match the painting. The carpet was a beautiful blue-green, the couch was a light rose color, and the tables were all done in white wicker. It looked slightly surreal to me. Like this house actually had someone that lived in it.
On my way upstairs I spotted Monet, my new cat, lying in his favorite windowsill, basking in the glow of the sun. Its gray striped fur glowed heathily, and its belly portruded upwards, showing off its newfound fat.
"Hey, baby," I said as I passed it, swiping a hand over it absently.
Monet purred a return greeting.
I walked further down the hallway into my room. Gaea and Loki curled on my bed, sleeping as soundly as dogs do. Loki raised his head when I entered the room, and his tail began wagging.
"Hey, guys," I said as I curled down beside them. Loki gave my face a few licks before I finally told him to cut it out. I was almost asleep when the phone began to ring. I groaned, and groped for the black corded phone.
"Hello," I said when I picked it up.
"Hello. Is Camille there?" The voice on the other line asked.
"This is."
"Oh, hi. This is Quatre Winner. We met at the hospital," He said.
"Yes. I remember. May I ask why you're calling Mister Winner?" I asked, getting impatient.
"Oh, well I was wondering if you'd seen Duo lately."
"No I haven't. Why? Is something wrong?" I asked, suddenly at attention.
"I don't know. He hasn't been to work since well... you know." Quatre explained hesitantly.
All of the sudden Hilde's words floated into my mind. 'Promise me you'll take care of Duo... Don't let him get all sad and mopey...'
"I'll let you know if I hear anything. Thank you for calling." I said abruptly.
"Thank you for your time. Goodbye." Quatre said, and then hung up with a click.
Why was it that lately all I was getting were bad phone calls?
I got up off the bed, and thought about what I was going to do with Gaea and Loki. Loki I could trust alone inside the house. Gaea.... was on the opposite end of that scale. She was a terrorist.
"Come on, Gaea. Let's go for a car ride!" I said excitedly and clipped on her leash. I jogged down the stairs, Gaea plodding down after me with her excited-puppy tread. I hopped in the car, and drove off, heading into the city and to Duo's apartment.
I jumped out of the car with Gaea and ran up to the door. Luckily someone was coming out, so I just grabbed the door before it swung closed. I pounded up thirteen flights of stairs instead of waiting for that metal box that people call an 'elevator.'
Gaea pounded up the stairs, matching my own incredible speed. One advantage to being a demon. The hound tired quickly and was panting by the time we reached the thirteenth floor.
I walked calmly to Duo's door, giving Gaea time to catch her breath. Finally, we arrived at apartment 254, and I knocked tentatively. When there was no answer I knocked harder, silently displaying my urgency. Still no answer. That's it, I was done being patient.
Using my power I managed to unlock the door, and stepped inside the apartment. God, the place was a mess. Empty containers of take-out food lay everywhere, taking up almost every inch of available space. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned for days.
Gaea walked over to an old box full of leftover pizza and began eating it. I hoped the dog wouldn't get sick. I didn't want to clean it up later.
"Duo?" I called out hesitantly. I closed the door behind me and moved further into the apartment. The hallway was dark, and tiny compared to my own spacious home. I opened a door to my right and found myself walking into an equally dark bedroom. A pile of hair lay on the bed, and instantly I knew it was Duo. His scent covered the room like an almost tangible perfume, but under that I could smell the salt of tears.
Photos covered the bed entirely, except where Duo lay. Pictures of them in Cancun, Venice, Tokyo. Photos from Christmas, Easter, and Valentine's Day. God, did they go anywhere without a camera?
I cleared a small space for myself beside him, and sat down, looking at his tear-stained face, sad even in sleep. "Duo," I called softly. Almost on its own my hand reached out to stroke that long, chestnut hair out of his face. "Duo, it's time to wake up," I said in a near-crooning voice.
His eyelids fluttered open slowly, and he took his sweet time focusing on me. "Camille?" He muttered in a dazed tone. "Duo," I said in answer, "Why haven't you been to work?"
"I can't," His voice broke, "I just can't."
Tears began streaming out of those indigo eyes. My heart, which I had thought dead since so long ago, began to break just watching his sorrow. "It's okay, Duo. It's okay," I said, my own eyes pricking with tears. Suddenly Duo was crying in heart-wracking sobs, clinging to me like I was a buoy amidst the sea.
I held him tightly, burying my face in his sweet-smelling hair, and murmured nonsense words. Comfort words. God, it had been long since I'd done that. Hours or minutes later, I couldn't tell, the sobs quieted to sniffles. From the feel of my shirt I could tell it was soaked with the salty liquid.
"What language is that?" Duo asked suddenly, his voice muffled due to the fact that he was still pressed against my shoulder. I stopped speaking abruptly, almost blushing in embarrassment. I realized that I'd been speaking my native tongue, Saturnian. It was a long-dead language in this world. Even more dead than Latin.
To cover my embarrassment I said, "My native tongue." It was a plausible answer, and not exactly a lie. Duo pulled away from me, so I had to break my hold on him. Honestly, I was disappointed. It was nice to be someone's shoulder-to-cry-on. I hadn't done that in many years.
In fact, it seemed that when my Shinigami died I stopped doing a lot of things. Mostly regarding emotions and other human things.
"Thank you," Duo said. I nodded, looking at the ground. There was an awkward silence then. Also something I hadn't experienced in awhile.
Then a wet nose stuck itself in Duo's lap and snuffled. I let out a little giggle at the same time Duo chuckled.
"So who's this?" Duo asked, petting Gaea on the head.
"Gaea." I answered.
"Your dog?"
"Oh no. No, no. I'm trying to get rid of her." I said automatically.
"She's cute." Duo pointed out.
"Um... okay. You want it?" I asked on a whim.
"Sure. It'll be nice to have a dog."
I smiled inwardly at my triumph. Finally, someone to take the mutt off my hands. I felt momentarily bad for dumping Gaea on Duo, but.. oh well. Tit for tat, and all that.
"So why are you here?" Duo asked abruptly.
"Quatre called. He was worried about you." I said, startled into an honest answer. At least partially honest.
"I see. So you didn't come because you were worried?" Duo asked me, looking directly in my eyes. God, those eyes. I fell into those indigo depths, trapped by their beauty, and the power that I saw lurking so far beneath the surface.
"Of course I was worried," I began, still staring into those mystifying eyes. In those moments I knew exactly why so many women had flocked to him. Not only was it his power, or position, but those eyes. They held a power all their own, as dangerous and exciting as magick.
"I didn't really think about coming over to check on you though, until Quatre called." I admitted honestly. Suddenly Duo blinked, and whatever hold he'd had on me vanished. I was myself again, back in my web of half-truths, and half-lies.
"Well thanks for stopping by," Duo said with an almost-normal grin.
"No problem. I'll come by later and drop off the rest of Gaea's things. And you might want to clean up your place a bit. It's looking a bit worse for wear. I'll show myself out." I said, and walked back out the way I'd come.
I was feeling pretty happy with myself. I'd spent time with Duo, gotten rid of Gaea, and eased my own worries all in one sweep. Killed three birds with one ricocheting stone. I didn't really need to stop by and bring Gaea's things later, but I wanted to make sure Duo was alright. Depressed people can't really be trusted on their own.
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AN: That's it for now! I hope you liked it! Review please!
Chapter 7
By: Lady of the Mystics
AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a really, really long time. I've been really sick. Like seriously. Anyway, this is the next chapter. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Usual ones apply.
I sighed and looked around, leaning on my mop. The house was now completely spotless. Except for the kitty box. Yes, I did say kitty box. I know, I know. I didn't have a cat before, but now I do. Remember, Hilde gave it to me?
Quietly, I packed away all my cleaning supplies in a subdued manner. I had to admit, Hilde's death was having an effect on me.
She wasn't really your friend, I kept telling myself. You were using her.
Still, another part of me said, not all of that could've been acting.
Hilde's original Monet hung in my living room, the whole area now designed to match the painting. The carpet was a beautiful blue-green, the couch was a light rose color, and the tables were all done in white wicker. It looked slightly surreal to me. Like this house actually had someone that lived in it.
On my way upstairs I spotted Monet, my new cat, lying in his favorite windowsill, basking in the glow of the sun. Its gray striped fur glowed heathily, and its belly portruded upwards, showing off its newfound fat.
"Hey, baby," I said as I passed it, swiping a hand over it absently.
Monet purred a return greeting.
I walked further down the hallway into my room. Gaea and Loki curled on my bed, sleeping as soundly as dogs do. Loki raised his head when I entered the room, and his tail began wagging.
"Hey, guys," I said as I curled down beside them. Loki gave my face a few licks before I finally told him to cut it out. I was almost asleep when the phone began to ring. I groaned, and groped for the black corded phone.
"Hello," I said when I picked it up.
"Hello. Is Camille there?" The voice on the other line asked.
"This is."
"Oh, hi. This is Quatre Winner. We met at the hospital," He said.
"Yes. I remember. May I ask why you're calling Mister Winner?" I asked, getting impatient.
"Oh, well I was wondering if you'd seen Duo lately."
"No I haven't. Why? Is something wrong?" I asked, suddenly at attention.
"I don't know. He hasn't been to work since well... you know." Quatre explained hesitantly.
All of the sudden Hilde's words floated into my mind. 'Promise me you'll take care of Duo... Don't let him get all sad and mopey...'
"I'll let you know if I hear anything. Thank you for calling." I said abruptly.
"Thank you for your time. Goodbye." Quatre said, and then hung up with a click.
Why was it that lately all I was getting were bad phone calls?
I got up off the bed, and thought about what I was going to do with Gaea and Loki. Loki I could trust alone inside the house. Gaea.... was on the opposite end of that scale. She was a terrorist.
"Come on, Gaea. Let's go for a car ride!" I said excitedly and clipped on her leash. I jogged down the stairs, Gaea plodding down after me with her excited-puppy tread. I hopped in the car, and drove off, heading into the city and to Duo's apartment.
I jumped out of the car with Gaea and ran up to the door. Luckily someone was coming out, so I just grabbed the door before it swung closed. I pounded up thirteen flights of stairs instead of waiting for that metal box that people call an 'elevator.'
Gaea pounded up the stairs, matching my own incredible speed. One advantage to being a demon. The hound tired quickly and was panting by the time we reached the thirteenth floor.
I walked calmly to Duo's door, giving Gaea time to catch her breath. Finally, we arrived at apartment 254, and I knocked tentatively. When there was no answer I knocked harder, silently displaying my urgency. Still no answer. That's it, I was done being patient.
Using my power I managed to unlock the door, and stepped inside the apartment. God, the place was a mess. Empty containers of take-out food lay everywhere, taking up almost every inch of available space. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned for days.
Gaea walked over to an old box full of leftover pizza and began eating it. I hoped the dog wouldn't get sick. I didn't want to clean it up later.
"Duo?" I called out hesitantly. I closed the door behind me and moved further into the apartment. The hallway was dark, and tiny compared to my own spacious home. I opened a door to my right and found myself walking into an equally dark bedroom. A pile of hair lay on the bed, and instantly I knew it was Duo. His scent covered the room like an almost tangible perfume, but under that I could smell the salt of tears.
Photos covered the bed entirely, except where Duo lay. Pictures of them in Cancun, Venice, Tokyo. Photos from Christmas, Easter, and Valentine's Day. God, did they go anywhere without a camera?
I cleared a small space for myself beside him, and sat down, looking at his tear-stained face, sad even in sleep. "Duo," I called softly. Almost on its own my hand reached out to stroke that long, chestnut hair out of his face. "Duo, it's time to wake up," I said in a near-crooning voice.
His eyelids fluttered open slowly, and he took his sweet time focusing on me. "Camille?" He muttered in a dazed tone. "Duo," I said in answer, "Why haven't you been to work?"
"I can't," His voice broke, "I just can't."
Tears began streaming out of those indigo eyes. My heart, which I had thought dead since so long ago, began to break just watching his sorrow. "It's okay, Duo. It's okay," I said, my own eyes pricking with tears. Suddenly Duo was crying in heart-wracking sobs, clinging to me like I was a buoy amidst the sea.
I held him tightly, burying my face in his sweet-smelling hair, and murmured nonsense words. Comfort words. God, it had been long since I'd done that. Hours or minutes later, I couldn't tell, the sobs quieted to sniffles. From the feel of my shirt I could tell it was soaked with the salty liquid.
"What language is that?" Duo asked suddenly, his voice muffled due to the fact that he was still pressed against my shoulder. I stopped speaking abruptly, almost blushing in embarrassment. I realized that I'd been speaking my native tongue, Saturnian. It was a long-dead language in this world. Even more dead than Latin.
To cover my embarrassment I said, "My native tongue." It was a plausible answer, and not exactly a lie. Duo pulled away from me, so I had to break my hold on him. Honestly, I was disappointed. It was nice to be someone's shoulder-to-cry-on. I hadn't done that in many years.
In fact, it seemed that when my Shinigami died I stopped doing a lot of things. Mostly regarding emotions and other human things.
"Thank you," Duo said. I nodded, looking at the ground. There was an awkward silence then. Also something I hadn't experienced in awhile.
Then a wet nose stuck itself in Duo's lap and snuffled. I let out a little giggle at the same time Duo chuckled.
"So who's this?" Duo asked, petting Gaea on the head.
"Gaea." I answered.
"Your dog?"
"Oh no. No, no. I'm trying to get rid of her." I said automatically.
"She's cute." Duo pointed out.
"Um... okay. You want it?" I asked on a whim.
"Sure. It'll be nice to have a dog."
I smiled inwardly at my triumph. Finally, someone to take the mutt off my hands. I felt momentarily bad for dumping Gaea on Duo, but.. oh well. Tit for tat, and all that.
"So why are you here?" Duo asked abruptly.
"Quatre called. He was worried about you." I said, startled into an honest answer. At least partially honest.
"I see. So you didn't come because you were worried?" Duo asked me, looking directly in my eyes. God, those eyes. I fell into those indigo depths, trapped by their beauty, and the power that I saw lurking so far beneath the surface.
"Of course I was worried," I began, still staring into those mystifying eyes. In those moments I knew exactly why so many women had flocked to him. Not only was it his power, or position, but those eyes. They held a power all their own, as dangerous and exciting as magick.
"I didn't really think about coming over to check on you though, until Quatre called." I admitted honestly. Suddenly Duo blinked, and whatever hold he'd had on me vanished. I was myself again, back in my web of half-truths, and half-lies.
"Well thanks for stopping by," Duo said with an almost-normal grin.
"No problem. I'll come by later and drop off the rest of Gaea's things. And you might want to clean up your place a bit. It's looking a bit worse for wear. I'll show myself out." I said, and walked back out the way I'd come.
I was feeling pretty happy with myself. I'd spent time with Duo, gotten rid of Gaea, and eased my own worries all in one sweep. Killed three birds with one ricocheting stone. I didn't really need to stop by and bring Gaea's things later, but I wanted to make sure Duo was alright. Depressed people can't really be trusted on their own.
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AN: That's it for now! I hope you liked it! Review please!