====================================
A Million Ways to Slay a Raven
Jessenia
====================================
Chapter Four: Survivors
--------------------------------
Quatre frowned at the boy and shut the door to the bedroom. "What happened?" Duo shook his head, his world still spinning. "Duo?" The boy put his fists to the side of his head and frowned. "Duo, what happened?" Trowa came out of the kitchen and offered a glass of water to the boy who took it and drank greedily.
"He..." Trowa frowned.
"Take it slow. What did Heero do?" Duo looked stunned at his friend, wondering how the boy could appear so calm and composed when Heero...
"Tried to kill himself." Quatre and Trowa went rigid.
"...Again?" Quatre whispered. "Why?" Duo shook his head.
"No...he...his wrists... there were." Trowa let out a relieved huff of air and shook his head.
"Duo, that was a while ago." Duo felt his breath becoming ragged. Dammit, he never cried!
"But, why?" Trowa snorted.
"He spent over twenty-four hours, alone and blind in the freezing cold. Bleeding, with corpses of his family members, people who loved him. And of all of them, he was the only one who survived." Quatre put an arm around the startled boy's shoulders, guiding him to the sofa.
"Duo. Heero was in very bad shape after the crash. He tried on several occasions to...But that time, he came close. Very close to succeeding. But Duo, he stopped." He saw the boy's disbelieving look, still clouded with shock and fear. "When we brought him to earth and got him settled here, and Shini-chan came, and now it's okay." Duo shuddered. "I can't say everything is back to normal, because it isn't. But Heero hasn't tried anything in a long while, and he's been...happier. Especially since he met you, Duo." Duo looked at him, stunned, but for a different reason this time.
"Me?" Quatre nodded, smiling a little, and nearly laughed at Duo's wide grin. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, his grin turned into a dark look. "Shit." Quatre frowned.
"What?"
"Shit. Shit. Shit." Quatre turned helpless eyes to Trowa, who could only shrug.
"Duo, tell us what's wrong and we'll help you." Duo shook his head. There were several things that were wrong, eventually, he was going to have to tell Heero the truth, about his job, and about his feelings. But what was really on his mind was...
"We had a fight. It was my fault. When I saw the scars I just... And then he got defensive, and angry. And we were yelling full-out, that's why... that's why it happened," Quatre sighed. Heero sometimes had fits, when he couldn't really keep conscious. Nobody really knew what to make of it, except Quatre, who understood that it was Heero's way of preserving himself. In high emotional situations, when Heero felt extremely threatened, or worried that he would cause harm, he just ... shut down.
"Duo, it's okay. He'll be fine. When he wakes up, you can apologize to him. It will be fine." Duo nodded. "You should get some sleep. There's a guest room over there." He followed the blond and willingly flopped into bed, closing his eyes and giving-in to sleep with a sigh.
___________________________________________________________________________
The boy watched him. Dark brown eyes examining him, right down to the bone. He stared back. "Solo?" The boy blinked, then a slow smile, sinister and mean, split the boy's face.
"You remember me?" Duo trembled and thought of Heero, of his soft face as he smiled, just a small little smile. Solo could never be like Heero, Heero was beautiful.
"What do you want?" He asked, defensive and nervous.
"To remind you that I'm never going to leave you. That wherever you go, you will be haunted by me." Duo shook his head.
"No. Not anymore. I've moved on." Solo laughed, a short bark of laughter that was harsh to the ear.
"Not really. Your new little toy is filled to the brim with me. Did you see the scars? Did you hear about his other attempts? Trowa would understand you, you know. It was him, after all, who found Heero... Do you remember, Duo? Do you remember me?"
Flashes went through his mind.
Of smiling, opening the door, calling out a name ...
Blood. Blood everywhere, he slipped on it as he ran to the limp form ...
He shook the body, calling softly ...
"No. I've moved on!" The evil grin again. He couldn't get away, not really.
"Do you remember us, Duo?" Duo closed his eyes, wincing. Remembering the pain of being shoved against the wall, a slap across the face. Gasping for breath against a broken rib and then ... "I love you, Duo."
"Can you really deserve him?" It was a new track. Duo closed his eyes. "He'll toss you away as soon as he knows how you feel about him. As soon as he sees through you. There are too many things working against you. You'll never break free of me, bitch. You're mine." Duo opened his eyes, anger burning through him.
Nobody talked to him like that.
Not anymore.
"No." He said. "I belong to no one. And I will make it work between me and Heero." More flashes, forgotten horrors, and Duo was suddenly beginning to doubt himself. Beginning to doubt whether it was possible for him ever to be happy.
But then a flash of a familiar face crossed through his mind and he smiled.
Heero was there. He was safe because inside he held the memory of that beautiful boy. And that boy was guarding his dreams.
"NO!!" He called and was tossed away from the image of Solo, sitting up and looking directly into Trowa's startled eyes.
Duo blushed. "I'm sorry." Trowa shook his head slowly, brushing the apology off. Duo sighed, then something he remembered from the nightmare crossed his mind. "You found him" Trowa looked at him calmly. "When he tried to ... It was you ..." Trowa nodded, a flicker of remembered pain crossing his face and Duo felt a surge of understanding. He had found a place where he fit, because each of these boys were committed to each other, devoted to each other. And Duo had always been like that. Only he had never found someone to be devoted to him. "I found my ... friend, too." Steady green held him and he looked away. "But ... he died." Trowa gently put a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry." Duo shook his head.
"No. Don't be. I'm not ... Not really. He was a bastard." Trowa looked at him for a moment, then nodded, as if to himself.
"We watch-out for each other. If you ever need help, Duo ..." He trailed off when he saw Duo's smile.
"Thanks, Trowa. I really appreciate it." Trowa nodded then stood.
"Heero should be waking up soon." Duo nodded, rising anxiously.
"Trowa?" The boy stopped by the door and looked at him. "I don't know what to say to him." Trowa smiled, just a small hint of a smile, but Duo had gotten used to the quiet boy, and his expressions were never excessive.
"The truth. Trust yourself Duo. And trust him." Duo nodded.
_________________________________________________________________________
"Heero?" The boy lay in the bed stubbornly pretending to sleep. Duo sighed, stepping closer. "Heero, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I blew-up in your face, it's just, when I saw what happened ... I was scared." The boy shifted in the bed, and Duo smiled faintly, at least this was proof that Heero was listening. "I was scared because I saw someone do that before, only they were successful. And I never wanted to lose someone like that again." Heero opened his unseeing eyes as if the statement had forced them open. "I didn't want to lose you, Heero." It was barely a whisper but Duo felt so stupid for saying it because there was no logical reason why he should feel like this towards the boy. No acceptable explanation as to how it was possible to have fallen in love with the boy he was supposed to be maintaining proper surveillance over, and in such a short time. But there was something that he had always felt towards Heero, even if he had only noticed it now.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." Duo added. "And I'm really sorry that I did. But please, understand why I did it, and maybe, if you will, I'll earn your trust back." As soon as he said it, Duo felt like crying. There was no way he could earn Heero's trust back. Even if he did, he would only lose it again when the boy found out... He was lying to Heero, he was a snake slithering further into Heero's life trying to get closer ... for information. Heero would never believe that Duo had only ever wanted to protect him.
Duo wasn't even sure if he completely believed it.
"I don't like it when people yell." It was a whisper and Duo startled, he'd been so lost in his own thoughts, he had almost forgotten the other boy was there.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too." Duo smiled and took a few steps forward, raising a hand and brushing a few errant strands from out of Heero's face. The boy jumped, probably not expecting the touch. Duo snatched his hand back. "I didn't mean to ..." Heero's tight, breathy whisper stunned Duo, excitement growing in the American's stomach.
"No ... It's just nobody has ever ... touched me like that for a long while ..." Duo returned his hand to run-through the soft hair. Heero sighed and closed his eyes. "I missed it." Duo smiled but soon Heero had fallen asleep. He waited a while, still stroking the soft hair before he sighed. He had to head back to check-in with Une and sort-out everything he had learned so far.
He had just shut the door to Heero's bedroom behind him, giving a thumbs-up to Trowa's curious look and smiled at Quatre. "I should ..." He was cut-off by a knock on the door. Quatre frowned at it before getting-up and putting the magazine he had been reading down.
"Hello?" Duo noticed that Trowa stiffened and that Quatre's formal posture had become just a little more formal.
"Relena." Duo's attention perked. Relena? Why was Heero's sister here? He wasn't sure if he should feel protective and stay, or follow orders and report. He remembered what Trowa told him /We watch-out for each other.../ Heero would be okay with Trowa and Quatre.
She stepped around the blond and looked around the apartment. "I suppose one of you must have decorated." She said, and Quatre looked a little bit angry. "I was worried his place would look ridiculous because the people he got to do the work would take advantage of him."
"Heero picked the colours, Relena. This is all his design." She raised an eyebrow as if she didn't really believe him and turned, glaring dangerously at Duo.
"Who are you?" Duo glared back at her. He didn't like her, the term 'bitch' came to mind.
"Relena, this is Duo Maxwell. A friend of ours." She raised an eyebrow, a false smile on her face.
"Heero mentioned you. The Good Samaritan, ne? Sweet." She turned away from him and walked around the loft, looking around before turning back to Quatre, knowing that she would not get a response from Trowa, and not wanting to speak to the America. "Where is he?"
"Sleeping." She nodded, walking towards the only room she hadn't nosed-around in yet. She shut the door behind her. Duo looked at Quatre.
"What the hell was that?" Quatre smiled and shook his head.
"She doesn't like use because we're ..." He blushed and looked at Trowa who shrugged.
"... different." He added and Quatre giggled. It took Duo a moment before realization dawned.
"No way! You two are a ..." He caught himself and whispered. "... An item?" Quatre's blush deepened. He looked a little hesitant. "That's great!" Duo said, clapping a hand on the blond's back and beaming. Both boys looked a little flabbergasted. "I mean, I didn't want to say anything, but I was already planning to hook you two up. The chemistry...? Man! Good for you!" Quatre smiled at him, a big genuine smile.
"Thanks." Duo nodded.
"Anytime. Well, if you two can handle Princess Charming, I should head back now. See you later!" They nodded and he headed for the door. He tossed them both a thumbs-up before he shut it behind him, still grinning like a maniac.
At least the idea wouldn't be completely foreign to Heero. He mused as he climbed the steps to Une's office. He might have a chance yet.
________________________________________________________________________________
Duo knocked again, wondering where his friend was. He heard footsteps and then a soft voice which he discerned was Quatre's before the door slid open and Quatre's tense face was revealed. "What's up?" Duo said, becoming serious.
"She took him." Was the cryptic statement and Duo flashed an odd look at Quatre as he stepped into the loft, shutting the door behind him.
"Who took what? And where?" Quatre shook his head as if clearing it. Trowa stood in the middle of the room holding a note in his hand looking a little stunned.
"Relena. She took Heero to a therapist." Duo felt a little bit relieved.
"That's not too bad." Quatre shook his head.
"Heero hates them, they drive him crazy. But she's trying to get over his fear of flying. She's trying to take him back to L1 with her." Duo frowned.
"Why?" Trowa crumpled the note and tossed it into the waste paper basket.
"She's always trying to keep tabs on him. It's a form of control for her. She's always been possessive of Heero." Duo started pacing, trying to work-out a strategy.
"Do you know where she took him?" Quatre nodded.
"On the east side there is a doctor who Heero used to go to a few months ago." Duo nodded.
"We'll take my car."
----------
TBC
--------
Jessenia: HA!! The abduction of Heero!! Oh, I do so love torturing that boy!!! I'm sorry for any Relena and Zechs fans who might be reading this fic. I am being awfully mean to them, it's only going to get worse. Please do not flame me!! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed so far!! You guys are fantastic!!! Keep reviewing!!!
