(Rapunzel is lying face down on her bed, face buried in her pillow. A
muffled monologue rises from her inert form. At the head of the bed sits
her muse, looking down at the incapacitated author with a mixture of
amusement and annoyance.)
Rapunzel: ...ligands, totipotency, interfascicular cambium, null clines...
Muse: She's been like this for a while now. I think the midterms have finally short circuited her brain.
Rapunzel: ...monocots, redox, lignin, Bt corn, vascular bundles, electrochemical cells...
Muse: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but as you can see (gestures at author), I'm having a little trouble getting her to write.
Rapunzel: ...crystal field splitting, equilibria, cotyledons, biotechnology, Monera...
Muse: ::hopes off the bed:: That's it. I'm going to go get the cables to try and jumpstart her brain.
Welcome Distractions By Rapunzel
Chapter 11: Distressing Disappointments
Plopping down on a nice patch of grass outside one of the buildings, Duo dug his rather squished sandwich out of his backpack and settled down to lunch. He kept on having to remind himself not to scarf it down in an effort to get to the library faster.
/Relax,/ he told himself. /Heero's in class right now. You've got at least forty minutes before he gets out; slow down and enjoy your lunch./
Still, he ate a little faster than was necessary. He really wanted to talk to Heero, to find out if the previous day had wrecked everything, or if he still had a chance. The only way to find out was to ask Heero, and the best place to talk to Heero was the library.
So to the library he went. Staking out a post near the stairs where he could watch the front entrance, Duo dropped his backpack and prepared to wait. It was about five minutes before two, a little early, but he wanted to make sure that he caught Heero. So he waited.
And he waited. A stream of people constantly flowed through the front doors. One girl got scolded by the man standing watch for bringing a water bottle in. She tucked it in her backpack and went on her way.
Duo glanced at his watch. Two o'clock exactly. Heero's class let out at two. It would take him less than five minutes to get to the library. Possibly less, if his class let out early. Eagerly, Duo went back to watching the entrance.
Still, the stream flowed. More and more people came in. He'd never noticed before how popular the library was at this hour. There were people at all of the desks in the front. A long line stretched out in front of the desk where books were checked out. The girl at the end of the line had her back to him. From behind, she looked rather like his friend Kristen, but probably wasn't.
He glanced at his watch. 2:03. Any minute now.
2:04. Two girls walked towards the exit, looking almost like twins in their blue jeans and matching sweatshirts, each with the college name printed across the front. Even their hair was similar; both sported ponytails of matching length. Chatting amicably, they left the library together.
2:05. There were plenty of Asian students entering the library. Duo scanned their faces, hoping to see the now familiar blue eyes. A young man gave him a strange look when he noticed Duo staring at him. No one else noticed him. Heero wasn't among them.
2:08. The girl who looked like Kristen from behind but probably wasn't was at the desk now. She set down her armful of books and her card. The lady helping her was temporarily distracted as a young man set off the alarm designed to prevent stealing of library books. She called him back and made him pass through again.
2:10. The Girl-Who-Looked-Like-Kristen-From-Behind-But-Probably-Wasn't turned around and became the Girl-Who-Looked-Like-Kristen-From-Behind-But- Definitely-Wasn't. Their faces were very different. A lot of people looked alike when viewed from behind, Duo mused. Except Heero. He was distinctive no matter which angle he was viewed from.
2:15. Duo wandered out in front of the library to see if Heero had thought to maybe wait out there. It was cold outside, despite the fact that it was still early afternoon. The sun was struggling to shine feebly through the clouds. None of the people outside enjoying its dubious light was Heero. Duo went back inside.
2:20. There were still plenty of people who wanted to get into the library. Another girl had been scolded for carrying in a water bottle. People milled around everywhere. None of them was Heero.
At 2:40, Duo gave up and went upstairs to study until his shift started. For some reason, he couldn't seem to concentrate on his books.
~*~*~
"You were wrong, Quatre."
Quatre, who had just come in and was in the process of taking his backpack off, jumped about a half a foot. Looking around the room for the source of the voice, he finally spotted Duo sitting slouched on the couch, looking dismal.
"What's the matter, Duo?" he asked.
"You were wrong," Duo repeated. "You said a little hope never hurt anyone."
Quatre moved to sit on the couch next to his friend. Settling an arm gently around his shoulders, he asked gently, "What's wrong, Duo? What happened?"
"He stood me up," Duo answered sullenly. "I waited for over a half an hour, and he never showed."
"Now, Duo, maybe something came up. He could have a legitimate excuse," Quatre said, attempting to console his friend.
"Yeah," Duo answered despondently. "More likely I frightened him off by trying to kiss him yesterday."
Quatre blinked. "You tried to kiss him yesterday?"
"Yup. Came damn close to it too. That damn girl just had to wake up right then, didn't she?"
"What did Heero say to this?"
"Nothing," Duo said. "Absolutely nothing. He wouldn't talk at all."
"Oh Duo." Quatre pulled Duo into a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don't."
"I hate it when they don't," Duo muttered. "I wish I knew what Heero was thinking. Wish I knew where he was this afternoon too."
~*~*~
Heero rolled over and reached for the water bottle sitting on his desk. Since his and Wufei's beds were parallel to each other and about the same height, he had a perfect opening to glare across the room at him. And glare he did.
"This is all your fault," he groused.
Wufei muttered something that was probably Chinese vulgarity and glared back. "And I suppose you think I vindictively decided to share my germs with you for the sole purpose of making you miserable? Ha! Believe me, given my choice, I would rather have you healthy and out of here than making my life even more miserable than it already is!"
Heero didn't reply to that, but his glare lost none of its intensity. Wufei snorted and rolled over, leaving Heero to glare at his back. Since this was a rather pointless exercise, Heero turned his eyes away to glance at the clock. It was almost five. Not only had he missed all of his classes, he had slept right through his usual study time in the library with Duo. Not that they had got much studying done the previous day...
Heero frown. They hadn't accomplished much of anything the previous day, even talking, which was what they needed to do most. Talking to Duo had been at the top of that day's agenda until he'd come down with whatever bug Wufei had acquired. Now he wasn't sure he could drag his sorry carcass out of the building, let alone to the library. Talking to Duo would simply have to wait.
~*~*~
A week passed before Heero felt sufficiently well to even attend his classes or go anywhere farther away than the dinning hall. Even then, he began to wonder if he was really well enough to be out so much. By the afternoon, he had a terrible headache, though he wasn't sure whether it had been brought on by the illness or the fact that he was trying to keep up with his classes after having missed several lectures. As he stalked towards the library, he couldn't help but wonder dismally if he would ever manage to catch up again.
As another stab of pain in his head almost made him wince, Heero wished that he had someone to gripe to. Not that griping would change his situation any, but it would make him feel marginally better. Duo was a great person to gripe to, Heero had discovered. He listened attentively and expressed sympathy in all the right places. Yes, talking to Duo was bound to make him feel at least a little bit better. Maybe he could even ask him for some aspirin. Quatre occasionally experienced migraines, and since he and Duo often went to the campus together, Duo had taken to carrying a back-up supply of analgesics. Heero thought that it was unlikely that Duo would mind sharing the supply with a friend
With those encouraging thoughts in his mind, Heero entered the library and headed over to the table where he and Duo usually sat. Thanks to his week of lying in bed most of the time, he had plenty to work on, and was ready for an afternoon of studying alternated with chatting. Walking around the bookshelves, Heero opened his mouth to greet Duo, then closed it again.
The table was empty.
Well, Duo had been late before. Heero was not overly put out. He set his bag down and began trying to catch up on his reading for anthropology.
By three o' clock, Heero was becoming a little worried. Duo still hadn't arrived, and Heero knew that the other young man was due to start work around that time. To his knowledge, Duo had never missed a day of work before. Concerned, Heero repacked his book bag and began to wander around the library, looking for his friend. Duo usually worked stacking books, but even after Heero had peered around every bookshelf on the first floor, his friend refused to be found.
Disappointed, Heero moved up to the second floor, and repeated his search there. When he had covered the entire second floor and still not seen hide nor hair of Duo, he moved up to the third floor. By the time he had finished combing through the third floor, Heero had come to a conclusion. Either Duo had also caught whatever bug he and Wufei had had and was home sick, or, far more likely, he was trying to avoid him.
Leaning his head against the wall, Heero resisted the urge to slam his forehead against it repeatedly. They never had cleared up the matter of the almost kiss the previous week, and now Duo was avoiding him. That was hardly what he wanted, but he couldn't tell Duo that unless he actually located the other. Right then, that seemed unlikely. Duo had been working at the library longer than Heero had been on the campus, and if he didn't want to be found, Heero was sure that he wasn't going to find him.
Still, he couldn't let Duo go on thinking that Heero hated him when nothing could be further from the truth.
Heero closed his eyes, trying to formulate a plan, a way out of this situation. He came up with two possible solutions to the problem of finding Duo. One was to simply go to his apartment and bang on the door. However, that one was likely to backfire, since it would be simple enough for Duo to get either Hilde or Quatre to say he wasn't at home. Depending on what Duo had told them, they might easily agree to cover for him.
The other option involved showing up when Duo didn't expect him. Heero knew that Duo worked mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but he had never been to the library then because he had morning classes. Duo, who knew what Heero's schedule looked like almost as well as Heero himself, knew this and was therefore likely stop bothering to hide then.
Heero's jaw firmed and his face took on a look of grim determination. One way or another, he was going to talk to Duo.
tbc
Rapunzel: ...ligands, totipotency, interfascicular cambium, null clines...
Muse: She's been like this for a while now. I think the midterms have finally short circuited her brain.
Rapunzel: ...monocots, redox, lignin, Bt corn, vascular bundles, electrochemical cells...
Muse: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but as you can see (gestures at author), I'm having a little trouble getting her to write.
Rapunzel: ...crystal field splitting, equilibria, cotyledons, biotechnology, Monera...
Muse: ::hopes off the bed:: That's it. I'm going to go get the cables to try and jumpstart her brain.
Welcome Distractions By Rapunzel
Chapter 11: Distressing Disappointments
Plopping down on a nice patch of grass outside one of the buildings, Duo dug his rather squished sandwich out of his backpack and settled down to lunch. He kept on having to remind himself not to scarf it down in an effort to get to the library faster.
/Relax,/ he told himself. /Heero's in class right now. You've got at least forty minutes before he gets out; slow down and enjoy your lunch./
Still, he ate a little faster than was necessary. He really wanted to talk to Heero, to find out if the previous day had wrecked everything, or if he still had a chance. The only way to find out was to ask Heero, and the best place to talk to Heero was the library.
So to the library he went. Staking out a post near the stairs where he could watch the front entrance, Duo dropped his backpack and prepared to wait. It was about five minutes before two, a little early, but he wanted to make sure that he caught Heero. So he waited.
And he waited. A stream of people constantly flowed through the front doors. One girl got scolded by the man standing watch for bringing a water bottle in. She tucked it in her backpack and went on her way.
Duo glanced at his watch. Two o'clock exactly. Heero's class let out at two. It would take him less than five minutes to get to the library. Possibly less, if his class let out early. Eagerly, Duo went back to watching the entrance.
Still, the stream flowed. More and more people came in. He'd never noticed before how popular the library was at this hour. There were people at all of the desks in the front. A long line stretched out in front of the desk where books were checked out. The girl at the end of the line had her back to him. From behind, she looked rather like his friend Kristen, but probably wasn't.
He glanced at his watch. 2:03. Any minute now.
2:04. Two girls walked towards the exit, looking almost like twins in their blue jeans and matching sweatshirts, each with the college name printed across the front. Even their hair was similar; both sported ponytails of matching length. Chatting amicably, they left the library together.
2:05. There were plenty of Asian students entering the library. Duo scanned their faces, hoping to see the now familiar blue eyes. A young man gave him a strange look when he noticed Duo staring at him. No one else noticed him. Heero wasn't among them.
2:08. The girl who looked like Kristen from behind but probably wasn't was at the desk now. She set down her armful of books and her card. The lady helping her was temporarily distracted as a young man set off the alarm designed to prevent stealing of library books. She called him back and made him pass through again.
2:10. The Girl-Who-Looked-Like-Kristen-From-Behind-But-Probably-Wasn't turned around and became the Girl-Who-Looked-Like-Kristen-From-Behind-But- Definitely-Wasn't. Their faces were very different. A lot of people looked alike when viewed from behind, Duo mused. Except Heero. He was distinctive no matter which angle he was viewed from.
2:15. Duo wandered out in front of the library to see if Heero had thought to maybe wait out there. It was cold outside, despite the fact that it was still early afternoon. The sun was struggling to shine feebly through the clouds. None of the people outside enjoying its dubious light was Heero. Duo went back inside.
2:20. There were still plenty of people who wanted to get into the library. Another girl had been scolded for carrying in a water bottle. People milled around everywhere. None of them was Heero.
At 2:40, Duo gave up and went upstairs to study until his shift started. For some reason, he couldn't seem to concentrate on his books.
~*~*~
"You were wrong, Quatre."
Quatre, who had just come in and was in the process of taking his backpack off, jumped about a half a foot. Looking around the room for the source of the voice, he finally spotted Duo sitting slouched on the couch, looking dismal.
"What's the matter, Duo?" he asked.
"You were wrong," Duo repeated. "You said a little hope never hurt anyone."
Quatre moved to sit on the couch next to his friend. Settling an arm gently around his shoulders, he asked gently, "What's wrong, Duo? What happened?"
"He stood me up," Duo answered sullenly. "I waited for over a half an hour, and he never showed."
"Now, Duo, maybe something came up. He could have a legitimate excuse," Quatre said, attempting to console his friend.
"Yeah," Duo answered despondently. "More likely I frightened him off by trying to kiss him yesterday."
Quatre blinked. "You tried to kiss him yesterday?"
"Yup. Came damn close to it too. That damn girl just had to wake up right then, didn't she?"
"What did Heero say to this?"
"Nothing," Duo said. "Absolutely nothing. He wouldn't talk at all."
"Oh Duo." Quatre pulled Duo into a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don't."
"I hate it when they don't," Duo muttered. "I wish I knew what Heero was thinking. Wish I knew where he was this afternoon too."
~*~*~
Heero rolled over and reached for the water bottle sitting on his desk. Since his and Wufei's beds were parallel to each other and about the same height, he had a perfect opening to glare across the room at him. And glare he did.
"This is all your fault," he groused.
Wufei muttered something that was probably Chinese vulgarity and glared back. "And I suppose you think I vindictively decided to share my germs with you for the sole purpose of making you miserable? Ha! Believe me, given my choice, I would rather have you healthy and out of here than making my life even more miserable than it already is!"
Heero didn't reply to that, but his glare lost none of its intensity. Wufei snorted and rolled over, leaving Heero to glare at his back. Since this was a rather pointless exercise, Heero turned his eyes away to glance at the clock. It was almost five. Not only had he missed all of his classes, he had slept right through his usual study time in the library with Duo. Not that they had got much studying done the previous day...
Heero frown. They hadn't accomplished much of anything the previous day, even talking, which was what they needed to do most. Talking to Duo had been at the top of that day's agenda until he'd come down with whatever bug Wufei had acquired. Now he wasn't sure he could drag his sorry carcass out of the building, let alone to the library. Talking to Duo would simply have to wait.
~*~*~
A week passed before Heero felt sufficiently well to even attend his classes or go anywhere farther away than the dinning hall. Even then, he began to wonder if he was really well enough to be out so much. By the afternoon, he had a terrible headache, though he wasn't sure whether it had been brought on by the illness or the fact that he was trying to keep up with his classes after having missed several lectures. As he stalked towards the library, he couldn't help but wonder dismally if he would ever manage to catch up again.
As another stab of pain in his head almost made him wince, Heero wished that he had someone to gripe to. Not that griping would change his situation any, but it would make him feel marginally better. Duo was a great person to gripe to, Heero had discovered. He listened attentively and expressed sympathy in all the right places. Yes, talking to Duo was bound to make him feel at least a little bit better. Maybe he could even ask him for some aspirin. Quatre occasionally experienced migraines, and since he and Duo often went to the campus together, Duo had taken to carrying a back-up supply of analgesics. Heero thought that it was unlikely that Duo would mind sharing the supply with a friend
With those encouraging thoughts in his mind, Heero entered the library and headed over to the table where he and Duo usually sat. Thanks to his week of lying in bed most of the time, he had plenty to work on, and was ready for an afternoon of studying alternated with chatting. Walking around the bookshelves, Heero opened his mouth to greet Duo, then closed it again.
The table was empty.
Well, Duo had been late before. Heero was not overly put out. He set his bag down and began trying to catch up on his reading for anthropology.
By three o' clock, Heero was becoming a little worried. Duo still hadn't arrived, and Heero knew that the other young man was due to start work around that time. To his knowledge, Duo had never missed a day of work before. Concerned, Heero repacked his book bag and began to wander around the library, looking for his friend. Duo usually worked stacking books, but even after Heero had peered around every bookshelf on the first floor, his friend refused to be found.
Disappointed, Heero moved up to the second floor, and repeated his search there. When he had covered the entire second floor and still not seen hide nor hair of Duo, he moved up to the third floor. By the time he had finished combing through the third floor, Heero had come to a conclusion. Either Duo had also caught whatever bug he and Wufei had had and was home sick, or, far more likely, he was trying to avoid him.
Leaning his head against the wall, Heero resisted the urge to slam his forehead against it repeatedly. They never had cleared up the matter of the almost kiss the previous week, and now Duo was avoiding him. That was hardly what he wanted, but he couldn't tell Duo that unless he actually located the other. Right then, that seemed unlikely. Duo had been working at the library longer than Heero had been on the campus, and if he didn't want to be found, Heero was sure that he wasn't going to find him.
Still, he couldn't let Duo go on thinking that Heero hated him when nothing could be further from the truth.
Heero closed his eyes, trying to formulate a plan, a way out of this situation. He came up with two possible solutions to the problem of finding Duo. One was to simply go to his apartment and bang on the door. However, that one was likely to backfire, since it would be simple enough for Duo to get either Hilde or Quatre to say he wasn't at home. Depending on what Duo had told them, they might easily agree to cover for him.
The other option involved showing up when Duo didn't expect him. Heero knew that Duo worked mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but he had never been to the library then because he had morning classes. Duo, who knew what Heero's schedule looked like almost as well as Heero himself, knew this and was therefore likely stop bothering to hide then.
Heero's jaw firmed and his face took on a look of grim determination. One way or another, he was going to talk to Duo.
tbc