Writers Block

Part 2

Disclaimer: I dun't own Gundam Wing, nor do I claim to. If I did there'd be serious changing around in the pairing department.

Warnings: YAOI, swearing, angst, fluff, sap. Sequel to Inspiration

Things were getting very frustrating. Duo glared out the window, completely unaware of the dazzling sunlight that blanketed the yard beyond the thin pane of glass.

It had been nearly a week since the Milliardo incident and Heero had hardly left his computer since. There had been no discussion on it, no argument. Just nothing. Something was wrong. Duo could sense it in the tension in his lover's shoulders and in the way Heero avoided looking at him. He was bottling something up inside and nothing Duo had done had been able to open the man up, to get him to talk about it.

It felt like he was back to square one, where they'd been at the beginning of their relationship when both were still testing boundaries. Heero's seemed to be changing and Duo was afraid that with the change he'd lose the man he'd fallen madly in love with.

He ran a frustrated hand through jagged bangs, leaning heavily against the windowsill as he continued to look sightlessly outside.

It was Heero's past, he was sure of it. The confrontation with Milliardo must have sparked his doubt and unburied something that probably would have been better left where it was. In order to do anything about the problem Duo would first have to find out exactly what it was. If only Heero would talk to him.

And it just kept sending him in circles, didn't it? Over and over again he came up with the same conclusion. 'Must get Heero to talk.' But Heero wouldn't talk. He was closed up tighter than a clam and not even three years of living together was enough to give him the full depth of what was going on in the other man's head. It was just one of Heero's quirks. He was full of mysteries and conflicting ideals making it near impossible to predict what path his thought process was likely to pick.

Even speaking to Heero's friends had come up with blanks. They'd all witnessed Heero's relationship with Milliardo and none could come up with a stable reason for his reaction to the man's sudden appearance. Despite their comparatively short relationship, Duo knew Heero about as well as his friends did, and more so on certain other levels. It didn't seem right that no one could quite figure out what was going on inside the man's head.

Of course, there was only one person who was likely to know Heero as well, or better, than the others. It was a damn shame Heather was half way across the country doing lord only knew what. Probably launching paint-filled balloons at giant slabs of canvas.

Sighing, he stood from his uncomfortable perch on the edge of the windowsill and looked towards the phone, trying to fight a temptation that was far stronger than he would have ever expected.

It would be so simple to just pick it up and dial Heather's number. Just to let it all out and tell her everything that was going on and have her decide what to do about the situation. He couldn't do it. He couldn't keep running to Heero's sister every time there was a problem with their relationship. It wasn't fair to any of them. It stopped Duo from learning how to deal with these sorts of situations, Heather would be forced into a problem that shouldn't have been hers and Heero would be under the impression that Duo ran to his sister for help every time there was even a little bump in the road.

The problem was, this wasn't so little a bump as the ones before. Something so seemingly small had escalated into something much bigger in Heero's mind and Duo didn't know what he was supposed to do in order to fix it.

Perhaps, it wasn't such a bad idea to bring Heather into things. The situation was more than it should have been and it was probably Duo's own fault for letting it carry on for long. He knew Heero's tendency for letting things stew until they'd become far worse that what they'd started out as.

Frowning, he picked up the phone and began to hesitantly dial the number of Heather's dorm. He nearly hung up as he heard the ringing and nearly hung up again as the phone on the other end was picked up.

"'lo?" Was the muffled response.

"Heather? It's Duo."

"D'o? ...the hell? D'you have any idea what time it is?"

Duo's eyebrows climbed into his hairline as he felt a flare of amusement for the first time in the last few weeks. "It's nearly noon, Heather. There's not time difference between here and where you are now."

"Which is exactly why I have afternoon classes, Duo. So I don't have to be up at these ungodly hours." Her voice had become stronger as she seemed to wake herself up. "Now what was it that's so important that you felt the need to wake me from a sound sleep."

The author hesitated, still conflicted as to whether he wanted to bring the girl into things. "It's about Heero... We saw his ex Milliardo at a recent party and things have gotten a little.. weird lately. He's stopped talking to me and no one else can really tell me what's going on inside his head. I figured you'd know him better than anyone."

"Oi... Milliardo?" She sighed and the sound of rustling cloth could be heard. "Fate certainly doesn't feel like being kind, does she?"

"Apparently not, no," he replied dryly.

"Well... He's probably just a little caught up in the memory of what happened. I wasn't very old when the whole Relena/Milliardo debacle occurred, so I can't remember it all very clearly. It did hit him hard, though. Don't let it fester too long, Duo. Try to keep his mind off of it and try to pound it into him how much you love him. That's about the only advise I can give you." More rustling cloth and a stifled yawn. "Heero has to work through this in his own way, but it's best that he has your support in it. He really does love you, too, but sometimes he has doubts in himself."

"But it feels so much like he's pulling away from me."

"It's a defense mechanism. Seeing that asshole probably hurt him, Duo. It brought up back supposedly long dead memories. Milliardo was the first boyfriend he'd ever had and afterwards he thought he was doomed when it came to romance because of how horribly it had turned out. Just prove him wrong and give him your support, even if it is only silently. If things get too bad, I'll come back for a visit. I have a long weekend coming up soon anyways.."

Duo rubbed at his eyes, sighing in frustration. "I don't want to start running to you for help every time there's something wrong with Heero and I. Let me try and work this out myself, before you go making any plans. Thanks for the advice, though."

"Now, was that all you called about?" The hope in her voice was almost enough to make him laugh. The girl really had become rather soft when it came to normal waking hours.

"Yeah.. Though if you want to talk about something else, you know I'm always willing to keep you from your beauty sleep."

"Ha Ha. Very funny, Duo," she responded dryly. "I'll talk to you later. Don't forget to tell me any progress you make within the next little while."

"Will do. Bye."

"Goodnight, Duo."

The brunette hung up the phone with a faint click, mood just slightly lighter. If Heather wasn't able to give good advice about Heero no one else would be.

TBC

Shade: Yes, yes, I know it's going on a year since I wrote the first chapter. Here's the 411: I am no longer what you would call a GW fanatic. Let's be honest folks, the GW fandom is dying a very slow and painful death. I haven't written GW in a good six months. I haven't watched the actual show since some time last year and I haven't read much in the way of GW fiction since last fall. I'm an avid Harry Potter slasher now. I'm also 18 as opposed to the 15 I was when I started Inspiration. I honestly can't see how I was ever that horrible at writing. Not so much the actual style, but my characterization. Give them different names and it wouldn't be the same characters. I've matured as a writer and matured as a person. There's no real depth to the characters I'm writing or the relationship and I find myself a little embarrassed to go back and read some of the chapters.

Despite all that, I thank you all for your loyalty for this fic. I thank everyone who's still reading my stuff, still waiting for sporadic updates. I thank especially, Ixy for annoying the hell out me with review after review telling me to hurry up on a regular basis. If it weren't for you, it's likely I wouldn't have written more. Still, I can't promise there will be another update after this. I have no idea where I want to go with this. Anyone who has ideas may feel free to email me or come harass me on my LJ (both listed on my bio page). Honestly. I haven't had anyone to talk GW with in quite some time. That may be the reason I'm so out of tune with my muses.