Author's note: I just want to make this certain- this is not going to be a long story. Or a sad one.
Thanks so much for reviewing!! You don't know how happy they made me!!
In reply:
XtinethePirate: Meh.. ff.net has totally stuffed up my formatting- that's why all of my quotation marks have disappeared.. TT You don't know how much that annoys me. Thanks for your review!!!
Satans Angel Pyro: lol- ok, here's the next chapter, just for you .
Nephtyr: thank you so much! Your review was really encouraging!
Camillian: Now I wanna go along with your plot Ðwith the pool and the blood- cuz that sounds so good!! Thanks for your review!! Lol
K, you know the disclaimer ande stuff so I'm just going to shut up and let you get on with the story!! .
!#$%&()
Chapter 2
Heero relaxed on the far side of the pool, watching Duo who sat at a table by himself. He started to swim over to him, but Relena suddenly appeared next to him, scantily clad in a pink pikini.
Heero forced himself to smile at her. She grinned back, showing off pearly white even teeth.
"Heero." she almost purred his name. "Where are you going? You're not leaving already, are you?
Heero shook his head mutely. He didn't bother telling her that he was concerned with the welfare of Duo. She wouldn't understand.
"Good." her grin grew wider, and Heero suddenly regretted saying that he wasn't leaving. "Then let's play waterpolo!
That hadn't been what Heero was expecting. "Sure." Heero shrugged. "That's fine with me.
"Great! I'll go tell the others. Could you please go get the equipment?" she smiled prettily at him.
Heero nodded, unaffected by her flirtatious looks at him. "I'll be a second." he climbed out of the pool, water trickling down his toned chest and back, his normally shaggy hair lay as flat as it could against his scalp.
He made his way across the concrete. As Heero passed by the table where Duo sat, alone, he halted and turned to the long haired boy.
"We're playing waterpolo. You want to play?" he asked.
Duo shook his head. "I'm not dressed for such an occasion, I'm afraid" he grinned, and gestured at his clothes.
"You can borrow some swimming trunks, Quatre said so before." Heero replied.
"Nah, I'll skip. Good luck, though." Duo laughed and returned to the paper he had been doodling on.
"You shouldn't have come if you were just going to sit here and do nothing.
Duo's light hearted gaze hardened into a glare. "I'll do what I wish." his voice dropped into a hiss.
Heero blinked in surprise and took a step back.
What was that? he wondered, shocked. Did the so-happy-it-makes-me-sick Duo just get angry? Miracles...
"Whatever you say." his emotionless voice never revealed his confusion or surprise. "You can go home if you want.
He didn't know how much that sentence affected Duo. The long haired pilot could feel tears start to sting the back of his eyes, and he hastily looked away, so that Heero wouldn't see the crystalline tears dripping down his cheeks. As soon as Heero started to walk away, Duo stood up and left the pool.
He doesn't want me here... he basically dismissed me just then- am I so unlovable? Am I that horrible? Duo ran back to his apartment.
He paced the apartment for a while, loneliness and grief washing over him in tidal waves.
I have to get away... far away from all of this... Duo sobbed quietly to himself as he pulled his knife out of his drawer. Bye Hee-chan...
!#$%&
Yoshi Matsura knocked on the door again, more impatiently.
Why isn't anyone answering? I just saw that young, rash Duo Maxwell rush in here- I know he's home, he thought angrily. He knocked harder.
"Open up!" he yelled. "I know you're there Maxwell!
Still, there was no answer. He tested the doorknob, and to his surprise, found that the door was unlocked.
That's... strange... he thought slowly and unsurely, suddenly afraid of what he would stumble across in the apartment. Has something happened to Duo?
He looked around, calling out Duo's name, worry lacing his gruff voice. Finally he came across Duo's bedroom. He pushed the door which swung open, allowing him entrance.
As soon as the horrible sight reached his eyes Yoshi gave out a strangled shout and ran from the room and dialled for an ambulance.
!#$%
Where am I? Am I in heaven? Duo wondered groggily. All around him was white. He could hear faint murmurs and sounds but they all seemed so far away. Am I finally dead? Have I succeeded?
"Mr. Maxwell. I see you're finally awake." a gravelly voice above him spoke suddenly.
Is that God? Duo wondered, suddenly afraid. Uh-oh... I better start begging forgiveness for all the crimes I've committed...
He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a pained groan.
The gravelly voiced person chuckled. "You almost succeeded in committing suicide Mr. Maxwell, which would've been a shame. You look like someone who does well in life.
What does he mean, I almost succeeded? I'm not dead? Duo felt tears of frustration slide down his cheeks. Why is it that I fail in everything I do?
"I wanna die..." he managed to croak out. "Leave me alone...
A hand stroked his hair. Duo didn't have enough strength to swat it away. He concentrated on opening his eyes fully.
"I'm Dr. Theis. I'm afraid we're going to have to keep you in here for awhile, and that you're going to have to see a psychiatrist.
"Don't wanna..." his tongue could hardly wrap itself around those two simple words.
"Too bad." there was a smile in Dr. Theis's voice. "You're going to have to. How old are you, Duo? Do you mind if I call you Duo?
Duo groaned. His energy had already been spent on speaking before.
Dr. Theis chuckled. "Maybe I should wait until later to interrogate you. I'll see you later, Duo Maxwell.
Duo grunted in reply, and soon he had sunk into a state of blissful oblivion.
!#$%
"Duo?" Heero called out, frowning, wondering what the hell had happened to his apartment while he had been at the pool.
It was night time, and he had opened the door of his apartment -it was unlocked, much to his horror- to find it in a state of disarray, looking as if several people had come in carrying something between them.
"Duo?" he called out his flatmate's name again, wondering why he wasn't responding.
Heero opened the door to Duo's bedroom and found it empty. He saw a dark stain on the ground and shook his head.
Honestly Duo, spilling coffee everywhere as usual, Heero thought somewhat fondly. If he had bothered to look closer he would've realised it wasn't coffee, but blood.
Duo's blood.
He decided to phone Quatre, to ask whether the blond knew where Duo had gone, but at that moment his neighbour, Yoshi walked in.
"What do you want?" Heero demanded.
Yoshi looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you were here. I just came to get some clothes for Duo.
Heero immediately walked over to him. "What have you done to him?" he asked angrily. "Where is he?
Yoshi took a step back, holding his hands in front of him. "Jeez, calm down! He's at-" Yoshi hesitated. Does he know? "-a motel. Won a trip to Fiji." he lied.
"Duo won a competition?" Heero frowned in confusion. "Oh.
"Yeah..." Yoshi hoped he looked convincing. "He just called me to tell you where he had gone to, and to pack some clothes.
"I'll do that." Heero volunteered. "Just tell me where he's staying.
"Oh no! Really, it's fine!" Yoshi burst out hastily. "I know what to get! Really!
Heero regarded him suspiciously. Something was wrong with all of this. He smelled a lie.
"You're lying." he said flatly. "Duo's not in some hotel because he won a trip to Fiji. Now tell me the truth- where is he?
Yoshi glared at him. "He's gone.
"Gone where?
"He's just gone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pack his clothes. If you had been paying more attention to him, you would know that he had been planning to move out for a few months now." it pained him, lying to Heero like that, but Yoshi knew that it was better to toy with the kid's emotions than tell him the actual truth.
"Oh." Heero was lost for words. He stepped away, allowing Yoshi to get to Duo's bedroom.
Duo... Duo left? his mind was unable to process the information, no matter how many times he kept repeating the sentence ÔDuo left' to himself.
"You okay, kid?
Heero flinched, suddenly realising that Yoshi was next to him, holding a fully packed bag.
"I'm fine." he muttered through gritted teeth.
"If you're sure..." Yoshi said doubtfully, but left it there, leaving and taking the duffel bag with him.
It was a few hours after Yoshi had left that full realisation hit Heero.
Duo's gone... and he's not coming back... He left... He left me...
!#$%&
Many days had passed since Duo had left -or so Heero believed- and he, Relena, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were sitting in the park, eating some food that Relena's cook had prepared for them.
"It's been almost three weeks since I last saw Duo." Trowa commented abruptly. "Has he gone into hiding or something?
Heero's mouth thinned into a straight line, and he let Relena -who somehow found out everything- to answer.
"He left!" the girl replied, shaking her head as if in disbelief. "Just suddenly packed up and left one day!
"Really?" Quatre frowned. "But why would Duo do that? He usually gives a bit of warning before he does something as serious as that.
Heero shrugged. "Who cares? He's gone, and that's all there is to it.
Wufei frowned. "Oh come on, you can't be so thick that you honestly believe you don't miss him?
Heero glared at him. "He's not of importance.
Wufei rolled his eyes. "Dumbass." he muttered under his breath.
"I heard that.
"You were supposed to.
Heero growled in anger and stood up to leave. Relena stood up hastily, brushing drumbs off her tiny pink dress.
"Wait- Heero!" she rushed after him. All of a sudden a ball came flying out nowhere and hit her. She let out an anguished shriek and fell to the ground, clutching her wrist. "I'm going to die! Oh my God, oh my God, I'm dying!" she screeched.
Heero rushed to her side and prodded her wrist. She whimpered in pain.
"You've broken your wrist." he said matter of factly.
Quatre peered over Heero's shoulder, concern written all over his face. "We'd better get to her to a hospital and quick.
They managed to get Relena to a hospital in record time, and watched as the doctor wheeled her away for x-raying. Heero was still angry at Wufei for suggesting that he harboured any concern for Duo, and ignored the Chinese pilot.
The doctor came out a few hours later, telling them that Relena had a broken wrist, and that it was probably best if she stayed overnight in the hospital, since it was quite late -4pm- and the cast would take a while [1].
"I'm Dr. Theis, by the way." he smiled kindly at them. "Your friend will be staying in ward 28. Would you like to visit her?
Heero wanted nothing more than to return to his apartment and mull of his thoughts, but the other guys dragged him off to visit Relena and see how she was feeling.
Relena lay on a hospital bed, pale as fresh snow, staring blankly at the wall. Her face lit up as soon as she caught sight of Heero.
"Heero!" she purred.
"Hn." he sat down on a seat and watched uninterestedly as the others -mainly Quatre- talked to her. Wufei looked just as bored as he was, and Trowa tried to keep up the pretence that he was interested, though everyone knew that he was only there because Quatre was.
Heero wondered why part of the ward had been curtained off. Maybe it's for people with serious injuries? Heero watched as a nurse disappeared into the curtained area. I wish I could see what was behind there.
Dr Theis walked up to them. "Hello there. Feeling better?" he asked Relena kindly.
The pink clad girl nodded. "Yes, a lot, thank you.
Dr Theis followed Heero's line of sight. "That's for suicidal people." he said softly.
Heero's surprised eyes met his. "You put Relena in a ward full of mental people?
Dr Theis raised an eyebrow. "I never said they were mentally disabled. I merely said that they were suicidal.
"It's the same thing." Heero snorted. He conveniently forgot all the times that he had nearly self destructed, telling himself that that was a different matter.
"If you knew someone who wished to end their life you wouldn't think it was the same thing." Dr Theis said, his voice still soft and kind. "Depression affects many people, no matter of their race, appearance, or personality.
Heero rolled his eyes. He had heard this speech too many times before. "They're still mental.
"One of my patients, a young man around your age, is probably one of the most cheerful people I've ever met.
"Then why does he want to die?" Heero challenged boldly.
"I don't know. He won't tell me." Dr Theis looked over at the curtained area with extreme sorrow. "He won't talk, he won't eat, and he won't move. He just wants to waste away and die.
"He sounds interesting." Heero muttered sarcastically.
Unfortunately for him, Dr Theis heard him. "It's wonderful that you should think so! Why don't you come back here on Thursday night and meet him? He needs a friend. No one ever visits him, and he doesn't have any family.
Heero stared at him, aghast.
He wants me to spend my Thursday night with some psycho? he thought, horrified.
"He'd love to." Wufei immediately answered for Heero.
Heero glared at him. You bastard, he mouthed at the Chinese boy, who smirked.
"That's excellent!" Dr Theis beamed. "Well, come at 7:30pm on Thursday to this ward. I'm sure my patient will look forward to it.
"What's his name?" Heero grunted. It's not like I'll actually turn up.
Dr Their paused thoughtfully. "I can't quite remember. I have to deal with so many patients, it's hard to remember their names. His name's unusual- I think he's American.
That caught Heero's attention. American? With a strange name? he felt his heart sink. I'm just making presumptions. Why on earth would Duo be suicidal? Another thought occurred to him. The doctor said he has no family- the same as Duo!
"I think it began with D." Dr Theis had no idea how much that sentence affected Heero.
The boy stood up abruptly. "I have to go." he stammered, not able to meet his friend's questioning gazes. "I'll be back Thursday.
I have to find out if it's Duo! Please... please don't let it be Duo...
Wufei caught up with him. "What makes you think it's Duo?" he asked as they exited the hospital.
"I don't." Heero muttered through gritted teeth.
"Yes you do. It's so obvious, Yuy." Wufei looked at him seriously. "Heero. There are many Americans that have names beginning with D. Besides, Dr Theis said that he thought that his patient was American. He never said that his patient was actually American.
Heero nodded, some of his panic disappearing. "You're right. I'm just... I'm just being an idiot.
"As usual.
"Shut up, Wufei." Heero growled.
"So you going to go on Thursday?
"I don't have anything better to do, do I?" Heero shrugged non committedly.
He returned to his empty apartment, and looked around, painfully aware of Duo's departure. Everything seemed to empty, so pointless after he left. It was like life didn't matter any more, not without Duo's bright presence.
I miss him, Heero realised suddenly. I really miss him.
He sank to the ground, clutching his head in his hands, an old saying popping into his mind.
You never fully appreciate something until it's gone...
!#$%&
Thursday soon came, and Heero found himself at the hospital, staring up at the dark, forboding building with a stab of apprehension. He wondered what the boy he was going to meet was like.
Someone who doesn't talk, move, or eat. Fun.
Dr Theis met him outside the ward, the same steady smile on his face. "There you are! I forgot to ask for your name before.
"It's Heero Yuy." he replied uncomfortably. It wasn't often that people -other than Relena, that was- took an interest in him.
"Heero." Dr Theis looked thoughtful. "I swear I've heard that name before... I think one of my patients know you... yes- the young man whom I told you about has mentioned your name before in one of the nightmares he has.
"I'm sure there are other people called Heero." Heero said, even more awkwardly.
This is getting stranger and stranger. I've got to remember what Wufei said- it probably isn't Duo. I mean, since when has Duo ever been sad?
"Hmm." Dr Theis shrugged. "Anyway, come this way please. I agreed to let you two meet in the games room. Now, just remember that you don't want to say anything to upset him- it's been hard for him for the past few weeks.
Heero nodded absently, his mind not really on Dr Theis's words. He followed the doctor down several corridors until they finally stopped outside a bright green door.
"Well, here we are." Dr Theis pushed open the door.
Heero felt his heart skip several beats when he saw the thin figure hunched over a table.
Familiar long, braided brown hair flowed down the boy's back, and he was dressed in clothes that Heero recognised instantly. The boy refused to look at them, and instead stared at his hands.
"Well, this is Heero Yuy-" a pair of shocked violet eyes snapped up and focused on him. "And this is Duo Maxwell.
[1] - hey, it's my fic!! I'll do what I want!!
!#$%&()Author's notes: And so the plot thickensÉ. Lol- no, not really. Well, that was 11 microsoft word pages, so I'm happy!! .
Umm.. could anyone tell me what colour Heero's eyes are? Cuz I think they're blue- at least in the pictures they are.
Thanks to: Mara202, fiery-icicles, ????, foxhiei, DarkDemon0087, Ink2, XtinethePirate, Demonskid, hails, Satans Angel Pyro, Nephtyr, camillian.