DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Gundam Wing characters, so don't
sue me.
Ok, I'm putting some author's notes up here before I write the next chapter. The first chapter was just written pretty quickly, and I decided I'd have to write more while I was still in the mood to write. If you haven't guessed by now, this story is AU. Oh, and it will probably be 1x2 later on, but I'll probably include some of the other yaoi/non-yaoi relationships in it too. I'm NOT a fan of 1xR, so don't expect me to glorify it here. Oh, and I already warned about the whole attempted suicide thing in the beginning.
Oh, and a big thanks goes out to my first review, tenshiamanda. Now, on with chapter two!
One more thing: I can't figure out how to get italics and stuff to show up on my stories. If anyone could review it back to me, thanks. If it's important, I type my stories up on Microsoft Word.
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Not too far from the house where Heero Yuy lay recovering, another young boy was walking through the red light district of town. His face lay in shadow as the youth slipped into a seedy bar.
Smoke floated from a hundred cigarettes, drinks spilled into mouths, cards slammed on tables with losing hands. And they all looked up, men and women alike, to watch the one who entered.
All was silent.
None dared say he was too young to drink. His face may have belied his true age, but one could feel it, emanating from his core. A steeliness, a feeling of wisdom. The same obscure mixture you get from a solider: one who has seen too much. And yet...there was innocent hope in his eyes. As if he had taken the pain of the world on himself, just to save your sorry ass.
You couldn't help but stare, you had to admire him. But you still wanted to inch away from this creature.
He sat down, pale eyes downcast. His golden hair made his youthful face all the younger. He signaled a waitress, she brought him a drink. Another. Another. Then, no more.
For the first time since he had entered, he looked around the room. All who met his gaze returned it, surprised to find kindness there.
He got up, paid, and left.
He slipped into a dark alley, and pulled out a cell phone. Expertly, he applied a scrambler to the receiver of the phone and dialed.
"No, I haven't found him yet. He's nowhere near where he usually- I understand. Uh huh. Uh huh. I know. I'm meeting my partner downtown in one hour. We'll continue the search then. Bye."
He returned the phone and scrambler to his jacket pocket. He rubbed his hands together briefly to warm them, and looked up at the night sky, deep in thought.
* * * *
Heero had now been living with Duo for a week. Duo always left the house a little past three in the morning, and always returned by dawn. He slept all morning. Heero wasn't sure if he had a real job.
Almost no conversation passed between the two boys.
While Duo was not there, Heero spent his time investigating his host's house. It appeared normal enough, though small (one floor) and barely lived in. A fine layer of dust covered every bit of furniture, every floor, every wall. Only one bathroom, and the hot water worked only half the time. Two small bedrooms, each with a cot. A living room with no furniture, no windows. No windows anywhere, to be precise.
Of course Heero suspected Duo, of course he didn't trust him. Though why he didn't accuse his savior of lying was because of gratitude. Why did Heero stay with him so long? He couldn't say.
It wasn't like he had a home, anyway.
And this place, this was the closest he had ever come. At least there was another human here, one who treated him as a human. At least he didn't use Heero.
At least, he wasn't a mere tool here.
* * * *
One day, in the night before Duo left, Heero had asked him where he was going. Duo hadn't said a word. What could he say?
It wasn't as though he were ashamed of being an omen of death. Far from it. He was very philosophical about it. Why should he be? Everyone had to eat SOMETHING. Normal humans were no better than vampires. Was eating the meat of an animal really worse than drinking its blood? Who were they to pass judgement?
No, he just knew that the time wasn't right to tell Heero. Heero. How long would he be staying with Duo? He had no idea. He didn't care.
Heero. Why hadn't he fed from him, once he saw him? Vampires feed on the weak and desperate. They feed on those with no hope. Easy meals. Vampires didn't have to kill, they could go weeks merely draining, but not killing victims. They could also grant them immortality if they wished, life as one of them..but no. When Duo pulled him from the water, it was as if he instinctively knew he had to let him live, without an ounce of blood missing.
Why? Why? Because...he was like him. He was so much like Duo deep down at his core..it wasn't just his imagination. He knew it. He knew it. He knew this one, this one must be spared. This one must come with him; not as a vampire, but as a...confidant. As a friend.
He hadn't "saved" him. Not the way Duo had been saved. Duo owed no debts for becoming what he was. All it was for Duo was a way to force him to live a little longer, think things through....for centuries, that was what he had done.
Duo slunk through an alley nearby the docks where had first spotted Heero, friendless, alone, suicidal. He closed his eyes, and the memories flooded back to him. The downpoar of rain, plastering his hair to his head. The look on Heero's face....so much like the look he once wore. Icy water. The weight of his young body, the frozen life blood in those veins. Prussian blue eyes, begging for death, death, DEATH.
Duo shivered at the memories. Heero's vacant, hopeless, desperate look. The lifeless look in his eyes as he said those words, (those words, the hopelessness, "It wasn't my parents. It was more than that.") those WORDS, even those like the words Duo had once uttered, once believed.
Damn. Damn. Thinking about Heero and his tragedy reminded Duo of his own. Memories...memories he didn't want, hadn't thought about for centuries, flowing back to him.
He covered his ears, sank to his knees, hearing the words over and over again, ("No..I didn't just..no! NO!" "I didn't know it. How could I know..." "You are a solider." "NO! NO! NO!" "I can force you to live..." "You'll thank me later.")
Duo began the suppression, forgetting the words, letting them drown in the sounds of the night. Slowly, he rose to his feet.
Done reminiscing, he left in search of a meal. It had been a day since he last found a drink, and he was ravenously hungry.
Ok, I'm putting some author's notes up here before I write the next chapter. The first chapter was just written pretty quickly, and I decided I'd have to write more while I was still in the mood to write. If you haven't guessed by now, this story is AU. Oh, and it will probably be 1x2 later on, but I'll probably include some of the other yaoi/non-yaoi relationships in it too. I'm NOT a fan of 1xR, so don't expect me to glorify it here. Oh, and I already warned about the whole attempted suicide thing in the beginning.
Oh, and a big thanks goes out to my first review, tenshiamanda. Now, on with chapter two!
One more thing: I can't figure out how to get italics and stuff to show up on my stories. If anyone could review it back to me, thanks. If it's important, I type my stories up on Microsoft Word.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Not too far from the house where Heero Yuy lay recovering, another young boy was walking through the red light district of town. His face lay in shadow as the youth slipped into a seedy bar.
Smoke floated from a hundred cigarettes, drinks spilled into mouths, cards slammed on tables with losing hands. And they all looked up, men and women alike, to watch the one who entered.
All was silent.
None dared say he was too young to drink. His face may have belied his true age, but one could feel it, emanating from his core. A steeliness, a feeling of wisdom. The same obscure mixture you get from a solider: one who has seen too much. And yet...there was innocent hope in his eyes. As if he had taken the pain of the world on himself, just to save your sorry ass.
You couldn't help but stare, you had to admire him. But you still wanted to inch away from this creature.
He sat down, pale eyes downcast. His golden hair made his youthful face all the younger. He signaled a waitress, she brought him a drink. Another. Another. Then, no more.
For the first time since he had entered, he looked around the room. All who met his gaze returned it, surprised to find kindness there.
He got up, paid, and left.
He slipped into a dark alley, and pulled out a cell phone. Expertly, he applied a scrambler to the receiver of the phone and dialed.
"No, I haven't found him yet. He's nowhere near where he usually- I understand. Uh huh. Uh huh. I know. I'm meeting my partner downtown in one hour. We'll continue the search then. Bye."
He returned the phone and scrambler to his jacket pocket. He rubbed his hands together briefly to warm them, and looked up at the night sky, deep in thought.
* * * *
Heero had now been living with Duo for a week. Duo always left the house a little past three in the morning, and always returned by dawn. He slept all morning. Heero wasn't sure if he had a real job.
Almost no conversation passed between the two boys.
While Duo was not there, Heero spent his time investigating his host's house. It appeared normal enough, though small (one floor) and barely lived in. A fine layer of dust covered every bit of furniture, every floor, every wall. Only one bathroom, and the hot water worked only half the time. Two small bedrooms, each with a cot. A living room with no furniture, no windows. No windows anywhere, to be precise.
Of course Heero suspected Duo, of course he didn't trust him. Though why he didn't accuse his savior of lying was because of gratitude. Why did Heero stay with him so long? He couldn't say.
It wasn't like he had a home, anyway.
And this place, this was the closest he had ever come. At least there was another human here, one who treated him as a human. At least he didn't use Heero.
At least, he wasn't a mere tool here.
* * * *
One day, in the night before Duo left, Heero had asked him where he was going. Duo hadn't said a word. What could he say?
It wasn't as though he were ashamed of being an omen of death. Far from it. He was very philosophical about it. Why should he be? Everyone had to eat SOMETHING. Normal humans were no better than vampires. Was eating the meat of an animal really worse than drinking its blood? Who were they to pass judgement?
No, he just knew that the time wasn't right to tell Heero. Heero. How long would he be staying with Duo? He had no idea. He didn't care.
Heero. Why hadn't he fed from him, once he saw him? Vampires feed on the weak and desperate. They feed on those with no hope. Easy meals. Vampires didn't have to kill, they could go weeks merely draining, but not killing victims. They could also grant them immortality if they wished, life as one of them..but no. When Duo pulled him from the water, it was as if he instinctively knew he had to let him live, without an ounce of blood missing.
Why? Why? Because...he was like him. He was so much like Duo deep down at his core..it wasn't just his imagination. He knew it. He knew it. He knew this one, this one must be spared. This one must come with him; not as a vampire, but as a...confidant. As a friend.
He hadn't "saved" him. Not the way Duo had been saved. Duo owed no debts for becoming what he was. All it was for Duo was a way to force him to live a little longer, think things through....for centuries, that was what he had done.
Duo slunk through an alley nearby the docks where had first spotted Heero, friendless, alone, suicidal. He closed his eyes, and the memories flooded back to him. The downpoar of rain, plastering his hair to his head. The look on Heero's face....so much like the look he once wore. Icy water. The weight of his young body, the frozen life blood in those veins. Prussian blue eyes, begging for death, death, DEATH.
Duo shivered at the memories. Heero's vacant, hopeless, desperate look. The lifeless look in his eyes as he said those words, (those words, the hopelessness, "It wasn't my parents. It was more than that.") those WORDS, even those like the words Duo had once uttered, once believed.
Damn. Damn. Thinking about Heero and his tragedy reminded Duo of his own. Memories...memories he didn't want, hadn't thought about for centuries, flowing back to him.
He covered his ears, sank to his knees, hearing the words over and over again, ("No..I didn't just..no! NO!" "I didn't know it. How could I know..." "You are a solider." "NO! NO! NO!" "I can force you to live..." "You'll thank me later.")
Duo began the suppression, forgetting the words, letting them drown in the sounds of the night. Slowly, he rose to his feet.
Done reminiscing, he left in search of a meal. It had been a day since he last found a drink, and he was ravenously hungry.