Just look at how good I'm being! I'm getting an early start on this just so I can have a nice and long chapter for all of you! Love me yet? (Cute pouty face inserted here.)
Thanks go out to: lun4r-flow3r, DarkAvalon, ahanchan, duos-deathscythe, Shru (Sorry, I just always picture Duo swearing. Plus, I want him to contrast with "Sam."), Lestat'sLover, Hikaru, Soltic, Sobakasu, lolly sister, xxkurenaixshixx, Souri Maxwell Yuy (Hmm. Good question…) and Jess-eklom (Great ideas, I may use some of those…)
Once again, please don't be upset if I missed you.
I have nothing against Duo's braid – in fact, I prefer long hair on my men. But, like Heero, it won't be returning any time soon. (Both will eventually, I assure you! I can't have Duo living without either!)
Warnings: I own nothing that you can sue me for. I would love to claim that gundam belonged to me; however I must report that Santa failed again this year to bring me the bishis I yearn for. Other warnings? Yaoi, although not much of it at the moment. Language…an alternate reality where nothing is as it should be…evil minions of evil…
Perfect World
Chapter 5
Z
It was exactly as he had always imagined it would be had someone actually cared enough to see to its upkeep. Tall and majestic in the way all its kind somehow are, just the sight of it brought tears to his eyes. Those tears spilled over his cheeks as, disbelieving, he began to take the stairs he knew so well up to the large, polished oak doors. This had been his haven, his sanctuary, his home.
Maxwell church.
He'd had no idea his mind had been kind enough to place the home of his imaginary family so close to the oasis that had saved him from an early and unkind childhood death. He supposed it made a kind of twisted sense when he thought about it; his family had to have lived somewhere near his old neighborhood purely because it was unlikely that when he began to live on the streets he would have been able to wander far from home.
Yet still, the bustling, sparkling downtown that the church sat right in the middle of bore almost no resemblance to the dark and dirty wasteland he remembered.
The church itself was heartbreakingly bright and beautiful. Painted a pristine white, it's large windows covered in colorful stained glass rather than cheap ply boards and duct tape. The graveyard to the side was green and lush, the flowers there and on the front walk well-kept and lovely, as if someone spent hours at a time on them…loving them.
Duo entered the church slowly, reverently breathing in the wonderfully familiar scent of books and incense and candles…that churchy smell that had never left him throughout all the years of terror and blood and despair. The pews were the same dark and beautiful works of art, though well-polished and covered in thick crimson cushions that had been sacrificed in Duo's childhood to be used as bedding. The ran his hands over the smooth wood as he passed down the center aisle, crossing himself as he hadn't done in years as he sat in the pew that had "belonged" to him and the other orphans.
It was too quiet, too peaceful and familiar. He could almost hear Sister Helen's gentle voice as she told him and the other children bible stories. He could almost feel her arms as he sat safe and warm in her lap. Caught between the urge for laughter and tears, he leaned his head back against the pew and closed his eyes, remembering the feel of hands in his hair as Sister Helen braided it for the first time as Father Maxwell stood before him, gently telling him that though it seemed cruel now, all of the suffering in the world was for a reason – part of God's plan – and the reward for those who suffered and persevered would be great.
"I don't believe in god!" He could hear his younger self protesting. He smiled to himself as he mouthed the words from the past. "If there is a god, then he must be the god of death!"
He hadn't let himself think about that in years.
"Is something troubling you, my son?"
For a moment Duo thought he had imagined the gentle, wonderful voice. Then his soldier instincts kicked in and he realized with a start that there was someone standing nearby. His eyes snapped open as he sprang to his feet, spinning to face the elderly man in the black robes of the clergy who stood at the end of the pew.
"F…F…!"
He smiled that deep, warm smile that had soothed away nightmares and inspired hope in children who life had taught to trust no one. "Is something wrong, my child?"
"Father Maxwell!" He finally managed, throwing himself into the arms which had held and comforted him through dark nights of hunger, sickness, and despair. The tears he had been fighting since first stepping foot into the church overwhelmed him, and he found himself unable to so much as speak though the violent sobs that were suddenly shaking his small, seemingly frail body.
Z
"Are you sure you wouldn't like more tea?"
Duo smiled. He had been unable to stop smiling since he had finally stopped crying. "I'm not really a tea person, father." He admitted.
"Ah. Well, very well then." The kindly priest returned the smile, placing the tea pot back down and leaning back in his chair. "Well, Duo," He began, tone careful. "I must say that your story is unlike any I have ever heard before."
Duo snorted, happiness only slightly dampened. "Please don't tell me I'm crazy. I know, I know, it sounds psycho…and I certainly have every right to go bonkers…but I'm not. I'm really not."
"Of course you aren't." Father Maxwell sounded as if the very idea were insane. "As incredible as your story sounds, it stirs something within me. I cannot help but think that with as much detail as you have told me, and as deeply as you believe, there has to be truth to this tale. There is too much emotion involved for it to be mere fabrication." He tapped his chest with his index finger, eyes warm. "My heart tells me to believe you, and it is the heart which I tend to want to believe."
Duo heaved a great, relieved sigh, finally loosing that last bit of tension that had been placing pressure on him since he had woken up in this twisted world.
"You don't know how good it is to hear you say that."
"I have more to say, child." The priest warned gently. "You see, although I believe your story, I cannot believe that I and all around me are mere figments of imagination brought to life by head trauma."
"Then how the hel…" Duo bit his lip and grimaced. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen had most decidedly disapproved of the street kids' inclination toward cursing. "Look, I don't know any other way to explain it." He said finally. "If you have any ideas, I'd be more than happy to entertain them."
"I don't know what to tell you, Duo," He admitted, shaking his head, "Except that you should see this experience as a gift from God. He wants you to be happy."
"Great. He's doin' a great job. I'm fuckin' thrilled to be here."
"Duo…"
"Sorry. I…sorry."
"Duo, you have a rare and beautiful chance that most trauma survivors never receive." He said gently, leaning forward to take Duo's hands in his own. "You get to see peace as you never knew it. You get to live in a world without war."
"I prefer my own crappy world, thank you." He said softly, looking away. "It may suck, but at least there I have Heero."
"Ah…yes…" The priest shifted uncomfortably. "Your…lover."
"I know the church doesn't approve." Duo said defensively, hunching his shoulders as he prepared to defend his love at all costs. "And you certainly didn't raise me to even take that kind of lifestyle into consideration…but…I love Heero. He means everything to me…he's all I've got, and I'm all he's got, and if it wasn't for him I would have let myself die long ago."
Father Maxwell smiled. "Some say that true love can never be wrong, my child." He stated finally, as if revealing some great secret. "I tend to agree with them."
Duo stared at him for a long moment before giving a relieved sigh, relaxing once more. He had always wondered what his old mentor would say, although he had always sworn that his response wouldn't change his mind about his feelings for his fellow pilot.
"I should have known you'd understand." He breathed.
"I'm only sorry that you missed Sister Helen. She's off visiting her aunt on another colony…I can't wait to tell her everything the next time she calls though."
"I can't wait to see her again." Reluctantly Duo stood, looking around the quiet chapel with a deep feeling of peace. "I guess I need to get back for supper before my imaginary family starts to wonder where I am. I was only supposed to go down to the gas station for a gallon of milk."
Father Maxwell frowned slightly. "You shouldn't lie, Duo."
"I didn't. I'll get the milk on my way home." He grinned. "Look, I…there's no way you can ever know how much it means to me to be able to see and talk to you again. You…you're just like I remember you."
"Perhaps you would like to come by again sometime and see the children." He suggested, also rising.
"That would be great!"
"Have a safe walk home, Duo."
He stopped, looking around the sanctuary a moment before turning a grin on the man who had raised him.
"This is my home, father."
Z
"Gotcha." Duo mumbled, grinning to himself as a picture of a rather familiar brunette filled his computer screen. He had skipped all of his classes, instead spending his day in the school library on a computer trying to track down the other gundam pilots.
Finding Wufei and Quatre had been so very easy, but then those two had had lives and families that they had time to remember before the war took them away. Heero and Trowa were different stories. He had gone through the files of all the school systems on every L1 and L3 colony, relying on his natural luck and computer skills to keep him from spending days or even weeks searching.
But now that he had found them all at last, it was only a simple matter of creating an "exchange" program for his school and putting his friends into it. If he made it sound good enough, then there was no way their parents, or whatever imaginary families he had placed them with, would think twice about letting them go. He could even redirect some funds from his school to help pay for it. (Hmm. The principal was stealing funds from the coke machines…how interesting. That could prove useful.)
He had to see his friends, be around someone who knew who and what he really was once more. He was going insane without them.
It should only be a matter of weeks before they arrived, plenty of time for the councilor to find suitable homes for them to stay in. Of course Duo would be volunteering his own for Heero – or as he was called here Rai Mirikitani. He would have his lover and all the steamy sex back. Yes.
Duo smiled wickedly and arched his fingers, leaning back in his chair. Excellent. He thought in his best Mr. Burns voice, snickering at his own joke and dorky love of classic earth cartoons. Throwing back his head, he attempted an evil cackle, stopping only when the librarian's glare reached Heero-level.
Love of classic earth cartoons and fear of little old ladies. That described Duo Maxwell perfectly.
While he had been searching for his friends, he had also kept an eye out for news in this new crazy world, only slightly surprised to find that Relena and Zechs existed here as well. Both still went by Peacecraft, and had never been known by any other name. Zechs still went by Milliardo and was the scandal of his kingdom with all his romantic escapades. Relena, on the other hand, was almost never in the lime light – but really, who could blame her parents for wanting to keep such an odd girl from the public eye?
He stretched before leaning back toward the computer, deciding to see if he could find anyone else he knew.
"You know, they do take attendance. You're going to get caught."
Duo nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the feminine voice right by his ear, utterly ashamed that he had let someone sneak up on him. His happy thoughts about his friends had distracted him far too much.
"Huh?" He asked intelligently, turning to face the sneaky sonofabitch. The girl was fairly pretty with curly hair of dark honey and emerald eyes.
She smiled in a friendly, confident way. "You don't remember me, do you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side like a curious bird. "I heard you got amnesia. Tough break. Love the new goth look by the way?"
"Huh?" He asked again, glancing down at his clothes. "Oh, I'm not goth, I just like black." He squinted at her, trying to decide if he knew her. It was possible, even likely he would be running into some of his old street buddies while off in lala land. But no, he decided suddenly, he hadn't met her before. "Do I have class with you or something?"
"A couple." She laughed. "I'm Terry, by the way."
"Nice t' meet you, now, go away."
She laughed again. Her laugh was a little annoying, he decided, and she snorted often. "That's rude, but you look too cute saying it, so I'll let it go." She announced, peering over his shoulder. She laughed a third time as he quickly closed the window. "And so secretive, too! So tell me, do you want to go see a movie Friday?"
"With you?"
"Well, we already had plans, you and I. But since you don't seem to remember anybody you knew before, I thought that maybe, just maybe I should reconfirm."
"Okay. Yeah, sure, why not?"
"Great!" She agreed, socking him in the shoulder. "See ya then, then, bud."
He watched until she was completely gone before he reopened the window.
He still had work to do.
Z
"-So the shrink was completely charmed by my ginormus wonderfulness and gave me a clean bill of health and a really kick ass cookie and poor little Susan doesn't know what the hell to think now cause she can't think of any reason that makes since to explain why I seem to be lacking in the sane department!" Duo finished his story with a laugh, shoving popcorn into his mouth.
"So what could it be, then?" Terry asked, interested. She had seemed a little miffed at him when they had bought their tickets and snacks, but now that they were in their seats she seemed to have cooled off. Why she had been mad he had no idea; he had let her buy all of her stuff first, after all. Girls were weird. "Do you think you're in a different dimension?"
"Don't be stupid." He sighed. "This is all a very annoying hallucination, obviously."
"Excuse me, are those seats taken?"
Duo looked up into the sky blue eyes of a brunette boy with a busty blonde at his side and smiled at the pair.
"Help yourself." He grinned, watching as they slipped past into the open seats – some of the last left in the packed theater.
"Are you checking that girl out?" Terry hissed after they had passed.
"Are you crazy?" He laughed. "Sure, she's pretty cute I guess, but her boyfriend is much prettier."
"Huh?"
He could barely suppress a grin. Apparently his imaginary persona of "Sam" wasn't out of the closet yet. "Shh, the lights are goin' down." He said instead of answering. Discussing ones sexual preferences with strangers, while promising some definite entertainment value, could get rather tiresome.
By the time the movie's previews were nearing their close, Duo was beginning to feel slightly sick. Every single movie advertised was full of pointless violence with little to no plot to support it and people fighting for causes that made no sense whatsoever. Since the war, that kind of movie had gone out of fashion – stores didn't even like to sell them and so they were rather hard to find. Duo had never seen one, and he had no desire to.
He was wondering if he could get his money back when the feature movie opened with a spray of gunfire and very unrealistic bloodshed. He abruptly decided he didn't care about the money; he just wanted to leave. He turned to tell his companion so, deciding it was rude even by his standards to walk out on a friend without a word of explanation.
"Terry," he began quietly, not wanting to disturb the other viewers.
"Oh Sam!" Slim, feminine arms wrapped tightly around his neck, his only warning before lips were pressed to his own, breasts pressed against him over the arm wrest, strange perfume in his nose. Terry took advantage of his surprise, slipping her tongue into his partially open mouth.
The kiss was fumbling and too eager, completely lacking in the careful control and exquisitely slow exploration of Heero's kisses. (Heero being the only person he could remember kissing, he had nothing else but his lover's sweet perfection to compare this experience to.)
He pushed her away, disgusted.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded, voice going shrill.
"What's the matter, Sam?" She purred, fingers tangling in his ridiculously short hair.
"What's the matter?" He echoed, grasping her arms so tightly he knew he was hurting her but couldn't quite bring himself to care. They were already beginning to earn annoyed looks. "What's the matter? Terry, I'm taken!" He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself, but to no avail. "I have someone who I love dearly – with every fiber of my being – and here you are sticking your damn tongue down my throat!"
She stopped struggling to get out of his grasp, eyes going wide. "Sam," She said slowly, "I'm your girlfriend. We…we're supposed to make out."
He stared at her a long moment, disbelieving. He had forgotten how…stupid…regular teens his age were.
"You don't even realize how important things like kissing and sex are, do you?" He asked finally, dropping his voice in the hopes of not involving anyone else in the packed theater in their discussion. "You're just some damn kid pretending to be a grown up. You have no idea…!"
"Sam!"
He shook his head furiously, rising. "I'm outta here."
"Sam!" She shouted, following him from the theater even as he began a slight jog. When he reached the parking lot he finally stopped, turning to face her, and so she stopped as well. "Why did you agree to go out with me if you weren't interested?"
"I thought you wanted t' be friends, not…!" Duo let out a near-scream of frustration. "Damn it, Terry, I have a boyfriend!"
Her face went pale.
"A…a boy…?"
"Yeah," He answered bluntly, deliberately cruel due to his annoyance with her. "A boyfriend. The best damn thing to ever happen to me. Sexy, smart, sweet, and one hell of a good fuck. So you tell me – why would I give all that up for some stupid, immature school girl?" He demanded. "You're wasting your time." He realized guiltily that she looked hurt and tried to soften his voice. "I think maybe it would just be better if you didn't even hang around me at all, you know?"
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "The amnesia, Sam. The amnesia did this to you; made you think these things, that's all."
"Go home, Terry. You don't understand. You can't understand. So leave me alone, before I get mad."
Z
To Be Continued
Another long (for me) chapter. Yippee! But the last chapter had the highest number of reviews yet, so I figured you all deserved it. Go ahead, throw yourselves a party…or seven.
I really didn't want to skip right from the library scene to the movies, but it was the way I had originally written it and I couldn't think up a good "filler" scene. So…oh well. I couldn't stop, after all, Because I'd promised longer chappies.
Sigh.
Anyway, I think this last scene is interesting, when compared with Duo's activities the last time he had gone to see a movie.
Eight and a half pages, not half bad. Took me three days though, so please show your appreciation and REVIEW.
