Over-Glorified, Light-Loving Demons

Warning: same as before… and I still don't own GW, but I do have one thing to add that I forgot last time, bows sorry for that, this story is set in AU.

Dinner at Heero's house was more fun than it had been in years. Duo had no idea how to use chopsticks, and so during at least half of the dinner there were bits of food flinging across the table, most of them hitting Heero. At first Heero thought that Duo was doing it of purpose. Then he realized that Duo wasn't even holding the chopsticks right, he had done a fairly good mimicry of the others at the table, but still didn't quite get it. And so Heero corrected Duo and showed him how to hold the chopsticks, but still Duo wasn't able to figure out just how much pressure too put until half his meal was every where but his plate or his mouth. Even so Heero and his parent didn't get upset; in fact his parents where having so much fun watching Duo that they were laughing and bringing up stories of Heero learning to eat with chopsticks. Heero simply continued to help Duo with the obscure eating utensils, and Duo was actually smiling and laughing along with everyone else.

They were almost done with there dinner when Duo finally looked up at the clock, it was then that he saw that the clock on the wall showed 9:05. He couldn't help the tears that filled his eyes; they came from fear, and loneliness, born of many nights sleeping of the steps in front of the house. When Heero noticed that Duo had dropped from the cheerful noise of the table he looked over at the boy. Upon seeing Duo's tears Heero started to panic, afraid that they had said or done something to hurt him. Forgetting the humor in his parents conversation he placed his hand silently on Duo's arm, at this Duo looked up to see a solemn, sad expression on Heero's face.

"I can't go home this late… it is against the rules, it is after 9:00." Duo explained, his tears having stopped but a sad, almost weary look on his face. When Heero heard that a part of him had no room to disbelieve what had been said, the rest of him filled with a mixture of anger and a primal urge to protect Duo. When he noticed it he was frightened, frightened of himself and what he could do, what his mind was imagining doing. He did not let it show on his face though, lest it frighten Duo as well.

"You can't go home after 9:00?"

"No, it's dark out, and you can get possessed after it's dark… I guess that just shows how right they are."

"Right about what?'

"Hun? Oh, nothing, forget it."

At this point Heero wanted to know, more than he had ever wanted to know anything, what in all the heavens and hells of man's history was wrong with these people. They treated a perfectly nice, kind boy like he was a curse. Set tons of restrictions on him, including that he could do nothing unless it was to help others. They made a boy the same age as Heero show eyes with more pain and sadness then anybody twice their age should have. Something felt very off to Heero, something that didn't sit well in the least, it was as if there was something much larger hiding underneath the whole issue.

"Why don't we just go over there and explain that we had a late dinner?" Heero's mom offered.

"That won't help, I am sure of it."

"And why not?" Heero's dad asked, "Are they so ignorant that they would not understand that people can have a late diner? If so then they are nothing more than-than baka-tachi."

"Otosan! We do not know these people yet; we have no right to say such things." Heero interjected.

"What does baka-tachi mean?" Duo asked.

"Baka means idiot, stupid or fool, and tachi just mean a group of people, it is a form of plural."

"Oh…" Duo responded, looking a little down, and for a moment Heero was afraid that Duo would take offence to it; of course that was until Duo looked up with a grin on his face. "I guess to you guys they would be baka-ta-tachi"

"Why don't we at least try and talk to them? Maybe it will work. Have you ever tried?"

"No, but I just can't see them letting that be ok…"

"Would you be willing to try?"

"I-I guess."

"Good, it is settled then." Heero's mom said in an optimistic voice. "We will go over there and I will apologize for keeping you so long."

With that Duo, Heero and Heero's mom got up from the table and waked to the front hall. Heero and his mom both grabbed light coats, and one was offered to Duo, but he declined it very gracefully.

The ground outside was wet and quite slick, as Heero and his mom found out as they tried to walk down the smooth driveway. Duo seemed to have no problem with it, but was unable to explain how to avoid sliding. Even so the small group soon made it across the street and up to the door of Duo's house. Heero's mom gently knocked on the door, while the boys stood behind her.

The door opened slowly and the same lady from earlier that day was standing there in the doorway.

"What do you want? Why are you here this late?" She asked, he voice very gruff and devoid of all kindness.

"We wanted to tell you that we were sorry that we kept Duo this late. We did not realize exactly how late it was, because to us it is bad manners to rush a meal at all." Heero's mom said, bowing as she did.

"Duo! What are you even doing over here? You should know full well that this is the last straw. I will not put up with someone such as you any longer."

"I am sorry Ma'am. I-I didn't mean to cause you any troubles." Duo said his voice barely audible.

"Lies! All you ever speak are lies!"

"N-no, I-I really mean it."

"Get out! Go, leave, and never return! And you people, you do not know what this child can do, leave him and hurry back home, you will be safe there."

"NO!" Duo screamed, covering his ears with his hands, tears some out slipping out of his eyes which were squeezed shut. "DON'T! DON'T SAY IT!"

"I will say what I want! You- you demon! You creation of evil! You sold your soul to the devil and you can not ever change that." The woman didn't even have to yell, because the moment that she began to speak Duo was completely silent.

Heero looked at Duo, who he had lost in his peripheral vision; too see that he was knelling down on the ground, staring wide eyed at the ground in front of him and shaking. Crouching down Heero placed his arm around Duo's shoulders, but the only response from Duo was even more violent shaking.

"Did you not hear me boy, leave him be and go home. That boy is a dem-"

"Shut up."

"What?"

"I said shut up!" Heero repeated. "Do you really know this boy? Have you tried to look past your stupid assumptions?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Did you know that Duo's right eye closes a fraction more than his left when he smiles? Did you know that he has a small, almost imperceptible, limp in his right leg and so he always starts out walking on his left? No, you probably don't, that is because you never really look at this boy as anything more than your stupid demon." Heero felt some movement from underneath his arm and he let his gaze travel over to Duo who had stopped shaking and had turned his head to look over at Heero. Though there were still torrents of tears rolling down his cheeks and his hands still covered his ears the look in his wide eyed stare conveyed more appreciation than words ever could.

"I don't care what you think or say child. He already has you in his grasp, which is plane to see. I am sorry to say that your soul will most likely be damned to hell, belonging to that demon which you try to protect." The woman said, shaking her head.

"How can you say such a thing about this bright, wonderful child?" Heero's mom asked, looking fiercely at the woman standing in the door way. "This boy is helpful, sweet, kind, and generous. He has such a personality that it just draws people to him-"

"YOU SEE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS REFERING TO, THAT CHILD IS A DEMON, HE IS TRYING TO TAKE YOU TO HELL! HE IS CONECTING YOUR DESTINES WITH HIS SO THAT WHEN HE DECENDES TO HELL HE WILL TAKE YOU WITH HIM! HE-"

"Will you shut up!" Hollered a determined male voice from behind Heero and Duo. All four of the people looked over in the direction of the voice and saw that it had come from Heero's dad. "I have one question for you. Where will this boy go tonight?"

"He will find a hole somewhere to sleep in… and maybe he will die there too." The woman stated, glaring down at Duo with unbridled hatred.

"I do not believe that will come to pass as you say." Heero's dad stated very abstractly. Then turning to his wife, son and the currently homeless boy and said "come along, let's go home."

Heero's mom was the first to follow him and a moment latter Heero stood up and was about to follow when he noticed that Duo was still crouching down just looking up at Heero with a pitiful look on his face. To this Heero reached out his hand and simply smiled down at Duo. The look on Duo's face changed to one of amazed shock, and he looked from Heero's face to his hand and back again. Something deep down must have encouraged the boy for he shyly reached out and grasped the offered hand.

Heero gave a great yank, righting Duo on his feet and, still holding onto his hand, hurried off to catch up with is parents, towing the other boy behind him.

TBC

Ok, this chapter didn't get changed except to take out the preview for the next chapter and do a little editing to make things work smoother. Thanks for reading. Hope to hear some reviews 3