Chapter Four:
Heero blinked open his eyes, glad that he actually shut the curtains in his room for once. The little light coming in from his apartment made him blink away the pain beginning from the headache. He raised his hand and rubbed the flesh over his throbbing skull, wondering just how many drinks he had actually had. Lucy—as she so forcefully told him to call her—had stopped after she'd drunk more than five and he… well, it was somewhere over ten or something.
Distantly, he remembered something about Zechs saying that he had to go to work tomorrow, even if he had a hangover. "Stubborn bastard…" Heero growled as he pushed himself off of his plush mattress.
He padded his way towards the bathroom to do his daily 'chores' and nearly slipped on the waxed floor with his loose socks. He pushed open the door and looked into the mirror and stared at himself. His eyes, thankfully, weren't blood shot or somehow drunk looking, but he did find himself sighing. He was more tired than he thought.
Reaching for his toothbrush and running a hand through his tousled hair to try and straighten it from it's bedraggled appearance, he let out a hiss in irritation and continued on with his morning business.
He shut the door and walked the short distance to his closet and grabbed his leather Preventer's jacket—which he barely used unless in the building since the AC was out of control and would be like the north pole at times. Grabbing a green tank top and grabbing some loose black jeans, he grabbed his belt with the gun holsters attached and tossed it onto the bed.
Staring with a look of disdain at the disarrayed sheets of his bed, he shook his head to ignore it and get on with more important matters, such as dressing himself. He decided, like the day before, that he'd make his bed later. It wasn't as if anyone, other than Duo, came to visit his home anyway.
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it towards the hamper, not really caring if it made it in or not. All he cared about at the early moment was coffee. Coffee and, of course, his muffins.
The sounds of the awake world below his apartment brought him from his brooding mind and he pulled open the curtains and the window to breath in the morning's fresh air.
Once, he remembered when he did such when he first moved in and the smell was horrible from the pollution and exhaustion in the air. Since then, he had moved with the help of his paycheck, to a more clean and civilized area.
However, any area near Duo Maxwell wasn't considered 'clean' in his opinion. He would know, he had been to the boy's apartment—which happened to be right next door.
He smirked, shaking his head and decided to leave the braided baka to get up by himself, rather than making the boy breakfast to lure the teen out of his slumber. Duo was a glutton for food, especially that girl Hilde's.
He walked down the hallway, slipping on his shoes as he went and slung his jacket over his shoulders and slipped his arms through the sleeves and rolled them up to his elbows. He opened the door and grabbed his keys, quietly closing the door.
He wouldn't want to wake Duo up and spoil his fun, now would he?
Besides, he was certain that despite the lack of memory from the previous night, that Duo had consumed more alcohol than he had. That was a scary thought… a certain Duo Maxwell with a hangover did not mix in the least.
"So, it's off to another eventful day." He grumbled, knowing that Zechs was probably plotting on what he could do next to torture his two favorite victims—er, workers. "He's such a sadist."
"Who is?" Heero looked up, taken aback that someone had actually managed to sneak up on him.
Seeing as it was only Mrs. O'learly, he smiled slightly, "My boss." The old woman smiled and the wrinkles on her face stood out even more with her defined dimples.
"Oh," waving slightly, she nodded, "Of course, that nice long-haired friend of yours."
"Which one? Duo or Zechs?" He joked and the older woman laughed once more, waving a goodbye as she entered her apartment.
"Do come and visit more often, deary." Her eyes sparkled as if she was still young, which Heero knew that she was if not in body then in heart.
He nodded, "When I have time." He offered, hoping to make the other woman feel at least a little better. He knew that her husband had passed away over two ears ago to this very week.
Her eyes softened, as if saddened by something, "Of course." Then, she closed the door, leaving Heero to muse over his thoughts.
He continued his way, making his way down the stairs. After the whole elevator incident, Duo and he had found that both decided to take the longer route, and the 'safer' one.
Somehow, even with the bomber dead from the bomb's blast, Heero had an uneasy feeling in his gut that something was going to happen. One would say congratulations to him, thinking it was a good feeling that people usually feel, but the only one'' Heero knew were foreboding and usually ended with pain and suffering.
His mind flashed back to Odin and his fists clenched involuntarily and he forced away the mental image of the blonde-haired man smiling at him, wearing his own Preventer's jacket.
'Get a hold of yourself,' he snapped mentally, 'You haven't the time for this.' He pushed open the door that led to the outside world and made his way over to his jeep. He jammed the car keys into the lock and turned it, yanking the door open.
Distantly, he heard the sounds of something in the complex crashing and a loud string of curses. One thought came to mind; 'Duo's awake.' He gunned the vehicle and shot down the road to his favorite coffee store.
XXXXXXXXXX
His car slid into a parking space with experienced ease and he parked the car, pulling out his keys from the ignition and opening the door. He languidly made his way to the busy, but quaint, little coffee shop on the corner of Baker's Street. He smiled when the smell of fresh brewed coffee reached his nose, as well as the smell of the store's infamous muffins.
"Hey, Heero." The chocolate-haired boy turned to see the person calling him and nodded a greeting to a burly looking man slipping gloves onto his hands. The older man hobbled over to him and flashed him a crazy grin.
"How are you, G?"
Still hobbling to keep up with the teen, who slowed down even more to walk with the old man. "Perfectly fine, m' boy!" He cheerily replied, a cough added at the end of the sentence.
"Shouldn't you be retired by now?" Heero joked, the older man not only a friend to his late father and himself, but also a mentor on some of his and Duo's training in weaponry.
G had a military life, being drafted into the military and staying there until his services were served to his country and he was free to go.
"Are you kidding? I'm in my prime now, wrecking havoc across the world, one bus at a time!" He cackled evilly and entered the shop, Heero following behind.
Raising an eyebrow at his words, Heero felt a smirk creep onto his face, "Still trying to prove to that friend of yours that you can drive a bus longer than him?"
"Actually," G paused for a moment and huffed indignantly, "Yes." Heero chuckled silently to himself.
"I'll have a expresso!" G commanded in a mocking tone. The man behind the counter nodded, used to this treatment and laughed as he got the order ready.
"The usual?" the man questioned, nodding in Heero's direction after he had finished with the older man's order.
Heero nodded, "Black, no sugar and no cream."
G chuckled, "You know that stuff with stunt your growth, especially when you like it so strong."
Heero glared.
The man behind the counter gave Heero his drink and rang up the bill for the two of them, first G and then Heero—adding in two muffins like usual. "He's right, ya know, Heero!"
Heero grunted, "Only you would agree with that crazy old man." He pulled out his wallet and removed the proper amount of money, as well as a tip.
"Yes, well you can blame your shortness on your addiction!" The man continued, accepting the bills and putting them in the cash register. He leaned against the counter and tilted his head at the teen.
"Hn," Heero replied once more. "My addiction helps keep you guys in business." G chuckled.
"He's partially right. If I weren't so used to coming here, if not for the cheap prices, then I'd be off to Starbucks!"
"Don't you have a bus to run, old man?" The worker grunted in a taunting manner and gestured towards the waiting bus on the other side of the street.
"Well, I got no people in it." The old man shrugged but turned anyway and waved over his shoulder, making his exit with his coffee in hand.
"Hey," the man reminded, "Don't forget your muffins Heero!"
Heero nodded, grabbing his muffins and also made his way outside towards his jeep. He put the coffee on top of the roof, fishing out his keys with one hand and balancing two muffins in the other.
He heard the sounds of the bus starting, rumbling down the street. Just as he felt his fingers touch metal in his pocket, ready to grab them and drive off, the sounds of an explosion startled him. The blast sent him forward from the after blast, almost colliding with the side of his car. Turning quickly, he saw the bus, ripped apart by the explosion slowly making it's way to a stop on the street.
He dashed towards in, muffins forgotten as well as his coffee. "G!" The teen shouted, rushing up as close as he dared along side the rolling vehicle of burning metal. He ran up alongside the driver's window and gagged, slowing his pace to a near stop as the bus halted as well.
He pulled away from the explosion and the image of G's burning flesh, already ripped apart from the explosion made him turn his back from the sight. Odin haunted him once more and he angrily shook his head, hand fisting in his hair to sharply grab the soft tendrils.
"Damnit!" He loudly cursed, the roar from the flame almost drowning out his furious cry. "God damnit! Damnit! Damnit, damnit! D-"
The sound of a phone ringing made him stop his string of curses and he stared at the innocent payphone. He glared at it, but walked toward it cautiously none the less.
Grabbing the phone off it's hook, he brought the device up to his ears. The voice on the other side of the phone almost made him drop the phone in shock.
"Hello, Heero."
TBC
Author's note: Gasp! Another chapter is… is finished! And, I made it so that it's longer than two pages like the last chapter! Yes! Okay, so I hope that this chapter was enjoyable. I realize that Heero is somewhat out of character, but I had to make some sort of reaction come from him to portray the emotions in the ending part. Please forgive me if you disliked that part for the slight oocness. XP I hope that all readers and/or reviewers enjoyed! This one was for you, SVS 'cause you didn't like how short the other one was! XP
Love, Red Tail