TAINTED FOR LIFE
Chapter 3
Duo threw daggers at his sister just by looking at her. He couldn't get one bite of food through his throat with her right in front of him, eating like the 'good little girl' she was. How much he hated her now. They used to be good friends, best buddies even, the perfect siblings, never harming each other. Until that one day that changed Duo's life in more ways then he had thought...
FLASHBACK
'Mom, dad?' He walked into the living room, his parents were sitting on the couch, looking concerned at him, recognising the tone of his voice as a bad one. His father straightened up in his seat, waiting for his son, of whom he was so proud, to speak. 'I have to tell you something.' Duo stated the obvious. His parents waited. Duo swallowed. He had found out two months ago and had been denying it ever since, but there was no denying. He couldn't deny the looking glances he sent to the other boys in the lockers, each time after gym, when they came out of the showers, only a towel low around there waist. He had been disgusted with himself and sought refuge in many girls... but it left him feeling empty and then he knew for certain.
'I am gay.' He said, knowing that it was better to just get it over with.
For a second his parents sat there, unmoving, the news reaching their ears but not theirs minds... yet. Then, all of a sudden his mothers eyes widened and his father gripped the armrest roughly, as if he imagined it was his sons neck. And he was strangling him.
Tears rolled down over Duo's cheeks, he cried soundlessly. 'I've tried to deny it.' He said with a slightly hoarse voice. 'But I can't!'
His father got up and moved towards him, prowling.
Duo kept on talking in a pleading tone, it wasn't the look his father gave him that hurt him the most, is was the eyes of his mother, filling with tears. He had never seen her so... disappointed... 'I am so sorry! But... there is... there is this guy in my class and he-'
He was silenced by his fathers hand, connecting with his wet cheek. The blow was hard enough to throw his head to the side and duo remained like that, a shock look in his eyes, though he wasn't the least surprised. He had foreseen it whenever he dreamt of this moment. Dreams that were his worst nightmares.
His father took a few steps back 'This is not what I wanted.' He turned to his wife, furious 'a gay son is not what I asked for!'
She whimpered, casting her gaze downwards.
'How can you betray us like this!' He turned to his son again in disgust. His son, his gay son, was looking towards the ground, crying like the sissy he was. The fire grew in him, Duo could FEEL it. 'We had a perfect future for you! Taking over the business. And the Peacecrafts were more then excited with the idea that you would marry their daughter! Are you throwing that all away! Your future! Our HONOUR!'
END OF FLASHBACK
He knew the reactions of his parents would be worse then burning in the flames of hell for eternity. But his sister, the one he could always count on, didn't struck him like a homophobic person. Didn't struck him like the kind of person that would shriek in shame because of this scandal, she had the tendency of CREATING the scandals in this family, i mean, she fucking hell dyed her hair blue!
But then again, she didn't only hate him. He hated her as well, for from then on she was the favourite and his father looked at him, and treated him as, not more then the maid that scrubbed the floors and cleaned the toilet. His only refuge was his mother, but she was sinking away in depression, shrinking in the shadow of his father that loomed over her. He didn't understand why, and he could imagined he was the only one on this earth to feel like this, but he wished his parents would divorce.
He looked at his mother, sitting at the right of the head of the table, where his father sat. Her skin was pale and she stopped eating, even though she only had a few bites.
He felt so selfish, everyone could see she was the one really suffering. He fought back his tears and resumed eating, tonight he would go out again, like he had did overnight since he had met Catherine and Frankie, last week. He would spent the evening with them, helping them clean the shop that was owned by Catherine's father. It was a shame Heero never stayed past eight to help clean up.
Duo looked at Hilde again and then at the white bandage around her wrist. The tattoo had been removed today and all that his father had said to her was how brave she had been throughout the operation. It sickened him.
qpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqp
'Are you leaving again?'
Duo stood at the front door, his hand on the knob, ready to leave. He turned around, facing the ghost that was his mother with saddened eyes. 'I'm sorry mom.' He said, hoping she'd understand why. She didn't. She quirked her dark brown eyebrow in question.
'I can't stand it that father blames me for everything.' He called the man father on purpose, knowing that it sounded colder then 'Dad' especially in the tone he used.
'Where have you been going all these evenings?' she asked concerned, desperate.
'I'm twenty years old mom, I can go where-ever I want to go.'
'And where is that Duo?'
'To friends.' He simply asked, he hated being so cold to her, but if he told her, his father could SMELL that she was keeping information from him and he would do whatever he did to her to make her tell him. Duo knew for certain that he would then go to shop, take Duo back home and smash a few window while he was at it.
'BOYfriends?'
He gave her a sceptic look, though she seemed to except his orientation, she never dare to speak about it. Not a single word. He wondered whether that was because SHE had difficulties talking about that, or that she was afraid that dad would go berserk of she showed interest like she did in Hilde's relationships.
'No mom, just friends.'
'I'm assuming not Quatre?'
'I don't want to disturb the little time he has with his lover, besides, I don't need him, i don't rely on him or something. Not anymore. I finally found people that don't give a shit that I am rich and they don't feel like they have to be different around me because I smell... no, because I reek of money.' He couldn't help sounding a little hostile. She never done anything to him, but then again, she never stopped dad when HE did things. He guessed they were both cowards for not standing up to him.
'Have fun with your newly found friends then.' She said, walking up to him and kissing him on his forehead, like she used to do when he was still shorter then her. She quietly added: 'I am happy for you.' She left the hall with whispering footsteps.
Duo stood in the hall for a second, feeling guilty about the way he treated her, but then shook it of and left in his fathers Jaguar. He would go crazy if he found out Duo took the 'Jag'.
Perfect.
qpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpqpq
'Hey Max! You're a bit late.' Cat said and threw the broom at him.
He caught it with ease and immediately started working while Catherine chatted his ears off. Once in a while Frankie would comment and Cat would flip, but never really get angry. But in the end, when he made a comment about her 'pumped up' boobs falling out her shirt any moment she emptied the bucket full of water above his head.
'How come you guys always stay to clean up?' Duo asked when they were sitting in the waiting room with a drink after cleaning up.
'Well, it's part of Frankie's job and if I don't stay here with him, he'll wreck the place.'
Frankie softly slapped her, smiling.
'Hey Max, what happened between you and your dad? He seems so pissed off at you.'
Duo sighed, not really wanting to talk about it. 'He hates me because... because I'm... He hates me because I'm not the son he wanted.' He finally said, not lying, but not telling the whole truth either, exactly the way he liked it.
Cat smelled that it was a touchy subject and stopped asking, switching to a lighter topic. Duo smiled, happy that she knew she shouldn't push it with him. 'You're mother seems like a nice woman.' She commented.
'She is, she is an angel. Unlike my father she cares about things other then money.'
Cat smiled sadly and lay her hand on his shoulder while he watched his feet, not liking the uncomfortable silence that stretched between them.
'Let's go home guys, I had enough for today.' Frankie said, standing up and stretching.
Duo looked at the clock, it was only ten pm, he didn't want to go home yet, knowing what will await him, the same speech he had gotten every time he came back from the shop, his father raging about how he shouldn't hang out with 'people like them'. He talked about Cat and Frankie as if they were the scum of the earth, if only he rook the time to see what wonderful people they were, despite the clothing, the tattoos and the bad grammar. They were better people then his father was.
Cat obviously noticed that Duo's mood dropped a few degrees as he slowly stood up, so she asked: 'You want to come with us? I'll bring Frankie home and then you can hang out at my place for a while.'
Duo looked up, grateful and amazed, she was such a... people-person. 'You sure? I... i can just go home.'
'Come on, I don't like in a castle like you do but I know my place is a hell of a lot nicer then yours. I don't have irritating fathers. Well, actually I DO have an irritating father but he doesn't live with me.' She said with a wink, laying her arm on his shoulder.
He smiled and they walked outside, towards the red pick up but Duo called: 'We're going in that? Well damn! Then I 'burrowed' my dad's Jaguar for nothing!' A smirk graced his lips as Cat stopped dead in her tracks and turned on her high heels, looking at him with open mouth, then at the car right behind him. She grinned. 'Wouldn't mind me driving, do you?'
Duo shook his head and handed her the keys. 'Be my guest.'
'Hey Frankie, you can drive yourself home, kay? Just don't forget to pick me up for work tomorrow!'
Frankie nodded and waved them goodbye as they sped of in the car Duo's father loved most. More then his own son, even more then his own 'loveable' daughter.
'Hmmmm.' She said as she touched the light leather of the seat from time to time, handling the poke as you would handle a lover, the same went for the steering wheel. She really enjowed driving the car and he noticed that she went around the city and then back in again, to stall the ending of the ride. 'This car rides like wet dream.' She said, finally coming to a stop in front of a shabby looking apartment complex.
Duo got out and told himself that he should hold in his reactions as to not hurt the kind redhead. But her voice made him feel more at ease. 'I know, a junkyard looks better, but i like it here, the annoying neighbours, the stench from the containers around the corner, the fumes of the highway, the noise of the train that comes by every half hour,...' she went on and on as they climbed the stairs, because the elevator didn't work, towards her floor. They went down a few corridors and a few bent before they finally reached the door she stopped in front of. She pulled a key out of her bright pink purse that could make a blind man blink and open the door after kicking it a few times because it was stuck.
Amazingly, the apartment didn't look half as bad as the outside of the complex did. He didn't see any junk that he expected to lay in an apartment of a 'less wealthy' person. He was way to prejudged he concluded as he took it all in. The cream walls and the dark wooden floor. The romantic lighting. Black, leather couches, a small white diner table with four black, suede chairs and a small cream kitchen. He suddenly felt a soft hand closing his mouth, he blushed.
'Not what you suspected huh?'
'Not at all.' It looked amazing and he wondered what she was doing in this complex, she could obviously buy a better place. Did she meant all those things she said earlier? About the noise and stuff? Did she really like it so much here? It was hard to imagine, but it seemed to be true. He HAD to ask: 'why do you still live here? You don't seem to be short on money.'
'Well Max, I ain't rich or anything, I bought most of this stuff at SecondLife stores for a small price and Frankie's dad got me this floor.' She clicked with her heel on the floor 'I don't have enough money to spare on moving. LifeTime tattoo isn't quite a gold mine.' She plopped down on the couch and patted the seat beside her.
He went to sit next to her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable alone with her, in the silence, with her only dressed in a miniskirt and tight, revealing, top. It wasn't like he was strangely attracted to her, but seeing that Cat didn't know his preference things could get confusing. Maybe he should tell her. But that thought wasn't comfortable either. She didn't struck him a homophobic type of person but his sister hadn't either.
'Catherine...' His voice sounded just as nervous as he was and that feeling increased when he heard her laugh without a reason. Was it so funny that he called her by her whole name?
'Max! I'm not going to jump your bones or anything. Relax!'
He looked at her questioningly. She wasn't? He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointment, only God knows why. Why should he worry about the fact women didn't feel attracted to him anymore? He was told many times that his braid screamed: 'I am gay!' but he had always shrugged it off. But that was in the time women still pulled everything out of the closet (no pun intended) to make him to see them.
'I know you're gay.'
He could hear the smile in his voice but he himself didn't thought it was funny. She knew! How could she know! Did everybody know?1 Was it really obvious? Oh god, he was so dead. He felt majorly embarrassed thinking that everybody could see.
'Max, hey, breath dude, calm down.'
He hadn't even noticed he almost choked. He coughed loudly and then looked at her with large eyes.
'How I know?'
He nodded, that was EXACTLY what he wanted to know and he wanted to know it NOW.
'Heero told me.' She simply said, standing up and walking towards the kitchen.
He followed her with his gaze and asked: 'How the fuck can Heero know? He only met me once.' Yeah! You go Duo!
'I don't know, Heero has some kind of radar for that sort of things.'
'And what if I told you I was straight?' He asked seriously, for he felt more comfortable denying it until he was absolutely ready.
'You would be lying.' She said.
He wanted to know how she had looked when she said that, but he couldn't know, her back was towards him. He tried to stare a hole into her back but found that it didn't work. 'I am straight.' He said, hoping she would 'believe' him and just drop the subject.
'Max, you are as straight as the letter 'S'.'
'Yeah.' He agreed, before thinking over what she had said. He heard her snicker and then realised what he had agreed to. 'I mean: No!'
She turned around and looked... sad at him, maybe disappointed. It was hard to tell. 'Max, why are you denying, I am your friend, it's not like I would treat you like your father does.'
'I just don't want to lose any friends because of it. You're a girl, most girls don't mind. But... but Frankie...'
'Frankie doesn't mind either.'
Duo groaned 'Please don't tell me he knows.'
'I'm sorry if that disturbs you... But it doesn't really matter. He really doesn't mind!'
'How do you know?'
'Well... He also still hangs out with Heero, he is not disgusted with him.'
Duo looked up with big eyes. Had he heard that correctly. If that so then... 'Is Heero gay?'
'Yeah.' She answered, as if he had just asked her if the sky was blue.
Duo had to keep him from jumping up and doing some kind of weird dance to show his joy. Heero was gay! What are the chances! This is actually the first time he fell in love with a guy that was homosexual and it felt GOOD knowing that there was hope for them to be an item. Although, Heero was probably WAY out of his lead. The man had the perfect body, looked like an angel, remarkable blue eyes that could make straight men stammer and as a cherry on top he seemed like a really nice guy with a sense of humour. He MUST be taken. Such a guy must have a boyfriend or else the whole world must be blind or straight and neither could be true.
'He's available, you know?'
He almost spat out the drink he had gotten from Cat. He looked up at her and she smirked.
'I thought you would like to know that.' She sat back down beside him and couldn't drink because she was still laughing at his reaction. His eyes almost popped out, but then went back in when she said: 'I could arrange something so that you two can meet.'
'No. That comes over like I'm desperate. Which I AM but he doesn't need to know that.' He took a small sip of his drink again and swallowed before she could make another remark that would make him spit it out. He looked around the apartment easily, trusting that she will let it go as she always did when things got uncomfortable, but it seemed like she had lost her gift.
'Are you a virgin?'
He was really grateful his mouth was empty but it took a while for he could compose himself enough to be able to look at her and seriously and convincingly say: 'No.' Then he softly mumbled: 'I did it once.' Heero couldn't possibly want him as his boyfriend, even though he was wrong when he had suspected the man to have a boyfriend he knew he COULDN'T be wrong about the fact that the young man must have had many lovers and was very... experienced in bed. It made him feel very uncomfortable and on top of his 'To Do' list now stood "sleeping with more man so he wouldn't be totally lost in bed when he found that one lucky/unlucky (you pick) person to get a relationship with".
'All I am saying is that you should give it a try, you guys are perfect for each other.'
'Why don't you give it up Cat?' He asked, suddenly angry. She sounded like his father had when he tried to convince him to sleep with a girl. He set his now empty glass son the table top and walked towards the door. A hand on his arm stopped him. He turned around and Cat looked at him with pleading grey eyes. 'I am sorry, I crossed the line, I won't do it again. Just... don't leave angry, you're a good friend.'
He sighed, how could someone deny her when she looked like that? With those big puppy eyes. Damn the puppy eyes. He nodded, giving her a small smile. 'I forgive you.'
'He really likes you! He called you cute!'
'Cat... don't push it.'
She smiled sheepishly and let him go. 'You win gorgeous, I'll stop.'
Duo nodded and opened the door.
'You're going?'
'Yeah, I feel... uncomfortable now after that... conversation.' He said smiling. 'I'll be in the shop tomorrow though, to help you out just as always.'
'Thanks Max. You're a good gay. Uh! Guy!' she corrected immediately, though she probably called him gay on purpose.
He smiled, giving her a playful push before leaving and driving home in his dad's Jaguar.
When he arrived at home he entered as quietly as he could. The lights were all out so his parents must be sleeping. He closed the door and winced as it clicked a little more loudly then he had wanted. He sneaked through the hallway, his footsteps soundless. He had almost reached the bottom of the stair when the bright light of the chandelier lighted the hallway. He turned around and say his father standing at the entrance of his study. Looking really pissed. REALLY pissed. He motioned Duo to get back and the young man could do nothing but obey as he carefully stepped towards the elder man. He pointed in his study and Duo sat down heavily, scared for what he thought, knew, was coming. He knew he had pushed the line by taking the car, why had he been so stupid? Why did he took it? To show off at his friends? They didn't care about the cars he had! Now he had really gotten in over his head. He looked at his father who still stood at the doorway, fixing his strict gaze on something, or someone, in the hall. After a while he looked at Duo, angry, and closed the door. Locking it.
Well, it doesn't take a genius to find out what will happen.
Tell me if yousa likes it! (seen Star Wars one time to many )
Nighty night, don't let the bed bugs bite... or at least not to hard
Crimson Waterfall
Over and out
