There was some confusion about the last chapter, but most lose ends will be knotted together in this one so don't worry!
PS: Wow! I can't believe it! 70 review on Tainted for life! I feel so proud!
Tainted for life
Chapter 7
Duo yelped softly when he almost sent himself falling down two stories. Carefully he freed his foot from the branches of the tree that grew in front of his bedroom window. The large willow enveloped him with the flexible end of it's branches making it hard for him to climb down.
Duo peeked down, at the gravel far beneath him. That would be a nasty fall.
'Don't look down. Don't look down...' He repeated the mantra over and over again while cautiously and silently climbing down. He could only start breathing easy when his feet met steady ground. He sighed in relief and looked back at his bedroom window for the last time. He had spent the last hour in his room, crying over what just happened. It was wasted time, he should have thought about escaping sooner, but something kept him there. He was sure it had to do with his mother, who also never had the nerve to leave his father for good, though she was extremely long at the mall now. Suspiciously long even. Frowning he shook the thought out of his mind. He had bigger things to worry about, like Heero. Where had he gone? To the hospital or to the tattoo-shop? He decided to head for the tattoo-shop, if Heero didn't go there he could at least inform Cat and Frankie. As silent as possible he walked around the house to the front gate. He became nervous when he realised he had to go past the large window of his fathers office and his father was in that room without a doubt. He plastered himself to the wall and carefully looked around the corner through the window. He saw his father, sitting in his office chair, his back towards the window, his feet propped on his desk. This would be an easy escape if not for the mirror, hanging on the wall opposite of the window. If he walked past it, his father would see his reflection in the mirror. Now he might be fast, but his father was a true athlete, he couldn't guaranty his own safety if his father noticed him. He sighed again, gathering more courage and then took another peek. This time scanning the room. He gasped as the liquor cabinet was plundered, empty bottles and shattered crystal lying on the ground. Did he drink before, or after he attacked Heero?
On his hands and knees he crawled over the gravel. It was still risky, as he had to go round the rose bushes that grew right under the window. Halfway he dared to look up and gasped as he saw his fathers face in the reflection of the mirror. For a moment, he thought the man was staring straight back at him, but it was just a trick of the light. His eyes were close, his head hanging to the side. He was fast a sleep.
Relieved, he stood up and brushed the dirt of his now sore knees. He searched through his his pockets and soon fished out the keys of the Jaguar. He was about to get in the car when he thought better of it. If his father gave it up as stolen, the police would be hot on his tail. He'd better take the bus.
After a ride of five minutes he was kicked out of the bus because he had no ticket and had to walk the distanced still left. When he finally reached his destination he groaned in the defeat when he read the letter on the glass door: Closed due to emergency. No doubt Heero's fingers were that emergency.
Why in the world did he feel guilty? Wasn't this all Heero's fault? If he hadn't jumped on him his father would have never broken his fingers! At least that's what he kept telling to himself while walking to the hospital, trying to block out the immense feeling of guilt that suddenly flooded him now that the adrenaline of his escape left his body.
'Hello, I'm looking for Heero Yuy?'
The frigid woman behind the desk looked him up and down, her face sour. 'Only derect family can visit the patient.' She strictly said, making Duo's blood boil.
'But I am his brother!' He lied. Thank god he wasn't though, otherwise their actions later that day would be labelled as incest.
The woman rolled her eyes 'I've heard that one before. According to my record you, as Heero's brother, should be dead and buried.'
Duo cast his eyes to the floor, he was busted. The nurse told him to patiently wait in the waiting room and guided him to an uncomfortable green plastic chair. But he couldn't sit still, so he stood up and started pacing the room, earning angry glances from other people waiting to hear about their loved ones. But he himself could not believe that they could sit there quietly while one of their family members is being treated.
He flinched when suddenly something started buzzing and singing in his pants. He giggled nervously when he realised it was his cellphone. He picked it up, talking in a hushed tone so that he wouldn't disturb the others any more then he already had.
'Duo? Is that you? Where are you?'
'Mom?' He frowned hearing her worried and distressed voice.
'I'm at home, the police is here as well I heard all about what happened!' She said fast though she was out of breath.
'What? How do you know!' He walked outside when people started staring at him again. Geez, like he was having sex in the church or something.
'Some Yuy boy filed a complaint! They're arresting your father!'
He smiled slightly when he could detect a somewhat happy and relieved tone buried under the worried one. 'Thank god!'
It was silent on the other side of the line. He wondered why. Then: 'Where are you?'
'I'm at the hospital, waiting to hear about Heero. The one who filed the complaint.'
His mother sighed and from the long silence he could determine she was thinking. 'I'm coming over, me and your sister.'
He didn't quite wanted Heero to be here, but how could he say no? This was his mother for crying out loud! She had been mistreated by her husband for many years and now he was finally arrested after ruining some young boys life. The last thing she needed was him explaining colourfully how he felt about Hilde now.
'Sure, okay, see you in five.' Sighing he hung up and sat down again, feeling somewhat calmer.
Five minutes later his mother arrived together with his sister and they sat down, waiting in silence for someone to call them. To report on Heero's condition.
'what is taking so long! It are only his fingers!' Hilde complained, tapping her foot.
Duo shot her a glare that could kill 'Shut up Hilde! Heero is an artist, to him his fingers are just as important as his heart!' He felt like strangling her, but his mother, sitting between him and Hilde lay a hushing hand on his leg, calming him down and ordering him to be quiet.
He fisted his pants while he nervously continued waiting. Hilde's presence was not soothing him.
'Mister Maxwell?' The nurse he had spoken to earlier walked into the waiting room, searching him. When her eyes fell on him she gave him a fake smile 'If you would please come with me, I'll show you to Heero's room.'
Duo nodded and sighed in relief. His mother also rose, wanting to come too.
'Mom, please... let me go alone please...'
She nodded and sat back down again elbowing her daughter when she said something mean about homosexuals and their sexdrive.
He followed the nurse down the hall and she held the door to the examination room open for him.
Entering, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Heero was sitting upright, instead of the lying, pale figure he had imagined while sitting in the waiting room.
'Duo.' Heero smiled, glad to see him.
'Are you okay?' Duo immediately rushed to his side and checked him. His hand was bandaged, the fingers separated from each other. His ankle was also in white bandage and there was a large white patch on his forehead, the patch was not large enough to cover the entire, bloody, scrape wound.
'I am so sorry...' He carefully grabbed Heero's left hand, the unbroken one, as if he was made from breakable china. He looked up, surprised as Heero's right hand came up to cover his.
'It's okay Duo... I did it on purpose.'
Duo's eyes widened in shock and he let go of the hand. 'You what!'
Heero looked the other way, sorry and pained 'Cat told me what your father did to you. I couldn't sit back and wait for him to really do some damage! So... I came over to lure him out, so that the police would have hard proof to arrest him for.' Heero confessed, his eyes begging Duo to understand. But all Duo felt was hurt. The kiss, the near 'love making' in his room had all been an act? An act to make his father angry? He frowned. His father could have killed them! Heero didn't know half how dangerous his father was!
'Duo?'
'I'm sorry I just...' He took a step back. Never in his life did he knew his heart could clench so painfully.
'I'm not finished.' Heero stated softly, reaching out his hand and placing it under Duo's chin, making him look at him.
Great, more heart breaking confessions? Duo thought as he waited for Heero to continue. The shy smile suddenly appearing on the smaller boys face confused him. The smile lightened up his face and warmed his eyes.
'That... about you father? ... that's not all Cat told me.'
Oh god... what else did she say? He swallowed a lump in his throat as he waited anxiously. Got, why wasn't Heero just straight (no pun intended) with it! It felt like some GameShow where there were always long silences before there was said if the answer given by the contestant was right or wrong, to add suspense.
'She also told me... about your feelings for me?'
'That bitch!' He shot out without thinking. When he realised what he had said he clasped his hand over his mouth. Surprised, he looked up as he heard Heero's sweet laughter. 'What's so funny?'
'That we were both so stupid that we didn't realise our feelings for each other.'
Duo gaped. Did he just say that? 'You mean... you... me... uh...'
'From the first moment I laid my eyes on you.' Heero said with a smirk and then pulled him closer, connecting their lips together.
Duo felt his head become light and his legs turning into jelly as Heero passionately kissed him. He could not believe that this terrible horror story had a happy ending! This was to perfect to be true. Think, what was wrong? What made this ending not so perfect? He tried and tried, but it was so hard to think with Heero's tongue in his mouth!
He slowly parted from Heero, but didn't stray far, their lips almost touching. 'But... what about your hand? Your work? Your art!' He looked down at Heero's bandaged hand.
Heero smiled and lifted his left hand up, wiggling it in front of Duo's questioning face. 'Pay attention silly boy! ... I'm left handed!'
Short chapter I know –ducks her head because someone throws a chair at her head- Geez, no need to get violent!
This sure was a happy chapter, Duo's dad being arrested, Heero turning out to be fine... hmmm, what can I do to make things go wrong in the next... –ducks again-
