To DragonFlame Mistress- Am I really that predictable? Or was the set-up that obvious? Either way, I'm glad you're glad! It was only a double update because I wrote chapter five while I was writing chapter two… Heehee…


Chapter Six
"I hate my life…" Wufei muttered, sprawled across his desk. There were dark circles under his eyes, he looked like he hadn't eaten or bathed in days, and his hair was down from its usual ponytail and fell into his face, and obscuring his vision.

"Wufei, I'd appreciate it if you sat up." Miss Mizuno said softly, patting his shoulder. "And if you can't do that, you need to go home, okay?"

"Can you carry me?" Wufei asked plaintively, actually wanting to go home but not sure if he could stand under his own power, much less walk.

Half the class laughed, while most of the girls looked sickened, dismayed, or worried.

"Um… Miss Mizuno?" Duo said timidly, raising his hand. "I…I could walk him home, if it's okay."

"What a splendid idea, Duo!" Miss Mizuno exclaimed, clapping her hands smartly. "Why don't you and Trowa take him? You're the only two who understand the material anyway, and we can't have these slackers copying you."

"A-alright." Duo stammered, blushing a little at the compliment and standing.


He and Trowa managed to get Wufei all the way out of the building before either one realized that neither knew where the boy lived.

"So, Wufei, where do you live?" Duo asked. "Or did you want us to dump you in the park?"

"Can you kill me instead?" Wufei responded weakly. "At least if you do it, it'll be pretty painless. That weirdo with the red eyes, though…"

Duo and Trowa exchanged a look over their classmate's head; so Seth was still out to get Wufei. He must have actually done something wrong, rather than just annoy the fire demon.

"C'mon, Wufei." Duo said cheerfully. "You know I won't kill you, and I won't let Seth either. You just need a good night's sleep, and you'll be fine."

"But Seth probably knows where he lives by now, so we should take him to your place." Trowa interjected.

"You're right." Duo said, smiling at his lover. "Seth has no idea where my hole in the wall is. He'll probably be safest there."


Duo's 'Hole in the Wall'


"He looks like shit." Beck commented evenly, holding the door open for the boys.

"What are you doing in my apartment?" Duo countered, sitting Wufei down on the couch.

"Seth showed up and kicked me out so he and Tasuki could talk. So why's he here?"

"He needs a place to hide out in case Seth comes looking for him." Trowa explained. "We need to get back to school, so would you mind watching him?"

"That's not fair!" Beck looked helplessly from Trowa to Wufei and back, a panicked look crossing her face. "You can't do this to me, Trowa Barton! You can't, you can't, you can't! It's not fair to use me like this and make me watch him!"

"I knew I could count on you." Trowa smiled, grabbing Duo's wrist and dragging him to the door. "And remember, it goes against your oath to kill!" He added over his shoulder as the door closed behind them.

"Do we really have to go back to school?" Duo asked, trying to keep up with Trowa's longer stride.

"Of course not." Trowa said with a shrug. "But we have the rest of the day free, and damned if I'm going to waste it watching him."

"I knew it." Duo groaned.

"But you love me anyway, right? Now let's go catch a movie."


Back Upstairs


Beck stared at the closed door for a moment, torn between running after Trowa and smashing his smug face into a wall, throwing the idiot on the couch out the window, or collapsing where she stood. Finally, she opted for none of the above and marched into the kitchen to make some tea.


Trowa's Place


Seth hit the streets feeling decidedly uneasy. Tasuki hadn't known as much as Seth had hoped; he'd barely made any progress at all after nearly an hour of talking.

The red-eyed demon wandered off aimlessly, choosing directions at random until he found himself in a crowded shopping district. Having nothing better to do, he made his way to a small, windowless building sandwiched between a Starbucks and a Waldenbooks.

The dim interior, lit by black and red candles thick enough to require three wicks and a single red-paneled lantern, was nearly deserted. Two boys Seth's apparent age sat in one corner, whispering to each other. The looked up briefly when the door banged closed behind him, but went back to their conversation when they decided they didn't know him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The woman behind the bar demanded, glaring at Seth with fire in her emerald eye.

"Hello to you, too." Seth snapped back, dropping onto the nearest stool. "Nice to see you again after all this time. Can't you at least be civil, Rebbekha?"

"No," Rebbekha replied shortly, shoving blood red bangs out of her other eye. "I cannot be civil to you. Who in their right mind would, after you up and leave for more than a year? The least you could have done was write me just once!"

"You're drawing attention." Seth interrupted quietly, nodding in the direction of the two boys. "Calm down and get me a beer. I didn't come here to argue."

"Of course not," She scoffed, grabbing a mug, filling it, and slamming it down in front of him. "After all, arguing would show you cared enough to disagree with me. The all-mighty Seth doesn't feel; he has no emotions. He can toy with a girl's heart and leave her high and dry whenever she shows signs of wanting to get serious.

"Well, let me tell you something, buster. I feel. I may not be human, but I was still cursed with their emotions, and you can't just up and leave when you feel like it!"

Seth just sat there, apparently oblivious to the ranting woman.

"I don't know why I bother!" Rebbekha exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration and defeat. "Go live your perfect fucking life, Seth, but don't come near me again or I'll kill your ass!" She yelled, knocking his beer onto the floor. "On the house! Get out!"

"Fine." Seth said, standing calmly and walking to the door. As he closed it softly behind him, he could have sworn he heard her yell, 'what are you fuckers looking at?!'


Duo's House


Beck gave a satisfied grunt, wiping the dust cloth across the top of the bookshelf one last time. The entire house, save the bedroom, very nearly gleamed, a welcome comparison to the way it had looked when she'd climbed in through the open window.

She stood for a moment, listening for sounds in the bedroom. Hearing none, she eased down the hallway and peeked through the open door.

Sleeping like a baby.

Beck giggled quietly and snuck back to the kitchen to check on her soup and make some sandwiches.

Once lunch was done, she loaded it all onto a tray and carried it into the bedroom. She stood for a moment, looking for a place to put the tray down, but the only furniture in the room was the bed. With a shrug, she kicked the side of the bed hard enough to shake her patient awake.

"Lunchtime!" She announced brightly when he opened his eyes. "Today's menu includes tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches, fruit, orange juice, and ginger ale! Now sit up before I dump the lot of it on your head!"


In a Movie Theater Across Town


Duo stretched, yawning. His neck hurt from sleeping in a chair for the past hour or so.

"You okay?" Trowa asked, putting his arm around Duo's waist.

"Fine." Duo assured him, leaning his head on Trowa's shoulder. "My neck's a little stiff is all."

"Well, you did spend the majority of the movie asleep on me." Trowa laughed. "That's enough to give anyone a neckache. Let's go get something to eat. I'm starved."

"Sometimes, I think you're always starved." Duo smiled, closing his eyes. "There are two things you always want; food and kisses."

"Kisses more than food." Trowa agreed, unrepentant.

"You're impossible."

"I know."


The End


I know this is short and all, but please bear with me! I'm trying to get more done on my stories, but this one is giving me migraines. See, I know where the story is, and I know where I want it to go, I just don't know how to get it there. Again, please bear with me while I muddle through on this!