I almost forgot the existence of this story!

My best friend's promise

Chapter 3

The apartment was awfully silent. Too silent. It was late in afternoon, no lights were on and there was no sun in the sky to lighten up the rooms. He could feel the loneliness hanging thickly in the air. He could even SMELL it. No, he actually couldn't, but what he COULD smell was the lack of the scent of Duo's shampoo, lingering in the air.
Duo had moved out last week and he hasn't spoken to him since then. Duo didn't bother to call. HE didn't dare to call. Someone had called him, but it wasn't the person he was hoping for. It was Quatre. And strangely enough, as soon as he had picked up the phone, Quatre's concerned voice had asked: 'How are you?' How are you, it didn't even feel like a question for the tone of Quatre's voice told him the blonde already know Heero had hit rock bottom and decided to dig in further. But he had told him he was fine. He IS fine! No more Duo meant no more orgies. No more duo meant no more stupid, hurtful, jokes. Why would he be sad? It's not like Duo still considered them as friend? And neither did Heero.
But Quatre didn't swallow it and invited him over for dinner. Yeah, like that would make him feel better. Quatre didn't have a house, no, he had a friggin' MANSION... a palace! And the food that was set in front of him must have cost a load of money. And he didn't feel comfortable eating from silver plates while he had the biggest trouble paying his bills since duo didn't pay half of the rent anymore. No being surrounded by rich people who all but waved their money in his face, pulling it away before he could grab it wasn't good for his mood and he had left Quatre feeling even more useless then he did before.
FINALLY Heero decided he NEEDED to call Duo before whatever they still had vaporised into nothing. He picked up the phone and dialled the number Duo had given him.
'This number does not exist'
He sighed and hung up. Why didn't he feel surprised? He KNEW all electronic devices in Duo's apartment were working, his phone no exception. He had given him the wrong number. Probably on purpose. He could feel the anger boiling under his skin. Furious he stomped his foot and hit the wall with his fist but winced and held it close to him as it throbbed in pain afterwards. He closed his eyes tightly, trying not to cry. The pain in his fist was noting compared to the pain in his heart. He felt like if he made a sudden movement, it would chatter. He walked towards the window and watched the weather that resembled his own mood. It was storming. A hurricane was passing by in a city only a mile away from their city. All the people in this city were grateful the hurricane missed then. All but him. A hurricane coming by, tearing this building apart, sending him into oblivion sounded like a blessing right now. Never in his life did he feel so suicidal. Not even when Duo was still with him, making his life miserable. Maybe the fact that Duo was still with him was worth the Hell he brought with him? Of course it was, he was to smitten to worry about anything of that sorts at that time. Because then he still had the hope that one evening Duo would enter his bedroom and confessed he loved him. Yes, he had dreamed about that many times, but in the morning it turned out to be nothing more then a silly dream.
'Stupid me. Stupid me.' He hit his forehead a few times and then continued his recent hobby. Mindlessly staring out the window, making his head as empty as his heart was. God, he sounded so over dramatic, and it still wasn't anywhere close to how bad he felt. The doorbell rang but it took him a while to noticed. He shuffled towards the door and looked through the whole to check who it was. In the back of his head he prayed it was Duo, but that was just wishful thinking. He opened the door for the pretty redhaired girl. She gave him a sexy look and looked him up and down. 'Hey babe, is Duo home?' She said, while open mouthed chewing on a gum.
He followed the gum roll around inside her mouth with his lifeless eyes. 'No, he moved out a week ago'
'Oh...' She thought for a while, 'Well can you tell him his 'sugarpussy' stopped by when you see him'
Sugarpussy? He was going to throw up. As if Duo leaving him wasnt bad enough it was also rubbed in his face that he was straight and slept with more women then this country had to offer. Something just snapped in his head. 'No! No I won't tell him him 'Sugarpussy' stopped by because he is to busy fucking some other whore!' He slammed the door shut and panted with anger. After a while he heard her leave. Her high heels tapping on the wooden floor in the hallway.

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'Heero? Heero? Jesus Heero you look like hell'
He shivered as the one thing that kept his body warm was pulled off him. With a lot of effort he opened one eye and looked up at the figure hovering above him. Dark, disapproving, eyes stared back, then suddenly broke contact and Heero felt himself being pulled off the couch he had fell asleep on.
'That braided, dishounorable American has a bad influence on you.' WuFei mumbled and put Heero down in one of the chairs at the dinner table. 'Coffee'
Heero sighed, he was not in the mood for one of WuFei's 'peptalks'. 'Yeah sure'
Two minutes later a mug of coffee was set in front of him with so much force that some of the brown liquid jumped out of it. Lazily he looked up to see WuFei standing next to him, hands on his hips, mimicking his mothers pose when she was angry at him.
'What'
'I can't believe you actually miss that guy'
Heero snickered, remembering how, over the years, the good friendship between Duo and WuFei grew to fondness and then to hate. He looked away, at his coffee. He held the warm mug in his hands but didn't drink it. His throat was too sore, he had caught a bad cold when he had locked himself out and had to walk all the way up to Quatre's for his spare key.
'Heero'
Surprised, shocked that WuFei could say his name in such a gentle way, he looked up. Not to find a disapproving look, but a friendly and concerned one. A hand was laid on his shoulder. This conversations sure was taking an unexpected turn.
'Heero if it's the money... I can help you'
'I don't want your money'
'I know. Just see it as a loan then. You can pay me back someday.' He then gave a short laugh 'Ha, you better'
'The bests of friendships get ruined when they loan each other money'
'Heero, there are a thousand ways to ruin a friendship... and compared to those, this is a good one'
'... It's not just the money WuFei...' He admitted with a sigh, he really didn't feel like taking charity. 'I know'
Surprised, with wide eyes he looked up. Again to find kind eyes. How much did WuFei know exactly? He had the urge to shudder. Can WuFei really be kind to someone of whom he knows is gay? Or doesn't he know he was gay and just thought he missed Duo as a friend. Either way he didn't seem bothered... strange, he had always struck him as a homophoob type of person. He acts so weirdly around Trowa and Quatre.
'Why are you being so nice to me'
'Quatre told me to do so'
'Ah'
'Just go take a shower or bath, i'll make ya something decent to eat'
Heero moaned 'I'm an almost grown man, I can take care of myself'
'Sure as hell doesn't look like it.' Wufei muttered as he started cleaning up the mess. In the beginning, he was a real neatfreak, but without Duo making a mess again, the house seemed even emptier so he had emptied most of clothing closet on the floor. If only his clothes would smell like Duo... god what was he hopeless.
'Not that I like digging for you're dirty underwear but... why is it all clean?' WuFei asked, he picked up a shirt that even still showed the lines of when it had been perfectly folded and lying in his closet, between all the other grey shirts, yes, he sorted them out by colour. Yes, he was pathetic. Yes, he did realise that.
'I dunknow... Had a fit?' Heero offered, not moving from his seat, he had laid his head on the table. He was just feeling so tired.
'Duo really did rub off more on you then good is for your health...' He brought the clothes to the bathroom to dump them in the laundry basket, then continued cleaning up the kitchen, even washing the dishes. Heero was ashamed, that his friend had to do for him him like he was some helpless child. But he was too tired to get into a fight with him to make him stop.
'WuFei...' he moaned, tired. 'I know what will cheer you up'
'A blow to my head'
'No, that would cheer ME up. Here.' He saw his friend bend down over the table and scribble something on a piece of paper after switching pens three times, mumbling something about damned pens never working when he needed them and something about injustice. 'Heero'
He heard a long suffering smile and the next thing he knew he was being lifted out of the chair. Despite his strange, sudden exhaustion, his face filled up with blood, giving it a bright red hue. As if it wasn't bad enough already that he was the youngest of the bunch he was now being carried around like a little baby. He heard WuFei talk about him being to light and he told him that he would do some shopping for tomorrow. 'Get something other then those friggin' fat free muesli bars in the cabinets.' He didn't even feel being laid down in his best, he was fast a sleep by the time they reached his bedroom door. WuFei's ranting about the bars was just so, surprisingly, comforting...

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When he woke up hours later with, for no apparent reason, a blasting headache he crawled out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, not exactly expecting to find something more then a pack of orange juice he was surprised to find it filled to the nook. He closed it and opened a few cabinets, they were all full. He looked to the side, at the trashcan and smiled as he saw that was alway filled to the edge... with his muesli bars.
Walking to the phone, wanting to call WuFei to thank him for his kindness he was surprised to find a piece of paper lying next to it. He remembered WuFei writing something down on it before he past out. He picked it up, there was a combination of numbers written down on it. A telephone number, his mind supplied. Without giving it much thought he dialed the number and counted the times it rang.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six... Dammit pick it up already!
Seven.
Eight.
Ni-
'Hello, Maxwell here...' Came an agitated voice through the line.
Heero froze. It was Duo's number? WuFei gave him Duo's number? He didn't know wether to thank him from the bottom of his heart or kill him for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation. He stared at the paper in his hand and flipped it over. Besides the numbers there was nothing writting on it, no name.
An annoyed 'Helloo?' From the other side of the line pulled him out of his musings. He shook his head.
'Duo, hey'
It was silent for a while before a surprised and dumbfounded: 'Heero... Hey... H-how are you? How did you get my number?' He asked the question so quickly and by the sound of the gasp that followed he didn't intend on asking it. So ignored the last question.
'I'm fine. How are you doing? Liking the new appartment?' Please say no, please say no plase say no pleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesay-
'Yeah! Definitely! It's great, it has a nice view. Nice neighbours too! One is always away on business and the other is deaf'
He should have figured. All Duo cared about were his damned partied. 'Oh... well, it sounds... nice. Maybe I can come by, to see it?' How in the world he managed to keep the tremble out of his voice was beyong him. But now, talking to Duo, he sort of felt his confidence building, since Duo's situation was also not a comfortable one. Sure he could not say no to his friend?
'Uhm... I, I don't know, I'm kinda busy'
'Really, did you find a job'
'No, I'
'Oh please can I come by, I won't be long.' What has gotten into him! Never had he been this pushy!
'Uhm... yeah, sure, why not. What about'
'This afternoon?' Jesus he was beginning to scare himself!
'Uhm, yeah. But you really can't stay long.' Duo sounded like he regretted agreeing to him.
'I know. I'll stop by at around two. Oh, I have to go now,' he lied, 'Bye'
'... bye'
He let out the breath he had subconciously holding. The first thing that popped into his head: What should I wear?
He ran to his closet but of course found it half empty since he had raided it two days ago.
Thank god he was at least able to find a pair of good jeans. 'These are good... loose at the legs, but snug at the ass... God I must REALLY be gay!' He continued his search for the perfect shirt while sitting on his knees on the ground. Every piece of clothing he didn't like he threw behind him and soon the closet was almost empty and his room was a disaster area.

I'm not too pleased with the result, but I have to post SOMETHING before I completely give up.
Tell me what you think... but be nice, I'm having a bad day.

CW