Hi! I'm finally back! Kanashii and Ai deserted me, so I'm alone to try to write for a bit. In other words, I'm having a little writer's block. Gomen!
Beta Reader (Dragen Eyes)::: and I'm still here! I like it here! Much better than being a muse..then you get hurt..and yelled at and tortured. shudders well..okay.. so I might if I decided to be lazy and not read this.. but I'm a good beta-reader and read this the first chance I get (which sadly was not yesterday GOMEN!!)
Gently bops her one It's quite alright, Dragen Eyes. Let's see, two weeks or one day? Who's worse???
Warning - Uhh ... cursing. Sap. Angst. Some sad stuff. Not much more. sighs
Disclaimer - I own nothing. I am poor and practically homeless. I guess I own Miss Paisley ... sigh ... not really.
Only You
Chapter 11
Duo found himself whistling and stopped immediately. Heero would probably kick him out for the tiniest nuisance he made. He breathed in deeply and thought. Was he going to be spending the night with Heero? Or was Heero going to be the one on the floor?
Duo refused to let that be the case. Heero would either stay in his bed and they would share the room, or Heero would stay in his bed and Duo would set up camp in the living room. Damned if he'd put Heero in a painful position. That was what he was here to do: make sure DIDN'T happen.
"Duo," Wufei called, coming down the stairs.
"Hey," Duo chirped, picking up the cups from their resting places. "You want me to reheat this?" He nudged Wufei's coffee.
"No, thank you. I came to ask what occurred." The Chinese man stood, waiting.
Duo blushed. "Nothing big. Heero agreed to let me stay." Duo's lips thinned. "Even though I don't need his permission."
"Yes, you do. You're a civilian now, just like Diana."
Duo looked at him sardonically. "Wufei, I've never been a civilian, and you damn well know it."
Wufei matched his look with a glare that seemed ready to rival Heero's. What, did the two of them hold glaring contests or something? "You are a civilian, Duo Maxwell. You are not a Preventor, and you, hopefully, are not a bandit, terrorist, or are otherwise compromising the peace of Earth and the colonies."
"Wufie," Duo said, eyes widened in mock amazement. "Was that an attempt at a joke?!"
Miss Paisley came down, saving Duo from certain death. "May I come down now?" she asked the two of them, looking almost petrified.
"Yeah, sure," Duo called before Wufei could say anything. "We're just having a manly talk about ..." He turned to Chang. "What were we talking about?"
Miss Paisley giggled and came down the stairs, crossing her hands together and looking between them. If she noticed the tension crackling in the room, she wisely made no comment. "Where has Mr. Yuy gone?"
It took Duo a moment to realize she was talking about Heero, and when he did, he snorted rudely. When the hell had Heero donned that name? Mister Yuy?! HAH! He just had to bring it up the next time he saw the guy.
"He went into the guest room to fix up a room for Mr. Maxwell," Wufei informed the two of them.
Duo was surprised. He thought that Heero had stomped out of the room, snorting like a bull who had just spotted the red cape, because he wanted to calm down enough to not practice karate - with Duo as the punching bag. So much for that theory.
"I wouldn't go see him right now," Wufei advised as Miss Paisley started to leave. She turned to him questioningly. "He's a bit ... aggravated that Mr. Maxwell came even after specific orders to rest."
In other words, Heero had just managed to not kill the bullfighter. Maybe he hadn't been too far off in his estimations.
He looked outside, feeling a chill creep up his spine. It was full day now, the sun making the small room even more cheery than before, even though Duo had opted to get rid of the fire. It was a place one could call home.
But, he still felt eerie. Cold.
Something was out there.
Duo looked around. There were probably a few escape routes. Definitely more then one. He knew enough about how the gundam pilots worked. They would want multiple exits, just in case their position was compromised. Just like he would. Just as he had when he was on the streets.
He looked at Wufei. "Hey, I'm gonna go for a spell; I think it would be for the best." Wufei seemed reluctant, until he looked back to where Heero had left. Then he nodded jerkily. Duo quickly made his way out the door.
He was immediately greeted with the scents and smells of just an hour or so missed, and smiled. He wanted to look unhurried, lazy. He was just a guy from a cabin checking out the forest scene and having a nice time.
Except that his eyes were constantly moving, constantly checking out everything that so much as shivered in the wind. This was an old habit, as well. One he knew by heart. Check for dangers, don't get caught. Right when you let down your guard, you'll be taken and killed. Remember that. Always remember the danger of trust and normalcy.
He started whistling again, but didn't bother to stop this time. If there was an enemy, would he be luring it away? Would it attack him? Would it continue watching the cabin? Was he completely losing his mind?
Losing your mind isn't a bad thing unless you lose it enough to get caught. Paranoia is always good compared to being too laid back. Always.
He looked at his arm. Damn. Heero would have his head if he knew what he was doing. He looked up to the sky, allowing himself a short moment of relaxation. What was Heero doing right now? Hating him? Cursing him?
Duo's smile was bitter. Yeah. Probably.
"What the hell do you mean, he's taking a walk'?" Heero demanded icily, anger making his fists clench. He was glaring lethally at his partner. "You let him leave in his condition?!"
Wufei was unaffected by the look, having received it so often it blew past him easier than it did on Duo ... though Wufei had a sneaking suspicion that it hurt Duo more than he let on. "Perhaps you shouldn't make him feel so unwelcome, Yuy," he spat back.
Heero's glare took on a self-disgusted glint. "He shouldn't be here. He's in no condition to --"
"If I may," Miss Paisley spoke up quietly, "I think Duo was well aware of his injuries when he came. He seemed to really need to be here." She looked at them oddly. "Why aren't you happy that you're partner is here? I understand that you might be worried, but he seems to know what he's doing."
"Stay out of this," Heero snapped. "Dammit, I can't believe the baka came in the first place. Is he insane?"
"I don't think so," Wufei said quietly. In fact, the Chinese man knew damn well what was going on with the laughing ex-gundam pilot. He had seen it the moment Duo had stayed too long in Taco Bell when the assassins had come for Miss Paisley. He had guessed that the Deathscythe pilot had gone back for Heero, even though the boy had arrived at their rendezvous point. Yes. It was the same as Heero.
He'd also seen the way Heero sat in the corner of his bed on assignments. Looking off into space and crying, whispering Duo's name into the night.
Wufei looked out into the forest, a sinking feeling hard in his heart. His friends were close. So close. But they were stubborn, obnoxious. He knew the feeling well. He only prayed it wouldn't be their downfall.
Duo sighed and stuck his good hand in the pocket of his jeans. He was stupid. He should be inside the cabin, trying to disappear and acting like he wasn't there. Instead, he was out here, attracting possible attention, having nothing better to do than think about the past and what Heero had come to mean to him through everything. Even the boy's annoying temperament.
This was getting him nowhere. He should just head the hell back. Before his mind started writing love poems for Heero.
And with that disturbing thought, Duo turned a one-eighty and headed back for the shack.
"I see a hole forming in the carpet," Wufei joked, but was shot only a withering glare for his efforts.
Heero continued pacing, looking out the window every few seconds, seeming to will Duo's arrival. "Something doesn't feel right," Heero grumbled, running his hands agitatedly through his hair.
"That's probably because you've been pacing for over a half-hour," Wufei commented dryly. "You're probably dizzy."
"I've never been dizzy in my life," Heero snapped.
"Until you fell for Maxwell," Wufei muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Chang?"
"Nothing," Wufei said amicably. "Maybe you should just go after him," he supplied after a while.
Heero didn't even acknowledge his words.
"Is everything okay?" Miss Paisley popped her head out from the hallway, having come from her room to check on them.
Wufei shrugged. "Yuy is having a bit of a --"
"Dammit, I'm going after him," Heero growled, grabbing his jacket from the banister and putting it on. "Keep him the hell here if he returns before me."
Wufei rolled his eyes, but nodded in confirmation of the request. "Take a gun," he advised, but needn't have bothered. Heero already had one in his hand.
Heero didn't bother with a good-bye as he slammed the door shut beside him.
"Well," Miss Paisley said primly, "I hope that chip on his shoulder gives him a hunchback!" And she turned from the room, leaving Wufei trying desperately not to laugh.
Duo stopped and turned his head. There it was again. Wind against wind. Something big was fighting the current of air. He'd been right all along!
Something was out there!
A/N: Look at it, it's so nice and pretty ... ahem. Yeah. Well, here you go. Sorry for the huge wait! No touchie? Maybe ... review? Maybe? It make me so very happy, and misa having writer's block, so maybe ... grins cheekily Please?
Hugs Dragen Eyes Thank you so much! There were so many problems in this one, I was ashamed of myself. Thank you so much for catching them!!!
Beta Reader (Dragen Eyes)::: and I'm still here! I like it here! Much better than being a muse..then you get hurt..and yelled at and tortured. shudders well..okay.. so I might if I decided to be lazy and not read this.. but I'm a good beta-reader and read this the first chance I get (which sadly was not yesterday GOMEN!!)
Gently bops her one It's quite alright, Dragen Eyes. Let's see, two weeks or one day? Who's worse???
Warning - Uhh ... cursing. Sap. Angst. Some sad stuff. Not much more. sighs
Disclaimer - I own nothing. I am poor and practically homeless. I guess I own Miss Paisley ... sigh ... not really.
Only You
Chapter 11
Duo found himself whistling and stopped immediately. Heero would probably kick him out for the tiniest nuisance he made. He breathed in deeply and thought. Was he going to be spending the night with Heero? Or was Heero going to be the one on the floor?
Duo refused to let that be the case. Heero would either stay in his bed and they would share the room, or Heero would stay in his bed and Duo would set up camp in the living room. Damned if he'd put Heero in a painful position. That was what he was here to do: make sure DIDN'T happen.
"Duo," Wufei called, coming down the stairs.
"Hey," Duo chirped, picking up the cups from their resting places. "You want me to reheat this?" He nudged Wufei's coffee.
"No, thank you. I came to ask what occurred." The Chinese man stood, waiting.
Duo blushed. "Nothing big. Heero agreed to let me stay." Duo's lips thinned. "Even though I don't need his permission."
"Yes, you do. You're a civilian now, just like Diana."
Duo looked at him sardonically. "Wufei, I've never been a civilian, and you damn well know it."
Wufei matched his look with a glare that seemed ready to rival Heero's. What, did the two of them hold glaring contests or something? "You are a civilian, Duo Maxwell. You are not a Preventor, and you, hopefully, are not a bandit, terrorist, or are otherwise compromising the peace of Earth and the colonies."
"Wufie," Duo said, eyes widened in mock amazement. "Was that an attempt at a joke?!"
Miss Paisley came down, saving Duo from certain death. "May I come down now?" she asked the two of them, looking almost petrified.
"Yeah, sure," Duo called before Wufei could say anything. "We're just having a manly talk about ..." He turned to Chang. "What were we talking about?"
Miss Paisley giggled and came down the stairs, crossing her hands together and looking between them. If she noticed the tension crackling in the room, she wisely made no comment. "Where has Mr. Yuy gone?"
It took Duo a moment to realize she was talking about Heero, and when he did, he snorted rudely. When the hell had Heero donned that name? Mister Yuy?! HAH! He just had to bring it up the next time he saw the guy.
"He went into the guest room to fix up a room for Mr. Maxwell," Wufei informed the two of them.
Duo was surprised. He thought that Heero had stomped out of the room, snorting like a bull who had just spotted the red cape, because he wanted to calm down enough to not practice karate - with Duo as the punching bag. So much for that theory.
"I wouldn't go see him right now," Wufei advised as Miss Paisley started to leave. She turned to him questioningly. "He's a bit ... aggravated that Mr. Maxwell came even after specific orders to rest."
In other words, Heero had just managed to not kill the bullfighter. Maybe he hadn't been too far off in his estimations.
He looked outside, feeling a chill creep up his spine. It was full day now, the sun making the small room even more cheery than before, even though Duo had opted to get rid of the fire. It was a place one could call home.
But, he still felt eerie. Cold.
Something was out there.
Duo looked around. There were probably a few escape routes. Definitely more then one. He knew enough about how the gundam pilots worked. They would want multiple exits, just in case their position was compromised. Just like he would. Just as he had when he was on the streets.
He looked at Wufei. "Hey, I'm gonna go for a spell; I think it would be for the best." Wufei seemed reluctant, until he looked back to where Heero had left. Then he nodded jerkily. Duo quickly made his way out the door.
He was immediately greeted with the scents and smells of just an hour or so missed, and smiled. He wanted to look unhurried, lazy. He was just a guy from a cabin checking out the forest scene and having a nice time.
Except that his eyes were constantly moving, constantly checking out everything that so much as shivered in the wind. This was an old habit, as well. One he knew by heart. Check for dangers, don't get caught. Right when you let down your guard, you'll be taken and killed. Remember that. Always remember the danger of trust and normalcy.
He started whistling again, but didn't bother to stop this time. If there was an enemy, would he be luring it away? Would it attack him? Would it continue watching the cabin? Was he completely losing his mind?
Losing your mind isn't a bad thing unless you lose it enough to get caught. Paranoia is always good compared to being too laid back. Always.
He looked at his arm. Damn. Heero would have his head if he knew what he was doing. He looked up to the sky, allowing himself a short moment of relaxation. What was Heero doing right now? Hating him? Cursing him?
Duo's smile was bitter. Yeah. Probably.
"What the hell do you mean, he's taking a walk'?" Heero demanded icily, anger making his fists clench. He was glaring lethally at his partner. "You let him leave in his condition?!"
Wufei was unaffected by the look, having received it so often it blew past him easier than it did on Duo ... though Wufei had a sneaking suspicion that it hurt Duo more than he let on. "Perhaps you shouldn't make him feel so unwelcome, Yuy," he spat back.
Heero's glare took on a self-disgusted glint. "He shouldn't be here. He's in no condition to --"
"If I may," Miss Paisley spoke up quietly, "I think Duo was well aware of his injuries when he came. He seemed to really need to be here." She looked at them oddly. "Why aren't you happy that you're partner is here? I understand that you might be worried, but he seems to know what he's doing."
"Stay out of this," Heero snapped. "Dammit, I can't believe the baka came in the first place. Is he insane?"
"I don't think so," Wufei said quietly. In fact, the Chinese man knew damn well what was going on with the laughing ex-gundam pilot. He had seen it the moment Duo had stayed too long in Taco Bell when the assassins had come for Miss Paisley. He had guessed that the Deathscythe pilot had gone back for Heero, even though the boy had arrived at their rendezvous point. Yes. It was the same as Heero.
He'd also seen the way Heero sat in the corner of his bed on assignments. Looking off into space and crying, whispering Duo's name into the night.
Wufei looked out into the forest, a sinking feeling hard in his heart. His friends were close. So close. But they were stubborn, obnoxious. He knew the feeling well. He only prayed it wouldn't be their downfall.
Duo sighed and stuck his good hand in the pocket of his jeans. He was stupid. He should be inside the cabin, trying to disappear and acting like he wasn't there. Instead, he was out here, attracting possible attention, having nothing better to do than think about the past and what Heero had come to mean to him through everything. Even the boy's annoying temperament.
This was getting him nowhere. He should just head the hell back. Before his mind started writing love poems for Heero.
And with that disturbing thought, Duo turned a one-eighty and headed back for the shack.
"I see a hole forming in the carpet," Wufei joked, but was shot only a withering glare for his efforts.
Heero continued pacing, looking out the window every few seconds, seeming to will Duo's arrival. "Something doesn't feel right," Heero grumbled, running his hands agitatedly through his hair.
"That's probably because you've been pacing for over a half-hour," Wufei commented dryly. "You're probably dizzy."
"I've never been dizzy in my life," Heero snapped.
"Until you fell for Maxwell," Wufei muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Chang?"
"Nothing," Wufei said amicably. "Maybe you should just go after him," he supplied after a while.
Heero didn't even acknowledge his words.
"Is everything okay?" Miss Paisley popped her head out from the hallway, having come from her room to check on them.
Wufei shrugged. "Yuy is having a bit of a --"
"Dammit, I'm going after him," Heero growled, grabbing his jacket from the banister and putting it on. "Keep him the hell here if he returns before me."
Wufei rolled his eyes, but nodded in confirmation of the request. "Take a gun," he advised, but needn't have bothered. Heero already had one in his hand.
Heero didn't bother with a good-bye as he slammed the door shut beside him.
"Well," Miss Paisley said primly, "I hope that chip on his shoulder gives him a hunchback!" And she turned from the room, leaving Wufei trying desperately not to laugh.
Duo stopped and turned his head. There it was again. Wind against wind. Something big was fighting the current of air. He'd been right all along!
Something was out there!
A/N: Look at it, it's so nice and pretty ... ahem. Yeah. Well, here you go. Sorry for the huge wait! No touchie? Maybe ... review? Maybe? It make me so very happy, and misa having writer's block, so maybe ... grins cheekily Please?
Hugs Dragen Eyes Thank you so much! There were so many problems in this one, I was ashamed of myself. Thank you so much for catching them!!!