I sighed awake. It was warm and, even with the air conditioning, I felt overheated. I went to pull the quilt down a little and found I couldn't. My eyes blinked opened and I came face-to-face with chestnut locks. Duo's body had pressed up to mine in the night and he had wrapped his arms around my middle preventing the use of both my arms. Carefully, so as not to wake him, I snaked the top arm out of his hold and pulled the quilt down a bit leaving the sheet on us. Then, I got up carefully and leaned against the under arm that had been trapped and sunk back down again. With both arms free and Duo's peaceful figure against mine own, I figured I'd wait it out and see what happens. Duo's braid had unraveled itself in the night as well. Chestnut strains were spewed every which way across the bed. I allowed my right hand, the one that had been trapped under me, to play with the soft, light brown, waves.
I realized how peaceful this was. It made me smile. I vaguely wondered if Duo ever had had such a rest. I chanced a look at his face, which nestled against my chest. I could make out a soft smile gracing his face. He looked so beautiful when he smiled like that and it made my heart swell. A pull overcame me. I wanted to touch him. Caress his face. Kiss him. Him. The pronoun rang in my ears. I thought about him. Memories flashed before me. He wore the winter shirt, I now recall, on that second day of his attendance, even though it was painfully spring. He already bore his uncle's cruelty. I remembered the smiles he gave me. How painful had it been for him to brandish one?
Did he ever smile as he did now, in my arms, when at Solo's?
The door to my room clicked open gently and I adverted my eyes to Uncle Odin's figure. He was dressed in his pajamas, his hair a mess. His eyes and mine locked and he nodded at me. I nodded back in understanding. He left me to this new chore. I had never minded doing chores, but if had, I would have paid him to let me do it.
Tenderly I sat up. His grip was not as steady as I had originally thought. The arm around the top of me melted away. I smiled as I lent forward to caress his face. His visage smiled further and he shifted onto his back. I continued to caress him: his cheeks, his forehead, and his lips. I found myself taking my own bottom lip between my teeth in contemplation. Compiled beyond my understanding, I lent forward a lightly brushed my lips against his own. It was chaste and brief. I blushed. Although it had been innocent, it had still occurred. I mentally shock my head and began to caress his cheek once more.
"Duo," I wooed gently, "It's time to wake up…"
The teen only sighed a little and smiled a little more.
I smiled with him and wooed some more, "Duo… come on… it's time to wake up."
Duo's eyes wandered open, blinking. He looked lost at first. Then, he looked in my direction and realized where he was. He smiled at me and said in the quietest voice, "Morning…" as though he was shy.
I smiled happily at him and said, "Hello, there. Time to get ready to go to Uncle Odin's job."
"Oh, right… Why's it so dark?" Duo replied, cobwebs beginning to fall.
"It's three in the morning."
Duo's eyes widened. "Three in the morning?"
"Yep. Odin leaves at four in the morning everyday to make to work at five."
"Wow…" Duo sat up.
"I'm going to go take a shower real quick, okay? You can shuffle through my things to find something you want to wear. I'll be back after I'm done, okay?"
Duo nodded shyly and I myself shuffled through my things to find something for me to wear.
I went to the door, turned to him and said, "Remember to lock the door," and left through it, closing it gently behind me.
----
I took a fairly quick shower and dried myself off before I put on my clothes. While I was in there I decided to brush my teeth and hair. I slipped my slippers back on and, carrying my pajamas, went to my room again. I pressed my ear to the door before entering it. I could hear the soft rustling of cloth against what I could only assume to be Duo's body. I smiled thinking about that. Then I promptly blushed at such lewd thoughts. I knocked on the door in a mediocre tone. There came an almost inaudible gasp. I imagined Duo blushing at the sudden sound as though I had actually walked in on him. I heard feet padding across the wooden floor of my room and a little click from the lock when they stopped at the door.
Duo was indeed flushed the cutest shade of almost unseen pink. I smiled at the sight of his figure in my overgrown clothes. My black jeans, which fitted comfortably around my waist and weren't skintight on me were baggy and slid down his hips on him. My long sleeve black turtleneck, which fitted to my chest, ended just passed my wrists and came close to my chin on me was like a sweater on him with the neck part sagging and the sleeves ending around his knuckles. He had the braid done again. He looked so cute.
"Would you like a belt?" I asked with a smile.
Looking down at the floor, he brought his hand to his ear and rubbed at the lobe as he shyly replied, "Yes… thank you."
I continued although I went to my dresser to fish for a belt, "You can wear my shoes if they fit you. I'm wearing my yellow ones. Ah! Here's a belt and a pair of socks."
He mumbled thanks and turned around. I blinked as he lifted the shirt to string the belt through the different loops. I realized he didn't want me to see the scars. I sighed lightly and went to my closet to find a jacket. I was wearing my blue jeans and a yellow button-down shirt. I found my brown leather jacket and put it on. Then we left the room to go down stairs.
----
Odin was in the kitchen sipping on coffee that smelled faintly of French vanilla. He was seated in one of the chairs reading the highlights of the Nikkei Shinbun. When we walked in he raised his eyebrows in surprise at us and put his coffee cup down.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
We nodded. He handed me the keys to the car.
"Go wait out in the car. I won't be long."
----
The trip to the governmental building was uneventful. Duo sat with his hands in firm fists on his knees the whole way. Odin pulled into his designated parking space and we got out. Duo looked a little nervous as he walked with him to and through the front of the Department's double automatic doors. I reached out softly to place a hand lightly on his shoulder. When he raised his head to look at me in almost shock, I gave a tender smile. He gave me a light one in return.
Odin explained that the two of us were there concerning a case he wanted to form. They asked him some questions and he answered them before he led us to his office. I had only ever been to his office twice. When my parents died a couple of years ago, I was taken to The Department of Human and Family Resource Services. There, I found out that I had had an Uncle and that, by mere coincidence, he happened to actually work there. I was rather happy that I wasn't going to be living with a stranger. However, I was also very scared. Never having met the man before, I found myself wondering if he would be mean or scary in the least. I'm happy to say Odin did not turn that way at all. He was a friend and parent. I found that, many times, I could talk with Odin about things that hadn't even spoken with my parents about. And this is why I entrusted Odin to help me help Duo.
----
Odin's office was neat. And by neat I mean cool. He really knew how to put a kid at ease. There were normal chairs, but also beanbags. His desk had papers piled neatly and in between them were little bobble heads of anime characters. There were stuffed animals and toys scattered by the nook of the floor and wall. There were even a few sitting on the windowsill. His window curtains were also brightly colored. It looked more like a room used for daycare services. Odin beckoned us to come inside and relax.
Duo looked amazed.
"Not at all the scary white room, is it?" I asked him.
He smiled looking at all the different toys and even a few board games about the room. "Not at all…"
Odin smiled proudly, "Usually the kids that come here have had some traumatic or sad experiences and they end up being really reluctant to tell us anything. This sort of environment makes them feel more relaxed and lets us coax them into giving details or information about them. Heero here walked in here and didn't want to say a word to me. I gave him a--"
"Odin! You said you'd never tell another soul about that!" I exclaimed in alarm.
Duo giggled beside me and Odin blinked. I looked over at Duo, incredulous at his laughter.
"It was just a—"
"NO! Don't say that!"
Duo was fully laughing at the situation now. I glared at him. Odin sighed.
"Okay, Heero, I won't say anymore." Then he winked at Duo.
I turned my glare upon them both. "If I find out you told him I just tell him about the time you went up to me and--"
"Okay, let's start this case, shall we?" Odin interrupted, a sweatdrop forming over his brow.
Duo was clutching at his stomach from his laughter. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. We took seats and faced him.
"Okay," he began sitting down at his swivel chair and, ultimately, cluttered desk. He pulled a paper out of, seemingly, nowhere. It was a form. "Full name," he stated and raised his head to look at Duo.
"Maxwell, Duo."
Odin nodded and continued with similar questions. Then he asked, "State of parents/guardians?"
Duo's mouth drew to a line and he answered, "I'm pretty sure my parents are alive on L2 and my Uncle Solo is doing just fine, I'm sure."
"State of child?"
Duo blinked. "Is that a trick question?"
Odin shrugged. "Usually this refers to the state of your mental/physical/emotional status. However, I can answer this for you since you're in a fairly happy condition right now. I did see your reaction yesterday when you confessed the gist of your story to Heero."
Duo nodded deadpan.
Odin made him tell the story over once more in detail for the record. He did, taking lots of breaks to calm his emotions. Once finished with the questionnaire, Odin sighed and sat back in his chair. Duo had his knees drawn to his chest and I was sitting up straight with my hands folded in my lap. Odin nodded at the case form.
"Duo," he said quietly.
Duo looked up at him in response.
"Can you… show me… the scars?" Odin asked with a serious look that also said I-don't-want-to-do-this-but-I-have-to.
Duo looked back at the floor and gave brief nod before slowly unraveling himself from the chair and standing. He took a breath a crossed his arms over his chest to grab the end of the shirt. He pulled it up and off. Duo had a very slim figure. Almost as if he'd been starved and judging from what he'd told us just now, I found it very likely. From where I sat I could only see his back. There were welts. I could only assume these to be the belt welts he had spoken of. His arms were bruised an ugly purple-blue and his wrists were still red and cut from the cuffs I saw him wear. Odin's eyes became downcast for a moment.
"Duo… can I… take a few photos? For the file as proof of the occurrences between you and him?" Odin said with that same 'I'm sorry' look.
Duo nodded briefly again. Odin nodded back and searched through one of his desk drawers before pulling out a digital camera. He stood and took a few photos of Duo's chest, which I could not see, and arms. Then Odin asked him to turn around. Duo slowly rotated himself and pulled his braid to his front. His chest looked a lot like his back but with thinner welts, as if from a knife. Duo had mentioned Solo using knives, wood, forks, and anything to defile his skin. It looked as though Duo had even been scratched. Duo's eyes were downcast in embarrassment. Or was it shame?
"Thank you, Duo," Odin said softly. He sat back down at his desk.
Duo picked the shirt up off his chair and pulled it back on. I sighed, feeling a tension in the room.
"Heero," Odin said, "Why don't you and Duo go get some breakfast down in the cafeteria? You remember where it is, right?"
I nodded. "That's a good idea."
Odin gave me two thousand yen bills and I led Duo down to the cafeteria.
----
We got lots of breakfast stuff and found a table to ourselves. Duo was pretty blank as he ate some cinnamon bread. I opened a mini-carton of milk and drank some before asking, "Are you okay?"
Duo nodded. "It's a little difficult sometimes. Especially the scars."
"Duo…" I began, "I want you to know…"
That I care! Say it! Say it!
"It was a teddy bear."
Duo blinked and I mentally smacked myself.
"A… a teddy bear? Heero… what are you… Oh! The thing Odin gave you! It was a teddy bear?"
I sweatdropped. "H-Hai… It was."
Duo smiled and his expression turned from amusement to muffled hysterics. Finally, he gave up and broke into a hearty laugh. I sat there with a smile of embarrassment but mostly… I was happy Duo was laughing. His laugh was rich and full of life. In that simple moment, I realized that, more than anything, this was the moment I had fallen, head over heels, in love with him.
When his laughter had subsided and he looked up and over at me, smiling contently at him, he stopped his mirth altogether and stared back at me. Then, slowly, a smile crept up to his mouth, upturning the corners until he too was smiling at me in the same way: full of affection.
--Tsuzuku--
Disclaimer: It is FANfiction! Bwahahaha! Don't you guys just hate disclaimers? It's a parody. Parodies aren't sue-able, are they? So don't sue meeeee! .