31-Mar-2002
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. This is a fanfiction, done strictly for my own fun and entertainment, and hopefully yours as well. I make no money from it. But if someone was willing to offer . . .
Title: When All The Laughter Dies In Sorrow 12/?
Author: KwyckSylver kwycksylver@yahoo.com
Pairings: 1 + 2 and 6x2 but eventually will lead to 1x2x1 (and a touch of 13x11 in this chapter).
Spoilers: No spoilers since the story is AU. The characters will exhibit OOC behavior at times but I am trying to keep them as IC as possible, according to my interpretation of them, of course.
Warnings: There be angst, humor, romance, sex, betrayal, skullduggery and various and sundry sorts of other good things to be found here.
Note: I don't usually believe in a crying, weepy G-boy, except under certain circumstances and the death of a loved one would be one of them. And maybe when they're watching Steel Magnolias.
Zechs spent a miserable night tossing and turning. Even after changing the sheets and beating the pillows into shape, the bed still felt uncomfortable. He shook his head and admitted defeat. He just couldn't sleep. He crawled out of the bed and checked Duo's room, it was empty. He went downstairs and put on some coffee, and thought about what he was going to tell Treize.
He knew he'd made a big mess of things and he wasn't looking forward to that phone call. But he had given his word to Duo. He could already hear Treize's remarks, "you're supposed to make him dependent on you instead he's got you by the balls. Stop thinking with your dick, Zechs."
"Hmph," Zechs said. Of course Treize would be right, it wasn't his brain he'd been using lately. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let someone who was virtually his prisoner just walk out the door.
He stared at the coffee maker, watching as the carafe slowly filled with its fresh brew as he wondered where Duo would have gone. Or more importantly, he amended, whom he would have gone to.
He flipped open his cell phone and began punching in Treize's home number. This mess was his making, why should he be allowed the luxury of sleep?
Heero's alarm clock began its usual morning reveille. He reached over and shut it off, not wanting Duo to wake just yet. Heero got out of bed and called Wufei from the phone in the hallway, informing him that both of them would be missing the entire school day and why.
"How is he doing?" Wufei asked.
"He's sleeping right now," Heero answered, "he showed up about 1:00 a.m. and just broke down and started crying. From the feel of his clothes and skin, he'd been out wandering around for a while before he showed up."
"Try and keep him with you today, Heero. He's very vulnerable right now. Did he say how he found out?"
"He never said a word before he fell asleep, and I didn't want to push him," Heero said, "you know, Oz doesn't have that to hold over him any more."
"I know. Get him to talk to you, Heero. Get him to open up, don't let him bottle up his grief like you did."
"I'll try, Coach," Heero sighed, "I'll talk to you later, I want to get back to him before he wakes up. I don't want him thinking he's alone when he does."
"I'll call periodically to check up on him."
"Thanks. Duo needs to know we're behind him."
"Yes, he does. Goodbye, Heero. I'll see you this evening."
"Ok. Bye."
Treize poured himself a brandy, bringing the glass to his lips. He paused then sat it down, it was too early in the day for such a stiff drink. He began to pace back and forth as he considered what to do.
He had to admit, the boy was much more clever than he'd given him credit for. Not only hadn't it taken him long to figure things out, demanding a funeral was pure chutzpah on the kid's part. Duo Maxwell had guts, and Treize couldn't help but admire him a little because of it.
There was just one slight problem though, Treize had no idea where the body was. The base hospital's medical examiner had signed the orders for its disposal not long after the man had been declared dead.
He telephoned the examiner's office and left a message to call his office later in the day. He picked up the glass of brandy and smiled before he drank it down. He'd decided it wasn't too early, after all. He considered it a celebratory offering for the brainstorm he'd just had.
The young Mr. Maxwell was about to be presented with a counter offer, one he could not refuse if he wanted that funeral badly enough.
He went back to bed, settling himself under the covers.
"Who was that on the phone?" a sleepy voice asked.
"Milliardo. The boy's found out about his father," Treize answered.
"So what happens now?" the voice yawned.
"I think I can use that to my advantage," Treize answered as he leaned over and kissed the form lying next to him, "we have a couple of hours before we have to get up, maybe we should go back to sleep?"
"I have a better way to spend that time," the tone of voice changed from sleepy to sultry. Treize shivered as a hand slid inside his pajama bottoms.
"You're a woman after my own heart, Une," he grinned as she began licking and nipping around his navel.
"I know, it's why you love me," she smiled as she pulled the front of his pajamas down, exposing his shaft before she took it into her mouth.
Dawn had broken and it was getting light enough for Heero to see by without having to turn on a light. He looked over at a still sleeping Duo and noticed something peeking out from his open collar. It was a Band-Aid flopping loosely downward, exposing a purple bruise surrounding angry red punctures.
Heero knew a bite mark when he saw one and this one did not come from an animal. The teeth marks were clearly human. And Heero knew exactly which 'human' they belonged to, and it made his stomach turn.
Zechs pressed the button on the caller ID pad for the telephone number to the field house, having remembered Duo's coach called him the morning before. He hit the dial button and waited, hoping Duo had shown up for practice.
The phone rang and rang and Zechs was about to hang up when someone picked up the other end.
"Field house, Coach Chang speaking," Wufei answered.
"Hello, I'm Zechs Merquise, Duo Maxwell's brother," he responded, "is Duo there?"
"No, not yet," Wufei said.
"I would appreciate it if you'd tell him to call home when he arrives," Zechs said, "thank you."
"Sure, no problem," Wufei said, then hung up the phone.
Zechs placed the receiver back on the hook. Had he heard a hint of sarcasm in the man's voice? No, he shook off the idea, crediting it to his imagination and his nervousness. He needed to relax and just be patient. Duo would return, he wouldn't try to pull a disappearing act until after he got what he wanted.
Heero sat in the chair he'd pulled up next to his bed and watched Duo as he slept. His eyes kept darting to the bite on Duo's neck. That mark had not been there yesterday and now he knew why Duo had avoided him. He could kick himself for not realizing before that Duo's situation made him vulnerable to any demands Zechs Merquise might make, including sexual favors. Wufei should have seen it, too.
Every time he looked at it, he got angry. He wanted to hurt the man. He grabbed his clothes from the day before and put them on, then shook Duo enough to awaken him.
"Huuummm?" Duo murmured sleepily as he rolled to his side.
"Are you awake?" Heero asked.
"Mmmm . . . Heero?" Duo yawned, "what are you doing in my room?"
"You're at my house," Heero chuckled, "I'm going out for a little while, I didn't want you to wake up not knowing where I was."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Duo murmured in that drowsy sing song voice a person gets when they aren't completely awake. He squinted his eyes open, looking at Heero through his eyelashes, "where are you going?"
"To get breakfast," Heero answered, "I'll be back in a little while. Go back to sleep."
"Ok," Duo yawned, rolling to his other side, "Heero?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks," Duo's voice trailed off as he fell back to sleep.
"You're welcome," Heero whispered.
One corner of Duo's mouth curled into a half-smile as he exhaled a soft sigh and burrowed his head into the pillow.
Zechs debated whether to telephone the attendance office at the school. His second call to Duo's coach confirmed that Duo had not gone to practice, and no, the coach did not know where he might be.
He looked at his watch, it was 8:30. School would just be starting. He'd have to wait until after the first period was over before they could tell him if Duo was there.
He needed to find something to occupy himself until then.
Heero hadn't lied, he was going to get breakfast for the two of them, but he had a stop to make first. He rounded the corner and pulled up to the curb, stopping a few houses short of his destination. He walked down the sidewalk and up the walkway to the front porch and rang the bell, stepping to the side of the door. He waited a few seconds for the door to open.
The only thing Zechs would remember later was seeing a fist headed straight for his face.
His 'errand' finished, Heero headed home after stopping at a Mexican fast food place and buying breakfast tacos. It was the closest place between his house and Duo's. After reading the menu, he settled for egg and potato as well as bean and cheese tacos. He had no idea whether Duo liked Mexican food so he bought the kinds that were not spicy.
Duo was in the kitchen, getting a drink of water, when Heero entered.
"Good morning," he said, "what time did I show up at your door last night?"
"It was about one, one-thirty," Heero shrugged, "are you hungry? I bought some tacos."
Duo nodded, "I didn't really eat last night." He shuddered at the thought of the caviar, not at the taste of it, but what had led up to it. And what had happened afterward.
"My father is dead," Duo said numbly.
"I know, Duo, and I'm sorry," Heero said, taking plates out of one of the kitchen cabinets and setting the table, "sit down and eat. We can talk afterwards."
Heero didn't have to worry about Duo liking tacos, but he did have to worry about cooling off his mouth when he tried the sauce that came with them. But it was worth seeing Duo laugh as he tried water, then ice and then juice without success. The fire in his mouth didn't subside until Duo suggested he drink a glass of milk. Oddly enough, it seemed to work, the burning sensations lessened as he drank it down.
"How did you know milk would work?" Heero asked.
"Remember me mentioning my father used to travel a lot, for his job?"
Heero nodded.
"I used to go with him during the summer. We spent a month in Mexico once. One of the waiters at the hotel cafe taught me that."
"I guess you went to a lot of different places with your dad, huh?," Heero asked.
"Yeah, I've seen a lot of Europe and Asia. I missed out on a trip to Africa, though. I had chicken pox.," Duo sighed at the memories, his eyes began to well with tears, "I wish you could have met my dad, Heero. You would have liked him."
"I'm sorry Duo, I shouldn't have asked you that," Heero said.
Duo shook his head, "No, it's ok. I have to get used to the idea that he's gone."
"I don't think you ever get used to it, you just learn to accept it," Heero said, thinking about his own parents.
"Heero, how did you know my father was dead?" Duo asked him, "I know I didn't say anything to you about it. So how did you know?"
"How did you get that bite on your neck?" Heero countered
"How did you know?" Duo asked, his hand jerked to his neck, he could feel the loose Band Aid. His face became red with shame, "I guess we both have something we don't want to tell the other," he said.
They looked at each other, neither saying a word. The silence was deafening.
TBC
End of Part 12
KwyckSylver
Please send comments to: kwycksylver@yahoo.com