27-Feb-2003
Sheltered Hearts 5/?
Author: hinokumo
Archive: GW Addiction; Deathfics; Leviathan's Lair; and my page, Necessary Distractions. Anyone else, just ask.
Categories: 1+2/2x1, angst, shounen ai, yaoi, maybe some sap.
Rating: PG-13, soon to progress to R/NC-17
Warnings: Somewhere in the course of this will be lemon, language, and violence.
Disclaimers: Don't ask, don't tell.
Notes: Takes place after my other fic, BoM, and about four years after Endless Waltz. Mostly a 1x2/2x1 fic
Spoilers: EW, maybe. Other than that, none I think.
I am an idiot. The thought crossed Duo's mind for the sixth time and he leaned his head back against the heavy wooden door behind him. Looking up, the colony's night sky seemed to mock him, smug in it's unwillingness to lighten his mood. Jerking his neck several times in quick succession, he bumped his head against the door. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. "Idiot," he sighed aloud this time. He had been waiting just inside the entrance to the salvage yard for nearly fifteen minutes, unwilling to go any further after being separated from Heero. Infuriatingly, Heero had seen him all the way home, only to take leave of him, promising to return as soon as he retrieved his things from his hotel. Duo had merely stuttered in his wake, having neither said that the other boy could stay with him nor that he was welcome. Knowing the Japanese boy--or man, now it seemed--even if Duo did refuse to let him stay, he would more than likely sleep outside in a sleeping bag.
Or maybe erect a tent from scrap lumber and chewing gum.
Come on, Duo, be honest with yourself. You just don't want to be found waiting. With quiet resentment, he acknowledged that simple truth. He had been waiting for Heero to darken his doorstep for years and now, after so long, he could not bare the thought of doing it anymore. He was afraid, and the none-to-subtle revelation fueled a dark anger. Cursing viciously, he shoved himself away from the door, forcing one foot in front of the other as he made his way up the dirt path to his office and home. He tried to divert attention from the nervous energy pooled in his stomach by focusing on something else, something that pissed him off.
"Quatre, you are dead meat," he declared to no one in particular and flicked a bird in the general direction of L4 without taking his eyes from the path. The gall, the absolute nerve it must have taken to lie to Duo for years as to Heero's whereabouts, then turn around and send him as a bodyguard for the American must have been staggering. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and by the time he approached his doorway he was reaching for the knob with the intent of unhinging it in his fury. Unfortunately, it chose that moment to swing open, nearly taking his nose off. Duo stumbled backwards quickly, reaching for and drawing his gun even before his feet found solid purchase again.
"Duo?!" Hilde exclaimed, standing in the doorway with a shocked expression on her face.
Duo expelled an explosive sigh. "Damnit, Hilde, I thought you had gone home for the night," he said, tucking his gun away. He chose to ignore her questioning gaze.
"I was waiting on you to get back! You should have been here hours ago and I was starting to get worried. We thought we heard a noise and came to see if it was you. Where have you been?"
"I ran into an old friend and he thought we should catch up. Sorry I worried you. Who's we? You getting some nookie while the boss was away?" Duo asked, grinning and narrowly escaping her hand as he stepped past her. A petite redhead sat on his couch, staring at him with large, green eyes. "Oh. Hi, Saia."
She nodded shyly to him. "Hello."
"Duo," Hilde growled.
Grabbing a drink from the cooling unit, he headed for his office. "Hilde, not tonight, okay? I've had a rough day and I need some time alone. I promise I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Better yet, take tomorrow off." He sat down and flipped on his vid screen, trying to think of the easiest way to insult Quatre without having to worry about boyfriend retribution. Hilde tapped her nails on the doorframe, glaring at him. He rolled his eyes, then gave her a soft smile. The past several weeks had been difficult for her, as well. "I'm okay, Hilde, really. Now get going before I change my mind."
She looked uncertain. "Are you sure nothing happened? You need me to stay?"
He laughed. "Trust me, Hilde. You know that 'bodyguard' I was supposed to hire?" She nodded. "Well, Quatre just dropped him in my lap, so no need to start looking for future employment just yet."
"Ha ha, so funny. Who is he?"
Duo grimaced and hit the side of the screen when it refused to go any faster. "You'll meet him later, I'm sure. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to curse at Quatre in private."
Hilde chuckled. "I expect a full report tomorrow, mister."
Duo waved his hand at her in a shooing motion as she left, waiting until he heard the door shut before he dialed. Hilde really was a good friend, he mused to himself. She had stayed by his side for years, even after any hopes of any kind of romance had died. She did not deserve the kind of crap the past few weeks had been throwing at them. Not for the first time, Duo considered just packing it all up and leaving, going somewhere where he could start out fresh. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option. Heero was here. After four fucking years, here he was, with only a lame excuse as his reason and not a word of apology for just disappearing without a word. And what did he, the God of Death, do? Besides getting pissed as hell? He was going to let his former flame shack up with him.
"I am such a fucking moron." He banged his head on the desk just as the connection was established. "Damnit," he cursed. It was Trowa answering the call, his hair tousled and standing at even stranger angles than usual.
"What?" Trowa asked, obviously having heard the American's curse. Duo thought he sounded a little out of breath. They both just stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
Duo's right eyebrow rose in question and he leaned forward, feeling the beginnings of a smirk pulling on his lips. "Trowa...have you been practicing yoga again?" The suggestive tone in his voice left little doubt as to what he thought Trowa had been practicing.
All he received in reply was a rolling of green eyes and loud, "Quatre," before he disappeared from Duo's view. Duo counted to three, and took a deep breath just before Quatre's equally mussed face appeared on the screen. "Duo? What's wrong?"
"I just want to start off by saying that no matter what I might say about you, you have got balls of steel. That being said, I will go on to say that not only are you early, but that I am gonna kick your ass the next time I see you--and you stay out of it, Trowa, or I'll twist that hair of yours in a knot and stick it where the sun don't shine! I can't believe you did that! Have you lost your friggin' mind?! What makes you think I'd go along with something like this, having him here, watching my every move, like I'm some damsel in distress--"
"DUO!!" Quatre and Trowa chorused, and not for the first time, Duo realized after he paused his tirade. He could feel the heat in his face, both from anger and lack of oxygen.
"WHAT?!" he shouted back.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Quatre asked, quite exasperated.
"What the hell do you think I mean? Heero is fucking here, taking up his next mission as my bodyguard, that's what!"
"Heero? He's there? When? Where did he come from?"
The blonde's obvious shock stopped Duo short. He narrowed his eyes. "You didn't send him, did you?"
Quatre looked apologetic. "Duo, I haven't heard from Heero in over a year."
"I see," Duo said numbly. So he had been right; the Arabian had known where Heero was after the war. Which meant that Heero had to have requested the information be withheld--he had not wanted Duo to know where he was. He had suspected, but the truth hurt just the same. Bile rose unbidden in the back of his throat and a ball of ice started to form in the pit of his stomach.
"Duo..." Trowa began softly.
"Don't." He forced his voice to cooperate. "Just don't. I gotta go. I'm gonna go."
"Wait--" Quatre's voice and picture faded as Duo hit the disconnect button.
For a very long time, he just sat there, staring at the black screen, but not really seeing anything. So this is Hell, he thought numbly, cursing when he felt the corners of his eyes start to burn. No. I won't do this again. Never again. Duo closed his eyes and started breathing deeply, clearing his mind of all thoughts and emotions, trying to find is center. He had gotten quite a lot of practice at it over the last few years, and his last thought before passing into a kind of trance was that Wufei would be proud.
Seconds, minutes, hours later, just before Duo reached his goal, something brought him out of his meditation. He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm, and sat very still. The house was silent, the hum of the city beyond the salvage yard barely audible. This almost sixth sense he had been developing was slightly disconcerting, as he was not entirely sure that he was not becoming paranoid or delusional. Worst things had happened to soldiers before. He had not heard any noise, just sensed a sudden lack of emptiness. Try as he may, some of his anger and pain started bleeding through again, like old wounds that just could not be healed. "Don't bother trying to be quiet, Heero--I know you're there," he sighed in resignation and no little amount of annoyance. The other man was still testing him. He really does think I've lost my touch, he thought grimly. There was movement out of the corner of his eye and he looked up, getting ready to give the Japanese man what for.
In the doorway stood a man, a very large man, dressed in black.
"Well, shit."
tbc...
(:./hinokumo/hearts5)
