17-Oct-2001
Email: anakerie@cinci.rr.com
Disclaimer: I don't own the Gundam Wing boys.
Warnings: Lemon, Angst, OOC, AU
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4
"I decided to go exploring in the caves. Stupid, I know. But I got nosy. I packed some food and water, and took off. I didn't look where I was going and fell down into a cavern. And I couldn't find my way back out. There was some water in it, and I stretched my food out, but I really thought I was going to die there. Then I got lucky and found an exit."
He repeated the story over and over. To Trowa, to his mother, to police, to the doctors, and everyone believed it. There was nothing not to believe. He was examined carefully, given some hot food, kept overnight for observation, and then released with orders to take it easy. Two days later, he was back home.
The fall turned into winter. Trowa and his blond waiter, Quatre, had announced that they were in love, and Quatre had moved in. Heero had graciously offered to find another place and let them have this one to themselves, but they wouldn't hear of it. And he didn't mind the blond being around; Quatre was a nice guy and a good listener. The only thing that disturbed Heero was that Quatre was incredibly sensitive to emotions, and private thoughts. He knew, somehow, that Quatre didn't quite believe the explanation behind his disappearance, but Trowa's boyfriend never pressed the issue.
It was impossible not to notice the changes in Heero since his return, however. He no longer had much of an interest in going out, or even writing his articles. He spent most of his days reading, or watching television, his eyes distant. Trowa was worried about him, but any efforts to probe were meant with a glib smile and a brush-off.
"Something happened to him out there." Trowa said suddenly to Quatre one night. "Something he's not telling us. And whatever it was, it did a number on him."
"Or whoever it was." Quatre commented.
"Whoever?"
"I know the look of a man in love. And he's got it bad."
"Maybe we should try and fix him up with someone?" Trowa suggested.
"Not yet." Quatre advised. "Right now it would do more harm than good. He needs to deal with this on his own. All we can do is be supporting him from the sidelines."
Ruth also sensed the changes in her son, most notably the fact that he was actually civil to her. This alarmed her so badly she took to calling Heero daily to beg him to go into therapy.
The trees were turning green again, and still Heero remained indoors, lost in his own world.
"Heero?" Quatre asked, knocking on his door. "May I come in, please?"
"Sure." Heero glanced up from his book. "Have a seat." He nodded at a chair next to his bed.
"I'll get to the point, Heero." Quatre began. "This has to stop."
"What has to stop?"
"Don't play stupid. You've been depressed ever since you got back from the lake last year. You're not just hurting yourself; you're hurting Trowa too. He's worried sick about you. So am I. Maybe we haven't been friends for very long, but we are friends. And you can talk to me."
Heero sat the book down. "Have you ever considered that maybe talking about it will get me nothing more than a trip to the loony bin?"
"I promise not to tell anyone."
"You won't believe me."
"Try me." Quatre urged. "I know it involves another guy."
"Okay, fine. Have it your own way." Heero snapped. "When I was a little boy, my father took me fishing on the lake, and I saw another little boy living under the water. When I went back to the lake, he was still there, but he's not a little boy any longer. He was all grown up, and drop-dead gorgeous. His name is Duo. At first he didn't like me very much, but then we became friends. And THEN, I slept with him. Then I told him I had to go home. He wanted me to stay with him; I said no. I wanted him to come home with me; HE said no. Then he snuck up on me and beaned me with a rock. He took me back to his cave, fed me raw fish, and tried to keep me. I found a way out a week later. As we were leaving, I looked back and saw him crying. You happy?" He picked up his book again.
"No, because it's obvious that you're miserable." Quatre moved over and sat down on the bed, taking the book from Heero's hands gently. "And that you can't stop thinking about him."
"You believe me?"
"Of course I believe you. You wouldn't be this sad over something you made up." Quatre shrugged. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
"What can I do?"
"I think you need to go talk to him again. Maybe he feels differently now. I'm not saying don't be careful, but you at least need to be able to say a proper goodbye to him, get some closure. It's going to destroy you if you don't."
Heero sighed. "You're right. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else. I love him, Quatre. No matter what he did to me, I love him. He was just afraid of being alone again... "
He stood up, and gave Quatre the first real smile he'd shown for months. "Thank you."
"No problem. I'd love to meet him, if you can convince him come with you."
"I'll give it my best." Heero was picking up the phone.
"Hey, Gerald? Hi, this is Heero Yuy. You know that cabin I rented from you last fall? Is it still open?"
"Hello there, Heero. Well, I've got some bad news for you." Gerald drawled. "None of the cabins are available anymore."
"Huh?"
"Some bunch of rich clowns bought up all the property. They're draining the lake right now."
End Chapter 7
(:./lasha/kappa7)
