Written: February 7, 2004
Posted: March 27, 2004
Title: Trees
Author: babaca
Archive: GW Addiction, my website, others please ask.
Category: Friendship
Pairings: Trowa, Duo (but not really)
Warnings: Mild angst? AU
Spoilers: None
Notes: This is a prequel to the ficlet Normal Life. You can read that at GWA or my website, but I guess you don't HAVE to have read it to understand what's going on here.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency and are only being used for non profit entertainment purposes.
Trowa walked over to the park as requested. He wasn't sure why he was being graced with a visit from Duo Maxwell. Okay maybe that wasn't exactly the right terminology, but he knew Duo didn't ask to see anyone else. Not Quatre, Wufei or Heero.
As he walked across the sizable park, he spotted Duo immediately. The braid was tough to miss. However, as Trowa approached he saw Duo suddenly skitter off. When, Trowa reached the spot he last saw Duo, he knew he was being watched.
He looked up into the huge elm tree to his left, to see legs dangling of a high branch. "Hello Duo," Trowa said calmly.
"Hey Tro! How's it hanging?" Duo said with a false smile.
Trowa frowned a bit. "They are hanging just fine. Are you coming down or shall I come up?"
Duo looked around from his vantage point. "I kind of like it up here, but if you want me to ..."
"It's okay, I'll come up," the tall man said. Within seconds he was up in the tree, sitting on the tree branch opposite of Duo.
"Wow, you're quick," Duo said with a genuine smile this time. "Almost as fast as me, but that's the circus performer in you, right?"
Trowa shrugged. "Maybe."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, just watching the people in the park playing with their children or pets.
Finally Duo broke the silence. "So I guess you're wondering why I called you here."
"I will admit I am curious," Trowa replied.
Duo looked distracted for a moment. Trowa said nothing, just remained quietly watching Duo. He sometimes felt he made it a practice to watch Duo. Although they weren't particularly friends, not the extent that the long-haired ex-pilot was with the others, he felt he could recognize plenty of things in Duo that others seem to miss. This distracted look was something new. He didn't look especially nervous to Trowa, but there was something not quite right.
Duo stopped staring off into space to look over at Trowa. "I don't know that there's any easy way to say it."
"Okay," Trowa prompted.
"I think I may be losing touch with reality," Duo said quickly looking over to Trowa.
Trowa blinked slowly, thinking about the small confession. "In what way?"
Duo laughed. "That's why you had to be the one Trowa," he said between heavy gales of laughter. "I'm a movie cliche, Trow. I see dead people."
Trowa raised an eyebrow to the laughter part, but heard Duo's words. "See dead people?"
Duo had stopped laughing and sighed. "I realized when I took on being Shinigami that the dead would be my company at times. But we're not at war. Haven't been for years, yet, I do see and hear the dead. All the time."
"Who are these dead people?" Trowa asked. He wasn't comfortable playing amateur psychiatrist to Duo, but if Duo was willing to confide in him by telling him this, he felt he should try to see if there was any advice he could give.
"Some are people from my past. Others are the nameless folks I've killed in war," Duo said with a shrug. "Sister is encouraging me to seek help, before something really bad happens."
"Has bad things been happening?" Trowa inquired looking closely at Duo from his perch.
"Some of the Ozzies suggest I do some rather destructive things to others. To myself. Usually I tell 'em to fuck off. But then they start screwing in my head when I sleep..." Duo shivered.
"Have you hurt anyone?" Trowa slowly asked.
Duo shook his head. "No! But sometimes I've been tempted."
"What do you want to do? Are you asking me to help you?"
Duo smiled. "Nah, I'm not asking you to help. I'm okay. Sister Helen has found a place to help me. I just wanted to explain to someone what's going on and what's going to happen."
"Why are you telling me this? Why aren't you saying this to the others?" Trowa decided he need to ask.
"I knew you wouldn't judge me," Duo said.
"They wouldn't judge you. You are their friend."
"Quatre wouldn't judge, but he'd have the big eyed shocked look with tears just hovering in the background," Duo started to say, "Heero would find a way to blame himself, because he lives for blaming himself. Wufei also would like to accept blame, but because he wouldn't be able to, he'd try to convince me that I don't know what I'm talking about. You ... I said I'm nuts and you said okay. I needed to talk to someone who wouldn't go to an extreme, although you were full of questions which was a little surprising. But it's okay. They are very good questions, I think."
"It's the only way anyone finds answers," Trowa shrugged. "Would you like for me to come with you when you commit yourself?"
"I've been arguing with Sister about that. She thinks you should come. I don't think you have to. It's something I'll have to do alone," Duo said.
"Yes, but having the support of someone in this plane would probably help. Your Sister sounds like a sensible woman."
"So you don't find it creepy at all, that I'm communicating with the dead?" Duo decided to ask.
"I don't exactly find it creepy, no. Some of the folks in the circus claim to be able to do it. Who am I to argue it, even if I haven't experienced it firsthand?" Trowa said with a small smile. "Are you hungry? Would you like to grab something to eat?"
Duo smiled. "That would be great. I know a cool Mexican food restaurant near here. Hope you like your food hot though. It's a habanero heaven."
Trowa dove out of the tree, performing a two and a half twist into a backflip, landing gently on his feet. He looked up at Duo in the tree. "I like spicy food just fine."
Duo began to descend the tree in a more conventional fashion. "Show off!"
"Your point being?" Trowa asked.
"None, I guess," Duo said, laughing.
The rest of the day was pleasant. Trowa couldn't recall a time where he felt so at ease with DUo. The restaurant they went to looked like a dive, but the food was excellent and reasonably priced.
Moments when Duo looked distracted, Trowa assumed he was 'communicating' with the dead. These moments of distraction weren't very long in duration and the look on Duo's face would range from quiet amusement to abject fear. Trowa maintained the detached appearance although he was concerned. He didn't want to do anything to agitate Duo when he was in these states. Duo seemed to realize that on some levels and appreciated Trowa's company more and more.
"I think I agree with Sister that you should come with us when I go," Duo remarked with a rueful smile. "It's been a blast hanging out with you. We should do that more often."
Trowa returned the smile. "I agree. I'm sorry we didn't spend much time in the past."
Duo snorted, "The past is the past. It's just too bad I'm going to a nuthouse now."
"I can visit you there, can't I?" Trowa asked.
"Yep, you can. But why in God's name would you want to?" Duo wondered.
"Because I'm your friend maybe?" Trowa remarked.
"Aa, indeed you are. Are you busy tomorrow? That's when we are planning to go," Duo said to Trowa, while his eyes were looking at another tree, larger than the one in the park he was in when he met up with Trowa hours ago.
"I will make the time," Trowa answered, following Duo's gaze to the large sakura tree. "Looking to do some more climbing?"
"You betcha. Want to join us?"
"Absolutely."
The two young men scrambled up the tree to see who could get up to the top the fastest. Who could climb the highest. The world wasn't about what was real or imagined, but whether the next branch could hold their weight. Discussions about homes forgotten as they just enjoyed conversations they never had before.
Owari
(:./babaca/trees)
