Title: The Nightmare Within - Part 5
Author: Ebonydove
Archived: aenai.steelsong.com
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2
Warnings: OOC, language, sap, slight angst
Disclaimer: same old, same old...
Story: Heero is a Preventer assigned a case involving the mysterious death of a nine-year-old girl. He soon finds a link to another case, along with a series of unsolved murders. The characters are GW, but the story has nothing to do with the series.
Authors Notes: I got this idea after reading an article in the local paper. There will definitely be some sci-fi down the road so be forewarned. And a note to the naggers... this is a direct result of your efforts. Thanks!
Heero stood there for a few more moments before deciding he ought to do something other than hover over the sleeping young man, so he made his way to his bedroom and quickly changed into a soft pair of gray sweat pants and his favorite worn t-shirt from his rookie days at the academy.
Then he quietly made his way into the living room, glancing to Duo who hadn't moved a muscle and then made himself a cup of tea in the kitchen. Grabbing the book he had started weeks ago, he sat down in the plush armchair beside the sofa and watched Duo for a little bit longer before opening the book to where he had last left off reading. He had only digested about two paragraphs when he distinctly heard a soft moan come from Duo, still asleep on his side. When he glanced up from his reading he saw the boy's face had twisted into a scowl and he was mumbling something so softly that he couldn't hear it despite his close proximity to him. He gently put down his book and slipped off the chair and made his way over on his hands and knees to sit in front of Duo on the sofa and watched as his expressions changed and twisted the soft features of his face.
Duo shivered and wrapped long fingers around the hem of the cotton blanket, frowning even harder now in his sleep and let out another soft groan. Heero was moved to do something to wake the boy from his obvious nightmare, but was so intrigued by the sounds and expressions that he was seeing and hearing that he remained frozen in his spot, just staring mere inches away from Duo's face.
"No... not... tha... way." Duo mumbled softly and tossed his head to the side. "Too dark... "
Heero held his breath as Duo began to speak in a soft, tense voice; heavy with sleep and what he thought was most likely days of fatigue.
"No... right behind you... " Duo's breathing suddenly became quick as he reached out to grab a hold of something. Heero unconsciously ducked out of the way of the flying hand and waited to see what happened, fighting his urge to shake the boy awake and cradle his trembling body in his arms. Duo might be remembering something about his cases and despite how he was beginning to feel towards him, needed to let whatever was happening to Duo run it's course. It just might be a break to help him solve the murders.
"He's right fuckin' behind you!" Duo screamed out and suddenly shot up into a sitting position on the couch, with his eyes wide and wildly searching the space in front of him.
When he turned his terrified gaze to Heero, he was white as a ghost and shivering.
Heero didn't move as Duo stared at him; too afraid that he would further spook him if he reached out and touched him. The glitter that Duo had on his face and arms from the club had rubbed off onto the blanket and was now shimmering slightly in the low light of Heero's reading lamp, giving Duo an almost silvery aura. Duo's face drained of all the tension as he cocked his head slightly to one side and his eyes began to well up with tears.
"H-heero?"
Heero nodded very slowly, not able to find his voice and released the breath he had been holding in a long slow hiss.
"Oh god... " He tore off the blanket and practically tackled Heero where he sat unmoving on the floor as he flung himself at him. Wrapping himself firmly around Heero's body he curled into his lap and just shook with his face buried into Heero's shoulder. He couldn't seem to stop the swell of tears and was not about to let Heero see them, so he just tried to steel his breathing and concentrate on not crying in front of him.
It took a few minutes for Heero to snap out of his haze and realize that he had his arms full of a shivering and hyperventilating Duo Maxwell, murder suspect or witness he really wasn't sure. But he also realized just then that he had no problem tightening his hold on him or to begin breathing soothing words of comfort into the ear closest to him now that he remembered how to speak. Right then he didn't give a good god-damn that Duo was a suspect, all he knew was that it felt right to have him in his arms. "It's all right, your safe... it's all right... I'm here... it was just a bad dream... "
Duo leaned back and gave Heero a heated look that he hadn't been expecting. His eyes were still full of unshed tears and his face was flushed and red from trying to keep his composure. He was about to say something else when Duo pushed himself out of Heero's lap and made his way slowly back onto the sofa.
"You don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about. It wasn't just a bad dream... it was... " He looked away from the concerned blue gaze in front of him and angrily scrubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand.
"It was what, Duo?" Heero asked gently.
"Why aren't you asleep? You out here hovering over me in case I got up and decided to steal from ya or sumthin'?" Duo snapped back.
"You're upset."
"No shit, Sherlock."
"If barking at me like a scared dog is going to make you feel better go right ahead. But I think you owe it to me to at least fill me in here. You called me, remember? I came to get you and brought you here to help you, and not for any other reason but that." It was mostly true anyway.
All the rising tension and anger Duo had been surrounding himself in had deflated as he flopped back against the softness of the sofa and heaved a heavy sigh. He was just strung out and wished he had thought to bring a sleeping pill or two despite how much he hated them. Waking up in a strange place with a cop staring at him like he had two heads wasn't helping his nerves either, but it was wrong for him to keep unloading on the guy who was obviously just trying to help him.
"I'm sorry, man. Maybe I should get going. I could call a cab."
Heero's patience had been worn too thin at that point and he simply couldn't keep up with the boy's swinging emotions. He wasn't the bad guy here after all. So in a quick move he stood, glaring; and towered over Duo. "Don't be an idiot. It's four in the morning. Go and take a hot shower, it will help with the shivering, and then go back to bed in my room. We will talk in the morning about this."
Duo's temper flared again and he stood nose to nose with Heero and glared back at him and began his tirade. "Look Mr. Officer, how 'bout you don't tell me what to do, k? And I am not an idiot. I just was afraid that he had got you... " He instantly cut off and snapped his mouth shut, quickly diverted his eyes from the assessing blue gaze staring back at him.
"What? Who got me?" Heero asked softly as he eased himself a little closer to Duo; tempted to reach out and take one of his arms to keep him from backing away.
"No-one, nothing... I... nevermind... "
"Tell me what you saw in your nightmare, Duo."
Duo glanced back up at him, his eyes suspiciously welling up again as he worried his bottom lip in a tight frown.
Heero noticed how Duo had begun to ball his fists up and then spread his finger flat like he had been doing in the station house when he first met him. Obviously a nervous gesture that he'd have to get to the root of. But for now he just waited as Duo fidgeted in front of him. "Duo... ?"
"I saw... I saw him... " Duo took a deep breath and swallowed against the tightness in his throat, looking away and taking the end of his braid in his fingertips.
"It's okay, just tell me." Heero soothed and eased close enough that they were almost touching. He slowly reached up and slid his palm against the side of Duo's face to reach around his neck and gently began to rub the tight muscles there. Duo stilled his nervous hands and stood frozen in front of him as he massaged his neck and ran his fingertips through the small wisps of hair at the base of his braid. Then he watched as Duo's eyes slid shut and his mouth parted the tiniest bit in a little puff of breath.
"I saw him kill you." Duo breathed out in a barely audible whisper just before he closed the scant distance between himself and Heero and kissed him softly.
End Part 5
(:./ebony/within5)
