Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A new life ❯ Chapter eight: Boring but not unimportant ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Yahoo, I'm back from BarÃ§elona! It was great! The weather was great, the beach was great, the hotel was great, the Ramblas was great. . . I could tell you everything but that's not what you're here for, you're here for the long awaited chapter eight!

Woah, this is already chapter eight! Just two more chapters after this one. I hope you all still like it, I like it! Oh, and I could use some advise on what to do with the sequel. Like, which pairing do you prefer, Duo x Hilde or Duo x Heero? Let me know so I can begin writing it.

Review responses: (let's start with mediaminer this time. ONLY 1 REVIEW??? SHAME ON YOU READERS!!!)

mei_akutenshi: Well, I hope the week went by fast enough for you. And I can tell you I had fun writing the part where Trowa gets back at Duo. I doubt the braided boy likes it just as much, though. . . Thank you for reviewing, you're the only reviewer from mm.org.

Patty: I don't like Relena either, but I don't feel like bashing her. She might have a small role in the sequel though, but she won't appear here. And thank you for your opinion on the pairing.

Cryearthstearsfalltou: I wasn't sure if the conversation was good enough for the story, I think it makes Duo too soft and open. But I had to put it in there to explain a few things to the reader. I won't make him weak like that again! Thanks for your review.

Kyra: Thank you for liking it and thanks for your review!

Yamilijah-Lal: Thank you for your compliment. I've read those stories where they're all friends but most of the time that goes too fast. I don't see a friendship growing in the show either, it's like it is suddenly there because the have to co-operate. That's why I wanted to make this story different. And Trowa… All I can say is that I am creating a background so he can turn into his silent self in the sequel. . . Thanks for your review!

Midnight-kisses: Here's the update, sorry you had to wait so long! Thank you for your review!

A new life

Chapter eight: Boring but not unimportant

That night Duo couldn't sleep. It became normal that he couldn't so he wasn't bothered by it anymore, but he'd still like to just fall asleep and not wake up for at least until the week was over because then he wouldn't have to go to school for awhile. The vacation was coming up. A whole week without school. Duo didn't know for sure if it was something to look forward to, he'd just have to wait and see. After this vacation they only had four more weeks until the Christmas vacation.

`Christmas. Wonder what that is like.'

He thought about what had happened today. That Quatre seemed like a nice guy, a little naÃ¯ve maybe but still nice. He was too kind for his own good, though. He was too afraid to hurt others that he'd just let them hurt him instead and that was bound to go wrong. One day or another, the boy would snap and either cut his own wrists, or somebody else's. Duo didn't like that thought and he had no idea how he could be sure tat would happen if this continued to go on like this, he just knew it would.

He didn't know what to think about the boy at all. Without even thinking about it he'd told him he came from the streets. He'd let his defences open and strangely enough he didn't get hit. . .Yet. He doubted Quatre would ever try to hurt him by what he'd told, but what if he'd just blurt it out like that? The whole school could know by tomorrow that he was just a street rat who didn't really belong here. Then what would happen? He'd better hope the best for it.

He knew he could never hurt Quatre. He'd felt protective over him ever since he'd watched him from the window, ever since he saw how others treated him. But now that he'd actually had a conversation with the young boy, that feeling had just grown. He'd felt like the platinum blonde was one of the younger group members that he and Solo used to look out for. He didn't know if this was either good or bad, this wasn't the street, but he did know it was something to keep him here.

Duo closed his eyes and immediately the image of Saria's painting showed up. He hadn't thought of that in a long while. The picture seemed appropriate, though. The young girl had painted it to give herself hope, a goal. For the first time in a long while Duo felt like he had a goal again, something to fight for. He would teach Quatre how to stand up for himself.

Duo knew it for sure now. He would stay here. But for how long? How long would he survive this place that only offered him a future? Duo pulled the blankets further over him. He shivered. He was cold. He was always cold.

Suddenly he heard some movement next to him. He glanced at the other bed to see that Heero was still awake. Heero removed one of his blankets and offered it to Duo, who at first rejected it.

"Take it." Heero said with an expression that said there would be no arguing. "You need it more than I do."

Duo took the blanket giving Heero a worried look. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm warm."

"Geez, where are you from, Antartica or something?" Duo joked.

"Japan."

". . . huh?"

But the elder boy ignored all further sounds.

# *~* # *~* #

For the next days Duo and Quatre spent most meals at the same table. Neither had anybody else to sit with anyway and, if he were completely honest, Duo liked having some company once in awhile. He literally saw the expression in the younger one's eyes changing by the day, getting more and more life in them.

Most children gave the two strange looks during meals or any other time they were together, but hardly anybody said anything, afraid they'd have to deal with Duo's wrath if they said something negative. He had built up quite a reputation already and he preferred to keep it that way. Those who were stupid enough to say something about Quatre could expect a harsh remark from a certain braided youth.

Quatre had still been a little distant the first few days and he hardly spoke when he was the subject, but Duo could understand that. From what he'd heard from Heero, Quatre had had a pretty hard time here in the orphanage and he'd be stupid if he'd just trusted the first person that tried to get closer to him. So Duo gave the younger boy all the time he needed to find out Duo really wouldn't hurt him. It bought him some time to get to trust the other boy too.

The results were higher than Duo had expected. After a week the youth already seemed pretty much confident that spending time with Duo wasn't a bad thing. And Duo had found that out about the blonde one too.

It was not like they spent entire days together, mostly just meals but they'd talk together and Duo would stick up for Quatre. Heero was still suspicious, though. Duo had the impression the elder boy thought he'd only befriended Quatre just so he could throw him down hard when the time came. And then Quatre would fall really, really hard. Duo wasn't even sure he'd survive.

Speaking of Heero, the relationship between him and Duo had changed too. Thought Heero was still suspicious about Duo's reasons for becoming Quatre's friend, he started to show signs of `relaxing' around the youth. Duo kept calling him `Hee-chan' and Heero would get mad, which, of course, only satisfied Duo more, but it was more like a game between the two boys than a real fight. Trying to annoy or scare the other off as much as possible to see who would win. And Heero was even using his death glares for it. But Duo had learned just to ignore them. He'd been with Heero long enough now to know that he'd only try something is there was really something wrong. This was just an innocent game.

Heero didn't have many friends himself either. Sure, Wufei was a friend, but Duo had rarely seen them together. Wufei had a whole bunch of guys hanging around him and Heero was more of a loner. If you needed him, the first place you'd check was the library to see if he was using a computer and the second place was his laptop in his own room.

Heero had some other friends but they were all like Wufei. Just some guys he'd hang out with now and then, but that was it. Wufei seemed closest, though. Him and Heero usually worked together on school assignments and that kind of stuff, much to Duo's dislike. It meant he saw that Chinese boy more than he wanted to.

Wufei hadn't been in Heero's room much ever since his own fight with Duo, though. The braided boy suspected this was because of him, but he couldn't care less. Even though it had been about five weeks ago, he still hadn't forgiven the Chinese boy for breaking his CD. And the other youth on his turn had probably not yet forgotten who attacked him not so long ago.

# *~* # *~* #

Vacation! That was the first thought that went trough Duo's head when he heard the school bell ring at 15.10 that Friday. He put his books into his bags and hurried back to his room. Finally, he had some privacy. He always hurried back to his room Friday after school. Though he knew Heero would be there, after being forced into socializing with people you don't like for a whole week, one could use some time alone.

Apparently, not everyone felt that way.

Only minutes after duo fell down on his bed, someone knocked on the door. Duo glanced at Heero who looked at the door. Just when Duo was about to ask if he was expecting someone, a voice came.

"Anybody in here?"

`Quatre? What does he want?'

"Yeah, come in." Duo said, wondering what he wanted now. He didn't really feel like hanging out with the boy, but he didn't want to disappoint him either. So instead he just put up the mask he had for occasions like these. Hey, it always worked with the group back on the streets, why not now?

The door opened and Quatre stepped inside. He smiled shyly as he glanced from Heero to Duo. "Hi."

Duo smiled widely. "Hey, what'ya doin' ere, Q?"

Quatre blinked before he realised `Q' meant him. "Well. . ." The little blonde one started uneasy. "I was wondering if you wanted to come and get some ice cream with me?"

Duo blinked. "Ice cream? Now? Eh. . . Quatre, you DID notice we're somewhere at the end of the fall, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I suddenly felt like ice cream." He looked at his feet. "Or is that stupid?"

"Well, not stupid, just. . ." Damn, how was he going to save himself now without hurting the fragile boy? "Unexpected!"

Heero shot the braided boy a weird look, but he didn't speak up. Instead he turned back to his computer, knowing Duo had got his warning. Quatre hadn't noticed anything, though.

"I guess. . . But still, do you want to come? My treat!"

Duo grinned! "Q-man, you just said the magic words! Let's go." He took his jacket from his chair.

Quatre turned to Heero, who had been watching the whole conversation. "You want to come too, Heero?"

"No thanks." The youth answered.

"'Kay then," Duo grinned, "bye Hee-chan!"

"Do you want to keep that braid?"

"Touch it and die, Hee-chan." Duo grinned as he closed the door.

Quatre frowned at Duo as he followed him. "Hee-chan?"

"Yup! I decided he could use a nickname."

"But why? Heero's a nice name and besides, he doesn't seem to like it."

Duo grinned. "I know! That's the whole point."

Okay, not too long and not too interesting either, just two small conversations. But it was necessary (damn, I know like 100 ways to write that damned word but only 1 is right!) I'll make up for it in the next chapter, promise!

Next time: Duo paused a moment before he said that sentence he was dreading to speak. But finally he turned his head in the direction of his `studying' roommate. "Why do you hate me?"

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And you know it, No review, no continue (while you're at it, please tell me which pairing you like: 1x2 / 2xhilde)

Little Princess