Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Bloody Valentine ❯ Chapter 4
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: KentraShinataku02 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Songfic | Uploaded On: 03.16.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 357 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Songfic | Uploaded On: 03.16.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 357 | Status: Completed
Bloody Valentine: Part Four
Duo kicked the front door closed, balancing paper grocery bags in each arm. Setting them down on the table, he noticed something out of place in the living room; the television was on. The television was rarely watched in the house, other than to be turned to a random music or anime station, and it was currently turned to a news channel, confirming Duo's belief that Wufei could _not_ have been watching it.
"'Fei?" he called, the sinking feeling in his stomach alerting him that something had gone very wrong.
There was no answer.
He went to the living room and clicked the switch on the remote, abruptly cutting off the droning voice of the newscaster. Upon entering the room, however, another strange factor was brought to his attention; Wufei's pistol lay abandoned on the end table. That gun never left Wufei's person unless it was secured in its glass case in which only Wufei carried the key. It was his prized possession, he had even paid to have a black dragon engraved on the handle, something to remind him of the only past he had ever had, with a gang called the Dragon Clan. Duo wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to know where Wufei had gotten the money for all of that at his age and situation. He didn't leave items of such value lying around the house, he didn't even leave his weapons of lesser value discarded in plain sight, which was the cause of his panic when he assumed Heero had stolen the pistol. Duo's heart sped to a rapid pace; Wufei must be in a bad state to let the retrieval of his weapon slip his mind.
"Wufei?" he beckoned again, hoping for some sign of the other's presence, yet there was still no reply. He opened the door to Wufei's bedroom, wrinkling his nose in revulsion at the stale stench of alcohol drifting from entrance. The collection of beer cans had been pushed into a pile near the closet, though the room did not appear much neater.
The one thing Duo desired in the room, Wufei's presence, was absent. Quietly closing the door as not to alarm Wufei is he was in close enough range to hear, he turned to check the bathroom, the Asian boy's favorite room in the apartment. The bathroom was small and windowless, the only entrance besides the door was the heater, making it the warmest room he had access to. The crack from beneath the closed door spilled no light, but the smell of smoke wafted into the hallway. After a moment of consideration, Duo entered without knocking, deciding that Wufei wouldn't be in there alone with the lights off without reason.
Opening the door revealed a crushed looking Wufei, curled in a corner with legs drawn to his chest and his face hidden. Three lit cigarettes lay abandoned in an ashtray near his hand, clearing up any doubt Duo had that Wufei was in no state to take care of himself.
"Wufei, what are you doing in here?" Duo asked, keeping the worry strained out of his voice and allowed vehemence to roll in.
"Did you get my beer?" Wufei murmured groggily, no element of his body in motion but his lips.
"Yeah, just like you asked. But look at you, you don't need that shit."
Wufei made a quick gesture to stand, but didn't get very far. Suddenly the ground was rushing back towards his face, all too fast. He felt a hand on his wrist, wrenching him upwards as his vision grew blank.
Duo hauled Wufei back to his feet by his wrists as he felt the boy lose consciousness. Beneath his fingertips, he felt the unexpected texture of scabs. Shifting Wufei to hold him more easily, he reached out a hand to switch on the bathroom light and examined his wrist. Four thin cuts ran horizontally over the skin for no reason but to cause pain; the cuts weren't deep enough to even potentially kill, Duo knew. He had slit his wrists enough times in his lifetime, before he had found Heero, and his scars were still around to illustrate his own self hatred.
Duo carried Wufei to the living room effortlessly. He didn't weigh much, even for a 16 year old boy, Duo noticed for the first time as he laid him down on the broken-beyond-repair couch. He sat himself on the wooden floor and leaned his tense body against the hard wood of the couch as he released a sigh of frustration. He was going to have to call Heero and cancel their movie tonight to take care of Wufei, something that his boyfriend would definitely not be thrilled about. Heero already seemed to think that Wufei was 'dangerous', though admittedly he was, but Duo knew that there was much more to it than that. He knew that his boyfriend didn't enjoy being placed second, especially when the priority Duo was giving his time to happened to be very much in love with him.
Suddenly Wufei stirred, but Duo didn't even turn his head to check.
"You had me worried for a few minutes," Duo said, too calmly for the situation, "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine," Wufei said, grasping that Duo had cared enough to lay him down in the living room, "sorry to worry you."
Duo didn't respond for a time, his mind still dwelling on Wufei's wrists and the act which had driven him to torture himself. He was already killing himself slowly, with the amount of time he spent with his alcohol and cigarettes. The realization of the slashes caused Duo to wonder if this was one of Wufei's unspoken addictions, causing pain to himself, needing to feel the thrill of drawing near to the edge of fantasy without being dispersed into the deathly world of pretend. He briefly wondered if Heero had been right, but quickly dismissed the thought of Wufei being too dangerous.
//No. I found him. I took him in. I'm all he's got. Without me, he's alone.// Duo thought firmly. He couldn't chance hurting Wufei, dangerous or not. He would be on the streets again, or a juvenile group home, or another one of those foster homes that Wufei dreaded ever returning to.
Duo picked up the cordless phone from the floor next to the couch and rapidly dialed Heero's cell phone by memory. Heero picked up halfway through the first ring.
//What is he doing, _waiting_ for Duo to call him?// Wufei thought, rolling his eyes, //But if I was dating Duo, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.//
"Hello Duo," Heero's voice floated gently through the phone.
"Hey Heero," Duo said tentatively, "I've got to talk to you about our plans tonight..."
"You don't want to go? That's okay, I could come ov--"
"No, Hee, that's not it. Wufei's not doing too well. I've gotta stay here with him," he said solidly, though he feared his boyfriend's reaction.
"So you're canceling our plans to spend time with him," Heero accused dryly.
"No, that's not it at all," Duo said, standing and walking to the kitchen to evade Wufei's ears, "I found him passed out again, and he's acting worse than usual, and then I found out he cut his wrists. I'm just kind of worried about leaving him alone right now."
"I see," Heero said, a blatant dissenting coloring his words.
"No you don't," Duo voiced with composure.
"Then why don't you make me see," Heero threw back, "I think you're making more of this situation then it really is."
"If you can't tell already, I'm trying to make you see. I _have_ to take care of him."
Heero sighed, "You don't need to take care of him."
"If you remember, I _am_ his guardian," Duo shot back icily.
"You know what I've said before; he's not a child."
"Heero, just forget it," Duo relinquished, massaging his tension stressed forehead, "Just count me out of the movie tonight. I'll call you later."
Duo clicked off the phone without even and 'I love you' and slammed it down on the kitchen counter. He appeared in the entrance of the living room again, cheeks flustered with irritation as he peered at the weak looking Asian youth on the couch. He and Wufei needed to talk.
Meeting his gaze, he gave a nod towards the apartment door that he stood near. Wufei reluctantly scrambled from the couch, exerting most of his energy to reach the door. He almost wanted to tell Duo that Heero was right, that he wasn't a child. Almost. But that would mean less time spent with Duo, who was willing to sacrifice time with the man he loved, just to take care of him.
Duo grasped his friend's hand as the left the apartment together, not out of affection, but to ensure Wufei's stability. It had nothing to do with the fact that Wufei needed somebody to caress and comfort him, or so Duo told himself. Nevertheless, Wufei's fingers melded into his and he let himself relax as Duo ushered him into the car. Duo threw himself into the driver's seat, slamming the door with one of his frequent sighs, and pounded his fist painfully into the steering wheel. A loud beep emitted from the car, causing Wufei to flinch as Duo kicked the dashboard.
"I'm sorry," Wufei whispered guiltily. Duo shook his head, not willing himself to speak so as not to sound too angry. He was uncertain who he was upset with; Heero for being so damn misunderstanding, or Wufei for not taking better care of himself. Heero was supposed to love him, he thought as the protesting engine finally started, Heero was supposed to understand that he had responsibilities. Duo didn't interfere with his college work when he needed to take time for it, why couldn't Heero accept that his main priority was taking care of the 16 year old child that lived in his house. Child. That was all Wufei was.
//A child that I'm not taking very good care of.// Duo realized, glancing at Wufei as he started down the street. Wufei was staring out the passenger window, his knees curled defensively to his chest, as wisps of raven hair streamed across his face in the breeze from the cracked window. Duo could see how horribly he felt by the tension spread over his folded body, by the dead and empty look in the eyes that were reflected by the window.
"He's jealous of you, you know," Duo said steadily. Wufei's shoulders stiffened at what he perceived as an accusation.
"But that's not your fault," he added, "It's mine."
Wufei relaxed. Duo wasn't upset with him? He had ruined their date, him and his damn addictions. But now he had Duo paying his complete attention for the entire evening.
"You didn't have to cancel your date, I would have been fine alone," Wufei said, although he was thinking the exact opposite, hoping that the comment wouldn't force Duo's mind to have second thoughts. So what if he was looking for sympathy? All he wanted was Duo's care, an opportunity he most likely would not get again. He needed to grasp the chance while he still could, whether he was abusing Duo's relationship or not. Wasn't his goal to get Heero and Duo apart anyways?
"No, 'Fei you need someone tonight, " Duo said, almost an answer to Wufei's thoughts as he let his anger trickle into tranquility. He didn't want Wufei to think this was completely his fault. Wufei turned back to the window, fighting back the triumphant smirk which was trying to liberate itself over his lips. Suddenly his nose wrinkled in confusion, thankful that another emotion had overcome his excitement as he turned to Duo.
"Where _are_ we going?"
Duo kept his blank eyes focused on the road. At his silence, Wufei pressed on with a sarcastic attempt to get a reaction from the braided boy.
"This isn't one of those suicide missions by lovesick people after fights with their boyfriends, is it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. That drew a grin from Duo, replacing the solemn _expression that Wufei hated to see on his usually lively face.
"No, of course not, 'Fei," he laughed softly, "You know driving just makes me feel better, and... we have to talk."
Wufei froze. The phrase 'we have to talk' had been addressed negatively far too many times in his life, whether by foster parents or social workers, a variety of people had used it to make him feel threatened. We have to talk. The phrase pounded through his screaming mind as the trapped feeling of suffocation fell over him again.
Duo kicked the front door closed, balancing paper grocery bags in each arm. Setting them down on the table, he noticed something out of place in the living room; the television was on. The television was rarely watched in the house, other than to be turned to a random music or anime station, and it was currently turned to a news channel, confirming Duo's belief that Wufei could _not_ have been watching it.
"'Fei?" he called, the sinking feeling in his stomach alerting him that something had gone very wrong.
There was no answer.
He went to the living room and clicked the switch on the remote, abruptly cutting off the droning voice of the newscaster. Upon entering the room, however, another strange factor was brought to his attention; Wufei's pistol lay abandoned on the end table. That gun never left Wufei's person unless it was secured in its glass case in which only Wufei carried the key. It was his prized possession, he had even paid to have a black dragon engraved on the handle, something to remind him of the only past he had ever had, with a gang called the Dragon Clan. Duo wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to know where Wufei had gotten the money for all of that at his age and situation. He didn't leave items of such value lying around the house, he didn't even leave his weapons of lesser value discarded in plain sight, which was the cause of his panic when he assumed Heero had stolen the pistol. Duo's heart sped to a rapid pace; Wufei must be in a bad state to let the retrieval of his weapon slip his mind.
"Wufei?" he beckoned again, hoping for some sign of the other's presence, yet there was still no reply. He opened the door to Wufei's bedroom, wrinkling his nose in revulsion at the stale stench of alcohol drifting from entrance. The collection of beer cans had been pushed into a pile near the closet, though the room did not appear much neater.
The one thing Duo desired in the room, Wufei's presence, was absent. Quietly closing the door as not to alarm Wufei is he was in close enough range to hear, he turned to check the bathroom, the Asian boy's favorite room in the apartment. The bathroom was small and windowless, the only entrance besides the door was the heater, making it the warmest room he had access to. The crack from beneath the closed door spilled no light, but the smell of smoke wafted into the hallway. After a moment of consideration, Duo entered without knocking, deciding that Wufei wouldn't be in there alone with the lights off without reason.
Opening the door revealed a crushed looking Wufei, curled in a corner with legs drawn to his chest and his face hidden. Three lit cigarettes lay abandoned in an ashtray near his hand, clearing up any doubt Duo had that Wufei was in no state to take care of himself.
"Wufei, what are you doing in here?" Duo asked, keeping the worry strained out of his voice and allowed vehemence to roll in.
"Did you get my beer?" Wufei murmured groggily, no element of his body in motion but his lips.
"Yeah, just like you asked. But look at you, you don't need that shit."
Wufei made a quick gesture to stand, but didn't get very far. Suddenly the ground was rushing back towards his face, all too fast. He felt a hand on his wrist, wrenching him upwards as his vision grew blank.
Duo hauled Wufei back to his feet by his wrists as he felt the boy lose consciousness. Beneath his fingertips, he felt the unexpected texture of scabs. Shifting Wufei to hold him more easily, he reached out a hand to switch on the bathroom light and examined his wrist. Four thin cuts ran horizontally over the skin for no reason but to cause pain; the cuts weren't deep enough to even potentially kill, Duo knew. He had slit his wrists enough times in his lifetime, before he had found Heero, and his scars were still around to illustrate his own self hatred.
Duo carried Wufei to the living room effortlessly. He didn't weigh much, even for a 16 year old boy, Duo noticed for the first time as he laid him down on the broken-beyond-repair couch. He sat himself on the wooden floor and leaned his tense body against the hard wood of the couch as he released a sigh of frustration. He was going to have to call Heero and cancel their movie tonight to take care of Wufei, something that his boyfriend would definitely not be thrilled about. Heero already seemed to think that Wufei was 'dangerous', though admittedly he was, but Duo knew that there was much more to it than that. He knew that his boyfriend didn't enjoy being placed second, especially when the priority Duo was giving his time to happened to be very much in love with him.
Suddenly Wufei stirred, but Duo didn't even turn his head to check.
"You had me worried for a few minutes," Duo said, too calmly for the situation, "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine," Wufei said, grasping that Duo had cared enough to lay him down in the living room, "sorry to worry you."
Duo didn't respond for a time, his mind still dwelling on Wufei's wrists and the act which had driven him to torture himself. He was already killing himself slowly, with the amount of time he spent with his alcohol and cigarettes. The realization of the slashes caused Duo to wonder if this was one of Wufei's unspoken addictions, causing pain to himself, needing to feel the thrill of drawing near to the edge of fantasy without being dispersed into the deathly world of pretend. He briefly wondered if Heero had been right, but quickly dismissed the thought of Wufei being too dangerous.
//No. I found him. I took him in. I'm all he's got. Without me, he's alone.// Duo thought firmly. He couldn't chance hurting Wufei, dangerous or not. He would be on the streets again, or a juvenile group home, or another one of those foster homes that Wufei dreaded ever returning to.
Duo picked up the cordless phone from the floor next to the couch and rapidly dialed Heero's cell phone by memory. Heero picked up halfway through the first ring.
//What is he doing, _waiting_ for Duo to call him?// Wufei thought, rolling his eyes, //But if I was dating Duo, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.//
"Hello Duo," Heero's voice floated gently through the phone.
"Hey Heero," Duo said tentatively, "I've got to talk to you about our plans tonight..."
"You don't want to go? That's okay, I could come ov--"
"No, Hee, that's not it. Wufei's not doing too well. I've gotta stay here with him," he said solidly, though he feared his boyfriend's reaction.
"So you're canceling our plans to spend time with him," Heero accused dryly.
"No, that's not it at all," Duo said, standing and walking to the kitchen to evade Wufei's ears, "I found him passed out again, and he's acting worse than usual, and then I found out he cut his wrists. I'm just kind of worried about leaving him alone right now."
"I see," Heero said, a blatant dissenting coloring his words.
"No you don't," Duo voiced with composure.
"Then why don't you make me see," Heero threw back, "I think you're making more of this situation then it really is."
"If you can't tell already, I'm trying to make you see. I _have_ to take care of him."
Heero sighed, "You don't need to take care of him."
"If you remember, I _am_ his guardian," Duo shot back icily.
"You know what I've said before; he's not a child."
"Heero, just forget it," Duo relinquished, massaging his tension stressed forehead, "Just count me out of the movie tonight. I'll call you later."
Duo clicked off the phone without even and 'I love you' and slammed it down on the kitchen counter. He appeared in the entrance of the living room again, cheeks flustered with irritation as he peered at the weak looking Asian youth on the couch. He and Wufei needed to talk.
Meeting his gaze, he gave a nod towards the apartment door that he stood near. Wufei reluctantly scrambled from the couch, exerting most of his energy to reach the door. He almost wanted to tell Duo that Heero was right, that he wasn't a child. Almost. But that would mean less time spent with Duo, who was willing to sacrifice time with the man he loved, just to take care of him.
Duo grasped his friend's hand as the left the apartment together, not out of affection, but to ensure Wufei's stability. It had nothing to do with the fact that Wufei needed somebody to caress and comfort him, or so Duo told himself. Nevertheless, Wufei's fingers melded into his and he let himself relax as Duo ushered him into the car. Duo threw himself into the driver's seat, slamming the door with one of his frequent sighs, and pounded his fist painfully into the steering wheel. A loud beep emitted from the car, causing Wufei to flinch as Duo kicked the dashboard.
"I'm sorry," Wufei whispered guiltily. Duo shook his head, not willing himself to speak so as not to sound too angry. He was uncertain who he was upset with; Heero for being so damn misunderstanding, or Wufei for not taking better care of himself. Heero was supposed to love him, he thought as the protesting engine finally started, Heero was supposed to understand that he had responsibilities. Duo didn't interfere with his college work when he needed to take time for it, why couldn't Heero accept that his main priority was taking care of the 16 year old child that lived in his house. Child. That was all Wufei was.
//A child that I'm not taking very good care of.// Duo realized, glancing at Wufei as he started down the street. Wufei was staring out the passenger window, his knees curled defensively to his chest, as wisps of raven hair streamed across his face in the breeze from the cracked window. Duo could see how horribly he felt by the tension spread over his folded body, by the dead and empty look in the eyes that were reflected by the window.
"He's jealous of you, you know," Duo said steadily. Wufei's shoulders stiffened at what he perceived as an accusation.
"But that's not your fault," he added, "It's mine."
Wufei relaxed. Duo wasn't upset with him? He had ruined their date, him and his damn addictions. But now he had Duo paying his complete attention for the entire evening.
"You didn't have to cancel your date, I would have been fine alone," Wufei said, although he was thinking the exact opposite, hoping that the comment wouldn't force Duo's mind to have second thoughts. So what if he was looking for sympathy? All he wanted was Duo's care, an opportunity he most likely would not get again. He needed to grasp the chance while he still could, whether he was abusing Duo's relationship or not. Wasn't his goal to get Heero and Duo apart anyways?
"No, 'Fei you need someone tonight, " Duo said, almost an answer to Wufei's thoughts as he let his anger trickle into tranquility. He didn't want Wufei to think this was completely his fault. Wufei turned back to the window, fighting back the triumphant smirk which was trying to liberate itself over his lips. Suddenly his nose wrinkled in confusion, thankful that another emotion had overcome his excitement as he turned to Duo.
"Where _are_ we going?"
Duo kept his blank eyes focused on the road. At his silence, Wufei pressed on with a sarcastic attempt to get a reaction from the braided boy.
"This isn't one of those suicide missions by lovesick people after fights with their boyfriends, is it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. That drew a grin from Duo, replacing the solemn _expression that Wufei hated to see on his usually lively face.
"No, of course not, 'Fei," he laughed softly, "You know driving just makes me feel better, and... we have to talk."
Wufei froze. The phrase 'we have to talk' had been addressed negatively far too many times in his life, whether by foster parents or social workers, a variety of people had used it to make him feel threatened. We have to talk. The phrase pounded through his screaming mind as the trapped feeling of suffocation fell over him again.
