Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Childhood Reborn ❯ Childish Notions ( Chapter 27 )

While Heero was heading back to the house, Jacinda, unable to sleep, was standing by her bedroom window.

 

“I don't blame him if he can't forgive me.” She thought sadly. “I just wanted him to know the truth.”

 

Her eye caught a movement in the moonlight and she held her breath, one out of alertness in case it was a stranger or OZ, and another out of hope that Duo had decided to come back. However, when the figure appeared closer, she raised her eyebrows.

 

“Heero?” She thought as the boy quietly snuck back into the house. “Did he go out to see Duo?”

 

She heard the faintest sound of footsteps come up the stairs and then quietly retreat into the pilots room. Against her better judgement she decided not to interrogate him.

 

“If Heero is out there with Duo, maybe it's better that way.” He needs a true friend right now and with all of Heero's toughness, I know he cares. They both care about each other, no mask either one puts on can fool me.”

 

Jacinda sighed and retreated to her bed, though it would still be difficult for her to sleep.

 

The next morning the pilots came downstairs just as Jacinda finished breakfast. Bastian was at their heels of course.

 

“Where's Duo?” The boy asked curiously. “He always eat breakfast with me.”

 

Jacinda bit her lip while everyone else paused unsure what to say.

 

“Well baby, he…umm…he…”

 

“He had to leave very early this morning to do some more work.” Quatre answered. “Duo is having a tough time with a project and he is trying really hard to fix it. It may take him a few days that's all. It's just important he gets it done soon.”

 

Bastian looked at Quatre and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“'Kay.” He answered then dug in to his meal.

 

Jacinda mouthed a thank you to the Arab boy. Quatre smiled and began to eat his own meal.

 

After breakfast was done the boys were ready to head out to do their repairs for the day, just before they left Jacinda stopped Heero.

 

“Here, take this to him.” She said handing Heero a small bundle. “It's some breakfast I left for him as well as a lunch. If he still refuses to see me then I will leave him some dinner out for him like I did last night.”

 

Heero grunted.

 

“Why don't you just give it to him yourself?” He asked.

 

Jacinda sighed.

 

“It's too soon sweetheart.” She said. “I want to give him as much time as he needs to collect his thoughts. But please, let him know that if he wants to talk just come back no matter how angry or upset he may be. Regardless of how he feels about me, I still promise to be there for him and all of you as well, no matter what.”

 

Heero said nothing, but just turned on his heel and left.

 

By the time they pulled up, the pilots could already see Duo hard at work.

 

“Stupid wires, connect already!!” He yelled angrily. “AAAHHH YOU PIECE OF CRAP!”

“Morning to you too Duo!” Trowa yelled. Duo stopped to looked down and see the rest of the pilots staring up at him.

 

“Yeah, yeah it would be a good morning if these stupid wires weren't so fried!!”

 

“Did you sleep alright?” Quatre yelled. “We were worried about you.”

 

“Well quit your worrying and get to fixing Sandrock or else I am going to pull a Heero and leave you all behind once Deathscythe is done.”

Wufei growled.

 

“Maxwell, stop being so rude!” He yelled. “You're acting like a brat!”

 

“Takes one to know one!”

Wufei's face turned red.

 

“Why you!”

 

“Just let him be Wufei.” Trowa said. “No use in arguing with him right now.”

 

Wufei just hmphed and hobbled over to Shenlong along with Quatre and Trowa (with Selwyn tagging along behind him) who went over to their Gundams. Heero looked up at Deathscythe for a moment, put the food bundle close enough so that Duo could see it, then headed over to Wing.

 

It was already past high noon when they broke for lunch. Well they being Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and Heero. Duo still hadn't come down from his Gundam.

 

“Duo please come and eat with us.” Quatre pleaded. “We promise we won't talk about what happened yesterday.”

 

When they didn't get an answer, Heero walked over to where he had put the food bundle and saw that it was gone. He figured Duo had grabbed it when no one was looking and decided to eat inside Deathsycthe.

 

“He is being a complete ass!” Wufei snarled as they sat underneath a tree. “Moreso than usual.”

 

“Sometimes people want to be alone when they are confused and angry.” Quatre said calmly. “And we know Duo, he does not want us pitying him after what he found out.”

 

“Pity!?” Wufei declared. “I don't pity him. In fact he should be thankful. There was someone out there that wanted to make amends to him for the injustice he received.”

 

“But that person was an OZ Chang.” Trowa said as he passed Selwyn his little meal Jacinda made just for the dog. “Even you had your misgivings when we first found out Jacinda's past.”

 

“Of course I did! I still do!” Wufei said. “But as suspicious as I am, I refuse to act like a child with a temper tantrum!”

 

All through the conversation, Heero remained quiet. He had his nose buried in a book.

 

I know its been awhile since I last wrote, but I have been laid up in the medical unit. I wish I had been injured, but instead they think I lost my marbles for a bit after…what happened on L2 and then when I found out my parents too were victims of OZ. I won't lie, for a minute I did think about ending it all. Jacinda comes in every minute she can. She's exhausted especially finding out about hers and my parents death. They had all fought together and left this world together.

 

Heero sighed as he read some more then turned the page.

 

It's amazing though through all this mess including being put in numerous drug induced fogs, I still see that kid in my dreams. Oddly enough, I see myself and Jacinda in it. Instead of seeing him in pain, I see him smiling. I see him with Jacinda as she puts her arm around him. I see myself rubbing his head and he's just laughing and smiling. We all are. We are all…happy.

 

“Hey Heero?” Trowa interrupted.

 

Heero looked up.

 

“Barton?”

 

“I was calling you just a second ago.” Trowa said. “Must be a good book.”

 

Heero shrugged.

 

“The rest of us are getting back to work.” Trowa said. “You ready?”

 

Heero stood up and wiped off his shorts.

 

“I take it Duo still hasn't come down?” He said staring at Deathsycthe.

 

Trowa shook his head.

 

“Haven't heard a sound from him.” Trowa said as he scratched Selwyn's ear. “Except a few hammering noises now and then.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

And off the two went to continue their work.

 

As the sun was setting, the crew decided to head out. Of course everyone was back on the ground except for Duo.

 

“Duo please come back with us tonight.” Quatre pleaded.

 

“Ain't doing.” Duo hollered. “I got a bunch of circuits to fix.”

 

“This coming from the man who valued his days off?” Wufei said crossing his arms.

 

“Well, now I am making up for it.” Duo yelled. “You should be proud Wuffers!”

 

“It's WUFEI!!” The Chinese boy bellowed. “Fine let hunger and mosquitos eat at you! The rest of us are going back!”

 

“Duo please?” Quatre tried one more time.

 

“I'll be okay!” Duo yelled. “Just go on Quat.”

 

Defeated Quatre and the rest of the crew boarded the truck and headed back to Jacinda's.

 

Of course Jacinda had made another probable Duo favorite, hamburgers and French fries while telling Bastian that Duo was still working. The pilots reassured Jacinda that Duo was alright physically and still working through his emotions. It was little comfort to her and once again ended up leaving a plate for Duo.

 

Once again when everyone had gone to bed, Jacinda was standing beside her bedroom window. Once again her ears picked up the sounds of footsteps and then the opening of the front door. She looked down to see a lone figure leaving the house.

 

She smiled sadly.

 

“Good luck sweetheart.”

 

It was another cool night in the woods and of course Duo was atop of Deathscythe. But this time his eyes weren't so focused on the moon and those eyes widened and brightened when he saw a figure emerge.

 

“You actually came!” He said happily jumping off Deathscythe.

 

Heero shrugged.

 

“Jacinda made hamburgers and fries.” He said holding the plate in his hands. “I don't think I could have let you not partake of it.”

 

“Oh wow, she did!?” Duo said jogging over to Heero.

 

“Another one of your favorites.” He said. “I think it's her way of trying to get through to you.”

 

Duo wasn't sure what to think.

 

“I think it is going to keep going this way if you keep avoiding her.” Heero said. “I know you are suffering, but do you think it's fair that the rest of us have to. Not all of us have steel stomach.”

 

Duo's head shot up.

 

“I don't believe it!” He said. “Did I just hear Heero Yuy, the INFAMOUS Heero Yuy, crack a joke!?”

 

Heero's eyes widened.

 

“Yeah, I guess I did.” He said giving a tiny smile.

 

“Not a bad one if I say so myself!” Duo said happily unwrapping the plate.

 

Heero shifted slightly.

 

“You think so?”

“I don't lie.” Duo said through a mouthful of fries.

 

If it had been sunny out, Duo would see a bit of pink that had stained Heero's face.

 

After Duo gulped the meal down, Heero and he sat atop Wing and looked up at the sky.

 

“A lot of stars out tonight.” Duo said.

 

“Mm.” Heero said.

 

“Did you ever make a wish on one?”

 

Heero cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Are you serious?” He said.

 

“Yeah.” Duo said. “I used to all the time as a kid even more when Solo got sick and at the orphanage.”

 

“It seems kind of silly.” Heero said. “It's not like the stars can hear you.”

Duo sighed.

 

“Yeah I suppose so.” He said. “But I can see why you do it. It's like when you blow the candles out on a birthday cake. It's like you have a place to tell your wish without anyone else hearing it.”

 

“Why don't you just tell someone what you wish for though?” Heero said.

 

“Because it wouldn't come true, at least that is what all the grown ups used to say to me.”

 

“Hmmph, I don't know why adults fill childrens heads with such stupid notions. Isn't it better to just be honest with them instead of telling them something that might not come true?”

 

Duo thought for a moment before answering that one. He remembered that Heero hadn't had the luxury of being a child. He was a soldier the minute he was conceived, or created. Even Duo through his hard times he had a chance to enjoy childhood at least for a little while.

 

“Well, think about it Heero.” Duo said. “You want this war to end right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And whenever you are on a mission, you hope you will survive it right? Even when you are in the worst of it! Like a billion Ozzies surrounding you and you have no where to go!”

 

“Odd example, but go on.” Heero said.

 

“Well you still have a tiny sliver of hope you'll get out of it! And you are hoping and wishing to yourself that you can get out of it, but you obviously don't want OZ to hear your fear, so you say it to yourself.”

 

“What does that have to do with wishing on stars?”

 

“Everything, because it's the same concept. You are telling your wish to yourself just like I would tell my wish to a star. I don't want everyone else to hear it, but I have to get it out, so I would tell a star. Basically you tell a star because it doesn't make fun of you or tell you it can't happen. It gives you hope and that hope makes you happy.”

 

Heero digested that for a moment.

 

“I suppose I see your point. Because the truth can be painful for a child, wishes on stars is something that shields the hurt.”

 

Duo grinned widely.

 

“EXACTLY!” He said slapping Heero on the back making Heero cough a bit.

 

The boys were silent for a moment then Heero spoke up.

 

“So are you doing that now, out here, wishing on stars because Jacinda told you a truth that was hard for you to bear?”

 

Duo's face fell.

 

“I don't want to talk about it.”

 

“You're going to have to face it eventually.” Heero said.

“Why can't we just hang out without having to bring this up!” Duo said. “Why does it have to be about something like that to actually just…have some time with you that isn't related to fighting!”

 

Heero sighed.

 

“I don't know myself.” He said.

 

“Well, that makes two of us.” Duo said. “But I am glad you dropped by again.”

 

Heero just grunted, but Duo took that as Heero speak for: Me too.