Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Denial ❯ reality ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimers: (wallows in disbelief) I have no right over or have ever (stays away from never) owned GundamWing nor do I profit from this fic, but the story is mine. You hear the story is MINE!! *coughs and clears throat* Now as I was saying...
Warnings: From hereonout I think it won't be as nearly ncs graphic as it was last chapter, hmm . . a hint of the supernatural (hehe I can't help it) and all that other junk I said before sooo see the previous chap for full spiel.

Pairings: none yet, read and see

special thanks to Efrite for being my eyes when my own don't see.

---xXxXxXx--- means transition or scene change

Denial
by priscel

two - reality

Brrrit brrrrit . . . crinkle . . . Brrrit brrrr. . . . Duo awoke, confused and unsure of where he was. He tried to sit up in the warm darkness, when a quiet whimper made him pause. ‘The closet.’ He remembered hiding with Solo here. An image of Solo’s face came to mind and he remembered being so scared for him and how he looked . . . so pale with red lips and the pinkish oval marks around his jaw - one heavy impression on his left cheek and four other ones on his right cheek varying in color and length. He never wanted to see that look on Solo’s face again. He wished he could wipe away those marks. He ran his fingers through Solo’s hair unaware of Solo flinching away from the touch before relaxing against him again.

‘Not bad,’ Solo’s groggy mind confirmed, loosening his grip on the front and side of Duo’s shirt.

Duo knew they needed to get out of the closet soon; he knew Hilde would be calling to find out why they hadn’t shown up. He didn’t want to cause his mother any more stress, he knew Solo felt the same way. He sighed, and it was instantly consumed by the hot air of the closet, stirring nothing, lulling the boys with its smothering warmth into a half sleep.

Brrrit brrrrit . . . Brrrit brrrr . . . crinkle. . . . They both jerked into wakefulness, one winced and bit his lip while the other leaned closer to the door. Duo and Solo sat dead-still at the puuut puuut sound that was followed by the crinkle of plastic. Then just suddenly as the sounds started, they were gone again. Duo’s curiosity grew while trying to figure out what it was they were hearing through the door, when Solo’s low whisper of “Dini” along with a pleading mew made him a small smile creep onto his face. The stray tom cat, checkered brown with grayish fur, was dubbed ‘Houdini’ (or Dini for short) by Solo, because Dini would find a way into their home even when all the doors and the windows were closed. Somehow the cat always got in and the boys noticed that whenever Dini made his appearance, Quin wasn’t home. One time they had Dini chasing a string with a baby sock tied on the end, when the cat had stopped for no apparent reason and raised its heckles. Dini meowed, a hissing growl grumbling in the back of his throat. They had turned to see Quin walking through their front door when they saw Dini zip past him and out of it. They had never understood why the feline had such a dislike for their brother.

Duo helped his brother out of the closet, making their way over to their floor mattress. Duo laid him on his side because sitting seemed to bother him. Duo looked at him questioningly but Solo turned his head into the sheet, his clumping bangs shadowing his face and making the bruises on his face look darker than they were. Dini watched, taking that moment to pad-over and bump his head against Solo’s hand, hoping to get their attention and dispel the sad air around his two friends.

Duo watched as Solo didn’t respond to Dini’s efforts as the soon irate cat nipped at Solo’s fingers. Duo tried to ignore the pang he felt in his chest by his brother’s reluctance to talk to him. They talked about everything, was this so different? He then remembered how he’d found his brother earlier, his heart clenched painfully in his chest as he rose to his feet and faced the half-open door to their room. A persistent tug on his pant leg made him aware that he hadn’t actually moved from where he was standing. Darkened amethyst met a glossy green in a wordless promise that he wouldn’t be long. Turning to leave he didn’t see his brother curl around the huge pillow they had stolen from their mother’s bed and try to make himself as small as possible as his body shook with the force of his soundless sobs.

After surveying the living room, noting that the smell and half finished food that had been on the table were no longer present, he leaned against the door of the refrigerator taking deep breaths. “Everything’s ok.” He announced to no one in particular as he walked passed the refrigerator and stopped. He didn’t remember seeing the note there, but he didn’t remember if he locked closed the door either.

‘Dinner’s in the fridge. I will be home late so don’t mess with your brother’s stuff you two! Hugs and kisses, Mama.’ He read it again as he ran his fingers over their mother’s cursive print. He sighed, wishing that she was there home. She’d know what to do and how to make it better, but there was nothing he could do about it. He went quickly to the bathroom, taking with him a small bucket he had found under the kitchen sink. He stumbled into the bedroom, nearly falling over the heavy bucket but caught himself on its rim, causing some of the water to slosh out over the sides. Duo’s tremulous smiled fell as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. Solo hadn’t moved. His currently wet left-hand lay limply out toward Duo with his face turned into the bend of his arm. He was sure he’d made enough noise to wake the dead, but apparently not Solo. He pulled a shirt out of the dresser and to soak up some of the water from the bucket.

Solo’s head snapped to the right at the feel of a warm, prickly thing running over his hand. His eyes were wide and his heart beat rapidly before he relaxed, letting out a shuddering sigh.

Dini blinked at him when his friend’s head dropped back down to his arm and then nudged his head under the hand. Dini shook his head at the water he felt behind his ears but began to purr as Solo continued to lazily rub him there. Solo woke up from his half doze only to see his brother’s go through the door and turn into the bathroom on the right in the hallway. He could feel heat tingling in his nose and closed his eyes against it. He didn’t want to cry anymore.

Dini stretched and curled in closer to Solo, mewing and head butt-rubbing against Solo’s chin, face and then stopping when he got no response. He wanted his friend to stay awake and he wanted to be petted. Solo was almost asleep again when Dini went for his nose.“. . .ah . . . ” Solo glared weakly at the cat when he heard him mew, he could swear that Dini was laughing at him. “... quitit Dini . . . don’t like fur up my nose. . . .” He attempted to swat the cat but Dini hopped out of the way. Solo glared at the cat and saw Duo walking toward him. Squatting, Duo put several towels and a rag just above Solo’s head and then rested on his knees looking down at him.
Duo wasn’t sure what he was doing but he’d seen it in a movie once that wounds needed to be cleaned. Solo blinked sleepily at Duo as he started to remove his shirt and pouted. Duo smirked, remembering that it wasn’t that long ago that he had to help Solo dress when their mother was too busy or too tired to do it herself. He knew all too well his brother’s protests of not being a baby anymore and wanting to dress himself.“I’m only babying you until we can get you cleaned up, I promise.” Duo smiled, falling into memory as his brother pouted and then gave him a small smile.Solo really wasn’t up to doing it himself but he helped as much as he could by lifting his arms to get the shirt over his head. The memory of the familiar routine from when they were younger made Solo relax further even though the warm soapy rag caused goose bumps to rise up where the cool air met his skin. Duo grimaced as he tugged down his brother’s overalls as gently as he could, but they were sticking to his skin. He didn’t have on his Daffy Duck undies, Solo’s favorite ones that Duo had teased him about that morning when he caught him in bathroom pulling on his overalls. Blinking away the memory, he noticed his brother was red down there. He touched his hip lightly and realized it was a bruise. He traced the red and angry looking marks and realized they went down passed Solo’s genitals to the back of his thighs. ‘... hand prints,’ Duo thought, splaying his hand lightly over one mark. ‘It’s huge.’

The fading light in the room signaled the approach of night, yet Duo continued to wash away the smell of sweat and something he couldn’t place. Glancing back at the now dark pink water, Duo dropped the rag and picked up the blue overalls touching the back of them. ‘It’s wet,’ he thought to himself, bringing his hand to his face to see that it was covered in thick red liquid. That was when the coppery smell hit him, he knew that smell but never had it been so strong before. Never had he seen so much blood. Liar . . . He leaned forward, dizzy from a feeling deja vu the smell had triggered. He’d seen more than this before. A brief image of chubby arms soaked in red and an arm a sickly pinched grey color flitted across his mind. He shook his head trying to dispel his muddled thoughts. He didn’t understand where this was coming from, ‘maybe a movie?’ He wondered, looking down at the overalls fisted in his hand when he felt the congealed mess slip between his fingers.

‘It’s wrong.’ He thought to himself as he looked back as the bucket, ‘this all came from Solo . . . I don’t. . . .’ He dropped back heavily onto his bent legs as he began to tremble. ‘The dream . . . wasn’t . . . ’ his thoughts lost voice as memory resurfaced. ‘The baby smell . . . the tissue came away red. . . .’ his memories found shape, sound and feeling as he shook with the realization that it wasn’t some nightmarish imagining that he could ignore and that his little brother was proof of that.

He was numb. His heart beat was the only thing he was aware of as it pounded in his chest. He brought his hand close to his face again. His eyes became unfocused and turned a dark blue color as he continued to stare at the now brownish red blood that covered his hand. ‘It’s getting thicker and brighter. Sh . . . Shini. . . .’ Duo jerked as the numb feeling left him along with the fear and the pain from earlier was renewed along with an immense feeling of guilt from what his silence had allowed to happen to his little brother.
Solo was half covered by a blanket, stolen pillow tucked firmly beneath his chin as he dozed once more feeling safe under his brother’s care when he heard a strange sound. Duo was sniffling. He had never seen his brother cry since that time they came home and their brother . . . ‘Quin.’ He corrected himself. Solo realized he couldn’t call Quin brother anymore; it hurt too much. He couldn’t be a brother to him like Duo was. He shook his head in the negative as if to affirm his own thoughts, ‘Never like Duo.’ Shakily, he lifted himself up and laid his head on Duo’s lap as he hugged his middle.

“Duo . . . Duo, I’m ok . . . I’ll do what you said. I’ll ask the bus driver. Please don’t cry . . . ” Solo said hoarsely ending with a sniffle of his own.

“... I ... gawd Solo! It’s all my fault . . . ” Duo dropped his hand into the water, washing away the congealed mess.

Solo peered at him questioningly from his position on his lap. “No, it’s not.”

“I should have been here! I should’ve . . . told.” He shook his head, bowing it staring unerringly into Solo’s half-lidded eyes.

“You didn’t know. I didn’t know either. He was fine before. He just started acting strange today. And I . . . I just . . . and he . . . ” Solo’s voice broke into hiccups as he squeezed Duo, burrowing his face into his stomach to try and chase the memories away by finding comfort in his brothers’ presence.

“...Call . . . I’m going to call Mama.” Solo heard only parts of what Duo had just said, and when Duo made to get up, Solo tightened his hold but what stopped Duo’s movement was his brother’s pained hiss of 'no' and other things he couldn’t make out. So Duo waited, leaning over his brother’s trembling form on half raised knee for Solo to repeat himself. “ ... no, don’t tell Mama. I... I’m ok.” The last of his words were muffled against Duo’s shirt as he pressed his face into Duo’s stomach again.

Duo knew Solo was lying; it had been so hard for Solo to even say he was ok. “Why Solo . . . It happened to me too . . . ” he said in a barely audible whisper, taking a deep breath as he continued, “We need to tel-” He was cut off by the vigorous nods against his stomach. Solo knew what telling Mother meant and Duo realized finally why his brother would want to keep it secret. No more Quin but that also meant no more Mother either. Social services would take them away from her because she wasn’t home to prevent it from happening to either of them. They knew the other adults would only listen to half of what they said, try to hurt their mother, and accuse her of things that weren’t her fault. From what they had heard from other kids whose families were broken up by social services, they were not to be trusted.

They knew that with Quin gone there would be no one to help her with the bills and that would mean they’d lose their home. They’d end-up on the streets if they couldn’t find a place to stay.

They knew all these things and yet they didn’t understand why their mother was against them working. Duo had asked to help when he would see their Mom dragging home on sore feet and getting red-eyed over the bills. She would hug him, then kiss him on the top of his head and always say ‘No honey, I’m ok. You just do your school work the best you can and look after your little brother.’ He had failed at that, failed at protecting his brother. He didn’t know what to do now.
“Ok,” Duo sighed, “ I need to wash-”

“No! Throw ‘way! ...throw it away . . . please.” Duo nodded leaning forward to move the blanket to check the back of Solo’s legs and butt. ‘No more blood.’ Duo felt relieved now that the bleeding had stopped. Dini padded over to Duo’s head, where his perch on their mother’s bed had placed him, and head butted Duo’s ear. Duo waved him off as he finished cleaning Solo. Dini tilted his head to the side, then climbed down after a few minutes and brushed against Duo’s side and Solo’s arm, purring when one of them began to pet him. Duo reached over into the dresser and pulled out one of his shirts and put it on him as well as a pair of Spiderman undies. Duo quickly deposed of the overalls and put away everything else. When he returned to Solo’s side, he held his brother, talking to him about school and things they would do when they got older and how they’d explore Earth together. Eventually, they, too emotionally taxed to get up and try to eat anything, laid down together, Solo never letting go of Duo’s arm as they let sleep take them. Dini remained at the head of their bed watching the door, tail thwacking the floor as his half lidded blue-green eyes flashed yellow in the disappearing light.

Tbc...