Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Denial ❯ Chapter 7
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: priscel 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2006 | Updated On: 06.04.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.1K | Visits: 254 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.12.2006 | Updated On: 06.04.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 8.1K | Visits: 254 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimers: The use of Gundam Wing or the characters therein does not = ching ching for me, the story is mine and unfortunately so is Quin. Nor do I own or have any rights over ‘In the shadows’ it’s all The Rasmus!
Warnings: POV shifts, angst (surprise!! not this chapter, well not much), a longer chapter, see first chap for full spiel.
AN: sorry for all the revisions in advanced.
Pairings: . . .
---xXxXxXx--- means transition or scene change
“~ . . . ~” song lyrics (grin)
Denial
by priscel
six - persuasion
(Duo POV)
Everything was bright. My throat hurt, my tongue felt like it was a huge bland lima bean that I couldn’t spit out and I could only open one eye. Man did everything hurt! I was waking up a little more, everything was slowly coming to focus- I felt groggy and weighed down. There is this plastic thing in my nose and its very cold. I’m breathing the chill in and I hear this constant ‘khee’.
That’s all I can hear for a while before I try to move, I instantly regret it because dry heaved against this thing in my mouth and dizziness overwhelms me. I come to again and I realize that I can’t move my arms. I panic. I hear this beeping sound speed up as my breathing becomes more erratic, and I begin to struggle with the straps. No wonder it’s so bright, I’m in a white room. My movement warms me enough to realize that I'm not only cold but I'm wearing less than I remembered having on. I gasp then gag when there's suddenly a face over mine with a white mask on. I try to scream but gag around the tube in my throat. ‘Where had the man taken me? What had he done to Solo?!’
“Damn he came from under it again. Hey kid . . . Kid! Calm down, everything’s ok.” I look back at the male in white in fear and stopped moving. I control my breathing and the man turns to look at where the erratic beeping is coming from, I feel a small prick of pain and he wiped a part of my arm . . . at least I think it’s my arm, with something wet and the sharp smell of it hits my nose. He then walked away from the bed. I immediately start struggling again and he rushed back over, “Quit that kid, you’re going to pull out the IV again!” He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down, his head was close enough for me to head butt him. And I did, my forehead meeting the bridge between his nose and brow.
“Damn it! Chris!” He released me and rubbed at his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners letting me know he was grimacing in pain. Another one shows up and they both stalk toward me to try and hold me down. I’m breathing harder, I can feel my hands balled up into fists ready to try and do something as they get closer. Fuck, my ribs hurt.
“What are you two doing?!” I hear something drop to the floor as they bear their weight down on me and I continue to struggle.
“The little sh- kid, head butted me when I was checking on him.” I see him gesture toward me, his hand coming up to rub his nose.
“Back off, do you not see that he’s becoming more agitated? You are nurses, Dios Mio, you should not be handling a situation like this this badly.” There was a pause then, the murmur continued. “Chris, go get his Mother. Now!” I really couldn’t make out what the third person was saying because I was too distracted by fear. Nothing was familiar and I knew I was the only one in this room. I’m confused as hell trying to understand why was I taken away from them? I could feel myself shaking as unbidden, heat welled up in my eyes.
The other person in white was back with a needle in his hands. I jerked against the straps to try and pull my arm closer to me.
“It’s a mild sedative to calm him.” He said as he tilted the needle to excise the air inside and bringing the tip to the capillary on the IV.
“I thought I told you to get the boys’ Mother!” The one in blue walks over to the white-covered one and glares, pulling down her little mouth covering.
“She’s coming but we can’t have him hurting himself while we wait for her.”
“You know procedure! If I wanted him to be sedated then I would have asked for you to bring me one at my prescribed dosage. He’s disoriented, he is my patient and I say that he doesn’t require it.” Snapped the one in light blue, her words coming through the fog in my aching head. I glance over at her and she glares at the nurse until he hands her the needle. When they moved away from me I take a look around, somehow reassured by the lady in blue’s presence. There’s a heart monitor hooked up to me and some sort of pump . . . I look around again and it finally clicks that I’m in a hospital. I’ve never seen one or been in one outside of TV and the school nurse’s office. I knew that I would be doing my best stay out of these places as much as possible. I turned to my right to see the one in blue pick up something, and I strain my neck to see that it was a clipboard. She smiled at me when she caught me staring at her pretty face.
“Hey there.” She hesitantly reached out to brush my bangs out of my face. “Everything is fine, you’re safe and both your mother and brother are here. You are in ICU and that’s why they aren’t here with you right now. I bet this is all strange to you little guy, but I can tell you it is for me too. I’ve never had a patient who kept coming out from under the anaesthetic while in surgery. Especially, a little guy like you.” I glared at her. I’m not that little and her smile grew. “You had us all scared when you went into a coma . . . I need to ask you some questions, just nod yes or no. Do you know your name? Who you are?”
“ . . . ” I stared, nodding slowly, I dunno if it was a yes or no kind of nod, it may have been both because she snickered at my confusion and I stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“You are too adorable.” She snickered again at my glare; I am not adorable. I know that word is associated with cute and I’m not that either. I try to pout with my head tilted so my nose pointed upward, but the tube in my mouth ruined the effect and I felt silly instead of indignant.
She chuckled. “ I’ll take that as a yes. I need to check your eyes. Now look away from the light, ok?”
I nod.
“The tubes will come out later today, if you’ve been conscious this long under the duress you’ve just experienced, I think it’s quite safe to remove the tubing.” Been conscious this long . . . It didn't make sense to me what she was talking about.
She touched the closed lid of my left eye, opening it. Dammit! It’s too bright! I didn't know it had been bandaged before. She doesn’t stop when I try to turn away from her, instead she attempted to distract me by answering my unspoken question. “As I said, a little while ago, you’ve been in a coma.”
That’s right she had said that and I got distracted by the ‘little’ comment.
“It’s been three months . . . ” She stopped herself and smiled down at me, unhooking the respirator. I felt like she wasn't telling me something. I doubt that her telling me now would sink in, whatever medicine crap they were giving me made my head feel like it was packed with cotton balls. I hated it. I didn’t feel in control. I’m definitely not going to make going to hospitals a regular thing. In fact I’m tempted to pull out that damn IV thing. My thoughts were interrupted when she continued as she gently prodded my eyebrow and the side of my head, “You’ve healed well, the swelling over your eye is almost gone and you should be able to open it.”
I opened it cautiously, and then looked to her. “Wonderful, your eyes are both focusing well. Hmm did you know you have speckles of blue that ring and merge with the violet of your eyes? You’re going to have girls drop at your feet with just a blink from those beauties.”
I can feel myself blush and she smiled some more.
“We’re moving you down stairs to another room. Your family’ll see you there.” Unstrapping my bandaged wrists, she signaled one of the nurses to come and help her rub circulation back into them. I can’t help how soothing it is. I feel sleep creeping up on me again and I try to fight it but I’ve exhausted my self dealing with those blockheads from earlier and fall into a half doze.
(End Duo POV)
“Doctor Lupe? You . . . Duo!” Solo started again, his attention brought back to his brother and Mother who spoke with the doctor.
Jadea nearly threw the doctor on her butt when she saw Duo without all the excess tubing and wiring, she probably would have too if the doctor hadn’t gotten up in time. Hilde bounded into the room and Solo ran to the other side of the bed and latched onto Duo. Duo woke, wheezing as he patted the soft strawberry blond hair beneath his chin.
"Solo. Air. Please." He chocked out and Solo sniffled, easing off his clutching of him and buried his head beneath his chin and in his neck.
The nurse left and the doctor followed, with a smile, saying quietly that if they needed anything to buzz the nurses. After the tears dried up and the excited chatter died down, Duo became restless. He grimaced as he tried to talk, his throat was sore and dry, making it difficult to talk. His butt was numb and it irritated him to no end. Hilde saw him twitching and gave him a pen and paper to write with.
‘When can I go home? I hate hospitals.’ They read and chuckled.
“I don’t know honey. Whenever the doctor says it’s time.”
‘But I wanna go now, my butt’s numb.’ He grouched, pouting when a thought came to him. He grimaced at it, hoping it wouldn’t have to be amputated like he saw in all those movies where people were stuck in some really cold place or worse, it could disappear. He glared at the snickering dark-haired girl he'd known since they were five and considered how many times he could whack her with his pillow on his own before enlisting Solo's help or he passed out from exhaustion.
“S-sorry, I couldn’t help it. It’s funny.” She held her hands up in defeat when she saw the mischievous look on his face.
‘Hil, let’s see how you like having a numb butt in a cold bed.’ Duo tried to huff but ended up coughing instead. Hilde smiled at Duo, trying not to laugh and made herself Duo’s personal nurse. She bounced up from the bed in search of thicker blankets.
Duo’s face darkened as he wrote something else frantically, glancing at Hilde's retreating back. ‘What happen Mama? Did the sicko get away?’
“I gave him several good reasons why slum folk shouldn’t be looked down upon or used and abused by the wealthy.” She sighed, her smirk dying as she continued. “They charged him for attempted rape and assault but he bought his way out of a lengthy sentence and sped up the proceedings. He was counting on you not waking from your coma in time. I couldn’t allow them to put Solo on the stand after they put me up there, the leech of a lawyer that Lewis hired tried to twist everything I said. He got two years without probation and we got a monetary settlement. The public defender suggested that we take it or else it would just be used to reduce Lewis’ sentence further.”
She knew this was a lot for a ten-year-old to take in but Duo was older than he looked. She regretted him growing up so fast. She held his hand and ran her thumb over the back of it as he digested what she had said.
“We have our home again!” Solo blurted out and beamed at him. Duo turned his wide eyes to their Mom, she smiled and nodded an affirmative.
“I gave half of it to Father Maxwell and it gives me a little time to look for another job and gets you boys back into school. You’ve got another week before you’ll be ready to go back, Duo.” Jadea hoped she’d find that second job soon, so the money could go towards the boys college expenses.
Duo nodded but hoped that week wouldn’t be spent in the hospital. His gaze strayed to Solo once more, he looked better with a few bandages on him and faint dark spots of discoloration on his arms. He turned his pleading eyes to Jadea, unable to form the words and forgetting about the pen and paper he had in his hands.
“What is it honey?” Startled by the fearful look on Duo’s face looking him over and then the heart monitor to if something was wrong.
He blinked up at her and then looked over at Solo, weakly pointing at his arms. She saw the bruises that were fading, but she still didn’t get what it was that had made him look like that. Duo began writing, ‘Are they going to take us away from you? They must’ve seen what Quin did to Solo when they checked him? Did they see?’
Jadea’s brows rose slightly then she smiled down at Duo after reading what he wrote. Solo hopped up on the bed and laid beside his brother, yawning hugely. Duo watched the seriousness in his eyes dimming some when he thought that Solo reminded him of that little kid from South Park, whenever he laughed or yawned his mouth open so largely that the top half of his head seemed to just flip back like the flap on the cereal box. Unaware of his brothers thoughts, Solo stretched a little before resting his head against Duo’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry honey. Everything’s fine. I explained what happened but they - they really didn’t seem to care.” She said with a tight smile and slightly furrowed brow as she stroked Duo’s bangs from his face and ran them through his hair. “Except for your doctor, they only examined him where there was blood and checked his ribs and stomach for internal injuries. Dr. Lupe was the persistent one, wanting to give the best care possible, including a full physical. She stopped her questions when I threaten to take you out of here, which surprised me that this hospital is so screwed up they’d let me take you off life support and take you home to most likely die under my care than shell out the money for another charity case.” Jadea said darkly and Duo listened not knowing what to say. A heaviness settled in the silence, unfelt by Solo who was in a half doze, ignoring their conversation and opting for a nap, snuggling closer to his brother.
Duo didn’t know how close he had come to dying, he tried to but it didn’t seem real. So instead he started thinking about how Solo had saved him from that guy. He nudged Solo with his arm, handing him the pad.
‘Solo how did you get up on that guy’s back? He was a giant!’ He fiddled with the IV in his arm, surprised at how he could move it around and not feel any pain. While he waited for Solo to finish, he looked at how it pierced his skin and he couldn’t help but think of how unnatural it seemed.
Solo only shrugged and picked at the sheets, rolling up little lent balls between his fingers. Duo took back the pad and scribbled quickly, ‘Solo you did real good,’ letting him see it before he enveloped him in a one-armed hug.
- - - xXxXxXx- - -
0218, a weary figure trudged into a darkened room closing the door silently behind himself. He plopped down on the couch his braid following his descent to thud against his beige and grease speckled, jumpsuit-covered chest. He hated missing the shuttle bus and having to walk nearly 2 miles to get home around this time of night.
“Damnable bus.” Duo grumbled under his breath as he rolled off the couch, kicked off his boots and padded into the kitchen. Once he grabbed an orange soda from the fridge, he turned on the hanging light over the dinning table. The light gave the living/dining room a faint glow of warmth, the shadows seemed to meld and seep on its boundaries in the pregnant silence. Duo felt alone. His ears twitched, straining to hear the snore that often followed their mother into deep sleep. But he couldn’t hear it. In the pass few years, Duo often awoke afraid and just needing to know that his mother and brother were still there. Even if he could see them in the little light that the artificial stars gave and street lights added, he had to get up or lean over to feel the heat of breath on his hand. It was a strange thing that he never fully understood but he needed to be sure. He was so used to it now that he was aware of the sounds they normally made in their sleep and woke the moment he didn’t hear those sleep patterns. This fear in him that he couldn’t place, had him now walking quietly to their mothers' room. His tense shoulders became lax as he listened to their mothers’ muffled snore.
After he found Solo sleeping peacefully in the lower bunk of their shared room, he settled down at the dining table, pulled out his half-done homework and began to work on it while sipping his soda. Once he finished, he pulled out a laptop, one that Mr. Schbeiker had found among the scrap and they had fixed together. It was an antique thing, nothing like the latest ones he saw one of the upper colony kids use, but it served its purpose for them. During the summer he’d spend hours on the thing, thinking himself a master hacker . . . one time he had hacked into an ‘account,’ as he called it. He didn’t wish to gloat or name the system he’d gotten into, he closed it right away and gave himself a mental reprimand, ‘I don’t need to steal.’ He shook his head and wrote down to contact the company and tell them to further secure their system as his electronic journal flashed open with his email account: shinichylde@methos.net. After deleting various bits of spam, he opened his journal and began to type:
Hey Pops,
I know I haven’t been to a confessional in a while but I think you’ll still hear my thoughts and prayers even if it’s in this form. Hah . . . actually it’s been two years since I’ve updated you on everything. I’m happy to say it seems like we have survived the worst of it. Solo . . . (Duo grinned to himself as he continued typing.) what did I tell you!! He’s a fuckin’ genius, Pops! I am so proud of him, he’s on the honor roll and schools . . . Excuse me, let me clarify this schools space-wide and dirtside are mailing us stuff to have him go participate in their programs for ahem ‘young achievers’. (He smiled at the thought.) Gah, and me? Oh I’m fine, yea I’m up there with the other smart urchins and so is ‘Hil’dabraugh (He snickered to himself at the nickname that still was a sore spot for his friend.)
My main focus though is mechanical engineering, I can build a lot of stuff and Mr. Schbeiker still lets me play around in his scrap yard - he told me that whatever I made or fixed he would sale for me, only keeping 10 percent of profit for himself. I think he threw in that last part in because of Mama and how she really hated handouts even if it was help from a friend. One thing I figured out about her is that she doesn’t like to be in debt and does her best to payback anything she borrows in a few days. Me and Solo are like that, but to a lesser extent. We try to keep track of whom not to ask, but we pretty much keep to our circle of friends.
Oh, what kinds of things am I fiddling with? Nothin’ too impressive, just repairing AC units, engines, a motor or two. I haven’t found another whole laptop and I’m not looking to replace this one. It’s like a pet but ya don’t have to feed it or anything. Ok maybe it’s not like a pet but we’re attached to it. Nooo we haven’t named it. Anyway, it’s good creds and my hobby when I find the time. I also work at the loading docks now, four days a week, it really helps Mama out a lot. Me and Solo have bunk beds and our own room now! It’s great and I find myself bouncing on it most of the time. (He laughed to himself, glancing around to see if had woken anyone even though he trying really hard to keep quiet.) Solo came up and beat me with a pillow ‘til I stop. (Duo sat back his smile fading, the staccato of the keys failing to reach his ears as he immersed himself in his thoughts.) Solo doesn't tell us if staying in the room next to Quin's old one bothers him. But I know it does when I hear him talk in his sleep. (Duo's shoulders drooped as scooted closer to the screen.) He doesn't talk to me about it any more and I guess I shouldn't dwell on it. He says he's fine, so I'll trust him to tell me otherwise.
Gah, at school Hilde was fusing at me about going to the club with her. I went two weeks ago but she says that doesn’t matter that even the god of death needs a break for the monotony of school-work-eat-sleep. So what if I’m fifteen and don’t have much of a social life! It’s not like I have a choice . . . I do have a choice but I’ve decided that my family is more important. Haha, I sound like an old man I gotta do what I gotta do but I think I will go to the Rox with her tomorrow night. And big Bro mustuve . . . Hilde tells me that he still works for them but she doesn’t see much of him. I . . . (He shook his head.) I don’t know what to say. I miss him ya know? Not the bastard he was but what he used to be.
Ok went off subject, School - yes, I’ve been contacted by some schools dirtside but I don’t think I can leave just yet. I gotta make sure So' makes it ya know? Ha! You’ll neva believe that he’s, what? 13 ‘cuz he’s got four inches on me. (He chuckled quietly to himself, it sounded half-hearted to his own ears, though it really didn't matter because no one else would hear it but him at the moment.) Standing next to him, people are always calling me the youngest of us and I guess the roundness to face doesn’t do much to counter that.
Woohoo!! It’s Friday! Err . . . morning (He rubbed his stomach with a smirk.) Uh . . . damn gotta go feed the machine or and I quote ‘the bottomless maw of unfathomable depths’ that is my stomach (He chuckled.) I think I should get that dictionary away from Solo. Then get some winks before school.
Duo clicked save and shut down the computer, stretching before doing what he wrote with a mischievous smirk.
- - - xXxXxXx- - -
The neon sign displayed ‘Rox’ in cursive script spilling from a tipped martini glass in electric blue. The building was square and so dark it was liken to a black hole or pit in the dark shallowing all light. The light from its neon sign flickered over te surface revealing that it indeed had color: a dark navy blue was painted all over its exterior with midnight colored canopies over black painted windows. The club had a thick black rug leading to and from its entrance and exit, kept alighted by the one remaining streetlight at the corner. The entrance led to an even darker interior that flickered the further one went in. An emancipated teen with spiked hair in dirty overalls, no shirt, tattered shoes pushed his way through the crowd to door where he was stamped and ushered in. The club had always opened its doors to the homeless with the guarantee of food, a possible job and no matter how many of the young homeless disappeared they kept coming. Kids to twenty something adults milled about as a steady flow of scantily clad bodies- swaying, laughing and talking loudly- continued, undaunted by minor ripples in their procession, making a raucous if a bouncer ushered them out too quickly. Around them expensive cars rolled by, occasionally making whispered deals with someone standing near the sidewalk before they drifted toward the line. Other cars parked across from the club with the tinted windows a third of the way, watching, waiting.
Saturday night the place was always packed, but tonight it was more so than usual. Tonight was karaoke night, a new addition to the clubs’ somewhat questionable entertainment. This was a part of the reason Hilde had set herself to bugging Duo until he succumbed to her feminine wiles. Hilde laughed and tugged on Duo’s arm as she turned and beamed at him when they stepped into the line. Duo had a tenor that she couldn’t let him waste by submerging himself in work. ‘So far so good,’ she smiled to herself as she looked him over in his black tank, body-hugging leather pants and heavy black boots he always wore with everything. The silver chain that looped about his waist linked on itself so that it looked like it was welded on and its crucifix end dangled over his fly. She had him top it off with a wire choker, hers, with a similar nickel sized cross hanging from it.
‘He looks really good, too bad it didn’t work,’ she and Duo had tried the whole girlfriend and boyfriend thing a year ago. They shared their first kiss and in all thirty-two minutes of their relationship, they had gotten on each others nerves, got into an argument, made up, threaten each other, Hilde screamed for a divorce and lapsed into silence before they burst out laughing. It helped them realize that they loved each other but not like that, they were too much alike and they were siblings in a sense. Hilde knew there would be something she just loved about Duo that she wouldn’t be able to find in another guy. She was brought out of her thoughts when they both came up to the bouncers, they made it through the door with their fake ids, the backs of their left hands stamped red at the second check with the design of a head full of rocks or oddly shaped diamonds.
The lights flickered across them and the shadows of others streaked the walls. Hilde matched and contrasted Duo with her knee-high leather skirt, barbwire choker with a skull and crossbones pendant that came down to her deep purple halter. She pulled him close and stifled a laugh at his fidget of discomfort.
“What’s the matter?” she shouted over the music as they swayed among the mass of mingling bodies.
“Why do I feel like I’ve been set up?”
“Why do you say that? And hey you’re still blushing?!”
“Try not to smack my ass next time.”
“Aw! Didn’t you know? You have a cute butt.” She gushed.
“Whateva Hil. I told you I had bought these pants just to keep, ya know to have in case . . . ”
“And this is the ‘in case’. We’re out to have fun and show off how hot we are.”
“I’m not interested in showing off how hot ‘I’ am and if someone comes over and gropes you I’m kicking their ass!”
“Ha! Like they’d get close enough. You know they’d lose the feeling of that hand for a week. Don’t worry Duo. You’re here to rrrelax. Come dance with me.”
She held out her hands in invitation and they moved so they were off-center of the crowd. Hilde smiled as Duo relaxed and let the music take him, guiding his movements that she matched with her on rhythm. They lost track of time but a smile spread across her gleaming purple lips as the music faded and Duo was practically bouncing as they made their way over to the bar to get some drinks. Hilde ‘hmphed’ in satisfaction as she followed the upbeat Duo, smirking knowingly. The club DJ announced the mic open for the hour of karaoke. Hilde smirked broaden into a grin when she realized Duo hadn’t even heard the announcement as his hips involuntarily moved to the beat. He hopped up on a barstool and then Hilde followed as she tried to contain her excitement at how well her plan was going. Duo was enjoying his Kali’s little pinky and sputtered into his glass at the screeching he heard over the mic. Duo rubbed his ears and other people groaned, some cheered them on.
‘The beat was danceable until the singers got up there,’ Hilde shook her head and spared a glance in their direction, ‘all clothes and gloss.’
She ignored the guys trying to get her attention, growing more anxious as they sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender. She wasn’t really paying him any attention because she was listening hard for the opening keys to an old earth song that she had overheard Duo singing.
She realized she was focusing too hard when she heard Duo humming the beat. It was playing, but it needed more.
“Hey Duo, doesn’t that sound familiar?” She asked casually stirring her drink.
“Huh?” Duo mumbled around his toothpick, absently letting his tongue flit over it’s point as he listened. “Hmm, Oh yea, I - Hil!! You did set me up.” Sounding exasperated, Duo sent a weak glare Hilde’s way. Hilde rolled her eyes, bowing her head with an evil smirk, she lifted her eyes and batted her lashes using her puppy eyes to the maximum since she knew weaker attempts would not sway him, he’d taught her after all. It was one of the reasons she had worn the moire eyeliner she had on, it intensified her royal blues.
“Please Duo! I’ll be the drummer, and you have a beautiful voice. I- I just wanted you to share it with everyone else . . .”
“Uh huh.” He turned back to his drink and chewed on the end of the toothpick that had held the cherry from his drink. Ignoring her as Hilde continued to look, for all the world, like the most miserable adorably cute girl in the club. Duo picked up another cherry from a small bowl of which the bartender had given him, for what reason he had no clue but he wasn't going to waste them, they were good. Duo flipped the toothpick and caught the cherry between his teeth. He closed his lips around it and several things happened that the two didn’t notice: someone fell off a barstool not too far away; someone cleared their throat several times; the man next to him leaned closer as he worked the pick and chewed the cherry in his mouth.
To Duo and Hilde there was nothing at all sexual about eating a cherry, but even though this was a racy club, perhaps the bartender adjusting his tie, then turning away from Duo had nothing to do with him munching on the cherry on the stick. The bartender was about to go fill another drink order when Duo tapped the counter, he quickly turned to replace Duo’s drink.
“Pleeeeaseee.” She pursed her lips and moved closer to him deciding to discard her Carlotta since she wasn’t paying any attention to it and would be damned if she drank it now that it had sat unguarded during her act of persuasion.
Duo glanced over at her out the corner of his eyes oblivious to the eyes fixated on his lips and thoughts centering on wishing they were that lucky toothpick. “Gawd dammit quit the eye thing already! ok . . . ok.”
The lights dimmed, the backstage lights revealed any movement on the stage, letting the shuffling shadows of legs glide over the crowd. The stage, separated from the dance floor rose five feet, curved to match the semi-oval balcony above with two jet black supports on either side. To the right, raised another four feet was the DJ’s station. He stepped down and approached the edge of the stage where he saw a braided person being towed toward the stage. The DJ knew Hilde, her father had helped his family by giving his father a job when he got laid-off. He smiled at her and eyed the braided youth she had ensnared.
He found he couldn’t take his eyes away, androgynous would be a way to describe his features but a boy he was nonetheless. He found himself staring into violet pools that were pleading at the purple haired girl who, obviously, was ignoring the others’ pleas. In the crowd someone mumbled loudly about not wanting to hear more tone deaf people who can’t sing, while the others shifted slightly to the rock beat, waiting. Duo hopped up on stage, ignoring the DJ’s gawking and proceeded to fidgeted with his pants then turned to pout down at Hilde who looked up at him with her arms crossed. He and the DJ reached down for Hilde at the same time and she grinned taking both offered hands as they lifted her up. She turned and hugged the DJ.
“Thanks so much Aki.”
“Ain’t nothing. This was a hard tune to find, but anything for you Hilde.”
“Hildabraugh . . . ” came the whine which Hilde ignored.
“Are the strobe lights ready?”
“Yea.”
“Ok lets go! Restart the music in 15 secs.”
“Hil, ah c’mon. Hey wait, maybe-”
“You already agreed. And you have to do that opening umm . . . Ohhuhh uhhhhh thing! Hmm I think that’s how it goes?” She shrugged turning away from Duo and heading for the drum set.
“Hey Hil, that umm . . . mustuve been synthesized. I dunno if I can-”
“You CAN! Duo Maxwell get over to the mic!” Hilde said glaring and pointing to center stage as the music was shut off.
“Yes MOM. See if you get anything from me for your birthday.”
The crowd heard Duo’s muttered comment and Hilde’s snicker. The music started and the strobe lights pulsed with the beat and the restless crowd perked up awing at the lighting. Duo looked back at Hilde and sent her one last glare. Hilde rolled her eyes and smiled back at him as she caught the rhythm on the drums. Duo stepped up to the mic, the pulsing lights roving and alighting his lean and muscular body. He pulled the mic forward opening his mouth:
“~Ohaohha ohaohha . . .
Ohaohha ohaohhhha . . .
No sleep,
No sleep until I am done with finding the answer.
Won’t stop,
Won’t stop before I find a cure for this cancer.
. . . Sometimes I feel like going down, I'm so disconnected,
Somehow I know that I am haunted to be wanted.~”
Hilde harmonized with Duo giving the words more force as the crowd began to cheer and bob their heads while others began to jump up and down. Arms snaked up and then down near the stage at Duo's feet, wanting to touch but held back by the bouncers that kept the crowd in check.
“~I’ve been watching, I've been waiting . . .
In the shadows for my time.
I've been searching, I've been living . . .
For tomorrow’s all my life.~”
Duo picked up a guitar and strummed the strings finding the melody quickly as he continued to sing.
“~Ohaohha ohaohhhha . . .
....in the shadows
They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe.
But I, I'd rather kill myself than turn into their slave . . .~”
The strobe lights flashed across a hundred upturned faces, streaked with sweat, eyes closed to half close, some lips parted in ecstasy as they danced harder to the music. Among the gyrating bodies, a pair of hazel eyes were locked on Duo. He smiled and rocked on his heels to the music, watching intently as Duo seemed to lose himself in the song and letting the crowd jostle him about when he caught sight of Duo's darken violets. The flickering lights seemed to catch in them when the room lit up during the pulses.
Duo sang the song with such passion that he hadn’t realized their few minutes on stage had come to the end until he heard the wild applause and screams for them to perform more. Aki switched off the lights so that Duo and Hilde could make a hasty retreat backstage.
“Ya happy now?” He smiled and half laughed from the rush of it all.
“Oh yea! You were awesome!!!” She pounced on him and he swung her around as he returned her hug before they continued their escape.
“Yea we were and tell that to my heart so that it’ll stop trying to beat its way out of my chest.” Hilde laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’m glad you did it. I say lets get outta here and celebrate with tons of ice cream. My Mom has leftovers at my house, something Kiev, no no ...cordon bleu?” Hilde cupped her chin in thought missing how Duo perked up when he heard cordon bleu then, tried to glare at her.
“Oh... I see... but it won’t work! Nope! You can’t bribe me into forgiveness but . . . those cheese filled hamsters are a good start.” Hilde laughed and skipped as they walked behind the bar towards the door.
The bouncers gave them a grunt in approval and a nod as the pair exited the club. Duo kept glancing back as he and Hilde continued to walk. A chill slowly crept up his spine, making him glance behind them again. He did this several times and caught a glimpse of a grey flack jacket. When he and Hilde turned at the next street, he grabbed her elbow and pulled her close to him.
“Wha-” Duo put his long slender fingers to her lips, stilling them and Hilde felt her heart flutter as his face came closer to hers. ‘What is he doing ?’ She could feel the blush high on her cheeks.
“Shh. Hil, we’re being followed.” Her breath caught and her eyes misted, she hadn't expected that.
In the sudden silence, back dropped by the low murmur of people and fading pulse of the music from the club, she could hear heavy footfalls. They were a slow and unsteady gait, their pace increasing as the steps became more confident the closer they came to them. Hilde flushed in embarrassment, thanking whoever had busted the street lamp over them because she didn’t want to make things awkward between her and Duo if he had seen her reaction to him. ‘What was I thinking!’ She berated herself. Was she so amped up that she had become careless and thought that Duo wanted her to be more than a friend again? To try again something that died as quickly as it began? She lowered her eyes as Duo took a quick glance around the corner.
Hilde knew that if she had come alone she wouldn’t have done such a careless thing; she knew that she could depend on Duo to watch their backs if she got carried away. Yet still it bothered her that she hadn’t noticed anything until Duo had told her and that she had expected something more from him other than the friendship they shared. As suddenly as she was surrounded by the heated smell of lavender and musk, the heady warmth of Duo was gone and she shook her head to clear it. She was surprised that he had resumed his previous carefree pose as if nothing had happened.
She walked over to him, finding it hard to keep up appearances. She watched Duo, answered his jabs and humorous notes with a few of her own. Duo walked the steady pace they were walking before with his fingers laced behind his head, giving him the laid back air she was used to seeing. Soon she found the motor mouth she had before he made her aware of things and was going on and on about the club again. She lost herself for a few moments in false security when she fell into her normal teasing of him and started tugging on the cross on Duo’s belt when the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end.
She could feel the eyes now. He was closer. When her eyes met Duo’s again, he looked over toward the path leading to the Park and Hilde agreed, their silent communication missed by their onlooker as Hilde smiled again and pulled Duo in that direction.
From a distance, the hazel eyes shimmered in the dim light as he watched the dark-haired girl tug on the braided boys belt causing his pants to come down a bit and show some of his bare pale hip. The bouncers of the club had stopped him from following, until he turned and glared at them. They stepped back with quickly mumbled apologies, watching him with wary near fearful expressions on their faces. He was the assistant manager but dressed out of the usual business garb. They just didn’t recognize the owners' associate with his hair down and in club wear.
His stomached churned, forcing him stop. It was time. He wiped his nose on the back of his hand to see a smear of blood. He cradled his hard stomach as it twisted and dug around in his tight pants for the dropper he stashed there before leaving the apartment. He leaned against the wall of the alley as he hastily yanked out the eye dropper and squeezed a drop in each eye, gritting his teeth while he waited for it to work. He swooned, closing his eyes as two thin lines of tears streamed down his face. The euphoria that followed made him shiver and unconsciously palmed his pants. He took deep breaths, forcing himself not to collapse where he stood and grin like an enrapt idiot.
For a moment he forgot why he was there and didn’t see why he felt he had to follow. But his mind spoke in subdued whispers, telling him that he knew the braided teen and those eyes, he had to see them again, to watch that body move while he held it. Gritting his teeth again, lips fixed in a smile, brows scrunched together while eyes never lost their glossy gleam and wideness, he slid across the brick wall. After what felt like hours of no progress, he used the wall to help him lift one heavy foot and then the other, pushing himself onward as his feet grew lighter the more he moved. He had almost lost them but he wanted to watch the violet-eyed boy some more. He saw the end of the braid that he wanted to cut swing into the park. He cursed, stopping at the entrance and stared around.
There wasn’t any sign of them.
He heard from others that the park was either a curse or a blessing because some people disappeared when they went in at night. He brought his pale net-covered arm to his nose and ran it across his arm as he sniffed loudly, then wiped at the tracks on his face. He knew where they lived; where they worked. He had plenty of time.
Tbc...
The drinks Duo and hilde wee sipping are nonacholoic beverages.
For the full version of the music and the band info visit - www. rasmusdeadletters .com
(1) chicken pox
Warnings: POV shifts, angst (surprise!! not this chapter, well not much), a longer chapter, see first chap for full spiel.
AN: sorry for all the revisions in advanced.
Pairings: . . .
---xXxXxXx--- means transition or scene change
“~ . . . ~” song lyrics (grin)
Denial
by priscel
six - persuasion
(Duo POV)
Everything was bright. My throat hurt, my tongue felt like it was a huge bland lima bean that I couldn’t spit out and I could only open one eye. Man did everything hurt! I was waking up a little more, everything was slowly coming to focus- I felt groggy and weighed down. There is this plastic thing in my nose and its very cold. I’m breathing the chill in and I hear this constant ‘khee’.
That’s all I can hear for a while before I try to move, I instantly regret it because dry heaved against this thing in my mouth and dizziness overwhelms me. I come to again and I realize that I can’t move my arms. I panic. I hear this beeping sound speed up as my breathing becomes more erratic, and I begin to struggle with the straps. No wonder it’s so bright, I’m in a white room. My movement warms me enough to realize that I'm not only cold but I'm wearing less than I remembered having on. I gasp then gag when there's suddenly a face over mine with a white mask on. I try to scream but gag around the tube in my throat. ‘Where had the man taken me? What had he done to Solo?!’
“Damn he came from under it again. Hey kid . . . Kid! Calm down, everything’s ok.” I look back at the male in white in fear and stopped moving. I control my breathing and the man turns to look at where the erratic beeping is coming from, I feel a small prick of pain and he wiped a part of my arm . . . at least I think it’s my arm, with something wet and the sharp smell of it hits my nose. He then walked away from the bed. I immediately start struggling again and he rushed back over, “Quit that kid, you’re going to pull out the IV again!” He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down, his head was close enough for me to head butt him. And I did, my forehead meeting the bridge between his nose and brow.
“Damn it! Chris!” He released me and rubbed at his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners letting me know he was grimacing in pain. Another one shows up and they both stalk toward me to try and hold me down. I’m breathing harder, I can feel my hands balled up into fists ready to try and do something as they get closer. Fuck, my ribs hurt.
“What are you two doing?!” I hear something drop to the floor as they bear their weight down on me and I continue to struggle.
“The little sh- kid, head butted me when I was checking on him.” I see him gesture toward me, his hand coming up to rub his nose.
“Back off, do you not see that he’s becoming more agitated? You are nurses, Dios Mio, you should not be handling a situation like this this badly.” There was a pause then, the murmur continued. “Chris, go get his Mother. Now!” I really couldn’t make out what the third person was saying because I was too distracted by fear. Nothing was familiar and I knew I was the only one in this room. I’m confused as hell trying to understand why was I taken away from them? I could feel myself shaking as unbidden, heat welled up in my eyes.
The other person in white was back with a needle in his hands. I jerked against the straps to try and pull my arm closer to me.
“It’s a mild sedative to calm him.” He said as he tilted the needle to excise the air inside and bringing the tip to the capillary on the IV.
“I thought I told you to get the boys’ Mother!” The one in blue walks over to the white-covered one and glares, pulling down her little mouth covering.
“She’s coming but we can’t have him hurting himself while we wait for her.”
“You know procedure! If I wanted him to be sedated then I would have asked for you to bring me one at my prescribed dosage. He’s disoriented, he is my patient and I say that he doesn’t require it.” Snapped the one in light blue, her words coming through the fog in my aching head. I glance over at her and she glares at the nurse until he hands her the needle. When they moved away from me I take a look around, somehow reassured by the lady in blue’s presence. There’s a heart monitor hooked up to me and some sort of pump . . . I look around again and it finally clicks that I’m in a hospital. I’ve never seen one or been in one outside of TV and the school nurse’s office. I knew that I would be doing my best stay out of these places as much as possible. I turned to my right to see the one in blue pick up something, and I strain my neck to see that it was a clipboard. She smiled at me when she caught me staring at her pretty face.
“Hey there.” She hesitantly reached out to brush my bangs out of my face. “Everything is fine, you’re safe and both your mother and brother are here. You are in ICU and that’s why they aren’t here with you right now. I bet this is all strange to you little guy, but I can tell you it is for me too. I’ve never had a patient who kept coming out from under the anaesthetic while in surgery. Especially, a little guy like you.” I glared at her. I’m not that little and her smile grew. “You had us all scared when you went into a coma . . . I need to ask you some questions, just nod yes or no. Do you know your name? Who you are?”
“ . . . ” I stared, nodding slowly, I dunno if it was a yes or no kind of nod, it may have been both because she snickered at my confusion and I stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“You are too adorable.” She snickered again at my glare; I am not adorable. I know that word is associated with cute and I’m not that either. I try to pout with my head tilted so my nose pointed upward, but the tube in my mouth ruined the effect and I felt silly instead of indignant.
She chuckled. “ I’ll take that as a yes. I need to check your eyes. Now look away from the light, ok?”
I nod.
“The tubes will come out later today, if you’ve been conscious this long under the duress you’ve just experienced, I think it’s quite safe to remove the tubing.” Been conscious this long . . . It didn't make sense to me what she was talking about.
She touched the closed lid of my left eye, opening it. Dammit! It’s too bright! I didn't know it had been bandaged before. She doesn’t stop when I try to turn away from her, instead she attempted to distract me by answering my unspoken question. “As I said, a little while ago, you’ve been in a coma.”
That’s right she had said that and I got distracted by the ‘little’ comment.
“It’s been three months . . . ” She stopped herself and smiled down at me, unhooking the respirator. I felt like she wasn't telling me something. I doubt that her telling me now would sink in, whatever medicine crap they were giving me made my head feel like it was packed with cotton balls. I hated it. I didn’t feel in control. I’m definitely not going to make going to hospitals a regular thing. In fact I’m tempted to pull out that damn IV thing. My thoughts were interrupted when she continued as she gently prodded my eyebrow and the side of my head, “You’ve healed well, the swelling over your eye is almost gone and you should be able to open it.”
I opened it cautiously, and then looked to her. “Wonderful, your eyes are both focusing well. Hmm did you know you have speckles of blue that ring and merge with the violet of your eyes? You’re going to have girls drop at your feet with just a blink from those beauties.”
I can feel myself blush and she smiled some more.
“We’re moving you down stairs to another room. Your family’ll see you there.” Unstrapping my bandaged wrists, she signaled one of the nurses to come and help her rub circulation back into them. I can’t help how soothing it is. I feel sleep creeping up on me again and I try to fight it but I’ve exhausted my self dealing with those blockheads from earlier and fall into a half doze.
(End Duo POV)
- - - xXxXx- - -
The door opens and Jadea is the first to step in with Solo trailing behind her. Solo looked around and noticed that Duo wasn’t alone in the room. In the opposite bed close to the window with the curtains half drawn was a teenaged boy. He was gaunt looking with strange colored eyes; they were too green but not, teal, with a yellow tinge to them. The older boy had red spots all over him and Solo wondered if he had the pox (1). Solo started when he realized the boy was staring back at him as he wiped his face with a towel. He turned it toward Solo so he could see the pinkish smear across it. Solo looked at him with a puzzled expression as a nurse stepped over and stopped their stare off by pulling the curtain close.“Doctor Lupe? You . . . Duo!” Solo started again, his attention brought back to his brother and Mother who spoke with the doctor.
Jadea nearly threw the doctor on her butt when she saw Duo without all the excess tubing and wiring, she probably would have too if the doctor hadn’t gotten up in time. Hilde bounded into the room and Solo ran to the other side of the bed and latched onto Duo. Duo woke, wheezing as he patted the soft strawberry blond hair beneath his chin.
"Solo. Air. Please." He chocked out and Solo sniffled, easing off his clutching of him and buried his head beneath his chin and in his neck.
The nurse left and the doctor followed, with a smile, saying quietly that if they needed anything to buzz the nurses. After the tears dried up and the excited chatter died down, Duo became restless. He grimaced as he tried to talk, his throat was sore and dry, making it difficult to talk. His butt was numb and it irritated him to no end. Hilde saw him twitching and gave him a pen and paper to write with.
‘When can I go home? I hate hospitals.’ They read and chuckled.
“I don’t know honey. Whenever the doctor says it’s time.”
‘But I wanna go now, my butt’s numb.’ He grouched, pouting when a thought came to him. He grimaced at it, hoping it wouldn’t have to be amputated like he saw in all those movies where people were stuck in some really cold place or worse, it could disappear. He glared at the snickering dark-haired girl he'd known since they were five and considered how many times he could whack her with his pillow on his own before enlisting Solo's help or he passed out from exhaustion.
“S-sorry, I couldn’t help it. It’s funny.” She held her hands up in defeat when she saw the mischievous look on his face.
‘Hil, let’s see how you like having a numb butt in a cold bed.’ Duo tried to huff but ended up coughing instead. Hilde smiled at Duo, trying not to laugh and made herself Duo’s personal nurse. She bounced up from the bed in search of thicker blankets.
Duo’s face darkened as he wrote something else frantically, glancing at Hilde's retreating back. ‘What happen Mama? Did the sicko get away?’
“I gave him several good reasons why slum folk shouldn’t be looked down upon or used and abused by the wealthy.” She sighed, her smirk dying as she continued. “They charged him for attempted rape and assault but he bought his way out of a lengthy sentence and sped up the proceedings. He was counting on you not waking from your coma in time. I couldn’t allow them to put Solo on the stand after they put me up there, the leech of a lawyer that Lewis hired tried to twist everything I said. He got two years without probation and we got a monetary settlement. The public defender suggested that we take it or else it would just be used to reduce Lewis’ sentence further.”
She knew this was a lot for a ten-year-old to take in but Duo was older than he looked. She regretted him growing up so fast. She held his hand and ran her thumb over the back of it as he digested what she had said.
“We have our home again!” Solo blurted out and beamed at him. Duo turned his wide eyes to their Mom, she smiled and nodded an affirmative.
“I gave half of it to Father Maxwell and it gives me a little time to look for another job and gets you boys back into school. You’ve got another week before you’ll be ready to go back, Duo.” Jadea hoped she’d find that second job soon, so the money could go towards the boys college expenses.
Duo nodded but hoped that week wouldn’t be spent in the hospital. His gaze strayed to Solo once more, he looked better with a few bandages on him and faint dark spots of discoloration on his arms. He turned his pleading eyes to Jadea, unable to form the words and forgetting about the pen and paper he had in his hands.
“What is it honey?” Startled by the fearful look on Duo’s face looking him over and then the heart monitor to if something was wrong.
He blinked up at her and then looked over at Solo, weakly pointing at his arms. She saw the bruises that were fading, but she still didn’t get what it was that had made him look like that. Duo began writing, ‘Are they going to take us away from you? They must’ve seen what Quin did to Solo when they checked him? Did they see?’
Jadea’s brows rose slightly then she smiled down at Duo after reading what he wrote. Solo hopped up on the bed and laid beside his brother, yawning hugely. Duo watched the seriousness in his eyes dimming some when he thought that Solo reminded him of that little kid from South Park, whenever he laughed or yawned his mouth open so largely that the top half of his head seemed to just flip back like the flap on the cereal box. Unaware of his brothers thoughts, Solo stretched a little before resting his head against Duo’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry honey. Everything’s fine. I explained what happened but they - they really didn’t seem to care.” She said with a tight smile and slightly furrowed brow as she stroked Duo’s bangs from his face and ran them through his hair. “Except for your doctor, they only examined him where there was blood and checked his ribs and stomach for internal injuries. Dr. Lupe was the persistent one, wanting to give the best care possible, including a full physical. She stopped her questions when I threaten to take you out of here, which surprised me that this hospital is so screwed up they’d let me take you off life support and take you home to most likely die under my care than shell out the money for another charity case.” Jadea said darkly and Duo listened not knowing what to say. A heaviness settled in the silence, unfelt by Solo who was in a half doze, ignoring their conversation and opting for a nap, snuggling closer to his brother.
Duo didn’t know how close he had come to dying, he tried to but it didn’t seem real. So instead he started thinking about how Solo had saved him from that guy. He nudged Solo with his arm, handing him the pad.
‘Solo how did you get up on that guy’s back? He was a giant!’ He fiddled with the IV in his arm, surprised at how he could move it around and not feel any pain. While he waited for Solo to finish, he looked at how it pierced his skin and he couldn’t help but think of how unnatural it seemed.
Solo only shrugged and picked at the sheets, rolling up little lent balls between his fingers. Duo took back the pad and scribbled quickly, ‘Solo you did real good,’ letting him see it before he enveloped him in a one-armed hug.
- - - xXxXxXx- - -
0218, a weary figure trudged into a darkened room closing the door silently behind himself. He plopped down on the couch his braid following his descent to thud against his beige and grease speckled, jumpsuit-covered chest. He hated missing the shuttle bus and having to walk nearly 2 miles to get home around this time of night.
“Damnable bus.” Duo grumbled under his breath as he rolled off the couch, kicked off his boots and padded into the kitchen. Once he grabbed an orange soda from the fridge, he turned on the hanging light over the dinning table. The light gave the living/dining room a faint glow of warmth, the shadows seemed to meld and seep on its boundaries in the pregnant silence. Duo felt alone. His ears twitched, straining to hear the snore that often followed their mother into deep sleep. But he couldn’t hear it. In the pass few years, Duo often awoke afraid and just needing to know that his mother and brother were still there. Even if he could see them in the little light that the artificial stars gave and street lights added, he had to get up or lean over to feel the heat of breath on his hand. It was a strange thing that he never fully understood but he needed to be sure. He was so used to it now that he was aware of the sounds they normally made in their sleep and woke the moment he didn’t hear those sleep patterns. This fear in him that he couldn’t place, had him now walking quietly to their mothers' room. His tense shoulders became lax as he listened to their mothers’ muffled snore.
After he found Solo sleeping peacefully in the lower bunk of their shared room, he settled down at the dining table, pulled out his half-done homework and began to work on it while sipping his soda. Once he finished, he pulled out a laptop, one that Mr. Schbeiker had found among the scrap and they had fixed together. It was an antique thing, nothing like the latest ones he saw one of the upper colony kids use, but it served its purpose for them. During the summer he’d spend hours on the thing, thinking himself a master hacker . . . one time he had hacked into an ‘account,’ as he called it. He didn’t wish to gloat or name the system he’d gotten into, he closed it right away and gave himself a mental reprimand, ‘I don’t need to steal.’ He shook his head and wrote down to contact the company and tell them to further secure their system as his electronic journal flashed open with his email account: shinichylde@methos.net. After deleting various bits of spam, he opened his journal and began to type:
Hey Pops,
I know I haven’t been to a confessional in a while but I think you’ll still hear my thoughts and prayers even if it’s in this form. Hah . . . actually it’s been two years since I’ve updated you on everything. I’m happy to say it seems like we have survived the worst of it. Solo . . . (Duo grinned to himself as he continued typing.) what did I tell you!! He’s a fuckin’ genius, Pops! I am so proud of him, he’s on the honor roll and schools . . . Excuse me, let me clarify this schools space-wide and dirtside are mailing us stuff to have him go participate in their programs for ahem ‘young achievers’. (He smiled at the thought.) Gah, and me? Oh I’m fine, yea I’m up there with the other smart urchins and so is ‘Hil’dabraugh (He snickered to himself at the nickname that still was a sore spot for his friend.)
My main focus though is mechanical engineering, I can build a lot of stuff and Mr. Schbeiker still lets me play around in his scrap yard - he told me that whatever I made or fixed he would sale for me, only keeping 10 percent of profit for himself. I think he threw in that last part in because of Mama and how she really hated handouts even if it was help from a friend. One thing I figured out about her is that she doesn’t like to be in debt and does her best to payback anything she borrows in a few days. Me and Solo are like that, but to a lesser extent. We try to keep track of whom not to ask, but we pretty much keep to our circle of friends.
Oh, what kinds of things am I fiddling with? Nothin’ too impressive, just repairing AC units, engines, a motor or two. I haven’t found another whole laptop and I’m not looking to replace this one. It’s like a pet but ya don’t have to feed it or anything. Ok maybe it’s not like a pet but we’re attached to it. Nooo we haven’t named it. Anyway, it’s good creds and my hobby when I find the time. I also work at the loading docks now, four days a week, it really helps Mama out a lot. Me and Solo have bunk beds and our own room now! It’s great and I find myself bouncing on it most of the time. (He laughed to himself, glancing around to see if had woken anyone even though he trying really hard to keep quiet.) Solo came up and beat me with a pillow ‘til I stop. (Duo sat back his smile fading, the staccato of the keys failing to reach his ears as he immersed himself in his thoughts.) Solo doesn't tell us if staying in the room next to Quin's old one bothers him. But I know it does when I hear him talk in his sleep. (Duo's shoulders drooped as scooted closer to the screen.) He doesn't talk to me about it any more and I guess I shouldn't dwell on it. He says he's fine, so I'll trust him to tell me otherwise.
Gah, at school Hilde was fusing at me about going to the club with her. I went two weeks ago but she says that doesn’t matter that even the god of death needs a break for the monotony of school-work-eat-sleep. So what if I’m fifteen and don’t have much of a social life! It’s not like I have a choice . . . I do have a choice but I’ve decided that my family is more important. Haha, I sound like an old man I gotta do what I gotta do but I think I will go to the Rox with her tomorrow night. And big Bro mustuve . . . Hilde tells me that he still works for them but she doesn’t see much of him. I . . . (He shook his head.) I don’t know what to say. I miss him ya know? Not the bastard he was but what he used to be.
Ok went off subject, School - yes, I’ve been contacted by some schools dirtside but I don’t think I can leave just yet. I gotta make sure So' makes it ya know? Ha! You’ll neva believe that he’s, what? 13 ‘cuz he’s got four inches on me. (He chuckled quietly to himself, it sounded half-hearted to his own ears, though it really didn't matter because no one else would hear it but him at the moment.) Standing next to him, people are always calling me the youngest of us and I guess the roundness to face doesn’t do much to counter that.
Woohoo!! It’s Friday! Err . . . morning (He rubbed his stomach with a smirk.) Uh . . . damn gotta go feed the machine or and I quote ‘the bottomless maw of unfathomable depths’ that is my stomach (He chuckled.) I think I should get that dictionary away from Solo. Then get some winks before school.
Duo clicked save and shut down the computer, stretching before doing what he wrote with a mischievous smirk.
- - - xXxXxXx- - -
The neon sign displayed ‘Rox’ in cursive script spilling from a tipped martini glass in electric blue. The building was square and so dark it was liken to a black hole or pit in the dark shallowing all light. The light from its neon sign flickered over te surface revealing that it indeed had color: a dark navy blue was painted all over its exterior with midnight colored canopies over black painted windows. The club had a thick black rug leading to and from its entrance and exit, kept alighted by the one remaining streetlight at the corner. The entrance led to an even darker interior that flickered the further one went in. An emancipated teen with spiked hair in dirty overalls, no shirt, tattered shoes pushed his way through the crowd to door where he was stamped and ushered in. The club had always opened its doors to the homeless with the guarantee of food, a possible job and no matter how many of the young homeless disappeared they kept coming. Kids to twenty something adults milled about as a steady flow of scantily clad bodies- swaying, laughing and talking loudly- continued, undaunted by minor ripples in their procession, making a raucous if a bouncer ushered them out too quickly. Around them expensive cars rolled by, occasionally making whispered deals with someone standing near the sidewalk before they drifted toward the line. Other cars parked across from the club with the tinted windows a third of the way, watching, waiting.
Saturday night the place was always packed, but tonight it was more so than usual. Tonight was karaoke night, a new addition to the clubs’ somewhat questionable entertainment. This was a part of the reason Hilde had set herself to bugging Duo until he succumbed to her feminine wiles. Hilde laughed and tugged on Duo’s arm as she turned and beamed at him when they stepped into the line. Duo had a tenor that she couldn’t let him waste by submerging himself in work. ‘So far so good,’ she smiled to herself as she looked him over in his black tank, body-hugging leather pants and heavy black boots he always wore with everything. The silver chain that looped about his waist linked on itself so that it looked like it was welded on and its crucifix end dangled over his fly. She had him top it off with a wire choker, hers, with a similar nickel sized cross hanging from it.
‘He looks really good, too bad it didn’t work,’ she and Duo had tried the whole girlfriend and boyfriend thing a year ago. They shared their first kiss and in all thirty-two minutes of their relationship, they had gotten on each others nerves, got into an argument, made up, threaten each other, Hilde screamed for a divorce and lapsed into silence before they burst out laughing. It helped them realize that they loved each other but not like that, they were too much alike and they were siblings in a sense. Hilde knew there would be something she just loved about Duo that she wouldn’t be able to find in another guy. She was brought out of her thoughts when they both came up to the bouncers, they made it through the door with their fake ids, the backs of their left hands stamped red at the second check with the design of a head full of rocks or oddly shaped diamonds.
The lights flickered across them and the shadows of others streaked the walls. Hilde matched and contrasted Duo with her knee-high leather skirt, barbwire choker with a skull and crossbones pendant that came down to her deep purple halter. She pulled him close and stifled a laugh at his fidget of discomfort.
“What’s the matter?” she shouted over the music as they swayed among the mass of mingling bodies.
“Why do I feel like I’ve been set up?”
“Why do you say that? And hey you’re still blushing?!”
“Try not to smack my ass next time.”
“Aw! Didn’t you know? You have a cute butt.” She gushed.
“Whateva Hil. I told you I had bought these pants just to keep, ya know to have in case . . . ”
“And this is the ‘in case’. We’re out to have fun and show off how hot we are.”
“I’m not interested in showing off how hot ‘I’ am and if someone comes over and gropes you I’m kicking their ass!”
“Ha! Like they’d get close enough. You know they’d lose the feeling of that hand for a week. Don’t worry Duo. You’re here to rrrelax. Come dance with me.”
She held out her hands in invitation and they moved so they were off-center of the crowd. Hilde smiled as Duo relaxed and let the music take him, guiding his movements that she matched with her on rhythm. They lost track of time but a smile spread across her gleaming purple lips as the music faded and Duo was practically bouncing as they made their way over to the bar to get some drinks. Hilde ‘hmphed’ in satisfaction as she followed the upbeat Duo, smirking knowingly. The club DJ announced the mic open for the hour of karaoke. Hilde smirked broaden into a grin when she realized Duo hadn’t even heard the announcement as his hips involuntarily moved to the beat. He hopped up on a barstool and then Hilde followed as she tried to contain her excitement at how well her plan was going. Duo was enjoying his Kali’s little pinky and sputtered into his glass at the screeching he heard over the mic. Duo rubbed his ears and other people groaned, some cheered them on.
‘The beat was danceable until the singers got up there,’ Hilde shook her head and spared a glance in their direction, ‘all clothes and gloss.’
She ignored the guys trying to get her attention, growing more anxious as they sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender. She wasn’t really paying him any attention because she was listening hard for the opening keys to an old earth song that she had overheard Duo singing.
She realized she was focusing too hard when she heard Duo humming the beat. It was playing, but it needed more.
“Hey Duo, doesn’t that sound familiar?” She asked casually stirring her drink.
“Huh?” Duo mumbled around his toothpick, absently letting his tongue flit over it’s point as he listened. “Hmm, Oh yea, I - Hil!! You did set me up.” Sounding exasperated, Duo sent a weak glare Hilde’s way. Hilde rolled her eyes, bowing her head with an evil smirk, she lifted her eyes and batted her lashes using her puppy eyes to the maximum since she knew weaker attempts would not sway him, he’d taught her after all. It was one of the reasons she had worn the moire eyeliner she had on, it intensified her royal blues.
“Please Duo! I’ll be the drummer, and you have a beautiful voice. I- I just wanted you to share it with everyone else . . .”
“Uh huh.” He turned back to his drink and chewed on the end of the toothpick that had held the cherry from his drink. Ignoring her as Hilde continued to look, for all the world, like the most miserable adorably cute girl in the club. Duo picked up another cherry from a small bowl of which the bartender had given him, for what reason he had no clue but he wasn't going to waste them, they were good. Duo flipped the toothpick and caught the cherry between his teeth. He closed his lips around it and several things happened that the two didn’t notice: someone fell off a barstool not too far away; someone cleared their throat several times; the man next to him leaned closer as he worked the pick and chewed the cherry in his mouth.
To Duo and Hilde there was nothing at all sexual about eating a cherry, but even though this was a racy club, perhaps the bartender adjusting his tie, then turning away from Duo had nothing to do with him munching on the cherry on the stick. The bartender was about to go fill another drink order when Duo tapped the counter, he quickly turned to replace Duo’s drink.
“Pleeeeaseee.” She pursed her lips and moved closer to him deciding to discard her Carlotta since she wasn’t paying any attention to it and would be damned if she drank it now that it had sat unguarded during her act of persuasion.
Duo glanced over at her out the corner of his eyes oblivious to the eyes fixated on his lips and thoughts centering on wishing they were that lucky toothpick. “Gawd dammit quit the eye thing already! ok . . . ok.”
The lights dimmed, the backstage lights revealed any movement on the stage, letting the shuffling shadows of legs glide over the crowd. The stage, separated from the dance floor rose five feet, curved to match the semi-oval balcony above with two jet black supports on either side. To the right, raised another four feet was the DJ’s station. He stepped down and approached the edge of the stage where he saw a braided person being towed toward the stage. The DJ knew Hilde, her father had helped his family by giving his father a job when he got laid-off. He smiled at her and eyed the braided youth she had ensnared.
He found he couldn’t take his eyes away, androgynous would be a way to describe his features but a boy he was nonetheless. He found himself staring into violet pools that were pleading at the purple haired girl who, obviously, was ignoring the others’ pleas. In the crowd someone mumbled loudly about not wanting to hear more tone deaf people who can’t sing, while the others shifted slightly to the rock beat, waiting. Duo hopped up on stage, ignoring the DJ’s gawking and proceeded to fidgeted with his pants then turned to pout down at Hilde who looked up at him with her arms crossed. He and the DJ reached down for Hilde at the same time and she grinned taking both offered hands as they lifted her up. She turned and hugged the DJ.
“Thanks so much Aki.”
“Ain’t nothing. This was a hard tune to find, but anything for you Hilde.”
“Hildabraugh . . . ” came the whine which Hilde ignored.
“Are the strobe lights ready?”
“Yea.”
“Ok lets go! Restart the music in 15 secs.”
“Hil, ah c’mon. Hey wait, maybe-”
“You already agreed. And you have to do that opening umm . . . Ohhuhh uhhhhh thing! Hmm I think that’s how it goes?” She shrugged turning away from Duo and heading for the drum set.
“Hey Hil, that umm . . . mustuve been synthesized. I dunno if I can-”
“You CAN! Duo Maxwell get over to the mic!” Hilde said glaring and pointing to center stage as the music was shut off.
“Yes MOM. See if you get anything from me for your birthday.”
The crowd heard Duo’s muttered comment and Hilde’s snicker. The music started and the strobe lights pulsed with the beat and the restless crowd perked up awing at the lighting. Duo looked back at Hilde and sent her one last glare. Hilde rolled her eyes and smiled back at him as she caught the rhythm on the drums. Duo stepped up to the mic, the pulsing lights roving and alighting his lean and muscular body. He pulled the mic forward opening his mouth:
“~Ohaohha ohaohha . . .
Ohaohha ohaohhhha . . .
No sleep,
No sleep until I am done with finding the answer.
Won’t stop,
Won’t stop before I find a cure for this cancer.
. . . Sometimes I feel like going down, I'm so disconnected,
Somehow I know that I am haunted to be wanted.~”
Hilde harmonized with Duo giving the words more force as the crowd began to cheer and bob their heads while others began to jump up and down. Arms snaked up and then down near the stage at Duo's feet, wanting to touch but held back by the bouncers that kept the crowd in check.
“~I’ve been watching, I've been waiting . . .
In the shadows for my time.
I've been searching, I've been living . . .
For tomorrow’s all my life.~”
Duo picked up a guitar and strummed the strings finding the melody quickly as he continued to sing.
“~Ohaohha ohaohhhha . . .
....in the shadows
They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe.
But I, I'd rather kill myself than turn into their slave . . .~”
The strobe lights flashed across a hundred upturned faces, streaked with sweat, eyes closed to half close, some lips parted in ecstasy as they danced harder to the music. Among the gyrating bodies, a pair of hazel eyes were locked on Duo. He smiled and rocked on his heels to the music, watching intently as Duo seemed to lose himself in the song and letting the crowd jostle him about when he caught sight of Duo's darken violets. The flickering lights seemed to catch in them when the room lit up during the pulses.
Duo sang the song with such passion that he hadn’t realized their few minutes on stage had come to the end until he heard the wild applause and screams for them to perform more. Aki switched off the lights so that Duo and Hilde could make a hasty retreat backstage.
“Ya happy now?” He smiled and half laughed from the rush of it all.
“Oh yea! You were awesome!!!” She pounced on him and he swung her around as he returned her hug before they continued their escape.
“Yea we were and tell that to my heart so that it’ll stop trying to beat its way out of my chest.” Hilde laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’m glad you did it. I say lets get outta here and celebrate with tons of ice cream. My Mom has leftovers at my house, something Kiev, no no ...cordon bleu?” Hilde cupped her chin in thought missing how Duo perked up when he heard cordon bleu then, tried to glare at her.
“Oh... I see... but it won’t work! Nope! You can’t bribe me into forgiveness but . . . those cheese filled hamsters are a good start.” Hilde laughed and skipped as they walked behind the bar towards the door.
The bouncers gave them a grunt in approval and a nod as the pair exited the club. Duo kept glancing back as he and Hilde continued to walk. A chill slowly crept up his spine, making him glance behind them again. He did this several times and caught a glimpse of a grey flack jacket. When he and Hilde turned at the next street, he grabbed her elbow and pulled her close to him.
“Wha-” Duo put his long slender fingers to her lips, stilling them and Hilde felt her heart flutter as his face came closer to hers. ‘What is he doing ?’ She could feel the blush high on her cheeks.
“Shh. Hil, we’re being followed.” Her breath caught and her eyes misted, she hadn't expected that.
In the sudden silence, back dropped by the low murmur of people and fading pulse of the music from the club, she could hear heavy footfalls. They were a slow and unsteady gait, their pace increasing as the steps became more confident the closer they came to them. Hilde flushed in embarrassment, thanking whoever had busted the street lamp over them because she didn’t want to make things awkward between her and Duo if he had seen her reaction to him. ‘What was I thinking!’ She berated herself. Was she so amped up that she had become careless and thought that Duo wanted her to be more than a friend again? To try again something that died as quickly as it began? She lowered her eyes as Duo took a quick glance around the corner.
Hilde knew that if she had come alone she wouldn’t have done such a careless thing; she knew that she could depend on Duo to watch their backs if she got carried away. Yet still it bothered her that she hadn’t noticed anything until Duo had told her and that she had expected something more from him other than the friendship they shared. As suddenly as she was surrounded by the heated smell of lavender and musk, the heady warmth of Duo was gone and she shook her head to clear it. She was surprised that he had resumed his previous carefree pose as if nothing had happened.
She walked over to him, finding it hard to keep up appearances. She watched Duo, answered his jabs and humorous notes with a few of her own. Duo walked the steady pace they were walking before with his fingers laced behind his head, giving him the laid back air she was used to seeing. Soon she found the motor mouth she had before he made her aware of things and was going on and on about the club again. She lost herself for a few moments in false security when she fell into her normal teasing of him and started tugging on the cross on Duo’s belt when the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end.
She could feel the eyes now. He was closer. When her eyes met Duo’s again, he looked over toward the path leading to the Park and Hilde agreed, their silent communication missed by their onlooker as Hilde smiled again and pulled Duo in that direction.
From a distance, the hazel eyes shimmered in the dim light as he watched the dark-haired girl tug on the braided boys belt causing his pants to come down a bit and show some of his bare pale hip. The bouncers of the club had stopped him from following, until he turned and glared at them. They stepped back with quickly mumbled apologies, watching him with wary near fearful expressions on their faces. He was the assistant manager but dressed out of the usual business garb. They just didn’t recognize the owners' associate with his hair down and in club wear.
His stomached churned, forcing him stop. It was time. He wiped his nose on the back of his hand to see a smear of blood. He cradled his hard stomach as it twisted and dug around in his tight pants for the dropper he stashed there before leaving the apartment. He leaned against the wall of the alley as he hastily yanked out the eye dropper and squeezed a drop in each eye, gritting his teeth while he waited for it to work. He swooned, closing his eyes as two thin lines of tears streamed down his face. The euphoria that followed made him shiver and unconsciously palmed his pants. He took deep breaths, forcing himself not to collapse where he stood and grin like an enrapt idiot.
For a moment he forgot why he was there and didn’t see why he felt he had to follow. But his mind spoke in subdued whispers, telling him that he knew the braided teen and those eyes, he had to see them again, to watch that body move while he held it. Gritting his teeth again, lips fixed in a smile, brows scrunched together while eyes never lost their glossy gleam and wideness, he slid across the brick wall. After what felt like hours of no progress, he used the wall to help him lift one heavy foot and then the other, pushing himself onward as his feet grew lighter the more he moved. He had almost lost them but he wanted to watch the violet-eyed boy some more. He saw the end of the braid that he wanted to cut swing into the park. He cursed, stopping at the entrance and stared around.
There wasn’t any sign of them.
He heard from others that the park was either a curse or a blessing because some people disappeared when they went in at night. He brought his pale net-covered arm to his nose and ran it across his arm as he sniffed loudly, then wiped at the tracks on his face. He knew where they lived; where they worked. He had plenty of time.
Tbc...
The drinks Duo and hilde wee sipping are nonacholoic beverages.
For the full version of the music and the band info visit - www. rasmusdeadletters .com
(1) chicken pox