Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ❯ Part Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

Part Thirteen

Duo's sole concern of the moment was two things.

And one of them wasn't what the Teacher was saying.

One was what the common thread was in his dreams. He hadn't had one since the last, about four days, and he really wanted to know if they were more than just simply intense dreams.

The other was on what happened to Quatre and Trowa. It was like 'poof!' they were gone without another word. He hadn't seen them for the past four days either. When he snuck by Trowa's room, he was nowhere to be found, and Wufei said that Quatre wasn't in for the past four days either.

It was safe to say that the latter was easily winning over his thoughts, though he should be dwelling more on the former. There was nothing he could do about Quatre and Trowa, no matter how much it hurt to say that, but if he figured out the common link between his dreams it might tear away at the wall of ignorance that glared ominously down at him.

'Okay.... What's the same....' he asked himself. 'There's the book, but it wasn't in all of them. The field, no.... The first two didn't take place in a field. I wonder if they're torturing poor Quatre and Trowa.... Poor Quatre.... He's not a very strong person.... If they kill him I'll never, never forgive them. Never. Hopefully Trowa will be able to-- No! Don't think about that! Think about your dreams! The book is ruled out, the field is ruled out. The doors are definitely ruled out. The voice? No, no. I was reading H'sung in the first one and that's what told me where to go. Where did Quatre and Trowa go? Stop it Maxwell! There has to be some little detail that probably drove me to insanity in the dream, but I haven't thought of otherwise.... What's really driving me insane is the thought of Qua-- No! Stop! Think about the dreams! Little detail.... Like trees or clouds or.... Or....'

"Music!" he shouted in jubilation and everyone turned to glare at him.

"Yes, Maxwell, I'm glad you're so excited on our topic for class today, but if you would shut that hole in you're face maybe we could continue?" the Teacher growled. "As I was saying, music first came about when...."

Duo blushed and his brained worked over time.

'It's the perfect detail! The music box! So small I wouldn't remember it and in every single one! I was right! I'm not insane! Wait. Does this mean that everything that happened in those dreams is true or will be true or whatever? Well, I figured some of the stuff about Heero was true, but.... Oh my....'

His brain sent him spiraling down hill and he couldn't wait to get out of class and talk to Heero and ask his opinion on it.

~~~

"What do you think?" Duo asked softly, tears in his cheeks. They were in their garden, Duo's head resting on Heero's stomach. Heero gently brushed his forehead with his fingers, playing in his bangs.

Duo had an unexpectedly hard session for Fourth Block and was mentally exhausted to the point where just thinking about the Bands, or Quatre and Trowa, or even the Visions would dissolve him to tears as he talked.

"I'm proud of you. You figured it out. I mean, I can only take your word for it. They weren't my Visions. I mean.... What do you think? What made you so upset? Are you afraid it might come true?"

Duo sighed. "The second scared me, but the others.... Most of them were just glimpses of all of your pasts. Quatre's, Trowa's, Wufei's.... Yours."

Heero sat up immediately in surprise, Duo's head falling into his lap.

"Mine?!"

"Yeah, Heero.... I didn't want to tell you," he cried, realizing that Heero was upset with him and not able to mentally accept that fact. "I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd think I cared or that I was betraying you or something! I didn't ask to see it, Heero! I couldn't help it! I didn't know!"

Heero stood and paced back and forth for a few minutes as Duo lay in the grass sobbing.

Finally he had given up, realizing that it really wasn't Duo's fault, and sighed, sitting down next to Duo once more and pulling him into his embrace.

"So I suppose you know all about Yovva and how I.... How I killed Hren...."

"I know more than that," Duo whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. "I know how.... I know what they did to you when you were brought here...." Heero flinched and squeezed his eyes shut at the memories. "I know how they locked you up with the lunatics and you enjoyed it because they didn't hurt you...." A tear slid easily down Heero's cheek. "I know why you were mean to me at first, that you were scared...."

"Enough," Heero begged, lifting one hand to try to keep more tears from falling.

Duo wrapped his good arm around Heero's waist and gave him the best hug he could manage.

"It's okay.... I don't care. No matter how much shit you've been through, you're still my friend and nothing's gonna change that."

"How can you even stand to say that?" Heero asked, almost mad at Duo for being so naïve. "How can you look at me to know that I have killed like that?"

Duo smiled weakly. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just stupid. I don't believe you're a bad person. I think when you were younger you had a bit of a temper, but I think you learned. I don't believe you're going to kill me."

"Why not? I'm able to, aren't I?" Heero muttered, hugging Duo closer to his chest like a frightened child might clutch a doll.

"When you hold me like this, scared, confused, in your strong arms, I realize you are nothing more than a child inside. I don't think you want to kill. I believe you will try to protect me, because you are afraid of death, aren't you?"

Heero began to tremble.

Duo.... Duo was getting to him. He was so sweet and smart and beautiful.... He was everything he needed at the moment....

"I'm afraid of hurting people.... I'm afraid of being left alone.... I'm afraid of what I might do.... I'm afraid I'm going to act irrationally and screw up once more...."

"Hey, that's what I'm for. Remember? We have to watch out for each other. I'll try to help you keep your temper down if things get serious and you can help me stay strong."

"I'll try," Heero whispered.

"That's all anyone can do," Duo replied. "I'll try too."

~~~

Duo stared up at the ceiling as he thought about what his next words would be.

"Hey Heero, I decided something," he spoke boldly, hoping that if he spoke loud enough and acted like it was nothing, he wouldn't break down and cry.

"Hn?"

"I decided that since I know your past, you should know mine, right? So I'm going to tell you."

"You don't have to if--"

"I'm going to tell you," he repeated once more, louder, afraid of backing down.

Heero was quiet. If this was important to Duo, then he would listen.

"I was an orphan as soon as my mother could rid herself of me. The people in the village pitied me and fed me occasionally, but I really didn't mind so much. I laughed at everyone who had to do as their parents said while I could play all I wanted. Sometimes it would get to me, but overall, I was a pretty content little kid.

"However, I was also a very pretty little kid. I looked almost like a little girl, as some boys do. I don't think I'll ever lose that much of myself, even if I do cut my hair," he mused with a strange smile Heero couldn't read.

"Then, as they sometimes do, a bunch of slave traders came in and considered me a bargain since I was basically free. I didn't know that they were the kind of traders that sold children to prostitution, but I was just pissed at being taken in. I fought like a devil. I knew they wouldn't kill me if they could fetch a price. They threatened to, but I didn't believe a word of it. I was a pretty smart little kid, not that I'm bragging, but being abandoned almost from birth does that to you, ya know? You have to learn something to survive."

Duo felt he was doing a good job. He wasn't crying yet and Heero was still listening.

"It wasn't hard for them to sell me to the school. The teachers here are all horny bastards and they like any little morsel they can sink themselves into," he spat, scrubbing at his stinging eyes. "Once they found out I had some Art, they snapped Bands on me and threw me in here.

"It was almost fifteen years ago now....

"I was only five years old."

Heero, in surprise and pity finding a home in his heart, hugged him closer and rested his chin on the top of his head as Duo sniffled a little.

"I've been here all my life. There's nothing more to it than that. I've.... I know that I was allowed to roam where I pleased when I was younger, but I don't remember any details at all. All I know are these stonewalls and classes and pain. I like to think that when I'm free, I'll forget about this like I forgot about freedom when I got in here. But I don't think I'll ever truly be able to get away from all the pain...."

Heero kissed his forehead gently and caressed his back.

"Then I'll try to remember for the both of us...."

Duo blinked and looked into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I'll remember for the both of us. Listen...."

Heero began to paint a graphic picture of fields and trees and mountains, then began to narrow it down, to a good sized village, and elaborated on that. He described all the people. The baker who had a bad habit of cursing even while he was trying to be polite. The blacksmith, whose only fault was his intense love for beer. The crazy woman in the middle of the town that glared at little kids and yelled if a toy chanced upon her yard. The taverns where people went to dance and smoke and gamble and tell stories of battle scars and try to impress everyone else. Where pretty women danced and taunted the men and younger boys talked grandly about saving villages and beautiful maidens they would ride off with.

Duo tried to hang on every word, memorize it so he knew it by heart. So that he could bring it out at any time and remember just why it was he cared to live.

But the sound of Heero's voice was so beautiful and relaxing and the picture so heavenly.... He quickly found himself, to his extreme disappointment, slipping into sleep.

Heero smiled as he wrapped the blanket closer about the sleeping Duo's form.

What Duo didn't know was that Heero could've continued the story forever, just to see him so hopeful.

Heero knew they had a prayer, but he couldn't say why just yet. It had to be his secret. All he could hope was that Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei could hold on just a bit longer....

Just a little longer....

~Til Then~