Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ In a Child's Eyes ❯ Playground ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Of course I own them. That's why I'm writing fan fictions instead of making more movies. Duh…

 

 

Chapter warnings: Language

 

 

 

In a Child's Eyes

 

Chapter Five:

 

Playground

 

 

 

Duo sat at the table and gazed into the kitchen. The braided boy, like most children left to their own devices, loved to stay up late and would usually fall asleep in the middle of something if not put to bed at a decent hour. Unlike most children however, Duo loved waking up early, and this morning was no exception.

 

As Duo continued to gaze into the kitchen, his stomach growled as if asking the small boy why it wasn't being fed. The answer to that was simple. Mr. Yuy had forbidden the American boy from going into the kitchen when Heero wasn't there. Duo's gaze moved over the sink, the stove, the cupboards, the fridge, the counters… and stopped on the new coffee pot the Japanese man had picked up the day before.

 

Frowning, Duo looked over his shoulder to where the bedrooms were located. Duo didn't want to wake Mr. Yuy up, but he was really, really, really, really hungry. For five more minutes Duo sat in silence, listening to the ticking of the clock and swung his slippered feet under the chair, trying to not think about being hungry.

 

The small boy sighed. It wasn't working. Slipping off the chair, Duo padded quietly to Mr. Yuy's room and cracked open the door. When the child saw his temporary guardian asleep, he opened the door all the way and stepped inside.

 

There wasn't much in the room. A bed, two nightstands and a dresser were all that were in the room. Duo walked to the dresser. The dresser was short and long, and had six drawers, two on the bottom, two in the middle and two on the top.

 

A few picture frames dotted the top of the dresser. One of the pictures had a group of people around a younger Mr. Yuy, who was dressed in a black cap and gown, holding a rolled up paper in his hands. Everyone was smiling, even Mr. Yuy had a slight smile on his face, though to Duo it didn't look as if Mr. Yuy wanted to smile.

 

The next picture showed a Mr. Yuy who looked to be about Duo's age, being held upside-down by a younger version of the man Duo had met yesterday. Mr. Barton… No, not Mr. Barton, Trowa… Both Trowa and the child Heero were smiling. Trowa looked as though he were trying to grab the camera while holding a laughing Heero.

 

The third picture was a framed newspaper clipping of an eleven-year old Mr. Yuy holding some sort of award. According to the article, Mr. Yuy had won some chess tournament. Duo thought that he should ask the Japanese man to teach him how to play sometime.

 

The last picture was actually a book of some sorts. Duo picked it up. The book was somehow made up of a bunch of thin frames all hooked together. It looked expensive and Duo thought for a moment that maybe he should put it back. But curiosity got the better of him and he opened it.

 

The first picture was that of a strong looking blonde man and a petite looking woman with dark hair who was large with child. The next picture showed the same couple, this time with the baby born and being held by the woman. Duo watched the three people get older and older as he flipped the pictures. By the sixth picture, it was obvious to Duo that Mr. Yuy was the child in the pictures. The braided boy thought perhaps the dark haired boy in the pictures looked sad and lonely.

 

Setting the picture book down, Duo looked at the few other items that dotted the dresser, which consisted of Mr. Yuy's laptop, his wallet and his keys. Duo was about to pick the wallet up when his stomach reminded Duo why he was here.

 

The boy made his way around to the side of the bed. Two bags were lying on the floor near the wall. Duo remembered Relena saying that he wasn't allowed to see what was inside until Mr. Yuy showed him, so he ignored the bags and concentrated on the mission before him.

 

Duo climbed on the bed and over to the young businessman. The long haired boy looked down at the sleeping man and thought that Mr. Yuy didn't look so grouchy in his sleep. Reaching over, Duo gently laid a hand on Mr. Yuy's shoulder.

 

“Mr. Yuy…” Duo whispered.

 

The Japanese man slowly opened his eyes, blinked, then gazed at the young intruder. Duo watched as the man looked at the alarm clock, then back to the braided boy.

 

“Baka na gaki… Gozen rokuji da…. Nan da no?”() The dark haired man muttered.

 

Duo stared for a moment. “What did you say?”

 

“I said, `I'm sleeping. Go away'.”

 

“But… I'm hungry and you said I can't go in the kitchen.”

 

Mr. Yuy closed his eyes and Duo thought he was being ignored so the braided boy opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off when the blue eyed man spoke. “Fine… Go out to the living room. I'll be there in a few minutes.”

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Heero looked down at the two bags his secretary had given him the day before. One was labeled `morning' and one was labeled `night'. Relena had said that these would help him get some work done. She had also said not to open the bags until he had read the instructions that came with them. Heero picked up the envelope attached to the `morning' bag and read the paper inside.

 

Mr. Yuy,

 

To get work done this morning you will need to take Duo, this bag, and your laptop along with whatever else you need for work, to the local park. There are tables where you can sit to work and still keep an eye out on Duo. Whenever Duo asks you for something, look in the bag. When the bag is empty it will be time to leave.

 

Also, for every hour you are there you must pay attention to Duo for at least ten minutes. This is very important. If you fail to heed these last instructions, you'll get nothing done.

 

Sincerely,

 

Relena Darlian

 

P.S.

 

Don't forget the sun block.

 

After reading the letter, Heero looked inside the bag and raised an eyebrow. He didn't know how this was supposed to help, but it was worth a try.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Heero looked at his watch. Four minutes past one o' clock… The young business man looked over at the playground and watched as the children swarmed like ants over the large colorful disease carrying mound that Duo called the `Big Toy'.

 

When Duo saw that Heero was looking toward the playground, he waved cheerfully and called for the man to watch him cross the monkey bars. Heero watched disinterestedly as the eight year old `monkey' crossed from bar to bar. When he was finished, Duo ran to where the dark haired man was sitting.

 

“Did you see?” Duo asked with excitement.

 

“I was watching you wasn't I?” Heero answered irritably.

 

Duo paused for a moment to take in what the Japanese man had said before leaning over to look at the laptop.

 

“What's that?” Duo asked and started to bring his finger close to the screen.

 

“Don't touch.” Heero said shortly.

 

The boy looked up in confusion. “Why?”

 

“Because you're dirty and you've been crawling all over that… thing…”

 

“So…”

 

Heero raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth. So? So…? Didn't this kid care at all that other children with snot dripping from their noses have been touching the same things that he had been? Obviously not… The twenty one year old closed his mouth and scowled.

 

“Just don't touch it. I mean it.”

 

Duo shrugged and looked at the bag. “Is there anything else in there?”

 

Heero eyed the bag. True to Relena's letter, whenever Duo had needed anything the bag provided it. There had been a bottle of water when the boy complained that the drinking fountain didn't work; a box with some band-aids when Duo cut his finger; a snack when Duo said he was hungry; a frisbee when the long haired boy complained that everyone else but him had a toy to play with…

 

Well, let's see if the magic bag has any more tricks. Heero thought as he looked inside.

 

A lone bottle of sun block stared back at him from the inner reaches of the bag. The words DON'T FORGET was written on the bottle. Heero looked up at the boy standing next to him. Duo, who was looking in the bag as well, looked up at Heero.

 

“Don't forget what?” Duo asked.

 

Heero's eyes wondered over the boy. He did look … a little pink … no big deal. “I think you were supposed to have sun block on.”

 

Duo looked at the man in horror and backed away. “Are you going to put it on me now?”

 

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm not touching you. The bag's empty… that means it's time to go.” Heero said as he began packing his work away. When he was finished, Heero looked around to find Duo back on the playground.

 

“Let's go.” Heero yelled.

 

“No! I don't wanna go.”

 

“Now!”

 

“No!”

 

Heero growled. After putting the laptop and other items in the car, the young business man stalked over to the playground. Duo stood next to one of the tubes on the top part of the play center looking down at his temporary guardian.

 

“Get down here.” Heero said menacingly.

 

The long haired boy grinned and shook his head.

 

“Now!” This was punctuated by Heero jabbing his finger at the ground.

 

“You can't make me.” Duo taunted.

 

“Like hell!”

 

Duo's eyes widened in surprise as the Japanese man began to climb the metal ladder attached to the play center. The boy crawled quickly into the tube, escaping immediate capture. Heero quickly assessed the situation as he made it to where Duo had been standing. He had three options. The first was to climb into the tube… not the ideal choice. Second was to climb down off the platform he was on now and climb up to the other platform where the tube ended. Third, he could climb on the tube…

 

Muttering under his breath, Heero slipped his shoes and socks off to avoid slipping on the smooth, hard plastic, and climbed on the tube; running easily to the other side. Duo was just emerging from the other side when Heero jumped off the tube and landed next to the boy. Duo yelled in surprise but was quick enough to avoid the older man when Heero grabbed at him.

 

Duo threw himself down the slide to get away from the angry man, but this wasn't enough. Heero jumped off the platform and ran after the braided boy. Duo sprinted to another platform and ducked underneath where more tubes started.

 

Heero followed, yelling obscenities at the evasive boy. The Japanese man was so caught up in the chase that he didn't notice the other children's mothers yelling for them to stay away from the crazy man in the business suit, and to get in the car because it was time to leave.

 

Forty-five minutes later, a seething Heero was glaring at a clear part on one of the tubes where his quarry was making faces at him.

 

“Omae o korosu…” The business man muttered. “If you don't get out here right now… then I'm leaving without you.” Heero yelled. At this, Duo stuck out his tongue and laughed. The boy stopped laughing when Heero turned around and headed toward the BMW.

 

Scrambling out of the tube, Duo yelled, “Where ya goin'?”

 

Heero didn't answer as he got in his car and slammed the door. When Duo heard the engine start up he climbed off the platform and ran towards the car, but before the boy could reach it, Heero drove off leaving him behind.

 

Suddenly the silver car stopped and backed up to where Duo stood. The boy's face lit up into a smile when Heero looked at him.

 

“What?” Heero asked irritably. “I didn't come back for you, I came back for my shoes. Go get them and get in the car.”

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The two didn't get back to Heero's place until around five o' clock that evening. They had stopped at Mc Donald's when Duo declared starvation and threatened death if they didn't stop and get food. Heero considered not stopping and seeing if Duo would really die without being fed, but the businessman knew this wouldn't work so he reluctantly pulled into the parking lot.

 

Luckily for the Japanese man, the food place also had a play center for children and he managed to get two more hours of work done while the braided boy crawled in more tubes, slid down slides and jumped in a pit of brightly colored plastic balls.

 

But now they were home.

 

Heero sighed as he flopped backwards on his bed. His head ached, his body ached and his face and neck felt uncomfortably warm.

 

“Mr. Yuy?”

 

Heero groaned and sat up. “What?”

 

“Can we see what's in the other bag?”

 

“What other bag?”

 

“The other bag Relena gave you.” Duo answered.

 

Heero nodded and got up for the bag. He had actually forgotten about the `night' bag. He opened the note and read:

 

 

Mr. Yuy,

 

The first thing you need to do is have Duo take a bath. While he is bathing, order pizza. Spread the tarp that's in the bag on the carpet in front of the television. When Duo is bathed put the ointment on him where he's burned because you didn't remember the sun block did you? After that, have him get in his pajamas and watch the movie and eat the pizza on the tarp. When the movie is over have him get in bed and read him the story in the bag. After that, tell him to stay in bed and go to sleep.

 

Do not give in when he pleads to stay awake.

 

See you on Monday.

 

Relena Darlian

 

 

Heero stared irritably at the note. He didn't think it was very nice of her to presume that he had forgotten the sun block…. Of course… He had forgotten the sun block, but that was beside the point…

 

The Japanese man looked over at the waiting boy. The exposed skin on his arms, neck and face were a bright pink. Heero blanched and thought that the boy hadn't looked that pink earlier… He shrugged and looked in the bag. As promised, he found a plastic tarp, a bottle of sun burn ointment, a story book and a movie.

 

There was a sticky note attached to the movie that read:

 

This movie reminds me of you and Duo.

 

He peeled the note off and looked at the cover. There were animals on the front and large white letters that read, “Ice Age”. How this movie, with the strange looking beasts on the cover, could even remotely remind Relena of him was a mystery. Of course he could see how the movie would remind some one of the Duo. The movie had animals… the kid acted like an animal… made sense…

 

“Oooh! I love that movie!” Duo exclaimed and grabbed the DVD case from Heero. The dark haired man watched as Duo examined the cover then looked at Heero. “Have you ever seen Ice Age?”

 

“I don't have time to watch stuff like that.”

 

“You only have time to watch stuff with naked people?” Duo asked with a sly grin and a giggle.

 

Heero opened his mouth but couldn't think of an appropriate answer. Growling, he snatched the movie from Duo. “You don't get to watch this until you take a bath. Now get out of here and bathe.” Heero made a shooing motion with his hands and Duo ran out of the room, still laughing.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

By the time Duo emerged from the tub, Heero had laid out the tarp, ordered the pizza, put the DVD in the player and was now sitting before his computer working on his next big project. The young boy, who now looked like a towel with a head and legs, walked into the room and stopped next to him without saying a word. Heero tried valiantly to keep his attention on his work, but for some reason the Japanese man couldn't fathom, he couldn't seem to ignore the boy even though Duo hadn't said a word.

 

Or maybe it was because Duo hadn't said a word…

 

The twenty one year old business man looked over to find wide eyes staring back at him.

 

“What?” Heero grunted.

 

When Duo looked down and shuffled his feet, but didn't say anything, Heero frowned.

 

“Speak up kid, you're dripping all over the floor.”

 

Duo looked around on the carpet then broke his silence with, “Where? No I'm not…”

 

Heero rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever. Just tell me what you want.”

 

The small boy was silent for a few more moments before he moved one of his hands out from beneath the towel and held out a hair brush to the unsuspecting man. Heero's eyes narrowed at the brush, then slid over to look at Duo. The longhaired boy seemed to sense the Japanese man's reluctance and changed his facial features to resemble that of a starving puppy who can see that the person in front of it has something to eat.

 

“No.”

 

“Please…”

 

“I'm not brushing your hair.”

 

“But it's too hard for me to do it myself…”

 

Heero raised an eyebrow. “I know how to make it so you can brush it yourself.” He said as he opened one of his desk drawers.

 

“Really? How?” The boy asked excitedly.

 

When Heero found what he was looking for he turned his head slowly to face Duo with a sly smile.

 

“Weeeee…. CUT IT ALL OFF!” Heero yelled as he produced the scissors from the drawer.

 

Duo's eyes widened in horror and when Heero stood up from his chair, the boy shrieked and ran out of the room, dropping his towel in the process. The business man stood still for a moment, scissors raised dramatically as he looked from the empty doorway to the forgotten towel. Suddenly, Heero couldn't hold it any more and burst out laughing. Setting the scissors on the desk, he dropped into his chair and put his hands to his stomach.

 

Apparently, Duo had heard the laughing because his head appeared in the doorway a moment later, scowling at the laughing man. The look on the boy's face only made Heero laugh harder and he covered his eyes with his hands to wipe away the tears that were streaming down his face.

 

By the time he looked back, Duo had come into the room to retrieve his towel and was folding the cloth over itself to get it to stay around his waist. Having accomplished his task, Duo folded his arms and turned his attention to Heero.

 

“It's not funny.” The boy huffed.

 

Heero opened his mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. The two looked at each other for a moment. “Must be dinner…” Heero said through deep breaths.

 

All offenses forgotten, Duo's face lit up in excitement. “What did you order?”

 

Heero got out of his chair and fished in his suit jacket for his wallet as he walked toward the door. “Your favorite, what else?”

 

“Pizza?” Came the excited reply.

 

The Japanese man stopped for a moment, looked at the boy and said seriously. “Oh... You mean sushi isn't your favorite?”

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Heero looked up from his laptop when he realized the movie was over. Reaching over, he snatched the remote from the end table and turned off the television. Silence filled the room and he sighed the sigh of the weary.

 

Saving what he had been working on, he moved the laptop from his lap to the couch, and stared in half disgust, half amusement at the sight on the floor. Duo lay sprawled out on the tarp, hair loosely put together in the semblance of a braid, eyes closed. His mouth, speckled with dried pizza sauce, was open. A small trickle of saliva made a line down the boy's mouth. A half empty pizza box lay near the sleeping child. Crumbs from the said pizza surrounded Duo like devout worshipers before a god.

 

Heero looked over to the end table at his own half eaten dinner of rice and vegetables and sighed again before pushing himself off the couch. The young businessman stepped lightly, careful not to disturb the crumbs that littered the tarp, and picked up the pizza box. He closed the lid then placed his own plate on the box and headed to the kitchen to put the food away in the fridge.

 

Returning from the kitchen, Heero pushed a button on the DVD player, grabbed the shiny disk and was about to grab the case when he saw the note his secretary had written him. He picked it up and scanned it briefly, then grinned smugly as he replaced the movie to it's case. Maybe her kid pleaded to stay awake, but he had no such problems. He pushed away a thought that came to mind, a thought about how he hadn't had the kid living with him very long. The Japanese man wanted to relish the fact that Relena Darlian did not know everything.

 

Turning, Heero took a few steps then stopped in front of the tarp and folded his arms. He could pick the kid up and put him on his bed, but the child's hands and face were greasy from the food, and his pajamas had crumbs on them as well. He could leave the kid there. No problem. But if he did, the kid might wake up and get crumbs everywhere.

 

Heero pondered over this dilemma for a few minutes, before leaning down and slowly folding the sides of the tarp near Duo to keep the crumbs on the plastic. Then he grabbed the tarp near the boy's feet and dragged it across the carpet, through Duo's bedroom door and into the child's bathroom. Grabbing both ends of the tarp, Heero hoisted the sleeping child up and into the bathtub.

 

Heero turned to leave the bathroom, but had a quick thought and grabbed one of the towels hanging on the towel rack. Turning slightly he threw the towel onto the sleeping child, frowned, turned fully to straighten one of the corners, then with a nod of satisfaction, left the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baka na gaki (Stupid brat).

Gozen rokuji da (It's six AM).

Nan da no (What do you want)?

 

 

A HUGE thanks to Masamune Reforged for being my editor / betareader.