Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner of War ❯ Crumble ( Chapter 13 )

Note: It's me again! Hi minna-san. It's been a day of updates, so I thought why not make it one more? Lol, actually I only did one update currently on ffn (chapter 19 of POW), but I had like 30+ reviews to answer. That took me quite a while ^_^;; Anyway, I really want to go see 8 Mile! And luckily, I bought tickets for tomorrow, so that should be pretty good. Other than that, after this I think I'll go get started on my homework over the weekend. It's not exactly the most fun someone could have but definitely necessary. I don't own Pearl Harbor (briefly described), "There You'll Be" (only mentioned), or Gundam Wing (pretty much the whole story). 1+2+1 as usual. And reviews are definitely nice, though by no means required ^_^ Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

Duo grinned brightly at Heero, seeming completely unaware that his brash actions had caused the dark death glare emulating from Heero's normally impassive expression. "So, how did I do? I hope my first impression on your friend Quatre was good! I always pride myself in not coming across the wrong way for people," the knowing smile curving on his lips and humor lighting his eyes indicated his small effort to lessen the near-lethal look on his companion's face.

"Hn," the stoic boy grunted before adverting his attention back to piloting the massive gundam. `What were you thinking, Duo? That was complete inappropriate not to mention unnecessary. I don't understand you at all. I mean, was that part of your personality? It would be humorous I suppose if I viewed it more objectively rather than be the subject of that unsubtle humiliation. I guess your sense of humor is just part of who you are. What am I doing? Why am I the one that is excusing his behavior? What is it about Duo that causes me to act this way?'

"We're almost there!" Duo chirped excitedly, wondering what his new residence would be like.

`You are most definitely a soldier. You even know the speed at which Wing is going at. Who are you? I want to know everything…' The Japanese soldier marveled at the little surprises that the braided sunshine managed to spark since their first, chance meeting. His lips felt impelled to twitch upward in unfamiliar motion. Duo's grin remained cheeky as he commenced chatting in a one sided conversation, content with just being heard. `His grin can be kind of cute… Shimatta! What am I saying? There's just something enigmatic about this American boy. He appears to be the type that has many friends, but does anyone truly know the real Duo? He knows a lot more than he leads me to believe, but I think somehow he can sense that I know this.'

"Hey, don't knock me out this time," he joked as they neared their destination. "If you wanted to carry me, you could have just told me so!" again, he fired a joke in Heero's direction.

Rolling lighter, less brooding, Prussian blue eyes, his mind settled once more on the all-too-tempting idea of surprising the happy pilot. It was almost uncontrolled, but the cold soldier gave a less wry smirk, eyes locking with stunned dark lilac as he did so. His taut arms easily maneuver the large machine's controls, pulling into a perfect landing.

"Los geht's," he recited the term in perfect German, testing the other's knowledge of language (anyone not understand the bit of German, it means let's go).

"Sehr gut!" Duo smiled widely, laughing as he praised the fifteen-year-old boy (and that means very good).

As soon as the Japanese youth exited the advanced mobile suit, he had recognized the hangar immediately. It resided in the grounds of a rather lavish safehouse, unnecessary comforts to be included in the accommodations for a gundam pilot in his opinion. He studied the daring leap Duo had attempted whilst departing Heero's gundam. `He landed immaculately on his feet. Is he a gundam pilot, too? I wouldn't be all that surprised if he were. Everything seems to fit, and yet why do I still want to hear it confirmed from him?'

With an easy saunter, Duo strode to where his quiet companion stood waiting for him, observing him with those large, acute eyes. "What?" he stared back unblinkingly at the youthful soldier.

Prussian sapphires closed defiantly, "Hn," arms crossing loosely, the Japanese boy brushed past him.

Ignoring signs of being considered an annoyance, Duo bounded next to Heero as they made their way past the garden, nearing the large, multi-storied home. Light red lips puckered slightly, forming an "O" as the braided pilot released a low whistle. Unlike their previous quarters, this house was beautifully designed in both exterior and interior, he soon discovered. Glittering, dark violet eyes drank in the luxuries surrounding the pair. They were all alone in a home that wouldn't qualify for anything less than a mansion of enormous grandeur.

`This was all Quatre's doing, wasn't it?' "This is completely unnecessary," the impassive soldier commented suddenly.

A wide grin lit up Duo's elfin features, "So? I sure as hell don't mind!" He sighed in contentment, slipping his arms behind his chestnut braid, lacing slender digits together, and resting his palms at the nape of his neck.

The American flopped onto the soft cushions of an ivory colored couch, blue-violet eyes fluttering closed while he sighed deeply, grinning like a fool. He splayed his entire figure over the couch, draping limbs weary from travel over the velvet surface. For a brief second, brilliant, midnight-blue eyes fixated at the sight of the American basking in serenity. Heero quickly turned his gaze elsewhere as he traveled up the familiar sets of stairs, turning into his old bedroom.

In silence he unpacked, and for some, odd reason, he felt incredibly peaceful knowing that Duo was nearly napping on the couch below. It was strange to feel peace when he was a soldier in a war, but escaping to this safehouse with a loudmouthed baka caused far stranger things to happen. `Is it possible that I knew him before? I can't help but wonder. How did I know his last name? How did he know about my past-about Dr. J?' So many questions and lack of answers swirled in his mind, shutting fatigued, Prussian blue eyes, Heero tried to push them out.

Soft footsteps padding across the beige carpet neared the perfect soldier. "There you are," Duo smiled, his tone containing less attitude, softer. "I've been looking for ya," he announced promptly. "I think you should eat some. I mean even the perfect soldier is human, right?" A shadow of doubt traced the iris of blue-violet orbs.

"Perfect soldier?" Heero echoed, nearly laughing at the term. `I'm not perfect, not anymore. You always manage to make me feel something no matter what. I don't understand, and I know I should fight it, but I'm tired of fighting. It used to be so simple, you know? Complete missions with no thought of what the consequences might be. And now… Why do I have to be burdened with internal conflict as well?' "I suppose you got that from your dream," no emotion was betrayed in his monotonous voice.

"Naturally," Duo matched his tone, just allowing his senses to reach out to the boy, the one that use to be his best friend so many years ago.

"Duo," abruptly, dark blue locked with deep lilac, "tell me about your dream." Seeing the surprise and perplexed look etched on the young man's face, he quietly added, "I don't want to think of unanswered questions, and I need something to occupy my mind." But it was more than the simple task of that. Heero was felt curiosity because of something that should have never even mattered. `If it was only a dream…'

"Sure," grinning broadly, the braided American nodded, "but first, we eat!"

"Alright, Duo," Heero stared, mesmerized by the energy a beaten and bruised, tired and hungry boy could possess. `How do you do it, Duo? Why do you hide?' It was only then that he noticed the gentle streams of fresh blood that had trickled from wounds. `Blood? You are a fool, Duo.' "You're bleeding."

With the last almost blank statement, he led the braided baka with surprising gentleness into a nearby bathroom. Concern crept up against him so subtly he barely noticed it even as his brain registered the foreign feeling. "Strip," he commanded softly.

"Don't worry about me, Heero," Duo brushed him away. "I'll be fine. I can take care of this myself," he assured the other pilot.

"Fine," Heero decided after a brief moment of hesitation. `Why should I care anyway?'

After his small form slipped between the door and its frame, Duo's front completely crumbled, and he nearly whimpered in pain and extreme loss of blood. `Heero would definitely call me weak for this. I can take care of myself. I don't need him. I've survived without him before after all, right?' The world around him appeared to be circling out of control; he could barely contort the wall from the cold tiles beneath his feet. Instantaneously, a pair of steely yet gentle arms encircled his slim waist, careful not to agitate the open gashes and cuts, supporting his weight with incredible ease.

A cloudy haze shrouded normally clear amethyst pools as they glanced up to meet intense blue. "Mm… Heero?" eyes couldn't seem to focus.

"No more talking," Heero warned as he began to undress the near-unconscious boy in his arms.

"But ho-" his eyes crossed as one finger brushed against his lips, shushing the boy.

"No talking, Duo. I mean it," with the patience of a saint, the Japanese soldier attempted to tug at the blood-soiled clothing before managing to remove each article.

He had saw blood far too many times to count in his life, with horrible injuries, and this was nothing compared to the convulsing soldiers in the medic tents, screaming and writhing in agony. Yet when Prussian eyes ran over the results of the brutal beatings, a sharp intake of air could be heard. `He's just a fucking teenager… He doesn't deserve this! He shouldn't be in this war. He's just a boy. Like me… Why do I care so much about him? I mean, what is it about this boy that can affect me to this extent? Maybe I should stop asking myself. Are the answers really going to help me?'

Recovering from momentary shock, he reached out to turn on a faucet. `At least Quatre has large bathtubs so I can clean out Duo's injuries easier.' "Stay awake, Duo," Heero shook him slightly. "We'll get done faster this way."

He was rewarded with a soft, lopsided grin from the soldier. "I'll try," he winced as the man pulled his body into the stream of tempered water.

"Sorry," the Japanese youth murmured. `What…? Oh well, he's more important right now.' "You've lost a lot of blood," he commented. `Why did you hide it?'

Almost as if he could read thoughts, Duo grinned, "You had enough to worry about there. And besides, I could have taken care of this myself you know." Not missing the dubious shadow in the midnight blue eyes, he added, "This is easier though."

`You still joke. Why? /Like you would let down your guard in his position? /' "Hn," he merely grunted as he sterilized the open cuts and gashes, recalling the lifesaving techniques he had learned in training; he slowly progressed, beginning the healing process. "This will hurt," warned Heero.

"I can take pain," Duo affirmed with a sparse bob of his long braid.

Releasing a hiss of discomfort, violet eyes squeezed shut as the cloth soaked with alcohol rasped against his wounds. `Relax Duo. It only means that it's working… No, you're not hurting. You'll be fine! Heero knows what he's doing.'

"I think you can finish taking a bath now, but I'll stay on watch outside," Heero lifted himself up from bent knees. "Tell me when you're done." `Touching him like that it didn't bother me all that much. Maybe the other times were a fluke of some sort.

A few days later . . .

Swaths of white bandages wrapped around Duo's upper body where various injuries could now begin to heal. Feeling better and cleaner than he had felt in weeks, an expression of pure bliss crossed his heart-shaped face. He skipped merrily towards Heero's bedroom, following the quiet clacking of agile fingers dancing across the keys. The bright-eyed American peered through the frame of the door, one hand resting on the interior wall.

He smiled widely, "Hey!" he greeted the stoic soldier immersed in his computer. "Wow, you're on a laptop a lot," marveled Duo, stating the obvious.

"Hai," for the first time, it was Heero's words that were met with silence, this time an awkward one.

"I was wondering," the braided one coughed, "if you want to do something with me. You know, something fun."

Prepping himself for a long lecture of persuasion, Duo was shocked as he heard those words slip from his companion's lips, "Fine."

"Say what?" he gasped in pleasant surprise, large amethyst orbs widening even more.

Ignoring Duo's question, Heero smirked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Uh . . . " he stuttered in thought. `Damn! I hadn't thought that far yet! Stupid Heero… Stop smirking at me! When did I start to loath weird surprises?'

The soldier patiently waited for the American to think of an activity. The pair had already eaten a nutritious meal that only the perfect soldier could have prepared. `He probably would have thrown interesting combinations of food together which no nutritional value what-so-ever,' Heero had thought before concluding it would be best if he cooked their late dinner.

"Movies?" Duo finally suggested with hope.

"Which one?" the dark-haired teenager asked flatly though the other boy could see the barest hint of amusement lighting Prussian blue eyes.

"Well," sighed the braided pilot, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "let's go see!"

Grabbing one of Heero's wrists, Duo yanked him efficiently out of his wooden chair and dragged him out of the room. Tugging the boy along, he made his way down the stairs, and finally they paused at the living room. The happy, braided baka chatted on animatedly, ignoring the even stares the Prussian eyed soldier rained upon him unrelentingly. At irregular intervals a video or DVD would soar through the air as the American sorted through the neat collection, grumbling simple critiques and praise.

"What about Pearl Harbor?" a sudden phrase caught Heero's attention. "It's warish… It's an old movie I've always wanted to see, but I never got the chance to until now. It also has other stuff in it, too."

"Hn," Heero grunted, situating himself on the leather couch.

"I'll take that as a yes," Duo grinned wryly back at him. "You know, I think I'm starting to understand your language!" `But tell me what you're thinking about…'

The Japanese boy cocked one, dark eyebrow slightly, "Hn?"

"Oh, yeah!" Duo bobbed his head in agreement eagerly. After popping the first DVD into its player, the braided pilot flopped himself onto the leather sofa. Amethyst eyes blinked at Heero as the other boy was looking at him expectantly. "We can't start it yet."

"Why not?"

"We need to have food," cobalt orbs stared at him seriously for a moment before Duo progressed to the kitchen in a light sprint.

`How can he sense my thoughts so easily? How can he seem to know me so well, better than I know myself? Why am I allowing this to happen to me? I'm the perfect soldier, and soldiers should not feel any emotions. When did my guard fall down so far? I never even noticed it happen, and it shouldn't happen. I have to fight against it. And I won't lose to you, Duo Maxwell. /This isn't a battle, Heero. / Yes-it is… /You're not in any danger./ Duo causes peril. /You both deserve to relax. You're not always going to have the chance, so seize the opportunity. And deep down, you know that Duo doesn't want to hurt you, that he isn't an enemy. Don't push him away. Don't lose his companionship, not again…/ Again? Nani?'

"Hey!" Duo greeted with a wide grin, his arm encircling a bowl of airy, white blooms. "Ready to start the movie?" The cheerful teenager plopped back onto the couch next to Heero, placing the large container strategically on his lap. "Are you okay?" he eyed the Prussian-eyed soldier questioningly.

"Aa," he returned impassively, the glint of confusion disappearing from the midnight blue pools.

"And that is the answer to which question?" the American grinned, looking at Heero's profile.

Turning to face the braided idiot, he returned the gaze, "Both."

"Sure, sure," Duo shrugged, grabbing a handful of popcorn. "Want some?" he smiled hopefully.

"N-okay," surprising them both, the soldier answered, stumbling across the response.

Dark lilac lit up as he observed the tentative, first bite Heero had taken from the snack before turning his attention to Pearl Harbor. He fiddled with the remote, examining the small print and pressed the play button. He winced at the overly loud sound from the THX certified logo, muting it in an instant. Whirling his head slightly to look at Heero, the perfect soldier had remained completely impassive at the deafening chord. Duo promptly laughed.

"Didn't that bother you?" he asked incredulously.

"Trying living with yourself for a few days," Heero quipped on instinct. `/Now that was a joke./ . . . . . . '

`Aha! I knew you had a sense of humor.' Feigning complete shock, Duo clutched his chest dramatically, gaping openmouthed at the stoic pilot. He sputtered incoherently. "I am not THAT bad!" though acting insulted, the hue of deep violet lightened in good humor.

"Keeping telling yourself that," Heero smirked.

"Pfft," he fired a mild glare at the Japanese boy. "Ooh! It's starting!" he announced grabbing the other boy's arm while he pointed at the screen with his other.

While purple eyes were glued to the big-screened TV, Heero's own pair of dark blue softened ever so slightly as his gaze met the sight of the braided child. `He does look like a child. Maybe he grew up too fast to really experience a childhood.' He turned his attention to the sound of two, best friends taking flight in their imagination, aboard a plane that could not.

"They are best friends," Duo murmured softly, watching the image of Rafe fading to a black and white new broadcast. `It reminds me of how we were. I know that wasn't just a dream; it was real. Even in those circumstances we were never forced to grow up as fast as we were fighting in a real war. On some level, I know we were both innocent and ignorant.' "The Holocaust was a horrible time," he commented, watching the image of Adolf Hitler shouting in German. "So many people died needlessly, you know?"

"The rest of the world allowed it to happen," agreed Heero.

"Yeah, they didn't believe that something so terrible was happening to other people. They were really scared, too," the braided boy spoke softly. Screams of dissipating life haunted him, the ones he had heard in battle. `It reminds me of the oppression I remembered in that dream. If we don't win this war, history will repeated itself.'

"They lived under oppression, and the Nazis thrived over fear."

"Yeah," Duo leaned back against the feathery cushions.

"I could have done those X's better," a sudden change of topic criticized Rafe and Danny's game of "chicken."

The braided boy grinned at Heero. `From what I saw the other day, I wouldn't doubt that one.' "Me, too," he nodded, expecting to hear a statement testifying against his words. It never came. `Wait… Does he believe me?!'

For the rest of the movie, the pair seemed to be immersed in the riveting tale of two best friends from Tennessee overcoming all tests of friendship. At some point, Duo had instinctively leaned against the cold soldier only to have the gesture returned without thought. They spoke in quiet words, discovering they might not be so different as it appeared to be on first sight. The screen darkened, white letters giving credits to everyone that made the picture possible as the old song "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill floated from speakers.

"So how does it feel to have done something fun?" the joker grinned widely at Heero.

"Not bad," the pilot replied.

"Let's do something else!" Lightning struck Duo in the form of genius, violet eyes flashing with an idea. "Come on, let's go for a walk or something."

Again, the perfect soldier allowed the amethyst eyed boy drag him around as he pleased, ranting on about nothing in particular. Eventually the twosome carried a more leisure pace as the one sided conversation earned a new member. It was a beautiful night, the occasional wind breezing by, washing away any humidity. Silver beams of moonlight bathed the flowers in the garden with a sheen of white glow.

"I mean, that was really low of you guys to attack Pearl Harbor!" Duo exclaimed loudly.

"We were going to give you a warning in advance. Unfortunately because your country thinks that it was invincible, they didn't pay attention to the signs," the Prussian eyed boy argued.

"So? That doesn't give you an excuse to go attack people on a Sunday no less when you pretended we were allies," the braided boy countered.

"They saw it as the only option after your country cut off-"

"Only because you wouldn't stop attacking China!" he threw his hands in the air, interrupting the Japanese boy.

"If you have to place blame on a scapegoat, blame the people that planned the attack."

"They weren't the ones that actually attacked, well not all of them anyway."

"It was war, Duo. They were soldiers. And soldiers - "

"Follow orders . . . " he recited with boredom. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all about the every man enlists in the army thing, and I know about the honor in dying fighting for your country thing . . . "

"You're catching on," Heero smirked. "Americans always talk about Pearl Harbor, but what about when you built the atomic bombs and used it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

"Well, that IS true, but at least we declared war first," he stuck his tongue out. "You on the other hand didn't have enough honor to do that."

`Sounds like something Wufei would say…' "It wasn't even necessary. Our military officials were about to surrender anyway without the bombing, and your government knew all about it. Since they spent so much revenue collected from the American citizens to build the bombs, they felt they had to cover it up," the dark-haired boy calmly reminded him.

"That's just a conspiracy story though!"

"With evidence."

Gesturing wildly with his arms, Duo growled, "Agh! Why are we even arguing about this? I mean, we weren't even alive then."

"Well, at least I have some pride for my native country," Heero turned way, crossing arms loosely, shutting intense, blue orbs.

Duo sputtered incoherently, staring after the boy, "Why you!" taking a deep breath, he continued in a calmer tone. "You know what? I think I liked you better when you didn't talk to me," he mumbled in mock regret, shaking his braid sadly.

"Liar," accused Heero with a wisp of amusement hidden in his impassive voice.

"Am not," leaning in closer, cool violet eyes stared straight into dark, sapphire blue.

"Would you like me to stop talking to you?"

"That would be fine, thank you," he stuck his nose in the air for a brief moment. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait! I didn't mean that!"

Impenetrable blue eyes betrayed no emotion, only staring back at the violet-eyed creature blankly. `I wonder how you'll try to get me to talk this time.'

"Fine!" Duo huffed, whirling away from the pilot strolling besides him. `Maxwell, you're a frickin' idiot. But hey, it's been really nice hanging around him. No, they didn't take my best friend away from me. I know you cared for me once, and I think you're starting to care for me again. You'll see.' Minutes ticked by in an agonizingly slow pace, and Duo began to twitch slightly. `Damn it, Yuy! Talk!' "Heero! Talk to me! Come one, say something! Please?" he frowned at the lack of response. `Hmm… I need to push his buttons.' "Heero Yuy! Listen up, young man, and talk to me this instant!" he mimicked a stern mother.

"Fine! I guess I can talk for both of us. And I mean for both of us… I'll make up answers for you! Heero, am I sexy? / Oh of course you are, Duo. / So all the girls want me? / Definitely, nothing is better than a dangerous criminal. / Heero, can I steal you're stuff? / No problem, take whatever you want, Duo. / That means I can pilot Wing right? / Without a doubt! You are the best pilot in the whole universe. / I can steal you're gundam, too, right? / Yeah, I'll even help you do it," he cackled wickedly. "Or, or, to be more correct, all you're answers would be hn, and I can speak your language fluently and talk back. Still, I'll translate the hn's. Good that means I can have Wing, the power ranger zord!"

"If you win a fight with me, Wing is all yours," Heero challenged easily.

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Replies to Reviews

Here comes that part of writing for the second time today ^_^

Shella-chan- Hi! I'm so glad to see that you're back! It's been pretty calm the past week or so, which is weird because I'm not quite used to calm yet. It got to the point where I had to do something stupid, but no results *sighs* Anyway! Thank you so much for the review! Feedback is awesome. All the comments were great, and the first part really cracked me up. Amazing how reviews really make my day ^_^ I think it gets better as it moves along.

Dewshine- Hola! How are you? Good I hope. I finally managed to finish chapter nineteen, and it would have been posted if I had been able to reply to reviews faster than I did. Sometimes I think doing this for every one I get was a stupid idea because it takes so much time and all. But I love my readers, so I do it anyway. The least I can do, right? And don't worry about making your reviews long. They don't have to be after all! And to answer your question - well I would have to say yes and no. I'm at the point where I don't really care anymore, and he's pretty kool. Thanks for congratulating her, and thank you very much for the review!

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Another chapter is done. I have no idea how long this is going to be… I'll figure it out eventually though. Comments? Suggestions? Critiques? I would love a review! And I hope this lived up to expectations.