Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Razors on his Bathroom Floor ❯ The Savior's Change ( Chapter 2 )

         &nb sp;  Disclaimer: (Since I forgot before…) I don’t own Gundam Wing or any of the gorgeous male…err…characters from it. Nor do I make any money off these stories that I derive so much pleasure from writing.             Summary: He’s a lost cause, hopeless, bag of misery and he…he is his perfect soldier, hero boy sent to pull him up from the wreckage.             ; Pairings: I’m pretty sure they’re all set now…1x2/2x1, 1x5x1, 2+5/5+2, 3x4, maybe others to in the future.             Thanks to any and all who read, reviewed or both. Your feedback makes my day. A special thanks to Bell and Maxter for previewing every chapter of this fic that I send.            &nb sp;            Razors on his Bathroom Floor: Chapter 2             &n bsp;           Mid afternoon Heero checks out of the Motel and between winces and groans Duo verbally directs him to his home. With unsteady hands Duo finally unlocks the door, as Heero waits not so patiently by his side, seemingly ready to at any moment grab the key and unlock the door himself.             Duo takes an Advil and flops down on his couch with a hand pressed against his forehead, watching carefully—and a little nervously—as Heero wanders around his apartment. There isn’t very much space to wander in though. It’s a shabby place that seems to be falling apart every which way you look.             He steps into the small space that should not legally be called a kitchen. Heero has seen nicer closets inside of run down safe houses that they stayed in during the war. The stove doesn’t even work, he finds, as he tries to turn it on. The fridge has some sort of grotesque, red stain that can just barely pass for sauce. He leaves that area, beginning to see what he’d been expecting and more.             The kitchen may have been unpleasant but compared to the bathroom it’s just that. He steps in and immediately his eyes don’t like what they see. There’s broken razor blades scattering the floor along with drops of blood, vomit, and what he assumes is seamen. Yes it definitely is, he thinks and he grimaces. The shower stall is cracked, dirty and unsuitable for even the foulest of creature to use. Next to it the sink and toilet are no better, the sink with its broken handles which only work if you pull very hard. No, the cold water doesn’t even work; Heero jerks his hand away as the water begins to turn his skin an angry shade of red. Next to the sink the toilet lies upon chipped tiles and dirt. The seat is a plush type, its split down the center, and there’s some sort of mold taking over the inside. He cringes inwardly. He doesn’t want Duo in this place anymore. He’d thought Wufei had been exaggerating…but, he hadn’t even told the half of it.             “Duo?” He gladly escapes the bathroom that gives him a dirty, disgusted feeling.             “Yeah?” There’s a bite to his words now that he isn’t drunk and Heero dually notes that Duo sounds a lot less endearing and helpless now that he’s sober, and a lot more annoyed, defensive, and angry.             “What…do you do?”           &nbs p; “Drugs? Cutting? Alcohol?” He sneers, words blunt and challenging.           &n bsp; “Yes.”          &n bsp;  The bite disappears and he sounds almost tired. “I stopped cutting a while ago Heero, so don’t worry about that. I just keep them in there as decoration.” He stopped a little while back because finally he realized there was nothing inside him that he wanted to see anymore. He wouldn’t find any redemption or forgiveness under his skin. He only saw his own blood and even that wasn’t enough anymore.             “I want you to come back with me.”            ;            &n bsp;             ;             & nbsp;       “Why?”          &n bsp;  “You need help. You’re lonely and suffering. Pouring all your pain into all those things isn’t healthy. You need a friend.” Heero sounds serious…genuine….something Duo hasn’t heard from anyone in a long time; but then again what else would he expect from Heero? He’s never been anything but. Always leave it to him to tell it like it is or at least how he sees it.             “You don’t owe me anything.”          &nbs p;  “I owe you a lot more than that.” He corrects smoothly as if Duo has had simply pronounced someone’s name wrong.             “Please…” Duo mutters.             “You gave us all a light during the war…even if we didn’t show you that at the time. The fact any of us can hold one fond memory of the time is because of you. We all want to help you, Duo.” Heero says earnestly.           &nbs p; Duo, thrown off by Heero’s sincerity, can’t help but blink at him, no quick reply reaches his mouth in the moments after, leaving a long silence that makes the air taste funny in his mouth.             “What did Wufei tell you?”           &nb sp; “He told me you were living in a hell hole of your own creation. He told me you were depressed, angry, and ready to let yourself rot in your foul excuse for a home.”           &n bsp; “Fei said that?” he can’t help but give a small smile. Wufei had said the same thing before he left.             “Come back with me?”           &nbs p; Heero Yuy is pleading with me, he thinks with wonderment and a surge of power; this must mean something.              &n bsp;          “Do you really think I can overcome all my problems by coming back with you?” He asks and raises an eyebrow, daring him to answer. Wanting to see how Heero will respond.               Heero looks intent and full of words that he’s never had to sort before “You’re strong Duo; I think you’ll be able to pull yourself back up without too much trouble, you’re just going through a rough time right now. Though, you‘ll probably need to see someone to talk to. Someone other than us. Maybe Sally, I don’t know. But it’s something isn’t it? To be with people who…care” he seems to stumble over the word “about you is something. Maybe some things will start to go away once you’re back with me…us…everyone. It’s better than leaving you here to let yourself live here with the rats.”               &n bsp;      Despite being slightly insulted by Heero’s last statement Duo nods his head and goes to pack his bags. It doesn’t take him too long; he doesn’t have very many things; or that is, very many things that are worth taking.             He looks behind him, making sure Heero isn’t about to sneak up on him. When he feels sure Heero isn’t coming he reaches his hand underneath his pillow and fishes around for what he’s looking for. His fingers touch on plastic and he pulls out a picture frame. It’s a silly, funny frame that Duo had found at a gift shop one day when he had decided to try to get out and do more things than mope around his apartment. He’d had overpowering days like those sometimes; days where he wanted to heal and start over. But those days were becoming less and less frequent since he’d begun to realize the feelings of self-improvement never lasted.             The picture frame was covered with tiny hearts and the words ‘friends’ up and down each side. He couldn’t help but laugh when he saw it and thought of putting in the picture that had been taken of him, the other pilots and Relena. He found it uncanny and very funny to have goofy red hearts above Heero and Wufei’s heads. He’d decided to use the picture as a dream catcher of sorts to help ward off his nightmares.           &nb sp; He gently tucks the frame into his bag and begins to open his drawers and sift through his clothing. Of what little he has he pretty much alternates between the same jeans and shirts, being too lazy and worried to throw out any extra clothes just in case he ever needs something else to wear. Like if he manages to somehow ruin all his other clothing and that’s all he has left. Or if he finally reaches a day where he can’t even bring himself to do the laundry.             When he walks out Heero is once again on his laptop, typing away. Duo finds himself falling into the rhythmic fast paced clicking, like it’s a song. His mind even begins to interpret it into a tune of a song he’d heard at the club last night, before Heero had shoved himself into Duo’s life and into the role of his babysitter, Duo thinks the word with a mixture of anger and wonderment. Should he feel flattered that Heero had bothered with him?             “Duo what are you doing?”           & nbsp; “Listening to you type.”           &n bsp; “Why are you doing that?” Heero looks at Duo as if this is a sign that something is wrong with him. Something about the look irks Duo.             “Because it’s hypnotizing? I dunno Heero it’s just something I’m doing! People don’t always have a reason for doing things, you know?”           &n bsp; They both wear looks of exasperation.           & nbsp; “Alright, I’m sorry. You can listen to me type.” Heero says dryly.             Duo’s a bit surprised at hearing the word sorry in a voice that sure sounds like Heero’s, but at the same time it sounds exactly how he’d imagined it would be like. He admits he’s had fantasies about Heero apologizing for numerous things…all starting with the time he stole his parts from his Gundam. Duo holds in a sharp laugh that’s started to rise up his throat, it sounds like something so childish and from so long ago. Gundam parts could easily become toy or girlfriend. Heero really was different then, he can’t see the Heero in front of him running off with his Gundam parts or anything else really. The laughter rises again but he simply shoots out “That’s all I ask.”           &nb sp; Heero rolls his eyes upwards and seems to be silently pleading with Duo’s crumbling ceiling. “Our shuttle leaves at 6:30, so we should probably eat dinner soon. Any suggestions?”          & nbsp;  “Yeah, actually…”         &nbs p;   XxXxXx             “Why are we here?” Heero asks as he feels another thump from the other side of the booth.            &n bsp; “It’s fun here.” Duo insists.             “This is what you call fun?” Heero grits out “If he kicks me one more time…”          &n bsp;  Duo smiles into his burger “Oh c’mon Heero, he’s adorable. He keeps peeking over to see if you’re looking. He wants your attention.”          &nb sp;  “Hn.”          &nb sp;  “Don’t ‘hn’ me, what are you going to do when you have kids?”           &n bsp; Heero’s eyes widen, “Kids?”
        &nb sp;   “Yeah kids. You are going to have them one day aren’t you?”           &nb sp; “I don’t know.” Heero seems like a caged bird, flapping desperately against the bars but with no way to escape.             “Please don’t tell me you haven’t even thought about it.”           &nbs p; “I have…I just haven’t come to any reasonable conclusions.”          & nbsp;  “Once you meet the right person it’ll be easier to decide…Whether it’s with a man or women.” Duo adds as an afterthought, searching Heero’s eyes for a reaction, a hint, or even the flash of a face, no matter how unlikely any of those are.             To his credit Heero doesn’t blanch, although that seems like something Wufei would do…Heero is sensible and processes these things while Wufei is more verbally and visibly outraged and confused by the type of things Duo is able to randomly bring up in conversations. He’s comfortable talking about these things while Heero and Wufei try to dance, tiptoe and just plain run from and around subjects, doing anything to avoid talking about them.             “When the right person comes along…”          & nbsp;  The conversation dies out after that and they finish their food. Duo notices when the family behind them leaves, and he sees that Heero has noticed their departure as well. He can tell from the way his eyes darted to the side. If he hadn’t memorized so many of Heero’s motions during the war he might not have even seen it.              ; XxXxXx             “Duo we’re leaving. Now.”           &nb sp; “5 more minutes ‘Ro? Please?” Duo says picking up a plastic space model.             “No! If I give you another 5 minutes we’ll miss our shuttle.”            ;  Duo waves his hand “No we won’t.”          & nbsp;  Heero growls in response and Duo mutters “fine fine we’ll have it your way. But watch Mr. Punctual we’ll have so much spare time that you’ll wish you had given me another 10 minutes.”            ;  “You’re probably right, after so much time hearing you talk I’ll probably wish I had just left you to look at these cheesy souvenirs.” He took the space model Duo was holding and looked at the price. “God, I can’t understand why people would want to shop here; it’s all a bunch of over-priced crap anyway.”              Duo snickers “They think its fun Heero, something you don’t know very much about. When you go on a trip you want to remember it and all the fun you had. The souvenir is like a little memory representative.”         &nbs p;   Heero scoffs “If it was so good wouldn’t you just remember what happened. You don’t need a keychain or pen to remember it by.”           &nbs p; Before Duo can answer Heero’s already headed out the door, without even checking behind him to make sure Duo is coming.             Duo stands still for a moment trying to force down his anger. Heero doesn’t understand anything and he certainly doesn’t even bother to listen to his thoughts or opinions. Heero’s made such a big deal about wanting to help him and all, but meanwhile he doesn’t change his own attitude or act much nicer to him.             Even though his anger hasn’t cooled at all, he stalks off after Heero and dreads the trip that is doomed to be lasting and painful.             TBC