Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Sex, Substances, Sin, Salvation ❯ II - G - Significant Others - Duo's - Solo ( Chapter 15 )

“Sex, Substances, Sin, Salvation” - a GW fanfiction manifested via madness

By Masamune Reforged

WhenShootingStarsFall.com

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters, they are the property of Bandai, Sunrise or someone else, but not me. I use them for no-profit whatsoever, but for entertainment's gain.

Warnings: Yaoi (1x2 and 3x4, among others and graphic sexual lemons) cursing, drug use, violence, angst, insanity, cameos, AU, lunacy, sanity.

 

Timeline note: This chapter is from later on in the night of the 24/7 store robbery, with Duo recounting events from directly after the robbery in Page I. Yes, I know technically that means it should be the first part in Page II, but that would mean three parts narrated by him in a row, and I got to spread the Duo evenly. Besides, I really wanted to end this Page with this part. I apologize for this inconsistency and promise it is the last time it will happen. All future parts and Pages will be in chronological order.

 

Spoiler note: I don't consider Episode Zero (the manga that reveals the background stories about the Gundam pilots) to be something everyone's read. I won't reveal anything about Episode Zero or assume that people reading this have read it. So all the characters (like Solo) that I pluck from there, as well as events/places referred to, are just names. I may borrow ideas/stuff from Episode Zero, but the pasts of characters in Sex, Substances, Sin, Salvation may be different from, and sometimes similar to, the pasts portrayed in Episode Zero.

 

Note about notes: I also apologize for all the notes =P

 

Part G of Page II: “Wonder What's Next” in the s4 arc

Significant Others - Duo's - Solo Forgoet

Duo's POV

 

To think back to that night my world got turned upside down... Fuckin 'A... oh, what a night...

 

That whole robbery, the 5-O surrounding the place, that gorgeous hunk named Heero Yuy murdering a cop (and to top it off, crippling the second one; I still can't believe he managed to hit him with that shot; I mean, it must have been like a one in a million chance, right?), racing through the dark night, that cold hearted son of a bitch named Heero Yuy leaving me high and dry at Alibaba's.

 

Shit, that was more than enough excitement for one night.

 

Right?

 

Yeah... yeah right...

 

*-*-*-*-*-*

 

Later that night, sometime during the early hours before dawn actually, I rolled into the crib. Well, I didn't really roll in, I'm on two feet and all. And I didn't make much noise, because I was pretty sure Solo was either shacked up with someone or asleep, and no matter what you might think of me, I'm real, er, whatever that word is, about other people's privacy and shit. So, I was tip-toeing in as quietly as possible so that either way I didn't shake anything up. I didn't want to bother Solo.

 

Solo.

 

God, where do I begin? Seriously, he's the only person in the whole world that I'd honestly call a friend. He's always been the best friend anyone could ever want. You want to know why? Well, guess what? I'm gonna tell you anyway. So get comfy.

 

First, he's a great listener. And with as much as I talk (yeah yeah, you've probably noticed I'm a little long winded from time to time. Deal with it!), that really means something. But he's not just the kind who sits there staring off into space, only pretending to listen. He pays attention to all my tirades and crises and all of that. And from time to time, whenever he thinks it might help, he'll offer encouragement, or advice, or ask an insightful question- you know, the kind that suddenly makes you think from a different angle on it.

 

Oh, and he's a fucking blast to hang around with! The motherfucker can party like a rock star! Although... recently he'd been staying home more and more. I didn't know what that was all about. He would always say that he was tired or that he didn't feel like drinking or getting crunked, but that was bullshit, and I knew it. That's another thing that's great about Solo, he's a shitty liar.

 

He was also one of the first of the kids on the street to help me out. He helped me break away from that shitty foster family and even got me into the same orphanage that he was in. I learned all about Seaside Metropolis and Downtown Gotham from hanging with him. He was also one of the few kids who didn't make fun of my long hair. He never pulled it or called me a girly boy... he even would help me brush it when it was being a pain in the ass...

 

Solo is also loyal, thoughtful and, yeah, well, he's probably the only person in the world who puts up with me that I haven't slept with... I could go on and on about the guy.

 

Anyway, when I came home, I was surprised that he was still up.

 

“You're awake!” I said, walking into the messy roach motel that was our kitchen. He was watching TV and eating Lucky Charms. That should've sent an immediate warning sign. Lucky Charms was Solo's comfort food; the guy loved marshmallows.

 

“Hey there.” His voice was a little scratchy. “You're getting in late... and alone?”

 

“Oh, I found some action at AliBaba's, some solider boy, little overaggressive... But what can you expect from a shell shocked guy like that?”

 

“You're pretty riled up over some random trick at Ali's.” Solo turned to face me now.

 

Solo could best be described as a 'Golden Boy'. Light blue eyes, shining blonde hair in a bowl cut, pale white skin, a little bit taller than me. I had no clue how he and I never slept together, besides the fact that we were both 'bottom bitches' and naturally more enclined to compete for the same type of guy instead of try to get with each other. Solo was handsome. He'd been in porno.

 

Solo squinted those blue eyes at me, eyes that can see right through me. “Seriously, something else happen? And I thought you were just gonna rent a flick on your way back from work?”

 

So, like always, I spilled the beans to Solo. I told him all about the crazy fucking robbery at the 24/7 store, being taken hostage, the shootout, the escape, and, of course, about that gorgeous piece of stone cold ass.

 

“So he's an absolute workaholic, a contract killer, and an abusive pervert. Hahaha,” Solo laughed very softly, delicately. “Haha. Seriously, at least that last part fits your tastes perfectly! Haha-*cough**cough**cough*...”

 

And still Solo broke down, coughing into his hands even as he smiled at me. I grabbed him a paper towel. We'd been going through them like crazy recently, and the last bunch of tissues that I'd swiped from the supermarket was also long gone.

 

“Thanks,” he said. Solo had been sick for awhile now. He still dragged himself to work everyday, bartending at an Irish place near the New Metro Pier. He pulled in good dough, but was calling in sick more and more often. It used to take a tank or an entire bottle of gin to knock Solo down...

 

“So, you seriously like this guy, even though he gave you the cold shoulder at the end?” he asked.

 

“...Yeah, I guess so...” My anger had dwindled on the late subway ride back home. Hell, I was happy that I'd memorized the guy's beeper number from just hearing it once.

 

“Of course. You're all about the ones that treat you like trash...” He sighed.

 

“ `Use me, abuse me, hurt me, screw me', ” I said the old motto out loud. God, I remember when Solo and I would scream that until our voices cracked, on top of bars, tables, cars, back when we were teens... I hadn't heard it said out loud in forever. It took me back, made me chuckle. “Yeah, wow, that's all I ask for, isn't it?”

 

“You're quite the dirty little rumpot, you impish Duo Maxwell.” Solo could do a great English accent. It always cracked me up. “Seriously, to think such a filthy runt like you was educated by venerable women of the cloth would make good old Sister Helen flip in her grave.”

 

“Hahahhaha, oh, hah- oh stop, oh-hehehe.” I had to dry my eyes with my sleeve, I was laughing so hard. “Oh, fuck... Solo you cr-”

 

He was looking at me with this look, and I didn't know what to make of it. I couldn't figure out a way to identify it, to place where I'd seen it before. It was a serious, somber look. I always got scared when Solo put on serious faces. I stopped laughing instantly. My stomach flopped queasily, like I was already about to puke up whatever I was about to be fed.

 

“But, seriously”- (That's Solo's word, `seriously'. He would use it, seriously, every other time he opened his mouth.) “Seriously, Duo, take care of yourself, ya know?”

 

“But that's no fun!” I tried to laugh away the dark mood, shrugged it off with a smile and acted like it wasn't a big deal.

 

“Duo... seriously...” And I watched Solo struggle to choose the right words. I knew it was going to be bad. “Seriously, you're going to get yourself hurt, or worse, if you don't start watching out for yourself.”

 

“Aww. But that's why I have you by my side, mommy, to watch over me and keep me safe from bullies.”

 

I couldn't help it. I needed to laugh it off. Get serious about something, and it'll get under your skin. Get all grave and serious, and you're getting yourself ready for the grave. Not me, not Duo Maxwell.

 

“This is no joke, Duo. I'm being serious here.”

 

Solo used to be more like me... he would laugh along with me at all the crap life threw at us, just as loudly, just as defiantly... He used to...

 

“Duo, we've lived it up, man, seriously. We've done so much for two kids without parents, without anything. The parties, the tricks, the life, we lived it, man.”

 

“We are living it!” I corrected.

 

But Solo just looked at me, looked at me with those eyes, the eyes of a teacher. Solo was a few years older than me, ya know. So he was always showing me how to do things, how to get by. I always sucked at school. I couldn't take the nuns' lessons seriously. I'd spend my time goofing off or scheming some crazy shit with the other kids.

 

But when Solo got that look in his eyes, when his face changed to really show the difference in age between us, I shut up. I stopped dicking around. When Solo was going to say something serious, something he really wanted me to take to heart, I would wait raptly for the lesson.

 

It'd been years since Solo had looked at me like that. He'd once told me that he'd passed every thing on to me. Every scrap of knowledge, every back alley shortcut, every thieving trick in the book, every piece of street smarts he possessed had been mine since we were real young.

 

Now he had something new to tell me, seriously.

 

“It can catch up to you.” His voice was pained. “I'm sorry Duo... It's not always like the way I taught you. Those things... they catch up to you...”

 

I didn't understand, and I told that to Solo.

 

He pulled his chair closer to me. On the TV Seinfeld was telling a joke and everyone was laughing.

 

He looked into my eyes for a long time, just looking at me, apologizing.

 

“I went to the hospital a few weeks ago, to see what the deal on this cold I've had for so long really is...”

 

This... this wasn't the Solo I knew...

 

“The doctor called earlier, when you were still at work.”

 

He was lying to me. Solo was lying to me. He had to be! He couldn't have been wrong, we couldn't have been wrong! All these years? All these years, we were wrong?

 

“It's a lot worse than I thought.”

 

No. No. NO NO NO NO NNONONONONONONONONO!!!

 

“I'm really sick, Duo. I have the AIDs virus.”

 

Oh god. Oh God you motherfucking piece of evil shit! You fucking unfair, cocksucking, backstabbing, bearded asshole! Don't do this to me! Don't do this to Solo...

 

“I'm going to die, Duo. I don't have much time left.”

 

Please? Please don't do this to Solo? Please?

 

“Seriously.”

 

-end Significant Others - Duo's - Solo Forgoet

-end Sex, Substances, Sin and Salvation, Page II, “Wonder What's Next”

 

Next: Page 3, “In the Concrete Jungle”.

Will go more into the background and setting of the story. Introduce more players, such as Treize Kushrenada (Senator), Heero's father, Tsubarov (Wufei's professor) and others.

 

ID Note:

Solo was never given a last name. I chose Forgoet as a slight variation of forgo, meaning `go without', or `to sacrifice'.