Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Short Circuit ❯ Chapter 2

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I hate these, and you're a moron if you think I own anything GW related.
Warnings: This is gonna get strange and dark,TWT
Pairings: 1x5, 2x1
Summary: Duo's always been in love with Heero and hoped that one day, perhaps not until after the war, Heero might return his feelings. One day, Duo's dreams come true, or do they?

Short Circuit
by Amyeyl

Chapter Two

The first thing I am aware of is how soft the bed beneath me is. It's the most comfortable I've been in recent memory. I lay here for a long while, eyes closed, refusing to move for fear that someone will tell me I have to get up. But somehow, it creeps into my brain, something is wrong. I shouldn't be this comfortable. In fact, if memory serves, I should be in vast amounts of pain.

The last thing I remember is everything falling down around me. I'd screwed up; let some Oz bastard catch sight of me when I shouldn't have. Instead of hightailing it out of there like I was supposed to, I had to spend those valuable minutes trying to get away from a bunch of men with very big guns who were interested in using them on me.

I'd managed to find my way into some sort of crawlspace between the walls… It was almost big enough to stand upright in, but not quite. I remember that not mattering much when the first of the explosions went off. Part of the ceiling gave way and something crushed my leg, got lodged in there too. I remember dragging it along behind me 'cause I couldn't get it off. There were more explosions and pain, lots of pain. Someone called my name, and then… Then what? I don't know.

Maybe if I 'wake up' I'll get some answers. I don't really want to, but I have to, and so I pry my eyes open and have a look around.

Everything is white. The ceiling, the walls, the floor, the curtains, the bed sheets… There's only one place where they could get away with everything being white. I must be in some sort of hospital. Now that I'm looking for it, my ears pick up the steady beeping of a heart monitor. Definitely a hospital. But who brought me here?

Slowly, I push myself up into a sitting position. It doesn't hurt. I glance down at my arm for confirmation, and sure enough there's a needle taped into place there. Wherever I am they're being kind enough to keep me blissfully drugged. Looking the rest of myself over, I take note of lots of bandages. I really did a number on myself back at that base.

Pulling the sheets off, I take in the rest of me. Shit… My legs are fucked up. The left one doesn't look too much worse than the rest of me, but the right one… It's hidden away beneath a thick cast. Broke the bone I guess. Wonder what it looks like underneath.

"You're awake." I look up at the sound of the voice, not really believing. It couldn't be, could it? But I'd recognize that voice anywhere, and as I catch sight of those blue eyes…

"Heero? Heero! Where the hell have you been, man?!" He stares at me for a moment from the doorway, eyes calculating. He's trying to decide what to tell me. I hold his gaze as I wait.

From the moment I met the boy standing in front of me, I'd been attracted to him. Over time, I'd found myself wanting to do more than sleep with him. I'd wanted to just be with him, forever. I was in love with him. Soon after admitting that to myself I'd made him an object of study. I knew it would take a lot to make him feel the same way about me, even more, perhaps, to get him to ever admit it. But it would be worth it, and to achieve it I would have to be able to read him. And so I'd spent months observing him every time we came into contact.

When I thought I'd mastered my subject, I put my skills into practice. Engaging in conversations with him and steering him in the direction I wanted him to go. I could tell how angry he was, or if he was amused, I knew how he'd react to whatever I'd say next. And yet, I still hadn't found out how to make him love me. I could tell that the most I'd get out of him for my confession would be a look of sympathy as he told me that he didn't feel the same way. I wouldn't give up though, not until he loved me in return.

He'd become something of an obsession. I'd play conversations out in my head, playing conversation after conversation, far out into the future. It was like chess in a way. If this conversation got him to feel this way, and I followed up in the next one by saying that, how many conversations would it take to capture his heart?

But then, four months ago, four months, three days, five hours and however long I'd been unconscious ago to be precise, he'd disappeared. No one knew what had happened to him, at least no one who was saying anything. And now here he was.

He comes further into the room and closes the door behind him. He sits down in the chair by my bed and rests his hands in his lap. There's something different about him. I can't place it. Whatever it is, it must have happened while he was missing. I'll have to spend more time with him to figure out what it is.

"I," he frowns slightly before he continues. He looks confused. Maybe he doesn't remember what happened to him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What? What do you mean you don't know?"

"I haven't been anywhere."

"But Heero," I can't help but stare at him, "you've been missing for months!" Now he looks at me like I'm crazy. And maybe I look the part, my eyes are still open wide. I can feel the skin pulling around the edges. I close my eyes for a long moment, willing away the tingling sensation [1] and rewetting them at the same time. When I look at him again, he's watching me with something like concern.

"Are you alright, Duo? Did you hit your head too hard back there, perhaps?"

"No, Heero. I'm fine." I stress the word. "You're the one that must've hit your head." I could see the doubt in his eyes. "Fine, then. If you haven't been anywhere, where were you before you saved me?"

"Saved you?" He looks confused again. "I didn't save you."

"How'd I end up here if you didn't save me?" I frown at him. "How would you know I was here if you didn't bring me yourself?"

"I never said I didn't bring you here."

"Heero," I could feel the beginnings of a headache interfering with my drugged bliss, "explain to me how I ended up here."

"I brought you."

"From where? The base I was at, right?"

"No." I swear, I can feel myself twitching.

"Then from where?"

"An abandoned building. It wasn't that far from what used to be a base, though. I assume that's what you're talking about."

"So, someone else…" I whisper to myself, not loud enough for him to hear. "How did you find me?"

"I was tracking Wufei. I'd placed him in the area, but there's no sign of him after that building. I explored the building, looking for something that might tell me what happened to him, but all I found was you. Then I brought you here."

'All I found was you'? God dammit! Didn't I mean anything to him? I almost scream as much at him. But something else clicks in my head. He said he was tracking Wufei? Does that mean Wufei hauled my ass out of that building? More importantly…

"Heero, Why were you tracking Wufei?"

"It's something I have to do."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons." He pauses for a moment, eyes losing their focus, before he coming back to himself. "I was only planning on staying until you regained consciousness. I wanted to make sure you'd be alright before I started looking for Wufei again."

Just like that? He was going to leave just like that?! To find Wufei of all people. That boy likes to be alone, probably doesn't want to be found. And apparently he left me alone and unconscious in some empty building. And Heero wants to go find him. It's not fair. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can't cry in front of Heero. But it's so unfair and so typical. But I won't cry. I won't!

And I don't. I'm proud of myself. But my little display doesn't go unnoticed. Eventually, I have to open my eyes, and when I do he's staring at me again.

"What?" I almost scream at him.

"You're upset. Why?" What do I say to that? He's still staring at me, waiting for an honest answer to his question.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone…" It comes out as a low whisper, but he hears it.

"Okay, Duo."

"Okay?"

"I'll stay, I won't leave you alone."

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1. I don't know what you'd feel and what you wouldn't on strong pain medication, but oh well.

TBC...