Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Wherever You Will Go ❯ Dissolve Away Thy Troubles ( Chapter 6 )

Duo watched with dim, cold eyes; dark, empty, and deathly eyes as the shadows played across his face from the dim lighting. Despite his mood, he found himself watching the scenery roll by on his viewer screen as the time passed. In the short while that had gone by since his last talk with Quatre, his thoughts had become unbearable; and he'd sought a distraction without much luck. The only thing that seemed to remotely work was watching this tedious country roll by; happy and yet sad at the same time in the knowledge that he was gaining further distance from Heero.

The lush, fertile grasses and beautiful plants of the earth, and the bright, rising sun did nil to calm his mood. Nothing did. Right now, he was looking at everything in opposites. For, where he usually craved the sun, he now hid in the fading shadows of Deathscythe. For where he usually craved sound and chaos…Duo found he could do nothing to dispel the solacing quiet; chaotic in its own way. He wiped a shaky hand across his forehead, closing his eyes in brief reflection.

Before long, he found his eyes again open and watching; seeking relief if not cheer from his mellow mood. The countryside was not as he usually saw it. It held no peace. No beauty. Instead he found it repetitive, and something else he could not quite name. Perhaps it was too calm, perhaps too lonesome for his taste; reminding him too much of what he was at the current time. He had thought briefly of contacting Quatre again, but that would have only caused more worry and depression. Quatre was always with Trowa; separable only when a mission called for it. If he talked to Quatre, like the Arabian had suggested, Trowa would soon know. He wasn't sure he was ready for the inquisitiveness that was known of Sandrock's pilot. That left Wufei. Someone he'd only just managed to get close to, the Chinese boy was more brooding than supportive, though he offered his help to the American pilot in form of silent strength. Reaching to the keypad ready to bring up his friend, Duo flinched in remembrance. Wufei was on a stealth mission where contact was forbidden.

Cursing, the braided pilot brought his fidgeting hand to rest on the panel again, and sat silently once more; his teeth clenched in the obviousity of his need for an output to his anger.

Time blurred, and soon an hour had passed, and Duo found his grip on his anger slipping. The beautifying land now did nothing to dull, if not calm his rampant rage.

…Damn you Heero…no…don't…think!

Looking for further distraction, violet eyes landed on a cluster of CDs hidden by various junk. Wondering why he hadn't noticed them before in his state of ire, Duo briefly juggled the controls of his Shinigami, while reaching out an arm to gather the container that they were in. His unsteady fingers closed loosely on the flimsy box, and as he felt his tentative grip slip, he leaned further sideways to retain his hold - but too late. The package - he recognised as a shoe box - bent and promptly ripped flimsily, dropping the many CDs to the ground. He winced and closed his eyes as they cluttered on the hard floor, sure some of the covers had broken. Blinking open amethyst depths, a mess of scattered discs and their cases waved a sour greeting to one already in a bleak mood.

Dammit!

This, alas only added to his further sour whim. Seething, he spotted an album that appealed to him, and placed it in the small stereo. Within moments the small equalisers' display of the player was beating in time to the music that now pumped with rapid rhythm in the crowded space of the Gundam. In addition, and in no time at all, the braided pilot had forgotten most of his troubles…well, some of them anyway.

There was still the matter of how he was going to go about this mission, and how he was going to do it alone. In the past few months, he'd been accustomed to working with Heero; and now it seemed one was always there when the other was slipping behind. They had worked like the perfect pair, shielding blows and covering up old weaknesses; the few they had. Just like Wufei enforced his need to work alone, and Trowa and Quatre insisted on being partners, the Japanese and American pilots had come together; working as one.

Duo closed his eyes in reflection; his thoughts seemed to only bring back those of Heero. Heero this, Heero that. Why was it, that everyone else seemed to accuse him of being somewhat thoughtless in leisure, but when he wanted to alone, he couldn't stop?

All he needed to do was not think…not remember. Its not like I've ever had trouble before.

Perplexed and more than a little frustrated at his wondering consciousness - unwanted state of mind, Duo reached toward the stereo and turned the volume dial until it wouldn't crank any further. He sat back in his seat with a small lopsided smile playing on his face, listening contentedly to the complex beats that the bass lent even to his stomach.

It took awhile for him to really get into the music, but finally the chorus struck, and Duo found his mouth opening almost of his own volition, before his voice seemed to rise and finally blend richly with the artist. Reasonably happy for the moment; his dark thoughts forgotten, the small compartment seemed to lighten with that of the boy's mood. The music continued to blare so loud that he could finally not think, and a kind of cheer settled around. Its tumultuous paces were of a decibel so loud he couldn't hear anything but himself and the upbeat music…so loud all of his worries were drowned in the pulsing beats of the bass…

…But also so loud he didn't hear his computer blip with the knowing sound of an incoming message. He didn't see the 'accept' sign; didn't see anything but euphoric happiness at his forgetting of the nights' equally loud fight.

The dejected screen flashed persistently for a few impatient seconds, before disappearing completely, vanishing as if it never was. The beeps that accompanied the indicator also dissolved away; drowned into the melody that assaulted the gundam. A small indistinctive icon appeared on the top left of the oblivious boy's screen. Unobstructive and unwanted, it soon faded into the background.

For a long time, as the song tracks kept rolling on, Duo continued to keep beating his tanned hands haphazardly in time with the drums; continued to keep his voice raised in ignorance to the world around him. All in the while, on the other end of the ignored line, Heery Yuy sat coldly; quickly fading stealthily into the shadows that were almost a perfect copy of the other's just moments before. The cobalt eyes glinted coldly, darkly in a death glare that stole the imitation of his partner, in the look of a calculating, contemplative, pitiful stare.

"…No…"

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Author's note: Okay, this chapter doesn't achieve much, it's more of a fill in. I'm really awful at writing chapters…I tend to be dumb and write EXTREMELY small bits at a time. Sorry if it really annoys you, but I like posting things asap…before I have to write too much more. Please read and review, and sorry about the slackness of the chapters!