Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Yin And Yang ❯ Chapter VI ( Chapter 6 )

Yin and Yang

By Cobalt 27

 

Summary: AU. 1 equals 2; 3 equals 4; 5 equals M. Heero has no choice but to move to a new school in the middle of his sophomore year and is in for a few surprises. Between going from being a loner to one of the most popular guys, finding that he's more comfortable with homosexuality than he thought, and meeting a nymphomaniac who has a deeper side to him Heero realizes he's in for one hell of a semester.

Warning: Drinking, drugs, smoking, sex, swearing, angst and mature adult themes. Hilde and Catherine are 100 percent OOC but I hope you all like my version of their high school girly-ness.

Disclaimer: I do not own or have any claim to Gundam Wing, its characters, logos or its affiliations; they belong to Sunrise, Bandai and their affiliated companies. I do not own or have claim to bus names, street names, school names, mascots or logos. I do not own or have claim to the high school that appears in this story. I do not own or have claim to the malls, store names or their logos that appear in this story. I do not own or have claim to songs, lyrics, movies and movie characters, actors, singers or bands that appear in this story. I own all original characters that do not appear in any anime/manga owned by Sunrise, Bandai or their affiliated companies.

 

Chapter VI

 

Heero stretched his hands out before him, looking at the moisture that sat there. What had just happened? Before Duo passed out in his arms, what was he thinking touching his face gently like that? Shaking his head to rid himself of the image of Duo standing naked, looking tenderly at him, Heero pushed off the wall he was leaning on and walked into the hallway.

 

“Heero, c'mon.” Quatre fell back and looped his arm into Heero's. He guided him through Duo's house, up the stairs and into Duo's room with the others. (Wufei had stayed behind with the girls, settling them down and staying with his fiancé).

 

They entered Duo's room right after Rashid and Trowa who, with the help of the other two men, set Duo stomach-down on his bed. Rashid had a duffle bag on his shoulder, and he set it on the bed next to Duo. He went to work dressing Duo's still bleeding wounds.

 

“Why is he still bleeding?” Heero asked, but as soon as he did he realized he already knew the answer.

 

“He's drunk.” Quatre replied.

 

Duo had consumed so much alcohol that he had thinned out his blood, which was why it wasn't coagulating and why his back continued to bleed.

 

Heero once again stepped back into the shadows feeling like there were others better suited to help Duo than himself, who seemed to have a hate-hate relationship with the braided brat. Heero took a few steps away from the bed, surveying the room.

 

 

On the floor next to Duo's bed was a bloody ten inch black leather whip. Splayed next to the leather whip, as if they had been tossed aside carelessly, were two matching black wrist cuffs. On top of the night table next to Duo's bed was an open box of condoms. Heero slowly did a three-sixty of the room. Along the wall next to the night table was a large bow-front chest of drawers with an attached vanity mirror. On the wall kitty-corner to the drawers was an open door. Through it Heero could see an entertainment room full of sofas and pillows, a large plasma screen television which read `Video 2', and a walk-in closet on the same wall. Against the wall, next to the door Heero had entered, was a bookshelf. Heero wandered over to it and examined the books.

 

“Wow,” he quietly mumbled to himself. “Never pegged Duo as the type to enjoy Milton and Yeats.”

 

Heero ran his fingers over the bindings of the books and was surprised to see the names of some of his favourite authors: Orwell, Shelley, Homer, Shakespeare, Pope, Eliot, Auden…Maybe, just maybe, Duo wasn't as immature as he thought.

 

“Heero?” Trowa came over to where he stood and put his arms on Heero's shoulder. He sighed and rested his forehead on his arm. “Quatre's going to watch him, and then when he needs some sleep he'll come get one of us.”

 

“Us?” Heero shifted his eyes to try and see Trowa as best as he could. He obviously needed a little support so Heero didn't move his body; he let himself be a leaning post.

 

“Yeah,” Trowa nodded into his arm. “We need you, Heero. He needs you, and we need him so you see we'd really appreciate your—”

 

“Don't worry. I'll do it.” And Heero felt that in that instant he had just grown up a little.

 

“Come on,” Trowa pushed himself off Heero. “We'll go get some rest for now.”

 

“Where are we going to sleep?” Heero asked, following Trowa out of Duo's now dark room (Quatre had just turned the lights off).

 

“In one of the guestrooms, the one Quatre and I normally share.” Normally Trowa would have blushed reminiscing about the nights he spent close to the blond god, but tonight he was too exhausted to bother.

 

“You and Quatre,” Heero started once they were a fair way down the hallway and climbing the stairs, “you both—”

 

“Don't even say it, Heero. Quatre is…special. I wouldn't trade out friendship for anything—anything.” Trowa shook his head to punctuate.

 

“But…you like him, right?”

 

They reached the top of the stairs and entered one of the guestrooms. Thankfully it was vacant. Trowa flicked the light switch and Heero's eyes were immediately assaulted by blue. Everything, from the ceiling to the carpet and from the duvet to the venetian blinds, were shades of blue.

 

“Quatre is…” Trowa started, “like I said, special. He's charming and witty, intelligent and humble. He's out-going and compassionate and talented. He exceeds everyone's expectations. He's just an amazing and inspirational person. He's so much fun to be around and he makes me feel that, if I try hard enough, I can be just as wonderful as him. Do I like him? It depends on what you mean by like.”

 

 

“Do you love him?” Heero flicked his shoes off as Trowa turned down the covers.

 

Trowa stood on the other side of the bed, his own shoes abandoned some few feet away, staring at his nails. “He's the most passionate and enchanting person I've ever met. He deserves so much more than—”

 

“Trowa.” Heero just wanted an answer.

 

Trowa reluctantly brought his gaze to meet Heero's piercing one. His palms were sweaty and he felt like he had just swallowed rocks.

 

“Do you love him?” Heero repeated, trying to find an answer in his eyes.

 

Trowa nodded as he swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling very much like he was under federal investigation with the spotlight right on him.

 

“That's what I thought.” Heero gently climbed into bed, maneuvering his plastic boot. Normally he'd take it off for the night, but seeing as he would have to eventually get up to sit with Duo he didn't bother. Trowa turned the light off and crawled into bed next to Heero.

 

“So, where did you run off to after we found Duo?”

 

Heero paused for a moment looking through the darkness up at the now black ceiling. “Trent. I went after Trent.”

 

“Really?” Trowa arched his brow. “And what happened?”

 

“Nothing much. Wufei showed up and took care of it.”

 

There was silence, then…

 

“What would you have done if Wufei hadn't shown up?”

 

Heero listened to the disembodied voice vibrate next to him in the darkness and thought for a while before answering Trowa.

 

“I don't know. I wanted to beat the shit out of him, but I don't know if I would have actually done it.”

 

“Do you like Duo?”

 

“No.” It was a quick and firm reply. “I think,” Heero started after a string of silence, “I'm starting to see Duo is as complicated as you said. Do I like him? No. Do I still hate him? No—”

 

“So then you must love him, it's the only option left.”

 

“And I think you're way too tired to be having this conversation, Trowa. Go to sleep.”

 

“Fine.”

 

 

[X]-[X]-[X]

 

“Heero?”

 

Quatre walked into the guestroom that Heero and Trowa were in, and whispered quietly as he approached the queen sized bed that Heero and Trowa were sharing. Heero woke easily and rolled toward the door, having slept lightly or none at all.

 

“Yeah?” His voice was groggy and hoarse and he tried to clear his throat.

 

“I'm…I'm exhausted.”

 

“What time is it?” Heero asked as he sat up and swung his leg out of the bed. He placed both feet on the floor and slowly stood.

 

“Hmm, about, uh,” Quatre hit the button on his watch so he could read it in the dark. “Four eleven.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Heero's foggy mind didn't seem to absorb anything properly. He really didn't know what four eleven meant, but it felt like he should still be sleeping.

 

“Rashid went home, so if you need anything for Duo you'll have to get Shizuka.”

 

Heero nodded as he sluggishly left the room and trudged downstairs to Duo's room. He vaguely thought that Trowa should have been next to check on Duo, but he assumed Quatre would want to spend some time with Trowa, which made him think. Both Quatre and Trowa liked each other, but weren't doing anything about it.

 

Heero opened Duo's door and the dim light from the hallway cast his shadow on the floor and Duo's bed, hiding the braided boy in a shroud of darkness. He moved and the light shifted to reveal Duo asleep and lying on his stomach. His silky hair had been returned to a braid, which lay coiled on the pillow next to him. It was late, rather it was either really late or really early (Heero couldn't figure out which), to be wandering around and playing Guard Duo. With a yawn, Heero staggered over to Duo's bed and climbed in next to the youth. The motion caused Duo to stir.

 

“Nnnnn—Trowa?”

 

“No.”

 

“Oh…Quatre?”

 

Heero barely had the energy to reply. After pausing for a long moment he managed to will his lips to move in response.

 

“No…Heero.”

 

There was a much longer pause in which Heero thought Duo had returned to sleep, and he himself was drifting off.

 

“Oh…night.”

 

 

The last thought Heero had was how nice Duo's voice sounded when he was groggy.

 

[X]-[X]-[X]

 

Heero woke the next day, or rather the next afternoon, alone in a fluffy and warm bed. He looked around, taking in the sophisticated marble bedroom furniture and textured slate walls, and remembered he had spent the better half of the night in Duo's room. Throwing the covers off, he crawled out of bed and began wandering around the house in search of food or someone with food. Heero reached the stairs and began descending to the main floor.

 

“Heero!” Quatre called from the flight of stairs above.

 

Heero stopped, leaning on the banister as his eyes followed the ascending steps. Quatre was leaning over the banister above, waving at him. Trowa appeared at Quatre's side; apparently they just woke up, too. Trowa dangled Heero's shoe over the banister.

 

“You left this in the room. Are you going to get breakfast?”

 

Heero nodded. “Yeah. I was going to attempt to, anyway. Thanks for my shoe.”

 

Heero waited for Trowa and Quatre, and took his offered shoe. When they reached the bottom of the stairs on the main level, Heero placed his shoe in the foyer with the pile that had mysteriously grown overnight, and followed Trowa and Quatre to the kitchen.

 

There was a dining room next to the kitchen with a huge polished cherry wood dining table that probably seated twelve people. Heero wondered why they needed such a big table for a small family.

 

Wufei, Meilan, Hilde, and Catherine were already at the table with plates full of eggs, bacon, toast, bowls of cereal, glasses of orange juice, and milk. Trowa, Quatre and Heero entered the kitchen to find Duo filling his plate with some of the remains of the cooked food.

 

“Who made all this?” Heero asked noticing that, though Duo's house was just as well equipped as Treize's, it wasn't as staffed.

 

“Dunno,” Duo shrugged. “It's usually Yori, our cook, or the first ones up.”

 

Quatre turned to Trowa, giving him a meaningful look. Just a few days ago Duo and Heero were at each other's throats, Duo was even causing problems at Heero's work…but now they were talking to each other with no apparent animosity. What exactly happened last night?

 

“So,” Heero began over a bowl of cereal at the dining table, sitting between Catherine and Trowa, “is there a phone I can use—?”

 

Just as Duo silently reached for the portable phone behind him sitting in the cradle, there was a soft noise that came from the dining room entrance.

 

“Duo, someone is here to see you…and they request that you come alone.”

 

“Who are you calling?” Quatre asked Heero as he put a piece of bacon in his mouth.

 

 

“Well,” Heero started as he watched Duo get up from his seat and leave the dining room, “I need to get home soon seeing as it's…” Heero grabbed the phone Duo left on the table and looked at the time, “two thirty. I was going to call a cab.”

 

“Why? If you need a ride home we can get one for you. Most of us have to go to the city,” Trowa said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

 

“Oh, I can't, really. You already provided me with a ride here so—”

 

“Heero, it's no big deal. We'll get you a ride home.”

 

“Honestly—”

 

“Nope!” Quatre cut in with a rather large grin on his face, “there'll be no turning down our offer, Mr. Yuy. I'll inform one of our drivers to kidnap you if necessary.”

 

Heero had a horrible mental image of Rashid throwing him into the trunk of a car to the amusement of Quatre and Trowa, who were standing behind Rashid in top hats smoking cigars. Shaking his head of this ridiculous image, Heero sighed.

 

“Well…fine.” Heero put the phone down in defeat as Relena walked briskly into the dining room and stood at the head of the table.

 

She looked slightly winded, and though she looked composed she had a sever urgency about her.

 

“Trent's here. He's at the front door with Duo.”

 

Heero turned to look at her, disbelieving what she said. The anger he felt last night had subsided, but he was still appalled that Trent would have the audacity to show up after Wufei's threats. There was no way Trent was that stupid.

 

“He wants Duo to go somewhere with him. I don't know where; I didn't listen that long.”

 

Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei stood in unison, chairs scraping on the floor with their urgency. Trowa looked to Heero, and motioned to the doorway with his head. Heero stood, his own chair scraping on the floor. He followed the three boys out of the dining room, down the hall, into another hall and toward the foyer.

 

Trent was leaning on the doorframe talking to Duo who stood with shoulders hunched, feet together and his hands clasped in front of him. He looked very small.

 

“Duo!” Heero couldn't help himself and the name blurted out before he realized he called it.

 

Trent looked up with wide eyes (fear maybe?) when he saw Wufei standing with his hands behind his back looking very menacing next to Heero, who looked quite pissed himself. Heero advanced and stood between Trent and Duo. Quatre made to follow, but Trowa stuck his arm out and blocked him, shaking his head.

 

“But—”Quatre began quietly, only to receive another shake from Trowa.

 

 

“We warned you, Trent. Why would you come back?” Heero's voice was low and deadly, suggesting Trent should pick his words wisely.

 

“I…um…I came to…” Trent looked from Heero to Wufei to Trowa to Quatre and realized he was certainly outnumbered. There was only one thing he could do right now, and he knew he'd regret it when he was alone at night with no one to take care of his needs. “I came to say goodbye to Duo…you know, in case he started to wonder where I went and why I never said goodbye.”

 

“You lying bastard!” Relena came running up to the group, Hilde, Meilan, and Catherine following behind her. “Duo is our friend, and we're not going to let you hurt him anymore.”

 

“Yeah? Well....”

 

“You guys,” Duo began as Trent trailed off, his voice quiet as he turned to face his friends. “It's okay, really. We were just talking and—”

 

“No,” Heero grabbed Duo by the arms and made Duo face him. “It's not okay. None of this is okay.”

 

“Heero, you don't understand,” Duo almost smirked as he said this, as if Heero were a child and couldn't comprehend “grown-up” concepts.

 

“No, you don't understand, Duo! You don't get it, at all. NONE OF THIS IS ALRIGHT!” Heero didn't mean to lose his cool; he didn't want to snap, but there was no way he was going to stand there and let Duo think that anything that had happened up until this point was okay. If Trowa and Quatre and all the others were just going to wait around for Duo to fix himself, Heero wasn't going to let them. He refused to stand back with the others and just let the world fall down around Duo. He was going to fix it, and he'd do it even if the others wouldn't help him. “Goddamn it, Duo, don't you see anything? Are you that fucking blind!?”

 

“Heero?” The colour had drained from Duo's face, his eyes dull and scared as he felt Heero's hand grip him firmly and start to pull him away from everyone. He was being dragged across the foyer, up the stairs to the left, down the hall and into the bathroom.

 

The door slammed behind him. And was locked.

 

“Heero?” Duo was scared.

 

Heero was huffing and shaking, his face pink with rage and his blue eyes almost black with fury.

 

“DO YOU NOT SEE THAT?” Heero grabbed Duo by the arm and pulled him in front of the large bathroom mirror. He roughly stripped Duo's shirt off so that all you could see of his back were bandages with pink lines. “DO YOU?! You're fucking insane!” Heero pushed Duo away, who stood near the door, trying to wrap his arms around himself and become small as he stared at his reflection. “THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR HEAD IF YOU THINK THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT PEOPLE DO TO YOU! What you LET them do to you!” Heero's tone was full of disgust.

 

 

Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Meilan, Relena, Catherine, and Hilde stood outside the bathroom door, listening with horror to what was going on inside. Quatre shook his head, tears starting to form in his eyes. He had enough and wasn't going to let Heero talk to Duo like that any longer. He moved to the door, and Trowa reached out, wrapping his arms around the blond and brought him back toward his chest.

 

“No, Quatre. We can't help him now.”

 

“That's not right!” Heero shouted from inside the bathroom. “Do you see that?! DO YOU FUCKING SEE THAT?!” Heero pointed to Duo's bandages, and in a fit he grabbed an edge of tape and ripped some of the bandage away.

 

“Heero, stop it, please!” Duo backed away. He didn't want to see himself, and he didn't want to be touched.

 

“NO! Look at yourself…” Heero ripped all of the bandages away and pulled Duo toward the mirror. He turned him around so that his back was facing the mirror, and tried to force his head to the side so that he was forced to look at himself in the mirror “…Fucking LOOK-AT-YOURSELF! That's sick!”“Heero,” Duo tried to pull away, “you just don't understand.”

 

“Damned right I don't understand!” Heero held Duo firmly by the shoulders, standing right in front of him so that they were forced to make eye contact. “I don't understand how you can talk to him after he did that to you. You're fucked in the head. That's what it is. You are severely fucked in the head.”

 

“No, he didn't mean it. We just got carried away—”

 

“You have no respect for yourself. You have no love for yourself and you have no self-esteem. You're playing the fucking victim and it makes me want to puke. Grow some goddamned balls and tell Trent to fuck off.”

 

“Why?! So some prince fucking charming can whisk me away? My life is not a fairy tale, Heero.”

 

“It's close enough. Open your fucking eyes.” Heero turned to leave when Duo grabbed him by the arm. Turning to face him, Heero was surprised to see Duo's face full of indignant rage.

 

“You don't know anything about me!” Duo shouted as he leaned in toward Heero.

 

“I know,” Heero began, “that you're unhappy.”

 

“You don't know the first thing about being unhappy! You don't know what it feels like to wake up in the morning and wish you hadn't. You have no idea what it's like to die in front of your parents every day and for them to not even care. And you know what? I know how pathetic I sound, and that makes it worse, because I can't stand being such a pussy and bitching over things like this but goddamned it, Heero! At least you're loved!”

 

“If you'd stop feeling so goddamned sorry for yourself and look around, you'd realize you are loved. You have the most amazing friends who never turn their backs on you. So your family life is shitty…it's really shitty. But no family is perfect. No family is—”

 

 

“What the hell—you have a perfect family. So you don't have a mom, but you have a dad who cares about you. My parents forget my name sometimes, okay? I'm their only child and they can't even remember my fucking name.”

 

“At least you know your name!” Heero turned away from Duo, not wanting to see him any longer.

 

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

 

But Heero could see Duo's reflection in the mirror, his frail looking physique hunched over slightly, a few stray bandages still stuck to his back hung loosely behind him. Sighing, Heero turned to face Duo, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“My father found me when I was four walking in an alley. He asked me what my name was, but I had no idea. The only name, the only thing, I could remember was Heero Yuy. I don't even know if that's my name. At least you're sure of yours.”

 

“I wish I had been found by someone who loves me—”

 

“Goddamned it!” Heero turned on Duo, slamming both of his fists into the door on either side of Duo's head. Deep trembling violet eyes matched burning blue ones. “You are loved. Everyone loves you, all of your friends. They care so much, so deeply, about you. They're all so worried and so protective and…” Heero was losing energy. Arguing was taking so much out of him, he leaned forward, almost pressing himself against Duo as he rested his forehead on the door behind the braided boy. They were almost cheek to cheek and Duo couldn't help but tremble.

 

“Well…are you—is that what this is about, I mean…are you my friend?”

 

Heero could feel Duo's voice rumble as he leaned against the boy. Nodding his head into the door he whispered into Duo's ear, “Yes…yes.”

 

[X]-[X]-[X]

 

Heero looked down at the white piece of paper with the school's name that had been left on his desk: Monthly Newsletter. The first article red, in big bold letters: This Thursday, Parent Teacher Interviews! All are encouraged to come! Heero rolled his eyes. Odin, though he cared about Heero's academics, didn't really care about the teachers. Heero got straight A's, so why would Odin need to go to see his teachers? So they could tell Odin what was written on Heero's term report card? Odin could read; he didn't need it spelled out for him.

 

 

Odin sighed as he shifted from his right leg to his left. He had been waiting in line for ten minutes and Heero's religion teacher had been talking to the same parents.

 

“How long does it take to explain `I gave your child an F because he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground'?”

 

“Odin,” Heero scolded as the parents in front of them turned around to see who made the comment.

 

 

Heero wasn't sure exactly why there were there. Odin never insisted on seeing Heero's teachers before, but Heero had a sneaky suspicion it had to do with his new friends. Odin was curious about Heero's new life, and wanted to meet the people Heero was hanging around with.

 

“Heero!”

 

Heero turned around as Quatre entered the gym in front of a smiling man and a beautiful woman. Heero could tell where Quatre got his looks from. Turning around to talk to them, Quatre nodded quickly and then ran toward Heero with Quatre's parents following at a normal pace.

 

“Hey, Quatre.”

 

“I thought you said you weren't coming.”

 

Heero motioned to Odin with his head, “he suddenly thought it was a good idea.”

 

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Quatre blushed. “Forgive my rudeness; I didn't introduce myself. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner of the Winner family.” Quatre bowed his head slightly then straightened and stuck out his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

 

Odin smiled as he shook Quatre's hand. “Heero, you didn't tell me all your friends were this polite.”

 

“They're not,” Heero mumbled thinking of the loud and boisterous Hilde and Catherine…and Duo.

 

“Wait,” Odin stumbled, “Winner? Heero, why didn't you tell me you were friends with the Winner boy?” Odin turned back to Quatre. “Your father owns 95 percent of the shares in the company I work for. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Quatre.”

 

“I'm sure I mentioned it,” Heero mumbled to himself, for he wasn't positive and honestly couldn't remember if he had told Odin or not.

 

By this time Mr. and Mrs. Winner had caught up with Quatre and began to introduce themselves to Odin, who introduced himself and Heero in return.

 

“Quatre!—HEERO!”

 

“Great,” Heero mumbled under his breath. It wasn't that he didn't like Hilde and Catherine. Actually, he enjoyed their company and their humour and wit, but he also found them to be slightly annoying in the fact that he always got the feeling they liked him.

 

“Friends of yours?” Odin asked with a smile on his face.

 

Heero was about to speak when he noticed Trowa was right behind them, and behind him were Trowa's parents and (he was guessing) Hilde's mother because they looked identical.

 

“Are you all here?” Heero asked Quatre.

 

 

Quatre nodded. “Parent teacher interviews are kinda political for our families. Because then everyone sees us together and they look and say `that's a solid family; I'll buy from their company'…or so our parents think. It gives them a chance to mingle away from cameras and formalities.”

 

“I see.” Heero looked around the large gym.

 

“I don't see Duo.”

 

“I'll be surprised if they're here,” Quatre sighed. “His parents don't care much. They'll only be here if they're in town, and if they remembered to come.”

 

Trowa, Catherine, Hilde and all of their parents walked over, parents talking amongst themselves while Odin was somewhat left out because, after introducing himself, he really didn't have much to say to them.

 

“Okay, we're really glad the both of you are here. Quatre, Heero, as you both know prom is coming soon so we want you to come shopping with us for dresses.” Hilde smiled as she grabbed Heero's arm and tugged on it lightly. “And before you say a word, we need you because we need guys to tell us how we look.”

 

“And since you're the least gay one,” Catherine smiled sweetly, “we thought we'd have you tag along. And since Quatre's the gayest one, we need his fashion advice.”

 

“Way to stereotype, Catherine!” Quatre folded his arms over his chest as he tapped one foot on the tiled gym floor. He wasn't the only one who had heard the comment, though.

 

“Wait, prom? Isn't that until—”

 

“Grade twelve?” Catherine asked as Heero nodded. “Well, I am in grade twelve and Hilde's my date. That's the only way someone who's not in grade twelve can go, if they're someone's date.”

 

“C'mon, Heero, pleeeease?” Hilde begged as she tugged on Heero's arm. “We really need you to come with us!”

 

“Well…”

 

Quatre sighed as he shifted his weight to his other foot. “I'll go with you girls, cuz I've been meaning to go shopping lately. Heero'll go, too. Honestly,” Quatre turned to Heero whose eyes darkened when Quatre volunteered him to go, “you'll have fun.”

 

“Whatever.” Heero threw his arms in the air in defeat.

 

 

“Look.” Heero and Odin sat in the large square near the front of the school in front of the library doors. The staff had taken it and turned it into a coffee station for the parents. There were lots of chairs in rows and circles where parents talked freely amongst themselves.

 

“What?” Odin sat down next to Heero and handed him a coffee.

 

“It's him…Duo.” Heero discreetly pointed to Duo who sat isolated from his parents who were talking with Quatre's parents (Quatre nowhere in sight).

 

 

“The guy who broke your leg? Where?”

 

“Right there. The guy with the braid.” As Heero said this, Duo (who was looking around the room) noticed Heero and Odin sipping on the coffees.

 

“Dad?” Duo tugged on his father's sleeve, who ignored him. Duo tugged a little harder but to no avail. He still didn't get the attention of his rambling father. “Dad? I'm going to go find my friends.”

 

Duo's father continued to ignore him. “Dad? Dad? Hey dad? Mom? Mom? Mom? Hey, dad? Hello? Dad? Wow, look at this. I've learned how to tie a noose. Yep, I have. I've become a real pro at it. Yeah, that's me, the one with a long rope and a noose.”

 

Heero watched in mild horrification as Duo gestured wildly and spoke with exaggerated movements to no one. Duo had officially lost it.

 

“And look over there, a giant fan big enough to support my weight.” Duo waited for a moment. (In reality, no fan was anywhere near them as the school had central air and felt that fans weren't necessary.) When Duo still didn't get a response from his father or his mother at that point, he spoke a little louder. “And there's chairs all around so all you have to do is kick it out from under me and how can you sit there and ignore everything I say, goddamn it!”

 

“What?!” Duo's father turned around angrily, which surprised Duo and made him jump.

 

“I…uh,” he almost forgot what he was trying to say. “I'm going to take off for a bit. I just wanted to let you know, in case you were wondering where I went—”

 

“You bothered me for that?” Duo's father snapped and turned back to the conversation he was having with his wife and Mr. and Mrs. Winner.

 

Duo sighed, “I dunno Dad. I thought you would've cared just a little. Well fuck this, I'm going to go find my friends.” Duo knew his father could no longer hear him, so it didn't matter what he said. There were many times his parents had completely tuned him out, as if he didn't exist anymore.

 

Just as Duo was standing from his chair, Trowa and Quatre came up behind Heero and sat next to him. He found it hard to turn away from Duo, who looked so timid when his father turned on him. That was the first time he had ever seen Duo interact with his parents, and he was sure he didn't want to see it again.

 

“Hey,” Trowa smiled, then bowed his head at Odin, “nice to see you again Mr. Lowe.”

 

“God, please, call me Odin. Mr. Lowe makes me sound so old.”

 

“You are old,” Heero mumbled into his coffee, only to receive a playful smack in the back of his head.

 

 

Duo dejectedly trudged toward the group, his head hanging low as his feet dragged. Things had certainly felt different between the two of them lately, and even though Heero and Duo had decided they were friends, it really didn't feel like it. Ever since Meilan's birthday party a month ago things were just different. Heero wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but at least there wasn't constant animosity flowing between them.

 

“Quat,” Duo mumbled softly as he sat on the floor in front of Quatre. He placed his chin on Quatre's knee, and lazily brought his hand up to poke at Heero's cup of coffee. “Quat, I need a walk.”

 

Quatre turned to Trowa and Heero, “You don't mind?”

 

“No,” Trowa and Heero replied in unison.

 

“That's stuff's not good for you, caffeine and all that junk,” Duo's dark violet eyes started into Heero's and Heero smirked, leaning toward Duo.

 

“You shouldn't give advice on how to take care of yourself.”

 

Duo shrugged, “whatever.”

 

He stood, and soon Quatre and Duo set off just as Heero recognized Trowa's father (and he assumed his mother) sit next to Duo's parents. The three sets of parents talked wildly and eventually Heero got bored of watching them.

 

“So,” Heero started a string of conversation which was prompted by reminiscing about Trowa's father's sexy Aston Martin, “what exactly do all your parents do? You're all so…wealthy.”

 

“Well, Treize's dad owns some investor's groups and his mother inherited a lot of money from her father. Their house in the county is the only one they own, so it's kinda extravagant, isn't it?”

Heero nodded.

 

“Relena and Zechs, their father is into politics. Dorothy's parents are old money, something to do with old royalty. Quatre's father owns resource companies. My mother's a lawyer and my father owns a lot of huge international software companies. Duo…well, it's obvious, isn't it?”

 

Heero shook his head. He had no clue what Trowa meant.

 

“Heero…you didn't notice while you were at his house?” Trowa waited, but only received a blank stare from Heero. “Duo's backpack…Carcus,” Trowa rolled the letter “R” and added an almost French accent to the “us” at the end. Heero still didn't know what he was talking about. “His mother is a fashion designer, Heero. You've never heard of Carcus?”

 

“Wait, what?” Heero shook his head, baffled. That would explain all the trips to Paris. “I've never heard of it, but…wow.”

 

Trowa nodded. “Yep, and Duo hates it all. He likes `normal' clothes from the mall. You know, generic brands like Levi and in-store brands. His mom gets furious, but he doesn't care.”

 

“Oh.” Heero sipped his coffee. “And what about the others?”

 

 

Trowa sipped on his coffee and thought about how he would word his next sentence. “Well, they're normal. Wufei's family owns a small Chinese antique shop. Meilan's mom works in an office and her dad in a plant. Noin's dad works at a bank and her mom works in an office. Hilde's mom is a kindergarten teacher.”

 

“Oh,” Heero nodded. So at least they weren't all filthy rich like Treize and Duo. It made him feel a little more comfortable with the thought of bringing someone over, though he doubted he ever would. Especially if Odin was home, there just wouldn't be enough room.

 

“I'm gunna go find Quatre, okay?” Trowa stood. “Are you coming?”

 

“No.” Heero shook his head; he'd never leave Odin by himself. “I'm cool here. I'll catch up with you guys later, or see you tomorrow.”

 

“Alright,” Trowa smiled and nodded to Odin. “Nice seeing you again, Odin.”

 

“You too.” Odin nodded in return, but his smile was missing.

 

 

“So, you've mentioned that Relena is a lesbian,” Odin pulled out of the parking lot, turning the left signal light on.

 

“Yeah,” Heero nodded. He wasn't sure where the conversation was going, and that unnerved him.

 

“And…so, Quatre. He's…”

 

“Gay.”

 

Odin pulled out onto the street and made a quick right. He waited at the light at the end of the street, and turned left.

 

“And your other friends?”

 

Heero looked out the window. “Trowa's gay; Wufei is bisexual but he's engaged to Meilan who's straight; Zechs is bisexual and dating Noin who's bisexual; Catherine and Hilde are straight; Dorothy is straight, we think.” Heero mused to himself how much like Quatre he was getting at explaining things rather quickly.

 

They traveled down the busy street in silence for a while, stopping at red lights when they demanded surrendering. “And what about that Duo boy?”

 

“Gay. You don't have a problem with that, do you? That my friends are—”

 

“No.” Odin shook his head, cutting Heero off. “No, not at all, no.” But by the tone he used, Heero guessed otherwise. “But…you know, Duo, I thought you two hated each other.”

 

“We're friends now—”

 

“He broke your leg!” Odin flicked the plastic boot with one hand, the other still gripping the steering wheel.

 

 

“And it's almost healed. I get this stupid thing off Saturday. That doesn't matter though. We're friends now.” Heero stared at the sports bar as they turned right. They were constructing a volleyball court at the back of it.

 

“But you two hated each other.” Odin pulled to the right into the parking lot for their apartment building.

 

“We don't hate each other anymore. I don't think we really ever did.”

 

Odin pulled into the parking space and turned the car off. Turning to Heero, he made eye contact and sat there in silence for a while before he spoke again. “And you are?”

 

“What?” Heero's brows furrowed.

 

“Are you heterosexual, Heero?”

 

“Odin! I can't believe we're having this conversation.” Heero crossed his arms over his chest and refused to look Odin in the eye.

 

“Are you—”

 

“I'm nothing, okay?” Heero undid his seatbelt and manually unlocked his door.

 

“Nothing? Like, nothing because you don't like boys or nothing because you don't like girls?” Odin quickly did the same, following Heero as he got out of the car and walked toward the building.

 

“Nothing because I've never met anyone who's interested me that way. Quatre calls it asexual. I call it nothing.”

 

[X]-[X]-[X]

 

“Okay, so I know this is totally last minute, but since tonight is semi-formal and half our school is gunna party—”

 

“And by half you mean the grade elevens,” Quatre spoke up as he placed his tray on the table.

 

They were once again at the mall after school, occupying far too many food court benches than normal. (They didn't squeeze four people to a table.)

 

“Well,” Hilde paused to take a bite of her sub, “you know what I mean. My point is that we should all chill at my house tonight. I asked my mom already and she said it was cool.”

 

Great, another party. It didn't take long for Heero to realize that was all they did, and drama always ensued when Duo was inebriated. Heero didn't feel like putting himself through another energy-draining experience concerning Duo, but he listened with feigned interest anyway.

 

“But, cuz my mom'll be there,” Hilde started, “no booze or weed. We'll just chill with some movies and food or something—play DDR.”

 

 

“I can't,” Relena spoke up. “Family thing. Someone's birthday, or a retirement…something like that I forget, but I can't go.”

 

“We can go,” Catherine leaned toward Trowa who sat at his own table with Quatre and Duo, and she gently slapped his arm. “Right?”

 

Trowa nodded, a mouth full of chicken pita.

 

“Not us,” Wufei informed the group. “Meilan and I are going out to dinner.”

 

“Aw, how sweet.” Heero couldn't tell if Dorothy was sincere or sarcastic, but she turned to Hilde, “I can't go either.” Dorothy, Heero noticed, didn't really hang out with them after school, besides going to the mall. She had been to one party so far, and had disappeared while there.

 

They all talked amongst themselves and soon it was only Trowa, Quatre, Catherine, and Duo that could go. Heero wasn't sure yet. He didn't have to work that Friday, for a change, but he had to go to the hospital the next morning to get his boot and cast removed. He wanted to go now, now that he knew intoxicants were prohibited at this “party”.

 

“Well, just ask your dad, and if you can't go we'll eat brownies in honour of you—”

 

“Brownies?” Duo's brow cocked and he looked from Quatre to Hilde.

 

“Quatre's brownies, Duo. Not special brownies.”

 

Duo shrugged. “Either works for me. Ehn, I gotta piss—”

 

“Thanks for sharing, oh civilized one.” Dorothy rolled her eyes and brought her diet Coke to her lips.

 

Duo stood, leaving his half eaten meal for when he returned. He started off in the direction of the washroom and vanished into the ravenous crowd of hungry mall goers. Heero reached for his drink and, after sucking back a third of the cup's contents, he soon realized he had to go himself.

 

“Be right back.” Heero stood and also disappeared into the massive throng of people as he headed toward the restrooms. He turned into a secluded hallway and stopped dead.

 

“What are you doing?” Heero called out.

 

“Heero?” Duo turned with wide eyes and watched Heero approach him. “I was just…I mean…talking…just talking.”

 

Trent leaned against the lockers, a ridiculous smirk on his smug face. It was just Heero. Trent wasn't afraid of just Heero.

 

“That's right. We were talking, so mind your business.” Trent touched Duo's chin and turned his face so he could look at him.

 

 

Before Trent could say or do anything else, his face was being pushed against the cool bricks of the wall, his arm painfully twisted around his back. Wide eyed and slightly disorientated from such sudden movement, it took only a moment to realize that maybe he should be afraid of just Heero.

 

“You were told to never touch Duo again.”

 

Duo stood back and watched Heero's impressive strength emanate off the boy. Duo had never seen anything like it, even when he watched Wufei at his martial arts competitions. Even when they fought at Treize's house Heero wasn't that strong or intimidating. Did that mean that Heero had held back on him? Whatever the case, Heero certainly wasn't holding back now and, realizing that the situation could result in one or both of the fighting boys getting in severe trouble, Duo couldn't stand back and watch.

 

“Heero!” Duo put a hand on Heero's arm. “Enough, stop!”

 

“Why are you defending him?!” Heero's head snapped to the side as he asked angrily.

 

“I'm not. You don't need to do something stupid and get into trouble cuz of me, cuz you're pissed at me.”

 

Heero slowly let his grip on Trent loosen as Duo's words hit him. Using this as an oppourtunity, Trent pulled away and backed himself into the corner near the lockers. He looked around, if need be there was a service door he could escape through. But he wasn't ready to give up the fight just yet.

 

“What, so you are about this chink bastard, Duo? Is he fucking you now?—”

 

“What, no! And he's Japanese you racist prick!” Duo's face flushed with what he hoped was anger. “Trent, just…just fuck off, okay? I don't have anything else to say to you, so just leave me the fuck alone.”

 

Duo grabbed Heero by the arm and, turning on the spot, dragged the Asian boy away from Trent. Duo dragged Heero all the way back to the table, to where their friends were laughing and joking (and eating) happily. Heero looked down at the slender fingers than were clasped around his arm. Slender and gentle…that was the first thought Heero ever had of Duo. He had forgotten until now. Even in his indignant rage Duo was still gentle with Heero. And Heero couldn't help it, he really hadn't done it in front of anyone, but he smiled. He looked down at Duo's fingers and up at his flushed face and smiled.

 

“You know,” Heero said quietly when they were within a step of the tables, “you're awfully red.” Heero brought his other hand up and softly poked Duo's cheeks, which made him stop suddenly right behind Dorothy.

 

“I am?” Duo turned to Heero, brows furrowed, and then gaped at the boy. “You're smiling!”

 

“I know.”

 

“What?” Hilde turned to Duo and Heero, the ever nosy one. “What's going on?”

 

“Nothing.” Heero sat down, “I took care of it.”

 

 

Trowa gave him a stern look as Heero took a sip of his drink and realized that he still had to go to the washroom. “Damnit,” he muttered.

 

TBC.

 

A/N: Well, school is here. Full course load again. I think I'm subconsciously trying to kill myself by means of text books. Anyway, from the looks of things this is going to be a huge project. So, I just want to thank everyone who's been really patient with me. It means a lot!