Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2002 7:00 am
What Ever Makes You Happy
*Does best broken record impersonation* I do not own Gundam Wing? blah, blah, blah
Chapter Eight
Heero scowled at the incessant deluge of rain as it saturated everything it touched. Leaning back against his sheltering doorframe, he watched as a couple braved the elements to cross the street. The tall man held his coat over his head attempting to shelter his partner. She smiled up at him, laughing with him as they splashed through the growing puddles. As they reached the cover of a shop?s awning, the man leant down to kiss the woman gently, whispering something in her ear that triggered an apparent flirtatious giggle in response. Heero?s frown deepened, the intimate moment between the two simply reminding him where he would much rather be.
He had lost count of how many times now he had cursed not planting a tracking device on Hilde?s backpack. He had been wandered around for hours now, tracking the proverbial needle in a haystack. To make matters worse, it had been raining for over an hour, slowing his search down even more. Maybe he was losing his touch.
A shrill ring interrupted his thoughts, and with a sigh he fished his commlink from his pocket. He grunted at the face that flashed onto the screen. The blonde haired caller grimaced slightly at Heero?s hostile expression.
?Things not going well, I see.? Quatre ventured. His reply was another rigid grunt.
?Oookay,? he continued, ?Well, Wufei has been making some enquiries, and has found she?s booked on a shuttle to the L2 sector in a little under four hours. I guess you?ll find her at the shuttle port, sometime soon I would think.?
Heero nodded slightly, his expression appearing more accommodating.
?How is Duo??
Quatre glanced quickly to his left.
?He?s still in his room. He?s alive at least? I can hear him moving around. I thought I might? check on him in a moment.?
?And Relena??
?Trowa took her home. He?s going to stay with her until you get back.?
Heero nodded, satisfied. Not too long ago, this would have been unwelcome news, but now there was no one he trusted more.
?I?ll head for the ?port then.?
About to disconnect the call, he was interrupted by Quatre?s subdued question,
?Heero, do you really think you can bring her back??
?Even if I have to bind, gag and drag her home.?
******
Quatre sighed, leaning back in his seat as he turned off the communicator. There was a clattering to his left, and the sound of the washing machine humming to life. Eyebrows raised, he rose quickly and moved towards the laundry. He stopped at the sight of his braided friend rummaging around in the hallway closet. He was muttering to himself as he rifled through the carefully organised linen. With a flourish he drew out a set of faded flannel sheets. Turning, his eyes widened as he realised he was being observed.
?Cat man!? his voice bore a forced tenor of cheerfulness ?What are you doing here??
?Not much,? Quatre?s reply eluded a true answer, as he quickly returned his own question.
?What are you doing??
Duo shrugged, looking at the cloth in his hands.
?Cleaning.?
?It?s 2 o?clock in the morning Duo.?
?Really?? Duo?s voice was empty, and a flash of something dark flared in his eyes ?I hadn?t noticed.?
Turning on his heel, he walked back to his room, Quatre following silently behind. He shook out the sheets, his posture rigid as he began to remake the bed with stiff, rough movements.
?Go home Q. There?s nothing to see here. Go lavish your pity on someone else.?
Quatre ignored him, choosing to continue watching him in silence. The demeanour of the other man puzzled him. He had expected grief, anger, and tears even. Relena had already quietly told him of the state both Duo and the apartment had been in when they had found him. This quiet? acceptance worried him.
Bed made, Duo turned again, brushing passed Quatre, as he made his way to the bathroom. There was a sharp popping of breaking glass, as something was apparently knocked to the ground. Duo was kneeling on the floor; shoulders hunched as he gathered up the shattered remains of a perfume bottle. The air reeked with the strong, floral fragrance.
Quatre saw Duo flinch slightly, as a piece of the ornate crystal nicked his finger, drawing a bright bead of crimson onto his skin. Head bowed, he thrust the injured digit into his mouth, just as a low sob burst from his lips.
?She gave up on me Quatre! How could she do that? I thought she loved me. How could she think that I would just move on??
Quatre sighed, shaken by the intensity in his friends? eyes. It was an expression he had not seen since the day Duo had carried Hilde?s battered form onto Peacemillion.
?She didn?t give up on you. She would never give up on you. She gave up on herself.?
Duo shot Quatre a dark look, as he rose back to his feet, throwing the gathered glass into the waste paper basket as he stalked out of the room. Following him into the kitchen, Quatre persisted,
?Grief affects different people, different ways Duo. So much has been happening lately, perhaps it just proved too much for her.?
Duo yanked open the freezer door, scouring the contents until he had retrieved a tub of chocolate ice cream. Tearing the lid off, he began to gouge at its? contents with a spoon, stabbing at the confection with aggressive jabs.
?Too much for her? Are we talking about the same person here? You mean the same Hilde that practically took on the White Fang single-handed, just to help us out? Or the one that turned some run down scrap yard into such a profitable business that we sold it for three times its original value? Nothing was ever too much for her!?
Quatre smiled softly at his friend and his rose coloured glasses.
?She never boarded Libra for us. She boarded Libra for you. We both know that. You?ve overwhelmed her since the day you met her. And I believe it?s always frightened her a little. She?s kind, intelligent and selfless. And she has never believed that she deserved you. I wouldn?t be surprised if she?s been unconsciously waiting for a reason to appear that would confirm all her fears.?
?I should never have let her go. How could I have let her walk away like that? I?m a damned coward.?
Duo dropped the mangled ice cream onto the bench, as he moved to peer out the kitchen window.
?Trowa was right, I?ve ruined everything for the sake of my own stupid pride.?
******
He found her hunched down in one of the boarding lounge seats, her backpack tucked protectively between her feet and a magazine lying open across her lap. Her chin rested against her chest, as she dozed lightly. He crept closer, finally sliding casually into the seat beside her. She moved slightly, and he froze, not wishing to disturb her? not yet.
Looking down, he saw a slightly creased Polaroid clutched in her fingers. Curiosity won out, and he leaned across to take a closer look. The picture was quickly snatched away, however, as a scathing voice stopped him.
?Well, well. I am honoured. Of all the people I least expected to see here, it would have to have been you.?
******
*Does best broken record impersonation* I do not own Gundam Wing? blah, blah, blah
Chapter Eight
Heero scowled at the incessant deluge of rain as it saturated everything it touched. Leaning back against his sheltering doorframe, he watched as a couple braved the elements to cross the street. The tall man held his coat over his head attempting to shelter his partner. She smiled up at him, laughing with him as they splashed through the growing puddles. As they reached the cover of a shop?s awning, the man leant down to kiss the woman gently, whispering something in her ear that triggered an apparent flirtatious giggle in response. Heero?s frown deepened, the intimate moment between the two simply reminding him where he would much rather be.
He had lost count of how many times now he had cursed not planting a tracking device on Hilde?s backpack. He had been wandered around for hours now, tracking the proverbial needle in a haystack. To make matters worse, it had been raining for over an hour, slowing his search down even more. Maybe he was losing his touch.
A shrill ring interrupted his thoughts, and with a sigh he fished his commlink from his pocket. He grunted at the face that flashed onto the screen. The blonde haired caller grimaced slightly at Heero?s hostile expression.
?Things not going well, I see.? Quatre ventured. His reply was another rigid grunt.
?Oookay,? he continued, ?Well, Wufei has been making some enquiries, and has found she?s booked on a shuttle to the L2 sector in a little under four hours. I guess you?ll find her at the shuttle port, sometime soon I would think.?
Heero nodded slightly, his expression appearing more accommodating.
?How is Duo??
Quatre glanced quickly to his left.
?He?s still in his room. He?s alive at least? I can hear him moving around. I thought I might? check on him in a moment.?
?And Relena??
?Trowa took her home. He?s going to stay with her until you get back.?
Heero nodded, satisfied. Not too long ago, this would have been unwelcome news, but now there was no one he trusted more.
?I?ll head for the ?port then.?
About to disconnect the call, he was interrupted by Quatre?s subdued question,
?Heero, do you really think you can bring her back??
?Even if I have to bind, gag and drag her home.?
******
Quatre sighed, leaning back in his seat as he turned off the communicator. There was a clattering to his left, and the sound of the washing machine humming to life. Eyebrows raised, he rose quickly and moved towards the laundry. He stopped at the sight of his braided friend rummaging around in the hallway closet. He was muttering to himself as he rifled through the carefully organised linen. With a flourish he drew out a set of faded flannel sheets. Turning, his eyes widened as he realised he was being observed.
?Cat man!? his voice bore a forced tenor of cheerfulness ?What are you doing here??
?Not much,? Quatre?s reply eluded a true answer, as he quickly returned his own question.
?What are you doing??
Duo shrugged, looking at the cloth in his hands.
?Cleaning.?
?It?s 2 o?clock in the morning Duo.?
?Really?? Duo?s voice was empty, and a flash of something dark flared in his eyes ?I hadn?t noticed.?
Turning on his heel, he walked back to his room, Quatre following silently behind. He shook out the sheets, his posture rigid as he began to remake the bed with stiff, rough movements.
?Go home Q. There?s nothing to see here. Go lavish your pity on someone else.?
Quatre ignored him, choosing to continue watching him in silence. The demeanour of the other man puzzled him. He had expected grief, anger, and tears even. Relena had already quietly told him of the state both Duo and the apartment had been in when they had found him. This quiet? acceptance worried him.
Bed made, Duo turned again, brushing passed Quatre, as he made his way to the bathroom. There was a sharp popping of breaking glass, as something was apparently knocked to the ground. Duo was kneeling on the floor; shoulders hunched as he gathered up the shattered remains of a perfume bottle. The air reeked with the strong, floral fragrance.
Quatre saw Duo flinch slightly, as a piece of the ornate crystal nicked his finger, drawing a bright bead of crimson onto his skin. Head bowed, he thrust the injured digit into his mouth, just as a low sob burst from his lips.
?She gave up on me Quatre! How could she do that? I thought she loved me. How could she think that I would just move on??
Quatre sighed, shaken by the intensity in his friends? eyes. It was an expression he had not seen since the day Duo had carried Hilde?s battered form onto Peacemillion.
?She didn?t give up on you. She would never give up on you. She gave up on herself.?
Duo shot Quatre a dark look, as he rose back to his feet, throwing the gathered glass into the waste paper basket as he stalked out of the room. Following him into the kitchen, Quatre persisted,
?Grief affects different people, different ways Duo. So much has been happening lately, perhaps it just proved too much for her.?
Duo yanked open the freezer door, scouring the contents until he had retrieved a tub of chocolate ice cream. Tearing the lid off, he began to gouge at its? contents with a spoon, stabbing at the confection with aggressive jabs.
?Too much for her? Are we talking about the same person here? You mean the same Hilde that practically took on the White Fang single-handed, just to help us out? Or the one that turned some run down scrap yard into such a profitable business that we sold it for three times its original value? Nothing was ever too much for her!?
Quatre smiled softly at his friend and his rose coloured glasses.
?She never boarded Libra for us. She boarded Libra for you. We both know that. You?ve overwhelmed her since the day you met her. And I believe it?s always frightened her a little. She?s kind, intelligent and selfless. And she has never believed that she deserved you. I wouldn?t be surprised if she?s been unconsciously waiting for a reason to appear that would confirm all her fears.?
?I should never have let her go. How could I have let her walk away like that? I?m a damned coward.?
Duo dropped the mangled ice cream onto the bench, as he moved to peer out the kitchen window.
?Trowa was right, I?ve ruined everything for the sake of my own stupid pride.?
******
He found her hunched down in one of the boarding lounge seats, her backpack tucked protectively between her feet and a magazine lying open across her lap. Her chin rested against her chest, as she dozed lightly. He crept closer, finally sliding casually into the seat beside her. She moved slightly, and he froze, not wishing to disturb her? not yet.
Looking down, he saw a slightly creased Polaroid clutched in her fingers. Curiosity won out, and he leaned across to take a closer look. The picture was quickly snatched away, however, as a scathing voice stopped him.
?Well, well. I am honoured. Of all the people I least expected to see here, it would have to have been you.?
******
