Obsinately, Heero was still at the desk, typing with a measured beat. A familiar sight, he had heard Duo coming and looked up long enough to acknowledge him without stopping whatever he was doing.
A flick of blue over the top of the screen and gone. That was all it was for a few long moments filled by the cricket-chirps of tapping keys. Finally, Heero spoke, reluctantly closing the laptop with a soft click, "Hello."
"Yo," Duo greeted with a lopsided grin. "Came to make you sleep." Heero already knew that, but hey, couldn't hurt to say it again. Anything to drive the point that even perfect soldiers needed sleep into his thick head.
Heero looked tired, Duo was quickly realizing, and sounded it too. His voice was soft, his movements slightly slower than usual, and if the rings under his eyes didn't give it away, well.
Duo was hit with another twinge of guilt as he looked at them. Obviously they would have been worse before Trowa had made him sleep- how had he not noticed before? God, he felt horrible.
"How're you doing?" He asked in a softer voice, sitting on the edge of Heero's bed.
"I am not injured, 02," Heero ground out, emotions turned grumpy by the unhappy insinuations on Duo's face, "I'm not dieing, or ill. I-"
He paused, or was it hesitated? It was some kind of symptom of this ongoing association with Duo...and that thought made him want to scowl. Hesitation would breed liabilities, or was that just the lack of sleep?
"I'm fine," he tried again, calm as a still pool. What was expected? What was the truth? Heero hated this out of control feeling, of not knowing the right thing to do. He wasn't trained for this, dammit! "I mi...missed you."
Duo felt the silly grin split his face before he even registered Heero's other words properly, mind zeroing in on the last, soft part. "You did? I woulda missed you too but I was sorta asleep. Otherwise sentiment totally returned."
He almost bounced in place, leaning forward just slightly to watch Heero with sparkling eyes. There was still that little bit of guilt, though- how could he have not noticed, damn it, it was so obvious!
It was only a few hours later that Heero woke. He didn't stiffen or gasp, or even scream, as most people would have. It was an even bet as to whether his heart rate had increased, or if the pounding of it in his eardrums was purely illusory.
Fire and death, the tumbling bulk of an apartment complex. Grit and wind and horrible killing heat snatching at his hair and clothes, drying out eyes that couldn't blink for the horror of his mistake. And later, the soft, cold, weight of Mary in his arms. Mary, he'd known her name, but not the girl. He'd known the damned dog but not any of the people. He was cold, except for underneath him, where heat pooled between his back and the bed. Heero lay, Simply staring in mute remembrance and terror at the dim ceiling.
Duo woke nearly a minute later, eyes blinking open blearily to stare up into the darkness. It wwas only a few seconds before his brain processed the "what the fuck woke me up" and Duo glanced around, trying to see what was wrong.
Nothing, actually. The room was still, quiet, except for the steady hum of Heero's laptop in the corner. It was still dark, nothing had been disturbed...
He glanced over at Heero, to see if he had noticed, and was startled to find him awake and staring at the ceiling, a very strange look on his face.
"Heero...?" Duo whispered tentatively, reaching over to touch his shoulder lightly. "Somethin' wrong?"
Heero's reaction was visceral, horrified, and instantaneous. Without thinking, he interpreted the gently inquisitive touch as something else entirely and struck back viciously. The punch was awkward, delivered sideways and from a dead stop, but no less forceful.
As startled as he was violent, Heero kicked, thrashing backward in a panicked scramble that left him huddled up against the wall the bed was set against, wide-eyed and panting.
Duo could do nothing but stare for several long moments, eventually raising one hand to touch his bruised cheek in slight shock. It wasn't terribly shocking that Heero had hit him, given the old one's propensity to violence. And that was just Heero in general, and an understandable reaction from someone so highly trained as him.
But the fact remained that Duo hadn't quite expected it, and... it definitely meant that Heero was worse than he thought. What the hell had happened?
Whatever it was, hitting him hadn't brought Heero back to his senses. Duo's expression firmed and he moved so he was looking directly at the other soldier, locking wide, startled eyes with his own. "Heero."
Comments 35
A flick of blue over the top of the screen and gone. That was all it was for a few long moments filled by the cricket-chirps of tapping keys. Finally, Heero spoke, reluctantly closing the laptop with a soft click, "Hello."
Reply
Heero looked tired, Duo was quickly realizing, and sounded it too. His voice was soft, his movements slightly slower than usual, and if the rings under his eyes didn't give it away, well.
Duo was hit with another twinge of guilt as he looked at them. Obviously they would have been worse before Trowa had made him sleep- how had he not noticed before? God, he felt horrible.
"How're you doing?" He asked in a softer voice, sitting on the edge of Heero's bed.
Reply
He paused, or was it hesitated? It was some kind of symptom of this ongoing association with Duo...and that thought made him want to scowl. Hesitation would breed liabilities, or was that just the lack of sleep?
"I'm fine," he tried again, calm as a still pool. What was expected? What was the truth? Heero hated this out of control feeling, of not knowing the right thing to do. He wasn't trained for this, dammit! "I mi...missed you."
Reply
He almost bounced in place, leaning forward just slightly to watch Heero with sparkling eyes. There was still that little bit of guilt, though- how could he have not noticed, damn it, it was so obvious!
Reply
Fire and death, the tumbling bulk of an apartment complex. Grit and wind and horrible killing heat snatching at his hair and clothes, drying out eyes that couldn't blink for the horror of his mistake. And later, the soft, cold, weight of Mary in his arms. Mary, he'd known her name, but not the girl. He'd known the damned dog but not any of the people. He was cold, except for underneath him, where heat pooled between his back and the bed. Heero lay, Simply staring in mute remembrance and terror at the dim ceiling.
Reply
Nothing, actually. The room was still, quiet, except for the steady hum of Heero's laptop in the corner. It was still dark, nothing had been disturbed...
He glanced over at Heero, to see if he had noticed, and was startled to find him awake and staring at the ceiling, a very strange look on his face.
"Heero...?" Duo whispered tentatively, reaching over to touch his shoulder lightly. "Somethin' wrong?"
Reply
As startled as he was violent, Heero kicked, thrashing backward in a panicked scramble that left him huddled up against the wall the bed was set against, wide-eyed and panting.
Reply
But the fact remained that Duo hadn't quite expected it, and... it definitely meant that Heero was worse than he thought. What the hell had happened?
Whatever it was, hitting him hadn't brought Heero back to his senses. Duo's expression firmed and he moved so he was looking directly at the other soldier, locking wide, startled eyes with his own. "Heero."
Reply
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