Soon enough the blues will come and break my heart
So I'll make my getaway before the teardrops start
It's a hard game and I'm just a beginner
Why play if the blues is the winner
If I stick around I know I'll lose
Because I'm just too young, too young for the blues
Just too young, too young for the blues.

-          Ella Fitzgerald

 

 

Warning: Hint of NCS, minor violence

 

Twelve:

 

Heavy lids opened wearily, blinking slowly as his muddled mind tried to make sense of the strange noise that was like a persistent bug in his ear.

 

The bell…

 

It was faint, but undeniable. It was the bell that rang every morning at a certain time declaring the start of the new day for the students of St. Gabriel’s Elementary School.

 

Oh, no! I’ll be late!

 

He jumped to his feet, fingers absently scratching an itch on his right arm, but had to curb his enthusiasm again as the heavy sounds of a distinctive snore had him freezing in his tracks. He swallowed tightly and spared a glance at the burly man sleeping beside the door on an unmade brownish mattress. It was well worn, its seams stretched to the bursting point. Small tufts of the foam used for its bedding stuck out in odd places and some had taken up residence in the man’s hair. He gave a particularly loud snore that had the boy giving a small gasp of worry before releasing his sucked in breath as the man only turned onto his side.

 

The sounds of happy laughter had him turning his head sharply towards the only window that stood a few feet above his sleeping mattress. Walking carefully over the empty bottles of cheap whiskey, he climbed the small wooden box that he had found the other day beside One Eye’s shop. However, still having to stand on tiptoes, he finally managed to get a view of the outside through the grime that had caked over the glass through the years.

 

A few feet away, he could make out Tommy Two-Shoes and Leftie loading up the truck with boxes of lettuce it seemed. The smell was pretty ripe and the boy made a gagging sound in his throat as he listened, or tried to listen in on the conversation. The two men were both talking about some baseball game from yesterday and even though he couldn’t understand a single word, just seeing them was enough to make him smile. He was just about to motion to Leftie to notice him, when a sharp slap on his ass made him yelp in pain and jump down from the box.

 

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” He rubbed his aching rump with a petulant frown on his face as he glared at the older man who had finally woken up.

 

The man gave a snort and spat out a wad of his saliva to the floor before scratching his nether regions with a weary yawn. As he made his way towards the bathroom, he called over his shoulder. “You just go get dressed, boy. We’ve got work ta do today, remember?”

 

“I thought you said we was off today,” the boy questioned with growing alarm. They couldn’t be working again today. He had made plans to visit the local library. It was a secret pleasure of his that was carefully kept from the man’s knowledge.

 

“You questioning me, boy?” came the angry growl as the sounds of someone obviously using the toilet emanated from the cramped space.

 

Holding his nose, the boy shook his head and mumbled out a soft ‘no’ while staring at the dirty floor in dismay. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

 

The toilet flushed and the man stepped out with a leery grin on his face. The boy knew that look only too well and giving an inward sigh of resignation, he slowly began to pull the large shirt off his body.

 

Just make it quick this time, he thought wearily as he willingly lay back on the mattress and closed his eyes.

 

Just make it quick…

 

 

 

 

“Whaaaaaaaa?! You didn’t say nuffin about us going to some dumb ol’ school to go drop off sum’ing!”

 

“I’m sorry, Griffith. I ain’t the one making them rules. The boss says ya have to.”

 

“The boss says ya have to. The boss says ya have to,” Griffith mimicked in ridicule as he stomped closer to the unrepentant figure of Tommy Two-Shoes, who just happened to be a good inch or so taller than the other man.

 

“Whatcha doin’ to the boss, eh? Giving him good blowjobs? AAAARGH!! What the fuck?! What the hell you do that for?” He was now holding his bleeding nose as he glared at the taller man, although a hint of fear had now crept into his eyes.

 

“I ain’t saying it again, Griffith,” Tommy replied coolly, his expression as empty as ever. He could care less for the greasy slime ball and besides; they had never really gotten along with each other in the first place. “You take that truck and you take it to the school and go drop them off, got it?”

 

“Fuckin…alright, alright. I hear ya.” Muttering beneath his breath, while now holding a blood-soaked handkerchief to his nose, Griffith lumbered out of the stuffy office and scowled at the scene before him.

 

That brat and Leftie were talking again. Couple of fags.

 

“Get your ass back here, Duo!” he bellowed furiously. “What the fuck do I pay ya for? To go talk to that freakin’ queer?!” 

 

Leftie, a handsome eighteen year old with a penchant for being slick on the streets, grinned good-naturedly and flipped the bird at the older man. “You know you want me, baby.”

 

This had Duo giggling reluctantly and he was rewarded with a light kiss on his nose. He lifted his head to stare into the smiling blue eyes of the older boy, feeling something warm fill his heart at the look that passed between them. However, reality crashed in with another smack on his rear, which had him wincing in pain.

 

Griffith!” he cried out, albeit weakly. “I told you I was coming…”

 

But his words were cut off as he was tugged by his braid rather painfully towards the truck. Duo blinked back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes as he gave a light wave to Leftie, who was now staring at them with a mixture of pity, anger and something else Duo couldn’t define.

 

Griffith opened up the passenger door and shoved the boy in roughly, causing Duo to bang his shin beneath the dashboard rather painfully. Sucking in his breath to stop from crying out loud again, he reached for the seat belt and clipped it on with hands that trembled with the force of holding his emotions in check.

 

Kill…I want to kill him…

 

The sound of the driver’s door slamming shut had him jerking in awareness and he respectfully kept his eyes lowered to the dirty mats on the floor as the smell of cigarettes soon filled the hot truck. Still mumbling obscenities about faggots and Leftie, Griffith began to fiddle with the buttons on the radio, trying to get his favorite rock station on. He cursed Leftie and Tommy Two-shoes, calling them a bunch of no good queers who were set out to get him fired. He also let loose on the boss who had set out to make his life a living hell. Duo held his breath and waited for it. He knew what was coming next.

 

“Fuck! Don’t know how the hell I got stuck with youse in the first place. I shoulda just lef’ you hang’ng out there like I was supposed ta, but noooooo, I jus had to take ya in, didn’ I?”

 

“You have been good to me, Griffith,” Duo mumbled automatically as the truck finally began to move out of the lot. It was a ritual that had become all too familiar to the thirteen year old. For six years, he had had to live with the constant complaining and after several ‘lessons’ on how to respond to such tirades, Duo had learned quickly enough how to deal with such situations.

 

“Damn tootin’ I’ve been good! I’ve been more than good, eh?”

 

“Ah!” The boy yelped and caught his lower lip between his teeth, forcing his gaze to remain outside the window as his cock was squeezed and rubbed, through his pants, over and over again by the older man.

 

He couldn’t let the tears fall. He didn’t dare let them fall or he knew that the pain would be so much worse.

 

 

 

As they neared the school grounds, Griffith had finally let Duo go after making him come in his pants and shoving him towards the back to change his clothes. As he parked the truck filled with enough cleaning detergents and agents to last a lifetime, Duo jumped out from the back of it and stood with a wistful smile on his face as he stared at the building.

 

A school.

 

Beneath the late morning light, St. Gabriel’s weathered walls shone like a beacon within the midst of the darkness and chaos of the life that surrounded it. A building that had withstood the test of time for over a hundred years and counting, was the foundation for all knowledge in this miserable town. It was the only thing that looked sane to the young boy. The only thing that gave him a calm and peace that he could not explain. Unaware of the look of longing on his features, he spied some of the students in their classrooms. In one class, they were all reading out loud from a book and the echo from the steady rise and fall of their voices sent something flaring down the boy’s chest. Unconsciously, he placed a hand against it, unaware of his quickened breathing as he began to walk towards the building like a man being pulled by an invisible string.

 

I want to…I want to…

 

Griffith, who had just stepped out of the truck was about to holler at Duo to help him unload the boxes, when he blinked as he noticed the boy walking past him without even sparing him a glance. Griffith opened up his mouth to yell at the kid when the words died in his throat at the look on Duo’s face. The boy looked like he was in another place altogether. Griffith was sure that if he smacked Duo again, that the kid wouldn’t even notice a thing. And what the fuck was that light in his eyes? He hated to admit it, but it was an almost adult look. A look filled with a knowledge that sent a chill down his spine.

 

What the fuck? He’s just a stink’n kid, that’s all. I ain’t got nothing to be afraid of.

 

With a low growl of anger, he placed his hand on Duo’s shoulder and spun him around sharply. “What tha hell wrong with you, kid?! We’ve got stuff ta offload!”

 

Duo’s steady gaze on the older man had him cursing even louder. He wasn’t really afraid of Duo, was he? He could whoop this kid back into shape. Yeah, that’s it. He would just whoop this kid back into…

 

“Get your hands off me.”

 

“Whaa…?” Griffith could only stare at the boy in utter disbelief. There was something so comical, but yet so terrifying about the situation. He couldn’t place a finger on it. That adult look was still in Duo’s eyes, but there was something else too. It was a look of determination and dull anger and Griffith was sure that Duo might just raise a fist to punch his lights out. He had no doubt that the kid was strong. Hell, he had seen Duo beat up a couple of sixteen-year-old punks just a few months ago without really breaking a sweat.

 

He shook his head quickly and tried to regain his composure. No way in hell was he going to allow this punk to mess with his mind like this. What he needed was a good beating and Griffith was more than happy to dish it out to him.

 

“You sonaofbitch! I’ll fuckin’ bust ya….ooofff!” His hands flew to his balls, cupping them through his pants as he fell to his knees. The pain was blinding and for a moment, he was sure he was going to die.

 

“I told you not to touch me!” Duo yelled angrily as he began to back away slowly.

 

“Fuckin…kill…you…” Griffith spat out harshly as he struggled to his feet. He cried out again in pain, having to hold on to the side of the truck so as not to fall down. His eyes had now taken on a murderous look and parting his lips into a grin that was nothing short of terrifying, he ground out thickly, “I…will…kill…you…boy. Shouda done this a long time ago.”

 

“Stay away from me. I’m warning you, Griffith! You just stay the hell away from me!” He backed into a wall so hard that stars filled his vision for a moment. He was vaguely aware that the older man was coming towards him and seeing something flash brightly, Duo knew without a doubt that Griffith was holding a penknife.

 

“Fucking kill you!!!”

 

The knife that was thrown barely missed Duo by inches as it got stuck in the brick wall beside him. Frozen to the spot in fear, it took him almost a full minute to realize that Griffith was now running towards him. Moving completely on instinct, Duo reached for the knife and threw it towards the coming man, not really caring where it landed as he made a swerve to the right and began to run towards the welcoming doors of the school. By this time, several workers around the grounds had begun to make their way towards them, but Duo had no time to spare. A quick glance behind him showed that the knife had buried itself in Griffith’s left thigh and that to his horror, the man was still chasing after him.

 

“Kill you, kid!!”

 

Fuck!

 

He quickened his pace, heart thumping wildly in his chest as he pushed open the doors and ran into the empty hallway. On any other normal day, he would have loved to stroll down the halls and take in the sights, but unfortunately, this wasn’t going to be one of them. He was just about to make his way towards a room, when the door banged open and Griffith, wild-eyed and now blubbering like an insane person stood waiting there.

 

“Stabbed me, did ya?” he growled as he began to stagger towards the frozen figure of the boy. Blood from his wound dripped to the floor leaving a thin trail behind him. “You think you are all right to do that ta me…”

 

“Excuse me, sir, but you can’t go in there,” came the concerned voice of one of the janitors. And as Duo watched in horror, the words of warning he had wanted to cry out were silenced as Griffith buried the knife in the man’s throat.

 

Scream…scream now. God damn it! Scream!!!

 

And for the first time in as long as he could remember, the boy finally opened up his mouth and yelled his terror for the world to hear.

 

 

 

Heavy lids opened up wearily, blinking slowly as the muddled mind tried to make sense of the strange noise that was like a persistent bug in his ear.

 

The bell…

 

Only this time, it was much louder and his back didn’t itch as much. It didn’t smell like stale cigarettes and whiskey either. Instead, a sweet smell, like warm caramel filled his nostrils, making him smile softly.

 

I guess I must be in heaven.

 

He opened his eyes wider to stare at the high stone-decor ceiling above him. Its design was simple yet elegant and it reminded Duo of a certain…

 

Griffith!!

 

Sitting up quickly, as the memories came rushing back to him in a flood, he darted wild eyes around the room in growing panic. It was a small place with only his bed and a side table with an extra chair for visitors. Everything there was clean and neat, something that made him want to burst into tears at just how peaceful it seemed.

 

A false front in a harsh reality.

 

Duo threw his legs over the side of the bed in an effort to get up and possibly out of the room, only to give a breathless squeak as the door creaked open. He clutched the edge of the bed tightly, his eyes darting around the room for a possible weapon of choice. He had really annoyed Griffith this time and he wasn’t sure he was going to survive his lessons at this point. With his heart racing a mile-a-minute, Duo held his breath and reached for the chair. It wasn’t that heavy and he could lift it and throw it directly at the older man.

 

One…

 

The door creaked open a bit wider.

 

Two…

 

He lifted the chair off the floor gently, trying to make as little sound as possible.

 

Three!

 

“Ah, I see you are finally awake.”

 

Duo held the chair above his head, widened amethyst depths staring in confusion at the smiling face before him. The man was dressed in a simple and rather cheap cream-colored suit that looked a size too small. He had jet-black hair that was long and quite shaggy. It looked uncombed and Duo felt the insane urge to comb it for some reason. But what had the boy stumped was that the man was still smiling at him as if he was a long lost friend. Duo sensed no malice or hate from the man. He received no sense of prejudice from him. If anything, Duo found himself staring helplessly into the warm dark blue eyes that reminded him of…

 

Home…

 

What home?

 

And before he could control himself, he burst into tears, crumpling wearily to the ground in defeat. He didn’t protest as he felt the strong arms encircle his waist and feeling the warmth from the man seep into his cold and trembling body, Duo buried his face against the shirt and sobbed his heart out.

 

Who are you? Why are you doing this for me?

 

I am a teacher, young one. And I am going to be here for you…always…

 

 

 

 

Heero felt something tighten within his chest and for a moment, he wasn’t really sure of what was happening to him. He had declared his love to Duo, so why wasn’t the teacher responding to him? No…Duo was responding, but in a way he hadn’t expected. The teacher was squeezing the life out of him it seemed and that was why his chest hurt so much. Duo was almost crushing the life out of him.

 

“Duo…”

 

He froze as he felt something warm and wet against his skin. It couldn’t be his tears, that much was certain. Duo. It was Duo crying.

 

The feeling within his chest became something else that was even stronger than love, he was sure. Had his confession really affected the teacher so much? Did this mean that Duo really loved him after all?

 

Heero closed his eyes and tightened his hold around the older man’s body, allowing the teacher to cry as much as he wanted to. He didn’t mind remaining this way with Duo for the rest of their lives. He would gladly give up everything if need be to remain with this man.

 

I love you, Duo. Thank you for listening to me

 

“David. His name…his name was David…”

 

Duo’s thick whisper had Heero snapping his eyes open with a small gasp. David? Who is…?

 

“He saved me. He saved me and yet I…I…I…”

 

No!! Heero didn’t want to hear. He told himself that he didn’t want to listen to this story. His inner mind shook its head with denial. This wasn’t happening to him. Not now. Hadn’t Duo heard his confession? Why would he bring up the subject of someone else now? And for the older man to be in tears over something like this, it could only mean one thing. One thing that he did not want to acknowledge or believe. But yet, it was something that made his heart break a million times over.

 

Duo was in love with someone else.

 

 

 

Yuzuki Hiragawa was thirty years old. At least, she would be thirty come December. She had never known life outside of servitude and she wasn’t one to complain about much. Her family had always worked for the Yuys since she could remember. When she had been a little girl, she had been a favorite for the young Odin Yuy and once he was old enough to move out on his own, he had naturally asked her to be a personal assistant to him. However, once Heero had been born, she had been given the task of becoming the young heir’s guardian.

 

And for that reason, Yuzuki took her job very seriously.

 

In her mind, she saw herself as Heero’s mother and not just another servant to Odin Yuy. In her mind, she was the mistress of the household. Hikari was just an obstacle to overcome. But she played her part very well. She made sure that she was always up to speed on everything that concerned the household.

 

No, she wasn’t set out to destroy the family. She just wanted to be more than just a servant to Odin and more than just ‘Nee-chan’ to Heero.

 

Catching Hikari Yuy in the arms of that teacher, Duo Maxwell had been more than enough evidence to show her that Hikari no longer had an interest in Odin. It was a shame really. After everything her master had done for his wife, she still had the audacity to cheat on him.

 

Some things could just not be forgiven.

 

“Ne…if you are done moping around now,” Keiko drawled as she lit up another cigarette, “are you ready to do me a favor, Yuzuki?”

 

The maid stared as the dull flicker of the yellow flame burned the end of the stick before frowning lightly. “We do not allow smoking in the…”

 

“Oh, for crying out loud, we are outside. I can’t even smoke out here?” She took another long drag and deliberately blew it in Yuzuki’s direction with a light smirk gracing her beautiful features. She leaned against the balustrade on the front patio, idly listening to Hikari playing the piano for her parents’ listening pleasure in the cozy living room beneath them. Arching her neck gently, she stared at the tiny specks of stars that lay high above her. It was a breathtaking night all things considered.

 

“Tell me something, Yuzuki,” she began casually, without taking her eyes from the view. “Just how long have you been working here?”

 

The maid’s frown eased into a neutral expression, one that she had been trained to maintain in the midst of guests. She gave a light bow before replying quietly. “I have been here all my life, Miss. Asawa.”

 

“All your life, eh? So, you must know a lot about this place, right?”

 

“That is correct.”

 

Keiko’s smirk widened into a grin. “Tell me…is that bitch, Relena still going to marry Heero?”

 

Yuzuki gave an inward sigh, before replying. “Yes, she is.”

 

“Damn. Poor kid.” She giggled at her own joke, before standing upright to pin intense dark eyes on the woman before her. “Yuzuki,” she began firmly. “I demand to know just why a tutor was hired for Heero. And why was Duo Maxwell the one chosen?”

 

The maid stared for a long moment at the girl before giving another light bow. “I have to go now, Miss. Asawa. I cannot neglect my duties…”

 

“You slut!” Keiko placed a hand on the older woman’s hand forcing her to stay. And with eyes that had now darkened with fury, she bit out harshly. “You had better start talking, Yuzuki or I will tell just how much of an ordinary maid you really are.”

 

“Are you threatening me, Miss. Asawa?”

 

“You bet I am, Yuzuki-san,” came the clipped retort as the two women remained locked in their silent duel. Finally, the older female lowered her lashes, a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes coming to her visage.

 

“Do you really think that you can get in the way of my Heero’s happiness?”

 

Keiko blinked at the cold words. A flash of uncertainty came into her eyes as she found herself staring into malicious green ones. “What the hell are you…?”

 

“Stay away from Heero and his happiness, Miss. Asawa,” Yuzuki warned softly, as she withdrew her imprisoned arm to step back. And giving the bewildered girl another light bow, she spun on her heels and made her way back into the house.

 

She would have to find a way to get rid of this unwanted obstacle that had crossed her path…again.

 

 

 

 

The silence in the bedroom was so thick that one could cut a knife right through it. They were no longer in each other’s arms, even though they remained on the bed together.

 

Heero had his knees raised, unmindful of his naked form as he wrapped his arms tightly around them. He buried his face within his knees and moaned softly. The low pitiful sound had Duo lifting a hand as if to brush the boy’s hair, before dropping it back down to his side. His lashes were lowered in abject misery, his mouth suddenly dry as he waited for Heero to say something; anything to ease this silence that was slowly driving him insane.

 

The clock chimed again for the new hour and Duo idly entertained the thought of wishing that he could turn back time. He fisted the bed sheet tightly, stealing another glance at the boy beside him, wanting to touch him so much, but now afraid to do so.

 

I am so sorry, Heero. We can’t…we just can’t…

 

“What happened to him?” came the muffled question from the young heir. “What happened to Griffith in the end?”

 

“He…” The teacher licked his lips and took a deep breath. “He was arrested and locked away for some time …”

 

“And let me guess…during that time, you stayed with…him, right? You stayed with David, didn’t you?”

“Heero…”

 

“Did you love him, Duo?”

 

/Do you love me?/

 

/Of course I do!/

 

/Then why do you hurt me? Why do you always leave me?/

 

/I am a teacher…I just can’t…not meant to be…/

 

“DUO! ANSWER ME!” Heero cried out desperately, his head now raised from his knees. Cobalt blue depths that reminded Duo of a man so long ago flashed with a pain and anguish that brought the memories of that fateful night back to his mind all over again.

 

/You said you would take care of me! /

 

/You have to, Duo. I can’t…if we are caught…/

 

/I don’t care! I would rather die than to go back there! He’ll kill me! I just know it!/

 

/Duo…/

 

/You promised!! I love you!! Why won’t you let me love you!!/

 

/Because there are some things that are not meant to be, Duo! Now grow up and snap out of it!/

 

“Duo…Duo…Duo! Please talk to me! Duo!!” Heero begged as he noticed the glazed look that had come to the teacher’s eyes. It filled him with fear and yet that haunted look could only mean that the older man had been hurt and very badly too.

 

Don’t hurt me too, Duo. Please…don’t let me go…

 

/The blood…it had been everywhere. It  stained the walls. It had been a pretty pattern…almost./

 

Heero flung his arms around the teacher’s neck, the tears falling again as he buried his face against it. Why? Why couldn’t he make Duo see?

 

“I love you, Duo,” he whispered hoarsely, not caring anymore if the teacher responded to him or not. “I know you can hear me and I know that you are hurting right now. But…let me in, Duo. Let me do my best to teach you as well. Will you…will you let me, Duo?”

 

He held his breath and waited. Waited for his voice and his words to go through. And after what seemed like an eternity, he felt the strong arms encircle his waist again, and Heero Yuy came to a firm resolution in his mind.

 

He was not going to give Duo up to anyone without a fight.