Beautiful Stranger:

Nine:

“Please Duo, it’s rather important,” I repeat while watching him carefully. I am now more than aware that our one-sided conversation is garnering much attention from the other students as they alternate their glances between Duo and I - perhaps waiting for an imminent explosion from one of us.

I count inwardly to ten as he continues to ignore me, telling myself that I won’t lose my temper and storm up to him, yank his braid and drag him to an empty classroom. I tell myself that I should be the one doing all the apologizing and that this is as good a start as any.

“I know I’m the last person you want to talk to but it concerns you…and me…and…”

A crazy kid named Teruo.

“Nah, don’t ya get it, Mr. Prez?” one of the other students cuts in with a lazy drawl. I think his name is Noda and with his multi-colored hair and dangling earrings as well as other accessories that I do not care to mention, he’s one of the more troublesome students around. “He don’t wanna talk ta ya. So go fuck off or somethin’.”

“Yeah!” another one pipes up. I don’t know his name neither do I care to know. My attention is still focused on the stoic profile before me, my fists clenching and unclenching by my sides in growing impatience. “Leave him alone!”

“Yeah, leave ‘im!”

“Go back ta ya office and stay there. No one wants ya here!”

Well they certainly are a bunch of loyal followers even though I never thought I’d see the day that Duo would lead such a group of misfits. But then again, Duo’s always shown that he’s never one to follow protocol. It’s just one of the things I’ve learned to accept…and yes even learned to love about the bastard.

“Duo,” I begin again, surprised at how calm and steady I sound even though I still feel like punching a few people at the moment. “Please. Won’t you come with me?”

Finally, he reacts by closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Having the feeling that he’s about to say something negative, I open my mouth to plead with him again when I’m suddenly shoved a little by Noda. I didn’t even hear or see him move but now he’s standing in my personal space and doing his best to intimidate me with a glare. I stare into his cold brown eyes and ask with barely concealed impatience.

“Did you want something, Watanabe?”

“Yeah, prez. I want ya outta here,” he replies. His breath smells like stale onions and before I can react he pushes me again by hitting my shoulder a bit harder than before. It’s painful but I do not give him the pleasure of knowing that. They all dress the same way – the delinquents that is. Shirts untucked…blazers strewn over their shoulders…ties all askew and uneven…and some even dare to wear t-shirts instead of the customary white dress shirt. It really is annoying.

“You don’t want to fuck with me, Watanabe,” I reply evenly, watching those brown eyes flicker with slight concern before it’s replaced with one of indifference. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you repeat one more year until the freshmen catch up and graduate before you again.”

He flushes in humiliation at the deliberate jab and with a loud growl; he swings a clenched fist towards me. “You stuck up asshole!”

Expecting the incoming blow, I manage to dodge nimbly out of the way, but not before extending a leg to throw him off balance as well as catching his right wrist within mine to twist his arm behind his back. He falls to his knees with a cry of frustration or fury, not sure which but damn if I’m not pissed off now. All I wanted to do was talk to Duo and instead I have to deal with these shitheads first thing in the morning.

“Anyone else want to pick a fight with me this morning?” I ask angrily; glaring at the remaining two boys, who had initially planned to come after me, cringe back in fear.

“It’s okay, Heero,” Duo finally says as he gets off the ledge and dusts the seat of his pants carefully. “You can let him go. You’ve proved your point.”

I scowl at him, all thoughts of groveling and begging for his forgiveness, fading into the background now. He crushes his cigarette and tosses it towards a garbage can a good ten or twelve feet away. It’s a good shot…although it misses its target by a few inches. Meanwhile, Noda’s beginning to pound the ground with a clenched fist in agony. I have forgotten all about his arm which I’m unconsciously twisting even harder with each step Duo takes towards me. With a snort of derision, I release him and take a step backwards, trying to compose myself quickly. Noda immediately launches into a tirade of insults, but I’m no longer paying attention. All I see is the long-haired boy before me who’s now motioning for me to follow him.

Duo has a unique gait – not quite lazy or a saunter but perhaps something in between. He doesn’t shuffle his feet by any means, neither does he slouch like most boys tend to do. However, watching him now from behind, there’s a confidence in that posture that never ceases to amaze me every time. That long braid (by the way, I have to stuff my hands into my pockets to resist the temptation of tugging it gently) moves a little with each step he takes. You can barely see the black rubber band which he uses to hold it in place. His braid isn’t so neat today either. Wisps of chestnut-colored hair stick out from the thick plait and some even brush against the nape of his neck which by the way looks so damn smooth and just begging to be kiss…

“Ooooff!”

“What’s got you so damn preoccupied?” he asks in bemusement as I push myself away from his back quickly. It was a brief moment, but dear god, he smells so good! It’s a familiar and much better scent than that other guy. However, I had been so engrossed with his hair that I failed to notice that we’ve finally reached our destination. We’re in the building now and in one of the empty classrooms on the top floor. This room, along with several others will be renovated in a few weeks and signs of the renovation process can already be seen. The chalk board has been torn down and walls where pictures had once hung look bare and empty. Most of the desks and chairs are stacked haphazardly in a corner and the few which are left in the middle of the room look quite dusty…and make me sneeze.

“Man, we could have chosen another place,” I complain but all I get is a light snort and the sound of one of the windows being pushed open to let in some air. I sneeze again and join him in opening the rest and within seconds, we’re breathing in some nice fresh air and none of the musty, dust-filled one.

We stand side-by-side for a moment, looking at the uninspiring view of the gym and several students already making their way towards it for their lessons. Suddenly the silence between us becomes slightly oppressive and I long to say something to break the growing tension. I would like to at least hug him or something, but I doubt he’ll welcome that. I clear my throat and take a deep breath but before I can open my mouth to say anything, he makes the first move and walks away from me. From the corner of my eye, I watch as he opens a drawer at the teacher’s desk – and another and another as if searching for something.

“Crap…well I’m not sitting on that,” he finally announces while nodding towards the dusty chairs.

“You brought us here,” I begin but he silences me with a raised brow. I shrug and point towards a very large steel box in the corner. It looks like a tool box and I assume that perhaps one of the builders must have left it in here. Duo nods and stoops to his haunches before it. He tries to open it but it won’t budge. After several tries and no success, he reaches into his hair (I swear I never get tired of watching him do this) and removes that small but extremely useful tool of trade – a simple black pin. In less than two seconds, the lock gives way and the pin vanishes back into that mass of thick hair. He rummages through the box quickly and soon pulls out two pairs of thick gloves and some fine tissue paper. He grins in triumph and my breath catches at just how handsome he looks at that moment. Feeling my cheeks grow ridiculously hot, I try to look as disinterested as I can and move towards him to accept his offer.

Together we choose a desk and chair for our use and begin to clean it up as best we can. We work in silence, the only sounds in the room coming from our combined efforts to get rid of the layers of dust which have accumulated over the course of time. Every now and then I steal a quick look at my silent companion, feeling as if I’m meeting this beautiful stranger for the first time in my life. I can see the faint but dark circles below his eyes and I wonder if he’s been sleeping well at all because god knows I haven’t. He lifts his gaze and our eyes meet for a moment before I quickly turn away, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring. I wipe even faster for a while and then steal another quick glance, this time noticing that his hands – although still lightly bandaged – look even more flexible. It doesn’t seem to be causing him any pain either.

“Your hand…” I begin in a rather thick voice and then kick myself for even bringing that up. That’s not what I came to talk about and I’m sure he doesn’t want to talk about that either. I turn my face away and begin to wipe the desk so hard, I’m afraid I’ll end up breaking it. Just why is my damn heartbeat racing so fast anyway? This is Duo here! I’ve seen him naked for crying out loud!

“It’s not so bad now,” he finally replies quietly after what seems like eons. “Coach says I can begin training in a few days.”

“That’s…eh…good.”

Lame. Lame. Lame! My tongue feels like it weighs a ton and I can barely get anything out.

“Done,” he announces and tosses the gloves and used tissues towards the large plastic bag reserved for trash. With a light grunt, he settles into his chair and promptly puts his feet upon the desk showing off his brand new black loafers. I guess mommy must have bought them for him. He places his hands behind his head and begins to rock back and forth slowly while training an intense gaze on me.

Damn it.

My hands tremble as I try my best to finish up as quickly as I can. I really wish he’d stop staring at me like that. It’s making me feel too self-conscious and just plain…hot.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” he asks and in the dead silence of the room, his question sounds like a judge delivering his final sentence to a condemned man – instant death with no chance of a re-trial. I take a deep breath and sit down slowly, realizing with a pang that he’s not sitting that close to me to begin with. It’s like he’s putting even more of a distance between us and it really, really hurts…more than I’d like to admit. I clench my hands into tight fists and try to think of where to begin.

Well, an apology for your behavior last Saturday night would be a great start, Heero Yuy.

I cringe at the taunting voice of my conscience and then force myself to meet Duo’s impassive gaze. “About that night…at the restaurant…I was out of line and…well…I did and said some things I shouldn’t have. I’m…sorry. I was just being too possessive over you and I just didn’t like the idea of you being naked for any other man but me…but…after much thinking I figured that I really have no choice in what you choose to do with your life and if being with Andre makes you feel any better, then…then…I guess that’s cool.”

Well, that didn’t come out quite right but it’s the best I can do under the circumstances. For a long minute, Duo says nothing and I try hard to steel my nerves. He’s doing this on purpose. He wants me to sweat this thing out and perhaps I deserve it.

Finally, he lowers his legs to the ground and closes his eyes with a soft sigh. “There’s no Andre and…I guess I should apologize too.”

Huh? “Wha…?”

“There’s no Andre, all right,” he replies with a shrug, opening his eyes to give me a quick look before turning to look out the window. “That night…we argued as well and he said some things that really got me upset. So we’re no longer…buddies.” He gestures with quotation marks around the word ‘buddies’ and I can sense the bitterness in his tone. “And besides, you had a right to be upset…if you were in my position and I knew you were posing for some dude…I would have probably done the same thing.”

I notice his cheeks are pink at this confession and I can’t help smiling softly at what this all means. I’m not really sure of what had happened between him and Andre, but it’s clear that the artist is no longer in the picture. I’ll no longer have to keep worrying over whether or not Duo’s spending time with him or not.

“You on the other hand,” he continues and this time pins me with a look so withering that I shift restlessly on my chair. “You seem to be getting a bit too cozy with your little stalker friend.”

I shake my head firmly and speak in earnest. “You don’t understand, Duo. Kamui really is crazy. I mean it. And not just any kind of crazy, but like the real psychos that usually get themselves admitted into mental institutions!”

He says nothing but I know he’s finally giving me the chance to spill my guts out to him. This is my time to make my case and taking a much needed deep breath, I begin to do just that. I start my story from the time I left the restaurant to my passing out on the street. I tell him about waking up in the morning to find the food and note Kamui had left behind. I tell him of my ‘illness’ at work and Relena taking me to her house and the agitating phone call from the freshman. I tell him of the events that had taken place that night – of how Kamui had feigned his attack outside to wheedle his way back into my apartment. The scratch marks, the hickey and even express the fear that Kamui might be carrying around a sample of my semen as proof of my supposed night with him. I apologize to Duo for not being there when Kamui met him at my door, doing my best to convince him that nothing actually happened between us. I finish with the threats from the blond which now hang over my head like a thundercloud and the feeling of helplessness I had experienced then. I do not mention my mental breakdown. I don’t think Duo needs to know that I cried like a baby afterwards and by the time I’m through; I feel an incredible surge of relief course through my body. I have finally told someone else everything – my fears, concerns and plight – and it feels really, really good. What’s even better is the fact that it’s Duo listening and not just anyone else.

However, another lengthy silence falls between us and I slowly lift my gaze to meet Duo’s, now wondering if he believes me or not. I hold my breath in anticipation, my clenched hands tightening even more as I await his decision. Will he laugh and tell me to get the hell away from him? Or will he think I’m crazy and dump me all together? Just what will he do or say?

“You’re so fucked.”

Well anything but that.

“Don’t you think I know that?!” I finally explode in frustration. I sincerely hope he’s not laughing at me but I needn’t have worried, I can tell he isn’t. There’s a rather distant look in his eyes that tells me he’s either contemplating something or ignoring my predicament altogether. “What the hell am I going to do, Duo? How do you deal with a sick kid like that?”

He remains in his slouched position for a moment and then suddenly sits upright with a light frown on his features. “To be honest, Heero, I really don’t know what to say or think right now,” he says quietly. “I mean…with Misa…”

I suck in a harsh breath, my eyes widening in disbelief. “You…you think I did it? You honestly think I slept with him?!”

He turns away and gives a small shrug. “Your history with alcohol isn’t very flattering, Heero and besides…”

“I didn’t do anything with him!” I yell in a mixture of pure frustration, anger and just plain sadness. At least I had thought Duo would be on my side. “Why the fuck won’t you believe me?!”

“And why should I?!” he roars back with unmasked pain in his eyes. “Jesus, Heero! I want to believe…I’m telling myself that I HAVE to believe you but…but damn it! You just screwed everything up with that bitch, remember?! It’s just the same thing happening all over again! What can I believe, huh?!”

I grip the edge of the desk tightly, feeling my mouth going dry at what is happening. Duo…he doesn’t…he doesn’t believe me…

“I want to,” he says with a choked sob and I can’t look at him anymore. It just hurts…too much. “God, I want to so much but a part of me…a tiny part of me is always going to think that you just might have done something like that, Heero. I can’t…I can’t help it. I’m sorry…I really, really am…”

I understand…I do…I wouldn’t believe me either…

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” I reply quietly hardly betraying the screams of anguish roaring within my heart now. I want to cry or break something with my bare fists but all I can do is lower my head in misery knowing that I cannot fault Duo for the way he feels. I feel so…hollow…empty.

Fuck. This really, really sucks.

Another harsh sob interrupts my strained thoughts and I finally lift my head to stare at Duo’s lowered head. I’ve never seen him cry like this before and knowing that I’m the reason for it…

Oh god…

“I…”

I lick my lips and swallow tightly, fighting back the stubborn lump in my throat. Just what can I say or do now? How can I convince him otherwise? What words will seem fitting for something as painful as this?

Actions speak louder than words, Yuy. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?

Duo…

I rise to my feet slowly and make my way towards his trembling form. Without saying a word, I push the desk before him to the side and pull him gently to his feet. He tries to resist for a moment, but I refuse to let him go. I wrap my arms tightly around his waist and hold him as close to me as humanly possible – every inch of that sinewy length pressed against me until we seem to become one.

He hitches in another harsh breath and clutches my blazer tightly, his face buried against my chest as he continues to cry. A part of me believes and knows that he needs this. He’s just like me – never wanting to show this weakness in front of others and bottling up all his emotions inside. I close my eyes and inhale the light scent of strawberries from the shampoo he must have used his morning, feeling my dress shirt getting wet with his tears.

For how long we stand in that embrace, I have no idea – time is of no consequence to me as I hold on tightly to the boy I’d just about do anything for.

When I feel he’s calmed down enough, I place a hand beneath his chin to force his gaze to mine. His eyes look red and wet, his cheeks now streaked with his tears. He’s a sight for sore eyes and yet the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

“Heero…” he begins in a thick whisper. “I really…”

But I silence his words with a kiss – the slight pressure of my lips against his parted ones - to taste the sweet nectar that’s been denied to me for so long. There’s that now familiar taste of smoke and mint as my tongue slips into his mouth and my knees tremble at the responding press of his tongue against mine. He tightens his grip on the lapels of my blazer, as my arm around his waist continues to hold him prisoner. One of us (or perhaps both of us) moans as we deepen the kiss, my mind beginning to reel from just how good this really feels. There’s no denying the tightening within my pants now and moving my thigh gently, it’s obvious that Duo’s not faring any better himself. Honestly, this is really a bad time to think of screwing him senseless but try stopping my wayward mind to control its impure thoughts.

“Wa…wait…” Duo mutters breathlessly within our barely parted lips. We’re breathing rather heavily now, my vision slightlyheavily nowr barely pts now and moving my thigh gently, it'st, holding him prisoner. ss of his tonuge shirt glazed as I stare into his flushed visage.

“We…just wait a minute,” he says a bit more firmly and then, unceremoniously, pushes me away from him. I stagger a bit but steady myself against a desk, trying hard to control my rapid breathing and my thudding heart. There’s no use trying to cover up the mini-tent in my pants now. He should know he has this effect on me anyway.

Duo on the other hand is pacing around restlessly. His tugs the tip of his braid, once…twice…three times which tells me that he’s really in a state. He steals a quick glance at me and flushes before turning away again as if blaming me for his condition. Hell, look at me, my friend! I’m just as hot and bothered as you are!

“I want…” He stops before a window and then slams a fist into the wall beside him. “Damn it! I want…”

Want what, Duo? Talk to me!

He turns around to face me again and I suck in a harsh breath at the determination I see in those piercing eyes. “I want to know that you’re not going to fuck with me this time around, Heero.”

I blink in bemusement for a minute and open my mouth to give him a smart retort, but he frowns a little and I see that he’s really being serious about this. Matching his steady gaze, I reply with a soft nod. “I promise, Duo.” And I do mean it too. I really am tired of running around in circles when it comes to our relationship. “And of course it goes without saying that you’re not going to fuck with me either.”

He gives me a small smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Yuy. However,” he holds up a hand as if to stop me from coming any closer to him…not that I moved or anything. “Right now, it’s your word against Kamui’s and quite frankly the guy has the upper hand in all of this. Just how do you plan to stop him…at least for now?”

I would rather not like to talk about that brat, but Duo’s right…we can’t put him off forever.

“Just to give him a little bit of hell until he quits school,” I reply with a small smirk. “Although, there’s going to be a slight problem with that.”

“What?”

“His father is the head honcho at the Education Ministry.”

Duo whistles softly. Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.

“I can’t do anything underhanded or you’ll be sure he’ll go running to daddy to report us. The last thing I need is Fujisaki being bombarded by irate parents or notices from the Ministry. That kid is capable of cooking up some far-fetched story that anyone will believe.”

I sigh heavily and rub a hand across my forehead in helpless frustration. Stopping Kamui from a lousy fashion show is just a small dip into the gigantic lake of deceit we’re both spinning. I’m not sure if he’ll even care that much that he’s been removed.

“I have to go to the dance with him…be seen with him,” I mumble, hardly aware that I’m punching the desk behind me with each phrase. The dull pain is a welcome reprieve from the misery that’s threatening to overwhelm me again but to my pleasant surprise, I feel strong arms around my waist as Duo suddenly embraces me tightly.

I swallow hard. Shit. I can’t cry. I won’t.

He presses his forehead against mine causing me to stare deeply into those breathtaking swirls of purple and dark blue. Slowly, he releases my waist and reaches for my hands instead – our fingers finding, lacing and holding on tightly to each other as if afraid to let go. I can’t help matching the dark hue of pink on his cheeks and it’s all I can do not to kiss those tempting and still swollen lips before me again.

“You don’t have to do it,” he says quietly. “You don’t have to do what he says, Heero.”

“But…but what if he does something to hurt you? That’s what I’m really worried about Duo. If he sees us in public again, he just might do something…”

He places a finger against my lips to shut me up, shaking his head softly. “I can take care of myself and besides, I refuse to let some stuck up rich brat control my life or dictate what I can and cannot do. Neither should you, Heero.”

Easier said than done. I want to say that but…

“Duo…I’m…I’m fucking scared,” I say in a trembling whisper.

There. I’ve finally said it. That’s the nagging sensation at the back of my mind. I can’t help it and it’s not exactly the greatest feeling in the world. I’ve read lots of books and watched enough movies to know about psychotic characters like this. I don’t want to lose the ones I love especially this boy standing before me.

But Duo smiles and brushes his lips against mine in a ghost of a kiss. “You don’t have to carry the weight on your own, Heero. We’ll always be here for you - Trowa, Wufei, Quatre, Relena, Hilde, Dorothy and in some weird way that whiny bastard, Kenzo but most importantly…you’ve got me.”

He raises my hand to his lips and places a soft kiss on it, causing my already flushed cheeks to heat in response. “I’ll never leave your side no matter what he does, Heero. I’ll just have to remind myself not to be that gullible when it comes to him.”

Duo…what would I ever do without you?

“And now to the more pressing issues,” he says a bit louder as he releases my hands to wrap his arms around my neck with a wide grin on his handsome features. “Why don’t you come help me pick out my outfits for the fashion show and then we can all sit down over a nice cup of Relena’s tea and find a way to kick little Kamui’s ass, hmm?”

He gives me a smirk – a downright sexy tilt of his lips that has me fighting back a moan of need. (Damn hormones!) But I reciprocate his actions before leaning close to capture his lower lip gently between my teeth. I suck on it for a moment listening to his low groan before pulling away to whisper into his ear.

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my afternoon, Maxwell. I can’t wait to see you in Relena’s pink teddy.”

“You fucking perv!”

I receive a half-hearted cuff to my head as the bell begins to toll for the next class and together, we run out of the room and towards our next class both of us laughing in relief and yes, as cheesy as it might sound…happiness. But before we go our separate ways, I pull him close to plant another firm kiss on his lips in what I had assumed was a relatively private area.

Only to find out much later that Duo and I had been watched…every step of the way.

~End Period Nine~

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