Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ G-men ❯ Broken Ties ( Chapter 31 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.28.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 706 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.28.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 706 | Status: Work In Progress
Author’s Notes: I had planned to cut the fic here, with the next 10 or so parts being a new ‘segment’, a continuation so this story doesn’t get too long. But I like having it all together, so just think of the last two parts as an ‘intermission’.
This Part: Majority focus on Zechs-Wufei and Heero-Duo.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho
Warnings: shonen ai, possible humor, minor(?) angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina-hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www . geocities . com / arigatomina
Gmen
Part 31: Broken Ties
Wufei woke early, his sleep disturbed by a dream he couldn’t remember. As with other nights, it was the sort of dream that distressed him even though the details escaped him. He was left sitting awake, watching shadows with unease and restlessness. In the past the dreams had been the main cause for his early rising, but he hadn’t had one in some time. He could only hope this was an isolated incident.
Since he was already wide awake, he decided to dress and exercise. Kurama’s training aside, he hadn’t done anything physical in so long he was certain his instincts had gone lax. He might have been exhausted from using his mutant talent, but that was more of a strain on his heart than a real physical problem. His breathing was too erratic when he was in the midst of controlling the elements. It left him breathless and heady, a centralized weakness that affected his entire body. Not enough oxygen, pure and simple.
But using his talent, cardiovascular exercise aside, had nothing to do with working his body. A few quick stretches in the middle of his dark bedroom told him it was time to add a new routine to this training.
What he wanted most to was to go downstairs and see if there really were weapons in one of those rooms, and if so, to challenge the first sword-user he could find. He was fairly certain Hiei would snort in his face if he challenged him, assuming the boy didn’t laugh outright. Kurama would probably go for it, though, or even Kuwabara if it came to that.
Wufei didn’t really care at this point. An hour of what would have been a warm-up two months ago, and he was ready to take a break. Just feeling the light burn in his calves made him sneer down at himself. With all the focus on mutant talents and powers of the mind, he hadn’t thought much about the hiking he’d done regularly, his nightly partnerless sparring matches.
He fumed at himself for a while, then checked his clock again. Six thirty.
Chances were Zechs was up by now, and if the others kept their routine, they’d be trailing down in an hour or so.
Wufei caught a jacket as he left his room, fully intent on taking a run before doing any ‘mind-oriented’ mutant training. Mutant abilities were fine, but without a functioning body to hold them, they meant nothing.
He reminded himself of that as he walked the dark halls. The thought of being worn when he started practicing his talent was more daunting than he cared to admit.
The front hall was lit when he exited the stairs, making him pause just outside the stairwell. As far as he knew, no one turned on the lights until seven at the earliest, when students started to head down in more than a trickle.
The bright glare overhead was a stark contrast to the dim predawn outside the wide windows. He didn’t like it. The change struck him as a warning that made his eyes narrow as he exited the stairwell.
Since he was expecting something already, he wasn’t surprised to see a small group of students standing just outside the cafeteria. One of them glanced back as he approached, giving him a quick look-over before turning his attention back to the doorway.
Wufei found himself stopping for a brief moment to acknowledge the small part of him that noted this student as one he’d never seen before. Not that he paid much attention to the students, but he was certain he’d have noticed the boy’s bright green hair if he’d seen him in the halls. It was as striking as the prominent scar on the teen’s cheek. The other students with the boy were also unfamiliar.
New comers? That would certainly explain why the light was on.
Stepping closer to the little group, Wufei frowned at the way they were blocking the cafeteria. He opened his mouth to ask them to move – in or out – when one of the girls jumped back. She bumped into him with enough force that Wufei stumbled and almost fell. The others moved back at the same time, but the boy caught both Wufei and the girl, drawing them off to the side.
Just as Wufei was about to tell the boy to let go of his wrist, someone came stalking out of the cafeteria. Wufei’s mouth snapped closed and his eyes widened in surprise.
It was Kuwabara. But the boy was angrier than Wufei had ever seen him, that golden energy of his fairly crackling around him as he walked past without so much as a glance in their direction.
The group of new students gave him a wide birth, watching in silence until the boy disappeared into the stairwell. Then the greenhaired boy released Wufei, turning to give him a friendly smile.
“Nice school you have here,” he said. “First there aren’t any guards or teachers or anyone to ask for directions, then the place is so dark you can’t see the walls, and for the finale we get greeted with a fight five minutes after we find the light switch. Not very organized.”
All of that was given with a teasing, overly familiar, tone that made Wufei just a bit uneasy. He glanced from the boy to the three girls with him, noting that two of them had the same sort of friendly smile, while the third, a snobbish looking girl with long light blue hair, was raising an eyebrow in open disdain. He didn’t know what to say to them.
“I’m new myself,” Wufei offered.
“In other words, you don’t have any excuses to give,” the blue-haired girl sniffed.
“Do students always fight like that?” the brown-haired girl asked, her bright green eyes visibly concerned. “It isn’t at all safe.”
“And not fair, either,” the third girl frowned. She waved a hand toward the stairwell Kuwabara had gone into. “Since when does a mutant attack someone who can’t defend himself? That’s not even sporting! What kind of coward would just-“
Wufei took a quick step back, blinking in surprise at the girl’s outraged expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said quickly. “Was Kuwabara fighting?”
“You mean the guy who just stormed out?” the boy asked, now giving a wry smile.
Wufei nodded and the fiery redhead glared at him, making him edge away again. He didn’t know how to react to being cornered by a girl nearly a head shorter who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to pound him.
“It wasn’t a fight,” she scowled. “A fight has two participants.”
The brownhaired girl move forward, laying a light hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “He didn’t see it,” she said, her tone placating. She turned those wide green eyes up on Wufei and flashed him a soft smile. “We’re looking for the person in charge here. Relena Peacecraft? Or whoever usually greets new students. It’s been a long trip, and we’re all a little on edge.”
“You’re not,” the green-haired boy smiled.
The girl gave a cute scowl, a light blush marring her cheeks, and Wufei managed a quick smile.
“Relena’s office is upstairs,” said Wufei. “But I doubt she’s awake. I don’t know who else to send you-“
The door to the stairwell was thrown open suddenly, and Wufei cut off his words. His gaze turned, then fell to the small girl who stood breathless across from them. Yukina’s face was very pale, making her eyes seem that much darker. But she was just the person Wufei wanted to see.
Nodding to the group of new students, Wufei moved over to greet Yukina. “They just go here,” he told her. “I don’t know how you usually treat new students so I’m glad to see you.”
Yukina sent a confused look up at him, then her eyes darted toward the cafeteria. “I heard...”
“You do show new students around,” Wufei said slowly, “don’t you?”
“Yes,” said Yukina, her eyes still on the doorwary, “but I heard...”
The girl was obviously distracted, and Wufei’s eyes widened suddenly. “Kuwabara. I’m not sure what happened, but if you’re looking for him, he just went upstairs.”
Yukina gave a sharp frown, the expression odd on her normally sweet face. “I know.”
The new students were exchanging glances with each other, and Yukina sighed. She managed a very small smile as she nodded politely to them.
“I will be happy to show you around,” she said. “If you’ll just wait here, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
With that, she turned and darted off. The students stared at the place where she’d been a moment before, Wufei just as surprised. Then he shook it off, reminding himself that she was Hiei’s sister so speed could have been a shared trait. Giving his own nod to the group, Wufei followed after her.
Any thought of the new students was shoved aside the moment Wufei stepped into the cafeteria. There were chairs strewn all over the place, two of the long tables lying on their backs, one of them broken clean through the middle. And Yusuke and Zechs were in the middle of it, backs to the door as they righted one of the overturned tables. Wufei reached the pair a moment after Yukina did.
“What happened?” asked Wufei.
“I am so sorry,” Yukina said at the same moment. “I had no idea he would do such a thing.”
Yusuke was the first to turn, and he sent a wide-eyed look from Yukina to the cafeteria entrance.
“I really don’t think you should be down here,” he said quickly, flashing the girl a wary smile. “If he comes back and sees you with Zechs they’ll have to start all over again. Took him forever to convince the baka you two weren’t doing anything together.”
“I’m still not sure he believed it,” Zechs muttered.
He sighed and turned around, sending a wry smile to Wufei’s wide eyes. Following the boy’s gaze, he brushed a hand over his temple and smirked at the blood on his palm.
“I’ve never been much for fist fights.”
“Nope,” Yusuke smirked, “but at least you know how to block. I’m pretty sure he wanted to mess up your face more than anything.”
“Wait,” Wufei said sharply. “Did Kuwabara attack you?”
“Because of me,” said Yukina. She stared up at Zechs with dark, sad eyes. “I never imagined he would do that. He had no reason to...to...”
Zechs shook his head, flashing the girl a quick, though weak, smile. “He had reason. I knew that was your private place the moment I saw you there. I should have left immediately.”
“I asked you to stay,” Yukina argued. “And it’s only private because no one chooses to visit me there. I...enjoyed your company...”
Wufei was sending wide-eyed looks between the two, and Yusuke let out a quick laugh. Crossing to the dark-haired boy, he shook his head with a wide smile.
“Don’t you get the wrong idea, too,” Yusuke teased. “It seems these two had a little meeting the other night and Kuwabara got wind of it. Sounded pretty incriminating, so the baka went ballistic. Had to defend Yukina’s honor, after all.”
The boy said it as if it were silly and funny in retrospect. Zechs shot him a light frown.
“You believed it as well,” Zechs reminded him coolly.
Yusuke flushed a bit and shrugged quickly. “Only at first. I don’t know you. You hide things.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Maybe,” Yusuke said, his voice soft and sober. “But you hide more than any of your friends. You’re different.”
Wufei sent him a sharp look, and Zechs sighed. With a quick nod to Yukina, he gestured to the mess around them.
“Don’t worry about this,” he told her. “Kuwabara and I have settled the problem. Now I need to pick this place up before the rest of the students file down and find it a disaster area.”
With a pointed look at Yusuke, Zechs raised an eyebrow. “Do you still plan to help?”
Yusuke returned the stare for a long moment before giving in.
“Yeah,” he sighed, “I might as well. I didn’t let you get a word in edgewise, so that makes me as much to blame as Kuwabara. But just keep in mind that if I’d really believed you had done that to Yukina...you wouldn’t be standing there right now.”
The two moved back to the remaining upended table, and Wufei followed. He placed a tight damper on the questions in his mind and focused himself on the chairs that littered the floor. It wasn’t until he passed the broken table, which was spotted with blood, that his patience snapped.
“Did he throw you on that?!”
Yusuke let out a sharp laugh that made Yukina frown at him, while Zechs gave him an embarrassed smile.
“Yep,” Yusuke said cheerfully. “Where do you think he got the cut? Pretty resistant for someone without any physical talents.”
“You don’t need mutant talents to duck and block,” Zechs said wryly. “But I doubt I’d have survived long if he hadn’t listened to reason when he did. He’s a lot stronger when he’s angry.”
“Good point there,” mused Yusuke. “I might just have to sneak up to Yukina’s watchroom some night – see how Kuwa holds in a fight when he’s really pissed. Who knows? He might actually be a challenge that way.”
Yukina edged forward, confusion marrying her brow as she stared intently up at Zechs. “You’re not upset? Are you in pain? If there’s anything I can-“
“I’m fine,” said Zechs. He gave the girl a quick smile. “And no, I’m not upset. Kuwabara cares a great deal about you, and he knows nothing about me. There was no way for him to know that I hadn’t taken advantage of you. All he did was what Hiei would have done in his place – protect you.”
Wufei noticed that the mere mention of Hiei’s name was enough to halt Yukina. He had an idea Zechs shouldn’t have brought him into the conversation. Because now that he thought about it, she hadn’t seen her brother since the six of them had come to the school – not since that first day after his match with Kurama.
Color was returning to Yukina’s face, but she was still pale when she took a slow step back.
“I should see to the new students,” she said softly. “I apologize again for what happened here. I hope you...”
Though he didn’t read the girl’s thoughts, Zechs could see her hesitation. He shook his head.
“I won’t hold it against you, or avoid you. If anything, I’m envious. You have two people who care about nothing more than seeing to your welfare. Don’t stay upset with Kuwabara because he protected you from the wrong person. He had good intentions.”
“He’s very...rash,” Yukina whispered.
Now there was a light flush rising to her cheeks, making her downcast eyes seem to sparkle.
“Im-impetuous. But...”
“I know,” Zechs smiled. “You don’t have to say it.”
Yukina gave a shy look at him before nodding to Wufei and Yusuke. She then turned and headed for the exit, where four curious faces were peaking into the room.
The new students straightened when they saw her approaching, the boy waving a hand at Wufei before they all filed off after the small girl.
The moment they were out of sight, Wufei heaved a sigh at the mess. “What do you two plan to do with the broken table?”
“Toss it over there,” Yusuke grinned, “next to the wall. I figure someone will pick it up later.”
“I’ll help,” Wufei said to Zechs. “You should wash that cut. Can you heal it?”
Zechs smirked and shook his head, fingering a bit of his hair that had clotted with the dripping blood. “I can’t see it. But it’s not deep.”
“It’s a good thing you rolled when you landed,” Yusuke put in cheerfully. “He was trying to break your face.”
“I did notice that,” said Zechs. He sent a droll look at the happy boy.
“Yeah,” Yusuke shrugged. “But it’s neat that you can heal yourself. Yukina can heal other people, but not herself.”
Wufei frowned, shooting a sharp look at Zechs. “Have you been practicing at self healing, then?”
“Some,” said Zechs. “As long as I can see it, I can heal it. I didn’t think I’d be able to heal anything serious, but with an arm or leg, it’s not much different from healing someone else.” He smirked wryly. “It just hurts more.”
“The burn?”
“That, too.”
Yusuke laughed, shaking his head at Zechs’ dismissive tone. “You really play it off, don’t you.”
He sent a confiding look at Wufei. “He winced more when he was healing his arms, than he did when Kuwabara was breaking them.”
Wufei’s eyes widened. “Brea-“
“When it comes to physical strength,” Zechs cut in, his expression more than a little irritated, “I may as well not be a mutant.”
“I wasn’t insulting you,” Yusuke said quickly. “You blocked well. But there’s no point pretending you stood a chance when you didn’t. You’re just not a fighter. That’s the way talents work – no insult in the truth.”
“Right,” Zechs scowled.
Together the three of them had the place set as straight as possibly within the next half hour. It was still obvious that something had happened, what with the broken table and a few dozen chairs piled up along the far wall. But it was habitable again.
Zechs left to clean up as soon as they were finished. Though the cut on his temple wasn’t deep, it had streaked down to mix with his pale hair. Sticky and striking. He promised to be back as quickly as possible, so he’d be able to meet with the others when they came down.
Yusuke watched as Zechs left the room, waiting a few long minutes before turning bright eyes on Wufei. The black-haired boy blinked back at him.
“Well?” Yusuke prodded.
“Well, what?”
“Aren’t you going to ask how the fight went down?”
Wufei frowned, his eyes darting to the side. He didn’t really want to know. The idea of Zechs fighting Kuwabara was comparable to Kuwabara facing Hiei – no contest.
“He lost,” said Wufei, “and they’re both fine now, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Right,” Yusuke drawled. “And I’m sure you’re not curious how long your friend lasted before he...lost. Not that I’d consider it a loss since he didn’t fight back. He’s the type that would be more comfortable in a formal duel. Too bad Kuwabara doesn’t have the patience for that sort of thing. I guess Peacecrafts really aren’t big on street fights.”
“Did you really think Zechs would have dishonored Yukina?”
Yusuke flinched at the cold way that was asked, his face shifting into a sober but warning look.
“How well do you know him?” Yusuke countered. “You didn’t even know his age until a few days ago. There’s something off about him – Kuwabara noticed it, too.”
“He’s a mind reader as well as a healer,” said Wufei. “That’s probably it.”
“Oh,” Yusuke sniffed, “another secret. Figures. That explains why he was able to talk Kuwabara into listening. But that still doesn’t explain the rest.”
“Explain what?” Wufei asked, a bit tiredly.
He was uncomfortable with everything that had happened this morning, and Yusuke’s distrust of one of their group was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now.
Yusuke frowned, shifting in his seat.
“You know how when someone looks at you from across the room you can feel it? That sensation I told you about the other day? When he looks at me, it doesn’t feel right. It’s like he’s not really there, or not all there. When I feel him looking at me and glance over, it’s like what I see isn’t what I felt, like he’s there but he’s not. And Kuwabara says he’s as wrong as Hiei is, but in a different way. That’s why he was so quick to distrust him. There’s just something...wrong about him.
“He’s so closed off I can’t make sense of it – I can’t trust someone I don’t know. You know I like to watch people. With him, it’s like he has this side he shows and he seems friendly and open, just a little reserved. But it’s not real. And none of you seem to have a clue what’s really under that. If his own friends don’t know, there isn’t anything I can learn by watching you.”
The teen was putting serious doubts into Wufei’s mind, and he shook his head, doing his best to ignore them. This was Zechs they were talking about, not an eccentric S class mutant with an A class twin.
“Trowa is a mindreader,” said Wufei. “If there were something...off with him, Trowa would have picked it up. Or Quatre.”
“Really?”
Yusuke leaned closer over the table, his dark brown eyes flashing just a bit.
“Why don’t you ask them, then? I’d bet anything that not one of you bothered to ‘mindread’ him. I’d even bet that Yukina knows more about him than any one of you.”
Wufei shook his head, his face clouding. Now that Yusuke had planted the seed, thoughts were forming rapidly.
What did they really know about him? He’d been disowned, had been forced to work for OZ, and since meeting with them, had been a helpful friend. But...
Friend? Wufei couldn’t think of anyone Zechs confided in, no one he shared a bond with the way he had with Duo, or even Heero and Trowa, who seemed to think alike more often than not. He’d remained isolated from all of them, except...
A memory skirted past him, the safehouse right before they learned of Une. Zechs had seemed open then, with him. It had been an overture as far as Wufei could tell, and he’d been expecting some sort of continuation of that. Only Zechs hadn’t said more than two words to him in private since the plane landed. In fact, the longer they’d been here, the more distant Zechs had become. And now that it was laid out in front of him, Wufei thought he understood.
He should have known. This kingdom was the last place in the world that Zechs wanted to be. All jokes about his being heir aside, the place had to be filled with bad memories. And they’d all gone about their own work without noticing that the one who’d brought them here was fading further with each day.
“You know what’s funny?” asked Yusuke.
Wufei jerked out of his thoughts, frowning up at the boy. “What?”
“Even though I don’t know him well enough to trust him, I still like him. I don’t think I’ve ever so much as tolerated someone I couldn’t trust.”
Yusuke trailed off when he noticed how blank Wufei’s face was, as if the boy wasn’t really listening to him. It made him wonder if he should have kept his suspicions to himself. He just couldn’t help but warn his new friend. His instincts about people were usually right on the money, and he knew there was a lot more to Zechs than the reserved, oddly modest and mature man he appeared to be. It was almost enough to make him want to ask Relena a few questions. Almost.
The silence held until Zechs returned, and Yusuke made a show of leaving the table before the man could sit down. His manner was teasing, almost overly friendly.
“Nice work on that,” Yusuke smirked, waving a hand at the faint scar on Zechs’ temple. “No one would ever know you were a mutant punching bag.”
“I’d hope not,” Zechs returned, his tone dry. “I wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.”
“Surprised you let it scar, though. You might try sleeping once in a while. I hear it gives you more energy.”
Yusuke had tossed an arm over Zechs’ shoulders as he spoke, but kept his voice loud enough so Wufei would hear him.
“It would get rid of those circles under your eyes,” Yusuke confided. “And you know what they say...if you don’t get enough dream-sleep, you can go insane.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
With a grin for the sober man, and a bright wave to Wufei, Yusuke took his leave. He still had to go have a talk with Kuwabara. If he’d had any idea his friend powered up when angry, he’d never have let him attack Zechs in the first place.
Zechs watched the boy leave, then moved to the table, taking a seat across from Wufei. His friend was looking at him with an unusually guarded expression. It made Zechs sigh and drop his chin onto one hand.
“Not you, too,” said Zechs.
“You really do have circles under your eyes,” Wufei frowned. “I didn’t notice.”
A very light flush rose to Zechs’ face and he looked away, shifting uncomfortably. “I was in a hurry to get back down here, so I didn’t think about that.”
He sent a wary look at Wufei, an embarrassed smile pulling at his lips. “I did some acting work a few years back. You’d be surprised what a bit of powder can do.”
It took a moment, but Wufei’s eyes widened once he understood. He couldn’t help his surprised laugh.
“Make up?! I can’t believe that...”
Zechs grinned, shaking his head as he rubbed his hand over one eye. “I only do it when I start looking like a raccoon otherwise. Now that I know I can heal using a mirror, I can probably drop the enhancements. I’d say they count as bruises.”
As ridiculous as the discovery was, Wufei found his smile fading after a while. Now that he was really looking, he noticed how pale Zechs was. He really did look tired, drained.
“When’s the last time you slept?” asked Wufei.
A surprised look answered his question, and Wufei frowned at Zechs’ eyes. They didn’t look bloodshot, despite the dark bruises beneath them. If he’d been without sleep, shouldn’t they have been at least a little red?
“Two hours ago,” Zechs answered, a small frown creasing his brow. "At least I was until Kuwabara came down.”
“Down here,” Wufei said sharply, his eyes wide. “You were sleeping down here?”
“No!” Zechs gave a quick smile, shaking his head. “No, I just dozed off. I blame the nutmeg.”
A very confused expression spread over Wufei’s face, and he raised an eyebrow. “Nutmeg?”
“You haven’t tried it?” asked Zechs, with an astounded look. “Wait here.”
So it was that when the others came down for the day, they found both Wufei and Zechs sipping steaming cups of what looked like brown milk. Duo immediately followed suit, pronouncing it the sweetest – meaning best – drink the cafeteria had offered so far. Heero and Trowa naturally passed it up, though Quatre was willing to try it.
After a few sips of the drink, Quatre was amused to break Duo’s happy bubble. “You do realize this has absolutely no caffeine in it, don’t you, Duo?”
He hadn’t realized any such thing, but Duo was quick to look at the bright side. With a quick proclamation that the sugar would work just as well, he finished his mug with glee.
Heero, who’d been watching his lover’s antics with a closed face, took the cup before Duo could refill it. He set it aside and pushed his chair back with a sober expression.
“I have something to tell all of you,” he said.
Wufei nodded, his gaze shifting to the broken table that lay conspicuously on the other side of the room. He had something to tell as well, but it could probably wait.
“What is it?” asked Duo.
His mood was an exact opposite of what it had been the morning before. Not only had he and Heero settled their argument, he’d woken up to a very tasty breakfast. Needless to say, he was quite happy with the world. Heero killed that with two little words.
“I’m leaving.”
- - -
There was a stunned silence over the table when the students started to spot the room. Duo, who had tried to get insight from the mindreaders with no success, was glaring at everyone. Either Quatre, Trowa, and Zechs had chosen not to probe Heero’s mind, or they simply refused to tell him any more than Heero had. He didn’t care which it was.
Heero’s announcement had been, for lack of a better word, brief. He was leaving. He had no reason to stay while the rest of them worked on their talents, so he was going to get stronger on his own. He’d be back as soon as he could. They should continue their training until then.
That was all. Not a word on where he was going, how he planned to get stronger, why the hell he hadn’t bothered to mention sooner that he was leaving, or how he expected his lover to react to this news. He’d made his announcement and left to speak to Kurama, of all people.
Duo was ready to destroy something, and all of the downcast eyes at the table just made it that much worse.
Everything Heero had done or said to him in the last few days was passing through his mind, riddled with hints of this. He knew without a doubt that Heero had been planning to leave. His suspicion of Kurama – he hadn’t wanted to leave without making sure he wasn’t a threat. His worry about Duo overextending himself – hadn’t wanted to worry because he wasn’t planning to be around to see for himself. And last night. Last night was the worst.
Two possibilities came to mind for Duo. Heero hadn’t wanted to leave with him angry, or he hadn’t wanted to spend his last night here alone. Both of the possibilities twisted the wound. Either way, Heero had thought of himself first. He had to have known Duo would be rightfully furious...and hurt. And he hadn’t cared.
That thought, more than any, kept Duo from moving. He wouldn’t chase after Heero and demand an explanation. He wouldn’t go to their room and huddle in the corner of that lonely bed until he drowned in his tears. He wouldn’t disappear and go back to the life that didn’t involve cold, selfish, militaristic mutants bent only on fulfilling their own agendas. He wouldn’t.
Heero could leave, but Duo was staying right here. With his friends. Friends who, at the moment, were looking at everything but him.
Despite his resolve, Duo found himself staring at Quatre. The blonde boy’s eyes were cloudy and dark, pain written clearly over his downcast face. Quatre could have explained everything if he’d wanted to. He chose not to. Why?
A set of dark eyes met his suddenly, and Duo jerked back in his seat. Wufei wasn’t going to avoid looking at him?
But Wufei couldn’t help him. He could see it in his friend’s eyes. Wufei had no idea what to say to help him, because there wasn’t anything he could say. Only Heero could, and he was...leaving.
Wufei dropped his eyes again, and Duo’s breath snagged in his throat.
Could he stay? If none of his friends could so much as look at him, could he handle that? And if he couldn’t, what did that leave for him?
His vision blurred, heat and cold alternating over his face until only his eyes and throat burned. He couldn’t sit there with them, with them but separate. If they couldn’t look at him, he might as well have been invisible again.
Duo shoved his chair back and whirled from the table, blind to the way his friends reacted. His attention locked on the exit, which seemed so far away now. He wouldn’t do anything yet. He just couldn’t sit there invisible any more. Not when it hurt so much.
A student passed in front of him, knocking his balance back a step, and strong hands caught his arm. Wide dark eyes stared at him, but Duo barely noticed. His sight was damp and blurred too much to make out more than a pale face that wasn’t Heero’s. He pulled away and left as quickly as his unsteady legs would take him.
Wufei had stood the moment Duo turned from the table. Now he stopped in his tracks, taken back by the stark look on Hiei’s face. The young mutant was staring after Duo with an expression he’d never seen on him before. Wide, almost stricken red eyes shifted to Wufei, and he felt an insane urge to comfort Hiei – where he’d been so helpless to comfort Duo.
“What happened...?” asked Hiei.
His voice was so soft Wufei barely heard him. He shook his head, meaning to follow his friend before Duo did something. Something like leaving without a trace.
Hiei stopped him before he’d taken two steps, catching Wufei’s wrist in a grip that would leave dark bruises later, and jerking him back around. “Did you do that?”
Outrage mixed with shock, and Wufei glared down at the mutant. “Of course not,” he spat. “Heero’s leaving. Duo-“
He spoke to thin air. In the time it had taken to say Duo’s name, Hiei was already gone.
- - -
It had taken some effort to convince Hiei to let him talk to Kurama alone. Heero was certain that Hiei would never forget that he had been to blame for Zechs reading Kurama. He understood that, but he was grateful that the boy finally conceded. That left him with a chance to talk in private with the mutant he couldn’t quite feel comfortable around.
“I have to ask you,” said Heero, “if you’re aware of Hiei’s past. His and Yukina’s. Are you aware that OZ is certain to be looking for both of them? And that they probably know exactly where both of them are?”
Kurama wasn’t the least bit surprised by the question, but he was curious. He frowned at Heero for a moment before answering.
“Of course OZ knows they’re here. But they’ve known Yukina was here for years. I told you before, the Sanq Kingdom is the safest place for mutants. They wouldn’t risk an attack on this country. It would ruin their image with the public.”
Heero gave him a sharp frown, and Kurama shook his head.
“I know what you think,” said Kurama, “but even if they did decide it was worth the risk, Hiei and I are fully prepared to defend this place. This is Yukina’s home. We’d never allow anyone to endanger that.”
“I’ll have to be satisfied with that,” Heero sighed.
He took a long breath, then turned his back, pacing near the windows of the enclosed rest area.
“The reason I ask is because I’m leaving for a while,” Heero admitted. “I wanted to make sure you were aware of the risk. But also...”
The boy seemed to be having trouble with what he wanted to say. Kurama waited patiently, his gaze taking in all of the conflict that tried to hide behind those dark blue eyes. Whatever Heero was leaving to do, he wasn’t doing it without his share of doubts. And unless Kurama was mistaken, those doubts were waging war against his resolve. He couldn’t help but wonder which would win.
“I don’t want you to work with Duo anymore,” Heero said suddenly, rounding to lock cold midnight blue eyes on Kurama. “He can’t tell when he’s used too much energy, says there aren’t any warnings when that happens, so it’s dangerous for him to try tasks like the one you gave him.”
“I realize that now,” said Kurama, his voice soft but steady. “He’s an unusual case, his talent. It seems to take a different level of energy to make things outside him invisible – maybe even a different type of energy. Now that I know, I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.”
Heero looked away, his teeth gnashing in frustration. He knew it wasn’t his place to deny Duo’s advancement. Duo had to improve his abilities, and it was his right to improve them as much as he wanted to. But the idea of him suffering another collapse, possibly a fatal one...
“I don’t want him using his talents until he’s recovered,” Heero said quietly. “Even then, he shouldn’t try anything dangerous without someone watching him. If I had watched him like I was supposed to have, I would have seen the signs that Duo missed.”
“I understand your concern. No, don’t get angry. I’m not being presumptuous. I do understand. You’re blaming yourself, but part of you is also blaming me.”
Kurama gave a tight, joyless smile.
“You’re right to blame me,” he said. “If Duo asks me to help him, I won’t turn him away. But I promise I won’t help him without taking every precaution. I never make the same mistake twice, Heero. Never.”
There was an old glint of steel in those green eyes that Heero recognized, something that struck a cord in him. Suddenly he knew why he’d distrusted Kurama on sight. They were more alike than he’d realized. Yes, the redhead had Duo’s form of openness, but that was only one layer. Beneath, they shared a similar resolve.
“And besides me,” Kurama said suddenly, his voice shifting to a light teasingly happy tone that threw Heero completely off guard. “I’m sure Hiei would be more than happy to take Duo under his protection until you get back.”
Heero’s eyebrow twitched, and he was instantly suspicious. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” he said tightly.
Kurama smirked and placed a friendly hand on the boy’s stiff shoulder, patting his back. “Don’t you worry about Hiei. He’ll treat Duo with the same regard he does Yukina – protection only. I wouldn’t let it get any closer than that, even if Hiei had a mind to.”
A long look into those glittering, teasing green eyes, and Heero was wondering if he’d imagined that glint he’d seen before. Kurama wasn’t just a person with a mask, he shifted from one mood to another in a heartbeat. But he recognized the promise in those words. Kurama was as possessive of Hiei as Heero was of Duo. Despite their differences, they had that much in common.
The others were still at the table when Heero came back up to the cafeteria. He wasn’t surprised to find Duo’s seat empty, and he wasted no time with a drawn out goodbye. He’d be back in a few days, weeks at the most. One way or another, he wouldn’t be gone for longer than that.
From there, he went straight to his room. The door was open to the hall, but inside was empty.
Some part of him cringed as he stepped into the dark bedroom, wincing away. Duo wasn’t going to see him off.
He hadn’t expected him to, honestly. He’d just hoped maybe he would, if only to try and get more information out of him, maybe try to talk him out of going. Maybe hug him one last time...just in case things went badly and he couldn’t come back...?
Maybe cry?
He didn’t want that. As cold as he felt packing his laptop in that silent, dead room, Heero knew he didn’t want to see Duo hurt, even if it meant not seeing him at all. And he was certain this would be less painful for both of them. It was the very reason he hadn’t mentioned his plans sooner. He’d known it would fester until Duo was driven crazy by it, till the boy drove him crazy because of it, till the departure day came and he’d lost his resolve altogether. \
He was going. He’d been ordered to go, and he wanted to go.
If he didn’t get stronger, he’d have no place in the team. And he wasn’t ready to give them up. No more than he was ready to fail a mission...
- - -
Heero went out the front door, pausing as he came beneath the large tree. The branches obscured him so that all Duo could see from the window was dark hair half hidden by thick green foliage.
Even if Heero looked up now, he wouldn’t be able to see those dark blue eyes. He wasn’t going to get one last look at him. Why?
Floodgates.
He almost never cried, but Duo always imagined the tears building up to the point where if they ever broke loose, he’d drown. Only they hadn’t built up.
Two heavy streaks of dampness on his cheeks and his eyes burned dry. He couldn’t even cry over this. That hurt more than anything.
Duo shoved away from the window, hiding his face in his arms as he leaned against the wall. His chest throbbed, but the sobs were grating. He felt as if he should have been curled with his tears glazing over him. So why couldn’t he let it out? Why?
Why hadn’t Heero looked down the hall when he came out of their room? Was he so set on his decision that he hadn’t even felt Duo watching him?
Was he really invisible, even when he didn’t want to be?
“Why didn’t he see me...?”
“Don’t cry...”
Duo reeled, his wide eyes flying around desperately. “Hee-“
Not Heero. He was invisible, and Heero couldn’t see him.
Staggered.
The sudden hope and crashing disappointment staggered him. All of the strength drained from his legs and Duo sagged to the floor, half mindless to the strong arms that helped lower him.
Heero hadn’t looked for him. He was gone.
“Do you want me to stop him? Bring him back?”
The words didn’t register fully. Duo stared through dazed eyes, his lashes seeming too heavy and thick to be real. And his sight was doubled, tripled.
He was crying again. And Hiei, to whom he’d never spoken more than two words, had offered to bring Heero back for him.
Duo let out a low laugh that was half sob, reaching out to catch the boy close. He didn’t care how rigid Hiei went the moment he touched him. If he could cry over it, he could get past it.
A broken whisper sounded above him, repeating the offer, and Duo gave a wretched grin, shaking his head against Hiei’s chest.
“No...” Duo mumbled. “Let him go...”
And let me be weak in front of you because my friends can’t see me...
- - -
TBC
This Part: Majority focus on Zechs-Wufei and Heero-Duo.
Category: Anime, Yaoi, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho
Warnings: shonen ai, possible humor, minor(?) angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina-hotmail.com
Website / Complete Archive: www . geocities . com / arigatomina
Gmen
Part 31: Broken Ties
Wufei woke early, his sleep disturbed by a dream he couldn’t remember. As with other nights, it was the sort of dream that distressed him even though the details escaped him. He was left sitting awake, watching shadows with unease and restlessness. In the past the dreams had been the main cause for his early rising, but he hadn’t had one in some time. He could only hope this was an isolated incident.
Since he was already wide awake, he decided to dress and exercise. Kurama’s training aside, he hadn’t done anything physical in so long he was certain his instincts had gone lax. He might have been exhausted from using his mutant talent, but that was more of a strain on his heart than a real physical problem. His breathing was too erratic when he was in the midst of controlling the elements. It left him breathless and heady, a centralized weakness that affected his entire body. Not enough oxygen, pure and simple.
But using his talent, cardiovascular exercise aside, had nothing to do with working his body. A few quick stretches in the middle of his dark bedroom told him it was time to add a new routine to this training.
What he wanted most to was to go downstairs and see if there really were weapons in one of those rooms, and if so, to challenge the first sword-user he could find. He was fairly certain Hiei would snort in his face if he challenged him, assuming the boy didn’t laugh outright. Kurama would probably go for it, though, or even Kuwabara if it came to that.
Wufei didn’t really care at this point. An hour of what would have been a warm-up two months ago, and he was ready to take a break. Just feeling the light burn in his calves made him sneer down at himself. With all the focus on mutant talents and powers of the mind, he hadn’t thought much about the hiking he’d done regularly, his nightly partnerless sparring matches.
He fumed at himself for a while, then checked his clock again. Six thirty.
Chances were Zechs was up by now, and if the others kept their routine, they’d be trailing down in an hour or so.
Wufei caught a jacket as he left his room, fully intent on taking a run before doing any ‘mind-oriented’ mutant training. Mutant abilities were fine, but without a functioning body to hold them, they meant nothing.
He reminded himself of that as he walked the dark halls. The thought of being worn when he started practicing his talent was more daunting than he cared to admit.
The front hall was lit when he exited the stairs, making him pause just outside the stairwell. As far as he knew, no one turned on the lights until seven at the earliest, when students started to head down in more than a trickle.
The bright glare overhead was a stark contrast to the dim predawn outside the wide windows. He didn’t like it. The change struck him as a warning that made his eyes narrow as he exited the stairwell.
Since he was expecting something already, he wasn’t surprised to see a small group of students standing just outside the cafeteria. One of them glanced back as he approached, giving him a quick look-over before turning his attention back to the doorway.
Wufei found himself stopping for a brief moment to acknowledge the small part of him that noted this student as one he’d never seen before. Not that he paid much attention to the students, but he was certain he’d have noticed the boy’s bright green hair if he’d seen him in the halls. It was as striking as the prominent scar on the teen’s cheek. The other students with the boy were also unfamiliar.
New comers? That would certainly explain why the light was on.
Stepping closer to the little group, Wufei frowned at the way they were blocking the cafeteria. He opened his mouth to ask them to move – in or out – when one of the girls jumped back. She bumped into him with enough force that Wufei stumbled and almost fell. The others moved back at the same time, but the boy caught both Wufei and the girl, drawing them off to the side.
Just as Wufei was about to tell the boy to let go of his wrist, someone came stalking out of the cafeteria. Wufei’s mouth snapped closed and his eyes widened in surprise.
It was Kuwabara. But the boy was angrier than Wufei had ever seen him, that golden energy of his fairly crackling around him as he walked past without so much as a glance in their direction.
The group of new students gave him a wide birth, watching in silence until the boy disappeared into the stairwell. Then the greenhaired boy released Wufei, turning to give him a friendly smile.
“Nice school you have here,” he said. “First there aren’t any guards or teachers or anyone to ask for directions, then the place is so dark you can’t see the walls, and for the finale we get greeted with a fight five minutes after we find the light switch. Not very organized.”
All of that was given with a teasing, overly familiar, tone that made Wufei just a bit uneasy. He glanced from the boy to the three girls with him, noting that two of them had the same sort of friendly smile, while the third, a snobbish looking girl with long light blue hair, was raising an eyebrow in open disdain. He didn’t know what to say to them.
“I’m new myself,” Wufei offered.
“In other words, you don’t have any excuses to give,” the blue-haired girl sniffed.
“Do students always fight like that?” the brown-haired girl asked, her bright green eyes visibly concerned. “It isn’t at all safe.”
“And not fair, either,” the third girl frowned. She waved a hand toward the stairwell Kuwabara had gone into. “Since when does a mutant attack someone who can’t defend himself? That’s not even sporting! What kind of coward would just-“
Wufei took a quick step back, blinking in surprise at the girl’s outraged expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said quickly. “Was Kuwabara fighting?”
“You mean the guy who just stormed out?” the boy asked, now giving a wry smile.
Wufei nodded and the fiery redhead glared at him, making him edge away again. He didn’t know how to react to being cornered by a girl nearly a head shorter who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to pound him.
“It wasn’t a fight,” she scowled. “A fight has two participants.”
The brownhaired girl move forward, laying a light hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “He didn’t see it,” she said, her tone placating. She turned those wide green eyes up on Wufei and flashed him a soft smile. “We’re looking for the person in charge here. Relena Peacecraft? Or whoever usually greets new students. It’s been a long trip, and we’re all a little on edge.”
“You’re not,” the green-haired boy smiled.
The girl gave a cute scowl, a light blush marring her cheeks, and Wufei managed a quick smile.
“Relena’s office is upstairs,” said Wufei. “But I doubt she’s awake. I don’t know who else to send you-“
The door to the stairwell was thrown open suddenly, and Wufei cut off his words. His gaze turned, then fell to the small girl who stood breathless across from them. Yukina’s face was very pale, making her eyes seem that much darker. But she was just the person Wufei wanted to see.
Nodding to the group of new students, Wufei moved over to greet Yukina. “They just go here,” he told her. “I don’t know how you usually treat new students so I’m glad to see you.”
Yukina sent a confused look up at him, then her eyes darted toward the cafeteria. “I heard...”
“You do show new students around,” Wufei said slowly, “don’t you?”
“Yes,” said Yukina, her eyes still on the doorwary, “but I heard...”
The girl was obviously distracted, and Wufei’s eyes widened suddenly. “Kuwabara. I’m not sure what happened, but if you’re looking for him, he just went upstairs.”
Yukina gave a sharp frown, the expression odd on her normally sweet face. “I know.”
The new students were exchanging glances with each other, and Yukina sighed. She managed a very small smile as she nodded politely to them.
“I will be happy to show you around,” she said. “If you’ll just wait here, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
With that, she turned and darted off. The students stared at the place where she’d been a moment before, Wufei just as surprised. Then he shook it off, reminding himself that she was Hiei’s sister so speed could have been a shared trait. Giving his own nod to the group, Wufei followed after her.
Any thought of the new students was shoved aside the moment Wufei stepped into the cafeteria. There were chairs strewn all over the place, two of the long tables lying on their backs, one of them broken clean through the middle. And Yusuke and Zechs were in the middle of it, backs to the door as they righted one of the overturned tables. Wufei reached the pair a moment after Yukina did.
“What happened?” asked Wufei.
“I am so sorry,” Yukina said at the same moment. “I had no idea he would do such a thing.”
Yusuke was the first to turn, and he sent a wide-eyed look from Yukina to the cafeteria entrance.
“I really don’t think you should be down here,” he said quickly, flashing the girl a wary smile. “If he comes back and sees you with Zechs they’ll have to start all over again. Took him forever to convince the baka you two weren’t doing anything together.”
“I’m still not sure he believed it,” Zechs muttered.
He sighed and turned around, sending a wry smile to Wufei’s wide eyes. Following the boy’s gaze, he brushed a hand over his temple and smirked at the blood on his palm.
“I’ve never been much for fist fights.”
“Nope,” Yusuke smirked, “but at least you know how to block. I’m pretty sure he wanted to mess up your face more than anything.”
“Wait,” Wufei said sharply. “Did Kuwabara attack you?”
“Because of me,” said Yukina. She stared up at Zechs with dark, sad eyes. “I never imagined he would do that. He had no reason to...to...”
Zechs shook his head, flashing the girl a quick, though weak, smile. “He had reason. I knew that was your private place the moment I saw you there. I should have left immediately.”
“I asked you to stay,” Yukina argued. “And it’s only private because no one chooses to visit me there. I...enjoyed your company...”
Wufei was sending wide-eyed looks between the two, and Yusuke let out a quick laugh. Crossing to the dark-haired boy, he shook his head with a wide smile.
“Don’t you get the wrong idea, too,” Yusuke teased. “It seems these two had a little meeting the other night and Kuwabara got wind of it. Sounded pretty incriminating, so the baka went ballistic. Had to defend Yukina’s honor, after all.”
The boy said it as if it were silly and funny in retrospect. Zechs shot him a light frown.
“You believed it as well,” Zechs reminded him coolly.
Yusuke flushed a bit and shrugged quickly. “Only at first. I don’t know you. You hide things.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Maybe,” Yusuke said, his voice soft and sober. “But you hide more than any of your friends. You’re different.”
Wufei sent him a sharp look, and Zechs sighed. With a quick nod to Yukina, he gestured to the mess around them.
“Don’t worry about this,” he told her. “Kuwabara and I have settled the problem. Now I need to pick this place up before the rest of the students file down and find it a disaster area.”
With a pointed look at Yusuke, Zechs raised an eyebrow. “Do you still plan to help?”
Yusuke returned the stare for a long moment before giving in.
“Yeah,” he sighed, “I might as well. I didn’t let you get a word in edgewise, so that makes me as much to blame as Kuwabara. But just keep in mind that if I’d really believed you had done that to Yukina...you wouldn’t be standing there right now.”
The two moved back to the remaining upended table, and Wufei followed. He placed a tight damper on the questions in his mind and focused himself on the chairs that littered the floor. It wasn’t until he passed the broken table, which was spotted with blood, that his patience snapped.
“Did he throw you on that?!”
Yusuke let out a sharp laugh that made Yukina frown at him, while Zechs gave him an embarrassed smile.
“Yep,” Yusuke said cheerfully. “Where do you think he got the cut? Pretty resistant for someone without any physical talents.”
“You don’t need mutant talents to duck and block,” Zechs said wryly. “But I doubt I’d have survived long if he hadn’t listened to reason when he did. He’s a lot stronger when he’s angry.”
“Good point there,” mused Yusuke. “I might just have to sneak up to Yukina’s watchroom some night – see how Kuwa holds in a fight when he’s really pissed. Who knows? He might actually be a challenge that way.”
Yukina edged forward, confusion marrying her brow as she stared intently up at Zechs. “You’re not upset? Are you in pain? If there’s anything I can-“
“I’m fine,” said Zechs. He gave the girl a quick smile. “And no, I’m not upset. Kuwabara cares a great deal about you, and he knows nothing about me. There was no way for him to know that I hadn’t taken advantage of you. All he did was what Hiei would have done in his place – protect you.”
Wufei noticed that the mere mention of Hiei’s name was enough to halt Yukina. He had an idea Zechs shouldn’t have brought him into the conversation. Because now that he thought about it, she hadn’t seen her brother since the six of them had come to the school – not since that first day after his match with Kurama.
Color was returning to Yukina’s face, but she was still pale when she took a slow step back.
“I should see to the new students,” she said softly. “I apologize again for what happened here. I hope you...”
Though he didn’t read the girl’s thoughts, Zechs could see her hesitation. He shook his head.
“I won’t hold it against you, or avoid you. If anything, I’m envious. You have two people who care about nothing more than seeing to your welfare. Don’t stay upset with Kuwabara because he protected you from the wrong person. He had good intentions.”
“He’s very...rash,” Yukina whispered.
Now there was a light flush rising to her cheeks, making her downcast eyes seem to sparkle.
“Im-impetuous. But...”
“I know,” Zechs smiled. “You don’t have to say it.”
Yukina gave a shy look at him before nodding to Wufei and Yusuke. She then turned and headed for the exit, where four curious faces were peaking into the room.
The new students straightened when they saw her approaching, the boy waving a hand at Wufei before they all filed off after the small girl.
The moment they were out of sight, Wufei heaved a sigh at the mess. “What do you two plan to do with the broken table?”
“Toss it over there,” Yusuke grinned, “next to the wall. I figure someone will pick it up later.”
“I’ll help,” Wufei said to Zechs. “You should wash that cut. Can you heal it?”
Zechs smirked and shook his head, fingering a bit of his hair that had clotted with the dripping blood. “I can’t see it. But it’s not deep.”
“It’s a good thing you rolled when you landed,” Yusuke put in cheerfully. “He was trying to break your face.”
“I did notice that,” said Zechs. He sent a droll look at the happy boy.
“Yeah,” Yusuke shrugged. “But it’s neat that you can heal yourself. Yukina can heal other people, but not herself.”
Wufei frowned, shooting a sharp look at Zechs. “Have you been practicing at self healing, then?”
“Some,” said Zechs. “As long as I can see it, I can heal it. I didn’t think I’d be able to heal anything serious, but with an arm or leg, it’s not much different from healing someone else.” He smirked wryly. “It just hurts more.”
“The burn?”
“That, too.”
Yusuke laughed, shaking his head at Zechs’ dismissive tone. “You really play it off, don’t you.”
He sent a confiding look at Wufei. “He winced more when he was healing his arms, than he did when Kuwabara was breaking them.”
Wufei’s eyes widened. “Brea-“
“When it comes to physical strength,” Zechs cut in, his expression more than a little irritated, “I may as well not be a mutant.”
“I wasn’t insulting you,” Yusuke said quickly. “You blocked well. But there’s no point pretending you stood a chance when you didn’t. You’re just not a fighter. That’s the way talents work – no insult in the truth.”
“Right,” Zechs scowled.
Together the three of them had the place set as straight as possibly within the next half hour. It was still obvious that something had happened, what with the broken table and a few dozen chairs piled up along the far wall. But it was habitable again.
Zechs left to clean up as soon as they were finished. Though the cut on his temple wasn’t deep, it had streaked down to mix with his pale hair. Sticky and striking. He promised to be back as quickly as possible, so he’d be able to meet with the others when they came down.
Yusuke watched as Zechs left the room, waiting a few long minutes before turning bright eyes on Wufei. The black-haired boy blinked back at him.
“Well?” Yusuke prodded.
“Well, what?”
“Aren’t you going to ask how the fight went down?”
Wufei frowned, his eyes darting to the side. He didn’t really want to know. The idea of Zechs fighting Kuwabara was comparable to Kuwabara facing Hiei – no contest.
“He lost,” said Wufei, “and they’re both fine now, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Right,” Yusuke drawled. “And I’m sure you’re not curious how long your friend lasted before he...lost. Not that I’d consider it a loss since he didn’t fight back. He’s the type that would be more comfortable in a formal duel. Too bad Kuwabara doesn’t have the patience for that sort of thing. I guess Peacecrafts really aren’t big on street fights.”
“Did you really think Zechs would have dishonored Yukina?”
Yusuke flinched at the cold way that was asked, his face shifting into a sober but warning look.
“How well do you know him?” Yusuke countered. “You didn’t even know his age until a few days ago. There’s something off about him – Kuwabara noticed it, too.”
“He’s a mind reader as well as a healer,” said Wufei. “That’s probably it.”
“Oh,” Yusuke sniffed, “another secret. Figures. That explains why he was able to talk Kuwabara into listening. But that still doesn’t explain the rest.”
“Explain what?” Wufei asked, a bit tiredly.
He was uncomfortable with everything that had happened this morning, and Yusuke’s distrust of one of their group was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now.
Yusuke frowned, shifting in his seat.
“You know how when someone looks at you from across the room you can feel it? That sensation I told you about the other day? When he looks at me, it doesn’t feel right. It’s like he’s not really there, or not all there. When I feel him looking at me and glance over, it’s like what I see isn’t what I felt, like he’s there but he’s not. And Kuwabara says he’s as wrong as Hiei is, but in a different way. That’s why he was so quick to distrust him. There’s just something...wrong about him.
“He’s so closed off I can’t make sense of it – I can’t trust someone I don’t know. You know I like to watch people. With him, it’s like he has this side he shows and he seems friendly and open, just a little reserved. But it’s not real. And none of you seem to have a clue what’s really under that. If his own friends don’t know, there isn’t anything I can learn by watching you.”
The teen was putting serious doubts into Wufei’s mind, and he shook his head, doing his best to ignore them. This was Zechs they were talking about, not an eccentric S class mutant with an A class twin.
“Trowa is a mindreader,” said Wufei. “If there were something...off with him, Trowa would have picked it up. Or Quatre.”
“Really?”
Yusuke leaned closer over the table, his dark brown eyes flashing just a bit.
“Why don’t you ask them, then? I’d bet anything that not one of you bothered to ‘mindread’ him. I’d even bet that Yukina knows more about him than any one of you.”
Wufei shook his head, his face clouding. Now that Yusuke had planted the seed, thoughts were forming rapidly.
What did they really know about him? He’d been disowned, had been forced to work for OZ, and since meeting with them, had been a helpful friend. But...
Friend? Wufei couldn’t think of anyone Zechs confided in, no one he shared a bond with the way he had with Duo, or even Heero and Trowa, who seemed to think alike more often than not. He’d remained isolated from all of them, except...
A memory skirted past him, the safehouse right before they learned of Une. Zechs had seemed open then, with him. It had been an overture as far as Wufei could tell, and he’d been expecting some sort of continuation of that. Only Zechs hadn’t said more than two words to him in private since the plane landed. In fact, the longer they’d been here, the more distant Zechs had become. And now that it was laid out in front of him, Wufei thought he understood.
He should have known. This kingdom was the last place in the world that Zechs wanted to be. All jokes about his being heir aside, the place had to be filled with bad memories. And they’d all gone about their own work without noticing that the one who’d brought them here was fading further with each day.
“You know what’s funny?” asked Yusuke.
Wufei jerked out of his thoughts, frowning up at the boy. “What?”
“Even though I don’t know him well enough to trust him, I still like him. I don’t think I’ve ever so much as tolerated someone I couldn’t trust.”
Yusuke trailed off when he noticed how blank Wufei’s face was, as if the boy wasn’t really listening to him. It made him wonder if he should have kept his suspicions to himself. He just couldn’t help but warn his new friend. His instincts about people were usually right on the money, and he knew there was a lot more to Zechs than the reserved, oddly modest and mature man he appeared to be. It was almost enough to make him want to ask Relena a few questions. Almost.
The silence held until Zechs returned, and Yusuke made a show of leaving the table before the man could sit down. His manner was teasing, almost overly friendly.
“Nice work on that,” Yusuke smirked, waving a hand at the faint scar on Zechs’ temple. “No one would ever know you were a mutant punching bag.”
“I’d hope not,” Zechs returned, his tone dry. “I wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.”
“Surprised you let it scar, though. You might try sleeping once in a while. I hear it gives you more energy.”
Yusuke had tossed an arm over Zechs’ shoulders as he spoke, but kept his voice loud enough so Wufei would hear him.
“It would get rid of those circles under your eyes,” Yusuke confided. “And you know what they say...if you don’t get enough dream-sleep, you can go insane.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
With a grin for the sober man, and a bright wave to Wufei, Yusuke took his leave. He still had to go have a talk with Kuwabara. If he’d had any idea his friend powered up when angry, he’d never have let him attack Zechs in the first place.
Zechs watched the boy leave, then moved to the table, taking a seat across from Wufei. His friend was looking at him with an unusually guarded expression. It made Zechs sigh and drop his chin onto one hand.
“Not you, too,” said Zechs.
“You really do have circles under your eyes,” Wufei frowned. “I didn’t notice.”
A very light flush rose to Zechs’ face and he looked away, shifting uncomfortably. “I was in a hurry to get back down here, so I didn’t think about that.”
He sent a wary look at Wufei, an embarrassed smile pulling at his lips. “I did some acting work a few years back. You’d be surprised what a bit of powder can do.”
It took a moment, but Wufei’s eyes widened once he understood. He couldn’t help his surprised laugh.
“Make up?! I can’t believe that...”
Zechs grinned, shaking his head as he rubbed his hand over one eye. “I only do it when I start looking like a raccoon otherwise. Now that I know I can heal using a mirror, I can probably drop the enhancements. I’d say they count as bruises.”
As ridiculous as the discovery was, Wufei found his smile fading after a while. Now that he was really looking, he noticed how pale Zechs was. He really did look tired, drained.
“When’s the last time you slept?” asked Wufei.
A surprised look answered his question, and Wufei frowned at Zechs’ eyes. They didn’t look bloodshot, despite the dark bruises beneath them. If he’d been without sleep, shouldn’t they have been at least a little red?
“Two hours ago,” Zechs answered, a small frown creasing his brow. "At least I was until Kuwabara came down.”
“Down here,” Wufei said sharply, his eyes wide. “You were sleeping down here?”
“No!” Zechs gave a quick smile, shaking his head. “No, I just dozed off. I blame the nutmeg.”
A very confused expression spread over Wufei’s face, and he raised an eyebrow. “Nutmeg?”
“You haven’t tried it?” asked Zechs, with an astounded look. “Wait here.”
So it was that when the others came down for the day, they found both Wufei and Zechs sipping steaming cups of what looked like brown milk. Duo immediately followed suit, pronouncing it the sweetest – meaning best – drink the cafeteria had offered so far. Heero and Trowa naturally passed it up, though Quatre was willing to try it.
After a few sips of the drink, Quatre was amused to break Duo’s happy bubble. “You do realize this has absolutely no caffeine in it, don’t you, Duo?”
He hadn’t realized any such thing, but Duo was quick to look at the bright side. With a quick proclamation that the sugar would work just as well, he finished his mug with glee.
Heero, who’d been watching his lover’s antics with a closed face, took the cup before Duo could refill it. He set it aside and pushed his chair back with a sober expression.
“I have something to tell all of you,” he said.
Wufei nodded, his gaze shifting to the broken table that lay conspicuously on the other side of the room. He had something to tell as well, but it could probably wait.
“What is it?” asked Duo.
His mood was an exact opposite of what it had been the morning before. Not only had he and Heero settled their argument, he’d woken up to a very tasty breakfast. Needless to say, he was quite happy with the world. Heero killed that with two little words.
“I’m leaving.”
- - -
There was a stunned silence over the table when the students started to spot the room. Duo, who had tried to get insight from the mindreaders with no success, was glaring at everyone. Either Quatre, Trowa, and Zechs had chosen not to probe Heero’s mind, or they simply refused to tell him any more than Heero had. He didn’t care which it was.
Heero’s announcement had been, for lack of a better word, brief. He was leaving. He had no reason to stay while the rest of them worked on their talents, so he was going to get stronger on his own. He’d be back as soon as he could. They should continue their training until then.
That was all. Not a word on where he was going, how he planned to get stronger, why the hell he hadn’t bothered to mention sooner that he was leaving, or how he expected his lover to react to this news. He’d made his announcement and left to speak to Kurama, of all people.
Duo was ready to destroy something, and all of the downcast eyes at the table just made it that much worse.
Everything Heero had done or said to him in the last few days was passing through his mind, riddled with hints of this. He knew without a doubt that Heero had been planning to leave. His suspicion of Kurama – he hadn’t wanted to leave without making sure he wasn’t a threat. His worry about Duo overextending himself – hadn’t wanted to worry because he wasn’t planning to be around to see for himself. And last night. Last night was the worst.
Two possibilities came to mind for Duo. Heero hadn’t wanted to leave with him angry, or he hadn’t wanted to spend his last night here alone. Both of the possibilities twisted the wound. Either way, Heero had thought of himself first. He had to have known Duo would be rightfully furious...and hurt. And he hadn’t cared.
That thought, more than any, kept Duo from moving. He wouldn’t chase after Heero and demand an explanation. He wouldn’t go to their room and huddle in the corner of that lonely bed until he drowned in his tears. He wouldn’t disappear and go back to the life that didn’t involve cold, selfish, militaristic mutants bent only on fulfilling their own agendas. He wouldn’t.
Heero could leave, but Duo was staying right here. With his friends. Friends who, at the moment, were looking at everything but him.
Despite his resolve, Duo found himself staring at Quatre. The blonde boy’s eyes were cloudy and dark, pain written clearly over his downcast face. Quatre could have explained everything if he’d wanted to. He chose not to. Why?
A set of dark eyes met his suddenly, and Duo jerked back in his seat. Wufei wasn’t going to avoid looking at him?
But Wufei couldn’t help him. He could see it in his friend’s eyes. Wufei had no idea what to say to help him, because there wasn’t anything he could say. Only Heero could, and he was...leaving.
Wufei dropped his eyes again, and Duo’s breath snagged in his throat.
Could he stay? If none of his friends could so much as look at him, could he handle that? And if he couldn’t, what did that leave for him?
His vision blurred, heat and cold alternating over his face until only his eyes and throat burned. He couldn’t sit there with them, with them but separate. If they couldn’t look at him, he might as well have been invisible again.
Duo shoved his chair back and whirled from the table, blind to the way his friends reacted. His attention locked on the exit, which seemed so far away now. He wouldn’t do anything yet. He just couldn’t sit there invisible any more. Not when it hurt so much.
A student passed in front of him, knocking his balance back a step, and strong hands caught his arm. Wide dark eyes stared at him, but Duo barely noticed. His sight was damp and blurred too much to make out more than a pale face that wasn’t Heero’s. He pulled away and left as quickly as his unsteady legs would take him.
Wufei had stood the moment Duo turned from the table. Now he stopped in his tracks, taken back by the stark look on Hiei’s face. The young mutant was staring after Duo with an expression he’d never seen on him before. Wide, almost stricken red eyes shifted to Wufei, and he felt an insane urge to comfort Hiei – where he’d been so helpless to comfort Duo.
“What happened...?” asked Hiei.
His voice was so soft Wufei barely heard him. He shook his head, meaning to follow his friend before Duo did something. Something like leaving without a trace.
Hiei stopped him before he’d taken two steps, catching Wufei’s wrist in a grip that would leave dark bruises later, and jerking him back around. “Did you do that?”
Outrage mixed with shock, and Wufei glared down at the mutant. “Of course not,” he spat. “Heero’s leaving. Duo-“
He spoke to thin air. In the time it had taken to say Duo’s name, Hiei was already gone.
- - -
It had taken some effort to convince Hiei to let him talk to Kurama alone. Heero was certain that Hiei would never forget that he had been to blame for Zechs reading Kurama. He understood that, but he was grateful that the boy finally conceded. That left him with a chance to talk in private with the mutant he couldn’t quite feel comfortable around.
“I have to ask you,” said Heero, “if you’re aware of Hiei’s past. His and Yukina’s. Are you aware that OZ is certain to be looking for both of them? And that they probably know exactly where both of them are?”
Kurama wasn’t the least bit surprised by the question, but he was curious. He frowned at Heero for a moment before answering.
“Of course OZ knows they’re here. But they’ve known Yukina was here for years. I told you before, the Sanq Kingdom is the safest place for mutants. They wouldn’t risk an attack on this country. It would ruin their image with the public.”
Heero gave him a sharp frown, and Kurama shook his head.
“I know what you think,” said Kurama, “but even if they did decide it was worth the risk, Hiei and I are fully prepared to defend this place. This is Yukina’s home. We’d never allow anyone to endanger that.”
“I’ll have to be satisfied with that,” Heero sighed.
He took a long breath, then turned his back, pacing near the windows of the enclosed rest area.
“The reason I ask is because I’m leaving for a while,” Heero admitted. “I wanted to make sure you were aware of the risk. But also...”
The boy seemed to be having trouble with what he wanted to say. Kurama waited patiently, his gaze taking in all of the conflict that tried to hide behind those dark blue eyes. Whatever Heero was leaving to do, he wasn’t doing it without his share of doubts. And unless Kurama was mistaken, those doubts were waging war against his resolve. He couldn’t help but wonder which would win.
“I don’t want you to work with Duo anymore,” Heero said suddenly, rounding to lock cold midnight blue eyes on Kurama. “He can’t tell when he’s used too much energy, says there aren’t any warnings when that happens, so it’s dangerous for him to try tasks like the one you gave him.”
“I realize that now,” said Kurama, his voice soft but steady. “He’s an unusual case, his talent. It seems to take a different level of energy to make things outside him invisible – maybe even a different type of energy. Now that I know, I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.”
Heero looked away, his teeth gnashing in frustration. He knew it wasn’t his place to deny Duo’s advancement. Duo had to improve his abilities, and it was his right to improve them as much as he wanted to. But the idea of him suffering another collapse, possibly a fatal one...
“I don’t want him using his talents until he’s recovered,” Heero said quietly. “Even then, he shouldn’t try anything dangerous without someone watching him. If I had watched him like I was supposed to have, I would have seen the signs that Duo missed.”
“I understand your concern. No, don’t get angry. I’m not being presumptuous. I do understand. You’re blaming yourself, but part of you is also blaming me.”
Kurama gave a tight, joyless smile.
“You’re right to blame me,” he said. “If Duo asks me to help him, I won’t turn him away. But I promise I won’t help him without taking every precaution. I never make the same mistake twice, Heero. Never.”
There was an old glint of steel in those green eyes that Heero recognized, something that struck a cord in him. Suddenly he knew why he’d distrusted Kurama on sight. They were more alike than he’d realized. Yes, the redhead had Duo’s form of openness, but that was only one layer. Beneath, they shared a similar resolve.
“And besides me,” Kurama said suddenly, his voice shifting to a light teasingly happy tone that threw Heero completely off guard. “I’m sure Hiei would be more than happy to take Duo under his protection until you get back.”
Heero’s eyebrow twitched, and he was instantly suspicious. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” he said tightly.
Kurama smirked and placed a friendly hand on the boy’s stiff shoulder, patting his back. “Don’t you worry about Hiei. He’ll treat Duo with the same regard he does Yukina – protection only. I wouldn’t let it get any closer than that, even if Hiei had a mind to.”
A long look into those glittering, teasing green eyes, and Heero was wondering if he’d imagined that glint he’d seen before. Kurama wasn’t just a person with a mask, he shifted from one mood to another in a heartbeat. But he recognized the promise in those words. Kurama was as possessive of Hiei as Heero was of Duo. Despite their differences, they had that much in common.
The others were still at the table when Heero came back up to the cafeteria. He wasn’t surprised to find Duo’s seat empty, and he wasted no time with a drawn out goodbye. He’d be back in a few days, weeks at the most. One way or another, he wouldn’t be gone for longer than that.
From there, he went straight to his room. The door was open to the hall, but inside was empty.
Some part of him cringed as he stepped into the dark bedroom, wincing away. Duo wasn’t going to see him off.
He hadn’t expected him to, honestly. He’d just hoped maybe he would, if only to try and get more information out of him, maybe try to talk him out of going. Maybe hug him one last time...just in case things went badly and he couldn’t come back...?
Maybe cry?
He didn’t want that. As cold as he felt packing his laptop in that silent, dead room, Heero knew he didn’t want to see Duo hurt, even if it meant not seeing him at all. And he was certain this would be less painful for both of them. It was the very reason he hadn’t mentioned his plans sooner. He’d known it would fester until Duo was driven crazy by it, till the boy drove him crazy because of it, till the departure day came and he’d lost his resolve altogether. \
He was going. He’d been ordered to go, and he wanted to go.
If he didn’t get stronger, he’d have no place in the team. And he wasn’t ready to give them up. No more than he was ready to fail a mission...
- - -
Heero went out the front door, pausing as he came beneath the large tree. The branches obscured him so that all Duo could see from the window was dark hair half hidden by thick green foliage.
Even if Heero looked up now, he wouldn’t be able to see those dark blue eyes. He wasn’t going to get one last look at him. Why?
Floodgates.
He almost never cried, but Duo always imagined the tears building up to the point where if they ever broke loose, he’d drown. Only they hadn’t built up.
Two heavy streaks of dampness on his cheeks and his eyes burned dry. He couldn’t even cry over this. That hurt more than anything.
Duo shoved away from the window, hiding his face in his arms as he leaned against the wall. His chest throbbed, but the sobs were grating. He felt as if he should have been curled with his tears glazing over him. So why couldn’t he let it out? Why?
Why hadn’t Heero looked down the hall when he came out of their room? Was he so set on his decision that he hadn’t even felt Duo watching him?
Was he really invisible, even when he didn’t want to be?
“Why didn’t he see me...?”
“Don’t cry...”
Duo reeled, his wide eyes flying around desperately. “Hee-“
Not Heero. He was invisible, and Heero couldn’t see him.
Staggered.
The sudden hope and crashing disappointment staggered him. All of the strength drained from his legs and Duo sagged to the floor, half mindless to the strong arms that helped lower him.
Heero hadn’t looked for him. He was gone.
“Do you want me to stop him? Bring him back?”
The words didn’t register fully. Duo stared through dazed eyes, his lashes seeming too heavy and thick to be real. And his sight was doubled, tripled.
He was crying again. And Hiei, to whom he’d never spoken more than two words, had offered to bring Heero back for him.
Duo let out a low laugh that was half sob, reaching out to catch the boy close. He didn’t care how rigid Hiei went the moment he touched him. If he could cry over it, he could get past it.
A broken whisper sounded above him, repeating the offer, and Duo gave a wretched grin, shaking his head against Hiei’s chest.
“No...” Duo mumbled. “Let him go...”
And let me be weak in front of you because my friends can’t see me...
- - -
TBC