Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ Hearth and Home ( Chapter 29 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"Are you okay, baby?" Kayla asked me quietly as we moved toward her sister's house. She was studying me with concerned eyes.

I felt drained now, having been thoroughly doused with cough syrup once before refusing that and having Wufei feed me strong alcohol without my knowledge-pre-knowledge. I wasn't so stupid as not to know that my cocoa was laced with Kahlua. The jackass had knocked me out with that…and something else, and when I'd woken up at ten at night, I'd puked.

Waking up at six this morning had been hell, and I'd had Wufei connected to my waist the entire time as he begged, pleaded, and ordered me not to go. I felt bad for throwing him down, sort of…but after how long it had taken me to get this dinner set-up, there was no way in hell I was going to cancel it. A postponement would have meant it wasn't happening.

"I'm fine." I told Kayla quietly, moving away from her hand when she pressed it to my forehead, "I'm just kinda down."

"I know." she muttered, running her hand through my hair as the front door of the house opened.

"You're early." the woman muttered to us-it had to be Natalie.

"Duo drove." Kayla explained, smiling at her sister, then looking to me, "Duo, this is my sister Natalie. Nat, this is Duo."

Natalie was a taller version of Kayla, and a bit rounder. She wasn't fat by any means, but chubby seemed to apply. She stepped down to stand level with me, noticing that I was taller than her before studying my eyes a long moment, "Nice to meet you." she muttered, offering a hand.

"And you." I replied, shaking it.

"How's mom?" Kayla muttered, grabbing my hand and pulling me after her and her sister as they started for the house.

"She's as well as she was last time you were here." Natalie replied with a sigh.

I'd never been told what she had, if it were cancer or some other degenerative, but I got the impression that the woman was slowly dying.

When we entered and she was sitting on the couch, the notion twisted slightly until I realized the answer. She had cancer and was going through chemo. I could tell by the fact that she didn't have hair, her head was covered in a scarf.

"Hi, Mom." Kayla muttered to her, smiling.

"Hey, baby." the woman muttered, rising from her seat and moving to hug her daughter before looking me over and smirking slightly at her daughter, "If you don't want him…I'll take him."

I laughed, a bit embarrassed but mostly amused, "Duo Maxwell." I informed her.

"I like his voice," she whispered to her daughter-Kayla was grinning at the woman, "My name," she said to me in a normal tone, "Is Victoria Green."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I replied, smiling at her.

"Call me Vicky." she ordered before blinking at me a moment. She looked to my hand, then stepped closer to me and rested her hand against my forehead.

I blinked at her, taken aback.

"You're burning up!" she accused me, "Are you sick? Why did you come if you were sick?"

"You said he drove," Natalie muttered suddenly, "If he's sick…"

"I'm fine," I muttered quickly, not used to having this much attention…well wait, this was exactly what had happened at the house.

Okay, that didn't mean I was used to it.

"Let me get you something," Victoria muttered, turning and starting from the room.

"I'm fine," I repeated, "Please, don't trouble yourself…"

"Oh, sit down." Natalie muttered, pushing at my lower back.

I allowed her to shove me to the couch, frowning at Kayla who was grinning at me. She'd been trying to insist on driving the entire way, but she drove the speed limit and the drive had ended up being six hours anyway.

I allowed myself to sit, then sighed, staring at the table. I didn't really feel sick in a normal sense of the word. I was drained, true, but I wasn't about to be coddled if I could help it.

"Where's daddy?" Kayla asked her sister, moving toward me.

"He works until three." Natalie replied, "Which is why we planned supper for four. We figured you guys'd get here around two."

Kayla giggled, "Duo likes to speed."

I decided not to say anything. I hadn't thought I had any expectations when it came to Kayla's family, and was quickly realizing that was wrong. I'd thought her mother would be on her death-bed, not bringing me fever-reducers, and I thought her sister would be an uppity too-good-for you bitch, and she was proving to be…well, nice.

I was beginning to dread meeting her father-because I'd heard nothing of the man before she'd just asked about him.

.

"You've been pissy all day," Miguel muttered to me petulantly, studying my eyes, "What happened? What's the matter?"

"Duo is such a pain in the ass." I replied, moving past him toward the living room. Trowa and Hilde were making out on the couch and I could hear Alexia singing upstairs. I assumed Heero and Relena were in their room and started up the stairs.

"Fei," Miguel protested, pulling at my arm as I reached the top of the stairs.

I turned to look at him, about to snap at him to let it lie. I stopped, though, when the door to Heero's room opened.

"What's going on?" Heero asked curiously. He was pulling a shirt on, and a moment later he buttoned his pants.

I stared at him.

"What?" he asked me, his expression confused.

"Shut the door, Heero. I'm not dressed." Relena muttered in irritation.

Heero turned to grin into the room before moving out of it and doing as told, looking to us again.

"You realize Alexia is right there, don't you?" Miguel asked, pointing to Trowa's room.

"Yes I do." Heero replied, flashing him a smirk before meeting my eyes, "Tell him, Fei. You know how quiet I can be when pressed."

I had to choke out a laugh at that one, though I could feel Miguel's suspicious eyes on my back, "What about Relena? She's never proven that she's capable. Ever."

Heero's laughter was evil and he suddenly jumped forward, tackling me.

I started laughing, shoving him off and trying to rise as he tackled me again, "Knock it off!"

He laughed delightedly-and I managed to pin him.

"Um…" Miguel was standing just beyond us.

I realized vaguely that Heero and I hadn't wrestled in about a year-we had a time or two when Duo first arrived, but…

Heero laughed a moment longer, then flipped me, pinning me.

"I've been thrown down enough times today, thank you." I snapped at him, shoving him off and pulling myself into a sitting position.

Heero's laughter turned evil.

"Yeah, you think it's hilarious."

"What?" Miguel asked, blinking between us.

"It's nothing, Michael." Heero said with a smirk, meeting the guy's eyes, "Duo's just not your typical patient."

"Is it me…or did that make even less sense?" Miguel muttered to no one.

Heero laughed, hopping to his feet and offering a hand to me, "Duo's…special. Very special." he laughed, giving me a look, then bounced down the stairs.

Seriously, he looked like he was skipping.

I sighed, not meeting Miguel's eyes. There was no way I could avoid it now.

"He's got the flu." I muttered, starting into our room with a sigh, "He…"

"If he has the flu, why did he go with Kayla?" Miguel was slightly concerned.

"That's what I was asking him," I snapped, "He didn't need throw me down for it."

"What?" Miguel suddenly lost his concern.

"Don't worry about it." I muttered, brushing his irritation off.

He shut the door, "Wufei…that's not all right. I don't care how sick he is…he shouldn't just be…throwing you around."

I looked up to him, annoyed by this statement. It wasn't only the statement, though, it was his manner-he said it like someone says something about an abusive boyfriend to an abused person. It was…rather condescending, really.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" I snapped at him.

"What?" he protested, looking startled.

"I was hanging off him," I snapped, "I wasn't just following behind him, I was physically holding him. That's why he threw me down."

That one gave him pause.

"Don't judge shit unless you know the details," I added, moving back to the door, "I thought you'd picked up on that already."

"Fuck you." he snapped, annoyed.

I smirked at him as I stood in the door, "But you can't be quiet. Alex is in the next room…we'll just have to wait."

He drew himself up.

I smirked at him, then pulled the door shut behind me.

.

"So?" Dustin asked me gesturing toward the house with his beer.

I smiled at him, wanting very much to go back inside. I'd only had a few sips of my own beer, and knew that I'd puke if I had much more, "So what?"

"My girl!" the man muttered, looking highly amused, "What do you think of my girl?"

"I like her. She's fun." I muttered, not sure what I should say. Talking to my girlfriend's father about his daughter didn't seem to be such a good plan when I had no idea what he thought of me.

"No, I meant Kayla." the man smiled at me.

I grinned back, meeting his eyes a moment and thinking, "I don't…know what to tell you."

His eyes were sparkling as he narrowed them at me, "Is that a good thing?"

"I don't know." I replied, meeting his eyes again and taking a deep breath, meeting his eyes, "I love your daughter, Mr. Green."

He smiled even more at me, "I know."

I laughed at that, slightly embarrassed, looking away from him.

He laughed more, draping an arm over my shoulder and nodding slightly as he looked the yard over, "She's told us of boyfriends before," he muttered, meeting my eyes, "But she never once asked if we wanted to meet one. You're good people, Duo. I'm glad she found you."

I thought back to the first time I could remember seeing her, remembered how she'd been shocked that I was still even there.

I met Dustin's eyes again, "I'm glad I found her."

He smiled at me, pulling away from me and leaning against his fence again, "That covers the requisite romantic moment between father and future-son-in-law…should that happen." he grinned at me, "I'll tell her about this discussion some time…when she's down…how about your first fight?"

I laughed slightly, "We've actually…had a couple." I muttered, thinking back to the Jacob Leigh concert.

He laughed, "Real fight?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I met his eyes and shrugged slightly.

"And she didn't run…amazing." I doubted he realized he said it. He glanced up at me and blinked, then looked away again, "Kayla is…insecure." he said finally, "About everything. Her mother and I did our best to fix it, but…" he shook his head, taking a drink, "She's always found it easier to run than to try. She's scared of rejection and what have you…"

"Dusty? Come inside, Honey," Vicky muttered, appearing in the door, "Duo's sick."

The man looked at me and grinned, "I hope you don't mind having two mothers."

My smile died on my lips and I looked away from him.

"Um…or…a…mother…" he muttered, seeming startled.

I met his eyes, trying to smile again, "I was an orphan."

"Ah." he nodded, looking to the ground again.

"Baby?" Kayla's voice carried from near the door, but I couldn't see her.

"Yeah?"

"We should probably get going." she muttered, suddenly coming into sight and taking the beer from me, "He doesn't like beer, Daddy." she muttered in near reprimand.

The man smiled at me, setting the bottle on the edge of the fence, "He could have said."

"Besides," she added, "He's sick."

I sighed, "I'm fine, Precious."

"Which is why you have a fever." she agreed, touching my forehead again.

"You are impossible." I muttered, kissing her.

She giggled at me, "I'm supposed to be."

I laughed, kissing her again.

"I am still her father, Duo." Dustin muttered pointedly.

I laughed, pulling guiltily away from her to smile at him, "She has a point, though."

"You probably shouldn't have come." he agreed, "I like you though, so if I end up with the flu I won't hunt you down."

I laughed at that, "No, I mean that we should probably leave."

He grinned at me, then sighed, moving forward to drape an arm over his girl's shoulder, "You're growing up too fast." he informed her.

"Daddy." she muttered, leaning against him.

"I'm serious!" he protested, "You move away from home just to prove you can make it on your own…and then after years of mentioning passing boyfriends you bring one home…next thing I know, you'll be getting married and having kids!" he turned to grin at me, "In that order."

I grinned back at him.

"Daddy!" she protested again, giggling and pulling away from him, "We're not stupid." she informed him, "And I'm on the pill."

"I don't want to talk about that!" he said very quickly.

"You were the one who brought it up." she informed him with a smirk.

I laughed slightly, following her into the house.

"Honey, ground your daughter." Dustin muttered to Vicky, moving up to kiss her.

"Why ever for?" she asked, flashing a smile at Kayla.

"She's on the pill." he replied.

Vicky started laughing, giving me a confused look before smiling at her husband, "She has been since she was sixteen."

He stared at her.

She started laughing, looking to me again, "We can talk about that later, though."

Kayla giggled, turning to kiss me and study my eyes, "I'm driving." she informed me.

I studied her eyes a long moment, remembering that her sister had thought I was controlling in the past, "Fine."

She wrinkled her nose at me with a giggle, kissing my nose and turning to her family with a frown.

"Are you coming this weekend?" her mother asked, "Or are you gonna ditch out on me?"

Kayla giggled, "I've only done that a few times, mom!"

Vicky pouted at her, "For him." she pouted at me.

I laughed.

"I will be, though." Kayla muttered, moving forward to hug her mom, then her father.

"Will you be coming?" Dustin asked, "Or do you work?"

A flash of Heero holding his gun moved through my mind like quicksilver and I nodded slightly, realizing that Kayla hadn't once asked me what Heero and my jobs were, "I think I will." I lied. I didn't want to have to explain to him that I was an on-call assassin…well, assistant.

I had a feeling that wouldn't start our relations out quite right.

The man nodded, seeming reassured.

"What do you do?" Natalie asked, curious, "Kayla's never said."

Kayla was studying me, "I don't even really know," she muttered, "Heero will just tell him he has a job and they take off."

I began considering the options of constructive deceit.

They were all looking at me curiously.

"Uh…we…repair…things." I muttered, grinning slightly.

"Ooh, I bet you get good money." Dustin muttered happily, studying me curiously, "If I showed up in town, could you get me a job? I'm great with…everything."

I chuckled, trying not to sound nervous, "We're…uh…not hiring."

He sighed, "I figured as much."

I grinned at him.

"You have an excellent job." Vicky informed him.

He laughed, moving to her side as she wrapped her arms around him, looking between us.

"Thanks for supper, Nat." Kayla muttered, moving over to hug her sister, "I'll see you Friday."

"All right," Natalie muttered, nodding at me, "It was good to meet you, Duo."

I smiled at her, "It was nice meeting you, too."

Vicky moved across the room, hugging me tightly before placing a professional hand on my forehead and nodding, "You'll be fine."

I smiled at her.

"Well, Duo," Dustin muttered, extending a hand to me, "Spoil my daughter."

I laughed, shaking his hand firmly, "Yes, Sir."

He laughed, "I'm glad I like you." he informed me, "I wasn't so sure I would."

"That's reassuring." I muttered, looking to Kayla.

She giggled, hugging her father and bustling me toward the door.

"Good night!" I called to them all.

"Good night."

"You can drive as soon as we hit the rest-stop." she whispered to me, "They're just all worried about you being sick. This way they don't worry so much."

"Did you make that reservation?" I asked, holding the driver-side door open for her.

Her eyes went wide, "I forgot!"

I grinned at her, moving around the car.

"We can stay here, if you want." she muttered, "That way its…"

"No." I muttered, leaning back in my seat as I buckled, "I'm ready to get home again."

She smiled at me, rolling down her window, "Bye, Mom, bye, Dad. I love you."

The sentiment was echoed-and we started home.

.

I jumped awake with a start, blinking as I listened to the quiet breathing of Miguel beside me. He didn't stir as I climbed from the bed, and when I opened the door, I realized what I was hearing.

Puking.

The bathroom door wasn't shut all the way, so the hall was well lit. I could feel a cold breeze from the stairs, and the heater had kicked on.

It was three in the morning, why the fuck was the front door open?

"Fei?" Duo's voice sounded slightly weak from the bathroom.

"Duo? Are you all right?" I pushed the door open to blink at him as he sat next to the toilet, his legs drawn up in front of him as he avoided looking at the toilet.

I moved forward and flushed it, trying not to notice the pink colored liquid swirling around in it.

"Can you shut the door?" he asked me, clearing his throat and spitting into the toilet.

"Yeah…are you all right? Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head, not looking at me.

I frowned at him a moment, moving down the stairs and studying the quiet street a moment before shutting the door and turning off the porch light. Upstairs, I could hear someone walking quietly across a carpet-and a door opened.

"You all right, Duo?" Heero asked quietly.

"I'm okay," Duo replied, clearing his throat again, "Just…" there was the sound of him puking again.

I locked the door, moving into the kitchen and filling a glass of water, looking around and thinking. He'd given us Pepto-Bismol before, when we'd all been nauseated, but I was pretty sure that'd been what he'd puked up, which said to me he wouldn't want more now.

"Have you been like this all night?" Heero was asking him as I moved back up the stairs.

"No…I was pretty-much fine until we got back into town. Kayla dropped me off-it was all I could do to wait for her to drive off before I started puking outside."

"Why didn't you use the downstairs bathroom?" I asked him, setting the cup on the counter.

"Is that any of your business?" he muttered petulantly at me.

"I'm making it my business," I returned, giving him a dirty look, "And I get my way."

He flipped me off, spitting into the toilet again and picking himself up from the floor, flushing the thing and moving to the sink

"So…how'd it go?" Heero asked after looking between us for a moment.

"Fine." Duo muttered, no anger in his tone now, starting to rinse his mouth out over the sink, "Her mother said she'd like to make me a bad habit and her father said I was good people."

I grinned at him.

He flashed me a grin as well, starting to brush his teeth.

"And how about her shrew of a sister?" Heero asked curiously.

Duo stopped completely, then shrugged, "She's really nice."

"She always came off as a bitch to me." Heero muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I have an idea," Duo muttered, not looking at us.

"Oh?" Heero asked warily-Duo's tone indicated that he was about to snap again.

"Let's not talk about you and my girlfriend, huh?"

Heero blinked a few times, then frowned at me, "I was just saying that I thought her sister was a bitch," Heero defended himself, "I didn't say…"

"Heero."

Heero fell silent, blinking at me and shrugging.

I smirked at him.

"You three chatter like school-girls." Trowa muttered darkly.

"Fuck you." Duo replied.

"Aren't you Mr. Sunshine," Trowa muttered sarcastically, "And here I heard you were fun when you were sick."

Duo turned and leveled Trowa with a look to melt stone, "How'd the tournament go?"

"He finished third." Trowa replied proudly, "So he'll be going to Newport next month."

"That's cool." Duo muttered, dropping his irritation before rinsing his toothbrush and mouth, turning to drink some of the water I'd brought him, sighing as he studied the toilet before starting to peel off his jeans.

"You gonna be all right?" Heero asked.

Duo sighed, "Yeah…" he made a slightly strangled noise, "I'll take some syrup and crash."

"I could make you some tonic," I offered, studying his eyes. He really hadn't liked the syrup.

"I'd rather not wake up in a few hours and puke, thanks."

"You didn't puke because of the tonic," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "You puked because you're pukey because you've got the flu."

He muttered something at me that I didn't quite catch, digging under the sink and pulling out some cleaning-wipes.

"I'll let you handle this." Heero muttered quietly to me, turning and starting for his room again, "Night, Duo."

"Night." Duo replied, tossing the wipe into the toilet.

"See you in the morning." Trowa muttered, disappearing into his room.

I sighed, looking back to Duo.

He smiled slightly at me, pulling his shirt off and kicking the clothing into the corner by the tub, "I'm gonna go die now." he muttered, starting past me.

"What happened to taking syrup?" I demanded, catching his arm.

He groaned, turning back to the sink and opening the cupboard, pulling the bottle out and taking a drink off it, "There, happy?" he demanded after making a noise of disgust, putting the stuff away.

"You were the one who'd said he'd take it." I muttered, "I didn't even suggest it."

He sighed, then leaned his head against me, "I don't feel good."

"Go to bed." I replied, shoving at him until he started for his room, I didn't think about it as I climbed between the sheets with him, and when he snuggled against me…well, I fell asleep.