Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Frozen Heart ❯ Frozen Heart 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Frozen Heart by Sage_Libra

Part 5

"He's not coming."

Quatre glanced calmly at the empty road, then at the grim face of Wing's pilot. "He will." He returned with certainty. It had taken a lot of fast talking and fancy footwork to first track down Jason and then make him agree to a meeting. But once he had agreed, albeit reluctantly, Quatre was certain he would come.

There was too much at stake for everyone.

"How can you be so sure?" Wufei spoke up.

Quatre hesitated, then avoiding Heero's eyes, replied softly. "Because he cares about Duo too."

"He's here." Trowa spoke up calmly.

True enough, a lone rider came around the trail and stopped a few feet away.

Heero tensed, his eyes narrowing at the boy Quatre believes had a claim on his partner. His partner. Immediately, his eyes went to Jason's neck, noting with satisfaction that he was no longer wearing Duo's cross.

Jason's eyes rove over the four, finally settling on Quatre.

Quatre stepped forward, smiling with as much warmth as his anxiety would allow. He's not the enemy, he reminded himself sternly. "Jason, thanks for coming." He greeted the other boy with an outstretched hand.

Jason hesitated, then got off his bike to meet Quatre half-way. The two boys shook hands a little awkwardly.

"I can't stay out long." Jason said softly. "I told Max I was just going to the store to get something." It was evident from his expression that he didn't like lying to Duo.

"How is he?" Quatre asked, neatly sidestepping the issue.

"Much better." Jason replied after a moment. "He still gets these headaches, but Derek says that's to be expected after the banging he got." Guilt crept into his voice. He still felt responsible for Duo's near brush with death.

"We were hoping to talk to him at your last stop, but you were gone when we got there." Quatre broached with care.

"Yeah, well," Jason's gaze dropped. "Max got a bit restless."

Quatre nodded. "I understand. He's always been a whirlwind." He grinned, remembering Duo's non-stop chatter. "I bet he's got your ears ringing from all that talking, huh?"

Jason smooth brow knotted. "Actually," he said slowly, "Max doesn't talk much. He's very quiet most of the time."

A quiet Duo. It was almost incomprehensible, Wufei mused. It was also extremely disturbing.

"You're certain he's not in pain?" Heero's voice was like a shot in the silence that followed Jason's announcement.

Jason bristled in spite of himself. There was rebuke in that tone. That tone that said I-know-him-better-than-you-do-and-ever-will. "Max hasn't said anything, and he wouldn't lie about something like that."

Quatre stepped in hurriedly. He could feel the tension emanating from Heero. It wouldn't take much for the other boy to snap. "No, he wouldn't," he agreed smoothly, "unless he didn't want to trouble you further. Max has a thing about being independent and strong. He doesn't like being dependent on anyone."

Something flashed through Jason's features. "I know." He acknowledged after a moment, his features darkening with remembrance. "It got pretty bad at one point. He couldn't keep anything down. We knew he hurt, but he never complained. Not once." His voice shook slightly. "I asked him about that later." He went on in a low tone. "He didn't say anything for a long time, then he told me he had learned the hard way that nobody liked whiners." He shook his head, his expression confused and reproachful as he looked at Quatre. "Was that why you drove him away?"

Quatre opened his mouth to refute the accusation, then closed it. What could he say in their defense? It was true that the others had always complained about Duo's whining and nagging.

Seeing the guilt on their faces, Jason continued softly. "Is that why he won't go back to you?"

Quatre's eyes widened. "Is that what he told you?" He choked out. "That he's not coming back?"

Jason nodded. "He said once that he wouldn't go where he isn't wanted or needed." Max had been delirious at that time, but Jason would never forget the sorrow and pain in his friend's eyes.

"Baka. He's one of us." Heero's tone was hard. "He belongs with us."

Jason eyed him with dislike. "Max belongs to himself." He countered angrily. "And he's perfectly happy where he is."

Heero's fists clenched.

Jason turned back to Quatre. "Look, you shouldn't have come. Like I told you before, we can take care of Max. I don't care if his eyes don't get better -" He stopped, paling when he realized what he'd said.

Heero growled deep in his throat.

"His eyes." Quatre caught his arm urgently. "What about his eyes?"

Jason stared at the hand on his arm. He had the feeling that he was standing at the edge of a precipice. That he was at the point of losing what previously he had held in his hand. He shouldn't have come, he realized dully. He should have let Derek take them far away. They had had the money. The means. These boys, ghosts from Max's past, they wouldn't have been able to find them.

No, he shouldn't have come. Because now, now there would be no escaping them.

He thought of lying. Of buying time until they could make their escape. Until he could take Max far away from the people who had brought the pain into his eyes. But when he looked up at the cobalt blue eyes he saw torment the likes of which he had never seen before.

And he couldn't do it. He closed his eyes, selfish desire warring with his sense of honor.

Finally, he heaved a great sigh.

"He's blind, Q." He looked out blindly. "Max is blind."

-o0o-

Blind. Duo was blind.

Heero shut his eyes tightly, fighting to keep from caving in to the wave of pain scorching through him. He wanted to scream. To cry. To hit out.

Duo was blind.

What have I done? Duo didn't like the dark. Oh, he used it to his advantage, especially during missions, but he didn't like it. How many times had he woken up in the night, panting, shivering from a nightmare? Duo had told him once that in his dreams it was always dark. Oppressive, suffocating. And now, to be trapped forever in the dark…Heero shuddered. How was Duo supposed to bear it? His fingers clenched, knuckles turning white. I did this to you, didn't I? I pushed you away. Hurt you. Forced you to take off.

You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had had the courage to tell you the truth.

A single tear slipped down his cheek, unheeded.

I didn't want to hurt you, Duo. I swear it. I didn't mean to hurt you.

I just didn't know how to love you. I was afraid.

I was angry, but not with you. Never with you.

I was angry with me.

I was the Perfect Soldier. The perfect killing machine. I could hack into any computer in the world. I could outfight, outlast, outthink any soldier.

But I didn't know how to let myself love you.

No one had taught me.

A soft sob tore out of his lips.

"Duo." His anger, the shield he had used to protect his feelings, fell away, leaving him bereft. Exposed.

I need you, Duo.

I need you to teach me how to love you.

end Part 5