Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Seventh Heaven ❯ At Her Prodding ( Chapter 18 )

Title: At Her Prodding

Series: Seventh Heaven

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: 2+1, friendship Sylvia+2, Mariemaia+OC

Warnings: Duo POV, AU (our time), itsy bitsy angst

Archive: Lev's Lair

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Disclaimer: I just got out of hiding from Heero because I told him I own Duo. Since I'm in no condition to play hide-and-seek with Heero again, I'll admit that I do not own Duo or any of the other GW gang. However, I do own this fic. And nothing else. So I don't own any of the movies or restaurants or brand names mentioned here.

Thanx to Dark Tenchi for beta-ing! ^^

I put down my pen, and tap Sylvia's shoulders.

"Hey, Sylvia. I think something's wrong with this section. Can you take a look at it?" I say, pushing the report over to her.

She takes it, glances for a while and scribbles something on it with her pencil. "See this part? You multiplied the numbers instead of adding them. Just redo this part, and it'll be okay."

I take the paper back. "You're right! I can't believe how I didn't notice it. Thanks."

She offers me a little smile, and goes right back to her work. I sigh; Sylvia has been a little distant lately. At first, I thought it was just some girl thing, and that it would pass pretty quickly. Just a phase, I thought. Phase my head. It has been days, and she still hasn't recovered from the little depression.

I sneak a quick look at Marie; she's completely oblivious.

Sigh. This group report is getting boring. Not that it wasn't before. Damn our English teacher for wanting a report on the suicide rates in our city with all statistics possible. And it's getting worst with Sylvia so distant and Marie so oblivious. Fortunately, we're finishing the report. I suppose we'll be able to wrap it all up in a maximum of fifteen minutes.

Ta-dah. I'm right. We finish the thing within minutes; after all, all that was left was editing. And Marie, ever the good girlfriend, shoots off for a date.

"Sorry guys, but I'm running late for my date! Duo, be a nice guy and send Sylvia home, will you?" She waves us goodbye, and runs off to catch a bus.

I wave her goodbye too, sighing inwardly. Marie's always like that. I think she sees a boyfriend to be more important than her friends. Gee. And here I thought I could ask her to talk to Sylvia and ask her what's wrong with her. I think I'm too naïve when it comes to girls.

"Hey Sylvia, so… are you going home? I'll send you back."

"Yeah, I guess so." She replies, straightening the sheets of paper and slotting them into her bag. "Erm, I'll take these back and make the necessary changes in the computer file and hand it in tomorrow."

I nod. Honestly, had we done this at one of our houses, we'd have finished it ages ago. I think. After all, we'd have a computer that way and we'd be able to edit it right away. But no~! Marie wanted to do it here, at this MacDonald's because it's closer to where she'll be meeting her boyfriend. But well, at least I'd have a chance to talk to Sylvia while I walk her home.

"Okay, I'm done. Let's go, Duo."

"Okay." I reply, and sling my own backpack onto my shoulders.

For a while, we just walk. I'm pretty unsure of what to say. I mean, girls are kinda sensitive, especially when they're depressed. I *think* I read that somewhere. Maybe in one of those girl magazines Marie threw at me earlier. She likes to do that to me; throw me a bunch of girl stuff and expect me to understand how a girl's mind functions. She should just give up. A guy can never understand the internal logic of a girl.

Sylvia lives in this really posh apartment block in this high-class neighbourhood inside the central business district. Somewhere I will never be able to afford. But Sylvia's different. She comes from a rich family who has well enough money to buy up *my* apartment plus my neighbour's apartment plus my neighbour's neighbour's apartment… Well, you know. That kinda rich.

So her neighbourhood's pretty quiet, although it's at the edge of the CBD. Which is exactly why Marie asked me to walk her home.

Anyway, we see her apartment block around the corner fairly quickly, before I've gathered my thoughts enough to form a coherent and tactful sentence. So I decide to just forge forward and ask.

"Erm, Sylvia?"

"Yes, Duo?"

"It's just… are you okay? I mean…" It's irritating, you know? When you think you've formed a nice little sentence that would get your thoughts across, and it just disappears when you've opened your mouth? And I think that's been happening to me quite frequently as of late. "…you seem a little reserved recently."

I must have said something wrong, because she stops and turns to gaze at me with these doe eyes. Girls. They're so difficult to understand.

"Sorry," I hold up my hands in an obvious attempt to halt this line of conversation. "Maybe you'll want to talk to Marie. It's one of those girls stuff, isn't it? Gosh… this is so awkward…"

"No, no…" She looks down at her feet, and takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself to say something. When she looks back up, I notice a trace of a blush on her cheeks. "It's just… Duo, about that Heero guy you've been seeing lately…"

Oh no… not Sylvia too. Did Marie and Howie talk her into this? What is wrong with all of them? Are all of them so eager to see me get laid or what? Maybe I should say something to Solo, and he'll probably scare them all off. Then again, I can say bye bye to Heero too. He's a nice friend; I wouldn't want to lose him that way.

"Do you like him?"

I blink. Now, that's a question no one's ever asked me. Both Howie and Marie are adamant that I'm totally head-over-heels in *love* with Heero that they've never confirmed it with me.

"Of course I like him. Why else would I be hanging out with him so much lately?"

"No. I don't mean just… like him. I mean, do you like him… *that* way?"

"Which way?"

"You know, *that* way!"

"I don't get it…"

She sighs, rolling her eyes. "Duo, I mean *that* way. Like-him-so-much-you-want-to-be-his-boyfriend way."

"Oh, that way." I'd admit that that wasn't the smartest thing to say. But honestly, those three words are the only thing that comes to mind at Sylvia's definition of 'that way'. Sorry, but my brain cells aren't cooperating with me at this moment. I mean, c'mon! My good friend whom I had thought was intelligent and deals with things logically just asked me one of the strangest questions. What am I supposed to think?

"So, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Duo!"

"Okay, okay… Well, no." I answer it as though it were a given. I've known Heero for what… 2 weeks? Love doesn't come so quickly. And so sudden?

"Duo, time is not an excuse. Surely you've heard of the saying 'love at first sight'?"

Gee… I must have said that aloud.

"Sylvia, we have to be realistic. No matter what the television and magazines say, love at first sight is only something the hopeless romantics came up with! It doesn't happen in real life!"

"How would you know? Maybe it has already happened to you."

I sigh, loudly. Just how bad can this issue get? I may not have truly had a significant other yet, but still, I'm pretty sure I know how I feel! So why are all these people trying to get me to admit to feeling something I'm not?

"Why do all of you insist I'm in love with Heero? I'm not!"

"Duo, I'm insisting that. It's just that… I *feel* that you're in love."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"You've been happier lately, ever since the day Marie said she spotted you having dinner with him."

"Sylvia, being happy does not mean I'm in love. I've been happy lately, because I aced the last math test. Because I won 30 bucks from Mueller for a soccer match. Because I…"

"I don't mean that kind of happy. I… I don't know how to say it, how to describe it to you. But I'm sure you've felt it. Because I feel it… from you." Her voice drops to a whisper, as though this is a secret she never meant to say. "Duo, you… maybe you don't realize it, but whenever you talk about him, you blush… and… your eyes… they sparkle."

"Sparkle?" I parrot in disbelief. How can that be? Heero's just my friend. A friend I knew for barely 2 weeks.

"And sometimes… you'd have this little smile… Like you're smiling at something only you yourself know about. I'm worried, Duo." She adds, biting her lips and looking contritely at me. "I… I know you like him. I know that much. I can feel it. You've been spending so much time with him…"

Ah, so that's what Sylvia's discomfort about this issue is. Like I said earlier, she comes from a very rich family. The upside to that is that she has loads and loads of money at her disposal. She doesn't like to buy stuff, so she usually saves up her allowance or treat Marie and I to lunch. The downside? Her parents are always flying around the globe for their jobs, and Sylvia has been moving around with them for most part of her childhood. That probably made it hard for her to make friends, so she's been pretty lonely. When she finally convinced her parents that she was old enough to stay alone so she could stay put at one place and not fly around, she was already 17. From what I know, Sylvia hasn't met her parents much for the past year. Sometimes, she's called over, crying because she couldn't even get her parents on the phone.

"Sylvia, listen to me. I won't neglect you just because I made a new friend. Or even when I find a significant other. You're my friend, and I'll *always*, *always* remember you. I promise I won't neglect you."

Bingo. I've just hit the bull's eye.

"I know, Duo. It's just that… I'm worried. Marie… she's been so caught up with her new boyfriend. If it happens to you too, I… I don't know who'll talk to me."

I smile, and tug at her cheeks gently. "Silly girl. I'm always there for you, regardless of whether I've got a boyfriend or not."

She smiles back. "I'm sorry… I should have known that."

"Well, now you do, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, c'mon! We've been standing under the sun talking about this for what… ten minutes? Let's get you back to your apartment soon, or Marie might think I kidnapped you or something." I tease, hoping to ease the tension. Sylvia's the kind of person who has to be coaxed into relaxing, or she'll worry herself to death. I may have known her for only a little over a year, but it's long enough for me to know this. It's so obvious.

"Sorry! Come up to my apartment, and I'll let you raid my fridge as compensation."

"Your fridge? The one with tomato juice and nothing else? Thanks, but no thanks."

She knocks me playfully. "I've stocked it up already!"

"Heh, we'll see about that." I reply, and continue to walk her back to her apartment. We've been standing there for so long I'm perspiring all over. Still, even with that issue all cleared up, I've got a little question for her.

"Sylvia, is that the only reason why you said I like Heero?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, are your observations… of me being happier and my eyes sparkling when I talk about him… are those for real?"

She nods solemnly. "I wouldn't lie to you about that. Tell me, Duo. What do you think about Heero?"

"I think… he's a very nice person. He's been very polite and very considerate to me all this time I've known him. I'd known that he was interested in me back when we first met, because he just came up to me and asked to know me. But the way he went about doing it… it's very different from how others do it. I mean, I've encountered some really flirtatious people before, and they… sort of just throw themselves all over me to get to know me. And hell, half of them don't bother to find out my name! They just keep calling me 'sugar' or 'honey'; it gives me goose bumps. But Heero…"

"What about him?"

"When he came up to talk to me for the first time, he was rather shy about it. And he asked me politely for my name; just my name, and not whether I'll want to kiss him or what. He kept his hands to himself too. But one of the things I admire most about him is that he's not afraid of my brother!"

We both laugh. Sylvia had been subjected to Solo's angry threats (something he calls 'filtering') when she called over for the first time, and got so afraid she didn't call back again for at least a month. Or was that two months? After Marie had assured her that it happened to everyone who called me, and after she shared her own experience, we begun to count the number of people Solo has scared off. Later, it came to us that it was too tedious, so we begun to count the number of people who called me more than twice.

"Well, he's a hero, isn't he?"

"Hero? I'm not that sure. But he's definitely a gentleman."

Sylvia looks at me curiously. "How so?"

"It's his behaviour. And the little things he does. For me. Like when we went to watch that 'Johnny English' movie, he'd already gotten the snacks and drinks all ready for me when I arrived. If it weren't because we hadn't decided on a movie yet, he'd have gotten the tickets too. And whenever he calls me to ask for a time to hang out together, he'd ask so nicely. He has not once been late to our appointments; and he's paid for everything every time we go out!"

"And the little things?"

"Well, he's just… nice to me." I answer, feeling extremely gauche. It's strange, to talk to your friend about this kinda stuff. Especially when said friend is fairly emotionally fragile. Besides, I hadn't even admitted all these things to myself, much less to anybody. But somehow, I can't seem to stop. "*Very* nice to me."

We'd already reached the bottom of Sylvia's apartment by this time, and I pressed the elevator button for her. Within seconds, the thing rings, and the elevator door slide open. She steps in, and sighs at me with a little smile.

"Duo, I'll go up on my own. Thanks so much."

"You're welcomed, Sylvia."

"Anyway, Duo. I think you should really consider it. Think about what can happen between you and Heero. I know you may not believe in 'love at first sight', but I think fate works in really wonderful ways. Maybe it's love at second sight. Or even third. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Bye."

"Bye."

The doors slide shut, and I turn around to leave the area. After all, it's time to get my ass home or Solo'll be worried about me. He always does that.

*****

By the time I'd gotten to my door, my mind had taken a round trip to the sun. Still, I'm confused! What exactly do I feel about Heero? I know I like him… a lot. He's someone I consider to be a good friend, and someone who has the potential to become a very good friend.

But to consider him as a potential boyfriend?

Maybe Sylvia's right to say that time isn't really a factor. But still, I'm not convinced. Love has to be built on a solid foundation that cannot be forged overnight. If the foundation is not strong enough, then the relationship will topple over when the first signs of difficulties appear. So what is this happiness swelling in my heart every time I see him? Every time I hear him? Every time I think about him?

So maybe it *is* love at first sight. Or maybe it was friendship at first sight. The feelings… came a bit later, after I knew him a little better.

I know for a fact that Heero's very good to me. But am I good to him too? It takes two to tango, two to fall in love. If I continue to lead him on when I know for sure that I'm not giving my share to building this relationship, it'll be so unfair to him. But the way he treats me… it just makes me wanna waltz with him forever. Endlessly.

Sigh. I seriously need to think about this.

Warily, I enter the house. With a mind so jumbled, letting Howie hound me about Heero is the last thing I need. I peer around; coast's clear. I think Howie's out, fortunately. Just as I'm going to go into my room and flop onto my bed to get a little rest, someone calls me.

"Duo!"

Crap… Seeing Solo isn't exactly a good thing either. I turn around and offer him a grin which I hope doesn't look forced. "Oh, hi Solo!"

He nods, and throws me a can of icy cold coca-cola. Heh, he knows me well. "Thanks. I was getting a little thirsty."

"Sure, no problem." Solo shrugs, and gulps down his own beverage. "Duo, are you okay? You look tired."

"Me? Tired? Maybe… I'll just go rest up a bit."

"Yeah, I think you should. Howie's cooking tonight. It wouldn't be nice if you fell head first into his stew. You'd suffocate."

"Suffocate? I'm more worried about getting food poisoning." I reply, and we both snigger. Howie is not the best of cooks, and we used to spend endless hours just joking about that. Admittedly, Howie's culinary skills have improved over the years, but they're still pretty bad. The food's edible, but that doesn't mean our taste buds enjoy it.

"Anyway, about that guy who's been calling you up lately…"

"What about him?"

"Tell me his name and address so I can go pay him a visit and have a nice little chat with him." Solo's tone is nonchalant, and if he were a girl, sweet. However, anyone can hear that underlying tone.

"Solo!" I sigh, exasperatedly. "He's my friend! He's not gonna drag me to some dark alley so he can rob me because I have less than fifty bucks in my wallet at all times. He's not gonna kidnap me because we can't afford the ransom anyway. And least of all, he's not gonna kill me!"

He sighs audibly, and sets his can of coca-cola on the table. "Duo, I'm not trying to prevent you from making friends. I'm just worried about you! I don't to see you get hurt! I promised our parents that I'd always keep you safe, and I intend to keep that promise."

I hate it when he brings up our parents, because that just puts me through a huge guilt trip. I know I grumble about Solo invading my privacy by picking up my calls and threatening the callers. But he's just worried about me. After our parents died, I'm like… his only blood relative left. Sure, Howie's our uncle, but still… I'm his only direct family left now. And while dad died almost immediately after the car accident, mum stayed alive long enough to make Solo promise her that he'd take care of me. That he'd take care of me in every possible way.

But I bet mum didn't think Solo would actually filter my friends to see which ones were suitable to be my friend. Or my significant other.

"I know, Solo. Look, that guy… he's just a friend. Nothing more. I'm old enough to handle a friend. You don't have to worry about it." I chirp, walking to my room all the while. "So, I'm gonna take a nap now. Wake me up for dinner, okay?"

"Fine. Remember, Duo. Don't let that guy take advantage of you!"

Sigh. Elder brothers…

I close the door, and throw my backpack onto the floor. With a jump, I throw myself onto my covers, laughing a little at the comfort my bed offers. Actually, Solo's right about me being tired. I should take a nap. So I close my eyes, and make myself comfortable on my bed. No, not good. I flip over to the other side. Still no good. I flip again.

Finally, I sit up. I can't get to sleep. Not before I actually deal with this. With my feelings. I groan, feeling a headache coming already. I scan my room, hoping to find something that would be able to help me sleep. My eyes fall on the telephone.

On impulse, I grab the phone off its cradle and punch in Heero's number. As the phone rings, I start to wonder what I'm doing. Why am I doing it? Calling Heero? For what? Just what was I thinking when I picked up the phone to call him? And what am I going to say to him?

I falter. Hesitantly, I take the phone away from my ears. I should just hang up. I don't know what I'm doing.

However, someone speaks into the phone, and I immediately reply. I blame it on my reflexes.

"Hello? Yuy residence."

"…" What should I do? What should I say? "Erm…"

"Duo?"

I don't about you, but damn if I'm not impressed. He can recognize my voice from a sound I make? Or did he recognize me by something else? Or maybe it's just his intuition.

"Hi, Heero."

"Hello Duo. Is anything the matter?"

I don't know if I'm imagining it, but his voice sounds… hopeful? Happy? Gleeful? Pleased? Thrilled? Well, I'm almost out of synonyms, but you get my drift. I wonder if my voice sounds that way to him too.

"I just called… erm, to…" To what? Oh my god… I am so at a loss for words. If I tell him… hell! I don't even *have* an inkling of an idea what to say to him! Crap… okay mouth, I'll let you call the shots this time. Just say whatever you want to say! "To thank you for the photos! …I think they're really very well taken!"

"…Really?"

"Really! Of course!" Thank god he bought that, although I really like those photos. The lighting looks pretty good. At least I don't look like I'm giving off light like in that photo Marie took the last time we went for a class excursion.

"Well, I'm still learning the art of photography, and I'm glad that you decided to be my model that day… The photos… they wouldn't look half as good if you weren't in them."

I'm so flattered. That's such a roundabout way of telling me that I look good, but the meaning isn't any less. In fact, I prefer this kinda praise for my looks, rather than listening to some flirty cheerleader swoon about how gorgeous I am. Why? Because I can feel the truth behind Heero's words. But… gosh, this is getting sappy.

"Thanks." I reply, and grow silent again. For a moment, the line went mute. C'mon, Heero! Say something! Say anything!

"…Duo?"

Thank goodness he's talking. "Yes?"

"Can I see you again soon? I mean… I know we're meeting the coming Sunday. But can we meet some time before that?"

"Why? You can't make it on Sunday?"

"No! I can! I can! I just…"

"Oh, I get it." Does Heero like being around me too? As much as I like begin around him? Is that why he wants to see me again? Before Sunday? "Erm… I'm not sure…"

"Oh…"

He's doing it again. He's sounding like he's a kid deprived of his Christmas present again. Every time I'm about to say 'no' to his suggestions, he'll make this disappointed noise. And then I'll feel like I'm a big jerk for doing that to him.

"Maybe we can meet on Tuesday? I might be going over to Sally's place, but I'm not confirmed on that. It'll depend on my schedule that day."

"It's okay! I'll be there. Erm… I miss Sally's coffee anyway."

I stifle a snigger. "If I can make it, I'll be there in the late afternoon."

"Okay."

"…So, I guess I shouldn't be bothering you anymore. I have some stuff I need to do too."

"No, you're not bothering me, Duo. But yeah, you should go do your stuff. I'll see you on Tuesday? If you can make it."

"Yeah. Bye, Heero."

"Bye, Duo."

I set the phone back on its cradle, and flop down onto my bed. I did what I can, and maybe I do understand what I'm feeling a little better. Just a little.

-owari-

Sorceress Fantasia 20th May 2003

Last beta-ed 27th May 2003