Chapter 8 / 37
Written by Jessi Maxwell - send C&C to Megami_no_Remon@hotmail.com
As soon as the door slid shut behind him, Duo sank weakly against the wall and slid to the floor. His hands were shaking and his heart was hammering deafeningly in his chest. He couldn't shake the image of Zechs' eyes staring into his soul, or the sudden terror that had gripped him. It had overwhelmed him completely and the only thing he could think to do was flee.
Duo pulled himself to his feet and made his way up to the kitchen, setting his pistol down and getting himself a glass of water. He heard a soft noise behind him and he whipped around with a scream, dropping the glass and snatching up his gun. The glass hit the floor like an explosion.
Quatre let out a small gasp. "Duo, it's me! Are you alright?"
Duo fell back against the counter and let his gun drop. "Quatre..."
Quatre hurried over, concerned, and put his arm around Duo's shoulders. "Hey, calm down...what's going on? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost. Come over here and sit with me."
Duo allowed Quatre to guide him into the sitting room and sat on the couch, offering Quatre a somewhat sheepish smile. "Um...I'm...sorry about the glass...you just startled me..."
Quatre smiled. "Don't worry about it Du-chan...I think I can afford another. I'll make sure it's taken care of."
"Heh...yeah, I'm sure you can."
Quatre pressed a new glass of water into Duo's hands and gently extricated the gun, setting it down on the coffee table. Duo gave him a smile of gratitude and sipped at his drink. "So...tell me what's gotten you so riled up. I thought you were going to shoot me."
Duo chuckled weakly. "Eh...I just...had some nightmares is all."
Quatre eyed Duo skeptically before nodding and giving him a reassuring smile.
"Oh...yeah, I was chattin' with Zechs..."
"Wufei said you told him Zechs was getting a lot better."
"Yeah, he is. Except for that one arm of his, he's pretty well good. But...get a load of this. He said he was leaving OZ."
Quatre gasped. "What? No...really? That's....that's wonderful news! What's his plan? Do you believe him?"
Duo paused for a moment and swallowed thickly, the memory of the sudden intimacy between them making him feel week. But he gave Quatre a grin. "I really don't know what to think. But he seemed pretty serious about ditchin' OZ. He's really not a bad guy. I've had a lot of time to talk to him, y'know?"
"That's wonderful!" Quatre exclaimed, flashing Duo a warm smile. "So perhaps our captive can become an ally then...?"
"Eh, I dunno. It'd be nice to have someone of his caliber on our side, that's for damn sure. But it's really too early to tell. For all I know, he could be trying to trick me. We'll just have to see how it works out."
"We can't keep him a prisoner here forever."
"Yeah, I know. And it's really out of the question to execute him. He hasn't even tried to escape me. Not...that he really could with as messed up as he was, but y'know."
Quatre smiled. "I know. Hopefully things turn out for the best."
"Eh, I'm sure they will. The others still bent out of shape about him bein' here?"
Quatre managed a faint grin. "Eh. Yeah. Heero and Trowa think we should execute him still; Wufei just wants to get him out of here. They don't trust him in the slightest...and you should be careful, Duo. Just because he hasn't tried anything yet doesn't mean he won't."
// Oh, he tried SOMETHING alright // Duo thought.
"Well, I'm going to head back to bed. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you ever need anything, you know you can come to me, Du-chan."
"Thanks, Q. I appreciate it."
Quatre stood up and gave Duo a quick hug before heading back towards his room. Duo sucked in a deep breath and couldn't help but smile - the gentle Arabian always had a calming effect on him.
After mentally composing himself, Duo slid his gun into his belt and then headed back to the saferoom. He peered into the room cautiously. Zechs was stretched out in bed and appeared to be sleeping. Duo breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on his bed before lying down. His eyes remained riveted on Zechs, however. He couldn't bring himself to look away.
The blush came unbidden to his cheeks again as he pulled a sheet up over him. He still couldn't believe that Zechs had been about to kiss him - and some part of him wished he hadn't stopped him.
// Man, don't be the idiot everyone says you are... // Duo thought to himself. // It's Zechs freakin' Merquise. And even if he DOES leave OZ, that doesn't mean he's on OUR side...but dear gods... //
Still feeling rather unsettled, Duo fell into an uneasy sleep.