Email: Asukalangley2nd@yahoo.com
Website: www.oocities.org/asukalangley2nd/
Warnings: Yaoi, Slight violence, New
character, Death, Angst
Pairing: 1x2, 3x4
The day faded into dark as Duo sat in shock for a moment, the words winding through his brain like a snake. The streets were hauntingly empty and silent as their eyes remained locked, as if the world itself had ceased any action due to this amazing accusation. Disbelief hung throughout him, many different reactions threatening to pour forth at once. He settled on yelling instead.
“My WHAT?”
She jumped across the distance that separated them, her slim arms sliding around his neck in a strangling embrace. The smell of sweet leather drifted up to his nose; the sound of her elated, breathless crying filled his ears.
“I’ve looked for you for so long! I can’t believe I found you! After all these years! Everyone told me you were dead and I was just wasting my time, but I knew it wasn’t true! I would’ve felt it, right?”
With a rough push, he dislodged himself. Shaking his head, he returned, “I don’t know where you get your information from, but I’m not your brother. I’m just an orphan. I don’t have anyone.”
“I don’t blame you for being skeptical,” Tesya said, waving a hand nonchalantly. “I mean, I would, too, if someone came up to me claiming to be my sister.”
“What makes you think that you’re my sister anyway?” he inquired, grabbing the rest of his groceries and placing them into the bag.
“I’m two years older than you, Duo,” she began, rising to her feet as he did the same. She took one of the teetering paper bags from his uncertain hold. “We lived on the L2 colony until our mother and father were killed shortly after you were born. I don’t expect you to remember it; you were too young. I guess that’s kinda better.
“Anyway, all I know is that I got taken away and put with some people. You disappeared. I cried…a lot. I screamed for you, for my beloved brother for months after.
“A few years after that, I turned six and we were attacked once more. My family-well my new family- was killed when the building they were in was destroyed.” Tears leapt once more into her violet eyes, her lips set in a grim straight line. “I was sent to a boarding school and promptly left there and forgotten about.
“When I was sixteen, I got out, choosing to live my own life. No one ever cared for me, so I knew no one would miss me. I remember hearing about the Gundam pilots, children that fought with more intensity than any grown man could. And then, I saw your picture.
“I stared at it for a long time. I knew it was you. I knew you were my brother. I knew you had to be. God, have I missed you! I still can’t believe its you!”
Duo stared at her, face still frozen. Streetlights flickered on overhead, casting an unearthly glow upon the pair. In the sudden weak radiance, he could see the uncanny resemblance between them.
Another burst of wind happened through, blowing her long coat back. He noticed the all black outfit underneath. She even dresses like I do. Man, this is getting scary.
“Come with me,” he said, walking away.
She jogged up behind him, still carrying the bag with Oreo’s peeking from the top. “Where are we going?”
“Home.”
“I’m back!” Duo’s voice floated cheerily through the living room as he staggered in, still holding one grocery bag. He kicked off his boots, disregarding the fact that they were still tied, and ran to the kitchen. The ice cream he had bought was leaking through the brown paper bag and down his arm in a thick white river.
“Hn,” Heero responded from the other room. The quiet whir of the computer drifted through, with the clicking of the keys accompanying it.
Wufei looked up from his place on the couch, thick hardcover book lying across his lap. “What took you so long, Maxwell? You left over an hour ago, and the store is only a block away.”
Quatre’s blue eyes peered out from the hallway, Trowa right behind him. “We were starting to get worried,” the young blonde said, smiling softly.
“Hold on a second,” Duo said, then ran from the kitchen and out onto the porch of the small house they were currently occupying. “Come on in! They don’t bite! Well, okay, Wu-man does, but only when he’s being a grouch, which is most of the time anyway.”
The pilot walked back in, then waved. A young woman followed him, weak smile dancing upon her recognizable lips. Her chestnut hair fell to her waist in a wavy waterfall, while her violet eyes searched the room nervously.
“Hello,” she whispered.
“Maxwell, what the hell are you doing bringing women here?!” Wufei screamed, jumping to his feet.
Quatre walked over, taking the grocery bag from her arms. He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, then returned and graciously took her long leather coat and backpack. The shirt underneath was tight and black, accenting her womanhood, while the pants flowed more loosely down to her black high-necked boots.
“This isn’t just some woman, Wu-man,” Duo shot back, hints of anger in his voice.
“Stop calling me that!” the pilot growled.
“Who is she, Duo?” Trowa asked quietly as he took his customary place beside Quatre.
“This is Tesya Kement,” he answered, waving a hand her way. “My sister.”
“Your WHAT?”
Duo’s violet eyes turned to towards the new voice, one that almost never showed emotion. His eyes were met with cold, yet confused, cobalt ones and a face that hinted at anger. Dark tousled hair lay on his head, as if he had just risen from a nap. His normal green tank-top and black spandex rested on his lean frame.
“I thought you were an orphan,” Quatre ventured.
“I was,” Duo said. “I mean, I am. Our parents died when I was really little. She was sent away and I was lost. I ran into her on the street. What a surprise, huh?”
Heero stared at the Deathscythe pilot, a sneer stretching like a lazy cat across his tight lips. “Come with me, Duo. I need to talk to you alone.”
Duo gulped, then turned toward the woman. “Just wait here for me. They won’t hurt ya, so don’t worry.”
She nodded, a small blush riding in her cheeks. Quatre smiled at her, and led her towards the couch as Duo disappeared down the hall and into the room with Heero.
“Have you gotten even more stupid than normal?” Heero growled.
Duo sat down on the bed, leaning back on his outstretched arms. He flashed a cheesy transparent grin to the Wing pilot. “Aw. You always know how to say the sweetest things.”
“I’m not kidding,” Heero snarled as he took a step closer to the bed. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“It’s my sister,” Duo replied, face suddenly oddly serious. “What did you expect me to do?”
“That is NOT your sister!” yelled Heero, disregarding the fact that the others could hear his words clearly in the next room. “It’s just some stupid girl you met on the street!”
Duo hopped to his feet, eyes full of a subdued anger. “Stop it, Heero.”
“She’s probably an OZ spy!” Heero raged on.
“Heero, shut up!” Duo screamed, fists clenched tightly at his side.
“You don’t even know what kind of bitch you brought home with you!” Heero yelled. “You could be getting us all killed!”
“Damnit, Heero!” Duo screamed back. Suddenly, his fist flew up and struck the Wing pilot in the jaw, sending him reeling back a few steps. Blood began to dribble slowly out of the corner of his slightly ajar mouth, running down his reddening chin in a small thin line.
Heero regained his bearings quickly and prepared to leap at the other boy, but paused as he saw glistening diamond tears standing in his sparkling amethyst eyes. For a moment, he just stopped, staring at the total innocence in the other pilot.
“Just stop it, Heero,” Duo said. “Leave my sister alone.”
Heero’s voice regained its natural monotone after a second of silence. “We’ll go see Sally Po tomorrow and get a blood test.”
Duo’s eyes narrowed as he spat out his response; “No!”
“We need to be sure,” Heero growled as he headed for the door. “I won’t have us all dying because you’re being stupid.”
“We are not getting a blood test, Heero,” Duo returned, ignoring the last comment. “Tesya is my sister. I can feel it.”
“If you are so sure, then you won’t mind getting a test,” Heero replied.
“I don’t need to prove anything to you,” growled the pilot. “I know nothing will happen, but if anything does, then I can take care of it.”
“I won’t take a risk like that,” he returned, voice as vacant as his shielded eyes.
“Don’t you trust me?” Duo asked.
Heero looked at him, eyes roaming over the honesty in the boyish face. The tears continued to stand in his eyes, then spilled over onto pale cheeks, and his lips wore an unfamiliar glower. He hated when Duo bombarded him with these ridiculous questions, as he seemed to do often after a lovemaking session or when he wanted something. Heero had never caved in before, however the look of pure and utter longing and pleading that spread itself across Duo’s face had never been there either.
“If anything happens,” Heero growled as he left the room, “I’ll kill you myself.”
When Duo walked into the other room, he was not surprised at what his eyes fell upon. Wufei had returned to his seat on the couch, scowling, eyes not leaving the supposed sister. Tesya was kneeling beside where Quatre was comfortably seated in a recliner by the window, discussing music. Trowa had taken a place next to Wufei, skeptically staring at the woman.
“Well, sis, let me show you to your room,” Duo announced as he walked in.
She rose to her feet, smiling warmly down at the blonde pilot. He returned her gentle look, then hopped to his own feet and grabbed her belongings from the closet. Quietly, he followed both her and Duo into a room down the hall.
Wufei looked at the hallway entrance, then at Heero, who had just passed through it.
“What were you thinking, Yuy?” he hissed.
“Hn,” he replied, making his way to the kitchen.
The Chinese pilot got to his feet and ran after him. He reached where Heero stood, peering into the refrigerator. Wufei roughly grabbed the Wing pilot’s arm, swung him around, and threw the door shut behind him. “Tell me right now, what the hell are you thinking?” he snarled.
Heero’s electric eyes narrowed threateningly as he took a step back. “Duo said it was his sister, so it’s his sister,” he growled. “Do not question me.”
“This is mad!” Wufei screamed. “Have you taken leave of all your senses?”
“He’s correct, Heero,” Trowa commented from the kitchen doorway. “This is highly unlike you to take such a risk.”
“I believe Duo,” Heero replied in a cold monotone voice as he began to push past Wufei.
The Chinese pilot grabbed Heero’s arm once more, holding him in place. The other boy shot him a cold look over his shoulder, a snarl leaping across his lips. “Let me go.”
“Not until we figure out what is truly going on here,” Wufei replied.
Heero pulled his arm away from the tight grasp and turned to face both pilots at once. “I trust Duo.”
“It is fine to trust Duo, Heero,” Trowa said. “However, this might not be the perfect moment to exhibit that sort of confidence.”
“That woman is probably an OZ spy!” Wufei hissed.
“At least have Sally Po give her a blood test,” the Heavyarms pilot interjected.
Heero shook his head, his eyes holding theirs. “No. Duo does not want one.”
“I cannot believe this!” Wufei yelled. “When did you become so weak, Yuy?”
The Wing pilot’s head snapped towards Wufei, cold blue fire dancing in his eyes. With a lightning-like move, he grabbed the Chinese pilot by the shirt and threw him into the door of the refrigerator, banging his head off the metal of the handle.
“Do not ever say that to me again,” Heero snarled, face inches from Wufei’s.
“Then show me you are not weak,” the Shenlong pilot growled back as he pushed the thin body away from him. “You are putting all of us in danger because Maxwell says so? This is unjust and I will not have it!”
“Now is not the time to fight,” Trowa said quietly, wedging his way between the warring parties. His one visible emerald eye fell on both of them at once, holding them in place for the moment. “Right now, we have to decide on the most efficient course of action in this situation.”
“There is nothing to decide,” Heero mumbled as he walked from the room. “We let her stay here and figure out just what exactly is going on.”
Duo tore the chicken leg apart, his teeth sinking in and ripping off chunks of meat that seemed too large for his mouth. Quatre munched politely, the air of an aristocrat hanging thickly around him. Tesya smiled as she dined, making small talk with the blonde pilot, often smiling, often laughing. Heero ate silently, along with Trowa, each peering through their hair at the girl that sat across from them. Wufei said nothing as he only pushed the food around on his plate with a fork, glowering.
“So, Miss Tesya,” Quatre asked between mouthfuls, “what do you do in your spare time?”
She smiled, blush slightly riding high in her cheeks. “I write a lot, mostly poetry. That’s usually what kept me going on while I was trying to find Duo.”
Wufei rolled his eyes as the Deathscythe pilot grinned proudly.
“Would it be too much to ask to hear something you’ve written, Miss Tesya?” Quatre questioned, blue eyes sparkling in the overhead light.
“Sure.” She flashed him a confident smile, then closed her eyes as she attempted to recall some old lyrics.
“‘That
which is all consuming
Eating away all logic,
All sense, all reason.
Bestial animalistic
Primal urges man cannot control.
Burning fire
In the core of the beast.’”
The chicken bone hung precariously out of Duo’s mouth, slightly surprised at the work. Quatre clapped his hands, smiling openly, while Trowa nodded with slight approval. Wufei had stopped pushing his food around while she recited her poem, but resumed his stubbornness once she had finished.
“That was beautiful,” Quatre praised.
Tesya smiled, a high blush rising in her cheeks as she took another bite of the chicken. “Thank you. It’s not that great, just something I wrote a few years back. I’ve written much better one’s.”
“So, what do you do for money, Tesya?” Heero asked, seemingly from nowhere.
Her violet eyes suddenly fell to her food, her hands falling underneath the table and folding in her lap. “I’d prefer not to answer that,” she murmured.
Duo slung a reassuring arm around her shoulder, chicken bone in one hand. A smile spread across his lips, something warm and honest. “Come on. You can tell us. Trust me.”
She swallowed hard, then raised her eyes to Duo’s, violet matching violet. “I don’t want to tell you. Please don’t make me.”
“Come on there, kid,” he encouraged, giving her a small squeeze around the shoulders. “No one is going to bite you, except maybe Heero and Wufei, but I’ll defend you against their evil teeth.” He flashed a cheesy, uplifting grin, and she returned it with a small smile.
“I’m an OZ soldier.”
Silence reigned as the words hung in the air, tasting as horrid as they sounded. The chicken bone slid from Duo’s suddenly loose grip, softly striking the carpet. Quatre gasped, eyes wide and a little surprised, face draining of color. Trowa sat back, studying her every move, every glance.
Heero and Wufei both hopped to their feet, Heero’s gun already cocked and steadied at her forehead, while Wufei fell into a defensive fighting stance.
“I told you she was an OZ spy,” Wufei spat. “You are ours now, woman.”
“Spy?” she screamed back, hands striking the table. “I’m not a spy! I can’t believe you would actually think that! I mean, how stupid do you think I am?”
“I don’t know,” Wufei growled in return. “You do work for OZ, after all.”
She slowly rose to her feet, eyes suddenly hard and holding the Chinese pilot. She didn’t once look down the barrel of the gun that Heero pointed at her, disregarding even the fact he stood there. “Let me ask you this, Mr. Holier-than-thou,” she snarled. “Would a spy be stupid enough to tell you that she worked for the organization you are fighting against?”
Everyone stopped for a moment, silent. The gun wavered slightly, and even Wufei relaxed his defensive stance in slight confusion.
She laid the palms of her hands on the table and looked down, long chestnut locks hiding her face. “I didn’t want to do it. I hate OZ. I hate what they stand for. I hate the death that always follows them. But I had to find Duo. I had to find my brother.” She looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks unnoticed. “I had to do whatever I could to find him! What better way than somewhere that had access to almost every person there ever was?”
Heero’s gun went to his side, but the fierce cautious gleam never left his eyes. Quatre looked up at her warmly, handing her a white cloth napkin to wipe away the tears that continued to linger upon her cheeks. One of Duo’s hands fell onto hers, soft, tender, loving.
Wufei’s deep black eyes narrowed hatefully, his fists unconsciously clenching at his side. He restrained every urge to leap across the table and throttle both Duo and Quatre.
“How can you sit there and show any emotion to that woman?” he screamed, voice cracking. “That is an OZ soldier, damnit! Have you all lost your sense of justice?”
Duo hopped to his feet, face already crimson with anger. “Watch it, Wufei! That’s my sister you’re talking about! She already explained why she did what she did, but of course you’re too busy being better than everyone else to notice!”
The look on the Chinese pilot’s face turned feral and barely recognizable. “How dare you talk to me like that! I cannot believe you would protect this coward!”
Tesya’s violet eyes snapped to him, her face blanketed in pure rage. “How can you honestly say that? Coward? Explain to me how I am a coward! I told you who I was, full well knowing that I would be persecuted, condemned, damned, and maybe even killed. I took that chance, rather than deceiving you all. Unarmed and unresisting, I told you!
“Yes, I am an OZ soldier,” she continued, “but a spy, I am not! Do not call me a coward again, at least until you discover the definition of the word!” She stopped for a moment, her lips turning up into an wicked smirk. “Of course, all you need to do is look into the mirror for that.”
The look in Wufei’s eyes was completely animalistic, full of fury and ready for an attack. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner! How dare you defile my honor!”
Duo opened his mouth to yell at his fellow pilot, but was silenced by a stern look from Heero. The glance had said more than words; let’s see where this goes.
“Your honor?” she spat. “Prove to me that you even have some! You speak to me like an incompetent and a spy! You have shown me no respect!”
“I will never respect someone that works for OZ!” he screamed, slamming his hands onto the table. Plates jumped and rattled while Quatre’s glass of water fell over, spilling its contents everywhere, unnoticed.
“Fine!” she hollered in return, her voice shaking. “I don’t want the respect of a fool like you anyway!”
His face went blank for a second, as if someone had thrown a mask on him, covering his anger. Then it dissolved into a grimace and his mouth twisted into a malicious smirk. One black eye twitched while the muscles in his arms tightened. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as he suddenly possessed the look of a shadowed panther.
Without another word, the boy leapt across kitchen, hateful smirk riding proudly across his lips. Before any of the other pilots could stop him, he reached over, grabbed the long chestnut hair of the woman and threw her into the living room. She landed hard, sprawling across the floor in a jumble of limbs and tresses, a small curse slipping unconsciously through her red lips.
Duo attempted to grab Wufei, but Heero once again stopped him, placing a solid hand on the other’s shaking shoulder.
“I’m not going to let him hurt her, damnit!” the Deathscythe pilot yelled, fury coating his words.
“Leave them alone,” Heero replied, voice as solid as his grip.
“Wufei will kill her!” Duo screamed.
“Just watch,” the boy returned, his eyes on the scene.
Tesya staggered to her feet, her face emotionless and even. She made no move, not even to breathe, as she stood, eyes holding Wufei’s in a strong grip.
“Come on, woman,” Wufei snarled. “I am waiting for you.”
She said nothing, still not moving. Her eyes never wavered, her expression never changed. From the sidelines, Quatre, Trowa, and Duo both vaguely recognized the appearance on her face as the one Heero almost constantly wore.
“Afraid of me, woman?” Wufei taunted. “Of course you are! You are weak!”
Her eye twitched, something that lasted not even a second, but was caught by all.
“I am not weak,” she returned, voice even and cold.
“Then show me,” the pilot growled, falling into a defensive stance.
She sighed, something devoid of any emotion aside from annoyance and exasperation. “You speak of fear and being weak,” she whispered. “However you make no move against your enemy. Now, who is the coward?”
Wufei was silent for a moment, having a rare occasion where he was utterly at a loss for words. His eyes held hers in a tight grip, attempting to force her gaze elsewhere for just a second.
“Tesya, stop this right now!” Duo yelled as Heero shook his shoulder roughly. “Come here!”
Her eyes shifted to her brother for just a minute, but that was all the Chinese pilot needed. With a quick rush, he was at her in a heartbeat and within another, he backhanded her, which sent her reeling into a nearby coffee table.
She growled, something primal and deep in the back of her throat, and dodged another attempted blow to her cheek. She ducked under his swing, and sidestepped behind him, where she threw one quick punch to his left kidney.
He grunted, then automatically ducked out of the way of her second shot. He whirled around and swept his legs under her, knocking her flat onto her back. She landed with a small curse, and rolled just out of the way of the kick that should have connected with her stomach.
“Let me go, Heero!” Duo screamed, trying to wrench away from the hand that held him.
“Watch, Duo,” he replied distantly.
“I’ve seen enough already!” the pilot retorted.
“She has training in this field, Duo,” Heero quietly replied. “She is an OZ soldier after all.”
“She is my sister, Heero!” Duo yelled, facing Heero. His violet eyes were hard, intense. “I don’t care what she was; that woman is my sister and I won’t watch Wufei kill her!”
Wufei’s foot crashed down where Tesya had only seconds before lay wincing from a fall. He watched as she regained her footing a few feet away, brushing the long hair from her pale face. Her chest rose and fell with each panting breath, but her eyes continued their severe, intense stare, absolutely unwavering.
“You have tainted my honor,” Wufei said, his voice attempting to hide its confidence. “I will have my justice now.”
“If you think you can, come and get me, Wu-man,” she returned, using the name she knew he despised.
With a primal cry, he dashed across the floor at her. She ducked his first blow, then attempted to sweep his feet. He jumped into the air, missing her low kick, but was struck in the stomach by an elevated punch.
He flew back slightly, but was not stopped or even slowed down. Again, he tried to strike her across the face, but missed and only grazed her arm. With his error still in effect, the woman’s fist collided with his jaw, sending him staggering backwards.
Heero’s hand felt suddenly confident on Duo’s shoulder. “I told you,” he muttered. Duo looked back at him, uneasiness filling his violet eyes.
The worry was well warranted however; Wufei left no room for mistakes after that. With the quickness of a cat, he ran to the girl, his fist flying. It caught her hard in the stomach, forcing her to double over, coughing. Again, his fist flew up and crashed into her jaw, sending her soaring through the air and onto her back on the hardwood floor.
She wasn’t given a chance to avoid the coming foot as it connected roughly with her stomach. She grunted as it struck, once, twice, all the while trying desperately to roll away from the relentless kicks.
The pilot dropped to his knees, one leg on either side of her, and roughly grabbed her hair, pulling it as much as his strength would allow. He wanted to hear her scream, her voice crying out its feebleness, its helplessness, but she bit down on her lower lip, depriving him of any such pleasure.
“You are weak woman,” he spat. “Tell me how weak you are!”
“Wufei, get your hands off her!” Duo screamed, breaking free of Heero’s grasp.
Before the Deathscythe pilot could reach them however, Tesya reached up and raked her fingernails across Wufei’s cheek, deep enough to draw blood in two spots. His eyes went wide for a moment, as he reached back to backhand her.
With a quick punch, she struck Wufei in the stomach. It was not enough to deter him however, as his hand crashed into her face. Her head swung to the side, banging once more off the unyielding floor. His hand went back and then flew forward again, connecting with sickening thud against her jaw.
Wufei brought his hand to strike her once more, but it was caught in midair from behind. His black eyes traveled over his shoulder and he was unsurprised to meet the fiery ones of Duo’s.
The braided boy did not speak a word as he twisted the captured appendage in his hand. With a rough yank, Wufei slid off the battered woman and crashed into the nearby coffee table, his head unceremoniously banging against its sturdy wood.
Duo sat next to Tesya, his eyes glued to the black and blue mark that was quickly beginning to develop. His intense gaze shifted quickly to Quatre, his face hard.
“Go get me an ice pack,” he commanded. “Maybe we can stop this bruise before it gets too bad.”
“I’ll be fine,” Tesya slurred through a swollen bottom lip.
“Hush!” he replied, looking down at her and flashing her the usual jester-like smile. “I just don’t want anything to happen to my sister’s pretty face now! So let me play doctor, but don’t go getting any dirty ideas.”
“You worry too much,” she returned, slight lisp slipping in.
“Hey, now,” Duo said quietly, eyes sparkling. “Anyway, what are brothers for?”
She smiled, something sweet and genuine, then grimaced at the pain in her cheek. Quatre quickly returned with the ice, handing it over to Duo and taking a seat on the other side of her.
Trowa silently walked over to Wufei, helping the pilot to his feet. Wufei muttered one choice word towards Duo, then stormed out of the house, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the pictures on the wall. Trowa shot a concerned look over to Heero, but was replied with a short shake of the head. He sighed, knowing full well that Wufei believed his honor had been wickedly defiled. This would not be the last any of them would hear about this matter, he was sure.
“Duo….”
The words were spoken in a soft voice, as if afraid to shatter the glass of silence that surrounded them. His eyes flickered open, shut quickly again, then reopened. Heero’s arm lay draped over his naked body, limp and lifeless, and he could feel the warm breath that beat rhythmically against the soft flesh of his neck.
His violet eyes went to the open door, where golden light flooded in, only to be eclipsed by a slim black figure. He could make out certain distinctions, long pale hair, a shadowy soft face, a pair of feminine bare legs that lasted an eternity, and the long black shirt that hung down to the middle of her milky thighs. Where the light took up residence, it made her appear to be shining heavenly, like some divine saint or angel.
“What is it, Tesya?” he muttered sleepily.
“Duo…” Her eyes seemed to shimmer, wavering for a moment. Her hands were held behind her back, her lips in a grim line. “I- I just can’t believe I have finally found you is all.”
His lips crept upward into a small smile, the ends curving tenderly. “Yeah,” he murmured. Behind him, Heero snorted, twisted, and rolled away from him, taking his warmth with him.
“Duo,” she whispered. “If something should ever happen to me, I want you to know that I will be waiting for you in outer space, forever and ever, until the day comes when we can be together for eternity, my brother.”
He didn’t know what to say; his words were caught in his throat as surely as if he were choking on them. A sudden dread crept into his chest, clutching his heart in an icy hand and squeezing it mercilessly.
“Don’t worry, sis,” he responded, flashing her a reassuring smile in the dark. “Nothing’s going to happen to you with me around.”
“If we can’t be a family here, Duo,” she continued, her voice slightly shaking, “then I will be your sister in forever. I will be waiting for you in outer space, just remember that.” As she turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of the crystal tears that had taken residence on her cheeks, the light shining through them and creating a brilliance that seemed impossible to recreate with human hands.
Duo said nothing as the hall light was extinguished with a small click. His brow was knit in quiet contemplation over her haunting words, words of departure, words of death.
He looked over to Heero, who slept deeply and peacefully. The security he normally obtained within the other boy’s presence could not be found, leaving him feeling slightly afraid and alone, with sleep being the furthest thing from his mind.