"The Basketball Diaries: Duo's Decline"

Part Two

by Jenn Blackett

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Gundam Wing or Jim Carroll's "The Basketball Diaries" ((excellent movie! Go see if you won't have anyone watching with overprotective eyes as Leo DiCaprio says "fuck" twenty times in a single minute)), so please do not sue me. All you'd get would be my immortal soul, and that don't belong to anyone but my demented muses. This is just me messing with Duo's life....

Warning: Language, use of drugs, needles ((*wince, wince* If you're scared of them like me, you may not wanna read)), psychedelic drugs, SEXSEXSEX ((*grins* So cool just to say that)), LEMONICITY FOREVER! Pairings: Have been 5x2, mention of two yuri pairing, ((I'm not spoiling it for you!!)), may get more soon....

A smirk tugged on her lips as she got over the shock of seeing him in so long. "Man, Duo, you sure are such a sweet talker after all these years, aren't you?"

Duo didn't know what else to say, a few hundred other curses climbing to his lips before he resolutely swallowed them down. His breath tasted minty fresh, from quickly showering and brushing his teeth before he headed out, but he could still smell Wufei on him. A slight shudder shook him, clutching his leather jacket closer around him. The little demon inside him had awakened more so now and was stabbing swiftly into his gut, demanding with a craving for that sweet clear liquid that would make everything bad go away. His arm positively ached for it, the pain of the bruises not even mattering right now.

He must have been staring into space for too long because Hirde gave him a weird look. "Nani? Duo, daijabu desu ka? (1)" She moved her hand to touch him, but he quickly darted back out of her path.

"Yeah, of course I am, Hirde! Nothing's wrong with me, you know that! Never has, never will be!" It was so easy to wink, to play it off. He had gotten good at the old mask thing. Duo Maxwell should be an actor or something....

Hirde blinked a moment before nodding, slight smile curving her lips. "Hai, I know that, Duo. Nothing can get Shinigami down...." She laughed at some joke he didn't get right now and shrugged, hooking her thumbs in her jacket as she looked at him from under her spiky black bangs. "So, long time no see sounds so cliche, but it's apt.... What's up with you?"

My dick, he thought absently, before nearly flushing at the thought. Duo had been trying not to notice the fact he had a definite hard-on right now, but the cause of that hard-on being right in front of him, he could no longer deny it. Just knowing he had been on top of her, even if it was because someone had shoved him into a fall, didn't make his body settle down. In fact, it just created a host of erotic images on what he could have done to her while she was lying on her back, even if they were in a crowd of people.

God, he was such a sick bastard.

That little chide to himself still didn't help the fact that Duo was looking Hirde over as slowly as he could without her really noticing from under his bangs. She had changed.... In so many ways. She still had the kind smile, but the sweet little angelic pixie-look had flown out the window. In fact, she looked downright dark now. Very Goth. Very sexy.... Ne, *erotic* fit this new Hirde. The way the sweater hugged her curves, outlining almost the material of her bra underneath, leather skirt tight and nearly up to her underwear, tight boots just below her knees. God.... when had she grown up?

"Oh, this and that, no da." Licking his lips slowly, remembering just what circumstances he had left her in, he felt sort of awkward. "You sure seem.... capable now, Hirde."

The word he used seemed to not appeal to her and she gave a slight frown before nodding. "Hai, so do you.... Been a long time, Duo."

Her quiet tone struck new waves of guilt into him. The little demon inside whispered coyly in his ear it could all go away so easily, just one little jolt.... bang! No more guilt.... No more death. No little sexual urges to bang his old friend that had to be denied. Duo couldn't contaminate her life with all the shit he does.... not now, not ever.

"Yeah, Hirde.... Long time." He affirmed with a smile, nodding to her lightly, aching to get away to the dealer's around the corner.

An awkward moment passed before Hirde's eyes flickered, an idea catching her interest as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a card, scribbling something on it quick. "Here."

He looked at it. It was an address, someplace in the nicer section of L2, place where the apartment buildings had trees in the backyard and a communal playground for the kiddies. "What's this?"

"It's my new address. I got an apartment on the third floor, real nice, big place I share with my roommate. You should stop by sometime."

Idly, Duo wondered who she got to live with her, thinking a mousy, quiet roommate he would have picked her with before wouldn't be able to handle this new Hirde. Folding the card, he pocketed it, although there was no way in hell he'd ever dare and visit her. Being in her place, smelling her scent on everything.... He couldn't handle that.

"Thanks.... Maybe I will sometime."

Liar.

Hirde shifted her feet a moment, before her eyes caught her watch and she blinked, muttering something about being on the receiving end of a death glare from hell tonight. "Oh... It was nice to see you, Duo! Please.... come by. I'd really like to see you again. Catch up on old times." A quiet, quick smile, reminding him of the Hirde from old days, the one that used to wait up for him just to make sure he was alive and safe, lit her face before she dashed off into the crowd.

Duo stared off after her a few moments before he shook his head free of that. Gritting his teeth, he stabbed his hands into his coat pockets, bowing his head low and walking down the street again.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

The needle slowly filled, clear fluid swelling the tube a moment before Duo capped it. He could nearly taste it already, tickling the edges of his senses with such absolute joy. Tapping it quick to make sure there were no air bubbles, he pulled his sleeve up and tied a rubber band tight to show the blue sheen of veins in his arms.

Hirde came back to his thoughts and he paused, needle just near enough to his skin, and bit his lip. She wanted to catch up on old times, see how he was, all that friend stuff he had long forgotten about. Ne, she would want to know too much, would see too much with those ever intent blue eyes of her's. He couldn't deal with it, how those eyes could reach into his soul sometimes. It had nearly gotten her killed once. No way in hell was he going to fuck up her life a second time.

He still ached inside at the thought of her nearly fatal sacrifice after Libra. That's what people who loved you did, offering their lives for baka things like that. Duo didn't realize how much he needed her until after she nearly died on him like that. It had been his fault, making her want to do such a thing. So, if he left, nothing would make her want to hurt herself like that again.

One moment he was in tortured agony of memory, the next the long thin needle had stabbed through skin and into his vein, pumping the clear liquid into his blood. Steadily it thumped up through his arm and to his heart, before being transferred onto all the areas in his body.

Breathing a slow sigh of relief, Duo laid back on the bed and thought of nothing more than the colors invading his senses, the soft words, the sweet and gentle kisses that asked no questions and gave nothing more than peace and pleasure.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

Hirde dared to try and sneak past the kitchen and avoid the wrath of the Yuy, but she should have known better. The keen hearing of the Perfect Soldier caught the sound of her keys jingle and a cold, low tone sounded from the kitchen. "You're late. Again."

Sigh. Caught again.

"Gomen nasi, Heero. I had some extra paperwork Amy forgot to file.... and I ran into someone." She hoped to belay his annoyance with that little tease, heading into the kitchen and setting her jacket on the back of a chair.

Without a word, Heero quietly took her jacket and neatly hooked it on a hanger, placing it in the hall closet for later use. "Nani? Who was this person you ran into?"

"Are you interrogating me, Mr. Yuy?" Shaking her head, Hirde chuckled and reached over to taste some of the sauce with her finger. "Mmmmmmm. Making spaghetti sauce with garlic again?" She reached in for some more.

A spoon slapped her knuckles quick, efficiently driving away any more attempts to eat before dinner. "Hai, I am interrogating you." Smirk. "Now who did you meet?"

"Oh, I don't know if you remember him.... Tall, gorgeous, has an ass you could kill for...."

Heero raised a brow sharply at her teasing, not amused. "That names any number of our friends, and could be male or female. Be more specific." Slap of the spoon to an errant hand again.

Hirde yelped, gently babying her hurt hand. "Really, Yuy, do you have to guard the sauce like it's a mission.... I swear you take your cooking too personally sometimes. And, who are you? My mother? I don't need to tell you everything I do...."

"Cooking is my set mission protocol in this house, remember? You clean and I cook. That was how we divided up the chores. Also," His eyes narrowed with that "I've-got-a-mission-and-I-won't-fail" gleam. "Relena put me in charge of making sure you meet the right people as well as protect you from any.... undesirables that come around looking for an old OZ pilot."

"Oh, so that's why you chased away dear little Edgar from me last month...."

Snort. "Hn. "Dear little Edgar" gambled and drank a bit too heavily, as well as the fact he was married to a "dear little wife"."

"Oh...."

Smirk.

Hirde rolled her eyes at him, crossing her arms, hungry and wishing he would give her some food. Heero stared back at her with those impressionable Prussian blue eyes, guarding the food intently, not about to give her any until she talked. God, these ex-Gundam pilots could be such torturers sometimes. And Heero Yuy was the worst sadist of them all....

"Daijabu...." She sighed, rubbing her eyes a moment before glancing to Heero. "It was Duo. I ran into Duo Maxwell. Can I have some food now, please?"

Heero dropped the spoon when he heard that name. It would have been funny to see the Perfect Soldier so shocked looking if it weren't for her concern over him. "Nani? Heero, are you okay?"

After a moment, Heero cleared his throat and nodded, retrieving the spoon and neatly washing it, putting it in the dish drain. He was methodical like that. "Hai.... You saw.... Duo?"

Frowning slowly, Hirde nodded, arms crossed as she watched him fish another spoon out of the drawer and start to spoon spaghetti sauce over a neatly piled plate of angel hair and meatballs. "Yeah, I ran into him--literally--" Laugh. "in the street. He seemed pretty antsy for some reason, not that I blame him. I was pretty awkward feeling myself... It's only been two years."

Heero sent her a look, catching the slight bitterness in her tone. His eyes were unreadable as always, but Hirde knew Heero had been told by Relena the extent of Hirde's emotional paralysis when Duo had left. God, she didn't want to even think about how lost that had left her. It had taken her angel, her little angel of peace, to set all that back into place....

Literally, to fuck her into a woman.

Shaking her head slightly, she threw a grin to Heero. "Well, I gave him an invite to stop by and see us sometime, which I doubt he'll take up. Though never can tell with Duo... nope.... Can I eat now, Mr. Yuy?"

"Hn. Here." Heero handed her the spaghetti, quietly looking at his watch, which was always unerringly accurate. The world could be falling down around his ears, but Heero Yuy would make damn sure he knew what time to the second Doom's Day struck. "I have to go to work now, Hirde. Relena wants you to call her, hai?" He waited for her nod that she had heard while she furiously started eating spaghetti, before heading off into his room and closing the door. Lightning quick "tap-tap-tap-space bar-tap-tap" sounded, announcing Heero was thick into his work for the next seven hours to come.

Shaking her head, Hirde quirked a smile, liking the peace of a roommate who knew when to make himself scarce, yet take care of her so well at the same time. Not that she minded taking care of others. She had done it for Duo for.... so many years, but it was nice to be on the receiving end of the care sometimes. Even if Yuy's protective, suspicious nature did throw a wrench in the dating scene sometimes.

The spaghetti took her interest for a few more minutes before Hirde stood, grabbing a beer and heading for her bedroom where her own computer hummed, screensaver of various bondage pictures flying across it. Well, when you find you are overly sexed, as well as being an adult with no curious children about, why the hell not have something really nice to look at when you let the pc idle too long?

She threw off her boots and sat indian style on the spinning chair, dialing up Relena's number quick on the vidphone application in her pc, waiting for the blonde angel to pick up. Idly scrolling through her list of numbers, she made a face at a few of them. "God, I need to delete this... I don't even see Jack anymore. And Vicky.... ugh.... not going to go there."

Shuddering at a memory of some sort of bathroom fetish she didn't even want to think about, Hirde quickly deleted the two numbers just as a soft voice sounded, sleepy.

"Relena Darlian here...."

"Hallo, Miss Politician! Whatcha been up to these days? Especially somethings that make you this tired...."

Relena's blue eyes blinked her sleep away quickly, brushing her lemon-colored bangs out of her eyes, and smiled brightly. "Well, well, well.... You finally got home. How's life been treating you, lovely one? Heero told me you've been late all this week..." Disapproving frown, arching a delicate brow, wondering what's up with her.

"Oh, has that old soldier been blabbing to you?" The image of Heero Yuy detailing all her secrets to Relena in a gossipy tone made the raven-haired girl laugh softly, amused. "I've just had a lot of work to do of late. As have you, I see.... Not bothered to call me for over a week. Has Cathy really run you that ragged or just work?"

Relena gave a small smirk and shook her head. "Ne, mostly work. Catherine and I parted ways.... we just didn't suit. It was a clean split...." She shrugged, like whatcha going to do, before giving an odd little look that usually meant the peaceful girl had someone all set for her already. "Besides, I thought I'd visit you and Heero soon... See how everyone is, how things are going. I need a vacation from work."

Hirde arched a brow. Relena never really talked about vacation. She could be as militant in work as Heero could be sometimes. It was a wonder those two never hooked up now. Then again, she hadn't wanted them to when they could.... That had been when Relena and Hirde were together.

".... Is that alright, Hirde? I mean, I would really like to see you guys and to get as low a profile while being safe as possible. Only Heero can protect me as well as seven guards, and that's what I need. Friends and a safe vacation."

Like she could ever deny her old lover anything.

"Sure, Relena. Come on up." Curious expression at the way Relena's face lit up, a definite cunning in the girl's eyes. Hmmm.... Hirde have to see what was up when Relena got here. "Oh, I forgot! I have something to tell you...."

Hopefully, she won't take this like she might take it, Hirde silently prayed.

"Oh? Nani?"

"I saw Duo today."

There was a long moment of silence, a look of anger and slight worry on her friend's face, before Relena replied. "Oh? How is.... he?"

Hirde smirked, knowing the pacifist had nearly been about to say a naughty word. "He.... seemed fine. Can never tell with him, but then again, never could tell with you either."

Relena waved away her teasing tone, slight fond look on her face, before she became serious. "Hirde, what else happened.... Are you okay with seeing him like this again?"

"Hai, hai.... It's been two years, Rellie. Like it would take me that long to get over someone I never even got to fuck. Believe me, I'm not going to dissolve into a jabbering mass of emotions because I ran into him."

Not like last time at least.

Pursing her lips, the former Queen of the World looked at her former lover very carefully before giving a slight nod. "Hai.... Just take it slow, Hirde. I don't want that.... man to ruin a year of what we had to recreate and help come to life, hai?"

Rolling her eyes a moment, Hirde sighed. "Hai, Relena. Don't worry so much. Duo Maxwell can't do any damage to me now.... I wouldn't even fuck him if he was stripped naked and on my bed now." Pause. Hmmm.... wait a minute....

Relena snorted, rolling her eyes. "One thing about the new you.... You are such a deviant with language." That was one of Hirde's supposed vices to her lover, and one of the reasons the two had to break up. There was no way Hirde could stop using language, even at a governor's ball. Oh, well.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Rellie. Night night! And do hurry your ass up here, kay?"

Snort. "I will.... endeavor to make the trip soon, Hirde. Oyasumi (2)." With that polite note, the message ended.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

"Alright, Karl! Try the engine!" A dull gurgling, like one was killing a cat and was being really messy about it, sounded, before the engine died again. "Awwww, shit! C'mon, baby! Do this for Mamma...."

Karl looked out the window of the car at the delicious piece of ass swinging as the woman tried to fish out the problem in the engine. He clucked his tongue, thinking a moment on things before replying jokingly. "Ya know, 'De, that talking to the car like that isn't going to make it do anything but give up."

"Yeah, just like a man, eh, Karl?" The voice teased back from inside the confines of metal and piping, as well as various other electrical wires. "You tell him to get it up and it immediately goes down.... Good thinking. Better not insult the car's masculinity, eh?"

"Actually, I thought all cars were accepted to be female for being temperamental little buggers...."

The wrench dropped quickly, and there's was a muffled curse before the woman freed herself from the engine, grease marks on either cheek, and black streaks on her old shirt, hair tight in a ponytail. "Duo?" Hirde queried, blinking a moment as she looked to the man lazily lounging against the garage door.

Sure as Judgment Day or a clearance sale on cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, Duo Maxwell was there, the old grin on his lips and dressed just as sinfully in black as ever. Her heart skipped a beat, reminding her she still had a deep-rooted desire for this guy that refused to die no matter how many lovers she may have. The one that got away.... Hirde thought absently, eyeing him a moment. He looked less.... antsy than the other night. Leather jacket still on, nice tight black pants showing the sexiness of his legs, a black button down shirt on, first button undone and showing a hint of skin. She remembered he never liked to be as confined unless it was by a priest's collar, but he had taken to not wearing that anymore after Mariemeia's little coup d'etait, saying he "couldn't deal with the pressure of that reminder around his neck anymore." Still, the hint of skin.... It really made her feel that old calling in her belly. Hirde chided herself. Really, it had been two years. A little show of skin shouldn't get her all this hot and bothered. Especially when Duo didn't feel like that for her at all.

A simple look to his dark cobalt eyes made her pause a moment. They always looked so intriguing when hidden behind his long chestnut bangs, especially when dancing with so much dark merriment.

God, somebody send her to the showers.

"Well, yeah.... I thought since you invited me to your home, you wouldn't mind if I stopped by the scrap yard too.... Hope I didn't break up something interesting." The teasing tone was there again, like they were picking up right where they left off, two crazy kids who teased one another mercilessly, the best of buddies.

Hirde smirked a moment. "You're welcome here too. And, ne, Karl's married to an old ball and chain already.... he doesn't need a wench like me holding him down."

"I wouldn't say that!" Karl called out from where he was heading for some coffee in the office, to give the two youngings some privacy.

Mentally, Hirde reminded to give Karl a shot of oil in his eye the next time he thought he was doing something sweet for her. Already her insides were quaking at the sight of Duo, even after all these years. If Karl had been here, at least it would have felt like she had a barrier between the two of them. Now, she was very open.

She needed to get a hold of herself.

Duo smirked, shaking his head as he walked over, doing just what her body cried out for and what her mind cursed at, coming closer. "Looks like you're beating them off with a stick, Hirde..." He looked her up and down slowly, never one to not be open and bold. "I can see why...."

Stifling a shiver of pleasure, she repeated the mantra in her head. Two years, two years, two years....

"Yeah, well I had some time to make things settle in the right places." She teased slightly, trying to keep the bitterness from her tone. "So, what brings you here this day, Duo? Need an oil change?"

He smirked and shook his head, leaning back against the old clunker and eyeing her from under the rim of his old black ball cap. "Nope, just came to see ya, chat up about old times and such. So.... how's the business been going?"

"Good. Got a few backers to fund me when times turned a bit rough. Paid them back in spade.... It's turning into quite a comfortable little moneymaker...." Hirde nodded, glancing about her place, smiling a bit with pride, feeling good to have made something of a place that used to be nothing.

"Hn. Sure looks good to me, Hirde...." He nodded absently, looking about with a little grin. "Always knew you could make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, so to speak."

Glancing at him for his chuckle, Hirde shook her head a little with a quiet smile. "Ne, not out of everything...."

Else he would have stayed.

The odd moment of silence threatened again before Hirde broke it. "Duo, whatcha been up to of late? I know that you're not a Preventer.... Else Heero would have told me something by now."

Duo glanced at her a moment, something in his eyes before he shook it off like a bad dream. "Oh.... This and that.... So how has everyone been? I haven't talked to them in awhile."

Topic change efficiently delivered. Interesting.

"Quatre and Trowa are doing well, as only they can do. They set up funding for the next colonial project of Jupiter, so naturally they'll rake in a whole lotta dough when that comes through."

Chuckle. "Figures.... Those two lucky sons of a bitches."

Hirde smirked, agreeing. Sometimes the love the two lovers shared made her sick, but it was really more of an envious ache in her belly than anything else. "Wufei is with his family, they moved here about a month or two ago so they can work with the colonial Preventers unit as Heero does. Sally misses Earth, but she's dealing...."

Duo was unnaturally quiet a moment before he gave a slight nod to go on, lightly whistling to himself and looking off.

Quirking a brow, she reminded herself to check into that later. "Relena's as busy as ever on Earth. Noin and Zechs--or Milliardo, whatever the hell he's going by. These Peacecrafts change their names so many times, I can't keep track--just had a baby boy last year and are due for another in a few months." She sighed a moment, before smiling at how she got to play with the little boy, Dillon, when she and Relena had been a couple.

She was going to leave out the fact of Relena's bisexual nature until sometime later. In fact, it would be more amusing to see Duo's face if he ever heard the former prim and proper pacifist give an account of her many conquests, which included a brief interlude with Dorothy Catalonia that convinced her the Darlian name and absolute pacifism were not the way, at dinner. Quite a treat indeed... Just as long as she left how many different ways she taught Hirde to do it and how surprised she was when she learned Relena was so skilled out of the equation. That was one story she didn't want Duo to learn second-hand.

First-hand....

Goddamnit, get a hold of yourself, baka onna!

Not noticing her quiet thoughts or blush, Duo continued on. "And what about Heero?"

"Oh, Yuy?" She gave a laugh, getting back her composure. "You could ask Heero yourself how he's doing. He's my roommate."

A sharp pause before a startled, "Nani!?" met that answer.

Hirde laughed, grinning to him, just like of old. "Hai, I know.... Unconventional roommate but Relena convinced him and the next thing I know, I have someone who cooks and works nights while I clean and do days."

Duo looked slightly relieved at the mention of the division of night and days, which meant not being in the same place often enough for certain things. Pause before he looked at her incredulous. "How did Relena Peacecraft convince Heero Yuy, the man of the death glare that could freeze your blood, to be a roomie?"

"It's Darlian now. And I have no idea in hell.... I'm still wondering that myself."

The pair dissolved into laughter at the thought of it.

"God, what did she do? Pull a gun on him?" Laugh.

"Depend on which gun you're referring to."

Riotous giggling.

A few moments later, after tears had been wiped away at the thought of it, Hirde grinned to Duo, feeling that old happy humming inside her when he was near. "Duo, why don't you come for dinner tonight? I'm sure Yuy can make more food and it's his night off, so he'll want to catch up with you too."

Pause. "Are you sure you want Shinigami over your house, Hirde?" A queer little dark smile lit up his lips as he looked off, dark cobalt eyes flickering with a wealth of secrets she couldn't even dare guess at yet.

Yet. There was a word that held promise.

"Hell yeah!" She flushed at sounding so exuberant, ignoring Duo's slightly amused look. "I mean, I mentioned I saw you to Heero last night and he practically ordered me to get you over the apartment...."

Well, it wasn't a total lie.... He hadn't said don't bring him over.

"I don't know, Hirde...."

He was wavering. Go in for the kill.

Hirde smiled that sweet little innocent smile that always got her what she wanted, even back then when she hadn't fully come into her feminity. "Please, Duo. It would really make me happy.... Plus we might catch Heero in an apron!"

Duo bit his lip a moment as he watched her before eyes twinkle at the thought of Heero in an apron, wicked smile curving his lips. "I can't refuse such a tempting offer like that then." He chuckled, hand raising and lightly wiping away the grease off her cheeks with a rag.

Why did she wish it had been her that tempted his acquiescence and not the damn apron remark?

Hirde nodded, biting her inner cheek hard to quell the desireful ache in her belly and smiled brightly. "Hai.... it's all set then."

~~TBC