| Heero slowly returned to consciousness, the constant aching of his body reminding him that everything was not as it should be. He opened his eyes wider, struggling to make out any shapes or colours in the gloom. Where am I...? Suddenly everything came back to him in a rush, and he remembered what had happened to him round about the same moment he realised that he was not in his own bed. And that there was someone sitting next to him, their hand resting gently on his arm. Shit! Where the hell am I?! He instinctively jerked away from the foreign touch, hissing in pain as the movement disturbed his tender limbs. Heero raised his gaze once more to look at the stranger, when light flooded the room and the other occupant of the apartment turned away from the light switch to look at him in relief. "You're awake now!" Heero's eyes widened in shock - it was the boy from the other day! His mouth moved silently as he searched for something to say. "Uh..." However he really didn't need to say anything, as his new acquaintance began to talk rapidly. "I'm glad you're okay, I really didn't know if you would be...you got knocked up real bad and you weren't really moving--" He paused for breath, his brow slightly furrowed in worry. "I...I'm fine." Heero confirmed, a small smile tugging slightly at the corner of his mouth. The other boy could certainly talk... "Oh! I'm Duo, and we're in my apartment." A grin broke out on Duo's face, and he looked expectantly at the boy on the bed. "Who're you?" "...Heero." Duo's grin faded slightly at the short replies, but he reminded himself that Heero had just been--- "Oh, Heero...are...are you really....alright?" He suddenly looked very serious, and Heero wasn't quite sure what he meant. But...but he knows I'm alright... "Yes...but," He glared in annoyance, "I think the guy who beat me up took all my money." Duo sighed in relief and the smile returned to his face. "What are you smiling about?!" Heero turned his glare towards Duo, and sat up slightly in bed. "Well, Heero...you know you were pretty lucky that's all he wanted..." A slight look of confusion appeared on Heero's face, "....what do you mean?" Duo had to stop himself from staring at the other youth in amazement - could Heero really be that naive?! "Um, Heero..." Duo tapped his chin thoughtfully with his index finger, trying to find the right words. "You saw me the other day, right?" He waited for the nod of confirmation before continuing. "And...what is it that you think I do for a living...?" He studied Heero's expression while he waited for an answer. A slight pinkness arose in Heero's cheeks, but the dark haired boy looked him in the eyes seriously, and said simply, "You sell yourself." Now it was Duo's cheeks who burned. It was something in the way Heero had said it - it had never bothered him before, and had never felt particularly ashamed of what he did...but... He shook it off and continued. "Right. So...you don't think that some people would want you? And think they could have you by force..? That's what I meant when I said you were lucky, Heero..." Heero blinked in surprise, and then shuddered once he realised what he could have got himself in for. "So what were you out by yourself for anyway?" He focused back on Duo as he realised that the long haired boy was talking again. "I...I don't have anywhere to be." Duo tilted his head on one side in puzzlement. "But...who were you out with then the other day? Weren't they your parents?" "Yes." Duo raised an eyebrow, hoping for more information, but the stoic youth remained silent. "Ya know," Duo sighed, "You're not very sociable...you could try and talk a bit more...but if you don't want to tell me, then I guess that's fine." Heero watched impassively as Duo walked over to the other side of the room and put some water on to boil. "You want some tea or something?" Heero nodded and shifted uncomfortably in the bed. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Duo, he just suddenly seemed at a loss for anything to say...and then there was the fact that Duo was so good looking, and it was kinda distracting.... "Hellooo?" He jumped as he realised Duo was waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you alright? You seem kind of preoccupied....Anyway, here. Drink this." Heero accepted the warm cup, wrapping his cold fingers around it gratefully. "...Thanks." Duo smiled happily and sat down on the end of the bed again. "So Heero.... what are you going to do now?" TBC |