What’s Really In The Dark Of Night

 

Chapter Five; Duo POV:

 

          I was about as stunned as I could be. Heero Yuy, the school perfect man, had kissed me. ME!! Duo Maxwell, school nut case and all around loner. Personally, a part of me jumped for joy. I had been daydreaming of such a thing from him for such a long time.  Yet everyone knew me as a guy. Even Relena’s super spies couldn’t learn the truth. That thought brought about an interesting question. Was Heero gay? Was that why none of the girls caught his eye? Well, besides the fact they were massive stalkers and more insane than I ever could be.

 

          Only one way to really know.

 

          Jumping slightly at what I was about to do, I took his hand and pulled him to my bike. We had to make a hasty exit. With helmets on and a small amount of distance between the fan girls and us, I spoke. “Tell me directions to your place, Hee-chan.” Oh perfect! Even alone I couldn’t ask if he was gay. Of course, some part of me still loved life and didn’t want to startle him so bad as to cause us to lose balance. Eating asphalt was not my thing.

 

          “I have my own car,” he answered. I smirked as four more fan girls were parked right by his car in the school parking lot, just waiting for him.

 

          “If you really want to deal with them, I’ll leave you at your car,” I told him. His grip tightened on my waist, surprising me. It didn’t hurt, but it had been unexpected.

 

          “Leave me to those fan girls and I’ll personally commit you to an insane asylum,” he growled to me. I laughed as I sped off down the road and away from them.

 

          “Fine. I need directions then,” I said once I was finished laughing. His grip eased a little.

 

          “Do you know Scythe Ave and Wing Court?” he asked. I almost froze and missed stopping for a red light. Luckily, I did stop and spared a brief glance his way.

 

          “Yeah, I know it.”

 

          “Well I live at 1001 Wing Court,” he told me then. I was stunned. My fantasy man lived a mere block from my home? This was too much. I lived on Scythe Ave, which was the only road that could access Wing. Wing also wasn’t a through street. Thus, we had been neighbors for a long while and didn’t know it. All the homes on these two streets were large with large yards and swimming pools. Only the elite could afford them. Lucky for me, my uncle was most of the elite’s lawyer and financial advisor. That’s why we lived as well as we did.

 

          I rode down the streets like a pro. My Harley purred gracefully down the road, letting everyone know I was coming. Once at Wing I turned up it and stopped at the last home on the block. It was a sprawling two story home with a rather lovely and impressive lawn. Heero punched in a code, which I had caught to be 010101, and the large white wrought iron gates swung open, admitting us. One thing I could say about Heero, he certainly lived like a prince. I waited till the gate opened entirely before heading through and taking the slightly curving road up to the house. Once at the front door I stopped, but left the motor idling.

 

          “Hey, Hee-chan, I didn’t know you liked boys over the girls. Your fan club is gonna flip.” Heero did exactly as I had thought he would. He almost stumbled getting off my bike.

 

          “What?!” he questioned, his eyes wide with my extra helmet hanging limp in his hands.

 

          “I didn’t stutter,” I remarked. Heero stared at me for a long, silent moment. His eyes then settled on my own as I spoke some more. “Granted it was a great kiss, but I’m not the one ya want to take a shine to if ya wanna go gay. It just wouldn’t work.”

 

          “I didn’t plan what I had done. I’m sorry I didn’t ask your preferences.” I laughed softly.

 

          “Oh, don’t worry about that. I like the guys just fine.” I then shook my head. “I’m just too insane for any kind of relationship.” Heero laughed then and I sighed inwardly. Yet another disaster avoided. “Will you be able to make it to the Wing Zero without your car?”

 

          He looked at me in surprise. “Huh?” he asked.

 

          I laughed once more, deeply, with my head thrown back. He was just too cute for his own good sometimes. “Was the kiss that good, Hee-chan?” I was teasingly.

 

          He glared at me lightly. “I don’t see you drooling all over either,” he muttered, a small smile on his lips.

 

          “Touché, “ I answered. “You were supposed to meet Q-bean and Wuffles at Wing Zero after our meeting, remember?” I asked.

 

          “Oh, I’ll make it. All I need to do is call Quatre and tell him the fan club stopped me from getting to my car. He’ll come get me.” I smiled, my visor still up.

 

          “Then I take it you won’t have trouble getting to school,” I said. I then revved the bikes engine. “Take care, Heero.” I then didn’t wait as I pulled away, my extra helmet still in Heero’s hands. That just gave me a reason to have to talk to him tomorrow. After all, I was only crazy, not mentally challenged.

 

***

 

          Arriving at school the next day, I was assaulted by many more looks than usual. Realizing I was anything but my usual crazy self, my Aunt Helen thought she had to come with me. Her angered exclamation from somewhere nearby surprised me. Helen was always soft spoken and sweet. I almost didn’t recognize this hellion.

 

          “Why those no good, dirty, rotten, little…”

 

          “Auntie, please,” I muttered. I lead the way into the locker room, swiftly changing into my gym clothes. I watched with an amused expression as a copy of the fan-girls pink newsletter floated my way. As far as I knew, she was the only spirit who could physically touch things in the living realm.

 

          “What’s so upsetting, auntie?” I asked, taking the paper from her grasp.

 

          “Just read these lies they’ve printed about you! They aren’t even correct about…”

 

          “Stop it,” I said. “They just want to protect their perfect man.” Helen huffed at me.

 

          “Protect him? Dear, first of all no man is perfect. On top of that, they are selling his sweat towel from yesterday’s gym for a hundred dollars. His used sweat towel,” she groaned, making me chuckle.

 

          “His shower towel sold for one hundred and fifty the other day,” I told her. Helen snickered at this.

 

          “Too bad it wasn’t his towel they got,” she remarked. I blinked.

 

          “Aunt Helen, what did you do?”

 

          “I gave them Raven’s old towel.”  I made a face, gagging. That was just really, really wrong.

 

          “But Raven never showers. He even wipes his sweat off on his towel but won’t wash it.” I was feeling a little sick thinking about the unlucky girl who had gotten that little present.

 

          “They had it coming. They always pick on you when news is slow about Prince Yuy.” I sighed.

 

          “Just ignore them, auntie. They’re just repeating old news about me. We already knew I was crazy.”

 

          “But sweetie, you aren’t crazy. You really can hear the dead. You weren’t just imagining things.”

 

          “So what did they say I was guilty of this time?” I asked, pulling on my gym shoes.

 

          “They’re saying you’re a dangerous homosexual whose set your unnatural sights on their precious prince. They’ve said lots of other things as well, but I refuse to repeat it. I mean, you aren’t a homosexual. You’re all heterosexual.”  I shook my head at my aunt. She was crazier than I was at times, yet I loved her all the same.

 

          “Aunt Helen, you just need to ignore them. Letting them know that their words create any kind of emotion would be allowing them to win.” I pulled the paper up to eye level and began reading. Halfway through I balled it up and threw it into the wastebasket that was half the room away. If any of the others were here, they’d be impressed.

 

          “Are you all right, princess? You look pale.” I waved off her comment.

 

          “I’m naturally pale, auntie,” I said lightly. It hurt. Damn did it hurt. For the first time in my life the fan girls had gotten to me and it hurt like hell.

 

          “Then you’re paler than normal, love,” my aunt said, her voice all sweetness and light again. “Just ignore those lies.”

 

          “But I didn’t drag him kicking and screaming from school. He walked willingly with me to my bike. Not a hearse, by the way. I haven’t driven that thing since last Halloween when I was just trying to scare everyone a little.” I sniffled then, struggling to hold back my tears. This really hurt, damn it. Didn’t anyone care about who they hurt? Oh, who was I kidding, they didn’t care at all.

 

          “We went to the cemetery, where we talked with Rain, Sunny, and Willow. He’s got a gift auntie, a gift similar to mine. He can see spirits where I can hear them. I then brought him to my sanctuary, where all spirits have agreed to leave me alone. We talked for a while. He was really sweet. He was even reluctant to call me crazy.

 

          “Then the schizoid fan girls appeared and prompted -HIM- to kiss -ME-. I didn’t pull him kicking and screaming into some illicit kiss. Why are people so mean to those who are just a little different from what’s normal? Who has a say in what’s normal anyway?! Certainly not some overly obsessed fan girls who can’t deal in reality.”

 

          I stood, pulling my clothes on over my gym clothes and snagging my boots. I then slammed right out of the place. I headed for my private spot, unwilling to face anyone at school. I was almost well away when a shrill voice stopped me. Oh please let there be an out. I really couldn’t trust myself.

 

          “Auntie, do me a favor and go visit Solo. I won’t make it to see him today and he gets lonely easily.”

 

          “Right. Be careful.” I nodded lightly as I then turned to see Relena, President and founder of the ‘We love Prince Yuy’ fan club. Some days, you just didn’t want to risk me. Today was very much one of those days.

 

          “Duo Maxwell! Just what is heaven’s name did you think you were doing yesterday? Wither a member of the fan club or not, no one is allowed to talk to Prince Heero all alone. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you kissed him! You perverted our precious prince with your unnatural ways!” I tilted my head slightly. Oh that was it! I’d hit my breaking point at her first word and was now more than ready to prove how crazy I could be. Not to mention vindictive. Its amazing what you learn from spirits about most people. And I was prepared to use every last bit of information I had.

 

          “Actually, Relena, I’m not a member and damn proud of it. I’ve had it up to the sky with your silly little pink paper. I am not one of those quiet little loonies people hear about. I’m rabid and I bite, hard. You precious prince kissed me yesterday. All in the name of getting away from you psycho fan girls. Worked fairly well too. Charla and Carly were fairly stunned. That’s possibly why they had no pictures of the incident.”

 

          “How did you…”

 

          “Know?” I finished for her. “A little birdie told me. Just like I know about your little auctions of Heero’s stuff and about how you hoard all the pictures of him in the shower. Obviously the prim and proper princess isn’t so proper. I treat him like a person. You girls treat him like an object. In the end, who do you think will win him over?” She was stunned. She hadn’t expected her dirty little secret to become exposed. See, sucks to mess with a pissed of person who’s got the best insider information.

 

          “He may look to you at the moment, but in the end he’ll want a woman Someone who can give him children,” she said spitefully. I felt a smug smile tug at my lips. Oh, how little they truly knew.

 

          “Ya know, its women like you who make men like him go strictly dickly. While I admit that Heero is very handsome, I don’t expect anything other than friendship. Which is more than I can say for you fan girls.”

 

          “Relena was the one who bought Raven’s towel,” Helen said, obviously having returned, if she had ever left, and felt a need to fuel my rage.

 

          “Oh, by the way, that towel you paid a hundred and fifty bucks for, it’s a waste.” Relena’s face mottled in anger. It was obvious I’d hit a nerve and I’d certainly pay for it in tomorrows edition. For the moment though, I was fully enjoying myself.

 

          “Why you filthy, unworthy, little rodent! What do you know about anything!?” she spat.

 

          “I happen to know that towel is not your sweet Prince’s. It used to belong to Raven, our resident slob.  It must be nice to know you cuddle up to that every night,” I said meanly, my violet eyes serious. Relena’s face paled instantly. She then spun on her heel and left, echoes of evil psycho echoing through the halls.

 

          I sighed, my feet once again taking me from the school and toward my favorite place. My special place that I had shared with Heero. “My poor Princess,” Aunt Helen whispered softly. I shook my head.

 

          “I’m no princess, auntie. I hide my true self from everyone. I’m a nut, auntie. Not male or female, nor prince or princess. I’m just another crazy. That’s how I like it. Go see to Solo. I’ll meet you in art class with Morrigan. Right now I just want to be alone.”

 

          “All right, love. Call me if you need me.” That said I felt that she was gone. Really gone this time. She was the only one I ever felt that from. For once, I was grateful for it. I leaned against the tree and allowed myself a real good cry. Afterwards I’d be fine, but right now I needed to cry.