What’s Really In The Dark Of Night.

 

AN: Now, many have already figured this out. Yes, we have made Duo a girl. Now while I am the same in wanting Heero and Duo to remain the ultimate yaoi couple, I needed him as a girl in this one. So I am telling you all now so that you can either decide if you want to keep reading this or stop. Again, I would have loved to keep him a he… but this gender change was important to something that happens later in the story. At least, in my mind. ~Nuriko~

 

Chapter 6: Heero POV

 

I got to school early to find Duo and apologize for yesterday when I saw him storm out of the gym. He was a fair distance away so I had to jog a little to catch up to him. I held off calling out to him as he rounded a corner with an older woman spirit at his back.

 

I had never seen that woman before and it made me wonder why she was at the school. As I approached the corner where Duo had turned, I heard Relena yell at him then stomp off. I barely had enough time to duck into the conveniently located boys’ restroom as she rounded the corner mumbling something about evil faggots corrupting the world.

 

So, apparently Relena knew and was taking things out on Duo. This was all my fault; instead of them disliking me, they hated Duo. I had to apologize.

 

When I left the safety of my sanctuary, I saw the woman ghost going back towards the gym without Duo.

 

“Excuse me,” I said to her after seeing no one was in the hall. She looked at me then around the hall, finally pointing a finger at herself. “Yes, Ma’am. I was hoping you could tell me where Duo is.”

 

The apparition smiled and said something, but I shook my head, “I’m sorry, I can only see you, I can’t hear what you say.”

 

The lady smiled at me and pointed to the doors that led to the south exit of the building.

 

I nodded, “Thank you. Is he okay?”

 

The woman made a face, but shrugged then left.

 

“Alright,” I thought out loud, “that was an odd conversation…”

 

--------------------

 

I walked outside and scanned the grounds for the familiar sight of Duo. He was curled up in a little ball at the base of the tree where we had sat and talked yesterday. That sight didn’t sit well with me since Duo was usually such an upbeat person.

 

“Duo?” I said as I came close to him, “Is it all right if I sit down?”

 

He looked up at me, placing a fake smile on his lips, “Sure Heero. Free country, you know.”

 

“Right.” I took a seat next to him and watched him for a moment. He looked different today, and he looked… depressed. In all the time I had seen him around school, depressed was not something I saw often. In fact, Duo seemed to relish the fact that people thought he was crazy. It seems he used that to his advantage most of the time.

 

“I heard about today’s edition of Relena’s paper, I’m sorry you got the bad end of the deal,” I began.

 

“I always get the short end of the stick, Heero, that’s the way things go with me and my screwed up little life. Face it, buddy, you don’t want to be around me for long.”

 

I didn’t like the way this was going, this was nothing like the Duo I had talked to yesterday. This Duo just seemed off.

 

“Stop it, Duo. You’re the only person who knows my secret and I’m not about to let Relena ruin your life like that. There has to be a way to fix the situation-”

 

“There isn’t, Heero,” Duo said, cutting me off. “I’m not someone you want to be seen with, especially when you find out the truth about me.”

 

“And what truth would that be?” I asked, a little annoyed.

 

Duo didn’t answer, but rather hugged his knees to his chest a little more and set his mouth in a thin line to keep himself from answering.

 

“Duo, talk to me,” I said, my voice demanding.

 

“If I told you that I liked you, would that scare you away?” he asked, his eyes locking with mine.

 

“What?”

 

He took a steadying breath, “If I told you I think about you all the time, that my friends tell me all about your day, that I have you starring in my daydreams, would that drive you away?”

 

“I…” That was a lot to think about… especially considering I was straight and that kiss yesterday was only to throw off those girls. Granted, I had wanted to kiss Duo since I had spoken  to him in our art class, but other than him, I wasn’t attracted to guys at all.

 

“I thought you said you weren’t gay,” I told him, trying to avoid his question.

 

“You’re right, I’m not, but that didn’t answer my question and you know it.”

 

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t drive me away. You’re still the only one who knows my secret, making you the only one I can trust with things like this.” I was being honest, just because he liked me didn’t mean I couldn’t be friends with him. Hell, if all girls were like Relena and her clique, I could very much see myself either re-evaluating my preferences or moving to Tibet, taking a vow of celibacy, and living in a monastery for the rest of my life.

 

“I do, you know…” He whispered.

 

“Do what?” I was getting confused now.

 

“Like you,” he said. “I like you a lot, in fact. And I guess I’m as much a stalker as Relena and her posse, except that what I learn comes from ghost chatter.”

 

“But you said you weren’t-”

 

“Gay?” he said, one eyebrow lifting. “I’m not.”

 

“Then why- how-?” I was too confused to even think of what I wanted to ask. Maybe he was REALLY a nut case aside from seeing the ghosts.

 

“I’m a girl, Heero,” he sighed, “Always have been, always will be.”

 

“A girl?” I repeated. My mind was racing. What?! How could that be? Everyone thought Maxwell was a guy, how could it be possible that she fooled so many people for so long. It didn’t make sense.

 

“I didn’t stutter, yes, I’m a girl. Now get away from me before her royal pain-in-the-hinny-ness shows up,” he… she… said as she pushed me away.

 

She’s a girl. I had trouble wrapping that around my brain and just sat there for a few minutes. She was funny, bright, and most of all, NOT Relena. Duo, the school nut could quite possibly be my dream girl, and I was too stupid to see it sooner. Maybe if I had a girlfriend, Relena would give up… then again, it might make things worse for Duo.

 

“I’m not leaving, Duo,” I said after a few moments of silence.

 

“Why not? You wouldn’t want to leave your fans waiting, would you?” she sneered.

 

“I’m sorry they attacked you like that,” I said with as much sympathy as I could put into my voice, “I… I haven’t read the article yet since Quatre’s sister isn’t done with it yet, so I don’t know what they put about you, but it can’t be that-”

 

“Bad?” Duo asked, rolling her eyes. “They called me a fag and a queer and other unflattering names that shouldn’t be said to anyone at all. I have nothing against gays, but I’m not one of them. It hurts when someone calls you something you’re not, especially when it isn’t true and they do it for the sole purpose of hurting you.

 

“I’ve taken abuse from those girls for a long time. I never let them get to me because most of what they said about me was true. I can live with the truth. When they said that I’m some flaming homo out to “corrupt” their sweet prince, I couldn’t take it. I’m sorry, Heero, but I don’t want to be at the center of such a vicious rumor. In my defense, I never said I was a guy, I just never bothered to correct anyone when they assumed that‘s what I was.”

 

I sat there quietly for a few more minutes and heard the first class bell ring, but didn’t make a move to get up.

 

“You don’t want to go in there, do you?” I asked, looking over at her.

 

“How’d you guess that?” she asked rather sarcastically.

 

“We can leave if you don’t feel up to going to class,” I said, hoping that I sounded helpful.

 

“Why would WE do that?” she asked, again, with a tinge of cynicism in her voice.

 

“Look, I don’t want to go in there any more than you do. I’m sick and tired of those girls following me around everywhere. Is it too much to ask that I spend time with the only friend who knows my biggest secret?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t turn me down.

 

“Friend?” She blinked, looking at me with those huge violet eyes of hers.

 

“Yes, baka, my friend.”

 

She smiled, “I think I like the sound of that….” To my dismay, her smile faded, giving me a hard look, “What about what I said before?”

 

“What about it?” I asked, feigning complete innocence.

 

“You know what I’m talking about,” she said testily.

 

“I don’t mind you liking me,” I said, “In case you haven’t noticed, half the school likes me too.”

 

“But you’re running away from them. What makes me so special?”

 

I smirked, “What makes you special is what causes everyone else to label you crazy, you should know that by now.”

 

She punched my shoulder playfully. I still can’t believe it didn’t take me longer to come to terms with the fact that Duo was a girl. I guess I felt better knowing that my preferences hadn’t changed with the one kiss I shared with Duo. In fact, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the kiss all night.

 

Who knows? Maybe I had a chance with her after all now that she told me she was a girl. It’d make my life a whole lot easier if the girl I went out with understood my… condition. But I was thinking too far ahead. Sure she liked me, but she might still not go out with me.

 

“So… do we leave or what?” I asked, standing up, dusting the seat of my pants.