Back
�How did we get here?�
Duo was quiet for a minute as he looked over his shoulder and watched the glass shards fall to the floor. There was a cut on his arm, he knew only because he could feel the pain, which he welcomed, not because he could see it. �You pushed me into the glass window, Heero.� Duo said flatly.
�No,� Heero whispered and Duo was sure he could actually hear emotion in the Perfect Soldier�s words. �Not here. I mean into this mess.�
Duo shrugged. �Just born lucky I guess.� He placed his hands on the ground to stand up and felt a sharp pain. Jerking his hand up, he could see the glass splinter sticking out of his palm.
Before he had a chance to react, Heero had his hand in his. �Let me.� The gruff old Heero was back again. Duo wondered if he imagined the break of character. They were all vulnerable. They were young and had such a burden to carry. But, the break had been there.
�Ow!� Duo jerked his hand away as Heero flicked the blood covered splinter over his shoulder. Blood pooled in his hand. Normally Duo would have welcomed the sight of blood, but too much had been spilled already today. �Well?�
�Well what?� Heero placed his head back on his arms. The break in mood was back. �I�m so fed up with this.�
�Me too.� Duo said quietly slumping his shoulders forward. �Do you ever just wish you could be a kid?�
�No,� Heero shook his head. �But I don�t want this either.� He looked past Duo to the room they were just in. Several dead bodies littered the floor, blood pooled here and there. �I may be good at this, but it�s not what I wanted.�
�What do you want Heero?� Duo heard himself speak the words, but couldn�t stop himself. He hated having these mushy, feelings out in the open, conversations, but this one seemed to work. Duo saw Heero�s eyes flick to him, then back to the room.
�I don�t know,� he whispered. �Anything but this would be fine.�
�Come with me then.� Duo stood up. �Now that we are done here, come with me back to the Colony. Hilde will be there, but you�ll have all the privacy you need.�
Without a word, Heero stood up and reached his hand down for Duo. With out thinking, Duo reached up with his bloody hand and grabbed Heero�s. Standing, he let go and realized what he had done. Heero just stood, looking at Duo�s blood on his hand. �I did this,� he murmured.
�Naw, I did, when I put my hand down.�
�No.� Heero was firm in his words. �I did. Because of me, your blood is on my hands.�
�Whoa, buddy,� Duo stepped through the glass with a nervous laugh. �I think you are going too far now.� Duo turned to look at Heero. He had this weird bewildered look on his face, like he had killed someone for the first time, or maybe stepped on a bug he didn�t want to step on. �Heero?�
�Does this mean I�ve killed you Duo? Does this mean I�m dead? Are we both dead?�
�Not that I know of.� Duo waved an arm. �Come on, let�s get out of here, Heero.� He started to walk back through the room they just came from.
�What if this is all a dream?� Heero bent down and picked up the gun at his feet. �Duo.�
�What?� He turned as Heero leveled the gun. For a moment, his heart stopped. �Hey, what are you doing?�
�If you�re dead, this won�t hurt you. If not, you will be.�
�Are you crazy?!� Duo waved his arms in the air. �Heero put the gun down. There�s no need to shoot me!� Duo took a step forward, back towards Heero.
Heero cocked the hammer on the gun. �Stop. Don�t move.� He looked down to his hand again. �If your blood is already on my hands, you must be dead. That�s why we fell through the glass. Your lifeless body fell on me.�
�What? You pushed me, remember? Besides, how can I be dead and talking to you from over here?� Duo took a step forward and all he remembered was the echo of the gun shot.